Recipe: Orange, Ginger and Honey Braised Winter Greens

Warm winter comforts meet healthy greens in this orange, ginger and honey-based recipe. / Olivia Moore - That Green Olive

It’s hard to believe we’re almost at the end of winter - but I’ll welcome the end of the season with open - and warmly dressed - arms. I love winter greens - dark, leafy vegetables like silverbeet and kale - especially when cooked until super soft.

I’ve cooked leeks and silverbeet in a flavourful mixture of garlic, ginger, orange and honey - bold flavours that elevate these humble leafy greens. Cook your greens this way and you’ll never find them boring. Serve this dish alongside your next lamb roast, pan-fried fish or pork pie for a boost of flavour and nutrition.

Olivia Moore and her Taupō business That Green Olive offer recipe development, food photography - in studio or on-location - for restaurants and cafes, recipe video creation and social media content creation. Visit Olivia’s website www.thatgreenolive.com for more recipes.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3 as a side

2 small whole leeks (375g), thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

5g fresh ginger, finely chopped

½ cup chicken stock

350g silverbeet, stems removed

Zest and juice of 1 small orange

15g butter

1 tbsp honey

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

½ tsp salt

Method

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add leeks, garlic and ginger. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until leeks are charred in places and the garlic is golden brown.

Add chicken stock and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow almost all of the liquid to evaporate, then add the silverbeet, orange juice, butter, honey and vinegar. Mix well, bring to a bubble then reduce heat to low. Cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes.

When the vegetables are very soft, remove the lid and allow the liquid to reduce to your liking. Stir through salt and orange zest, and serve hot.