Green Recipes

By: Sarenna Lalani, Meds 2023

​Green G.I. Goodness
What fuels the body feeds the soul amiright? Here’s a collection of green-inspired recipes to feed your soul this fall!
 
Grow Green or Go Home Smoothie Bowl
Vegan, gluten-free, soy-free
A breakfast of champions that will make you feel ready to take on the day and feel great about sneaking in your veggies so early in the day!
 
Prep time: 5 minutes
Serving size: 1 serving
 
Ingredients:

• For the bowl:
  • 1 banana
  • ½ cup frozen mango chunks
  • 3 generous handfuls of baby spinach or kale (depending on what you’re feelin!)
  • ¾ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or any milk of your choice)
  • Optional: handful of ice
• For the toppings:
  • ½ teaspoon chia seeds
  • ½ banana, sliced
  • Fresh berries of your choice, washed

Directions:

1. Place all of the bowl ingredients in a blender and blend until completely smooth (aka no visible spinach bitties). The consistency should be somewhere between a thick smoothie and slightly melted sorbet.
2. Spoon into a bowl and layer on the toppings.
3. Enjoy the most delectable serving of vegetables you’ve ever had!

Tips:

• If you prefer to consume your breakfast through a straw (reusable, of course), leave out the ice, cut the banana by half, and blend for a glass-friendly alternative!

 
‘Oh She Grows’ Kale Lentil Soup (Adapted from ohsheglows.com)
Vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free
 
An effortless fall favourite great[1]  for days that need a little something green! Full of fibre and packed with protein, this is a flavourful new recipe that is sure to make a recurring appearance each flu season!
 
Prep time: 45 mins
Serving size: 5 servings
 
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3-5 celery stalks, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika, to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 (14-ounce/398 mL) can diced tomatoes, with juices
• 5 to 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, as needed
• 1 cup uncooked red lentils, rinsed and drained
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste
• 5 handfuls destemmed and chopped kale leaves or baby spinach (Food Basics sells a bag of chopped kale for a great price!)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, sauté the onion and garlic in the oil for about 4 to 5 minutes over medium heat. Add in the celery and sauté for a few minutes more.
2. Stir in the bay leaf and spices      (cumin, chili powder, coriander, paprika, cayenne).
3. Stir in the can of tomatoes (including the juice), broth, and lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and then simmer      uncovered      for about 20 to 25 minutes, until lentils are tender and fluffy.
4. Stir in kale or spinach and cook until just wilted. Serve and enjoy! The cooled soup can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days, or you can freeze it in a freezer-safe container (leave 1-inch at the top for expansion) for 1 to 2 months.

Tips:

• This recipe can be adapted for an instant pot to make your life super duper easy! Use this instant pot on “Saute” mode to saute the vegetables then spices (as per the original instructions). Then, instead of simmering uncovered, cover the pot, place the valve on “Sealing” and set the pot to manual for 6 minutes.
• Tara Fine Foods is a great spot to buy spices in bulk (especially if you don’t want to invest in an entire jar of a spice!).[2] 
• Make sure you rinse the lentils well      and not too far in advance. I learned this the hard way - if you leave them to drain for too long and they are not thoroughly washed, they will congeal. Trust me, it’s      gross and super inconvenient so just wash them well (longer than 5 minutes, for sure).

Growin’ Strong One-Pan Meal Prep
Gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free

​A multi-meal solution so easy, you’ll be tempted to repeat it two weeks in a row! Healthy and efficient, this recipe is about to turn your meal prep Sunday into a meal prep FUNday.
 
Prep time: 1 hour
Servings: 3 servings
 
Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1 zucchini, cubed
• 0.75 lbs baby potatoes, scrubbed, rinsed and halved/quartered
• Olive oil
• 2 + 3 cloves of garlic, separated and minced
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 2 + 1 teaspoon oregano, separated
• 1 squeeze of a fresh lemon
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste

 
Directions:

1. Place chicken breast cubes, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of oregano, and 2 cloves of garlic into a bowl. Add salt and pepper.
2. Drizzle with lemon juice, toss together using tongs.
3. Cover and place in fridge for ½ an hour.
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Using a silicone-lined baking sheet, place the chicken on one-third of the pan.
6. Place the asparagus down the middle to fill the middle-third of the pan.
7. Fill the last third with zucchini and potatoes, trying to keep them separated as much as possible.
8. Drizzle all the veggies with olive oil.
9. Add 1 clove of garlic to the zucchini and 2 cloves to the potatoes. Toss with your hands to ensure an even distribution.
10. Sprinkle the potatoes with the remaining oregano and thyme, then      dd [3] salt and pepper to all vegetables.
11. Use your hands to toss them[4]  together once more.
12. Place[5]  in the oven for 30 minutes. Cut the chicken to ensure there’s      no pink in the centres and that the juices run clear. The veggies are done when the asparagus and zucchini are softened,      the potatoes have dark crispy bits on the edges and can easily be poked with a fork.

Tips:

• Cooking times will vary with oven strength - the most important thing is for the chicken to be cooked, so please cut open the biggest piece and check!