02/18 Loose Lips - green food to celebrate green cycles

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Vyktors Mum

Vyktors Mum

Member Since 2011
A couple of days ago I mentioned in Vyktor's condo that I was making a green dessert to celebrate his green cycle and there were a couple of requests for the recipe. This particular recipe is so simple and so delicious that I thought I would share with everybody. So here it is:

Avocado lime mousse

1 lge avocado - you want a really fresh one that has green flesh - just ripe so it's still firm
juice of 1-2 limes
zest of 1 lime
1/4 cup of raw sugar

Blend well and refrigerate for an hour before serving. Sprinkle a little dessicated coconut on top. This serves two.

How easy is that! I know it sounds weird and avocado is not something I usually associate with dessert but honestly it is divine. If you're like me and can't help tasting as you go don't be disappointed if it doesn't taste magical following the blending it really wants that time in the fridge to work its magic.

Does anyone else have any green recipes they'd like to share? To make it extra challenging how about we try and keep the recipes sustainably green as well, i.e. vegan. Okay I admit the extra challenge is really for the benefit of myself and Amy (and someone else here that is vegan too, for the life of me I can't remember who it is) so we can try them all too :mrgreen:
 
Great idea, Serryn! It's like having an FDMB potluck!

I'm sharing two recipes I love, both green and both vegan. The first is a kale and white bean soup, and the second speaks for itself. :cool:

Ribollita (From 101 Cookbooks)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 celery stalks, chopped
3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium carrots or equiv. winter squash, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 14-ounce / 400 ml can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound / 16 ounces / 450g cavolo nero (lacinato kale, Tuscan kale), stems trimmed off and leaves well chopped
4 cups / 22 oz / 620g cooked white beans
1/2 pound / 8 oz / 225g crustless loaf of bread
1 1/2+ teaspoons fine grain sea salt
zest of one lemon
lots of well-chopped oily black olives

In your largest thick-bottomed pot over medium heat combine the olive oil, celery, garlic, carrot, and red onion. Cook for 10 -15 minutes sweating the vegetables, but avoid any browning. Stir in the tomatoes and red pepper flakes, and simmer for another 10 minutes or so, long enough for the tomatoes to thicken up a bit. Stir in the cavolo nero, 3 cups of the beans, and 8 cups / 2 liters water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the greens are tender, about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, mash or puree the remaining beans with a generous splash of water - until smooth. Tear the bread into bite-sized chunks. Stir both the beans and bread into the soup. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the bread breaks down and the soup thickens, 20 - 30 minutes. Stir in the salt, taste and add more if needed. Stir in the lemon zest.

Serve immediately, or cool and refrigerate overnight. Serve reheated, or "ribollita" meaning reboiled, the next day ladled into bowls. Finish each serving with a drizzle of olive oil and some chopped olives.

Makes a large pot of soup - enough for 10 servings. Prep time: 20 min - Cook time: 60 min


Frozen Margaritas
12 ounces frozen limeade concentrate
12 ounces 100% agave tequila
4 ounces triple sec
36 ounces water

Serve as is over ice with fresh lime slices, or combine all ingredients and freeze in a plastic container. Let it sit out for a few minutes before serving, and then scoop into glasses with an ice cream scoop. Garnish with fresh lime slices.
 
FUN idea for a loose lips condo! I am a gardener and I like to make pesto. I have made it with the traditional basil, also with basil/oregano or with spinach... just depending on what I have too much of! You can use it on pasta of course, it is good on fish or chicken (unless you are a vegan!). I freeze it in ice cube trays so I can just pull out a little bit at a time.

Basil Pesto
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves (or spinach, arugula, oregano, etc.)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (I have also used walnuts)
4 tbsp olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp shredded parmesan (see above vegan disclaimer)
1-2 tbsp water as needed
salt/pepper to taste

Just zip it all in the food processor, adding the water if needed to get the desired consistency.
 
