Winter microgreens – Easy recipes to warm you up!

We believe prevention is the key to good health, and for many of us, immunity is a major area of focus during the colder months. Antioxidants are critical for optimal immune function as they help fight the harmful free radicals that weaken the cells in our body. Ward off the sniffles this season by adding a regular rotation of microgreens to your meals.

How do they help? Microgreens contain higher levels and a wider variety of antioxidants than their full-grown varieties. They’re also much tastier than cough syrup. It’s a no brainer! We think you’ll love the recipes we’ve gathered for you below. Bon appétit and stay cozy!

 

Brisket and Salsa Verde Tacos with Microgreens

Nutritionist Carline Thomas has come up with the perfect way to use up left over brisket with a superfood twist - microgreens. Providing several times the nutrients of regular veggies, the spicy microgreens are capable of holding their own in these flavoursome parcels. Make the sauce and radish pickles ahead of time and you have meal prep sorted for another day!

 

Salsa Verde

1/2 small jalapeño, de-seeded

2 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons olive oil

5 medium tomatillos, de-husked and quartered

2 large handfuls fresh coriander

juice of 1/2 lime

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 medium shallot

 

Pickled Radishes

1/3 cup thinly sliced radishes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

1/3 cup distilled white vinegar

 

For Assembling

1 1/2 cups sliced and chopped leftover steak or brisket

1/2  teaspoon"taco" seasoning blend, or a blend of cumin, salt, chili or similar

crunchy taco shells

handful of microgreens

optional feta or cojita cheese crumbled

 

Directions             

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. To make salsa verde: line a baking sheet with foil or a silicon baking mat. Add tomatillos, jalapeño, garlic and drizzle it with olive oil.
3. Roast for 25 minutes or until tomatillo is soft and begins to blacken. 
4. Cool and place in food processor with cilantro, lime juice, salt and roughly chopped shallot.
5. Pulse until chunky and combined.
6. To make pickled radishes: thinly slice radishes and place in a small bowl.
7. In a microwave safe dish or on the stove, heat vinegar and dissolve sugar and salt. Pour over radishes.
8. Refrigerate to chill. 
9. To make steak filling: chop leftover steak/brisket. Add to a sauté pan with seasoning and a splash of water or chicken or beef stock. Heat over medium and add seasoning.
10. Stir to combine and heat to warm.
11. Heat tacos on the warming setting on the oven (or lowest temp). Fill with salsa verde, beef, pickled radish and top with microgreens. Add feta if desired. 

 

Adapted from Oh Carlene

https://healthfullyeverafter.co/food-nutrition-recipe-blog/2018/beef-taco-salsa-verde-tomatillo-tacos

 

 

Feta and Beet Pizza with Spicy Rocket Microgreens

 We’re not usually ones to intervene in classic culinary pairings. With a combo like beet and feta, it’s best to keep things simple to let the bold flavours shine. The peppery kick from the rocket microgreens makes for a divine finale to the salty sweet flavours in this recipe.

 

For the Pizza

½ recipe Overnight Pizza Dough or your favourite dough recipe

4 medium beets

Honey Balsamic reduction

Your favourite Pizza base recipe

1/4 cup rocket microgreens

Salt and pepper to taste

 

For the Honey Balsamic Reduction

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 T honey

 

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450°F. Wrap beets individually in aluminum foil, and roast 40 minutes, or until fork tender. Cool, peel, and slice into ¼-inch rounds.
2. Flour an overturned baking sheet. Stretch dough to a 13-by-9-inch rectangle, and transfer to baking sheet. Brush dough with 1 tablespoon oil. Lay beet slices evenly over dough. Top with crumbled feta, salt, and pepper.
3. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until crust is browned. Transfer to a cutting board. Let cool 5 minutes. Top with microgreens, remaining oil, and a drizzle of Honey- Balsamic Reduction.
4. Cook vinegar and honey in a small pan over medium heat, watching carefully, until liquid reduces by half. Let cool to room temperature.

 

Adapted from Culture Cheese Magazine

https://culturecheesemag.com/recipes/beet-pizza-with-feta-spicy-microgreens

 

 

Sake and Shiitake Risotto with Microgreens

 

We love winter recipes brimming with umami flavours. Known as the fifth element of taste, umami can be described as having a distinct savouriness that’s characteristic of broths and cooked meats. In this recipe, chef Warren Elwin combines three umami ingredients, shiitake, butter and sake into a rich and hearty meal. The microgreens help to refresh the palate with a peppery zing. Yum!

 

Ingredients

3 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock

1 finely chopped spring onion

5 shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped

1 drizzle olive oil, for cooking

1 knob butter, for cooking

1 cup sushi rice

1 cup sake

1 small handful micro greens and a few fried exotic mushrooms, or use more shiitakes for serving

 

Directions

1. Heat chicken or vegetable stock. 
2. Heat a little olive oil and a knob of butter in a frying pan. Add chopped spring onion and shiitake mushrooms and fry until soft. Add sushi rice and cook, stirring, to coat the rice.
3. Add sake, cooking and stirring the liquor into the rice until absorbed. Slowly add hot stock, ½ cup at a time, cooking fully into the rice each time. When the rice has cooked until tender to the bite, and the mixture is creamy, it's ready to serve.
4. Serve, sprinkled with sea salt flakes and fresh pepper. Garnish with micro greens and a fried mushroom or three.

 

Adapted from Bite

https://www.bite.co.nz/recipe/15646/Sake-and-shiitake-risotto/