When I first started blogging there were a handful of blogs that always blew me away with the tastiness of their recipes, the quality of their writing, and the beauty of their photography. One of these blogs was Cupcakes and Kale. Jessica Nadel, herself, was so cute and down to earth and totally one of the bloggers I just knew I would be friends with if we'd ever met (it wasn't nearly as creepy/stalkery as it sounds). Then she started her own bakery and I couldn't have been more happy for her. And then she had the most adorable baby boy, named Woodrow (cutest name ever!), and each of her updates on him put the biggest grin on my face. And now, I am just beaming for Jess because she has just come out with her own cookbook, Greens 24/7.
photography by Jackie Sobon
I'd heard about the book several months before it came out and I couldn't wait for it to be released. When I finally got my hands on it, I couldn't have been more thrilled- both for Jess and her huge accomplishment and because this book is fantastic! My friend, Jackie Sobon of Vegan Yack Attack, did all of the photography so of course, every page is stunning. What really shines, though, are the recipes.
Jess managed to come up with a book full of recipes based around green vegetables and instead of all being a.) green and b.) all vegetable-y looking (as one might expect), they all look incredibly drool-worthy and inviting and many of them, you can't even tell there's a vegetable in them at all! I mean there's a Chocolate Zucchini Cake that looks to die for and with there's no trace of green anywhere.
photography by Jackie Sobon
The first recipe I chose to try were the Pesto Polenta Fries with Spicy Aioli because I love all things polenta and pesto and I wanted something munchy. I was really excited about the pesto for this recipe too- The Kale Walnut Pesto. I was pretty excited about getting some kale into the mix and sneaking it into my fries. I love the richness the walnuts gave to the pesto as well.
The fries couldn't have been more simple to make. Just cook up some polenta, add the pesto, and then spread it out on a baking sheet and let cool until solid. Slice into strips, bake and, not to sound like Emeril, Boom- you've got polenta fries!
We also really liked the spicy aioli which is basically a mixture of sriracha and vegan mayo with a splash of citrus. Sriracha + Mayo = A Guaranteed Win in my book. Because Jess is the best and so is our publisher, The Experiment, I get to share the recipe with you guys!
These polenta fries are a breeze to whip up and are a huge crowd-pleaser. You can even prepare the polenta a day in advance so that you only need to slice and bake it—just be sure to cover the baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap to keep the polenta from drying out.
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups (875 ml) water
- sea salt
- 1 1/3 cups (200 g) cornmeal
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Kale and Walnut Pesto (see below)
- Vegetable oil, for baking
- ½ cup (125 ml) vegan mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce
- squeeze of fresh lime juice
- 2 cups (140 g) kale, woody stems removed
- 1 cup (45 g) fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup (50 g) raw walnuts
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring the water to a boil in a medium-sized pot. Add a pinch of salt and stir to dissolve, then slowly add the cornmeal, stirring constantly.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the pesto and continue to stir until the polenta mixture thickens significantly and pulls away from the sides of the pot. This will take anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes.
- Scoop the polenta onto one of the prepared baking sheets and press it down to a ¾-inch (2-cm) thickness; it will be very sticky so use a silicone spatula or even wet hands. Allow the pan to sit for 1 to 2 hours to allow the polenta to set; you can pop it in the fridge to speed up the process.
- Once set, the polenta is ready to be sliced into fries. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C), then slice the polenta with a sharp knife, or use a pizza cutter.
- Transfer the fries to the second baking sheet, brush or spritz lightly with vegetable oil, and place in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, turning the fries halfway through, until they are slightly browned and crispy on the outside.
- Meanwhile, mix all the aïoli ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Remove the fries from the oven, season with a little salt, and serve with the spicy aïoli for dipping.
- Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Season to taste with pepper and more salt.
