Watercress Avocado Salad

Today, a recipe from the website, Watercress Avocado Salad. It is quick and easy to make and remarkably delicious. Here's what you'll need to make this dish:

Ingredients (serves 2)

3 bunches watercress, cut into bite size lengths

1 firm ripe avocado, cut into chunks

1 tablespoon sweet onion, grated

1/2 peeled apple, grated

1/4 cup sushi vinegar

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

1.       Make a dressing by mixing sweet onion, apple, vinegar, soy sauce and oil.

2.      Just before serving, toss watercress and avocado with enough dressing to coat.

Enjoy!

Watercress + Nigella Lawson

Nigella Lawson is one of my favorite chefs and uses watercress in many recipes. Here she is making a watercress and sugar snap pea salad:

For the salad:

1 bag of B&W Watercress

1 bunch of sugar snap peas

For the Lime Wasabi dressing:

3 T bottled lime juice

4 T oil of choice

1 T wasabi paste

1/2 tsp coarse salt

Mix in jar and shake

Finish salad by tossing watercress and snap peas, drizzle dressing and serve.

Balsamic Chicken with Watercress and Nectarine Salad

Before the weather turns too cold, keep the grill warm with this delectable combination of flavors, from "The Colombian"

Balsamic Chicken
With Watercress and Nectarine Salad

4 servings

You can substitute another leafy green, such as baby kale or arugula, or a different stone fruit, such as peaches or plums.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1¼ pounds total), tenderloins and visible fat removed

3 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 to 3½ ounces (1 bunch) fresh watercress, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped (about 2½ cups lightly packed)

1 medium ripe nectarine, pitted and sliced into thin wedges

½ small red onion, sliced into thin half-moons

If using a gas grill, preheat to medium-high (400 degrees) with the lid closed. If using a charcoal grill, light the charcoal or wood briquettes; when the briquettes are ready, distribute them evenly over the cooking area. For a medium-hot fire, you should be able to hold your hand about 6 inches above the coals for 4 to 6 seconds. Have ready a spray water bottle for taming any flames. Brush the grill grate.

Place the chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap, then pound each one to about ¼ inch. (You can also ask the butcher to do that.)

Whisk the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a liquid measuring cup to form an emulsified dressing. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the dressing to a bowl; use it to brush the chicken all over. Reserve the rest of the dressing for the salad; discard any dressing left over from brushing the chicken.

Place the chicken on the grill. Cook uncovered for about 1 minute per side or until just cooked through, with light char marks. Transfer to a plate.

Toss the watercress, nectarines and onion with the reserved dressing in a large bowl. Divide the chicken evenly among individual plates. Top each portion with a quarter of the salad, and serve right away.

Per serving: 280 calories, 33 g protein, 5 g carbohydrates, 14 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 105 mg cholesterol, 210 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugar

Find the original link to the recipe here:

http://www.columbian.com/news/2015/sep/22/dish-turns-chicken-salad-on-its-head/

Gingered Watercress

This recipe originally came from Cooking Channel TV. You can find the link below.

Gingered Watercress

TOTAL TIME: 25 min

 

YIELD: 6 servings

LEVEL: Easy

INGREDIENTS

• 3 bunches B&Wwatercress, trimmed (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 knob fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Wash the cress and spin it dry. Heat the oil in a wok or skillet. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute. Add the tomato and cook until it is paste like. Add the cress, and cook down, turning occasionally with tongs, until tender, about 10 minutes. Season and serve.

Calories: 78
Total Fat: 7 grams
Saturated Fat: 1 grams
Protein: 3 grams
Total carbohydrates: 3 grams
Sugar: 1 gram
Fiber: 1 grams
Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 146 milligrams

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/gingered-watercress.html

How to eat watercress

At watercress central (here), we think you can eat watercress any way you want to. Huffington Post, however, has some pretty great suggestions. Here's just one, but the link below takes you to the other fantastic ideas. It was hard to choose just one they all look so delicious:

Tomato, Watercress and Mozzarella Salad
Serves 4

1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 English cucumber
1 ball mozzarella, Claudio’s if possible
1 head watercress
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
vinaigrette (see below)

Halve the cherry tomatoes and place in large bowl. Remove stem and seeds from peppers and chop into small dice. Dice the cucumbers finely as well and add to bowl with the tomatoes. Cut the ball of mozzarella into large pieces and add to the bowl. Add the watercress and pine nuts to the bowl and toss lightly with the Basil-shallot vinaigrette.

Basil-Shallot Vinaigrette
Yield = ½ cup

4 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small bunch basil, finely chopped (1/4 cup)

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, shallots, mustard, sugar and salt. Let mixture macerate for 20 minutes. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly until emulsified. Add the basil, whisk, taste, add more salt and pepper if necessary. Set aside. The original recipe was provided by Alexandra's Kitchen: http://www.alexandracooks.com/2007/06/19/tomato-watercress-and-mozzarella-salad/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/09/watercress-recipes-soup-salad_n_3006513.html

Quick Watercress Salad

This recipe comes right from the website: http://watercress.com/watercressrecipes.aspx

What you'll need:
I bag of B&W Growers Watercress

For dressing:
1 tsp mixed peppercorn
1 tsp mustard seed (I only had mustard powder, a fine substitute)
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
mortar and pestle to mix dressing ingredients

Preparation
Freshen watercress in chilled water, about 10 minutes.
Use a mortar and pestle to mix and crush dressing ingredients together.
Drain, shake dry watercress. Add dressing. Toss. Serve.

This is so delicious I couldn't stop eating it out of the serving bowl. Serves 4, but I almost ate the whole thing.

Watercress farro salad with tart cherries

I found this beautiful recipe from "Love & Lemons"

http://www.loveandlemons.com/2015/04/06/watercress-farro-salad-tart-cherries/

Watercress and Dill Butter

A great topping for pasta, fish, chicken, vegetables, just about anything. Ingredients:

About 1/4 C watercress, 1/2 C butter, 2T dill

Chop and blend

Chill in refrigerator until firm.

Use all sorts of ways. I spread the watercress dill butter on naan.

Then added a tomato.

Then added brie. YUM. Enjoy.

Watercress Pesto is perfecto!

Watercress makes a perfect substitute (or improvement) for basil in a traditional pesto recipe.
Ingredients:

A great bunch of B&W Watercress

about 1/2 C shredded parmesan

about 1/4 C pine nuts

olive oil to blend, about 1/4 C

You can easily adjust the quantities of these ingredients to your personal taste.

Blend all ingredients until it becomes a paste-like texture.

You can use on pasta, like traditional pesto, or on vegetables, like I did.

Zucchini and mushrooms.

Cook at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, serve.

Enjoy!

Super Simple Elegant Appetizer

How about 3 ingredients? For a lovely appetizer? YES!

Ingredient measurements depend upon quantity you wish to make

B&W Watercress

watermelon

brie

You can change the cheese, the fruit even. There are so many fruit/cheese combinations that will work for this appetizer idea.

Simply cube watermelon, slice cheese, and then place a sprig of watercress on top.

Simple. Elegant. Delicious.

Ice Ice Baby

Not just any ice, Watercress Ice. This is great for smoothies, as you can have the ice made and ready any time you want it. This is all there is to it:

Place a good bunch of watercress in the mixer, I added a little water, a tablespoon,

just to make the watercress a little more liquid.

It probably didn't even need water, but this is the consistency I created with the combination mentioned.

Frozen gems of gorgeous green watercress.

I added two cubes of watercress ice to this smoothie, with strawberries, and greek yogurt. It was delicious - Enjoy!