arugula + shitake

March 7, 2014 • Nancy Wolfson-Moche

You may think of it as a salad green, but arugula, also known as “rocket” or “roquette”, can be eaten steamed, sautéed blanched or raw. However you cook it, arugula is bone-strengthening, immune-boosting, vitamin and mineral-rich.  

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serves 2

INgredients

half bunch of arugula

5 shitake mushrooms

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 mandarinquat

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Process Wash the arugula and mushrooms well, separately.

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Remove mushroom stems; cut caps into quarter-inch-wide strips.

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Heat a cast iron or stainless steel skillet for about 20 seconds. Add sesame oil and let it warm for about 10 seconds. Add mushrooms to pan. When they begin to sweat, sprinkle some sea salt on them and watch more water release.

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Cook the mushrooms until they are wilted and very slightly brown, or to taste.  Add fresh black pepper to taste.  Set aside. Fill a large, deep skillet with about two inches of water. Bring to a roiling boil. Add the arugula leaves, whole. They will wilt, turn a brighter shade of green, and rise to the top of the water.

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Remove them with a wire mesh skimmer.  Slice the mandarinquat horizontally, into thin dime-shaped pieces.

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Set aside. Now assemble the dish: place the arugula leaves together in the center of the plate.

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Scatter the mushrooms around it and top with a mandarinquat slice. Serve warm or at room temperature.

©Nancy Wolfson-Moche 2014

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I loved Ms. Nancy’s cooking class so much.! I have been in this cooking class for two years and I would love to sign up for another one. I tried a lot of new foods like winter squash, cardamom, Brussels sprouts and kale. My favorite salad was the kiwi, carrot, radish salad.
Not only did we cook and eat, we also did labs about food. We used rulers to measure the size of plants. We also explored stone fruits and their ripe season. Now in my house we have window boxes and I am growing cherry tomatoes and basil.
I learned that we can use a lot of different tools to cook, not just our hands and senses. We used safety knives, potato peelers and a carrot sharpener (I wonder if you could sharpen a pencil with it?) !!!
Because of this class I can help papi make dinner and I will try any new food at least once to see if I like it. Thank you, Ms. Nancy for making cooking fun and interesting and helping me be excited about food.

- Love, K (a 7-year-old boy).