Arugula Puree Recipes

PASTA WITH ARUGULA PURéE AND CHERRY-TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Make purée:
• Pulse pine nuts in a food processor until finely ground (be careful not to grind to a paste). Add arugula, oil, cheese, and salt and pulse until almost smooth.
• Make tomato sauce:
• Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook garlic, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Discard garlic. Add tomatoes and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are collapsed but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Cook and serve pasta:
• Cook fettuccine in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain pasta in a colander and return to pot. Add arugula purée and toss until well coated. Transfer to a platter or plates and top with tomato sauce.

APRICOT CHICKEN WITH WHITE BEAN PUREE AND ARUGULA

Steps:

• Pat the chicken breasts dry. Using a sharp knife, slice each chicken breast half into two horizontally so you have 4 cutlets. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 3 tablespoons oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the chicken, 1 garlic clove and 1 sprig thyme and cook until the chicken is golden and opaque, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer everything to a plate, tent with foil to keep warm and set aside.
• Return the skillet to medium heat and add the apricot preserves, broth, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 garlic clove and the remaining fresh thyme sprig. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk together the mixture and cook until the sauce is smooth. Reduce the heat to low as you prepare the white bean puree and arugula.
• Make your bean puree. Put the cannellini beans, remaining garlic clove, lemon juice and lemon zest in a food processor. Add in 1/4 cup olive oil and pulse until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. If the bean puree isn't as creamy as you want, add 1 tablespoon water and pulse again. Set aside.
• Chop the pistachios and set aside.
• Whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar and remaining 1 teaspoon mustard in a medium bowl. Whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup oil. Add the arugula and toss until coated with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
• Return the chicken and any juices on the plate to the skillet with the sauce. Increase the heat to medium. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more, flipping the cutlets halfway through.
• To serve, dollop and swoop some bean puree into a shallow bowl or deep plate. Slice a chicken cutlet and place it on top of the bean puree and top with the sauce. Place some arugula next to the chicken. Sprinkle everything with the chopped pistachios and drizzle with olive oil. Repeat with the remaining puree, chicken, arugula and pistachios. Enjoy!

ARUGULA PUREE

Steps:

• Prepare an ice bath; set aside. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, and add 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and arugula. As soon as the water returns to a boil, remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer arugula to the ice bath to stop cooking. Working in batches, remove arugula from ice bath and place on paper towels to drain, squeezing out as much excess water as possible.
• Transfer arugula to the jar of a blender. Add oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper; puree until mixture is smooth and resembles a thick pesto with a small amount of unincorporated oil on the surface. Before using, stir gently to combine.

ILLINOIS RABBIT WITH WILTED ARUGULA, GOAT CHEESE, NUTS, AND ARUGULA PUREE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat the grapeseed oil over medium heat. Season the rabbit loins with salt and pepper, and add the rabbit loins to the pan. Saute the rabbit to desired degree of doneness. With tongs, remove the meat from the heat and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Let the meat rest for 90 seconds before thinly slicing on the bias.
• Evenly divide the Wilted Arugula Salad among 4 dinner plates, arranging it in the center of each plate. Place the rabbit slices in a pinwheel manner over the salad. Spoon the arugula sauce around the plate. Place a goat cheese quenelle on each plate, and sprinkle with the chopped walnuts. Top with freshly ground black pepper and spoon the reserved cooking juices around the plate.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic, and saute for 1 minute. Add the eggplant and cook for 2 minutes. Add the vinegar, wine, pear, roasted onion and arugula. Cook for 2 more minutes, or until the arugula is just wilted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Reserve any cooking juices that remain in the pan.
• In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients with a wooden spoon. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Using a small metal spoon and the palm of your hand, form quenelles of the goat cheese mixture.
• In a food processor or blender, puree all of the ingredients together with just enough water to puree smoothly. Pass the puree through a fine mesh sieve. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Warm the puree slightly in a heatproof bowl over simmering water just prior to serving.

PRETZEL-CRUSTED CHICKEN CUTLETS WITH CAULIFLOWER PURéE AND ARUGULA

Steps:

• Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. Fill a medium saucepan with 1/4 inch of water; add cauliflower and garlic and cover the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until florets are easily pierced with a paring knife, about 8 minutes. Drain and reserve.
• Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat 1/2 inch of oil over medium-high heat until it registers 350°F on a deep-fat thermometer, or until a pinch of flour sizzles when sprinkled into the oil.
• While oil is heating, add pretzels to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until some crumbs are ground fine but some are still coarse pea-sized pieces. Spread pretzel crumbs on a large plate or another rimmed baking sheet. Wipe out bowl of food processor and reserve for cauliflower pureé.
• Place flour on another large plate or rimmed baking sheet and use a whisk to gently blend in 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a shallow bowl, beat eggs, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until blended. Working with one cutlet at a time, coat with flour on both sides, then dip in egg (allowing excess to drip off), then dredge in pretzel crumbs, pressing them to adhere.
• Working in batches if necessary, fry cutlets until golden brown and fully cooked, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer cutlets to wire rack to drain, and season them with salt.
• Once cauliflower and garlic are cooked and drained, add them to the bowl of the food processor along with the butter, milk, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Purée until smooth, adding more milk if necessary. Season to taste.
• To serve, divide arugula among four plates. Season with salt and pepper, a squeeze of lemon, and a drizzle of olive oil. Divide cauliflower purée among the plates, and top with chicken cutlets.

BRUSCHETTE WITH CHICKPEA PURéE AND ARUGULA

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Arrange bread slices in 1 layer on a large baking sheet and brush top of each with 1 teaspoon oil. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes.
• Slip off skins from chickpeas with your fingers (discard skins). Blend chickpeas, water, oil, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor until very smooth (mixture will appear whipped).
• Spread toasts with chickpea purée and serve topped with arugula salad.

ARUGULA PUREE

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, and add 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and the arugula. As soon as the water returns to a boil, remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the arugula to the ice bath to stop the cooking. Working in batches, remove the arugula from the ice bath and place on paper towels to drain, squeezing out as much excess water as possible.
• Transfer the arugula to the jar of a blender. Add the oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the pepper; puree until smooth and thickened with a small amount of unincorporated oil on the surface. Before using, stir gently to combine.