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PrintGreen food recipes to be envied
Try these emerald-hued dishes for a festive addition to your St. Patrick’s Day celebration, or any other time of year.
In keeping with this month’s “Green Issue,” I thought I would steer clear of the obvious and run with the literal — green food! Coincidently, green-hued foods just happen to be healthy and are also readily available in the local, organic and sustainable context. Green foods — think leafy greens, herbs, zucchini and asparagus, to name a few — are loaded with vitamins and minerals. And on another note, purchasing green ingredients (instead of pre-made, processed foods) can even help save you a little green.
Creamy avocado soup with crisp pancetta
Serves 4 to 6
Avocados are the one veggie I could never live without. Chock full of their own lusciousness, they are delicious and available year-round. I always keep them on hand to chop into salads, mush into a quick guacamole, whiz into a smoothie (delish paired with vanilla ice cream!) or puree into this creamy soup.
1 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 white onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 large, ripe avocados, pitted, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup crème fraiche or sour cream, plus more for garnish
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 thin slices pancetta
2 tablespoons finely chopped dill, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives, plus more for garnish
Lemon juice, to taste
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes (do not brown). Add bay leaf and stock and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add avocado, then puree mixture with a stick blender or in a blender until smooth. Stir in crème fraiche and season to taste with salt and pepper. Return to a pan over warm heat or refrigerate until chilled.
2. When ready to serve, heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta slices and cook, turning once, until crisp and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, then break into large pieces; set aside.
3. Stir dill and chives into soup along with lemon juice to taste. Drizzle with additional crème fraiche that has been thinned with a little bit of warm water and serve topped with pancetta and more of the chopped herbs.
Herbed goat cheese
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
This is my take on the traditional versions of potted cheese, usually made from cheddar, which are found throughout Europe. Use any leftover herb paste as a sauce for grilled chicken or fish, and toss any leftover herbed cheese with your favorite pasta for a bright spring dish. I like to serve this with leafy stalks of crunchy celery and slices of pita or lavash.
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 cup macadamia nuts, lightly toasted
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces fresh goat cheese, room
temperature
1. Place onion, parsley, dill, vinegar, nuts and 1/4 cup olive oil in a blender or food processer and pulse until pureed. With the motor still running, slowly drizzle in the remaining olive oil until mixture is smooth and thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Place cheese in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the herb mixture and stir to combine. Leftover herb paste will keep in a plastic container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
3. Transfer cheese mixture to a smaller bowl or into individual ramekins, cover and chill until needed.
Primavera soup au pistou
Serves 4 to 6
This veggie-loaded soup hailing from sunny Provence in the south of France is topped with pistou, a paste of basil, garlic and olive oil similar to Italian pesto.
2 cloves garlic
1 cup basil leaves
2 tablespoons lightly toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup plus freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 leek, pale green and white parts only, thinly sliced and well rinsed
1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
8 ounces thin green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup frozen butter beans, thawed
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1. For the pistou, place garlic, basil and pine nuts in a food processor or mortar and pestle and process until you have a smooth paste. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil and cheese and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add potato and stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until potato starts to soften, about 10 minutes. Add beans, green beans, zucchini, butter beans and peas and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes more. Stir in 1 tablespoon of pistou, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve in bowls with remaining pistou on the side.
Crispy chicken paillards with orange salsa verde
Serves 4
This recipe also works nicely with cod or mahi-mahi fillets. Salted capers are the buds of a flowering shrub that are brined, then packed in sea salt — if you can’t find them, the brine-soaked variety work just as well. I like to serve this zesty dish with a simple salad of fresh arugula tossed with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
1 orange, zested, peeled and segmented, juice squeezed into bowl
Zest and juice of one lemon
1 clove garlic, finely minced
3 tablespoons salted capers, soaked for 30 minutes, drained, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black
pepper, to taste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, whisked slightly
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1. Chop orange segments into 1/2-inch pieces and return to bowl with juice and zest. Add lemon zest and juice, garlic, capers, parsley, scallions, mint, pepper flakes and 1/4 cup olive oil. Stir well to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside.
2. Place chicken breasts between layers of plastic wrap and pound gently until an even 1/2-inch thick.
Place flour in a shallow bowl, eggs in a second shallow bowl and breadcrumbs in a third shallow bowl. Season each bowl with salt and pepper. Coat each breast in flour, then dip in egg, then panko. Lay coated breasts on a tray to rest for 10 minutes.
3. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until golden and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve, topped with salsa verde.
Grilled zucchini ribbons with anchovies and capers
Serves 4
This recipe just screams summer to me, especially when served alongside grilled fish or chicken, a simple orzo salad and a crisp white wine.
4 large zucchini, cut into long thin slices
Olive oil
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and dried
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
2 anchovies packed in oil, drained and finely chopped
1 lemon, halved
Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Brush zucchini slices with olive oil and grill until slightly charred and softened, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a platter. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add capers and cook until crisp, about 30 seconds. Transfer capers to a small bowl and add parsley, anchovies and a few tablespoons olive oil. Combine and spoon over zucchini. Squeeze lemon over salad and serve warm.
Penne verde with spinach-almond pesto
Serves 4 to 6
Pesto usually includes basil and pine nuts, but I’ve switched it up with iron-packed spinach and crunchy almonds.
4 ounces baby spinach leaves
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons blanched almonds, toasted and chopped
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch broccolini, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small red chili, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 pound penne rigate or other short pasta
1. Blanch spinach in a large pan of lightly salted simmering water until wilted, about 10 seconds. Drain and immediately refresh under cold water. Drain again. Save water for broccolini.
2. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach and place in food processor. Add chopped garlic, almonds, 3 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
3. Meanwhile, blanch broccolini until just tender in the water used to cook spinach, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.
4. Bring another pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and chili and cook, stirring, until garlic starts to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add broccolini and peas to pan and cook until peas are tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until liquid has reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, then add to the pan of vegetables and toss to combine. Add pesto, toss to combine, then remove from heat. Divide among serving bowls and serve, topped with additional Parmesan.