Notes
Recipe from Greens 24/7: More Than 100 Quick, Easy, and Delicious Recipes for Eating Leafy Greens and Other Green Vegetables at Every Meal, Every Day © Jessica Nadel, 2014. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold. www.theexperimentpublishing.com
The Experiment is also being so kind as to let me give away a copy of Greens 24/7! The giveaway will run until 11:59pm on February 17th, 2015 and is open to US and Canadian residents only (sorry everyone else!). All you have to do to enter is comment below, telling me your favorite green vegetable and your favorite way to use it. A winner will be chosen at random.
ALSO, thank you to all who entered last week's giveaway for a copy of 100 Best Juices, Smoothies, and Healthy Snacks! Congratulations to our winner, Natasha (she has been notified via email)!
Thank you all for stopping by and thank you to Jessica Nadel and The Experiment for letting me review this awesome book! Have a great day!
Deanne O
Gee, my favorite green vegetable??? that is a hard one. I love them all but I love Kale and Spinach and Chard, There is nothing like Beans and Greens for lunch or dinner. Broccoli is up there too but I like it just steamed with lemon and garlic. Green beans, peas, green pepper, oh my I could go on and on and on and...............................
Casey
My favorite green vegetable would have to be Collard Greens, Kale, or Beet Greens. I like to use Kale or Beet Greens in smoothies, but I like to make garlic collard greens!
Jacky
My favorite green vegetable (and probably favorite food) is avocado. Probably doesn't count, but I put it in everything!
Katie
I embrace all green vegetables. To classify, my favourite roasted green is Brussels Sprouts, my favourite raw crunchy green is broccoli, favourite versatile green is zucchini, and favourite leafy green is ... whatever is freshest at the farmers market 🙂 I love them all raw, but my favourite green bowl of greatness is zucchini noodles with chiffonade swiss chard (and tomatoes) with a lemony kale pesto. Although a roasted broccoli-Brussels slaw with tahini-Sriracha dressing does have a special place in my heart too ...
Clearly, a book for Greens 24/7 is totally my jam!
Shannon
My favorite green vegetable is broccoli 🙂 the fries look delicious!
Pixie @ Cheerfully Vegan
So many delicious green veggies to choose from!! I guess I'll land on red curly kale. Not only is it wonderful in fresh juices, soups, and even tucked in a veggie burger with a slice of onion and tomato, but it's a powerhouse of nutrients. How can you go wrong with that?
Cyndi
Simple roasted broccoli!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Zucchini! Raw and in a big dinner bowl! SO simple and delicious!
Shira
My favorite green is kale and I love it in smoothies!
Kristina
I love all green vegetables, but I think my go-to is still roasted broccoli with miso tahini sauce, or simple garlicky collard greens.
Nicollette D
It's hard to choose just one... but I guess I'll say spinach. It's so versatile. And broccoli. And dill, if that counts. See, too many to choose!
Debra
I LOVE kale!! I make a kale salad with avocado, black beans and assorted veggies. Then I use a mezzaluna to chopped it up. Yummo!
Angel
Kale, kale and more kale!
Sophia
My favorite green veggies are definitely the leafy ones! I'll generally just get what looks best and saute it in a little oil, easy peasy. When I want something a bit more indulgent, there's nothing like creamed spinach or kale (made with cashew cream, of course).
Gaby
Hmm I so with I loved kale more! But really, I can always eat roasted okra or roasted brocolli (sometimes dipped in ketchup :X)
Ashley
My favorite green vegetable is definitely brussel sprouts, and I like them best roasted with some garlic and then dipped in ketchup.
Sara
Right now I've been eating so much broccoli! I love it steamed, roasted, raw... yum!
Truc
I love brussels sprouts to a sort of ridiculous degree. Right now I'm on a kick of sear + sautee/steam so they get some nice burnt bits, but aren't totally dry.
J_W
I love broccoli in many forms, but the best is probably thinly sliced and tossed with olive oil, salt, and garlic and then roasted until a bit crispy. Mmmmm.
Beth R.
Oh man...I'm still having my yearly winter love affair with roasted Brussels sprouts, but I recently discovered the usefulness of collards. They have been sautéed, wrapped and crisped just this week alone.
