Recipes for Week 1 of the Green Challenge

We picked up our first box from the St. Simon’s Farm and are excited about adding more greens to our diet while celebrating local food, social entrepreneurship, and community.

Here’s a not-so-polished un-boxing video of Week 1’s greens and veggies. (Maribel and I recently got a new camera, please be patient with us as we figure it out and get a little better documenting our work.)

Carrot Ginger Soup

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients

3 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1 1/2 pounds carrots (6-7 large carrots), peeled and sliced thin
2 cups chopped onion
1 teaspoon grated (frozen) ginger*
4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In a soup pot, melt butter or oil over medium heat and sauté the carrots and onions, stir often until onions are translucent and have soften, about 10 minutes or less. Do not let the onions or carrots brown (it will give it a bitter taste). Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt over the carrots and onions as they cook.
  2. Add ginger and stock. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer, cover, and cook until the carrots soften, about 20 minutes.
  3. Using a hand immersion blender, puree soup until completely smooth.
  4. If needed, add salt and pepper.

*Note: I freeze my ginger in order to be able to easily grate it.

 Recipe adapted from https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/carrot_ginger_soup/

Carrot-Ginger Dressing

Ingredients

3 medium carrots, peeled and chunked
1 – 2 tablespoons grated (frozen) ginger
small shallot, minced
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1⁄4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons miso
4 teaspoons water

Makes 3 cups

Directions:

  1. Place everything (except miso and water) into food processor. Pulse until well combined. Add miso and water to the food processor and puree until smooth. If too thick, add another teaspoon of water.
  2. Refrigerate dressing for up to a week; stir well before using. I keep the dressing in a covered bowl since the consistency is a bit thick and I use a spoon to scoop it out

Low-Carb Eggplant Pizza Bites

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Eggplant, cut into ¼ inch slices
1 8 oz. tomato sauce (you will probably just use a bit)
Spices:  Garlic powder, cumin, and oregano
1 cup mozzarella, shredded (you might end up with extra. If so, freeze it)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Place sliced eggplant on the lined cookie sheet.
  3. Top each eggplant slice with enough tomato sauce to cover it.
  4. Sprinkle each eggplant slice with garlic powder, cumin and oregano to your taste.
  5. Top each slice with the mozzarella (to your liking)
  6. Bake for about 15 minutes.

 

Tuscan Kale Salad

Prep time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 bunch Tuscan kale (also known as black or lacinato kale)
½ garlic clove, finely chopped
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino or Romano cheese, more for garnish
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more for massaging kale
1 lemon, freshly squeezed
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Trim bottom 2 inches off kale stems and discard. Slice kale, including ribs, into 3/4-inch-wide ribbons. You should have 4 to 5 cups. Place kale in a large bowl.
  2. Drizzle some oil over kale to gently massage and soften kale.
  3. Using a garlic presser, or mortar and pestle, or with the back of a knife, pound garlic into a paste. Transfer garlic to a small bowl.
  4. Add 1/4 cup cheese, 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper flakes and black pepper, and whisk to combine.
  5. Pour dressing over kale and toss very well to thoroughly combine (dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat leaves).
  6. Let salad sit for 5 minutes, then serve topped with additional cheese.

Recipe adapted from http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11746-tuscan-kale-salad

Classic Green Monster Smoothie

Prep time:  5 Minutes
Cook time:  0 Minutes
Makes 1 smoothie (2 cups)

Ingredients

1 cup almond milk or other non-dairy milk
1 cup destemmed swiss chard, kale leaves, baby spinach, or any other leafy green
1 large ripe frozen banana, chopped into chunks*
1 tablespoon almond butter or any nut butter
1 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flaxseed
Pinch of ground cinnamon
1 scoop of your favorite protein powder (optional)
2 to 3 ice cubes

Directions

Add all ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.

Recipe adapted from http://ohsheglows.com/2011/01/13/classic-green-monster/

Garlicky Swiss Chard

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2  bunches Swiss chard, stems removed
1  tablespoon olive oil
2  garlic cloves, minced
Large pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt to taste
2 tbsp fresh lemon/lime juice (optional)

Directions

  1. Stack chard leaves on top of one another (you can make several piles) and slice them into 1/4-inch strips.
  2. Heat oil in a very large skillet (or use a soup pot). Add garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 30 seconds, until garlic is fragrant. Stir in the chard, coating it in oil. Cover pan and let cook for about 2 minutes, until chard is wilted. Uncover, stir and cook for 2 minutes longer. Season with salt and lemon.

Pesto (using carrot top greens)

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

3 large garlic cloves
1 cup packed carrot top greens
1/2 cup almond or walnuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

  1. In a food processor, mince the garlic cloves.
  2. Add the carrot top greens to the garlic and process.
  3. Then add the nuts and process until finely chopped.
  4. Add the oil, salt, and lemon juice.
  5. Stir in parmesan cheese.

Chimichurri (using carrot top greens)

Prep time: 10 min
Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

8 garlic cloves
1 bunch chopped carrot greens (preferably organic, wash and dry)
1 cup olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tsp salt, or to taste
Ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Peel and place garlic cloves in food processor and give it a few pulses. Then add parsley and process until finely chopped.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and give it a few pulses again until well combined.

Note

  1. You may want to serve with the carrots, raw or cooked.
  2. To roast the carrots, preheat oven to 450⁰.
  3. Place carrots on a lined cookie sheet (with parchment paper) and roast for about 20 minutes (or until tender but not mushy).

Recipe adapted from Miami Spice Cookbook

Kale Chips

Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10-15 min
Total time: 20-25 min

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 bunch curly kale
Cooking spray (I use olive, avocado, or coconut oil)
Seasoning of your choice

Directions

  1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. (I also use an aerated pizza tray and do not line it with parchment paper)
  3. Wash and thoroughly dry kale.
  4. Carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems (either with your hands, scissors, or knife) and tear into bite size pieces and place on sheet or tray.
  5. Drizzle dried kale leaves with your choice of oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
  6. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes (not more than 15 minutes)

Recipe adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/176957/baked-kale-chips/

Salsa- One Easy Step

Prep time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4- 6

Ingredients

2 small cloves peeled garlic
handful of cilantro
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and membranes removed or leave in for spicy (optional)
1/4 small onion
2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Place one ingredient at a time and pulse a few times until combined and diced. Avoid over processing (this is the order I usually place the ingredients):

  • Garlic
  • Cilantro
  • Jalapeño
  • Onion
  • Tomatoes
  • Lime
  • Salt

Recipe adapted from https://www.skinnytaste.com/easy-no-cook-salsa-recipe/

Leave us any questions in the comments box. Post pictures of your meals and tag us on Instagram (#miamifirmbody).

Leave a Reply

%d bloggers like this: