Last Updated on 12/05/2024 by Jennifer

“GREEN FOOD IDEAS”

This is a rebuilding diet. It is used to alkalinise the body, lose weight, clear the skin and cleanse the liver. For 40 days eat only green foods. That means loads, steamed greens, avocados, sprouts, green olives and mung beans.Green fruits such as honeydew, green apples and green grapes can be included. Yogi ta can be drunk through this fast. Once a week, if you feel like you need protein eat a handful of nuts and a portion of cooked grains but don’t overdo it. When you break the fast first add fruits, then grains, and finally dairy.

FRESH VEG JUICES FROM THE JUICER

Drinking fresh vegetable juice is the quickest and easiest way to build up your immune system. Because juice has no fibre in it, within 15 minutes all the nutrition has been absorbed into your cells. We like to keep our fresh juices at least 80% veg, and we usually use apple to sweeten and a squeeze of lime or a piece of fresh ginger or turmeric to add another dimension. Some great veg juice are : oak choe, celery, cucumber, carrot, beetroot, fennel, kale cabbage, white radish. A good rule of thumb is: the greener the juice the healthier it is! 

 

GREEN MONSTER

1 cucumber

1 head off celery

A handful of spinach

Kale or green cabbage

2 apples

Juice of 1 lime

 

GREEN SMOOTHIE

1/2 Cantaloup melon

1 banana

1 thumb size piece of ginger

1 handful fresh spinach

Almond milk/water

 

 

Fruit Salad with Peanut Butter Dressing

This is a seriously good breakfast!

Start with the dressing and mix the ingredients together.

For the dressing

4 tablespoons peanut butter (or nut butter of your choice)

2 tablespoons honey

4 tablespoons oil oil, rape, coconut, sunflower – whatever oil you like

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon or orange juice

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

a pinch of ground ginger (optional)

a pinch of sea salt (optional)

a few tablespoons cold water (optional)

Then add the fruit.

• 1kg fresh fruit, whatever takes your fancy, ideally green for the green detox

For example:

Peel and chop the bananas and kiwis. Core the

• 2 bananas

apples and pears and cut into bite-size pieces. Take

• 2 kiwis

the grapes off their stalks.

• 2 apples

Put all the fruit into a bowl. Stir the dressing, pour it

• 2 pears

over the fruit, and mix gently.

a handful of grapes

1 punnet of berries

 

 

 

Green Vegetable Soup for example below

 

IRISH ROOT VEGETABLE SOUP from Happy Pear.

A smooth, sweet and substantial soup. Lovely hints from the white wine, rosemary and parsnip come through too.

1 onion

3 cloves of garlic

1/4 of a celeriac

2 carrots

2 leeks

2 parsnips

2 potatoes

3 tablespoons oil

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 bay leaves

4 tablespoons white wine

70 g kale

2.5 litres vegetable stock or water

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons finely chopped curley parsley

Peel and finely dice the onion, garlic and celeriac. Cut the carrots and leeks into 2cm slices and cut the parsnips and potatoes into bite – size pieces.

Pour the oil into a large family-size pan and put on a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celeriac and carrots. Add the salt ands pepper and stir. Cover with a lid, turn the heat to low, and cook gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent.

Add the leeks, parsnips, potatoes, the leaves from the sprigs of rosemary, the bay leaves from the sprigs of rosemary, the bay leaves and the white wine and cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times to prevent anything sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Remove the tough stems from the kale and roughly shred the leaves into bite-size pieces. Add to the soup with the stock and lemon juice. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down, cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the parsley.

Remove the soup from the heat and blend until smooth, using a stick blender. If it seems a little thick, add a drop of water to reach the desired consistency.

 

LENTIL AND SPINACH SOUP

This soup works really well if you make it with yellow split peas or dried green peas, as well as with greens like spinach, cabbage and Swiss chard.

