What is arugula and how is it eaten - getting to know the mysterious spice

Simple exotic

Arugula has an incomparable taste and a wonderful aftertaste. Italian chefs add the described spice to pizza, risotto, pasta, and salads. You can also easily replace basil with it. In this case, the sauce will acquire an incredible aroma and amazing taste.

Our housewives undeservedly ignored arugula for a long time, but this green has long won the hearts and stomachs of gourmets. As they say, arugula is a spice for everyone. But if you add it to a dish, you get a real masterpiece.

How to cook arugula simply and tasty? Most often, greens are added to salads.

On a note! Arugula is almost 100% water and contains a huge concentration of ascorbic acid. Such greens are a real godsend for girls who are struggling with excess weight, because the energy value of arugula is negligible.

Light snacks, dietary and warm salads are prepared from arugula. This herb tastes best with fish fillets, in particular tuna.

Compound:

• 0.25-0.35 kg tuna fillet;
• 1 potato root vegetable;
• 5-7 pcs. quail eggs;
• 0.2 kg of Cherry tomatoes;
• 1-2 tbsp. l. pickled capers;
• 2-3 tbsp. l. refined olive oil;
• slice of lemon;
• 1 tsp. mustard;
• 1 tsp. white wine vinegar;
• 1-2 tbsp. l. filtered water;
• ground allspice and salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. Rinse the cooled tuna fillet thoroughly with running water.
2. Remove excess moisture with a paper towel.
3. Season the fish fillet with salt and ground allspice.

4. Heat a little refined olive oil in a frying pan.
5. Fry the tuna fillet until cooked.

6. In a separate bowl, combine filtered water, white wine vinegar, refined olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt and spices.

7. Wash the arugula, dry it and chop it with your hands.
8. Place arugula in a salad bowl.

9. Boil the potatoes in their skins, cool, peel and cut into cubes.
10. Add boiled potatoes to the salad bowl.

11. We peel the boiled quail eggs and cut them in half. Add to salad.

12. Now let's add the capers.

13. Place cherry tomatoes in a salad bowl.

14. Cut the fried tuna fillet into slices and add to the rest of the ingredients.

15. Pour the prepared dressing over everything and mix.
16. Serve a delicious salad to the table.

Arugula - what to do with it?

Arugula - what to do with it?

What do we know about arugula? Now, this is the main green in any culinary masterpiece: salads, sauces, fillings, decorations of dishes - this green decorative spice has succeeded everywhere. However, arugula is still very far from the popularity of the recognized dill, parsley and cilantro! But this and this recognition happened not so long ago, only on our territory the caterpillar (the second name of the spice) previously acted as a fodder crop.

In the Mediterranean countries and in Italy, it has been used for hundreds of years on the table and adding a unique touch to healthy and tasty cuisine, which has long been considered one of the healthiest.

Arugula (arugula) is a green spicy herb that has an original aroma (they say it is similar to pepper and nuts, but the point is quite controversial) and a bitter taste.

Young shoots are especially bitter, so arugula is harvested when it is sufficiently ripe and juicy.

The plant is so unpretentious that for a long time it was considered a weed.

A little history

The ancient Romans revered arugula for its stimulating properties, that is, they used it as an aphrodisiac. Grass grew and grows everywhere, and until the 19th century no one cultivated it, since wild growing was enough.

Europeans relatively recently adopted the experience of using the spice in cooking, and now in the UK arugula is called rocket salad and is added in large quantities to the recipes of familiar salads.

The Italians used it to perfect their famous pesto sauce, and the French dried the caterpillar and mixed it with other dried spices.

Growing arugula does not cause any difficulties, the main thing is not to miss the moment of shoots - the spice grows very quickly, and with the appearance of shoots it becomes completely inedible, tough and overly bitter.

Usefulness:

It contains in sufficient quantities:

• all B vitamins;
• vitamin A and beta-carotene;
• vitamin C;
• vitamins E and K;
• choline and vitamin PP;
• many minerals.

Arugula is low-calorie - only 25-26 kcal per 100 grams. Contains a lot of fiber, carbohydrates, water and ash.

Thanks to its vitamin and mineral composition, arugula has secured its title as a medicinal plant. It is useful for:

1. Obesity - gives a feeling of fullness, starts metabolism, cleanses toxins from the intestinal walls.

2. Weak immunity – stimulates the body’s protective functions.

3. Wounds, cuts, bleeding - arugula gruel has wound-healing properties.

4. Anemia – increases hemoglobin.

5. Problems with erectile function - the stimulating effect of the caterpillar has been known for a long time.

6. Hair loss - very healthy oil is made from arugula seeds, which is indispensable when preparing masks for hair and scalp.

7. Risk of cancer and other dangerous diseases. Arugula effectively rejuvenates the body, neutralizes carcinogens - the main cause of malignancies, and prevents the occurrence of HPV (human papillomavirus).

You should not eat arugula if:

Arugula also has contraindications, like all biologically active representatives of the flora:

• the increased content of phytoncides makes arugula a fairly strong allergen, so it is not recommended for allergy sufferers and pregnant women;
• gastritis, kidney and liver problems also require limiting the use of this spice.
• Like all salad vegetables, arugula should not be subjected to heat treatment in order to preserve its beneficial substances as much as possible.
• The arugula is not cut (a rusty trace appears after the knife - evidence of a high iron content), but is torn by hand.
• Arugula salad is prepared and seasoned immediately before use. After even short storage, it becomes a soft paste and produces brownish juice.
• The most popular and most palatable dressing for arugula salads is vegetable oil (preferably olive) and some kind of acidifier (preferably balsamic vinegar, but you can also use lemon juice or apple cider vinegar)

Do not forget that arugula is a close relative of cabbage and horseradish, so its excessive consumption can cause such an unpleasant phenomenon as bloating.

