Summer has officially begun, and I don’t know about you – but I’m already eating more ice cream, popsicles and other “fun” summery foods. Not that I see anything wrong with an occasional indulgence – but I like to balance things out by adding a little more green wherever I can.
Today I’ve partnered with Evolution Fresh to come up with 3 healthy recipes to help you get more greens into your day. Their cold-pressed green juices are packed with kale, spinach, cucumber, lettuces and herbs, among other flavorful ingredients. Obviously the easiest way to get more green is to just drink the juice (and it’s delicious)… but I had fun thinking outside of the box (er, bottle) to create these simple summery recipes:
1. Make a sweet green lemony pesto:
Pesto is already pretty green, but this one uses green juice in place of most of the olive oil to make an overall lighter version. Sweet Greens and Lemon juice make it every bit as zesty delicious.
2. Cook rice with green juice instead of water or broth:
I have to say that I’m so in love with this trick. I used green juice in place of water or broth to cook my rice. It adds extra nutrition (over 1 pound of green vegetables’ worth!) but the flavor is very mild so you’re actually eating more greens than it feels like. Essential Greens with Lime is perfect for green cilantro rice – I like to serve this with tacos or grilled veggie kabobs. After the rice is done cooking, I season it with salt, pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, a few squeezes of lime and chopped cilantro. Top your plate with a scoop of salsa.
3. Make a sweet green summer smoothie:
We have the most amazing peaches right now, so I blended those with blueberries, spinach and Sweet Greens and Ginger. For a spicier kick, add a bit of freshly grated ginger.
(Giveaway is now closed).
- 6 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
- 1 garlic clove
- two large handfuls basil or a combo of basil and mint
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest + a bit of zest
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup Evolution Fresh Sweet Greens and Lemon
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
- 1 ¼ cups Evolution Fresh Essential Green with Lime
- Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
- squeezes of lime juice
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup Evolution Fresh Sweet Greens and Ginger, plus more as needed
- 2 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
- ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- a big handful of spinach
- small handful of ice
- In a food processor, pulse together the pine nuts and garlic. Add the basil, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, red pepper flakes, a few generous pinches of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Pulse until combined. With the food processor running, pour in the juice and olive oil and blend until smooth but still herb-flecked. Taste and add more olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon zest to your liking.
- Rinse your rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. In a rice cooker, combine the rice, juice, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Cook your rice according to your rice cooker’s instructions for white rice (about 25 minutes). When the rice is done, transfer to a bowl, fluff it with a fork and add a squeeze of lime, a drizzle of olive oil, cilantro, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Blend all ingredients until smooth. Add more juice as needed to get your blade moving.
This post was created in partnership with Evolution Fresh. All words and images are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep us cooking!
I love the technique of pureeing vegetables and greens and then freezing them into ice cube trays. Take a couple cubes out, add coconut water, blend- delicious healthy smoothies!
I add a handful of spinach to smoothies, pasta sauces, and stews!
I like to add greens to my smoothies and any sort of baked entree I can–those that are similar to casseroles. Like adding some sauteed spinach to some enchiladas!
Thanks for the giveaway! I love starting the day with a kale/spinach/chard mix chopped up a sautéed with broccoli, onion and garlic, and topped off with an egg or two…yum!!! 🙂 crossing my fingers for popsicle molds!
My husband and I were just having this discussion! Our summer has been busier than we expected, but we’re starting our mornings this week with smoothies! As well, we’re growing fennel, cucumbers, melons and all kinds of peppers in our backyard. Picking those beautiful vegetables daily is sure to help 🙂
I like to dehydrate greens and then grind them into a powder that I add to just about everything!
I’m a Big Salad kinda girl. A giant bed of kale, spinach or whatever I’ve got, loaded up with veggies sprouted pumpkin seeds and beans and topped with a yogurt green goddess dressing. It’s almost (almost) too many greens to handle!
thanks for the giveaway! I love adding kale to my smoothies.
I like to put a bunch of frozen spinach in my smoothies, and whenever I have pasta I always add a lot of broccoli!
