Leafy greens and herbs balance holiday excess

Yes - Leafy greens again!! From the garden

Christmas is over, a new year is looming so it's time to balance the excess by simply adding leafy greens.

The secret though is to get them as fresh as possible when you can virtually see the vitamins jumping out. Obviously, the best way to eat greens is uncooked, fresh from the garden, with spinach or rocket being my favourites because of their versatility. They can be stir fried in a little olive oil, wilted by steaming for a very short time, but I love them when added to cooked vegetables, at the last minute for extra colour and super nutrition.

Christmas in Australia is salad oriented since it is mid summer, but we eat salad all year, sometimes adding the leaves to warm roasted vegetables and drizzling with a dressing.

We enjoy flat-leafed parsley, known for it's excellent flavour, spinach (perpetual leaf, easy to grow with continuous cropping), some shallots for salads which harvest in 8-12 weeks, to join the rocket which can be sown all year round - love the peppery flavour added to roasted veges, and wilted rocket is divine. Our basil crop is doing well as is the lemon-scented thyme, lemon grass, Vietnamese mint, as well as ordinary mint - this part of the land has a few hazards re survival of the species - insects, possums (protected).

Because our little plot doesn't get quite enough sun, this year I have added some large pots of herbs in a sunny spot. Even though the yield isn't huge, I adore being able to pick a few leafy greens every day, knowing that they are such a powerhouse re antiageing qualities.

Clara

Leafy Green Info
It was common for our ancient ancestors to eat up to six pounds of leaves per day, ie a grocery bag full of greens each and every day? Calorie for calorie, they are perhaps the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age-related problems, can help prevent age-related cognitive decline and may also reduce your risk of skin cancer among many other effects. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of Omega-3 fats.
Almost Carb-Free, with the carbs that are there packed in layers of fibre, which make them very slow to digest.

Perhaps the star of these nutrients is Vitamin K. A cup of most cooked greens provides at least nine times the minimum recommended intake of Vitamin K, and even a couple of cups of dark salad greens usually provide the minimum all on their own. Recent research has provided evidence that this vitamin may be even more important functions.
Vitamin K
•Regulates blood clotting
•Helps protect bones from osteoporosis
•May be a key regulator of inflammation, and may help protect us from inflammatory diseases including arthritis.
Fat-soluble vitamin, so make sure to put dressing on your salad, or cook your greens with oil.
Quick-cooking Greens
These greens can either be eaten raw or lightly cooked. Six cups of raw greens become approximately one cup of cooked greens and take only a few minutes to cook. Spinach, Chard, Rocket, Beet Greens, Dandelion greens, Sorrel and Cabbage belong in this category.
Greens should be dry or almost dry, after washing; store in a bag with as much of the air pushed out as you easily can. I like to put a barely damp paper towel in for just the right amount of moisture. Then, put them in the vegetable drawer of your fridge.

How to use up left over Christmas ham deliciously

A great way to use up Christmas ham.

My friend asked for a dish to use up the family ham so here it is.  I love it's simplicity, it's balance  and the contrast with Christmas food.
Ham, anchovy and fennel pasta






500g /1lb  large pasta shells
1/4 cup olive oil
180 gm / 6 oz ham, cut finely
freshly ground pepper   
1 tbsp chopped anchovy
1 small fennel buIb - finely shaved
1/2 cup chopped parsley 1 long red chiIli~ chopped

Cook pasta in a large~saucepan of salted water.  Drain and reserve.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a heavy based saucepan on a medium heat.
Add ham, season with pepper and fry for five-minutes. Add anchovy and fry for one minute.  Add pasta, fennel and parsley to saucepan and toss well.
Sprinkle with chilli and serve with salad leaves.
     

How to glam up your leg ham



A glistening glazed ham is the centrepiece of a Christmas feast

 whether you serve your leg ham hot or cold.

1 x 4.5kg / 9 lb leg cooked ham on the bone
Preheat the oven to 180C / 355F.  With a small sharp knife cut around the top of the ham bone and then gently peel the skin from the ham using your fingers to loosen the skin.
Keep a thick layer of fat on the ham - discard skin and  score the fat in a diamond pattern.
Brush the ham with glaze and  bake for about 30 minutes, basting once or twice.
The ham should be beautiful and golden. Leave it to cool before slicing.
Serves about 10

Or if cooking the ham from scratch, follow the  producer's directions,  but add the glaze for the last 30 minutes, covering with foil.

Glazes

Who says you can only have cranberry sauce with turkey? 

Cranberry glaze
1 cup cranberry sauce
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup soft hrown suqar
 Mix together and heat gently over low heat. 


Soy & citrus glaze
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
1/2 cup soft brown sugar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 star anise
Mix together the soy, mirin, brown sugar, orange juice and star anise in a small
saucepan and heat gently until sugar dissolves.


Zesty glazed ham with mango salsa
1 orange zest and juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar sea salt
freshly ground Black pepper
Clove
Stir to combine. Spread over ham as above.
Mango Salsa
Combine - Serve with glazed ham
3 small ripe mangos diced
1 small red onion finely diced1 finely chopped red chillisea salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil

Just love those small bites!

Ok - the party was fun as you can see but the finger food was amazing, thanks to all who brought along tantalising, small bites.  I love them!!!!

Kofters went over really well - served  with cucumber salad, yoghurt sauce and mango chutney ; we didn't get around to the prawns due to the excellence of the contributions, but go to Finger food for the recipes I have collected for this kind of occasion.

Lamb Kofters again

The video tells the story - click on the arrow.
Wish you could all have been here with us.
Clara