This green juice recipe is full of nutrients and Martha swears by a glass of it every morning. I’ll admit, this is the first time I’ve shared a recipe I’m not absolutely crazy about, but I’ve made a few tweaks that make it much more drinkable for a green juice newb like myself.

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Martha Stewart’s Green Juice
• Ingredients
  • Martha’s Green Juice:
  • My … Wimpier Adapted Green Juice Recipe:
• How to Make Martha Stewart’s Green Juice
  • Green Juice with a Juicer:
  • Green Juice with a Blender:
• Tips for Success
• More Veg- and Fruit-Forward Green Drink Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

Queen Martha mentioned in both the recent documentary about her and in her 100th cookbook (affiliate link) that her green juice recipe is basically her fountain of youth. She attributes her glowing skin and vibrancy to the green juice she drinks every morning. And as an aging woman myself, I couldn’t NOT give it a try!

My husband and I made a big production of running everything in Martha Stewart’s green juice recipe from her cookbook through the juicer (we’re new to juicing).

And I’ll be honest. We took cautious sips and … it … wasn’t our favorite.

I suspect that for those who have been juicing for awhile, they might be able to drink it no prob. Me, I learned quickly that there are steps to juicing, and as a novice, I need more of an … intro juice.

Luckily, with a bit of adaptation, I created a version of green juice that I can happily drink every morning (my husband, on the other hand, I think will remain scarred for the foreseeable future, so I’m the only one still on the green juice train).

Today, I’m sharing the green juice recipe from Martha Stewart, plus my tweaks to make it more drinkable (in my opinion).

There are a number of versions of Martha’s green juice out on the web as she’s changed it up over the years. Her most recent version, in her newest cookbook, is optimized for max nutrition without a lot of sugars. As someone who has to watch her sugars for health reasons, I respect that!

But I had to add some sweetness to my version, and the ginger had to go completely.

Martha Stewart’s Green Juice

Martha Stewart’s Green Juice is SO full of nutrients! We’re talking loads of potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and even some calcium and iron. (Here’s more info about the health benefits of green juice.)

It just feels good to start the day with a nutritional powerhouse of a drink.

Ingredients

Martha’s Green Juice:

• Spinach – Martha suggests one bunch, washed super well. She grows hers in her garden because she’s Martha Stewart. I use the baby spinach found in the prepared section of the grocery store.
• Celery – Two stalks; Martha prefers hers with the leaves
• Cucumber – Martha suggests the Kirby variety, but that’s not something I’ve seen, so I just use 1/2 an English cucumber
• Parsley – One bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Mint – One small bunch
• Ginger – A one-inch piece, and the peel can stay on.
• Orange wedges, peel on

My … Wimpier Adapted Green Juice Recipe:

• Baby spinach
• Celery – Two stalks
• Cucumber – I generally use half an English cucumber. No need to peel.
• Parsley – I reduce the parsley to a few sprigs instead of the full bunch.
• Mint – A few sprigs.
• Pineapple – I like the sweetness a bit of pineapple adds.
• Orange wedges
• Granny Smith apple – I like the sweet/sour element the Granny Smith provides

I can’t do the ginger. It’s too strong of a taste. Maybe someday when I’m more of a hardcore juicer (I aspire to juice greatness!)

How to Make Martha Stewart’s Green Juice

Green Juice with a Juicer:

Just run all of the ingredients through the juicer and serve!

Green Juice with a Blender:

You can also use your blender if you don’t have a juicer. Puree all of the ingredients then strain them through a nut milk bag or through a cheesecloth lined sieve. Discard the solids and enjoy the juice.

Tips for Success

• Don’t be afraid to cut your green juice with water. If the taste is too strong, it’s okay to add water! I prefer water AND ice. It stretches the juice and also makes it more drinkable in my opinion.

I hope this green juice recipe is a winner for you! I’m curious to hear what you think of it – and if, like me, you have to make a few adaptations to really be able to drink it! 😅

More Veg- and Fruit-Forward Green Drink Recipes

• Tropical Green Smoothie
• Mango Green Smoothie
• Green Lime Smoothie
• Toasted Coconut Green Smoothie
• Shamrock Shake Smoothie
• Ginger Peach Green Smoothie

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Martha Stewart’s Green Juice

Health in a glass! Martha says her green juice is her key to aging gracefully. I'm listening! This green juice recipe is lower in sugar compared to some out there, and loaded with nutrients. I'm sharing her original recipe from her 100th cookbook + my adaptations to make it a bit (in my opinion) more tasty for green juice newbies such as myself.

Keyword green juice recipe, low sugar green juice, martha stewart green juice, martha stewart’s green juice

Servings 2

Calories 162kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1 bunch spinach washed well; or 3-4 cups baby spinach
• 2 stalks celery Martha prefers hers with the leaves
• 1 cucumber Martha suggests the Kirby variety, but that's not something I've seen, so I just use 1/2 an English cucumber
• 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 small bunch fresh mint
• 1 one-inch piece fresh ginger with the peel on*
• 2 unpeeled orange wedges

Instructions

Juicer Instructions

• Run the ingredients through a juicer. Stir and serve.

