No more over-cooked watery broccoli! If you're looking to up your weekly intake of green vegetables and leafy greens - which are great for our health - there's a world of inspiration out there, rrom Italian pasta to cheesy bakes to the European palate-cleansing salad.
"A lot of my recipes will say, 'serve this with a fresh, crisp green salad,' because I just think it's super important to add as many vegetables as possible," says keen cook and television host Justine Schofield, who has just released her latest book, . Her other tricks are to keep a few staples - such as frozen spinach and eggs - always on hand, so you can make a meal even if you haven't had a chance to go shopping.
For example, she says "if you don't have broccoli in your fridge today to make my broccoli, pea and cheddar tart, don't worry. Hopefully you'll have some frozen spinach in your freezer. Nothing's better than fresh spinach but I always have some frozen spinach on standby because it's better than not having any greens. So turn it into a spinach, pea and cheddar tart."
The freezer is your friend when it comes to stand-by greens, she tells us.
"I would never use frozen broccoli because I find it too wet and mushy. And beans get really soft. However, spinach is absolutely okay to use and broad beans and peas are completely fine, and edamame.
"Ideally you can get fresh produce, but in emergencies when you cannot, there's still going to be that delicious green there for you to add to your dishes."
To give you some inspiration for upping your green veg, deliciously, here are six recipes from Schofield's brand-new book.
This is a great way to use up leftover roast chicken - and whatever vegetables you have to hand. "I use snow peas, edamame and spring onions in my recipe but change it up depending on what you love and have on hand," Schofield says.
Leftover chicken and soba noodle salad Source: Plum Books / Jeremy Simons
"This is my take on the old-fashioned creamed spinach. I love turning it into a decadent gratin that is made even more delicious with the addition of béchamel. It’s the perfect side to roast chicken or fish," says Schofield.
Spinach and cheese gratin Source: Plum Books / Jeremy Simons
If you don't have broccoli in your fridge to make this tart, don't worry. Use frozen spinach or more peas. And you can use frozen pastry sheets, or use Schofield's easy recipe to make your own shortcrust, which can be done by hand or in a food processor.
Broccoli, pea and cheddar tart Source: Plum Books / Jeremy Simons
Looking for a vegetarian meal everyone will love - and that's easy to make? "This is a much-loved pasta dish in my repertoire. The zucchini are cooked until very soft and creamy, making this super light yet very moreish," says Schofield.
Penne with zucchini crema Source: Plum Books / Jeremy Simons
The secret to these light-as-air spinach dumplings is to chill them before cooking - but the great thing about them is that they can be made a day or two ahead. Simply cover the gnudi on the tray with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until you are ready to cook them. Or they can be frozen in an airtight container for up to a month.
Spinach gnudi Source: Plum Books / Jeremy Simons
Another trick for eating more greens - and cutting food waste - is to have a dish that serves as a base for you to add whatever you have on hand, such as this curry. "Essentially this is a dhal, but I’ve put my own stamp on it by bulking it out with cauliflower. You can use this as a base for other vegetables, too. I love to add leafy greens, such as kale and spinach, or zucchini and broccoli. Make it your own and take the opportunity to use up any veggies in the crisper so they don’t go to waste," says Schofield.
Recipes from by Justine Schofield (Plum, $34.99), Photography by Jeremy Simons. Watch Justine Schofield's new show Outback Gourmet, with double episodes screening 7.30pm Sundays on SBS Food Channel 33 from 31 March, and then available on .
Split pea and cauliflower curry Source: Plum Books / Jeremy Simons