Serves 6-8

2 carrots

2 sticks celery

2 medium onions

2 cloves garlic

olive oil

a thumb sized piece of fresh root ginger

1/2 -1 fresh red chilli

10 cherry tomatoes

2 chicken or vegetable stock cubes

300g red lentils

200g spinach

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

200g natural yoghurt

 

To make your soup

Peel and roughly slice the carrots

Slice the celery

Peel and roughly chop the onions

Peel and slice the garlic

Put a large pan on a medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Add all your chopped and sliced ingredients and mix together with a wooden sppon

Cook for around 10 minutes with the lid askew, until the carrots have softened but are still holding their shape, and the onions are slightly golden

Meanwhile peel and finely slice thew ginger

Deseed and slice the chilli

Remove the stalks from the cherry tomatoes and slice the tomatoes in half

Put the stock cubes into a jug or pan and pour in 1.8 litres of boiling water from the kettle

Stir until the stock cubes are dissolved then add to the pan with the lentils, ginger, chilli and tomatoes

Give the soup a good stir and bring to the boil

Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on, or until the lentils are cooked

Add the spinach and continue to cook for 30 seconds

Season well with salt and pepper

 

Delicious served with a dollop of natural yoghurt on top.

 

 

 

 

 

GREEN SALADS

KALE SALAD

• 1 batch Roasted Chickpeas
• 1 bunch curly kale, stems removed, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small carrot, grated
• 1 small red beet, grated*
•  radish, very thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• Sea salt & Freshly ground black pepper

Carrot Ginger Dressing

• ½ cup chopped roasted carrots, from 3/4 cup raw carrots
• 1/3 to ½ cup water
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

• Make the dressing and roast the chickpeas: Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the chickpeas with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with pinches of salt and pepper. Place the carrot pieces for the dressing in their own corner on the baking sheet to roast alongside the chickpeas. Roast for 25 to minutes, or until the chickpeas are browned and crisp and the carrots are soft. Set the roasted chickpeas aside. Transfer the carrots to a blender and add the water, olive oil, rice vinegar, ginger, and salt. Blend the dressing until smooth and chill in the fridge until ready to use.
• Place the kale leaves into a large bowl and drizzle with the lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of olive oil, and a few pinches of salt. Use your hands to massage the leaves until they become soft and wilted and reduce in the bowl by about half.
• Add the carrot, beet, watermelon radish, half of the cubed avocado, cranberries, pepitas, a few more good pinches of salt and a few grinds of pepper, and toss. Drizzle generously with the carrot ginger dressing. Top with the remaining avocado, more dressing, the roasted chickpeas and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Season to taste and serve.

Notes

• Make the dressing ahead so it has time to chill in the fridge before adding to the salad.

Salad Variations

• Toss in some cheese. Sprinkle in feta cheese or shaved Parmesan cheese for a salty bite.
• Roast the veg. Add sliced roasted beets or roasted carrots instead of grated raw ones.
• Change the protein. Swap out the chickpeas for baked tempeh, tofu, or lentils.
• Add a grain like quinoa or farro for a heartier salad.
• Switch up the seeds. Replace the pepitas with toasted sunflower seeds, or try a nut like toasted almonds, pecans, or walnuts instead.
• Try a different dressing.

DRESSINGS

MINT AND BASIL DRESSING

Goes well on a simple green salad. Or over some fresh tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Works well combinations of leafy herbs.

75ml olive oil

75ml unrefined sunflower oil

25ml lemon juice

Leaves from 5 sprigs of fresh mint

Leaves from 3 sprigs of basil

1/2 teaspoon salt.

COURGETTE FRITTERS

These are easy to make and very tasty, the portion is quite small, so they work best alongside a salad.

Ingredients

300g courgettes

1/2 red chilli

The green tops of a bunch of scallions/spring onions (approx 6)

140g of tinned butter beans (35g per portion)

Small bunch of fresh mint/coriander (20g)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tsp lemon zest

9 tbsp gram flour (chickpea flour available online or in most health food stores

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

• Grate the courgettes into a colander, sprinkle them with a pinch of salt, squeeze in your hands for 30 seconds or so and leave to sit in the colander for about 10 minutes. This is to help the courgettes lose moisture.
• In the meantime, finely chop the chilli (remove the seeds if you don’t like it spicy) and finely chop the scallions greens/spring onion greens. Drain and rinse the tinned butter beans. Finely chop the mint/coriander leaves too.
• After leaving the courgettes to sit for 10 mins, using your hands, squeeze all the juice out of the courgettes and discard the liquid, place the courgettes in a large bowl.
• Add all the remaining ingredients into the bowl and mix thoroughly mashing all the ingredients together. Use a potato masher/fork, if you don’t like to use your hands, to mash. Using your hands, take the equivalent of 2 tablespoons of the batter and roll them into small fritters (disk shape).
• Put a non-stick pan on a high heat. Add tablespoons of oil and leave to heat up. Once hot add the fritters and cook for a few minutes on each side till they go golden brown (approx 2 minutes on each side). Repeat until they are all cooked and lastly, enjoy!

