Arugula, Mint and Watermelon Salad

The wind is howling and the snow is blowing, but this salad will make you think it is summer.  Lots of flavour here and combinations I have never tried before.  I loved it!  From Food & Drink Summer 2011

6 cups arugula
2 cups diced seedless watermelon
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup mint leaves

VINAIGRETTE
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Combine arugula, watermelon, feta and mint leaves in a bowl.  Whisk together balsamic, olive oil and salt and pepper.  Toss with salad.  Lay on a platter and garnish with almonds.

Serves 4

Arugula Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette and Spicy Shrimp

Alas I am not a big fan of the Grapefruit, but despite that I gave this recipe a try and I am so glad I did.  The spicy shrimp are wonderful and I enjoyed the grapefruit in the salad.  A nice healthy recipe just before you indulge over the holidays.  From Food and Drink 2011.

SHRIMP
500g large tail on raw shrimp, defrosted
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper
1/2tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
2 tbsp olive oil

SALAD
2 medium grapefruit
1 to 2 tbsp seasoned rice-wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp Dijon Mustard
4 cups lightly packed baby arugula
4 cups lightly packed baby spinach

1. Peel shrimp if needed, leaving just tails attached; discard shells.  Dry shrimp well with paper towels.  Stir garlic with thyme, pepper, salt and mustard until well combined.  Rub all over shrimp; drizzle with 1 tbsp oil.  Toss until evenly coated.  Cover and promptly refrigerate for up to half a day.
2. Section grapefruits by removing outer rind and membrane with a chef's knife.  Then holding fruit in hand over a large bowl, cut between inner sections leaving rubbery membrane behind.  Squeeze juice from membrane into bowl to use for dressing.
3. Measure 1/4 cup grapefruit juice.  Stir with 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic and Dijon; taste and add remaining vinegar if needed.  Set aside.  Drain remaining juice from sections; drink or save to put in a smoothie at another time.
4. When ready to serve, heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in large frying pan over medium heat until hot.  Add shrimp all at once.  Saute, turning frequently for 7 to 9 minutes or until hot, pink and firm.
5. Toss arugula and spinach mixture with dressing.  Portion onto plates; dividing equally, drizzle with any remaining dressing in bowl.  Top with grapefruit sections and shrimp.  Serve right away.

Pizza Margherita with Arugula

I am really starting to enjoy Arugula, it has a slightly bitter, peppery taste that accents most meals very well.  I can sometimes have a hard time finding the Halloumi cheese where I live and have never seen Guernsey Girl cheese.  But the nice thing about this is you can experiment with something new that is in your area!  I really liked the crust for this - simple and quick!.  I use a pizza stone I got from Pampered chef years ago - it is invaluable and far superior to an inexpensive one I received.  I would say it is definitely worth investing in a good quality stone for this recipe.  From Food and Drink 2011

4 tsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, crushed with side of knife
1 can tomatoes, preferable San Marzano type
1 3/4 to 2 cups all purpose flour
1 envelope or 2 1/4 tsp instant or bread machine dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups very warm water
6 to 8 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
6 tbsp freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup shredded Halloumi or Guernsey Girl cheese
2 cups lightly packed baby arugula
Pinches of coarse salt

1. Combine oil and largely intact garlic in a small dish; set aside.  Place tomatoes in sieve over large bowl to catch juices.  Split open tomatoes to assist in draining; drain 15 to 30 minutes.  Then chop; also set aside.  (Juices can be frozen for use in a different recipe.)
2. To make dough, stir 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour with cake flour, yeast and salt in a mixer fitted with a dough hook; make a well in the centre.  Add water. (water should be very warm to the touch like bath water.) Mix on medium speed until all flour is incorporated into dough; add remaining flour as needed to have soft, slightly sticky dough.  Alternatively mix by hand.  Turn out on well floured surface.  Let rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
3. Arrange 1 oven rack on the lowest level (or 1 above the lowest level if oven element is exposed).  Preheat to 450 F.  Meanwhile use nonstick oil spray to coat three pizza or baking pans large enough to fit pizza dimensions in step 4.
4. Divide dough into thirds.  Gently shape dough into a round or rectangle about half the size needed; place on pans.  Pat out each third into 11 inch rounds or 9x12 inch rectangles.  Form a small rim around edges.  (this pizza dough does not stretch well).
5. Dividing all toppings among 3 pizzas, scatter tomatoes over dough, avoiding rim.  Scatter basil, Parmesan and mozzarella over tomatoes.  Lightly scatter with Halloumi, including a bit on the rim.  Remove and discard garlic from oil.  Drizzle each pizza with about 1 tsp of garlicky oil.  
6. Immediately place pizza on lowest rack, baking in batches as needed.  Bake 10 minutes; use a spatula to turn up 1 corner of the dough to check for browning.  Continue baking for another few minutes as needed.  When nicely browned, slide pizza off pan and onto a cooling rack.  Scatter each with pinches of salt and about a third of the arugula.  Cut into wedges with scissors; serve immediately.

Potato Salad with Avocado and Arugula

A wonderful different potato salad.  I love the avocado in it and the Arugula gives it some bite.  You can peel the potatoes but I prefer the skin on.  From Food and Drink 2011

3 lbs (1.5 kg) small new potatoes
3/4 cup light sour cream
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely diced red onion or thinly sliced green onions or snipped chives
1 large or 2 small ripe avocados
3 to 4 cups baby arugula, coarsely chopped
Grape tomatoes

1. Generously cover potatoes with cold water in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to maintain a gentle boil; cook covered for 20 to 25 minutes or until just tender when pierced with a  skewer.  Drain; cool until able to handle.
2. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, stir sour cream with mayonnaise, salt and pepper.  Stir in red onion.
3. Cut warm potatoes into bite size chunks; add to dressing as cut.  Using a large spoon or spatula, gently mix potatoes by lifting up from bottom of bowl and turning over.  To aid in rapid cooling, make a well in salad centre if in a bowl or spread out in a large metal pan.  Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate several hours or up to a day until cold.
4. When ready to serve, dice avocados.  Stir potato salad gently; fold in avocado until just mixed.  Fold in arugula.  Garnish with additional red onion or halved grape tomatoes.

Savoury Apple Tart

A really nice change for pie, this is on a puff pastry sheet (which makes it super easy) and the herbs and cheddar make it more savoury than sweet.  A great dessert if you are in a hurry or have unexpected guests (and just happen to have puff pastry in the freezer - ok so none of us do that but it would be nice to think we would).  Got this out of the Food and Drink magazine Autumn 2010.

2 large pink lady apples, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick, about 3 cups.  (I used Gala apples but the magazine also suggests Jonagold or Northern spy.
1 cup apple cider
2 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 lb (250 g) frozen butter puff pastry sheet, defrosted (a 10 inch square)
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp cream
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 cups grated aged cheddar

Garnish
3 cups baby arugula
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Simmer apples in apple cider in a medium skillet over medium heat until they are softened but still have a bit of bite, about 10 minutes.  Remove apples and set aside.  Reduce cider until thick and syrupy.  You should have about 2 tbsp.  Pour syrup over apples, add thyme and toss together
3. Place pastry on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Use the point of a sharp knife to cut partway through the puff pastry around the edge to make a 1/2 inch border.  Brush border with egg wash.  Spread the rest of the pastry with mustard and sprinkle over two thirds of cheese.  Top with sliced apples, leaving a 1 inch border and sprinkle over remaining cheese.
4. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and pastry is crisp and browned.
5. Just before serving, toss arugula with olive oil and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper and pile on top of tart.

Serves 6