Blender Instructions

• Puree all of the ingredients in a blender, adding a splash of water if needed. Pour the juice through a cheesecloth-lined sieve or into a nut milk bag and press as much juice as possible out. Discard the pulp, stir the juice, and serve.

Notes

Because I like to serve this green juice over ice and cut it with water, I usually drink about half of it and save the other half for the next morning. 

My version:

*For my version, I leave out the fresh ginger entirely. The taste is just so strong. I’m sure it can become an acquired taste, but I’m not there yet. I also reduce the parsley and mint and change the cucumber and spinach to more easily accessible varieties. Finally, I’ve added a Granny Smith apple and fresh pineapple for some sweetness. I prefer to serve this Green Juice over ice and like to cut it with a generous splash of water. 

• 1 Granny Smith apple, core & seeds removed
• 2-inch slice or 4-5 chunks fresh pineapple
• 3-4 cups (packed) baby spinach
• 1/2 English cucumber
• 2 stalks celery
• 2-3 sprigs fresh parsley
• 1-2 sprigs fresh mint
• 2 unpeeled orange wedges

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 162kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 372mg | Potassium: 2903mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 37487IU | Vitamin C: 199mg | Calcium: 510mg | Iron: 14mg

The post Martha Stewart’s Green Juice Recipe (+ How I Modify It So I Can Actually Drink It) appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Or, a refreshing, tall glass of iced mint tea in the summer! Equally wonderful.

Fresh hot mint tea in the winter is so comforting, just as much as iced mint tea in the summertime could not be more refreshing if it tried!

Whether you have a bumper crop of mint in your garden or plan to pick up a bunch at the store, I’m going to show you how to transform your fresh mint into a palate-cleansing, cozy, tasty tea with mint leaves that you’ll want to sip all year long.

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Mint Tea Benefits
• Ingredients
• Adaptations/Variations
• How to Make Mint Tea
• Tips for Success
• More Tea Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

Fresh peppermint is one of the first crops I ever successfully grew in my garden. All I had to do was plant a tiny start and it grew … and grew … and grew! If you’ve ever grown mint, you know. That plant throws out runners and spreads like nobody’s business, quickly turning from bumper crop to horrendous weed. 

After that, I only planted fresh mint in a container. 

I’m willing to bet that out-of-control-mint is a rite of passage for every gardener. Was it for you?

Anyway, a benefit to prolific mint is that you have an endless supply for mojitos and mint tea! Score!

I love to gather a big handful of mint and brew up a big mint iced tea to cool off in the summer. And then, as the weather turns chilly, I skip the ice and go straight to hot mint tea. Nothing better!

So I thought it was time I shared with you my recipe for mint tea and iced mint tea!

Mint Tea Benefits

The benefits of mint tea are countless! Other than mint tea’s refreshing taste and cozy factor, it has a few specific benefits that you might appreciate.

Me personally, I love it when my gut isn’t feeling the greatest. It’s super soothing. Hot mint tea soothes a grumpy gut and has been known to help decrease bloating.

It also uniquely has both a warming and cooling effect. It’s said to help relieve tension headaches. And it is even considered to have some anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory benefits. (source)

Ingredients

• Fresh mint leaves – Grab some out of your garden, your neighbor’s garden (with permission!), or you can find it with the other fresh herbs in the produce section of most grocery stores.
• Water
• Sweetener (optional) – If you like, you can add a bit of honey or sugar to sweeten your mint tea. Personally, I prefer it without, but I’ve provided options just in case you prefer sweeter.

Adaptations/Variations

• Mint Green Tea: In the last 3 minutes of brewing, throw in a couple of green tea bags. Remove along with the mint before serving.
• Ginger Mint Tea: Add a few slices of fresh ginger with the mint. This combo is such a cold-fighting powerhouse!
• Sweet Mint Tea: Stir in a little honey, sugar, or agave nectar if you prefer a sweeter tea. 

How to Make Mint Tea

First, you’ll wash your mint leaves, then strip them from the stems. You want 1/2 cup of the leaves.

Add the water to a medium saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, then remove it from the heat. Stir in the mint leaves and let the leaves steep for 5-10 minutes. The longer it steeps, the stronger the mint flavor will be.

Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into your mug, if you’re making hot mint tea, or over ice in a glass for iced mint tea.

Add more fresh mint for garnish and start sipping!

Tips for Success

• Some people like to gently crush or tear the mint leaves to release the oils. I find that the process of stripping the leaves off of their stems and pressing them into the measuring cup is enough to release the oils. 
• Save out a few sprigs of mint for garnishing/tossing into the tea before serving. It looks pretty and lends even more minty flavor!

I hope you love this tea with mint leaves! It’s really satisfying to grab a few leaves, simmer them with water, and get this refreshing, soothing drink as a result. Plus, it’s just darn tasty!