Becca F
I love roasted Brussels sprouts. I gave them a chance in my adult years and now am in love!
Angie
Thank you for the recipe! It looks relish.
Kale is definitely my favorite green and I love massaged kale salads with either hemp oil or avocado!
Bianca @ Sweet Dreaming
spinach in my smoothie 🙂
jane
I love broccoli and kale!!! I can them everyday!
mason
I believe my favorite green is arugula; tossed in a grain or bean salad or with a simple tahini miso dressing!
saniel
Favorite vegetable is spinach
Heather
Favorite green vegetable = zucchini due to so many uses, but lacinato kale and spinach are not far behind
Abby
I couldn't pick just one, but every day I eat asparagus and broccoli, so I guess I'll go with those two. And pesto? You could put it on a shingle and it would still be delicious.
Lydia Claire
I really like broccoli steamed!
Laura
Brussels sprouts, roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper.
nicole
Kale or collards smothered in Happy herbivores white bean gravy with tempeh sausahe crumbles. Also amazing over broccoli YUM!
Chloé
I love all green veggies. Asparagus is a must, especially in a stir fry.
Shelley Hughes
roasted Brussels sprout right now with onion, walnuts and cranberry
Josée
It's hard to pick but spinach and zucchini are my faves. Literally in everything. Pasta, casseroles, raw dishes, etc.
Rebecca
I have been on a serious broccoli with peanut sauce kick lately.
Jenny
my favourite is broccoli just steamed plain, no dressing because I love the taste!
Kittee Bee
I'm a sucker for sugar snap peas, and I can eat sacks of them at a time with nothing else.
Thanks for the giveaway!
xo
kittee
Ali @ Farmers Market Vegan
My favorite green vegetable--whoof, that's a toughie! I LOVE roasted brussels sprouts, kale for green smoothies, and mizuna mix for big ol' lunch salads.
Greg Allbee
Love them all, though roasted broccoli with garlic, onions and maybe some carrot is so good when the florets get a little bit charred in a hot oven.
LizMF
Love Brussels sprouts (but don't eat them enough)--they're great roasted.
Krista F
My favorite green veggie is spinach which I use in green smoothies!
Elfenjenful
Brussels sprouts roasted, mixed in a chickpea flour batter with shallots and baked into pancakes.
Veronique Daoust
My favorite green vegetable is KALE!! I'm obsessed! I love to add it to my morning smoothies with a banana, coconut water and pineapple. I also love to make a delicious vegan kale ceasar salad with chickpea croutons that is to die for. The possibilities are endless with Kale :).
Jen F
Hmmm, favorite of all time is probably sugar snap peas. My mom wouldn't let me pick them from our garden for dinner, because there wouldn't be enough left for everyone else! Favorite green veg right now in this season is probably brussel sprouts--which I never had until I was in my 20s!
Elsa
Ooh, tough to name one! Hummusapien's maple roasted brussels sprouts come to mind, roasted broccoli with hummus is a great snack and kale is good with pretty much everything! With so many tasty greens, how do you pick just one!?!
Marie
I love so many green veggies it's hard to choose! Right now I'm really loving collard greens - I use them in place of tortillas to make vegan wraps for lunch.
Michelle
I love arugula and use it in salads, wraps, even in pasta sauces.
Yoojin
my favorite green veggie is broccoli! favorite way is roasted with garlic powder, salt & pepper.. YUM 🙂
Justina
Love, love, love collards! Cook 'til bright green with lots of garlic, then dress with sesame seeds and a teeny amount of roasted sesame oil. Divine!
Jessie
My favorite green veggie at the moment is kale. I use it in my delicious green smoothies. I first mix the kale with coconut milk to help break up the kale leaves, and then add whatever else I feel like drinking that day - frozen or fresh fruit, hemp seeds, chia seeds, or tofu for example. Yum!
Cassandra
I'd have to say that I love baby spinach! I love to add it to everything! Use it on sandwiches, as a salad base, to smoothies, in soups or spaghetti! Too many uses to mention!