 

Nettle Soup

Nettles are delicious once you get past all those prickles. The flavour is similar to a mild spinach, and nettles are amazing at fighting inflammation and contain a ton of nutrients like potassium, calcium, vitamin A, iron, magnesium, and the elusive vitamin B-6. The secret to utilising nettles is simply to cook them- once cooked, the prickles disappear and the histamines that make you sneeze and itch are removed.

The best time to harvest stinging nettles is in the spring when they’re young and tender. Avoid harvesting them after they’ve started to flower as the leaves can become bitter and tough. Use a pair of scissors or garden shears to cut the tops of the nettles, leaving a few inches of stem attached.

 

Nettle Soup

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 carrots

2 stalks of celery

3 potatoes

1 leek
Several large handfuls stinging nettle tops
3-4 cloves chopped garlic
8 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Wild garlic or wild leek can also be added.

Directions

• Carefully pick nettles its best to pick them in an area away from cars and pollution– gloves are recommended. Take only the top 4-6 inches of new unblemished spring plants that are less than 18 inches tall. Remove the leaves. Rinse in cold water, blanche in boiling water for 30 seconds then rinse again in cold water. Handle with gloves or tongs.
• In a large soup pan heat the oil, add the onion and garlic and simmer until translucent.
• Add the carrots, celery and leeks and cook on a low heat with the lid on the pot for 10 mins, stirring to prevent veggies sticking to the pot.
• Add the vegetable broth, potatoes and nettles leaves in the soup pan and bring to a full boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes. At this point we use an immersion blender and blend until smooth if desired.
• Add salt and pepper (and any other herbs you like) and simmer a few more minutes.

 

 

Easy Green Goddess Dressing

This homemade green goddess dressing recipe is so easy to make! It’s creamy, fresh, completely delicious—and a great way to use up your leafy herbs. Recipe yields about 1 1/4 cups dressing; multiply if desired.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, preferably full-fat (made with whole milk)
• 1 cup lightly packed fresh herbs (tender stems are fine): use cilantro, parsley, dill, basil and/or mint, with up to 1/4 cup chives or green onion (sliced into 1/2″ segments)
• Optional: Up to 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves
• 1 medium clove garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Lots of freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth and green, with tiny flecks of herbs.
2. Taste, and add more salt or pepper if desired. Use as desired, or cover and refrigerate for later. This dressing will keep well in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.

 

Vegan Green Goddess Dressing with Tahini

5-minute vegan green tahini sauce loaded with fresh herbs, garlic, lemon juice, and nutty tahini! So versatile and easy to make your own! Want it spicy? Add jalapenos! Not a fan of cilantro/corriander? Mint, basil, tarragon, and chives would taste amazing instead! Want some briny flavor? Throw in some capers! Use vegan green goddess dressing on grilled meat and fish, and shrimp lettuce wraps. This recipe will make 1 ½ cups of green tahini sauce.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups packed fresh parsley, leaves and tender stems
• 1 ½ cups packed fresh cilantro or basil, leaves and tender stems
• ½ cup packed fresh dill, or 1 to 2 teaspoons dry dill weed
• 1 green onion, trimmed, white and green parts, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
•  salt
• Red pepper flakes, optional
• ½ cup tahini
• 2 lemons, juice of
• Water, ¼ to 1 cup

Variation

• Add 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, sliced into rounds (for a hot vegan green goddess dressing)

Instructions

• Add the fresh herbs, dried dill weed, green onion, and garlic to the bowl of a large food processor fitted with a blade. (If making the hot version, add the jalapenos here as well). Season with a big pinch of kosher salt and red pepper flakes. Close the lid and run the processor to finely chop the herbs.
• Add the tahini and lemon juice. Close the lid and run the processor again until well-combined. Stop and scrape the sides down. The mixture will be thick at this point.
• Run the processor again, this time, drizzle water through the top opening. You will need anywhere from ¼ cup of water to 1 cup of water until the mixture turns creamy and runny to your liking (I wanted mine more like a dressing, so I used about ¾ cup of water).
• Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Use or transfer the green goddess dressing to a  jar and cover tightly. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Make ahead tips: Vegan green goddess dressing is a great make-ahead condiment because it tastes even better after it has chilled in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. So feel free to make it several hours to a day before you want to serve it, to give the flavours a chance to meld even more.

