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Arugula 10 Ways
Arugula 10 Ways
Arugula is a dark green, peppery leaf that works equally well in salads or as a cooked green. It is available year-round, but is best when the weather is mild. Arugula is easily cleaned in a large bowl/basin of cool water. Gently swish leaves in the water, letting any dirt fall to the bottom of the bowl. Lift clean leaves out of the water and transfer to a salad spinner or several layers of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Dry in the spinner or by rolling in the towels. Transfer leaves to a layer or two of paper towels (or clean, dry ones if you dried the leaves with towels), gently roll them up, and store in a loosely closed plastic bag in the fridge. Smaller arugula leaves tend to be milder, while larger leaves tend to have a more aggressive, peppery kick. Arugula pairs well with sweet mild lettuces like Boston (a.k.a. butter lettuce) and Bibb lettuces. Dressings made with olive oil and balsamic vinegar highlight the assertive flavors of arugula, as do lemon juice-based dressings. Arugula does well lightly cooked. Use it as you would spinach or added to soups (cooking quickly). Also, you can add small handful on top of a plate of pasta or let it wilt gently into a bowl of soup. This will add flavor, texture, and color to a dish. Here are 10 Arugula ideas highlighted by Parade Magazine.
THE RAW:
Italian: Arugula, sliced radicchio, parmesan cheese shavings, quartered artichoke hearts and pitted black olives.
Summer: Arugula, sliced beefsteak tomatoes, fresh corn kernels and fresh basil
Steakhouse: Arugula, sliced steak, cucumber, chopped scallions or spring onions and crisp bacon
Sweet and Salty: Arugula, diced fresh apricot, crumbled feta cheese and toasted almonds
California: Arugula, crumbled gorgonzola cheese, toasted pecans and dried cranberries
THE COOKED:
Pesto: Puree 2 garlic cloves, 2 cups packed arugula, ½ cup olive oil and ¼ cup toasted pine nuts or toasted walnuts. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Serve on grilled fish or chicken.
Pilaf: Sauté 1 diced onion in 2 tbsp canola oil in a pot. Add 1 ½ cups rice, 2 ½ cups water and salt to taste. Bring to simmer. Stir in ¼ cup golden raisins and ¼ cup slivered almonds. When rice is tender stir in 2 cups packed arugula.
Sandwich: Layer slices of ripe peach, thin slices of gruyere cheese and handful of arugula between 2 slices of whole wheat bread. Bake or press until cheese melts.
Pasta: Combine ¾ lb cooked whole wheat spaghetti, 2 cups packed arugula, 1 cup halved grape tomatoes, ¼ cup chopped parsley, 3 tbsp pine nuts, 1 tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Warm and serve.
Pizza: Top whole wheat pizza crust with basil pesto, handful of arugula, sautéed broccoli and shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake at 425 degrees until cheese melts and crust is finished.
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Asian Pear Slaw
Asian Pear Slaw
Asian Pears are a bit more firm and crisp than regular pears which makes a big difference in this tangy, refreshing, low calorie slaw. Epicurious.com has some innovative recipes and this one is no exception. Pair it with some BBQ, Asian meats or burgers and you’ll have a winning meal! Endive and Jicama are two substitutions/additions that can be used in this savory-spicy-sweet recipe.
INGREDIENTS
• 2 celery ribs (and/or Jicama, Endive)
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
• 2 firm Asian pears, cut into 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks
• 2 scallions or spring garlic, thinly sliced diagonally
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh hot Red Chile or hot sauce or to taste
DIRECTIONS
Peel strings from celery with a Y-shaped vegetable peeler and cut celery into 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks.
Whisk together juice, vinegar, and ginger and stir in celery and remaining ingredients with salt and pepper to taste. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.
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Portobello Mushroom Burgers
Portobello Mushroom Burgers
Grilled Portobello mushrooms can be a healthy and fun alternative to regular burgers. Brushing the mushrooms with a mixture of 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar and 3 minced garlic cloves (and letting them rest for about 30 minutes, flipping once) will give you a base for many different flavor combinations.
Combinations:
Pesto, Provolone and Red Pepper:
Stir ½ cup pesto (you can make arugula, basil or spinach or store bought) with ¼ cup mayonnaise. Heat grill to medium high. Grill sourdough or Ciabatta rolls (split horizontally) 1-2 minutes. Take mushrooms (brushed-see above) and grill 4 minutes each side, gill side down. Remove from heat, spread one side of bun with pesto mixture, top each mushroom with roasted peppers, arugula and provolone cheese. Put sandwich together, pesto side on the top.
Mediterranean:
Brush 4 mushrooms with a combination of 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 clove minced garlic. Separately, combine in medium bowl ½ cup roasted peppers, ½ cup chopped tomato, ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese, 2 tbsp chopped pitted Kalamata olives, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 2 cups loosely packed salad greens and ½ teaspoon oregano. Grill mushrooms 4 minutes per side and grill 4 large slices of country style sourdough bread 1 minute per side. Place grilled mushrooms top side down on 4 slices of bread. Top with salad mixture and add top bread.
Blue Cheese:
Cook 3 cups red onion over high heat in 1 tbsp olive oil. Reduce heat. Add 2 tbsp water. Brown the onion and stir until very soft (15 min). Add ¼ cup ruby port and cook 3 minutes until evaporated. Add ¼ tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Remove from heat. Grill mushrooms (brushed-see above) sprinkled with salt (gill side down) for 5 minutes. Flip. Top with ½ cup crumbled blue cheese divided and grill 3 more minutes. Remove from heat. Add onions and fresh arugula and place on toasted buns.
Avocado and Shallot:
Heat oven to 425 degrees. In roasting pan toss mushrooms with 1 tbsp olive oil, ½ cup water and pinch of salt and pepper. Arrange gill side down, cover loosely with foil allowing steam to escape and roast for 30-40 minutes until tender. In bowl, combine 1 ripe avocado, 1 medium shallot (peeled and minced), 1 tbsp fresh lime juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mash into a paste. Toast rolls, place mushrooms on bottom halves, top with avocado mixture and a slice of tomato.
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