Green Garlic and Carrot Top Pesto
Ingredients
1 cup packed carrot top greens (about 40g), tough stems removed
1 cup packed baby spinach (about 40g)
1 cup green garlic bulbs and stems, roughly chopped
1/2 cup (63g) roasted unsalted cashews
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup (118ml) extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Place the carrot tops greens, baby spinach, chopped garlic, roasted cashews, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse several times. Scrape the sides down with a rubber spatula.
While the food processor is running, slowly pour in the olive oil in a steady stream. Scrape the sides down with a rubber spatula. Pulse until smooth.
Pork Stir Fry with Bok Choy and Shitake Mushrooms
Ingredients
1 pound pork tenderloin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
3 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
1 pound bok choy, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 oz shitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth, divided
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Hot cooked rice
Directions
Cut pork into 1/2-inch-thick slices; cut each slice into 3 to 4 (1-inch-long) pieces. Season with pepper and 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or wok over high. Add pork; cook, stirring, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in skillet. Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the bok choy and cook for a couple more minutes.
Whisk together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of the broth in a bowl; set aside. Stir together soy sauce, and remaining broth in a separate bowl. Pour broth mixture over vegetable mixture in skillet; bring to a simmer over medium-high. Add pork and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt; simmer until meat is just done, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture; cook, stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute. Serve stir-fry over hot cooked rice.
Mango and Frisee Salad
INGREDIENTS
3 ounces frisée (about 2 large handfuls)
1 heaping cup mango, diced
1/3 cup sliced almonds
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Stir together the olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat. Cook for a few minutes, shaking the pan often, until the almonds are fragrant and golden. Keep an eye on them here to avoid burning. Once toasted, transfer immediately into a bowl to stop the cooking process.
Chop the frisée into bite-sized pieces. Combine the frisée and mango in a small bowl. Add a small splash of the dressing and then gently fold in the almonds.
Enjoy immediately for best results, with extra dressing on the side as needed.
Carrot and Parsnip Soup
Ingredients
2 medium onions
2 cloves garlic
1 pound parsnips
1 pound carrots
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp smoked paprika
4 cups stock/broth
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
Peel and roughly chop all the vegetables, aiming for similar sized chunks of carrots and parsnips.
Put the olive oil in a pan and warm over a medium heat. Add the onion and sauté gently for a couple of minutes before adding the garlic. Cook for a minute or two longer.
Add the spices to the pan. Stir in and cook for a minute or two.
Add the parsnips and carrots. Cover with the stock.
Bring the pan to a simmer. You can then put the lid on, turn the heat down and leave to simmer for about 20–25 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft.
Allow your soup to cool a little. Then blend the soup to a smooth consistency using a stick blender (or food processor if you prefer), adding a little extra stock if needed.
Stir in a small knob of butter. Then season your parsnip and carrot soup to taste with salt and pepper.
Citrus Grilled Halibut
INGREDIENTS
3 tangerines
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp spring onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
pinch red pepper flakes
2 6 oz halibut filets
INSTRUCTIONS
Slice 2 tangerines. Zest and juice the other tangerine.
Heat the grill to 375-400F degrees.
Place a small saucepot on the grill, and melt one tablespoon of butter in it. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add 2 tbsp chopped parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, red pepper flakes, the tangerine juice, the remaining butter and half of the tangerine zest. Stir until melted and combined. Remove the pot from the grill.
Season the halibut with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper on both sides.
Arrange the tangerine slices on the grill in two overlapping rows the length of your fish filet. Place the fish on top of the orange slices. Spoon some of the tangerine butter sauce on top. Close the lid and grill for 10 minutes.
Open the grill lid. Spoon more sauce on top of the fish. Close the lid and grill for 5 more minutes.
Remove the halibut to a platter. Drizzle the remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining tangerine zest and parsley.
Adapted from girlscangrill.com
Grilled Cabbage Steaks
INGREDIENTS
head of green cabbage
olive oil
salt and pepper
parsley and sauce for topping or whatever you want to put on top of them!
INSTRUCTIONS
Light grill to medium-high heat and let it come up to temperature.
While the grill heats up, prepare the cabbage. Trim off a small part of the bottom of the cabbage so it can stand up. Be careful not to trim off too much as the stem is what helps it stay together. Standing the cabbage up, slice the cabbage into 3/4-1 inch thick pieces. Drizzle both sides with oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Grill cabbage. Place cabbage directly on the grill grates over direct heat. Grill cabbage for 5-6 minutes, carefully flip, and grill for another 2-3 minutes depending on the thickness. Be careful flipping them as some of the outer leaves may try to loosen and break away from the head. Once done, it should be tender on the inside, but crispy on the outside.
Enjoy! Top with fresh herbs and sauce/condiment of choice and enjoy!
Easter Egg Radish Potato Salad
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds purple potatoes
2 teaspoons kosher salt, for the boiling water
1 cup Easter egg radishes, trimmed and very thinly sliced
⅔ cup red spring onion, diced small
⅓ cup olive oil
heaping 1/4 cup dijon mustard
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced or pressed
1 to 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, or to taste
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
To a large pot, add the potatoes, cover with water, add 2 teaspoons salt, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and allow potatoes to simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until done and fork-tender.
Drain and rinse potatoes under cold water to stop the cooking process; set aside to cool. When they’re cool, halve, quarter, or chop the potatoes into bite-sized pieces.
To a very large bowl, add the chopped potatoes, radishes, and red onion; set aside.
To a small bowl, add the olive oil, mustard, red wine vinegar, garlic, sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, pepper, and whisk to combine.
Evenly drizzle the dressing over the potatoes in the large bowl, add the parsley, and stir to combine. Taste potato salad and make any necessary adjustments, i.e. more salt, pepper, sugar, dash of extra mustard, oil, vinegar, etc.
Serve immediately if desired or cover and refrigerate until chilled.
Rhubarb Barbeque Sauce
INGREDIENTS
2 cups chopped rhubarb, 1/4-inch slices (about 5 large stalks)
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cayenne powder for extra heat (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Combine all ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat then reduce heat to medium low and simmer—uncovered—for 20 minutes, or until the rhubarb is tender, and the barbecue sauce has slightly thickened. Mash the sauce and rhubarb with a fork.
2. Use the bbq sauce immediately, or allow to cool then store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Note: If you want a smoother barbecue sauce, process in your blender after cooking. Adjust the flavor of the rhubarb BBQ sauce: If it’s too tart, add honey. If it’s too sweet, add a little apple cider vinegar.
Greek Meatballs
INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground pork
¼ cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 egg
tzatziki sauce (optional for serving)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine pork with breadcrumbs, dill, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, cumin, oregano, pepper, feta cheese, and egg. Mix well to form into a uniform consistency. Set aside for 15 minutes or refrigerate overnight.
Take 2 spoonfuls of the beef mixture at a time and roll into meatballs. Transfer meatballs onto a parchment-lined half sheet baking pan and lightly coat with some cooking oil spray to keep them from sticking, if needed.
Bake for 15 minutes until fully cooked. The internal temperature should reach 160F as read on a meat thermometer.
Serve with a drizzle of tzitaziki sauce, extra dill sprinkled on top, and a side of pita bread.
Roasted Cumin Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes, washed and cut into 1/2-inch (1cm) pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
Add the sweet potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Pour over the olive oil and add the cumin and smoked paprika. Season generously with salt and pepper. Toss until the spices are evenly distributed
Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking dish, ensuring they are scattered in an even layer. Move to the oven and roast until browned at the edges and fork tender, about 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately.