Last week in my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box I had a mysterious bag of lettuce. I wasn’t exactly sure what it was so I grabbed a leaf and began to chew. Whoa!! It was peppery! After many hours of watching the Food Network I knew that peppery lettuce had to be Arugula. The only time I ever eat arugula is mixed in with salad greens. Since I had a whole bag to experiment with, I decided to try something different and make Arugula Pesto. The pesto ended up being a lot more mild on the pepper factor, which was just perfect. I ended up spreading the Arugula Pesto on some wild salmon and pan searing each side until golden brown. Delicious! Before I get to the recipe I wanted to share some interesting health facts about Arugula.
Why You Should Eat More Arugula:
- Has a naturally peppery flavorful that adds punch to salads and other recipes.
- Great source of manganese, magnesium, potassium, copper, iron, zinc, folic acid, and Vitamin A
- Has about the same about of calcium as spinach, but it is lower in oxalates, which inhibits calcium absorption.
- Very good source of Vitamin C, which is good for Adrenal health.
- Is a cruciferous vegetable that contains anticancer compounds.
- Excellent source of Vitamin K, which helps with building strong bones.
- Ancient Egyptians and Romans thought of it as an aphrodisiac 😉
Ingredients
- 2 cups arugula leaves
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast or Parmesan cheese
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Place the arugula, walnuts, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until all the ingredients are chopped fine.
- Add the olive oil 1/4 cup at a time and process until smooth (may need more olive oil depending on your desired consistency)
Notes
Net Carb Count*: Arugula Pesto: 9.76 net carbs (for the entire recipe--yields 1/2 - 3/4 cup).
*Note carb counts are estimated based on the products I used. Check nutrition labels for accurate carb counts and gluten information.
Sources: Encyclopedia of Healing Foods and The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth
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