More Tea Recipes

• Golden Milk Latte
• Ginger Lemongrass Iced Green Tea
• Iced Green Tea Limeade
• Iced Raspberry Green Tea Limeade

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Fresh Mint Tea Recipe (Hot or Iced)

Refreshing mint tea is just a couple of ingredients away! It's super simple to make fresh mint tea; here's how to do it. Enjoy it hot or iced.

Keyword fresh mint tea, mint tea, tea from fresh mint leaves, tea from mint leaves

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 4kcal

Author Kare

Equipment

• 1 fine mesh strainer

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves from a good handful, about 1 ounce, lightly packed into the measuring cup; plus more mint for garnish
• 4 cups water

Instructions

• Wash mint leaves and strip them from the stems. Press into the 1/2 cup measuring cup (it doesn't have to be exact). Set aside.
• Add the water to a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add the mint and stir.
• Let the mint steep for 5-10 minutes. The longer it steeps, the stronger the fresh mint tea will be.
• Stir in a little honey, sugar, or agave nectar if you prefer a sweeter tea.
• Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into your mug (if hot) or over ice in a glass (if iced tea). Add more fresh mint for garnish and serve.

Notes

Stir in a little honey, sugar, or agave nectar if you prefer a sweeter tea.

Some people like to gently crush or tear the mint leaves to release the oils. I find that the process of stripping the leaves off of their stems and pressing them into the measuring cup is enough to release the oils. 

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Serve leftovers over ice or heat back up on the stove or in the microwave. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 4kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 239IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0.3mg

The post Fresh Mint Tea Recipe (Hot or Iced) appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

This fresh and easy Greek pasta salad brings orzo pasta, veggies, olives, and feta together with a Greek vinaigrette, and it’s absolutely divine. One of my fave pasta salad recipes yet!

I love this fresh and easy pasta salad so much. It’s packed with fresh veggies – crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and crunchy red bell peppers. Fresh mint and parsley add bright flavor. Then there’s the full-of-flavor, Greek-salad inspired vinaigrette with oregano and Dijon mustard.

Oh, and can’t forget the Kalamata olives and salty feta. And tender orzo. Basically this salad is a conglomeration of everything I love. Except the word “conglomeration” is not the tastiest-sounding word, but I’m sure you catch my drift. It’s DELISH.

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love Greek Orzo Salad
• Ingredients
• Adaptations/Variations
• How to Make Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
• Tips for Success
• More Pasta Salad Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

I’m a huge fan of pasta salad, and especially orzo pasta salad. There’s just something about that rice-sized pasta that works so well in a pasta salad, soaking up the flavors around it, adding amazing texture, yet letting the veggies shine.

In the past, I’ve created an orzo chickpea olive salad, an orzo chickpea cherry tomato salad, and an orzo pasta salad with hazelnuts and cherries.

But I’ve been on a massive Greek salad kick this year, so it was time to combine the classic elements of Greek salad with pasta salad, and here we are: Greek Orzo Pasta Salad.

Why You’ll Love Greek Orzo Salad

Well, for one, this salad tastes amazing! It’s so fresh and lively.

It’s also super meal-prep friendly: It’s one of those refrigerator-friendly salads that you can make ahead of time and enjoy all week long as a side dish or easy lunch salad.

It’s also the perfect potluck or BBQ salad. Be prepared for recipe requests!

Ingredients

• Orzo pasta: You’ll want about half a box, or 8 ounces, of orzo.
• Cherry tomatoes: Grape tomatoes will work, too. Cut them in half, or, if they’re large, go ahead and quarter them.
• English cucumber: I love English cucumbers because you don’t have to peel them and they’re always crisp and full of flavor. If you use a standard cuke, you’ll want to peel it first. Persian cucumbers are great in this, too!
• Red bell pepper: Feel free to substitute orange or yellow if you like. Bonus: An even MORE colorful Greek pasta salad!
• Feta: I love the salty and creamy notes feta adds to the mix. It also doesn’t get more Greek than that!
• Kalamata olives: Grab the already-pitted ones to make it easier on yourself.
• Parsley & mint: Fresh herbs add so much flavor and pretty color.

For the dressing:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Red wine vinegar: White wine vinegar or champagne vinegar will also work.
• Dijon mustard: Adds flavor and emulsifies the dressing.
• Garlic: Finely mince it, or use a Microplane zester to get it extra fine.
• Oregano, salt, & pepper

Adaptations/Variations

• Add 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (shown in the ingredients photo but not strictly necessary) for a bonus boost of flavor.
• Swap the orzo for a straight-up Greek pasta salad: You don’t have to use orzo if you can’t find it or don’t want to! Any small or medium pasta shape will do. Small shells or rotini are especially good.
• Vegan option: Omit the feta cheese. This salad is still delicious without it! You might want to add a pinch or two extra of salt, or some extra olives, to compensate for it. 
• Gluten-free option: Use gluten-free orzo pasta. 

