Not Your Grandmother’s Watercress!
I rediscovered watercress at a local tapas restaurant near my work. They served what is now one of my favorite dishes – watercress salad, which is watercress tossed with toasted pine nuts, gorgonzola cheese and a balsamic glaze. It’s slightly awkward to eat because of the watercress stems, but well worth it! I often make this salad for friends and family because it’s a simple crowd pleaser that reinvents the old-fashioned watercress that I remember – it’s crunchy, sweet, salty, nutty and satisfying. Try it.
Aside from using it in salads, did you know you can also cook watercress? I didn’t, until recently. Now I use it alone or in combination with other greens in sautés and scrambles. It’s delicious simply sautéed alone or with other greens, olive oil and garlic. For the scramble, I had gotten tired of the typical brunch-time egg scramble with spinach and mushrooms that we’d been doing for months, so I switched it up and have been making this recipe …
Tofu Watercress Scramble with Avocado
Serves 4-6
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 block regular tofu, cut into cubes
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 3 scallions, sliced thinly
- 1 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced thinly (or any variety of mushrooms)
- 2 cups watercress, chopped
- ½ avocado, diced
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
Heat the olive oil over medium high heat and sauté scallions and mushrooms for about 3 minutes. Add tofu, sauté 3 minutes. Add the eggs and stir until the eggs are cooked through. Add watercress and remove from heat. Top with shredded cheese and avocado. Serve with sliced peaches.
Try watercress in your next recipe that calls for greens – you’ll love its peppery addition.
Did you know? Watercress is a cousin of broccoli and cauliflower? So, you can imagine that nutritionally, it’s a stand out. It is low in calories, provides an excellent source of vitamins A and C (important for skin and immune health) and is a good source for calcium (important for bone health).
