Leafy goodness

Diversify your diet by expanding your leafy greens portfolio

VEGETARIAN

Why greens? Nitrate-rich leafy greens are low in calories, carbohydrates, and saturated fat and can play a role in reducing your risk of heart disease. Leafy green vegetables also pack a punch with an abundance of nutrients and active ingredients, including vitamin K, lutein, folate, and beta carotene, that may lower the risk of cancers and help slow cognitive decline.

Don’t forget about herbs! Basil, mint, and parsley contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory flavonoids as well as a range of vitamins and minerals. So, no more excuses! Get your greens with these five recipes that include substitutions for just about any leafy option.

Sorrel Soup with Leek, Potatoes, and Almond Cream

Lemony sorrel and white wine add a delicious tang to this up-styled leek and potato soup. If you can’t find sorrel, use spinach, nettle, or Swiss chard with a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice. The almond cream is optional, but it makes for a pretty presentation. Skip it if you have an allergy or low-powered blender.

SERVES

Ingredients

Almond cream (optional)

2 Tbsp (30 mL) natural almonds

3 Tbsp (45 mL) water

Sorrel soup

1 tsp (5 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

1 leek, white and light green parts only, finely chopped

1 cup (250 mL) dry white wine (optional)

4 to 5 cups (1 L to 1.25 L) low-sodium vegetable broth (see tip)

1 bay leaf

2 cups (500 mL) potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 in (1.25 cm) cubes

1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh parsley, separated into stems and leaves

1 cup (250 mL) French sorrel

Salt and pepper, to taste

In small bowl, soak almonds in 1 cup (250 mL) water for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours. Drain almonds and remove skins. In blender, purée with 3 Tbsp (45 mL) water until smooth. Reserve purée, and rinse blender.

In large pot, add olive oil and sauté leek for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add white wine (if using) followed by broth, bay leaf, potatoes, parsley stems, and sorrel. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer to blender (or use immersion blender) and blend until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.

To serve, divide soup among bowls and swirl 2 tsp (10 mL) almond cream into each serving. Garnish with remaining parsley leaves.

Keep The Wine Dry

Choose a dry wine so there’s no obvious taste of residual sugar in the soup. If you prefer not to use wine, use 5 cups (1.25 L) vegetable broth instead of 4.

EACH SERVING CONTAINS: 112 calories; 2 g protein; 2 g total fat (0 g sat. fat); 15 g total carbohydrates (3 g sugars, 3 g fibre); 105 mg sodium

Lettuce or Collard Wraps with Thai Basil, Tempeh, and Peanut Sauce

These wraps are naturally gluten-free and can be extra crunchy, juicy, or savoury depending on your wrapper choice. If you use lettuce, choose a type with large, firm leaves that will hold the fillings well. Collard greens are sturdier and more nutritious, but you’ll want to remove the stems before rolling. Don’t let that fibre go to waste, though; dice the stems and use them for soup or stir-fries, or pickle them for salads.

Ingredients

Peanut sauce

2 Tbsp (30 mL) gluten-free soy sauce or tamari

2 Tbsp (30 mL) rice vinegar

1/4 cup (60 mL) water

1 tsp (5 mL) toasted sesame oil

1/2 in (1.25 cm) piece fresh gingerroot, grated

2 tsp (10 mL) maple syrup or organic palm sugar, to taste

1/4 cup (60 mL) unsweetened, plain peanut butter powder

(see tip)

Wraps

8 oz (225 g) pkg tempeh, cut into 1/4 x 2 in (1 x 5 cm) pieces

1 bird’s eye chili pepper, or another hot chili, thinly sliced (optional)

1 red or yellow bell pepper, julienned

1 cup (250 mL) julienned cucumber or jicama

1/2 cup (125 mL) julienned (unpeeled) apple

1/2 cup (125 mL) basil leaves, Thai or holy preferred

1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh mint leaves

1 head lettuce or 1 bunch collard greens

Go For The Greens

WHAT’S PEANUT BUTTER POWDER?

Peanut butter powder has the concentrated flavour of peanut butter without the oil. It’s convenient not only for camping trips, but also for sauces and dips. It comes in unsweetened, sweetened, and chocolate flavours. If you can’t find it, substitute regular, unsweetened peanut butter, and skip the sesame oil.

In medium pot, bring soy sauce, vinegar, water, sesame oil, ginger, and maple syrup to a boil. Remove from heat. Pour half into medium bowl and stir in peanut butter powder.

Return pot with remaining marinade to stove and add tempeh pieces. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, turning tempeh frequently to braise evenly. Remove lid and cook until no liquid remains.

To assemble, place small amounts of tempeh and fillings in lettuce or collard leaves. Tuck in sides of leaves and roll up to seal or leave open like tacos. Serve with peanut sauce.

