Hi there! I’m Kathleen and am filling in for Lisa this week, and I’m pleased to be sharing a few recipes with you here, using the contents of this week’s local box. I am an accomplished home cook and baker, preparing mostly vegetarian foods for my family for the last 15+ years. You can view some of the things I’ve cooked on my blog, Katydid and Kid.
This morning was the first time I received a Pure Sprouts box, and it was really exciting seeing that cheerful little truck pull up and the friendly driver hand over a box of such fresh and healthy foods. I started cooking right away and decided to make a smoothie, a frittata, and an Asian noodle dish, all of which incorporated the assortment of spring greens included in this week’s box. This week you’ll be getting spring onions, apples, pea shoots, spinach, kale mix, rainbox chard, baby pac choi, chives and eggs.
First up is a Kale Matcha Smoothie, one of my husband’s favorites. In case you didn’t know, matcha is powdered green tea and is a bright green color that doesn’t compete with the kale. You can use raw kale in this smoothie or lightly steam it to make it a little less “leafy.”
Kale Matcha Smoothie
(makes four 10 oz. servings)
3 kale leaves, de-stemmed and roughly chopped
1 apple, diced
2 bananas, broken into chunks
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1/4 c. rolled oats
2 tbsp honey (add more or less per your taste)
1 1/2 c. milk (dairy, soy, almond, etc.)
1 tsp matcha green tea powder (or substitute 1/4 cup cooled, green tea and reduce milk by 1/4 c.)
1/2 c. ice (optional but recommended)
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until thoroughly combined and enjoy cold. They also make tasty popsicles if you freeze them in molds.
Another great way to use the greens in this week’s bin is to make a frittata. My family enjoys one at least once a week, and you can certainly tailor the ingredients to whatever you have on hand.
Spring Greens and Mushroom Frittata
(makes one 9″ frittata, serves 8)
1/2 c. packed, chopped spinach leaves
1/2 c. packed, chopped rainbow chard (de-stemmed)
4 spring onions, thinly sliced both white and green parts (or substitute a red onion)
5 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c. fresh minced chives
1/3 c. olive oil
8 large eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
Warm a heavy 9″ or 12″ skillet on medium high, then add the olive oil to the pan. Have your spring onions and mushrooms ready to go.
When glossy-looking, add the onion and mushrooms and saute until soft and browned. Then add the chopped spinach and chard on top to wilt.
Meanwhile, beat your eggs along with the milk and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Stir the vegetable and greens mixture in the pan, reduce heat to medium, and pour the eggs over top. Top with shredded cheddar and chives, then cover and cook on the stove top until the eggs are set and begin to pull from the sides of the pan, usually about 5-10 minutes. Alternately, you could put it in the oven under the broiler for 3-5 minutes to cook.
Serve with a salad or just on its own, for any meal of the day.
When I saw that baby pac choi was included in the box, I knew I’d have to make some type of sesame noodle dish; it’s so good with pac choi. I often use soba noodles (made from buckwheat) but decided to use ramen since I had that on hand.
Sesame Baby Pac Choi and Pea Shoots with Ramen Noodles
(serves 4)
2 tbsp canola or sunflower oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
4 spring onions, whites and greens chopped. Reserve a little of the green part for garnish.
2 cups baby pac choi (I used the entire amount from the bin)
2 cups chopped pea shoots
1/4 cup finely minced fresh chives
15 oz. dried ramen noodles (discard seasoning pouch, if contained in the package)
2 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp honey
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
4 tsp tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame seeds or sunflower seeds for garnish
Cook ramen noodles according to the package, Drain and set aside.
In a skillet, heat the oil and saute the garlic and onion until soft. Add the baby pac choi and saute until wilted and soft, then remove from heat.
In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, sesame oil, honey and tamari, then add the chives and the remainder of the green onion.
In a large bowl, combine the noodles, pac choi mixture, and pea shoots.
Pour the sauce over the noodles and vegetables, then gently toss with tongs to coat. Garnish with sesame seeds or sunflower seeds and serve warm or cold. My sons devoured this for lunch today, so it was a hit with the pre-k and toddler crowds.
Thanks Lisa for letting me sub for you this week! I really enjoyed creating these dishes, and I hope the readers enjoy them.
Tagged: Spring Recipes
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