I love adding greens to smoothies.
To add more green I usually default to a delicious, crunchy salad. Even though salads a great thing to free style, my recipe usually resembles this hodgepodge of ingredients…
kale/spinach/mixed greens
cucumber
broccoli
avocado
chick peas
artichoke hearts
fresh corn
crisp green apple
white cheddar shavings
dehydrated dried black cherries
toasted almond slivers
dressing – olive oil, dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, fresh squeezed lemon
I would love to dabble in green popsicles soon too 🙂
i love this time of year because beans and peas from my garden are ready to pick. Having fresh veggies on hand and in abundance really forces me to make sure I am eating more of them daily!
I finely chop or puree veggies and add them to everything: spaghetti sauce, black beans, soups, etc. You can’t see them and don’t notice much of a change in taste, so my kids have no idea!
loove this!!! so many delicious combinations 🙂
https://aspoonfulofnature.wordpress.com/
I always love to sneak veggies in smoothies or with scrambled eggs! Easy and delicious!
You must try this for your next Sunday brunch. I make ice cubes from my personal favorite Evolution juice, the Evolution Fresh Sweet Greens and Ginger. Add them to your favorite bloody mary drink! Boom. Done.
Cheers,
Maureen
I like the trick of putting greens into your baked goods.
I like adding greens (preferably spinach or baby kale) to dense, sweet baked goods like loaf breads, muffins, and pancakes. Pureed greens + banana + cocoa powder amid all the standard ingredients make absolutely rad desserts/breakfast breads taste-wise. Plus the cocoa powder gets rid of any green hues that may appear if you’re planning to feed picky eaters. But in my opinion, the bright green color is sometimes the best part! Thanks for featuring such a great giveaway- I can’t WAIT to cook my next batch of rice in green juice
didn’t even see the comment above– great minds think alike, Jessica!
I love the new ideas with the green juice — I can’t wait to try some! With each meal, I try to think of how I can add more vegetables/greens to it. We usually throw spinach or kale into our meals to give them a boost. If you throw them in a dish while it’s still hot, they will wilt and are more enjoyable to us than eating a side salad. Being from Louisiana, we still like the classics like red beans & rice and jambalaya (which have hardly any veggies in the originals), so I really like finding fun ways to throw in some chard/kale/spinach/zuchini to give them more balance.
Greens and vegetables as a bed under everything….
Lately I’ve been making several variations of quinoa salads with summer vegetables and I’ll add a few handfuls of shredded kale for extra nutrition. My husband and I like to have a mixed green salad with dinner every night, as well (greens, pepitas, and a homemade vinaigrette), to sneak in more greens!
I like to add greens to soups.
Green smoothies with lemon and ginger for breakfast or eggs with sautéed greens – starting the day with greens makes sure to get some in every day!
Green smoothies and also having leafy greens with every meal!
I just got a vitamix, and can’t wait to try these!
My trick for the kids is definitely greens in fruit smoothies. I just discovered lamb’s quarters as edible weeds in our CSA fields, and am obsessed!
I, on the other hand, love greens and *want* to eat more all the time. My favorite discovery was that veggie burgers make good cold sandwiches (sometimes better than hot), and you can add a good, heavily compacted inch of raw pr cooked greens to the sandwich without overpowering the other flavors. Great for arugula, spinach, chard….
We add greens to our smoothies and on our pizza. And I have been trying to make a big salad at the beginning of the week with all my chopped veggies in containers, ready to go!
The best greens come wrapped in eggs, like omelets, frittatas, and breakfast burritos.
I make sure to sprinkle fresh herbs on everything – basil, thyme, rosemary, and cilantro and my favorites.
The kale in my garden is out of control! I have no choice but to figure out how to use it in every meal!
I agree with all the other comments here! I have to “hide” greens in many things I cook so I always have a handful of fresh spinach in the fridge I chop up and throw into baked egg dishes, pasta sauce, home made salsas, stuffed bell peppers etc
Love a big salad for breakfast with lots of greens, cabbage, cucumbers, beets, tomatoes, garbanzos, cheese, etc. Add your breakfast hard boiled egg, bacon and avocado. Daily healthy – done!
