It’s Recipe Redux time again – the first recipe challenge founded by registered dietitians and the theme for September is dressing for success. Instead of a makeover, I’ve chosen a traditional and healthy favourite. My salsa verde is so versatile and better still can be made in minutes with just a few fridge ingredients and your very own herb plot or pot. You’ll love using it to dress up grilled fish or steak, dollop on hot baby potatoes or stir through pasta for a quick meal for the kids. Oh, you don’t have a backyard? Or a herb garden? Well that’s no longer a problem…let me introduce you to The Litte Veggie Patch Co.
Recipe Redux Kitchen Garden Salsa Verde
Salsa Verde has many global versions, but I like this Italian style rustic cold sauce. Serve immediately or store covered in the fridge for a couple of days. You can freeze it too, but the herbs will darken and lose their vibrant green.
Ingredients
2 large handfuls of flat-leaf parsley, plus 2 large handfuls of other garden herbs like fresh basil leaves and mint or a combo of what you have to hand including thyme, sage, rosemary, chives and more
1–2 cloves of garlic, peeled
small handful of capers
6 anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4-8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Finely chop and then roughly grind in a mortar and pestle the garlic, capers, anchovies and herbs and put them into a bowl. Add the mustard and vinegar, then slowly stir in the olive oil until you achieve the right consistency. Sometime’s you may want a runny sauce to drizzle and other times a coarser salsa to dip or dollop. Season and balance if needed with a little more vinegar.
Recipe Redux Rollcall
Check out the other posts by the Redux team this month:
- Carlene Helble-Carlene’s Figments – Roasted Eggplant Pepper Schmeer
- Deanna Segrave-Daly – Teaspoon of Spice – Sicilian Relish
- Cherie Schetselaar Grain Crazy – Fry Sauce
- Dr Barb – Nutrition Budgeteer – Jalapeno Ranch Dressing is Versatile & Healthier
- Elizabeth Jarrard- Don’t (White) Sugar-Coat it – Spicy Tahini Dressing
- Kara Lydon – Peace, Love, and Food – Edamame Hummus
- Kat Lynch – Eating The Week – Citrus Sesame Avocado Dressing
- Emma Stirling – The Scoop on Nutrition – Recipe Redux Kitchen Garden Salsa Verde
- Emma Cutfield-The Hearty Heart – Go-Go-Goji: Blood Building Salad Dressing
- Lisa @ Healthful Sense – Sweet Peanut Sauce & Dressing
- Regan @ The Professional Palate – Ponzu Sauce
- Danielle Omar – Food Confidence RD – Recipe Redux: Your New Favorite Vinaigrette
- Stephanie Howard – Give Them Something Better – Creamy Garlic Feta Dressing
- Nicole Ferring Holovach – Whole Health RD – Mapple Salad Dressing
- Kristen @ Swanky Dietitian – Italian Vinaigrette Artichoke Dressing
- Ann Dunaway Teh – Eat to Nourish, Energize & Flourish – Thai Basil Peanut Pesto
- Kristina @ Love and Zest – Spiced Pumpkin Dip
- Meg @ Meg’s Food Reality – Sweet Potato Hummus
- gretchen | kumquat – dariy-free ranch dressing
- Everyday Tastiness – Pistachio Butter
- Alysa Bajenaru – Inspired RD – How to Roast Garlic & a Recipe for Roasted Garlic Hummus
- EA Stewart-The Spicy RD – Creamy Triple Pepper and Kale Dip
- Liz Weiss & Janice Newell Bissex – Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen – Garden-Fresh Tomato & Avocado Salsa
- Jessica Fishman Levinson – Nutritioulicious – Butternut Squash Cream Cheese Spread
Herbs for health
Interesting research has shown that the humble herb packs a powerful nutrition punch. Not only do herbs have a high antioxidant activity, some researchers hypothesize that antioxidants in foods may work in combination to produce synergistic effects. In one Australian study, when spices and herbs were added to a salad dressing, the antioxidant values (measured by ORAC) of the salad vegetables increased significantly.
Yes you can
Along with our own planting, we’re lucky to have inherited the most amazing lemon tree and forever patch of contintenal parsley, self seeded from the Lebanese family next door. Most nights my kids are sent out to snip parsley and herbs for dinner (Master 6 trying to do his “natural” smile).
Recipe Redux Giveaway
If you haven’t got a green thumb or think you have NO room to grow your own, you need to meet Mat and Fabian. After years of success showing people how-to on tiny balconies or shared city laneways, they have turned their popular blog and business into a must-have guide book. You can order their ready-planted crates and get them in to consult if you live locally to Melbourne or mail order their heirloom seeds too. While designed for an Australian audience with seasonal and regional planting guides, this book has fantastic tips for all. We have a copy of The Little Veggie Patch Co to giveaway to a lucky reader. Entries open until 5pm Aussie EST Monday 26 September and a random winner will be selected. So for your chance to win drop us a comment below. We’d love to hear your dressings for success? Or your own green thumb (or not) tales? Or just say hi so we know you’ve been with us.