How to Make Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

First, you’ll want to cook the orzo so that it has time to cool.

Next, mix together the vinaigrette. I love the shortcut of mixing the vinaigrette right in the bottom of the salad bowl. Less dishes!

Then, add the veggies, feta, olives, and herbs to the bowl along with the cooled orzo.

From there, toss everything together. You’re done!

Tips for Success

• For the flavors to really meld, place your Greek orzo pasta salad in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.
• You can make this salad up to 4 days ahead of time. Just store it in an airtight container in the fridge and give it a quick stir to freshen it up before serving. I might sprinkle a few extra fresh herbs on top right before serving too, just to make it look extra pretty.

More Pasta Salad Recipes

• Classic Creamy Macaroni Salad
• Chickpea Orzo Salad with Olives & Capers
• Cherry Tomato Chickpea Orzo Salad
• Pea Pesto Pasta Salad
• Cherry Hazelnut Orzo Salad

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Greek Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe

The perfect combo of pasta salad + Greek salad! Fresh, crisp veggies pair up with tender pasta, fresh herbs, salty Kalamata olives, and creamy feta plus a full-of-flavor Greek vinaigrette.

Keyword greek orzo salad, greek pasta salad

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 207kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 8 ounces orzo pasta about 1 1/3 cups
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• 1/2 English cucumber chopped; about 1 cup
• 1/2 red bell pepper diced; about 1 cup
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup Kalamata olives sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint minced

For the Greek vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 small garlic clove minced or finely grated
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Cook the orzo pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and let cool. If you're in a hurry, you can rinse it with cold water to cool it, but I prefer not to rinse if it I can avoid it.
• Make the Greek vinaigrette right in your salad bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a large bowl until emulsified.
• Add the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, feta, olives, parsley, and mint to the bowl.
• Add the cooled orzo to the bowl.
• Stir gently but thoroughly, coating all of the ingredients with the vinaigrette.
• Serve immediately, or, for best flavor, chill for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to melt together.

Notes

Vegan option: 

Omit the feta cheese. This salad is still delicious without it! You might want to add a pinch or two extra of salt, or some extra olives, to compensate for it. 

Gluten-free option:

Use gluten-free orzo pasta. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 331mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 540IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Greek Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

You’re going to love how this gremolata garnish adds so much life to so many dishes!

Table of Contents

• What is Gremolata?
• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Ingredients for Mint Gremolata
• Gremolata Variations
• How to Make Gremolata
• Tips for Success
• What to Serve with Mint Gremolata
• More Parsley & Other Fresh Herb Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

What is Gremolata?

Gremolata is an Italian condiment that adds so much bright and zesty flavor to so many dishes! It’s sort of a cross between a simple chopped herb garnish and, I guess, pesto. It’s garnish, but elevated.

It’s traditionally made with parsley, though for this mint gremolata recipe, I’ve added mint, too.

The result is a vibrant, fresh, robust flavor bomb that is amazing over meats (or veggie alternatives of course), soups, pizza, and roasted vegetables (like these roasted rainbow carrots!)

If you’ve ever made chimichurri, gremolata is very similar. Except chimichurri has olive oil, and is more like a condiment. Chimichurri is more of an amped up garnish that doesn’t contain any oil.

The Story Behind the Recipe

I was first inspired to create gremolata when I was roasting up some rainbow carrots and I wanted an extra fancy garnish to top them with. I thought the addition of mint would be a springy and refreshing touch. And it was amazing!

I soon realized how versatile gremolata is, and mint gremolata became my favorite fresh garnish for all kinds of goodies! And while originally, I included this recipe in my roasted carrots recipe, I realized that this gremolata recipe deserved a post of its very own.

Ingredients for Mint Gremolata

• Parsley: Key for gremolata. Flat-leaf parsley is best because of its more intense, bright parsley flavor (it’s also what tends to be used in traditional gremolata recipes).
• Mint: Just a few fresh mint leaves. A little goes a long way but adds so much fresh, zesty flavor!
• Lemon zest: From one fresh lemon. Use a Microplane zester to make zest quickly and easily.
• Garlic: Use one medium-sized clove of fresh garlic.

Gremolata Variations

• Traditional gremolata: Leave out the mint for a traditional gremolate that’s made with parsley only.
• Spice it up: Incorporate a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes after chopping.
• Swap the herbs: Though classic gremolata uses parsley, you can swap in or add fresh basil, a little thyme, oregano, even cilantro! Make it your own!
• Add salt: Some gremolata recipes call for salt. Coarse sea salt like Maldon is nice in gremolata.

How to Make Gremolata

Basically, you chop up your fresh herbs, incorporating grated fresh garlic and some lemon zest while you chop. It’s that simple!

