The term ‘green food’ can mean several things.
More and more households are ‘going green’ with their menus, buying food from sustainable local sources, is organic or both. People who are ‘eating greener’ include those who grow their own food and compost all their waste, to those who simply take a re-usable bag to the supermarket. Most of us are interested in making decisions that are better for the environment.
Others may immediately think ‘green vegetables’. Health professionals are always talking the benefits of leafy greens.
Then of course there are those who — especially at this time of the year — may think of the colour green and foods with which to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. Luckily there’s now an increasingly popular green-coloured product that adds great green colour to all manner of dishes — matcha.
Matcha is a Japanese stone-ground green tea powder. Green tea plants are shade-grown for about three weeks before harvest, the plant producing more theanine (an amino acid) and caffeine. This combination is considered to account for the calm energy people might feel from drinking matcha. The powder is dissolved in water or milk before consuming as a tea. However it is also great in smoothies and is used to colour and flavour soba noodles, ice cream, cakes and confectionery.
Matcha is available from selected supermarkets, delis and health food stores.
Matcha cheesecake
If you enjoy green tea you will love this dessert as it combines Japanese powdered green tea with a traditional cheesecake mixture. Get the recipe
Irish falafel
Ground chick peas are combined with green herbs and spices, formed into balls, then fried. Get the recipe
Funky fritters
Made in the oven. Try to eat them before the kids do. Get the recipe
Avocado and lime sauce
Great for serving with pan-fried fish or chicken. Serves 4
2 limes
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large avocado, halved, stoned, peeled & mashed
1 green chilli, seeded & diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 small shallot, diced
4 tablespoons finely chopped basil
Flaky sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
Squeeze the juice from the limes into a bowl. Using a teaspoon scrape out as much of the pulp as possible. Add the oil, avocado, chilli, garlic, shallot and basil. Makes about 1 cup.
