At this time of year, I generally need a little inspiration to keep my Winter greens interesting. This often just involves adding some garlic, chilli, citrus or a variety of Asian sauces. Here are a few of my favourite "green" combinations for you to try:
- Kylie Kwong's stir-fried cavolo nero with ginger & lemon: Trim away cavolo nero stems and roughly cut leaves. Heat 3T olive oil in a wok, add 5cm ginger (finely sliced) and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Then add cavolo nero & stir fry for 2 mins. Ad 2T tamari and juice of 1 lemon and stir-fry for a further 30 seconds. Serve immediately. Yum!
- Broccoli with toasted almonds: Cook broccoli in water with 1T neutral oil and 1t fish sauce until tender (about 5 minutes). Then simply toss with toasted almonds.
- Chilli ginger brussel sprouts from Annabel Langbein: Simmer halved brussel sprouts in water for 2 mins. Drain, cool under cold water then drain again. Heat 2T vegetable oil and 1t sesame oil in a frypan and fry 1-2 finely chopped chillies for a few seconds. Add brussel sprouts and 2t sugar. Then stir-fry until they start to caramelise (about 5 minutes). Stir in 2 crushed cloves of garlic and 1T coarsely grated ginger, then 2 T rice vinegar and 1T fish sauce.
- Zoe's Garden Winter Greens or Mizuna with garlic, lemon, chilli & parmesan: Stir-fry garlic, lemon zest and finely sliced chilli in oil. Add winter greens, season and cook until wilted. Squeeze over a lemon and toss to coat. Then remove from heat and layer on parmesan shavings.
- Spicy sauteed kale with lemon & honey: In a large skillet, heat oil and 1 finely sliced chilli over medium-high heat. Add lemon (thinly sliced, seeds removed and slices quartered) and 1T honey and cook, stirring, until lemon begins to break down (about 2 minutes). Add kale and cook, stirring, until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Add spring onions (cut in long pieces), season with salt, and cook 1 minute. Serve warm.
- Brussel Sprouts & bacon from Cuisine Magazine: Half brussel sprouts and boil until tender then drain well. Fry chopped bacon, garlic & lemon zest in a little olive oil, then add brussel sprouts a big spoonful of wholegrain mustard and a little cream. Mix well then taste and season. Decadent and delicious!
- Sauteed Rainbow Chard with Orange: Heat 1T oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add bunch of chard (roughly chopped) and zest of 1 orange. Cook, tossing frequently until chard wilts (usually about 4 mins). Season with sea salt & freshly ground pepper then add juice of one orange. Toss to coat & serve.