Tips for Success

• Start with dry herbs. Wash and dry them very well, then chop. If your herbs are wet, it’s hard to get an even, consistent dice without them sticking to your hands, your knife, and everywhere.
• When zesting your lemon, avoid the pith. Zest only the very top layer of the lemon peel. If you get bits of the pith, your gremolata can taste bitter.
• If your garlic has a sprout, remove it! The garlic is still okay to use, but the sprouts will taste bitter. Just cut your clove in half, lift out the sprout, and discard it, then proceed with the recipe.
• Grate the garlic, too. Use the microplane to finely grate your garlic into your gremolata. This is much easier than having to dice it small!
• Chop by hand. Your blender or food processor is a bit too powerful for gremolata, blending the herbs to smithereens without a uniform dice. For this mint gremolata, you’re really better off chopping by hand.

What to Serve with Mint Gremolata

• Pep up veggies: With flavors of garlic and lemon, gremolata is especially good on cooked vegetables like roasted carrots or green beans.
• Top soups & chowders: Try gremolata on so many soups. It’s especially wonderful on winter root veggie soup, butternut squash soup, potato soup, or minestrone.
• Top pasta with gremolata: Try it on pasta or gnocchi that’s been tossed with alfredo sauce, for instance. It adds so much flavor!
• Top chicken or other meats (or meat substitutes like this Chickpea Wellington) with gremolata for a fancy, flavorful touch.

More Parsley & Other Fresh Herb Recipes

• Favorite Vegan Basil Pesto
• How to Freeze Parsley
• Quinoa Tabbouleh
• Vegetarian Summer Rolls with Avocado & Fresh Herbs

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Mint Gremolata

Level up your garnish with mint gremolata! Just 4 ingredients – parsley, mint, lemon, and garlic – create a bright and lively topper for roasted veggies, soups, and so many other sides and entrees.

Course garnish

Keyword gremolata, gremolata recipe, lemon gremolata, mint gremolata, parsley gremolata

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 4kcal

Author Kare

Equipment

• Microplane zester
• Chef's knife
• Cutting board

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves lightly packed
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest freshly grated
• 1 medium clove garlic grated

Instructions

• Place the parsley and mint on a cutting board and begin to mince.
• About halfway through mincing, add the lemon zest and grated garlic. A Microplane zester makes quick work of the grated garlic and lemon zest.
• Continue mincing until the herb are finely chopped.

Notes

Transfer gremolata to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 day to store. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 4kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.05g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 370IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.3mg

The post Mint Gremolata appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

I mean, just look at those colors!

Rainbow carrots are so wonderful. Vibrant shades of yellow, orange, purple … perfection. When topped with bright green herbs, it just amps up the prettiness – and, bonus, the flavor too.

You can use any herbs you like in this roasted rainbow carrots recipe, but in this case, we’ve got a generous sprinkle of gremolata, a mix of fresh herbs plus lemon and garlic.

Wanna know how easy Roasted Rainbow Carrots are to make? Here you go. First, you grab your rainbow carrots.

Then you peel them and cut them into slightly smaller pieces.

Then toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread on a cookie sheet. Throw them (okay, gently place them) into the oven to roast and turn your attention to the gremolata.

Chop, chop … done.

Now pull the carrots out, arrange them on a platter, sprinkle with herbs or gremolata, and serve.

Can you hear the oohs and aahs now? I know, right?!

Color everyone super impressed. And you didn’t even have to break a sweat.

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Roasted Rainbow Carrots

Colorful roasted carrots topped with a bright and zippy herb garnish. Super easy and impressive too!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 78kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1 pound rainbow carrots peeled and cut into long, even pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Mint Gremolata

• 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon lightly packed fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1 medium clove garlic grated*

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place carrots in a medium bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and toss until coated. Add the salt and pepper and toss again. Place in the preheated oven and bake until fork-tender and lightly browned in spots, 20-25 minutes.
• While the carrots roast, make the gremolata. Place the parsley and mint on a cutting board and begin to mince. About halfway through mincing, add the lemon zest and grated garlic. Continue mincing until the herb are finely chopped.
• When the carrots are done, remove them from the oven and arrange on a platter. Top with the gremolata and serve.

Notes

* Nutrition information does not include herb garnish.

Nutrition

Calories: 78kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 224mg | Potassium: 364mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 18945IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 0.4mg

The post Roasted Rainbow Carrots appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

One of the many fun (yet challenging) things about having a kid is the fact that they don’t, you know, just inherently know the same things you do. I mean, I’m stating the obvious here, but sometimes this fact still comes as a surprise to me.

Like the other day, when Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock & Roll” came on the car radio, and I suddenly called out “yowwwwww!” because that’s what you do when I Love Rock & Roll is on the radio.

My kid was startled. “MOM! What happened?! Are you okay?!!” “What? Oh, I’m fine! Just singing a song.” Sigh of (confused) relief on my kid’s part; cue Joan Jett lesson on mine.

There are worse teaching moments, I suppose.

A few days later, when we were picking out a watermelon for this recipe, I was more prepared for the lesson.

I told my daughter all about how you look for a big yellow spot. Lots of scars are good. Give it a good knock and if it sounds a bit hollow, you’re good to go. But then I realized … every single time, I’m the only one in the produce section rapping on watermelons. Knocking watermelons is something my mom taught me; was she wrong? Was she messing with me? Have I been making a fool of myself all this time?!

