Garlic fried greens with chorizo breadcrumbs and yoghurt. Photo / Assortment
Looking for ways to get even the pickiest of eaters to enjoy their greens? These two delicious recipes have been known to convert anyone into a vege lover. All you need is to add a little TLC from a delicious sauce, crunchy toppings or some salty cheese.
Charred broccoli with creamy tomato sauce, crispy capers, olives and pine nuts
Serves 4 as a side
Instead of simmering the tomato sauce, we roast all the ingredients, creating a rich, smoky taste and another layer of natural sweetness, which pairs well with the charred broccoli and kale and salty fried capers and olives.
2. Add the cherry tomatoes to a small baking dish with the onion, peeled garlic cloves and a generous drizzle of olive oil; Season with salt and pepper.
3. On a separate tray, add the broccoli, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Pop both in the oven to roast for 20-35 minutes.
4. In the meantime, prepare the crispy capers, olives and pine nuts. Heat about a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Once hot add the capers and olives; cook for 3-4 minutes until they start to turn crispy, then add the pine nuts and cook for another minute until golden brown; remove from the heat and set aside.
5. Add the torn kale to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt; massage with your hands so it’s nicely coated in oil. Add the kale to the broccoli for the last 10 minutes of the cooking time.
6. Once the tomato mix has cooked, add it to a blender or food processor with the butter and blend until smooth and creamy.
7. Once everything is ready you can assemble the dish, add the tomato sauce to the base of a large plate or platter, place the roasted broccoli on top and then scatter over the crispy capers, olives and pine nuts.
Garlic fried greens with chorizo breadcrumbs and yoghurt
Serves 2 as a main
Seasonal greens are pan-fried in garlicky oil, then served with a creamy yoghurt sauce, chorizo crumb and salty, gooey halloumi cheese.
1.Start by preparing the chorizo crumb. Add the sliced chorizo to a pan with a little olive oil or butter and fry off for a few minutes before adding the sourdough. Cook for a few minutes until the sourdough is golden brown and toasted, then set aside.
2. To make the yoghurt sauce simply add the yoghurt and lemon juice to a small bowl; mix to combine. (Zest the lemon before juicing - set aside the zest ready to add to the halloumi.)
3. Heat a large pan over high heat, add some olive oil and/or butter and then add the broccoli; cook for 5 minutes or until the broccoli is cooked through and charred. Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Add a little more olive oil and/or butter to the same pan, then add the zucchini and cook for 3-5 minutes or until slightly charred; remove from the pan and set aside.
5. Add a little more olive oil and/or butter to the pan along with the crushed garlic and kale, once the kale has wilted add the broccoli and zucchini back into the pan, toss together and season with salt and pepper.
6. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat, then add the halloumi. Cook for a couple of minutes on either side until golden brown but still nice and soft in the centre; remove from the heat and add the parsley and lemon zest.
7. Add the yoghurt to the base of a large plate or platter, add the cooked veges and then top with the chorizo crumb and then the halloumi slices.
Laura Bedwell and Nikki Crerar run Assortment, a weekly menu planning service. Catch them on Instagram @assortment___ or head to assortmentfoods.com for more.