Sunny Arugula Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Hello, Everyone! How’s your week been so far?

Last few days, it was a playing “catch up” with my long-due list of to dos. Taking passport photos, renewing passport, booking hotels for Paris, and schedule appointment for annual body check-up were planned for an early January complete date. I kept on putting it off by telling myself that I could do that tomorrow. Then tomorrow. Then tomorrow. One week after another, here comes the end of January, and a nightmare made me realize that Paris trip could be in jeopardy if the postponement kept up at this rate. Heck, NO! I would not miss PARIS for anything. So for the last couple of nights, W and I spent a few hours each night, researching, picking, eliminating, and reserving hotels. Gladly, the hard part of the trip planning is done. As I am typing about it makes me antsy and jiggly.

Beside that, W and I continued on our house hunting (we started since last April and still searching). It’s not a matter of us being picky, rather it’s the fact that we couldn’t outbid 20 – 30 offers on every single house we liked. 20 – 30 offers! A number of them were even all cash offers! What in the world is going on? I thought we are still in recession. Why is everyone fighting to buy? Anyone else facing the same problem? It’s frustrating. No matter how high we are willing to pay, there’s always one that would outbid us. This is a journey that I wish could end soon.

Anyway, I had been busy cooking too. This is the best part of all things I’d done this week. Dishes I made so far were roasted pork with mushroom stew, baked salmon marinated in citrus soy sauce, stir-fry pork tenderloin and vermicelli, and this wonderful sunny arugula salad with pomegranate vinaigrette.

Salad is what I had been aiming to eat more of each week (as one of 2013 resolutions), especially like this one where is packed with numerous rich-nutritious ingredients. Green peas, corn, and tomatoes are loaded with antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, vitamin C, and fiber nutrients. The salad has “healthy” written all over it.

The inspiration came from digging and browsing through what I had left to use from the fridge, and the almost dried up pomegranate which was leftover from making the cherimoya and pom sundae.

The sunny-side up egg is the accessory to the look of this gourmet salad. Like my friend, gotasté mentioned, this is a “cheer you up” type of salad whenever you a little lift.

Sunny Arugula Salad (SAS) with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes

Serving: 4 or 8 (entree or side)
Ingredients:
pomegranate vinaigrette dressing (see recipe below)
5 cups (7oz) arugula
2 beets (chioggia candy striped), thinly sliced
a box or 20 whole yellow grape tomatoes
1 small red pepper, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced and separated
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 tsp olive oil
4 large eggs

Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing
3/4 cup of pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 large mint leaves, finely chopped
pinch of salt and freshly grounded pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

In a food processor, blend pomegranate seeds, balsamic vinegar, garlic, mint leaves, salt and pepper together, about a minute. Pour the mixture in a saucer or container. Add olive oil and whisk until well combined. Set aside or fridge.

Preparation:
Heat 1/4 tsp of olive oil in a pan. Crack an egg into pan and fry till egg white is cooked for sunny side up yolk. Make all 4 eggs. Set aside.

In the same frying pan, stir fry corn kernels and peas till kernels lightly brown, about 1 – 2 minutes. Set aside.

Pour arugula in a large salad bowl. Add radishes, grape tomatoes, red pepper, shallot, and corn and pea mixture. Pour dressing and toss. Serve on a plate and top with fried egg. (To serve individually, put 1 cup of arugula on a plate. Decorate with radishes, grape tomatoes, red pepper, shallot and corn and pea mixture. Add dressing. Top with fried egg.)

You may also like this, Apple Pomegranate Fall Salad, Watercress Plum & Apple Salmon