MMMMM I love pesto, also delicious with cashews and just as nice without the cow torture a-hem I mean cheese. I like to use pesto on pizza bases, for pasta, on fried tofu steaks or on a bisuits and dip plate that includes olives, semi-dried tomaotes, celery and carrot sticks.

Randa your soup sounds delicious I'm definitely going to give it a try and you're right that second recipe speaks for itself :-D
 
Everything looks delicious. I'm a vegetarian (ethical vegetarian), but not (yet) vegan. Here's one of my favorite vegan recipes from Mollie Katzen's "Moosewood Cookbook", as modified by Jane Brody in her "Good Food Book" (NY, 1985).

Gypsy Soup (4 large servings; can be doubled)

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped (2 cups)
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 c. chopped celery (1 large stalk)
2 cups peeled, chopped sweet potatoes or winter squash or yams
3 cups broth or water
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons paprika (I use more than that)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt, if desired, to taste
dash cinnamon
dash cayenne
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes (or canned)
3/4 cup chopped green pepper (1 large)
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 Tablespoon tamari

Heat oil in large pot and saute the onions, garlic, celery, and sweet potatoes for about 5 minutes.
Add the broth or water, bay leaf, paprika, turmeric, basil, salt, cinnamon and cayenne.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, green pepper, and chickpeas, and simmer for about 20 minutes longer.
Stir in the tamari and serve.

This soup is great on a cold winter evening!

Ella
 
Here's one for you. It's great for kids and grownups alike. Particularly picky kids who won't eat the components separately! This is more like a set of suggestions than a recipe. My DS 2 is quite stubborn about his veggies but slurps this down daily.

Hulk Juice (rename to suit your child! it is aka Baylor bear juice, Percy and Henry the trains juice, tinkerbell juice)

1 frozen banana
1 cup frozen pineapple, peaches, honeydew, oranges, etc (green and yellow fruits are best for kids because they yield a bright green color. Strawberries taste fine but turn the product brown!)
1/2-1 cup frozen green kale (see how much you can get in! It's amazing. It still tastes fruity, pineapple covers kale really well.)
Almond milk, orange juice, and/or water to make it blend--maybe 1/2-1 cup? I eyeball it.
Optional: squeeze of lime


I wash several heads of kale every couple of weeks, dry, and freeze. Frozen fruit texture is better. Raw can get mealy.

Blend in a high powered blender (ideally a vitamix or blendtec, which can handle the tough frozen fruit.)
 
My oldest Green Recipe:
Springtime Soup

6 tbs butter
1 cup chopped scallions
5 cups boiling chicken broth
2 potatoes pared & thinly sliced
2 medium carrots pared & thinly sliced
1/4 cup rice
1/2 lb. fresh asparagus cut up
1/2 lb spinach cleaned & chopped
1 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup milk
Melt butter low heat till frothy, add scallions & cook til golden. Add boiling chicken broth & blend.
Add potatoes, carrots, and rice.
Bring to a boiland reduce heat. Simmer 15 minutes, or until rice is tender.
Add Asparagus and spinach & simmer 15 min., or till asparagus is tender.
Add Seasonings, and 1 cup of milk-stir to blend.
Makes 2 1/2 qts.
Enjoy!
 
YUMMMY! What a great idea! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I'm not a vegetarian, although I try to eat healthy and eat more fish and chicken than beef. I'll spare you all and not post my "Broiled Oxtails with Basil" recipe. :lol:

Here's my "Green" recipe -

Broccoli and Spaghetti Soup

1 Bunch Broccoli
1/2 an Onion
2 cloves Garlic
3 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
32 oz Chicken or Vegetable Broth
1/2 package of spaghetti

Wash and cut up the broccoli in to bite sized pieces. You can use the stems if you peel them first, then cut them up as well. Set the broccoli aside. Next chop the onion and garlic and set aside.
In a fairly large soup or stock pot add 2 Tbs of the olive oil and heat over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes to get it warm. Then add the onions and saute till the onions are clear, about 3 to 5 minutes. Next add the garlic and that last tablespoon of olive oil. Stir together for about another minute.
Once the onions and garlic are slightly browned, start adding little by little the broth. Stir and bring back to a boil before adding the next ounce or two of broth. Once all the broth is added stir in the tablespoon of Italian seasoning.
Reduce heat to simmer and add the broccoli. Add water if needed enough to cover the broccoli. Let simmer for 10 minutes or until the broccoli is tender.
In the mean time, while the soup is simmering, prepare the half package spaghetti as directed.