Cooking:

Please note that

Arugula salads belong to Mediterranean cuisine, based on seafood and fresh vegetables. In addition, a very good combination of arugula, cheese and nuts.

Encyclopedia of products from “Good Farm”!

You can always buy arugula and other fresh herbs in the Dobraya Ferma online store.

Original salad for the holiday table

How to make arugula salad? There is no single recipe for preparing a salad with this aromatic spice. Any housewife can improvise in her kitchen by adding unusual ingredients.

Arugula goes perfectly with seafood and chicken fillet. Add some sauce and pine nuts. To make the dish more filling, use canned dessert corn, shrimp meat and mayonnaise.

Compound:

• 0.2 kg smoked chicken fillet;
• 150 g Cherry tomatoes;
• 0.2 kg canned dessert corn;
• 1 kg shrimp;
• 2 pcs. tangerines;
• a bunch of arugula;
• salt and mayonnaise to taste;
• a handful of pine nuts.

Preparation:

1. Cut the smoked chicken fillet into small pieces.

2. Place the meat in a salad bowl.
3. Place the canned dessert corn in a colander.
4. Decant the juice and add the corn to the salad bowl.

5. Place frozen shrimp in salted boiling water and boil for literally 2-3 minutes.
6. Cool the shrimp and remove the shell.
7. Add shrimp fillet to the rest of the ingredients.

8. We wash the Cherry tomatoes.
9. Remove the stem and cut the tomatoes in half.

10. Wash and dry the arugula.
11. Tear the greens with your hands or cut them with scissors. Add to salad.

12. Peel the tangerines.
13. Divide into slices and remove the veins.
14. Cut the tangerine pulp into cubes and add to the salad.

15. Season with mayonnaise, salt to taste and mix.
16. Decorate the appetizer with chopped pine nuts.

Arugula - Healthy and tasty recipes

Arugula is an integral ingredient in Mediterranean and Italian cuisine.

It is added to salads, pastas, risottos, pizzas, salads in various recipes.

Thanks to its specific taste, this simple component has found admirers all over the world.

• With shrimps

Greens with seafood is a classic and vibrant combination that is used in various salads. By experimenting, you can create different flavor compositions.

However, the standard recipe calls for leafy greens, shrimp, purple onions, and thin slices of Parmesan cheese.

The dish is seasoned with olive oil and, if desired, supplemented with pine nuts roasted in a frying pan.

• With tomatoes

An exquisite dish of Italian cuisine is arugula with tomatoes and mozzarella. The salad is easy to prepare—just mix both ingredients and add a little Parmesan.

The dressing is prepared using lemon juice and olive oil. Salt and pepper are added to taste.

• With fish

The leafy vegetable goes well with any type of red fish. It can be lightly salted salmon or cold smoked sockeye salmon.

To prepare an exquisite salad, you can combine arugula with nectarine slices and thin fish slices.

The dishes are flavored with olive oil and seasoned with white pepper and sesame seeds.

• With cheese

If you combine ingredients such as hard cheese, cherry tomatoes, arugula, quail eggs, sour cream and garlic dressing, you can get a hearty and healthy salad that will be appropriate on the table at lunchtime and for dinner.

• With avocado

Arugula and avocado make a wonderful paste to fill tartlets or spread on sandwiches. The washed leaves are ground in a blender along with peeled avocado pieces and parsley.

The paste is seasoned with lemon juice, spices and eaten fresh. Only in this way will the benefits of this amazing dish be fully revealed.

What are the benefits of arugula and what to cook from it - video

Possible harm and contraindications

The product has virtually no contraindications and can be safely consumed. It can be freely included in the diet of older people and children.

However, caution should be exercised by those who are prone to developing allergic reactions. This is the only way arugula can cause harm.

You haven't tried anything like this before!

What can you make from arugula besides salad? This spicy herb is added to side dishes for fish fillets and seafood. Arugula also complements the taste of soups, and sauces with it are incredibly aromatic.

On a note! As already mentioned, this spice is most often found in Italian cuisine. Herbs are added to pizza and pesto sauce. If you make pasta with this sauce, be sure to use arugula.

Compound:

• 0.5 kg salmon fillet;
• 50 g walnut kernels;
• 100 g arugula;
• 1 avocado;
• 1 grapefruit;
• lemon;
• ½ lime;
• 2 tbsp. l. refined olive oil;
• 1 tsp. ground pepper;
• salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. First, let's peel the walnuts.
2. Grind the kernels in a meat grinder, blender or the tried and tested old method - in a mortar.
3. We wash the salmon fillet and remove excess moisture with a paper napkin.
4. Rub it with salt and ground pepper.
5. Peel the grapefruit. Be sure to remove the white veins, since they are what gives the bitterness.
6. Cut the grapefruit pulp into cubes.
7. We do the same with avocados.
8. Combine the fruits and add chopped arugula, mix.
9. Mix half a teaspoon of ground pepper with freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice.
10. Add half a portion of walnut kernels to this mixture.
11. Add 1 tbsp to the same mixture. l. refined olive oil. Mix thoroughly.
12. Fry salmon fillet pieces in olive oil until golden brown.
13. Place the prepared side dish on a plate and pieces of salmon on top.
14. Drizzle everything with citrus dressing and sprinkle with the remaining nuts.