Inspirational Arugula

I guess I must be a food nerd because I am inspired by a big green fresh bunch of arugula, (or even big juicy fresh organic carrots and of course ripe summer tomatoes.) But back to arugula…the power of greens to provide fiber, vitamins and minerals is now pretty much well-known in the food world. Kale might be the ultimate “super food” but really all dark leafy greens are pretty much excellent foods to put into your bodies. Many people don’t know that greens are an excellent and better source of calcium than dairy! The body’s abilty to absorb and benefit from the calcium provided in green plants far exceeds that of dairy (which some now believe actually leaches calcium from our bodies.) Oh boy, so many of the food truths we grew up with are turning out to be food myths. But consider this: eating fresh greens, canned or frozen and preferably organic is and always will be a good choice. Choosing foods that are as close to the unadulterated source (Mother earth) is always best. So, I finished Week Two Week Three of my Nightshades elimination experiment and I have not gotten any relief from the pain and inflammation in my fingers but I have found some new ways to add flavor into my foods. Instead of peppers, tomatoes, cayenne, chili powder, paprika and hot sauces and salsas, I have turned to garlic and onions and black pepper. Horseradish is another option. Remember Nightshade plants are all peppers, tomatoes, white potatoes, eggplant and tobacco.

 

 Honestly, who would want to give up tomatoes and peppers?  Not me but at least I tried! Pesto has always been a flavorful garlic-filled favorite of mine to make and I discovered last year that you can make pesto out of lots of things like garlic scapes in early spring and parsley and other herbs throughout the year. (yes, there is kale pesto…) So because of the No Nightshade thing, and because of the wonderful bright and bountiful organic arugula I found at Whole Foods Market this week, and because it’s super peppery to begin with I was inspired by arugula to create this pesto:

Spinach and Arugula Pesto

​ warning: the measurements are approximate and unconventional! 1 large handful of raw, washed baby spinach ​ 2 large handfuls of arugula with most of the stems removed 1 medium to large garlic clove, chopped 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan or Romano cheese 1/3 Cup of pine nuts, raw 1/3 Cup or more of good quality extra virgin olive oil salt to taste, about 1 full teaspooon of sea salt lemon juice, to taste In a food processor, place the chopped garlic in the bottom of the bowl fitted with the steel blade and then pile in the spinach and arugula and pulse until roughly blended. With the engine running, start to pour a nice quantity of the olive oil in until the mixture looks like a paste ( or pesto!) and then add in the cheese and the pine nuts; (I like mine to have some texture, so I don’t fully process the pine nuts.) You must taste to see if it needs more salt, cheese and or more olive oil. ​ This is nice on pasta or fish. In either case, adding some fresh-squeezed lemon juice is nice at the time you serve it. It would aslo be delicious spread over crackers with goat cheese or some other mild cheese underneath.

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Whole Beet Salad, adorned with baby spinach and dressed with Miso dressing

I recently conducted my second cooking class in my home with the theme being a “Detox Feast.”  Originally I had included a tofu peanut salad with tons of cilantro because, well, I love cilantro, and it’s such a potent detoxifier for getting rid of mercury and other heavy metals.  But then I realized that I absolutely had to include beets because they are so wonderful and sweet and also they are excellent for moving lymph through the system, getting rid of toxic bile and just all around should be included in a cleanse/detox idea of a meal. Bon Apetit had a beet and watercress salad with miso dressing last month which inspired me to make this dish.  I added honey to the dressing and also didn’t want to include watercress because it grows wild here in the spring, not winter (and, please go get Edible South Shore magazine this spring to find more about wild watercress and a soup recipe by me.) Miso, unlike soy products like tofu and soy milk, is a fermented soybean paste and has all the lovely umani flavor (salty but so much more!) and is almost always organic, (it is when I buy it!) so it’s much safer than conventional soy products and good for your health, as fermented foods aid in generating

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healthy bacteria in the gut. So, I always try to use the whole plant where possible and I love beet greens; they are right up there with collard greens and kale  in both taste and nutritional value. The beets need to be roasted (or otherwise cooked: boil if you must, if you are in a rush, but I prefer roasting for a good long time and then the skins just slip off like a banana peel!)   So take the 3-4 beets and wrap them in tin foil (or parchment paper lined tin foil if you don’t like the idea of eating something cooked in alluminum.) Roast them at 350 or 375 degrees for about an hour, or 70 minutes.  They should be soft when you squeeze them.  Set them aside to cool.  I usually roast mine in the morning or the day before.  Morning is great because you can just turn off the oven and let them rest in their packets, peeling them later, or even days later, when you’re ready to peel and slice them.  It’s not fun to try to peel them while they are still hot! So, when you are ready to make the salad, wash the beet greens and cut off about half of the red-based stems, discarding those into your compost pile. Chop the rest of the stems and saute them in some olive oil in a large skillet with a cover with about a teaspoon of chopped garlic, unitl they are lightly cooked and the garlic starts to fragrance your kitchen.  Then, add the chopped beet greens to the pan and stir a bunch of times, covering when the greens seem partially cooked.  Turn the heat to low and steam while you prepare the rest of the salad. Make the dressing:  Whisk 4 Tablespoons of mellow white miso with 2 Tablespoons of rice vinegar and 2 Tablespoons of honey.   Add 2 Tablespoons of grape seed or other neutral oil and set aside. Peel the beets and slice or roughly chop them. Take a nice large bowl to assemble your salad, placing the still-hot beet greens in the bowl and mixing about 1/3 of the amount of beet greens worth of spinach (so if you have 3 cups of greens, add one cup of spinach).  The second time I made it I had less beet greens and more baby spinach and it was almost as good!  The baby spinach will partially wilt, which is what you want: a warm salad.  Spread the chopped beets all over the salad and then add the dressing.  I also added black sesame seeds. Toss it all well, add some toasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds if you’d like! Enjoy!