Get Your Greens
Spring is such an exciting time of year. Full of promise, the season welcomes the first of the crop as green shoots begin to poke their heads through the soil. At grocery stores and farmers markets, the first of the new-season fresh produce will begin to appear―much of it green.
We’ll be treated to the first fresh, crunchy peas of the season, peppery arugula, leafy greens, and a host of herbs. And with those greens come plenty of healthy vitamins, antioxidants, and fibre.
Green vegetables are nothing if not diverse. So don’t worry if broccoli isn’t your particular favourite. There are plenty of other green wonders to choose from.
Take leafy greens. Whether you prefer the strong flavours of mustard greens, the sharp, slight nuttiness of arugula, or the delicate sweetness of butter lettuce, there is a leaf for every taste and application. But getting your greens doesn’t mean you’re restricted to a life of salads.
You can look beyond the leafy to flavourful and fibre-full asparagus, peas, beans, and fiddleheads. Their cooking applications are also diverse―the pea, for example, can be cooked, puréed for soup, or yes, added to a salad for an added flavourful crunch.
Read on to explore these six gorgeous green recipes that will offer delicious choices so you can incorporate more green into your life.
Get plenty of greens with this chicken salad, which gets a boost of green goodness via a peppery arugula dressing made with yogurt, lemon zest, and a hint of goat cheese. And because a classic chicken salad always needs a bit of crunch, there’s lots of green celery and some walnuts too. Serve it open-faced or in a sandwich topped with additional fresh arugula.
This is a quick and easy meal full of powerful flavour that you can throw together in minutes from a handful of cupboard ingredients. The starring green is delicate baby bok choy which is lavished with ginger, chili, and crispy garlic, then braised just enough to make it tender with a bit of a bite. Serve it on green onion-studded rice, top it with an egg, and you’re done.
This crunchy salad features two of the stars of spring―snap peas and asparagus―in a mildly spicy peanut dressing. Mint, quinoa, cashews, and fresh mint make this salad tasty and hearty enough for a meal. The robust nature of the salad means it can be made ahead or kept for a day in the fridge in the unlikely case of leftovers.
This dish takes inspiration from two classic fish dishes―the mushy peas served with fish and chips and spicy fish tacos. We’ve made the peas fresh, bright, and a little spicy by using fresh or frozen peas, lots of fresh cilantro, serrano pepper, and lime juice. Combined with lightly marinated and baked halibut and topped with radishes and more cilantro, these tacos are satisfying and delicious.
This is a refreshing kale salad highlighted by juicy red grapefruit. Thinly sliced kale and a slightly spicy dressing of garlic, grapefruit juice, paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes give this spring salad a zingy flavour. The whole thing gets topped with a crunchy buckwheat and pumpkin seed granola for an interesting texture.