So much power, parenthood. So much power.

So, about this recipe for Watermelon & Marinated Tofu “Feta” Skewers. This was yet another appetizer I made for my plant-based canapé party (yep, I’m sharing them all!).

I really wanted to share a tasty tofu recipe with my friends at the party, most of whom are actually meat-eaters. I don’t push vegetarian eating on my friends, but I do take satisfaction when I can give them a plant-based food that they previously thought weird or gross and perhaps convince them that’s it not so bad or, even, quite delicious.

For the tofu “feta,” you use extra-firm tofu, squeeze all of the water out of it, then let it rest it in a highly-flavored marinade so all that flavor soaks back into it. The result is a pretty feta-like cube of tofu. It’s not the exact texture or flavor of feta, but to be honest, I actually find this tofu far more delicious than actual feta.

I used this recipe from Green Evi as a starting point. While usually I shy away from “weirder” ingredients, I wanted to go all the way for my party, so I dove headlong into using nutritional yeast and miso in the marinade. Which, really, aren’t that strange as far as ingredients go, but they’re a little off the beaten path for me.

I love the result. I could seriously just nibble on the tofu feta straight out of the jar. But it’s also perfect joined up with some cool, sweet watermelon.

Sweet and salty, my friends, that’s the name of the game.

These Watermelon & Marinated Tofu “Feta” Skewers are seriously the simplest, easiest little appetizer around. Just get the tofu feta going, let it sit for awhile in the fridge, then take 10 minutes – if that – to assemble. It’s also fun to add a few little bits of mint for color and a bit of extra flavor, though entirely optional.

How do I feel about this appetizer? In the confusing-out-of-context words of Joan Jett: “Yooowwwwwww!”

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The post Watermelon & Marinated Tofu “Feta” Skewers appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Basically these vegetarian and vegan avocado summer rolls are like a dippable salad, and especially delicious with peanut dipping sauce!

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• What’s the Difference Between Spring Rolls & Summer Rolls?
• Ingredients for Vegetarian Summer Rolls
• How to Wrap a Summer Roll
• How to Store Vegetarian Summer Rolls
• Can I Freeze Summer Rolls?
• More Veggie-Forward Summer Recipes

• 👩‍🍳 Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• 📣 Read Reviews & Comments

The Story Behind the Recipe

My favorite color is green. Always has been. Sometimes I’ll prefer a certain shade – my lime phase, for instance, went on for years. Now I guess I’m in more of a mossy zone, but really, just about any green’ll do.

So naturally, I especially love these Vegetarian Summer Rolls. I mean, hello green! But I don’t just love them because they’re green.

Full disclosure: “Green” might also be a word to describe me and my skill level in actually assembling said summer rolls. These vegan summer rolls are pretty easy once you get the hang of it, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a few sloppy numbers before I got into the swing of things. But no worries, once I figured it out, I photographed all the steps so you don’t have to go through what I did!

What’s the Difference Between Spring Rolls & Summer Rolls?

Spring rolls are often fried, whereas summer rolls are served fresh and uncooked. They are also known as fresh spring rolls or salad rolls.

Spring and summer rolls are found throughout Asia, but fresh summer rolls are especially popular in Vietnam. (source/more info)

They often contain meat or seafood (obviously, this vegetarian summer rolls recipe does not!

Ingredients for Vegetarian Summer Rolls

For the summer rolls:

• Cabbage – I like to use red cabbage for the gorgeous color, but green will work too.
• Carrots – I use your standard orange carrot, but rainbow carrots would be so pretty here!
• Rice vinegar, lime juice, salt, and honey or agave – For pickling the cabbage and carrots. Just swap agave for the honey if you’re making vegan summer rolls.
• Rice paper spring roll wrappers – Softened so they’re nice and rollable.
• Avocado – Halved, pitted, and sliced
• Lettuce – I use green leaf lettuce, but you can use whichever lettuce you prefer.
• Mint & Thai basil – These fresh herbs add SO much flavor.

For the peanut dipping sauce:

• Peanut butter – I like to use creamy PB, but crunchy will work!
• Tamari or soy sauce – If you need to stay gluten-free, go for the Tamari.
• Lime juice – From one fresh lime.
• Rice vinegar
• Honey or agave syrup
• Sriracha sauce – Just a little for a bit of a kick!

How to Wrap a Summer Roll

Basically, you lay your wrapper out, and you place the mint and avocado just left of center. Then you add your lettuce, veggies, and basil just right of center. Placing the smaller veggies in a lettuce “cup” helps to keep the roll neater.

Then, bring the right side toward the center …

… fold the top and bottom toward the middle …

Then finish by bringing the left side toward the center.

You’re in business!

Don’t worry – no matter how sloppy your Avocado Summer Rolls are, they still taste divine. Trust me, I know this first-hand!