Once the soup and spaghetti are done, get a large soup bowl and place a serving of spaghetti in it and ladle on enough of the broccoli soup to cover. Garnish with a teaspoon of olive oil, garlic salt, and some fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

I also make variations to this recipe - On St Joseph's Day (Italian holiday) I add red bell pepper and cauliflower to give it a "red, white, and green theme" and on Ash Wednesday I use only cauliflower so as to follow the bible verse of "without sin or spot".
 
HA HA HA! :lol: :lol: :lol:

That reminds me of a site (I'll have to find it) where they feature retro recipes from the 50s. It's a hoot. Makes you wonder how people ever survived.
 
Awesome!!! I bought some avocados yesterday...I can't wait till they ripen!!!

I've been wracking my brain for green recipes with no real luck :sad: . However, I'm totally addicted to this recipe...it's more on the yellow side (not that we want to visit that floor!) but contains green stuff, and we can dedicate it to our FurBuddy Tarragon!! (This also popped up in Trix's condo on Christmas Day...accusations were flying about the use of our sweet Tarragon :shock: :lol: !)

Garlic Tarragon Bread
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 nutritional yeast flakes
6 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp + 2 Tsp tahini
1 Tbsp fresh tarragon, minced
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp salt

Place all ingredients in a food process and process for about 30 seconds.

Preheat oven to 350 deg F.

Slice a loaf of bread inth 3/4 inch thick slices, going down to the bottom crust - BUT leave the bottom crust intact. Spread the garlic tarragon mixture on both sides of each slice of bread. Be generous! Wrap the bread in tightly in foil, and bake for 20-30 minutes. Enjoy piping hot!

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Here's another recipe. Normally, I use kalamata olives for this, but you can use green olives to make it a Green recipe! I wing it with proportions on this one.

"Aldo's" Olives
Nice, fat, green olives
Olive oil
Fresh rosemary, chopped
Fresh oregano
Hot pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Marinade for several ours, and enjoy!
 
Ann, that video is hysterical. Tonight is our Mt. Club's monthly potluck, and it really hits home!! I swear that lots of the dishes are like these!! I'm sending the video link to my friends.
Ella

p.s. I have a cookbook that the library ladies in my hometown put out as a fundraiser in the mid 1950s. My mother and her friends contributed a few recipes. Some of the recipes are like the ones in the video (well, almost), but the cookie recipes are fantastic. I make some of them every Xmas and remember these ladies of my youth (always called "Mrs. [married name]", never by their first and last names!
 
Vyktors Mum said:
Avocado lime mousse

1 lge avocado - you want a really fresh one that has green flesh - just ripe so it's still firm
juice of 1-2 limes
zest of 1 lime
1/4 cup of raw sugar

Blend well and refrigerate for an hour before serving. Sprinkle a little dessicated coconut on top. This serves two.

How easy is that! I know it sounds weird and avocado is not something I usually associate with dessert but honestly it is divine. If you're like me and can't help tasting as you go don't be disappointed if it doesn't taste magical following the blending it really wants that time in the fridge to work its magic.
Click to expand...


Just made and sampled this, pre-fridge. I tell ya, if it doesn't taste magical until after chilling, then I can't wait till dessert, because it was to-die-for while still in the food processor!
 
WOW! these recipes look wonderful!


since I don't have a good green recipe, i'm going to follow Ann's lead...
this is well worth watching...especially when she addresses her "involuntary vacation" :lol: :lol:
and you can't go wrong with a video featuring Bette Midler & Andy Garcia and a complimentary Monkey Butt :-D

[youtube]vW5DKJkyEk8[/youtube]
 
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