Food Focus: Arugula
Smaller arugula leaves tend to be milder, while larger leaves tend to have a more aggressive, peppery kick. They are great in salads, on their own or combined with other lettuces. Bunched arugula needs to have its tough stems removed and discarded before cleaning. Arugula is best cleaned in a large bowl or 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.
Recipe of the Month: ARUGULA WITH ORZO AND GARDEN TOMATOES
3/4 cup orzo
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
About 8-10 cups arugula
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
2-3 ounces goat or feta cheese, crumbled
DIRECTIONS:
Cook the orzo in salted water according to package directions. Drain and reserve. Chop the arugula roughly. If the leaves are small or if it is baby arugula, no need to chop at all. Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat and add a little olive oil. When it is hot, cook the arugula handful by handful, letting the first few handfuls wilt completely, and leaving the last few barely cooked.
Add the basil, tomatoes, cheese, and orzo with the last handful of arugula. Turn the heat to high and cook for another minute or two – until everything is hot. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.
Food Facts:
Arugula is sometimes called the Salad rocket. It is rich in vitamin C, an important, powerful antioxidant.
Eating arugula raw and fresh maximizes the vitamin C and chlorophyll.
The large amounts of chlorophyll, also known as “liquid sunshine” helps cleanses the blood, detoxifies cells, heals disease in the body and boosts oxygen.
It is also high in potassium, a mineral known to improve cardiovascular health.
Arugula is extremely low in calories with just 0.5 calories per leaf.
Arugula also contains high levels of iron and copper.
It contains high levels of vitamin K which plays a crucial role in bone health.
It is a rich source of vitamin A that is also important in eye, skin and respiratory health.
That just names a few health benefits of Arugula.