 

 

BUDDHA BOWL

This is essentially a one-bowl meal that typically consists of grains (like rice or quinoa), fresh vegetables, roasted vegetables, plant-based protein (like beans, tofu or lentils) and some sort of dressing. They’re usually vegan or vegetarian and served cold or at room temp, although some versions are served with a warm base or warm components. Other names for this type of bowl include grain bowl, hippie bowl or nourish bowl.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

Bowl

• ⅔ cup dry quinoa
• 1 ⅓ cup vegetable broth
• 4 cups baby spinach loosely packed
• 1 cup cucumber chopped
• 1 cup purple cabbage chopped
• ¼ cup roasted sunflower seeds
• Garlic tahini dressing
• Avocado slices for serving

Sweet Potatoes

• 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled or unpeeled
• 1–2 Tablespoons avocado or olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Chickpeas

• 1 15 oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Chop sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch chunks. Try to make them around the same size so that they are all done cooking at the same time. Place sweet potatoes, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl and toss to combine. Pour sweet potatoes onto parchment lined baking sheet (save some room for the chickpeas).
• Add the chickpeas to a mixing bowl with oil and seasonings. Use your hands to coat the chickpeas well. Pour chickpeas onto a baking sheet, separate from the sweet potatoes.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, tossing once half-way through, until sweet potatoes are soft. Remove from oven, taste and season with additional salt if needed.
• While sweet potatoes and chickpeas are roasting, rinse and drain quinoa, if needed. Add quinoa and broth to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
• Meanwhile make the dressing and set aside.
• To make the bowls, add ½ cup quinoa, 1 cup spinach, ½ cup sweet potatoes, ⅓ cup chickpeas, ¼ cup cucumber, ¼ cup cabbage and 1 Tablespoon sunflower seeds to 4 bowls. Drizzle 2 Tablespoons of dressing and top with sliced avocado, if desired.
• Serve immediately.

 

 

 

HEALTHY SNACKS

EDAMAME BEANS

1. Put a large pan of generously salted water on to boil.
2. Boil the pods for 4-5 mins, then drain immediately and transfer to a mixing bowl.
3. Sprinkle with sea salt and chilli flakes and serve warm.

 

KALE CRISPS

Ingredients

• 100g chunky chopped kale, or kale leaves, tough stalks removed (weight without stalks)
• ½ tbsp olive oil
• 1 heaped tsp ras el hanout or or a mixture of paprika, cumin, and ground ginger.

Method

• STEP 1Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and line 2 baking trays with baking parchment. Wash the kale and dry thoroughly. Place in a large bowl, tearing any large leaves into smaller pieces. Drizzle over the oil, then massage into the kale. Sprinkle over the ras el hanout or a mixture of paprika, cumin, and ground ginger, and some sea salt, mix well, then tip onto the trays and spread out in a single layer. Bake for 18-22 mins or until crisp but still green, then leave to cool for a few mins.

 

POWER BALLS
These just take 10 minutes to make and a re a great for children and adults alike!

Ingredients

Base/Original Balls

100g pecan nuts

90g raisins

Pinch of salt

2 tbsp coconut oil

teaspoon of water

Green mint balls:

1/2 tsp of spirulina

3 drops of mint oil

Mocha balls:

1.5 tsp of ground coffee

1.5 tsp of cocoa powder

Instructions
Start by making your base. Put dry ingredients of the base into the food processor and blend until smoothish

Melt the coconut oil by putting in a pot of medium heat, add into the food processor together with the water and blend until smooth.
Divide the mixture into 2 parts and put each portion in a separate bowl. In the first of the bowls, add the ingredients for green mint ball and mix using a hand until it becomes 1 solid colour (less than 1 minute). Roll these into 7 balls or 8 smaller balls.
Repeat the process for the mocha balls by adding the coffee and cocoa powder to the second bowl and mix by hand until it comes together into a uniform dark brown colour. Roll this into another 7 to 8 balls.