Hi folks, long time no speak! I started a new job this month with pretty crazy hours and unfortunately blogging has had to go on the backburner…
I’ve been trying to be ultra organised and do a lot of food prep at the weekends as I get home after 8pm most evenings during the week and am usually too tired and hungry to cook a meal entirely from scratch, let alone come up with creative recipes to share with my readers.
I’m making good use of my cookbook collection though and have been making a few new recipes a week.
Greens 24/7 is one of the latest additions to my collection and has been proving perfect for healthy, satisfying meals during these busy times. We all know that greens are incredibly good for us but despite knowing that it can still be hard to eat them as much as we should.
Luckily I love green vegetables so chowing down on a ginormous leafy salad isn’t a hardship for me but I know not everyone feels the same way. Author, Jessica Nadel of Cupcakes and Kale makes it easy for everyone to eat (and enjoy!) more greens and shows us how to incorporate them into all our meals – breakfast, lunch & dinner, as well as snacks and special occasion treats.
Hello Sunshine Smoothie
Though I eat a good quantity of green vegetables, what I struggle with is reaching for my old green favourites over and over again – broccoli (my no.1!), kale, avocado, etc. But variety is key when it comes to a healthy diet and Greens 24/7 has been pushing me to go beyond the familiar and cook with vegetables I don’t use often enough.
The “Green fact files” give us the lowdown on the most frequently used greens in the book, including what makes them so good for us, as well as top tips for preparation. You’ll also find a brief introduction to “The other greens” and “The other ingredients”, and a few “Typical day greens meal plans” in the front pages before the 100 recipes.
Chard, Coriander and Cashew “Cheese” Pizza
The recipes themselves are fantastic. I love that they manage to be fairly simple and not too time-consuming while still being creative and tasty. I’ve made quite a few already but have many more near the top of my “must try “list. The Chocolate Superfood Shake and Hello Sunshine Smoothie are both delicious. They’re supposed to serve 2 but I like a bigger breakfast so I drink both servings or have them as a snack or dessert. Next recipe to try from the Breakfast chapter is the Cinnamon-Courgette Waffles!
Shredded Rainbow Salad with Lemony Avocado Dressing
From the Soups and Salads chapter I made the Shredded Rainbow Salad which is filled with some of my favourite things – red cabbage, kale, edamame, avocado and carrots but the dressing fell a little short for me. I’ve got my eye on the White Bean and Three Green Soup and the Beetroot Greens, Pear and Maple Walnut Salad.
Stuffed Baked Sweet Potatoes with Broccoli, Swiss Chard and Hummus
The Green Main Meals chapter is probably my favourite – I want to make every single one of the recipes! These stuffed potatoes were a super filling and tasty meal. Broccoli & Swiss chard get a zingy gingery makeover which works wonderfully with the sweet potato and creamy homemade hummus – don’t forget the hot sauce!
My favourite recipe so far has been the Chard, Coriander and Cashew “Cheese” Pizza. I love making my own pizza at home and pesto-topped ones are a really nice change from the usual tomato-based versions. There are a few components here – the pesto, cashew cheese and vegetable toppings so it’s better for a weekend, especially if you like to make your own pizza dough like me. Definitely worth the effort.
Next to try from this chapter are the Ginger Bok Choy and Sweet Peas with Miso-Glazed Tofu and the Spinach and Mushroom Galette.
I’m yet to delve into the Green Sides and Small Bites and Green Cakes and Desserts chapters but it’s only a matter of time. Pesto Polenta Fries and Vanilla-Mint Cheesecake are calling to me.
The publishers have generously allowed me to share a recipe from the book with you all and give one copy away! Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below.
Hello Sunshine Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 sweet apple (e.g. Gala, Fuji)
- 1 kiwi
- ½ English cucumber
- ½ banana
- 1 cup (35 g) Swiss chard leaves
- 1 cup (250 ml) coconut water
- 3–4 ice cubes
Instructions
- 1. Peel, core, and quarter the apple. Peel the kiwi.
- 2. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve immediately with a slice of kiwi to garnish.
Notes
Calories (per serving ) 103Protein 1.1 gTotal fat 0.4 gSaturated fat 0 gCarbohydrates 21.6 gDietary fiber 4.1 gSugars 17.6 gVitamins A, B6, C
Greens 24/7by Jessica Nadel,with photography by Jackie Sobon. Published by Apple Press.
http://www.coconutandberries.com/2015/01/31/greens-247-review-recipe-giveaway/
Other things to note:
- All recipes are vegan, many gluten-free and most with an easy gluten-free option.
- There are 2 versions of the book – UK and US. The UK version helpfully includes gram and millilitre measurements for those who aren’t used to cup measurements.
- Nutritional information is included for each recipe.
- In most recipes greens can be mixed and matched to adapt for availability and seasonality.
- About 50% of the recipes are accompanied by pictures.
What’s your favourite green vegetable and way to prepare it?
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