Creamy avocado. Fresh mint and basil. Carrots and red cabbage lightly pickled in sweet-and-salty rice vinegar. Crisp lettuce. Yesss.

Oh, and even though it’s definitely not green, the spicy peanut sauce is a must.

How to Store Vegetarian Summer Rolls

These summer rolls are best eaten pretty soon after making them, so I don’t recommend storing them. You can prep most of the ingredients beforehand though!

Can I Freeze Summer Rolls?

No, I don’t recommend it. You’ll end up with a soggy and sad mess.

More Veggie-Forward Summer Recipes

• Zoodles & Noodles with Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce
• Summer Corn & Edamame Succotash Salad
• Zucchini Fettuccine Alfredo
• Veggie-Loaded Peanut Noodle Salad

Print

Vegetarian Summer Rolls

Veggie-packed rolls with avocado, red cabbage, carrots, basil, and mint – all served up with a super easy peanut dipping sauce. Perfect light summer dinner!

Keyword vegetarian summer rolls

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 8 rolls

Calories 163kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

Avocado Summer Rolls

• 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
• 1/2 cup carrots cut into matchsticks (about 1 large carrot)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice from about 1/2 of a lime
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon honey can substitute granulated sugar or agave syrup
• 8 rice paper spring roll wrappers
• 1 medium avocado halved, pitted, and sliced
• 3-4 green leaf lettuce leaves rinsed, dried, and torn in half
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves

Peanut Dipping Sauce

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons Tamari or soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice from about 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey or agave syrup
• 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce or more to taste

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, stir together the rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon lime juice, salt, and honey (or other sweetener). Add cabbage and carrots. Toss. Let sit for about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce. To a medium bowl, add the peanut butter, Tamari, 2 tablespoons lime juice, rice vinegar, honey (or other sweetener), and Sriracha. Stir with a whisk 1-2 minutes until creamy. Taste and add additional Sriracha if desired. Set aside.
• Slice your avocado and prep the mint, basil, and lettuce if you haven’t already.
• Add about 1/2 inch of warm water to an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish or a pie pan. Place one rice paper wrapper in the water and submerge. Let sit for about 1 minute, until soft.
• Carefully transfer the rice paper wrapper to your clean kitchen counter or cutting board. At this point, I like to put another rice paper wrapper in the water to soak while I’m assembling so it’s ready to go when I’m done with the previous one. To assemble, place a couple of mint leaves in a short vertical line just left of center, then top with a couple of slices of avocado. Then, place 1/8 cup or so of the cabbage and carrots inside a lettuce leaf then place the veggies just right of center. Top with two or three of basil leaves.
• To roll, bring the right side of the wrapper toward the center, then fold the top and bottom in toward the middle. Finish by bringing the left side toward the center, pulling as tightly as you can without ripping. The rice paper should stick to itself and voila! A summer roll! Repeat until all 8 rolls are assembled.
• Cut rolls in half, if desired, and serve with the dipping sauce.

Notes

Nutrition information includes the peanut dipping sauce.

Gluten-free option

Use gluten-free Tamari instead of soy sauce.

Vegan option

Use vegan granulated sugar, agave syrup, or pure maple syrup in place of the honey.

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll | Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 558mg | Potassium: 256mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1941IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Vegetarian Summer Rolls with Avocado & Herbs appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

I admit it – I can’t remember the last time I had a legit shamrock shake from McD’s. I think I had one in the name of research when I was creating this recipe.

These days, I’m much more likely to be found drinking a healthy shamrock shake smoothie like this one over a McDonald’s version or even my own boozy rendition. Call it boring, call it living healthier … call it 8 a.m. I’m pretty dang okay with this healthy shamrock shake over any other version.

So what do we have here? An easy peasy list of ingredients, that’s what. Three base ingredients, a couple of things thrown in for flavor, voila. Nourishing, refreshing, and St. Patrick’s Day appropriate deliciousness.

I started with one of my favorite smoothie bases – raw cashews and water! I use the same base for my cashew vanilla smoothie, which was adapted from one of the best green smoothie recipes around from The Blender Girl. In her recipe, she soaks the cashews first. Me, I can barely plan ahead enough to freeze a banana, let alone soak cashews. I’ve found that with my Vitamix, I’m able to whip unsoaked cashews into a plenty-creamy base. Perfect for non-planners like me!

For flavor, we’ve got your standard vanilla extract. You can add a couple of drops of peppermint extract, or go with fresh peppermint. Many months of the year, we have mint going crazy in our garden, but not in March. Hooray for grocery stores!

Another thing I love about this smoothie is that I find there is no need to add any sweeteners. The banana and the cashews add plenty of sweetness. Score!

Top o’ the smoothie to ya, friends. And all the rest, too.

