Food & Drink by Shari McIntyre (formerly Darling) For more information on wine and food, go to www.sharidarling.com The Miracle of Arugula I’ve always enjoyed the crunchy, spicy, peppery character of fresh arugula. Of course, I know that eating salad is healthy and assumed that eating arugula was also healthy. Recently, I watched a YouTube video about arugula and its plethora of health benefits and was amazed and excited to prepare this salad. Arugula is part of the mustard family and a staple in Mediterranean cuisine. You’ll see it featured in Italian, Moroccan, Portuguese and Turkish dishes. Arugula is now a staple in my diet, too. It is a cruciferous veggie hanging in the same family as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, collards, watercress and radishes. Arugula is believed to possess many health benefits, such as: ▶ aids in the slowing of the aging process; ▶ helps to detoxify the body; ▶ supports the body in absorbing minerals; ▶ supports weight loss, because it is so low in carbohydrates and calories; ▶ helps to boost the immune system; ▶ aids in ridding the body of free radicals; ▶ improves the metabolism, believed to increase the production of red blood cells which help prevent diabetes, depression, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease; ▶ aids in improving eye health; and, ▶ aids in cancer prevention. Did you know that arugula has more calcium and zinc than kale? It is also an incredible source of vitamin C. Arugula has 275%more vitamin C than romaine lettuce. The list of health benefits goes on. You can feature arugula in a wide range of dishes. Use it instead of basil in pesto. Toss this veggie with other greens such as romaine and chicory, for a more balanced salad. It can be sauteed, blanched or stir-fried. Add arugula to your next omelette, frittata, pasta, pizza or roasted meats. Arugula complements dark berries, melons, pears and citrus fruits, cheeses (gorgonzola, parmesan, burrata, goat, feta and blue), green and black olives, tomatoes, broccolini, nuts (walnuts, almonds and pine), meats (beef, poultry and turkey), seafood and anchovies. Some of the many dishes featuring arugula include: ▶ Arugula pesto pizza; ▶ Egg breakfast wraps; ▶ Falafel pita with cucumber, tomato and tahini sauce; ▶ Grilled salmon sandwich with spicy yoghurt dressing; ▶ Salmon cakes with arugula salad; ▶ Couscous with pears and arugula walnut pesto; ▶ Chicken cutlets with roasted red pepper and arugula relish; ▶ Chicken arugula pesto panini; ▶ Steak with arugula salad; ▶ Avocado and arugula omelette; and, ▶ Charred shrimp with arugula pesto and quinoa. Other salads featuring this leafy green include: ▶ Arugula, walnut and goat cheese salad; ▶ White bean and arugula salad with lemon dressing; ▶ Chicken, arugula, butternut squash and Brussels sprout salad; ▶ Roasted butternut squash, pear and quinoa salad; ▶ Arugula and fennel salad with lemon vinaigrette; ▶ Cantaloupe, arugula and goat cheese salad; ▶ Arugula and feta salad with strawberry vinaigrette; and, ▶ Citrus salad with tangerine, arugula, feta and avocado. Here is a simple salad featuring arugula and cheese. 54 | www.snowbirds.org
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