Joshna is here today to show us three nutritious sides that are not only incredibly delicious, but also good for YOU!
Lemony Swiss Chard Serves 4
The crunchiness of the pumpkin seeds is a perfect match to the bitter, garlicky greens. Ingredients
1 bunch rainbow chard, about ¾ lb 1½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced kosher salt and freshly ground pepper juice of 1 lemon 1-2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted
Method
1. Tear the chard leaves away from the stems, keeping the stems and leaves separate. Wash the chard and pat or spin dry. Roll leaves into a bundle and cut them into wide strips. Trim the stems, remove the strings and slice on the diagonal about ¼ inch thick. 2. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium; add the stems, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until the stems begin to soften, adding a little water to keep them from sticking to the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high, add the chard leaves, and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat leaves with oil and cook until tender, 3-4 minutes. Just before serving, squeeze over the lemon juice, toss in the pumpkin seeds and season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Caramelized Fennel with Blood Oranges Serves 4
When fennel is caramelized it becomes much more subtle in flavour and quite sweet, which pairs beautifully with tart blood oranges.
Ingredients
2 bulbs fennel, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced 2 tbsp unsalted butter 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp dried chili flakes kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 blood oranges 2 tbsp rice vinegar 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 clove garlic, minced ¼ cup olive oil kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 small handful parsley leaves 2 tbsp toasted almonds, chopped
Method
1. Heat the butter and oil on medium in a large sauté pan. Add fennel, chili flakes and ½ tsp salt and toss well to combine. Cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until fennel has cooked down and browned slightly. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Prepare oranges: begin by trimming off the very top and bottom of the orange with a sharp knife. Next, set the fruit on end, and carefully cut the skin from its flesh, beginning at the top and following the curves down. Then, carefully cut out each section of the fruit by inserting the blade of the knife between the flesh and the membrane on both sides. The wedges should come out easily, leaving only the membrane intact. Working over a bowl to catch the juices, remove the segments whole and place in another bowl
3. Measure out 2 tbsp orange juice and place in a medium bowl. Add rice vinegar, Dijon, garlic and season with salt and pepper. While stirring, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Continue whisking until a homogenous mixture is formed. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
4. Just before serving, toss fennel with 2/3 vinaigrette and parsley leaves, adding more vinaigrette if necessary. Garnish with blood orange wedges and chopped almonds.
Brown Rice & Peas Serves 4-6
Here's a twist on the Jamaican original that uses brown rice instead of white, and cooks in the oven instead of on the stove. Bottom line, it's still totally delicious.
Ingredients
1 19oz can pigeon peas, turtle beans or kidney beans 2 cups coconut milk 2 green onions, chopped 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper ½ tsp dried thyme ½ tsp kosher salt ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper 2 cups long grain brown rice 1 tbsp butter Method
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large measuring cup, combine the liquid from the canned peas with the coconut milk. Add more water if necessary to make 3½ cups of liquid. Pour the liquid into a large saucepan and add the peas, green onions, hot pepper, thyme, salt and black pepper. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 3 minutes. 2. Place rice and butter in a large ceramic casserole dish and cover with coconut milk mixture, stirring to combine. Cover with foil and cook in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until all of the moisture has been absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork (being careful not to break open the pepper!) and serve.
