So as you know I seem to get obsessed with certain foods and I get stuck in a bit of a rut...
Recently I went through the buffalo chicken phase, the chocolate and peanut butter phase, the risotto phase and now I am in the arugula phase...

The first time I tried arugula I thought dear god this stuff is hideous...its spicy, gritty and pretty much just downright yucky. However, I have found that when its paired with the right food the contrast is just perfect with a slight hint of spicy and peppery. Tonight I made an Arugula Salad with Grilled Chicken, Corn, Tomatoes and Blue Cheese.



This is the perfect summer salad! It has light grilled chicken which is just seasoned with salt and pepper.  It has the fresh veggies in the arugula, tomatoes and corn. The original recipe calls for raw corn, but I personally prefer cooked corn so I grilled my corn and it had a nice charred flavor that complimented the salad well. It has the sharp accent of the arugula and the gorgonzola cheese and it has a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice. I do have to admit that I cheated a little bit as I used an arugula/spinach salad blend and I actually liked how the spinach mellowed out the sharpness of the arugula but that is just me. I also added a little red wine vinegar just because I love vinegar in my salad dressings.


It was heaven. I served it with a buttery chardonnay and since it was served outside all was good in the world. As many of you know I love eating outside. I don't know if its still a novelty since when I lived in Nor Cal it was always too cold to eat outside or if its just a personal obsession. All I do know is that I always feel festive eating outside. It is fun, entertaining and just feels like I am stepping into an episode of the Real Housewives of OC so I am all over that. Whenever I get the option of eating outside or inside the choice is easy...OUTSIDE!!! Love patios, patio furniture, patio food, etc. I love wearing sunglasses while I eat, taking pictures of food in natural light and breathing fresh air. Sounds like I should love camping,right? Well it has been so long since I have been camping I honestly don't remember it. I use to camp but hmm that was long long time ago in a land far far away.

Anyway back to the salad. Here is the recipe:

In the event that you were looking for a great cooking mix. Momofuku Corn Cookie Mix is too die for! This mix seriously makes some of the best cookies I have had in a long time. They are super buttery and they are crispy on the exterior and chewy on the inside. Yum! The mix can be purchased at Williams-Sonoma both in the stores and on-line. Thanks LP for the recommendation.



Now in case you wanted some random arugula information here it is. Arugula is common in Italian cuisine. It is very low in calories and Vitamin A and C. I know you are thinking oh thank god well if its high in Vitamin A and C all is right with the world...you are welcome and I am glad I could help. Did you also know that the seeds of arugula were thought to be an aphrodisiac back in the first century A.D.? I haven't tried it personally so I can't vouch for it, but if anyone wants to give it a shot...no pun intended...and let my blog viewers know how it works please feel free to share. I am sure we would all like to know about your random sexual prowess utilizing arugula seed.

Well since one of the most valuable lessons I learned in Journalism school was that sex sells I think I will leave this blog on the high note of talking about arugula seed as an aphrodisiac. Have a great weekend and cheers my friends!