Taking care of someone who is ill makes one feel very virtuous, but doesn't leave much time for self-care.
I returned from a trip to help my dad seven pounds lighter than before my departure (a good thing), but feeling really out of sorts physically (a bad one), to be greeted by my sister who found me pasty looking and my neighbor who told me that I looked ill.
This recovery salad was therefore for me. It is based very loosely on a Thai Som Tum Khao Pod and is spicy, fragrant, sweet, sour and salty, not to mention restorative. You could used shaved carrots or add other vegetables to make this salad your own or add chopped hard boiled egg or diced tofu as additional garnishes to add a bit of protein to the mix.
1 cup of okra, sliced
1 ear of corn, kernels removed from the cob
1/3 cup roughly diced pepper (I used an orange one to add another color to the salad)
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tbsp chopped mint leaves
1 tsp chopped cilantro leaves
1 pickled chili pepper, finely diced (optional)
2 tsps vegetable oil
2 tsps fish sauce
2 tsps fresh lime juice
2 tsps brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp your favorite hot sauce
1/4 cup crushed peanuts for garnish
Heat the oil in a large skillet.
Add the corn and the okra to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes over high heat, stirring from time to time, so that the vegetables get a bit charred at the edges and cook through. Set aside.
Combine the fish sauce, fresh lime juice, brown sugar and hot sauce in a salad bowl and whisk until well combined. taste and adjust to your taste.
Add the herbs and all the vegetables, including the warm ones in the pan which you should tip into the bowl oil and all, to the salad bowl and toss to combine.
Garnish with crushed peanuts and enjoy a healthy and delicious meal salad.