Laura
I love broccoli raab, we grow it in our garden every winter and spring. I cook it with broken linguini, tons of garlic and red pepper flakes, all in the same pan adding water slowly, like making a risotto. It's the best!
Sonni
Fresh green herbs of all kinds. They are such potent cleansing and health building foods; full of trace minerals, antioxidants and flavor! I like to make a "smoothie" with red grapefruit, celery, cucumber, baby greens, flat leaf parsley, a little mint and a little cilantro.
and.... Thanks for creating such a vibrant, positive blog.
Laurie
While I I love kale and hardly ever a week goes by without it, my most favorite green veg would have to be brussel sprouts. We like to roast them simply with salt, pepper & olive oil and the occasional dusting of nutritional yeast. They are so fun to eat!
Brenda
Avocado. It goes with nearly everything.
Heather B.
I love so many green vegetables too! I really love a mixture of greens that I frequently buy: It's a mixture of baby spinach, baby chard, and baby kale. I use it all the time in many things... Yum!
Nicole
My fave green veggie is broccoli for sure! I'd have to say spinach is a close second though!
Anna
I can't pick! Kale, chard, spinach, brussels, broccoli! Allllll the best! Green on green on green.
kim
I would say spinach. I like to put it in salads, bowls , sandwiches and soups!
Allie
Homegrown zucchini is perfect in everything! Be it grilled, baked, or in a cake I eat it every summer day. But everything else is amazing too
Michele
There are so many great ones!! Kale and spinach and broccoli and zucchini and lettuce... all from my garden... so delish!!
Stevie
Favorite green vegetables are brussels sprouts, roasted in coconut oil with an apple cider, maple and lemon juice glaze.
Tanya
My favorite greens are spinach and kale and I absolutely love putting them in my smoothies or making them the base of my salads!
Shannon
My favorite green vegetable is broccoli, I like to steam it and then sprinkle a little Himalayan salt on top. Simple but delicious.
jessica z
I love lots of green vegetables, but I really enjoy making broccoli vegan burger patties!
Lorena
My favorites are artichokes, roasted asparagus, sautéed zucchini noodles with dino kale spinach and lemon juice, lemon roasted romanesco, roasted maple miso brussels sprouts and AVOCADO (I know it's a fruit, but it is green and I put in/on everything!)
Teresa
Kale is my favorite dark green. I saute with garlic and red pepper. Finish with Lemon juice and salt. Add some rice or quinoa and bam delicious and full tummy!
Coco
i think i'll have to choose asparagus... how could you possibly go wrong with perfectly tender, market-fresh asparagus paired with a drizzle of fresh lemon juice?
plus, fun fact: proper etiquette allows asparagus to be qualified as a "finger food" when it isn't served in a sauce.
Crystal
Brocoli! I loved it as a kid, then I hated it as an older kid, and now I love it again as an adult. My favorite way to eat is to simply roast it in the oven with a teensy bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Charity
I love zucchini, shredded into "pasta" for marinara. Yum!
jacquie
broccoli baked in the oven.
Natalia M
Broccoli. I love it in so many things, especially pad Thai, rice bowls and protein/power bowls.
Natalia M
(I apologize for that "recently posted" part..Google has its own ways, it somehow got automatically attached.)
Christina
I absolutely love brussels sprouts, roasted with a bit of coconut oil and sriracha!
Corrine
I enjoy adding kale to my salads. =)
Linda Bell Holleman
My favorite greens are collards. I have never met a collard that I did't like.
Jennifer
I am always struggling between choosing kale and collard greens at my local CSA. Kale is great in so many dishes and smoothies, but collard greens taste AMAZING in BBQ sauce and beans to make sloppy joes.
Katie Kiss
Favorite green is definitely kale! Especially if it is covered in a spicy cashew cream salad dressing and then dried out to make chips!