Collard greens and Swiss chard add calcium to your diet, which is more easily absorbed thanks to their vitamin D content. Raw lettuces, arugula, and chicory contain vitamins

A, C, E, and K (and add punch to a salad). And bok choy and other leafy Brassicaceae are high in vitamin B, especially folate, which helps keep your brain healthy.

EACH SERVING CONTAINS: 209 calories; 27 g protein; 8 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 23 g total carbohydrates (5 g sugars, 8 g fibre); 417 mg sodium

Fill in those (nutritional) blanks

While it’s generally better to just eat your leafy greens, there are supplements that can help. Most blend greens with grasses (think barley and alfalfa), protein (such as soy or pea), and other herbs, oils, grains, and seaweeds, so they might be more of a meal replacement than a simple supplement. Before purchasing, check for allergens, as it’s easy to miss something in the long list of ingredients.

Some products include larger varieties of leafy greens (which is what you want!), including nettle, spinach, parsley, watercress, and kale. Potential additional ingredients might include wheatgrass, alfalfa, and barley grass; green tea extract; oat bran; berries, fruits, and vegetables; stevia or maple; brown rice and seeds; and adaptogens such as astragalus and ginseng.

You can also make your own leafy greens powder by dehydrating your greens of choice and grinding them to a powder. They’re easily added to smoothies, cakes, patties, scrambled eggs, or tofu.

Fishing For Anchovies

Look for anchovy paste in tubes and anchovy fillets in oil in small jars or cans in the fridge section of your fish market or grocer. In a pinch, you can substitute a can of sardines in olive oil. Just be careful when choosing a brand, as some are quite salty. The leftover paste or jarred anchovies make for a tasty addition to any kind of sautéed greens, with or without pasta.

Sautéed Rapini with Spaghetti, Garlic, Toasted Walnuts, and Anchovies

This combination of fish and walnuts is inspired by pasta dishes from Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Don’t be scared off by the anchovies. The preserved fish disappears into a rich, silken sauce infused with garlic and a hint of spice. Keeping the walnuts in large pieces adds a rich, nutty flavour and turns an economical dish into something a bit more luxurious.

Ingredients

10 oz (280 g) spaghetti

2 Tbsp (30 mL) anchovy oil (see tip)

1/2 fresh red chili pepper, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled but kept whole

1 bunch rapini, stems diced, leaves torn into small pieces

10 anchovy fillets in oil (see tip)

1/4 cup (60 mL) walnut halves

1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp (15 mL) anchovy paste (optional—see tip)

In large pot of water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup (60 mL) cooking water. While pasta cooks, in large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chili pepper, garlic, and rapini stems. Cook for 1 minute. Add anchovy fillets, breaking them up so they melt into the sauce. Add walnuts, rapini leaves, half of parsley, and 1/4 cup (60 mL) pasta cooking water. Cook for 2 minutes, adding more pasta water if too dry.

Add drained pasta to sauce along with anchovy paste, if using, and stir to combine. Remove from heat and discard garlic (or eat it!) and garnish with remaining parsley.

EACH SERVING CONTAINS: 324 calories; 14 g protein; 9 g total fat (1 g sat. fat); 47 g total carbohydrates (1 g sugars, 5 g fibre); 260 mg sodium

Roasted Black Cod or Turbot with Bok Choy, Maple, and Miso

Both black cod (also known as sablefish or butterfish) and turbot have incredibly tender, buttery texture and rich flavour that pairs perfectly with miso and maple. The main differences are that turbot is usually less expensive and it’s thinner, so it cooks a little quicker. Both are usually sustainable and come from Canada or the US.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp (30 mL) miso paste

2 Tbsp (30 mL) water

1 Tbsp (15 mL) maple syrup

1 Tbsp (15 mL) rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp (15 mL) gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos

3 tsp (15 mL) toasted sesame oil, divided

1 lb (450 g) skinless black cod or turbot, cut into 4 portions

1 lb (450 g) mini bok choy, cut in half lengthwise

4 green onions, bottoms trimmed, the rest cut into 2 in (5 cm) pieces

2 tsp (10 mL) lime juice

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).

In medium bowl, combine miso, water, maple syrup, vinegar, soy sauce, and 2 tsp (10 mL) sesame oil. Add fish and stir to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Line 8 x 11 in (20 x 28 cm) baking or casserole dish with parchment paper. Spread with green onion pieces and bok choy, leaves turned inwards so they won’t burn as easily. Top with lime juice and remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) sesame oil. Roast in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Stir greens and roast for 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and top with marinated fish and leftover marinade. Roast for 8 minutes, or until fish is almost flaking.

EACH SERVING CONTAINS:325 calories; 21 g protein; 21 g total fat (4.4 g sat. fat); 6 g total carbohydrates (4 g sugars, 1 g fibre); 278 mg sodium

Fish Flip

If you can’t find black cod or turbot, Chilean sea bass and salmon are good fatty-fish substitutes, although haddock and halibut will do if you’re not set on the buttery texture. Just be sure to keep a close eye as cooking times may vary.