EAT YOUR GREENS

Just because it’s cold outside, it’s no excuse to give up on salad. There are some great green vegetables around at this time of year, as these two dishes show. They both work as either a warm side dish — alongside any kind of shared feast, or even your Sunday roast — or on their own as a salad for lunch — simply stir through some noodles for a great meal. Adding a protein will bulk it out too — salmon, shredded chicken, or strips of beef would all go well with the flavours in either of these dishes.

Brussels sprouts are still polarising it seems, even though over the past few years they’ve become more popular. They increasingly pop up on menus at this time of year too, charred, roasted, and even raw. When they roast up and go a bit crispy, they almost take on a nutty flavour, and that works well with the freshness of the lemon and the mint in this dish.

I got the idea to do something like this from Wellington cookbook author Adie McClelland. She’s heavily inspired by Greek flavours, and had something similar on her Instagram.

Broccoli is available all year round, and is definitely one of my favourite ways to get my green vege intake in winter. Again it roasts well in a hot oven with olive oil and salt, but it’s also very easy to blanch or steam just a little so it retains its crunch, and then dress with something punchy. Here it gets the miso treatment, with some sliced radish for some extra bite.