Arugula

Arugula, a peppery leafy green that has taken my heart. Great in salads, on sandwiches, and served hot or cold. To me baby arugula is the best because its leaves are smaller and more tender. You can find arugula at most food stores, usually near the organic section. When you bring your arugula home you’ll want to fill up your sink or a large bowl with cold water. Place the arugula in the water and swoosh it around. Arugula, like leeks, has a tendency to carry sandy dirt and what could be worse than biting into a salad and crunching down on sand! Yuck! So give it a whirl, watch the dirt sink to the bottom, and then give it a spin in your salad spinner. If you don’t have a salad spinner then shame on you. Greatest invention ever. It really is the fastest and most effective way to dry your greens. I got mine at Ikea for around $2. Of course if you don’t have one you can pat dry the arugula with a towel. If your not using the arugula immediately wrap your greens in a paper towel and place in a plastic bag in your refrigerator, but be sure to use within 2-3 days.

Arugula happens to be a cousin of broccoli and cauliflower and holds many of their anti-cancer health benefits. Arugula is rich in vitamin C, potassium, calcium, and iron. Arugula is also antioxidant rich and contains about 5 calories per cup!!

I found this recipe in Ina Garten’s Back to Basics book that I purchased a couple weeks ago. But it included blue cheese and a couple other ingredients I didn’t have at the time so I improvised. This is a great light salad that’s perfect for lunch, a first course, or a light dinner. So here is my take on her roasted pear salad.

Arugula Salad with Roasted Pears

2 anjou pears

1 lemon

¼ cup dried cranberries (or craisins)

¼ cup pecans, toasted and chopped

½ cup apple cider

1/3 cup light brown sugar

¼ cup olive oil

Arugula

Sea Salt

Black Pepper

Step One: Peel the pears and cut in half. Using a spoon remove the pit and seeds. Place pears in a baking dish and squeeze half a lemon over top. Toss together to prevent the pears from turning brown.

Step Two: Sprinkle the dried cranberries and pecans over top the pears being sure to fill the holes.

Step Three: In a small bowl mix the apple cider and brown sugar until dissolved. Pour mixture over and around the pears.

Step Four: Place in a 375 degree oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until soft. While it is baking occasionally spoon some of the apple cider liquid over the pears.

Step Five: When the pears are done take ¼ cup of the apple cider juice that the pears were cooking in and mix it with ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, the juice of ½ a lemon, and a little bit of salt and pepper. Whisk to emulsify. Toss some of the dressing over the arugula and plate 1 or 2 pear halves on top of the greens. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and enjoy.