Happy Spring! My farm share was all greens this week. While I love adding greens to smoothies, most of my greens have been going into fresh salads this week- no hiding here! Arugula, Napa Cabbage, baby lettuces- perfect mix of textures for big salads. And the rainbow chard is going into lentil soup- perfectly hearty to compliment all of the salads!
I’ll eat salad as my mid morning snack. Toss on some hemp seeds and toasted nuts to boost the protein. Using a blackberry vinaigrette makes it better suited as a morning food.
When I’m not in the mood to disguise a vegetable I use a trick my mom used to do, “salad bar”! I’ve found if veggies are bite size and convenient they’re willingly devoured.
Also gotto love the smoothie & pureed vegetables too!
When I’m trying to adopt a healthier habit (including fitting more greens into my day), I use the CAN approach. Convenient, Attractive, and Normal. To make greens more convenient, I blend them in a smoothie to take with me or buy pre-washed, ready-to-eat varieties. To make them more attractive, I “decorate” with shaved cheese, toasted nuts, and other pops of color/textures. To make them a more normal part of my day, I put them in everything I can think of (on pizza, mixed in pasta, in my sandwiches and soups, scrambled with my eggs in the morning, blended in smoothies, etc). I also try to make sure I put them in a place where I can see them in my fridge so I don’t forget about them!
I make sure every meal has a green veggie, without exception. I use what is in season, Now its chopped greens in my omelets, peas in my risotto or stir fry, or roasting asparagus with salmon.
I love adding greens to acai bowls or smoothies, but also sautéing kale, spinach or broccoli and tossing into whole wheat pastas or quinoa bowls. Making green pesto with kale and nutritional yeast is a great, healthy alternative to parmesan too.
I am trying hard to eat healthier. I usually make a huge salad that I eat for lunch every day! Love that. Thanks for the chance to win that great giveaway.
Keeping an abundance of fresh yummy greens on hand helps a lot. I try and have a big salad once a day and I am going to start adding a daily smoothie with sweet fruit, coconut milk yogurt and spinach! Happy summer eating!
I like to puree greens and black beans/pinto beans together as a spread for quick and easy lunch wraps!
I think they best way to eat more greens is to join a CSA! XD I joined one and I am always looking for ways to get greens in my meals since they will go bad. I use to juice them, then put them in smoothies or anywhere a liquid is needed. I also like to use the stems in stock so get extra nutrients out of it.
I add bunches of greens to a simple leek and potato soup, and puree to create a new soup, cream of spinach, watercress, broccoli, asparagus, sorrel, or whatever I have on hand.
Love these fresh and unique ideas to utilize green juice! I try to include more greens wherever I can, such as with scrambled eggs or with an open-faced veggie burger for lunch. They’re really so versatile. Thanks for your wonderful recipes and lovely blog!
Definitely putting a cup of greens into a smoothie in the morning! Great way to start the day
I try to sneak greens in by making less healthy dishes more healthy. Add broccoli to rice a roni or macaroni, double the kale in a soup that has lots of cream.
I try to sneak greens in by making less healthy dishes more healthy. Add broccoli to rice a roni or macaroni, double the kale in a soup that has lots of cream. (same comment as before but w/ my correct email attached in case I’m a lucky winner!)
I also like to make a pesto any time I have greens (or even carrot tops) to use quickly, which adds extra greens to any dish. I also try to incorporate a green vegetable into all pasta dishes. The sauce and cheese are what I enjoy most, so I am just as happy eating them on greens!
I always add kale and spinach to my smoothies every morning! Also, when I have a craving for some chips (which is a lot…:)), I make kale chips to satisfy that crunchy craving and to get some more greens in my diet!
Mint chocolate chip banana “ice cream” with bananas as the base, chocolate chips, mint extract and baby spinach for the boost of greens and the awesome green color! Adding more spinach makes it more like sorbet too!
I absolutely love adding spinach or kale to smoothies or adding them at the last second of cooking to quinoa or cauliflower rice! Gotta get the greens in!