Catalina
It's hard to pick a favorite. I love so many, but recently it's all about the spinach. I can make a salad, a slow cooked sauce, or stick it in a smoothie. I love how versatile it is.
Terri Cole
I love rainbow chard! It's hard to believe that just a few years ago, I never ate greens. Now I eat them every day!
Jessica Eagle
Thanks for this wonderful giveaway !!! This book looks amazing. I'm in love with greens, so I can't wait to try some recies coming from this books 🙂 It's for me 🙂
My favorite green is kale and I use it everywhere; green smoothie, green juice, pesto, soups, stews, kale chips, salad, salad salad and salad...hi hi !!! I love making a kale salad with a creamy dressing...yum !!!
Chloe
oh man... this is hard.
either green beans, spinach, kale, or broccoli. or watercress.
LynneT
My favorite green veggie is spinach and I like it cooked with oil and garlic.
Aruna - Young Yoga Masters
My favorite green veggie changes, but I'm really into brussel sprouts right now - just a little coconut oil and salt and pepper roasted till they are golden brown. Yum.
Carrie Lee
I would say kale is my favorite since it is so nutritious and versatile. I like it in smoothies, soups, and raw salads.
Kristy
Hmmm. I love zucchini. It is so versatile. I love it baked (faux fried), grilled, raw in a broth as noodles, boiled, stuffed. YUM.
Heather S
My favorite green veggie is asparagus and I grill and season it and eat it 🙂
Diane
My favorite green is KALE because it's a year-round veggie in my garden. The tender spring greens burgeon into summer abundance. In fall the lower leaves have been harvested and the woody stem is bare with a crown of small leaves making it look like a miniature palm tree. In the mild maritime climate of Washington state, kale overwinters beautifully with small leaves emerging slow but steady. When spring comes around again the seed sprouts start forming. Harvested before the flowers open, they are more tender and succulent than the best broccoli you've ever tasted -- fantastic steamed or stir fried. With several kale plants having overwintered I can never keep up with the sprouts. Inevitably many of the sprouts erupt into delicate yellow blossoms that attract bees. After pollination the seed pods form and the process comes full circle. There are so many fantastic ways to eat kale but my favorites are wilted salad...and kale chips...and steamed sprouts. Yum.
Gwyneth
Wow looks like broccoli is the winner. It's my favorite too. I just made baked broccoli pakoras with chickpea flour. Yummy!
Paula
Broccoli! I love it stir fried simply with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, & a bit of brown rice syrup.
Melissa K.
Picking one green vegetable is tough! Today I will say "dinosaur kale" chopped up in a salad with lots of OTHER vegetables of all different colors!
Amy Katz
It's hard to choose, but I definitely love Brussels sprouts!
Melissa
Kale. I like to cook it in a dry pan over high heat until crispy and brown.
Annette
I have my oven heating as I type this, to put polenta in it! I made it earlier tonight and just happened upon this post. While mine is going to be plain, yours looks fantastic. Anyway, my favorite green vegetable is Brussels Sprouts; I like to roast it with salt, spices, and oil and love when the outer layers become crispy.
Kristy
My favorite is spinach and besides just munching away at it as is, I love putting handfuls into my smoothies.
Marie
My favorite green... Broccoli. Classic, never goes out of style. Broccoli.
Melanie S
My fav green veggie is broccoli..normally I eat it steamed with Braggs & nutritional yeast!
Meghan
Kale, kale, kale! My favorite way to eat is as kale chips, because I love to CRUNCH on salty crispy snacks. It feels SO much better to eat a whole bunch of kale rather than half a bag of chips when I've got that craving!
Erika P.
Kale is my favorite. I use it in soups and salad.
Derrick Johnson
My favorite green vegetable are Mustard and Collard Greens. I love em,especially the way my Dad cooks them.
Mandy Omasta
Zucchini - Hubby Make noodles with it and we use it as spaghetti with all different recipes. Mmmm MMm Good!
Amy Estes
Great post! These look amazing! Going to try for my next dinner party. I will let you know how they turn out.