Vegetables for Lunch

Most weeks, the youngster and I visit my good friend Lon. She has the most amazing vegetable garden, and we are extremely lucky to be able to enjoy the tasty things she grows, and the fresh eggs from her chickens.

Yesterday there was plenty of green things ready for picking, plus lots of eggs. The kids got eggy toast for lunch, while we investigated things to do with a pile of green vegetables. There was rainbow silverbeet (swiss chard), sprouting broccoli, English spinach and green spring onions. There was also some fresh pineapple that the kids had been snacking on. The finished result was two delicious vegetarian main dishes that certainly got us well toward our 2 & 5 a day!

Japanese Braised Silverbeet with Egg and Sesame

This first dish combines the earthy flavour of silverbeet with the sweet and salty flavour of miso paste. I love the rainbow variety of silverbeet with its brilliant red and yellow stalks. Silverbeet is so easy to grow, you can even grow it in a tub in the tiniest garden and be rewarded with masses of fresh crisp leaves.

Japanese Braised Silverbeet with Egg and Sesame

Serves 2-3

1 bunch silverbeet (swiss chard)
2-3 green spring onions
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp miso paste
2 tsp mirin
2 tsp cooking sake
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp sesame oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Remove the stalks from the silver beet and chop into 1cm pieces. Tear the leaves into rough pieces. Slice the green sprin onions into 1cm lengths on a diagonal.

Heat a wok or frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the silverbeet stalks, onions and miso paste. Stir constantly to break up the miso paste and prevent the vegetables from burning. Add a splash of water if necessary. Once the stalks have started to soften, add the silverbeet leaves. Once the leaves have wilted, add sake, mirin, sesame oil and sesame seeds. To finish, pour over the beaten egg and stir through. Remove from the heat when the eggs have just cooked.

Spicy Pineapple and Broccoli Noodles

This second dish bears a similarity to Singapore noodles. Feel free to use a hot curry powder, or add extra chilli.

Spicy Pineapple and Broccoli Noodles

Serves 2-3

100g bean thread noodles (cellophane or glass noodles)
2-3 green spring onions
2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
1 bunch sprouting broccoli (or 1 bunch broccolini), chopped into 5cm lengths
2 handfuls english or baby spinach
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp mild curry powder
1 tbsp fresh chopped mint

Soak the noodles in boiling water until they are softened, and drain.

Heat a frying pan or wok over a medium high heat. Add the vegetable oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the onions, broccoli and pineapple and cook for 3-4 minutes until the broccoli stems have started to soften. Add the curry powder and stir through. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the spinach has wilted. Serve immediately.

Tomato Dressing for Green Vegetables

It's spring! And that means lots of healthy green vegetables for dinner. I was having a discussion with some girlfriends about different ways to serve green vegetables. This is one option adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe - a fresh tomato and basil dressing for hot steamed vegetables.

1 small tomato

1 tbsp chopped onion

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp red wine vinegar

salt and black pepper to taste

2 tbsp chopped basil

Put everything into a blender and whizz - add more oil or water to adjust the consistency (it should be quite thin). Toss through freshly boiled or steamed vegetables - the heat will take slightly cook the dressing. You could make it a more 'asian' style by using coriander, or more 'french' style by using thyme.

Orecchiette Pasta with Broccoli, Feta and Roasted Capsicum

This is a super quick, one-pot pasta, and a great way to enjoy that super vegetable, broccoli. Don't forget that the broccoli stem is just as delicious as the florets - trim off the tougher outer skin, then slice up the stem. If you cut it small, it will cook in the same time as the florets. If you're cooking this for kids, leave out the almonds and the chilli. This would work equally well with cauliflower.


orecchiette pasta (or other small pasta)
broccoli or broccolini (florets and stems)
lemon juice
long red chilli
garlic
basil
fetta cheese
roasted red capsicum (from a jar)
blanched almonds
olive oil
salt and black pepper


Boil a pot with water and add salt. Cook the pasta until al dente. About half-way though the cooking time, add the broccoli to the pasta. When the pasta is done, drain, reserving a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water.


Return the pot to the stove and reduce the heat to medium. Add finely chopped garlic and chilli and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add chopped almonds, sliced red capsicum and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the pasta and broccoli and the basil, plus reserved cooking water. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper - adding extra olive oil to coat.