By making it fun! I like to experiment with new homemade salad dressings so there is always a reason to have a giant salad of greens available to eat every day to test them out.
Cool greens down with pasta and rice
I like adding greens to pasta, or if I’m in a rush grabbing a salad from the salad restaurant across the street.
My daughter recently made a green smoothie with kale. Anything that gets my 16 year old interested in veggies is great in my book!
I love using greens as a variation on pesto and/or mixing in with basil, juicing them and making salad dressing, purée them and adding to meatloaf, chili, and chopping and adding to bread.
I love the idea of using green juice to cook rice! Such a novel concept. Also, I think I’ll substitute my standard summer dessert (chocolate ice cream) with the ginger peach smoothie. Thanks for these awesome suggestions!
Happy Tuesday, Jeanine
http://www.lovecompassionatelee.com/
Love the idea of cooking rice in green juice, what a clever idea!
My best tip is to add greens where they won’t overpower a dish and are hardly noticeable – like adding spinach to pasta and lasagna.
I have added a ton of greens to our daily meals since I started following your blog! Right now my biggest challenge is adding greens to meals for my 15 month old twins. I have been adding spinach to their applesauce banana muffins and they absolutely love them. I also put various greens in my smoothies in the morning and put arugula on just about everything I make from sandwiches to quinoa to pasta to pizza.
Whenever I think leftovers or frozen meals are lacking a little, I add greens! Lately, I have been making a Trader Joe’s bag of frozen green garbanzo beans, red lentils and a tiny amount of tomatoes for lunch and buy a bag of greens at the same time to throw in there.
Love sneaking greens into soups, especially since they wilt down so much. Any time I’m making soup, I’ll just throw a few handfuls of whatever greens are in the fridge in the batch for the last few minutes.
There are two ways I really love to eat my greens:
– blended in with any kind of pesto I make (you never notice a handful of spinach!)
– sauteed onion and kale on top of toast, topped with a fried egg and hot sauce. a favorite fast dinner!
I sneak in veggies by adding heaps of spinach to morning eggs – a green blanket over my toast!
anytime I’m feeling really lacking in energy I just start adding kale or spinach to everything and anything, eggs, smoothies, any soup or simmering grain.
Greens mixed berries plain Greek yogurt tablespoon of honey 1/3 cup of orange sorbet blend and serve! Yumm……
Add some chopped up greens to pasta, pasta salad, rice, eggs, smoothies…whatever you make think about throwing some extra greens in there! Spinach is usually good because it’s mild, but kale adds texture and crunch.
Kale salad! Seriously, mixing chiffonaded kale with dried fruits, cheeses, and roasted nuts is delicious. The key is slicing the kale into thin strips (otherwise it is too stringy to eat raw)
I like greens in salads, juices and, smoothies, but I also like sneaking them into baked goods – either by blending them into the batter or using green juice to replace some of the liquid. I also make pesto using whatever greens I have on hand and put that on everything!
A new summer favorite of mine is sauteed big beautiful collards with coconut milk, scallions, red pepper flakes, touch of lime, with avocado on top- yum!
One thing that I’ve started to do is to add greens to pasta…I put a huge heap in the strainer and when I drain the pasta, the greens wilt from the heat. This way I can get away with using less pasta and the serving still looks huge!
I hide them in my quesadillas. An easy, healthy dinner.
i love that cookbook meant for kids where you hide veggies in a lot of the foods you make them without them ever knowing. i also like to make different salads and keep different dressings so i don’t get tired of the same thing. i use my juicer all the time.
I always add spirulina to my smoothies along with 1 cup of spinach in the morning. I also love making pesto and always add some sort of leafy green in order to give it bulk but still a lot of flavouring. And then there’s the hummus! Adding greens to hummus is the best and it makes it all pretty. 🙂
I love adding spinach to smoothies, chia pudding, and everything possible. I also like to pack myself salads for lunch so I HAVE to eat them 🙂 Thanks for the great recipes!
smoothies!
Can’t wait to try! Gonna share it at affimity.com