Leftover chicken does wonders to salad or grain bowls; not only it saves time during grain bowl preparation, it is also a quick and easy protein add-on to any meal.
Today, we have leftover (leftover from Indian take-out) tandoori chicken, shredded and topped over a salad base of cherry tomatoes, arugula, lettuce and cucumber.
For vegetarians, replace the chicken with Korean Spicy Chilled Tofu, Korean Spicy Baked Tofu or Soy-Roasted Tofu.
Definitely, bulk dried beans is a better purchase in terms of grocery cost-savings, and more nutritious as whole-food-ingredients that
has been minimally processed; but canned beans, to me, is a time-saver especially when there is no need to soak the dried beans overnight, and boil the beans for 45 minutes to an hour.
True, some nutrition might have been lost in the processing/canning stage but next to frozen vegetables (peas and corns), canned beans is the next less-guilty convenient "processed" food item that can be considered minimally processed - typically just beans, and water (and sometimes salt) in the ingredient list.
That said, I like to use dried beans and boil them to cook, from scratch. The texture of dried beans that have been boiled to cook is different from canned beans. I only rely on canned beans in situations when I have to put together a meal quickly without much hassle.
For example, with canned beans, a side-dish like this Arugula and Organic Great Northern Bean can be put together in less than 20 minutes. Top with an egg and that makes breakfast or even lunch.
Yes to more salad-type one-dish meals, and more easy and light cooking. This is how summertime has changed our eating habits. In the hot summer days, a flavorful pasta salad that is easy to put together is definitely welcoming to the appetite which yearns for light and refreshing taste. What's better - a pasta salad that also stands as a main dish.
Today, I am using peppery arugula and cooling cucumbers in a pasta salad with tomatoes - Summer Pasta Salad with Arugula, Cucumber and Tomatoes. You can use your favorite greens and combine them with juicy and sweet summertime tomatoes. That always works, almost. How about trying this Heirloom Tomatoes Baby Kale Pasta and Chinese Broccoli and Tomatoes Pasta?
Salads eases us into hot summer. Last year, it was smoothie craze. This year, salads.
Which reminded me - I have not even used my Ninja Master Prep Professional Blender, Chopper and Ice Crusher More Powerful & 2x Faster
For today, this salad is made from farm-fresh radish (red, white, pink), juicy grapefruit, peppery arugula, sprinkled with some plump sweet raisins.
Do you like dressing in your salad? Personally I don't. You may start to wonder - how then does the fruits and veggies carry one another as one entity?
I ask - raw or cooked arugula ?
I ask - can any vegetable not be steamed?
I have had my raw share of arugula in sandwiches but I wanted to try it gently cooked too.
Salad greens does not call for a stir-fry (no matter how minimal the stir-frying can be). So I gently steamed (low-medium heat) them with thinly sliced garlic and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
By eating them raw, certain compounds, e.g. isothiocyanates - compounds being studied for their role in cancer prevention, can be extracted. However when gently cooked, certain nutrients and carotenoids are better absorbed in cooked than raw arugula - Source: Livestrong.com
More arugula sharing at Weekend Herb Blogging - June 6th to 12th , hosted by Yasmeen from Health Nut.
About 3 minutes (at most 5 minutes), it is perfectly done. And I enjoyed it as much as raw arugula.
Have you "cooked" your arugula before? If yes, how? Have not tried it before; or always have it raw?
*Spring/Summer 2011 Giveaway* - BYO Lunch Bag
How to Enter:
(1) Leave a comment (answer the above question about arugula) for 1 entry
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(1 additional entry)
This is an INTERNATIONAL giveaway; ends June 18, 2011, 11:59 PM PST. Winner will be chosen by random.org and announced in my blog. Good Luck! This should be so in time for summer! :D
More about BYO lunch bag: A broad flat base allows snack containers to sit and fit snugly. Zipper opening/closure ensures contents are enclosed and "secured". Built-in handles make it easy to carry along. Also folds flat for easy convenient storage. Neoprene fabric keeps food Hot or Cold. Machine washable and stain resistant. Stylish color.
Don't wait! Get lucky!
Tag: arugula, salad, steamed arugula
What?? Arugula contains about 8x more calcium; 5x more Vitamin A, C and K; 4x more iron than iceberg lettuce (Source: Livestrong.com). Well, I thought most salad greens are equal. Apparently not. Some salad greens are more equal than others. Arugula as salad green packs power !!
I usually don't care much for salad greens such as lettuce in terms of nutrient density.
Boy am I late! I should have tried arugula (also called rocket, or roquette) much earlier. Well, I mean I may have tried arugula before, in salad bowls; but never have I tried incorporating arugula as part of my meals.
It has a peppery, mustard kick with a slight bitterness. Younger leaves, known as baby arugula, are more tender and less pungent than the more mature greens.
Similar to Kale and Spinach, arugula provides a healthy range of carotenoids - beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, with their roles as antioxidants, in the prevention of diseases such as cancer and muscular degeneration.
Oh boy oh boy am I late! But better late then never.
How do you usually eat your Arugula?
I am sharing Arugula at Weekend Herb Blogging #285 - May 23rd to May 29, hosted by Graziana of Erbe in Cucina (Cooking with Herbs)
Tag: arugula, salad