More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

• Irish Coffee
• Boozy Shamrock Shake – a version for the adults only!
• Shamrock Shake Shortbread Cookies
• Buttery Irish Soda Bread
• Vegan Irish Soda Bread
• Cranberry Orange Irish Soda Bread

Print

Shamrock Shake Smoothie

This super simple smoothie recipe is entirely dairy-free and vegan, and perfect for St. Patty’s Day! Colored green with spinach and fresh mint, with a banana and cashew base. Protein, vitamins, and deliciousness!

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1 smoothie

Calories 310kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1 medium ripe banana frozen*
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup baby spinach loosely packed
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 6-7 fresh mint leaves can substitute 2-3 drops peppermint extract – just go light on it, a little goes a long way!

Instructions

• Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Puree until smooth. Serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1-1 1/2 cup smoothie | Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 7.4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3.3g | Sodium: 7mg | Fiber: 4.8g | Sugar: 22g

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Tabbouleh is a popular salad with Arabic roots. Traditionally made with bulgur, tomatoes, cucumber, loads of parsley, maybe a little mint, and dressed with fresh lemon juice and olive oil, it’s a refreshing and easy lunch or dinner side (I’m happy with it as a main, actually). As a certified parsley fiend, so I’ve been a fan of the salad for many years.

This version takes a detour from the classic and subs in quinoa for the bulgur. As most of us know by now, quinoa is a terrific power food, and a vegetarian’s best friend. It’s got protein. It’s got fiber. It’s got the kind of amino acids you’re looking for. It acts and looks like a grain, but it’s really a seed. And it’s delicious in place of the traditional bulgur in tabbouleh.

I love how tri-color quinoa looks in this salad, but feel free to use whichever variety you like.

Oh, and bonus: tabbouleh with quinoa instead of bulgur means it’s gluten-free!

More Easy Quinoa Salad Recipes

• Lemony Quinoa Chickpea Salad
• Tabbouleh Hummus Mason Jar Salads
• Quinoa Vegetable Salad
• Quinoa Berry Salad

If you try and love this recipe for quinoa tabbouleh, please leave a review! Even if you don’t absolutely love it, I welcome any and all feedback and I share all legit reviews. I test my recipes multiple times in my home kitchen, but I really appreciate knowing how they’re working for others; your reviews help me make tweaks until my recipes are just right! And they’re so valuable for other readers, too. Thank you! ❤️

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Quinoa Tabbouleh

An easy, refreshing, satisfying salad that’s perfect grab-and-go fridge fare. I love this one for potlucks – it’s vegan and gluten-free, so it works for most everyone.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1 cup tri-color quinoa rinsed in cold water
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 medium cucumber peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 medium tomatoes seeded and diced (about 1 cup)
• 3 scallions chopped, some green parts included (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 cup fresh parsley chopped finely
• 1/4 cup fresh mint chopped finely
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice from about 1 large lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste

Instructions

• Set a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the water. Bring to a boil. Add the quinoa, stir, and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until all of the water has absorbed, 10-15 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork. Let cool for a few minutes.
• Add the cucumber, tomatoes, scallions, parsley, and mint to a large bowl. Add the cooled quinoa. Toss together gently.
• In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Pour over the veggies and quinoa. Mix well.
• Taste and add additional salt if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate for awhile before serving (I think it’s best fully chilled). Keeps for 3-4 days in the fridge.

The post Quinoa Tabbouleh appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Oh, how I adore getting my paws on a new cookbook. Cracking it open for the first time, devouring the opening words, soaking in the scrumptious photos. Honestly, I’ve been known snuggle into bed and read cookbooks like novels; I enjoy them that much.

So when the opportunity to review a new cookbook that interests me comes along, needless to say, I’m there. Whole Protein Vegetarian by seasoned food writer and stylist Rebecca Miller Ffrench is a delicious sight even unopened; I just want to dig right into to the recipe on the cover, and, as it turns out, most of those inside too.

Ffrench’s book is the perfect fit for where I am in my life – seeking higher-protein, healthier, plant-based meals. Though Ffrench isn’t a vegetarian herself, she educates on why plant-based protein is just as good as animal-based in an easy-to-understand way. Best of all, her recipes are highly accessible, simply made, with easy-to-find ingredients.

The recipe I’m sharing today, Creamy Cashew Soba Noodles, is nice and simple and, maybe surprisingly (at least to me!), high in protein. And gluten-free too! I didn’t know that buckwheat: 1) Is a seed harvested from a flowering plant similar to rhubarb. Not wheat! 2) Therefore, it’s gluten-free! And 3) It’s an incredible protein source – both the amount of protein and also the quality of protein. Who knew, right? Well, not me. (See! These are the tidbits of knowledge you can glean from reading cookbooks in bed. Not totally weird, right? Don’t answer that.)

With its buckwheat soba noodles, crunchy veggies, and toasted cashews all tossed in a creamy cashew butter dressing, these Creamy Cashew Soba Noodles remind me of a riff on Veggie-Loaded Peanut Noodles, but this new version feels healthier and lighter.

Equally perfect for a hearty lunch or an easy dinner, it’s just one of many must-try recipes in this lovely new cookbook, which you can find on Amazon today.

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