All Things Green!

I have previously done a post on green foods. Well, today I am going to do another green food post. I love the colour green, I didn't realize how much I loved it until recently, when I was looking in my closet and realized the majority of the clothes I have recently purchased have been green. Oddly enough, I didn't even realize I was buying that much green... errr... Green food is also something I eat a lot. I don't only mean, by the colour, but I mean that I am conscious of the items I put in my body as well, i.e. how it will affect the environment and the creatures in it. Therefore, this will be a post where the recipes are not vegan, but are definitely all vegetarian and have green foods in it! Woohoo, now follow me to see what I made.

Ricotta Spinach Cups

Recipe taken from here

These are not only absolutely fantastic tasting but they are also incredibly healthy for you. These were definitely a hit with the family, they went like hot cakes! "Spinach is also helpful in the following cases ; Anemia, Tumors, Constipation, Insomnia, Obesity, Neuritis (inflammation of nerves), Nerve exhaustion, High blood pressure, Bronchitis, Colon cancer, Prostate cancer, Breast cancer, Osteoporosis, Dyspepsia (chronic indigestion), Also helps ailment of the kidneys, bladder and liver". Need I say more?

Ingredients:

• Vegetable cooking spray24 small square wonton wrappers
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• One 10-ounce frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon cream
• 1 clove garlic, through a press
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• Dash cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray the cups of a 12-muffin pan with the vegetable cooking spray. Gently press one wrapper into reach cup and lightly spray the wrapper with the spray. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining wrappers.

In a small bowl combine the ricotta, spinach, eggs, cream, garlic, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, cayenne, and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Replace 12 of the baked cups into the muffin pan. Fill with scant one tablespoon of filling mixture. Sprinkle with more grated Parmesan. Bake for 17 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining cups and filling. Makes 24 pieces.

Spanakopita

Recipe taken from here

Okay, so I have never had Spanakopita before, and didn't really know what to expect. I mean, I made assumptions due to the fact that I know what everything I was putting in there tastes' like, but, I couldn't be more off. I mean, I was expecting it to be good, but this was amaziiiiinnngg! Oh my gosh, I wanted to eat the whole dish, it was greattttt! The ONLY thing I would change is that I would add more dill. I really am a big fan of dill, and I noticed hints of dill every once in a while but not as much as I wanted. The phyllo tasted as though it caramelized during the cooking process. It was great, so so good. I could not say one bad thing about it and want you to try making this ASAP! Go, go, go!

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds spinach - I just used fresh, didn't cook it or squeeze out the water and it was fantastic
  
• 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
  
• 1/4 cup dill, chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Phyllo dough

Directions:

Mix the spinach, feta, dill, parsley, green onions, eggs, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Brush the bottom of an 8x8 inch baking pan with olive oil.

Brush the top of a sheet of phyllo dough with olive oil and place it in the pan. (You may have to cut the phyllo dough to fit the pan.) Repeat until you have 6 layers.

Place the spinach mixture on top of the phyllo dough. Brush the top of a sheet of phyllo dough with olive oil and place it on the spinach. Repeat until you have 6 layers.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven until golden brown on top, about 30-50 minutes.

Zucchini Cookies

Recipe taken from here

I have seen many varieties of zucchini cookies, from cocoa, apple, to cranberry to other fruit combination's. I had saved many, then I kept deleting them. I wanted the cookie to really be a zucchini cookie, and not just a flavour that you can catch a little hint of. If I were to add more ingredients they might of just made the zucchini subtle. This cookie was absolutely divine, it was definitely an interesting cookie. I don't mean that in a bad way at all, it was... fresh. I don't think many cookies could really be described as "fresh". They were, they had a hint of tart, but they were still sweet at the same time. They just really were a great twist on a regular cookie. You also feel like you're still being healthy when you're eating them, so who cares if you go for fifths, sixths or sevenths ;) As I have said numerous times I really am not the fondest of icing on cookies, I feel as though it takes away from the cookie. I love it on cake, but even at that I barely eat frosting on my cakes, I'm weird I know... onto the recipe I'll go...

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
  
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
• 2 tsp grated lemon peel
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 to 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix sugars, butter, and eggs in a mixing bowl. Sift together in a medium sized bowl the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Stir the flour mixture in with the butter mixture. Add the remaining ingredients.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched.

Banana Ginger Green Tea Scones

Recipe adapted from here

When I saw this recipe, it immediately sparked my salivary glands to go nuts. I have been on this insane ginger kick lately, I put it in absolutely everything, so delicious. Matcha is one of my favourite colours. Banana's are just... I've posted many banana recipes, and have much much more to come in the next little bit, I love them. All three flavours... I was expecting the most amazing scone ever (I should of put candied ginger, that would of made them more... bearable). Well, I couldn't of been more wrong. These were... kind of horrid? I mean, they were incredibly blan. I'm not sure why to be quite honest. They were a bit a dry, which might of been a result of no egg, or maybe I could of added more milk than I already did, but I was sort of disappointed. When eating this you definitely have to eat it with butter or some sort of jam or other... oh well, you win some you lose some.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp flour
• 4 tsp matcha
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 unsweetened soy milk

Directions:

Put sifted flour and matcha in a bowl and mix.

Add olive oil. Squeeze blobs of olive oil between tips of fingers until they are well dispersed and the flour is silkier

Paste the bananas and add them to the mixture. Mix the banana in, being careful not to mix to hard, but thoroughly.

Add soy milk and start working on clumping the mix together.

Wrap in cling wrap and put in fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Cut into 4 triangles. Put on parchment paper on cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes

Avocado Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe taken from here

These are a great cookie. They have that sponge-y texture that I was introduced to while making my pumpkin chocolate chip cookie. I love the sponge of it, it just makes it seem like you're eating a cake and not a cookie. These are awesome because the avocado helps decrease the amount of butter, and adds in some healthy fat in lieu of gross butter. Fantastic cookies, and no one could guess that it was avocado which is even better!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 pkg of pistachio pudding mix
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Cream together butter and avocado and sugars until smooth. Stir in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda and dry pudding mix. Add to avocado mixture and mix until blended. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop rounded spoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, until edges are golden.

Green Tea Cookies with a "Banana Ice Cream" Filling

Recipe taken from here

Last but certainly not least here is another green tea recipe. Must I describe? I don't think so. If you're a fan of matcha you'll be a fan of these. Not only that, this recipe has won many awards, so it just goes to show you that it is a winner ;). This has a nice subtle hint of matcha and the cookie itself is not too sweet. Perfect to go with your morning tea!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1.5 tbsp matcha powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar (for coating)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Whisk the confectioner’s sugar and green tea together in a bowl. Add the butter and green tea/sugar mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until smooth and light in color. Add the flour and mix until well combined. Add the egg yolks and mix just until the eggs are fully incorporated and a mass forms.

Form the dough into a disk and chill in the refrigerator until firm (about 30 minutes).

Roll the dough out to ½” thickness. Cut the dough or use a cookie cutter.

Toss each cut cookie in a bowl of granulated sugar to coat. Place the sugar-coated cookie on a parchment lined pan. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges.

Then I decided to take half of the batch and make them into "ice cream sandwiches"

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Pulse ingredients in food processor. When you have a smoothe consistency place mixture between two cookies. Keep in freezer!

Sit down, pour yourself a glass of tea and munch on some yummy goodies!