In our Year of Eating Healthy we’re getting lean and green with winter veggies including greens, greens, and more greens! Greens are chock full of minerals (calcium, iron, and potassium), anti-oxidants, and vitamins—especially A, C, E and K, and a few of the best Bs. Leafy greens like spinach, kale, and chard also contain fibre. So when your mother said ‘eat your greens’ she knew what she was talking about! By Emma Dowling

Our recipes below include greens with a high vitamin B12 content such as Brussels sprouts, spinach, bok choy, broccolini, and green beans; with a few not-so-green extras such as shell fish (great source of B12), mushrooms, nuts, and garlic, though not high on the B12 register it does contain plenty of vitamin C and is great for your immune system—not to mention keeping the vampires away; just joking there.

So check out our favourite Great Green recipes—they’re really good for you!

Broccolini and snow peas with sesame dressing

What you need

1 bunch broccolini; olive oil spray; 2 cloves finely minced garlic; 100 grams snow peas, and 1 tablespoon Tamari sauce* and a few sesame seeds

What you do

Cut the broccolini florets off and thinly slice stems. Cook in boiling water (or steam) for 4 – 5 minutes until tender but slightly undercooked. Drain. Spray non-stick frypan with oil and stir-fry garlic, remove and set aside. Add snow peas to the pan and fry for about two minutes. Add broccolini, garlic and tamari sauce and toss well. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve hot.

*Tamari sauce is lighter and less salty than soy sauce and many brands are gluten-free. You can find Tamari sauce at most Asian supermarkets.

Brussels sprouts and lemon/walnut dressing (serves 4)

This is super-simple, super healthy side dish and goes really well with chicken or baked fish.

What you need

8 med – large Brussels sprouts (allowing two sprouts per person); 1 finely chopped shallot (spring onion); handful finely chopped walnuts; lemon juice/Dijon mustard/olive oil for dressing, and salt and pepper to taste

What you do

Rinse, trim and quarter the Brussels sprouts and either steam or microwave until just tender—around 5 – 7 minutes. Whisk together 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper in a large bowl until well combined then stir in the finely chopped shallot and walnuts. Add the sprouts to the dressing and toss well. Serve and enjoy! 

Ginger and garlic prawns with green beans

Although you’re making the sauce from scratch—don’t be deterred. It’s really quite a simple recipe and is really yummy. We served this with a quinoa/rice mix or you can use steamed rice or rice noodles.

What you need

500 grams peeled King prawns with tails (we just don’t like peeling them); 6 cloves garlic; 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger; 2 tablespoons light soy sauce; 1 cup chicken stock (preferably home-made); 1 tablespoon corn flour; 200 grams green beans (topped and tailed), and a little extra-virgin olive oil

What you do

Heat oil in frypan or wok and quickly fry the prawns until pink and just cooked and set aside. Steam or microwave the green beans until just tender (about 5 – 7 minutes) and add to the prawns. Stir fry the garlic and ginger in the oil (add more if necessary) for one minute—do not allow to burn. Mix the corn flour with the cold chicken stock and add the soy sauce, then pour into the pan with the garlic and ginger and stir until bubbling. Add the prawns and beans and cook until warmed through. Serve with quinoa, rice or noodles.

Bok Choy with chicken and mushrooms

This is a super simple and tasty dish, and much better than the take-away variety!

What you need

1 tablespoon peanut oil; ½ chicken fillet cut into thin slices; 200 grams sliced mushrooms; 2 cloves finely minced garlic; 2 cm piece finely grated fresh ginger; 2 finely chopped shallots (spring onion); ¼ cup oyster sauce, and1 teaspoon sesame oil

What you do

Heat peanut oil in a frypan or wok until smoking and add mushrooms and chicken slices and stir-fry until chicken is cooked through. Set aside. Add onion, garlic and ginger to the pan and stir-fry for 1 – 2 minutes or until fragrant (do not allow to burn). Add bok choy and stir-fry for 2 – 3 minutes just tender. Add oyster sauce, sesame oil, chicken and mushrooms and stir-fry for a further 1 – 2 minutes or until heated through. Serve hot with rice or noodles.

Enjoy! and share your fave green recipes with us here.