Recipe: Minty Arugula Salad With Lime Dressed Quinoa And Grapefruit

If you've got loads of arugula in the garden right now like we do, this is a tasty and unique salad, full of fresh summer flavors like mint and lime. Quinoa provides protein and a nice crunch, making this a complete meal for a light lunch or supper - or serve as a side-dish with Wednesday's recipe of pan-fried Balsamic Orange Salmon!

Minty Arugula Salad With Lime Dressed Quinoa And Grapefruit
(Serves 4.)

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, minced
salt and black pepper to taste
4 cups baby arugula leaves, cleaned and dried
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)
1/2 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned

Directions:

• Put quinoa in a dry skillet over medium heat and toss gently until fragrant.  It should smell slightly nutty; remove from heat.
• In a large saucepan, add water and bring to a boil, then turn heat down to low.  Add salt and slowly stir in toasted quinoa. Keep heat on low, cover saucepan, and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and dump into a bowl to cool.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, honey, garlic, and shallot, taste and add salt and black pepper to taste, stirring well. 
• Stir 3/4 of this dressing into the cooled quinoa, setting the remaining dressing aside.
• In a separate large bowl, toss together the arugula, mint, and cranberries (if using).
• To serve, using 4 chilled salad plates, divide the arugula mixture onto each salad plate, then top each serving with even amounts of quinoa mixture and grapefruit. Finish by drizzling each salad with equal amounts of the remaining dressing.

Recipe - Arugula Salad With Maple Roasted Butternut Squash

This gourmet fall salad combines fall favorites like butternut squash, and the cool-weather lover, arugula, with cranberries and apple and maple flavors for a truly amazing taste treat with the flavor of autumn!

Arugula Salad With Maple Roasted Butternut Squash
(Serves 4-6.)

Cucurbita moschata 'Butternut'. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

1 (1.5 to 2 lb) butternut squash
2 Tbsp light olive oil
2 Tbsp real maple syrup
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 Tbsp dried cranberries
3/4 cup apple juice
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp shallots, minced
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup light olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
4-6 ounces baby arugula, washed and dried
1/2 cup walnuts pieces, toasted
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and pulp, remove rind, and cut into 1 inch pieces.
• Place the squash on a baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil, maple syrup, salt and teaspoon pepper and mix to coat well.
• Put in preheated oven and roast for 10 minutes, turn, and roast an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until tender and browning.
• Just before removing, sprinkle cranberries on top and put back in oven for final minutes - about 2 or 3 minutes is enough.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk together the apple juice, apple cider, and shallots and bring to a boil over medium heat; cook until this liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup, for about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and whisk in the Dijon mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to make the vinaigrette dressing.
• To assemble, put the arugula in a large salad bowl and add the roasted squash mixture, walnuts, and Parmesan. 
• Drizzle a little vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine. Add more vinaigrette if desired, taste, and add more kosher salt and pepper if needed.
• Serve immediately.

Recipe - Shitake Mushroom & Arugula Omelet

Here is a great CSA breakfast (or lunch, or dinner)!  (I made this this morning, using eggs, mushrooms, and greens from my CSA share.)

Shitake & Arugula Omelet

Delicious and filling, this is chock full of healthy goodness! (For the most health benefits, use all fresh organic ingredients, and make sure the eggs are from  pasture-raised chickens.)  Use more or less to expand the recipe easily - as listed below, will feed one to two people.



CSA Omelet with Shitake Mushrooms & Arugula (Serves 1-2)

Ingredients:
4-5 small to medium shitake mushrooms
Handful of young, tender arugula ("rocket") greens
2 TB real butter (preferably organic)
2-4 eggs (organic, from pasture-fed hens), beaten well
1/4 cup shredded cheese (Cheddar, Colby, Swiss, etc.)
Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Slice shitake mushrooms into thin strips.
2. Melt 1 TB butter in large skillet until it foams. Add shitakes and saute, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes (you may wish to cover the pan for part of this time, but remove cover to let any liquid evaporate for last couple of minutes).
3. Meanwhile, wash arugula and shake dry. Remove stems, and tear leaves into pieces.
4. Add arugula to mushrooms, stir well, cover, and cook 1-2 minutes longer.
5. Add remaining 1 TB of butter and stir to melt, making sure bottom of pan is coated. Spread mushrooms & greens evenly in bottom of skillet.
6. Pour eggs gently over vegetables to cover. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover pan tightly.
7. Let cook 2-3 minutes, then rotate pan, turn off heat, and let sit 3 minutes more, or until eggs are firm and cheese is melted.
8. Slide onto a plate and season with salt & fresh ground pepper (we like Himalayan Pink Salt especially well, both for its taste and health benefits)

(For more on CSAs, as well as cooking from scratch and other related topics, visit www.newholisticliving.com. )