What gorgeous greens of all shapes and types this week and glorious beets tossed in too! The green garlic stalks vary in size so depending on what you get you may want to use individual cloves (if you have big heads) or you might be able to use the whole stalks, minus an outer fibrous layer or two (if smaller). Adjust recipes below accordingly and to taste. Happy cooking!
Spinach Curry with Coconut (Tofu or Chicken)
Green Salad with Scallions and Buttermilk/Yogurt Dressing
Grated and Marinated Beets (raw)
Kale Salad with Garlicky Beets and Sunflower Seeds
Beets, Beet Greens and Garlicky Yogurt
Quick Broccoli Orzo
Spinach/Beet Green Curry with Coconut (Tofu or Chicken)
Start the rice the minute you walk in the door and sit down to eat 20 minutes later if using white rice or 35 if brown. And the leftovers are excellent. You could also beet greens here instead of or in addition to the spinach.
Serves 4
1 tablespoon coconut oil or oil of your choice
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
2-3 teaspoons green curry paste (depending on how spicy you want it)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 lb firm tofu, diced or 1/2 lb chicken meat cut into strips or bite-sized pieces
1 bunch spinach and 1 bunch beet greens or 2 bunches spinach, well washed, roots (of spinach) trimmed and shaken a bit to dry out and then roughly chopped
4 tablespoons coconut milk, ideally the solid white part that is often at the top of the can
Juice of 1/2 lime
Rice for serving
Heat the oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until softened and just beginning to take on a little color, about 7 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and salt and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the tofu or chicken and another splash of oil if things look dry. Cook for about 5 minutes then add the spinach. Stir a bit to help deflate the spinach and make room for all of it. Cook for about 3-5 minutes until just wilted. Add the thick coconut milk. Stir well and simmer for a minute. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and more curry paste, to taste. Serve hot, over rice with a squeeze of lime juice.
Green Salad with Scallions and Buttermilk/Yogurt Dressing
This is a simple, fresh salad perfect for either red leaf or butter lettuce. Quantities are a matter of taste and availability. And if you have a scallion or two leftover from last week, use it here or slice up a little regular onion omit. If you have any fennel fronds leftover you can also use those instead of dill in the dressing.
Serves 4
1 small head lettuce, washed, dried and cut or torn into bite-sized pieces
Handful or two of arugula (optional), torn
1 scallion, very thinly sliced
Dressing:
1/3 cup buttermilk or plain whole milk or whole Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise or sour cream
Juice of half a lemon or 1 tablespoon white wine or champagne vinegar, more to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or fennel fronds as a nice alternative) or any other tender herb
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons minced green garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
Put lettuces and onion in a large salad bowl.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together and toss the salad with some of it. Add more as needed and adjust seasoning. You will likely have dressing leftover and it’s also good tossed with boiled potatoes and/or green beans or snap peas.
Grated and Marinated Beets
Raw beets are delicious and particularly so when grated and marinated in a dressing of minced and mashed garlic, lemon juice (or vinegar), salt and olive oil. Grating beets can make a big mess–the red juice splattering all over the place and potentially staining things. Use the grating blade on the food processor to contain the mess or set your box grater in the sink and grate them that way. Then, all they need is a soak in lemon juice or vinegar, garlic, salt and olive oil, 20 minutes will do it but longer is fine too. Then you can toss a cup of them into any green salad, add a bit of crumbled feta and maybe a few handfuls of toasted, coarse breadcrumbs and you have the perfect winter/spring salad.
You can mix the grated marinated beets into Greek yogurt for a sort of (very pink) beat tzatziki and serve that with lamb burgers or dolloped on plain, cooked chickpeas or use them in the kale salad below.
Kale Salad with Garlicky Beets and Sunflower Seeds
Grated raw beets marinated in a garlicky vinaigrette are a fantastic addition to green salads, grain or bean salads or as a sandwich filling with goat cheese, to name just a few possibilities.
Serves 4
1 bunch kale, any tough stems removed, washed, dried and sliced very thinly crosswise
1 1/2 cup grated, marinated beets
2 scallions or a shallot or small chunk of onion, thinly sliced
1/3-1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds (toasted for 8-15 minutes on a sheet pan in a 350 oven, tossed with a little olive oil and salt until golden).
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoon honey or sweetener of your choice
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Put the shredded kale in a large bowl. Add onion, grated marinated beets and toasted sunflower seeds. Mix vinegar with syrup or honey, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pour dressing over salad and toss thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning. This salad keeps well though the seeds get more chewy than crunchy after a while.
Beets, Beet Greens and Garlicky Yogurt
I use Greek yogurt a lot. Quite a few years ago I started buying it instead of sour cream. I find it so much for versatile and somehow it finds its way onto/into many of my meals. It’s also gotten a bit easier to find full-fat Greek yogurt.
Serves 4
1 bunch beets, with greens (4-5 medium beets)
4-5 cloves new garlic, minced and divided
1 medium shallot or chunk of onion, finely chopped
½ cup of full fat Greek or regular yogurt
2 teaspoon lemon juice plus an extra squeeze or two
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Cut the greens off the beets, wash well and cut into wide ribbons. You can use most of the stems. I usually just toss the 2-3 inches closest to the beet root. Scrub the beets well and cut into wedges. Put the beets in a small pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook covered for about 15-20 minutes until beets are tender when pierced with a fork. Alternatively you can roast them (takes a bit longer). Drain well. There is often no need to peel them but if they skin is prominent and at all tough, peel it off the wedges and discard. Then toss the beets with a little lemon juice and salt.
Meanwhile sauté the onions or shallots in a little olive oil over medium high heat until soft. Add beet greens and a little olive oil if necessary and 1/2 the minced garlic, and a few pinches of salt. It will only take about 3-5 minutes for the greens/stems to be tender. In a small bowl mix the yogurt with the remaining garlic, a pinch or two of salt and the 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice. Mix the beet wedges with the greens and heat thoroughly and then serve with a generous dollop of the yogurt.
Quick Broccoli Orzo
You cook everything in one pot, drain, add a bit of cheese and olive oil and you have a steamy, good dish in 15 minutes or less. Here I used broccoli and salad turnips, but just broccoli is delicious.
Serves 4
1 1/2 cups orzo
6-7 cups broccoli, stems and florets cut into bite-sized pieces (or cauliflower or other veg–see headnote)
3-4 cloves new garlic or 2 cloves garlic, minced and divided
1 cup grated sharp cheddar or cheese of your choice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Good olive oil
Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Add the orzo and set a timer for 6 minutes. At six minutes, add the vegetables and half the garlic to the pasta and cook for an additional 4 minutes or until both orzo and vegetables are tender. Drain well and put in a serving dish with the remaining garlic, cheese, a good splash or two of olive oil and black pepper. Mix well and taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and/or oil.