Have a Lemony Crab Salad with Baby Greens for light Sunday dining

Sunday being a day of rest, Lemony Crab Salad with Baby Greens seems like something that might help keep it restful.

Sunday is a traditional day of rest for many. But you've got to eat (unless you fast), so, instead of preparing a meal a day (or so) in advance, you could prepare a light meal and make it easier on yourself. Salads are generally some of the easiest dishes to make, aside from perhaps simply tossing something on the stove to boil (or in it to bake), where you just let the heat do the work with minimal interference. Taking leftover meats and tossing them on top of some greens is a great way to save preparation time and an efficient way to get rid of leftovers without having to worry about them remaining in the refrigerator too long. And since Sunday is also a traditionally sedentary day -- sitting in church, watching ball games, generally relaxing before the workweek begins again, a salad might just do the trick. So, in keeping with the crab meat theme originated on National Crabmeat Day, let's take a belated look at a Lemony Crab Salad with Baby Greens for a light Sunday dinner (or lunch, if you prefer).

We already know that greens are loaded with zinc and other nutrients that help regulate the immune system and keep the body healthy. They're also packed with vitamins. Shellfish also has a high zinc content. Crab meat itself is low in fat and high in protein, according to Livestrong.com.

Crab also has a high concentration of B 12 vitamins. If there are drawbacks to crab meat, it is that their caloric and cholesterol values are high. Each ounce containing about a hundred calories. Each ounce also contains from 12 mg (Alaska King crab) to 22 mg (blue crab) of cholesterol, with Dungeness falling in the middle. But let's not let that get in the way of good eating. Just be careful to monitor your intakes carefully and adjust your diet accordingly to maintain proper health.

The Lemony Crab Salad with Baby Greens is derived from Italian cuisine. According to the poster, Bon Apetit, the salad, if served in Venice, would most likely be made with fresh local crabmeat. Sounds romantic, but unless you're George Clooney or someone with a private jet, getting to Venice in time for dinner might be a little difficult. Still, there's a subtle point to be made: Fresh crab is always preferable to canned crabmeat.

With that in mind, here's Sunday's recipe:

Lemony Crab Salad with Baby Greens
(from Bon Apetit on Epicurious.com)

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh Crabmeat (picked over)
3 Tsp fresh Lemon juice
3 Tsp extra-virgin Olive oil
1 1/2 Tsp minced fresh Italian Parsley
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)

1 5-ounce package Mixed Baby Greens (about 8 cups)
1/4 cup extra-virgin Olive oil
Salt (to taste)

Directions:

In large nonmetallic bowl, toss crabmeat, lemon juice, minced Parsley, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil to combine, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a separate large bowl, toss in extra 1/4 cup olive oil with greens. Also season to taste with salt. Then divide among 4 plates (recipe makes four servings).

Bon Apetit suggests the mounding of crab on greens before serving, but that's simply for looks. Scattering the crab works as well.

The best part -- preparation time: The entire process takes about 10 minutes.

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Lemony Crab Salad is also something relatively light that can be consumed and won't weigh you down before you play an evening round of golf, go shopping, and/or head off to church.

Or if you're a Sunday television viewer, the ten minutes it takes to prepare the salad won't overly interfere with watching whatever's on. With today's technology, just put the program on pause, toss the crab salad, and get on back to viewing.

Restful and delicious. Not too bad for a laid-back Sunday dinner, no? Enjoy.

(photo credit: André Karwath aka Aka, Creative Commons)

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