Green. Fresh. Delicate. Easy. A perfect side dish for any meal.
Our New Year’s Eve tradition is to spend a nice quiet evening at home with a big plate of Osso Buco and its friends. Usually a seafood appetizer, a nice salad with homemade blue cheese dressing, a baked potato with plenty of butter and sour cream and in most years, this Green Vegetable Medley.
All you need for this spectacular array of green is some olive oil, a leek, asparagus, a handful of fresh spinach and some frozen peas. Some salt and pepper and you’ve got elegance that took all of fifteen minutes to make. A perfect accompaniment for a steak, any form of chicken breast, fish … it’s fresh and fab.
Before we get to this green recipe, let’s talk red. I’ve joined in Dogwood Photography 52 Week Photography Challenge. The first week was to take a selfie, week 2, a landscape and week 3 “red”. Our instructions: “Shoot whatever inspires you. Red should be the focus of the image. Don’t be afraid to be creative.“
I focused on things around our house. My first idea was my little sock monkey that sits on our landing. I don’t mind this one at all…bless his little blank stare heart.
Red fringe from our chenille throw on our grey couch. It has potential as an idea.
And then there was this cockamamie idea. Red silicone brush with catsup. It tells a story. And the story is “where’s the French fry?”
Bob noticed my red wool jacket in my closet buried between grey textures. I felt it was the most interesting and showed an artistic eye, so I submitted this one.
Which one is your favorite? Next week our assignment is a black and white landscape.
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 bunch thin asparagus ends trimmed if tough
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 small leek dark-green leaves trimmed, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (about 1 cup)
- 1 bunch spinach stems trimmed
- 4 ounces sweet baby peas
- Pinch freshly ground pepper
- Heat a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium high heat until oil is hot. Add asparagus and salt and saute turning frequently until just getting tender, about 5 minutes. Remove asparagus to a plate.
- Return skillet to heat, and melt butter. Add leek, and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Add spinach and peas, season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper; cover, and cook until spinach is wilted and peas are tender, about 3 minutes. Turn the vegetables out of the skillet over asparagus, and serve immediately.
Green Vegetable Medley…It’s what’s for a Side Dish.
Amy says
January 24, 2016 at 8:46 amI agree, there is nothing better than a plate of green.
Lea Ann Brown says
January 26, 2016 at 5:47 amI agree!
Vickie says
January 24, 2016 at 4:49 pmThe greens look delicious!
I love your “Red” submission. But Monk is pretty cute, too. I’m still thinking about red. I have a couple of ideas. Thanks for your encouragement – this is fun!
Lea Ann Brown says
January 26, 2016 at 5:47 amThanks Vickie. I think the challenge is fun also. Now I’ve got to get out there and find that black and white – worried about this one.
Larry says
January 24, 2016 at 5:40 pmThis showed up in my email just as the Patriots were about to go go two to tie the game. I guess I just thought you would be watching the game 🙂
Lea Ann Brown says
January 26, 2016 at 5:47 amYou can be guaranteed that at that moment I was no where near a computer and thinking about this food blog. 🙂
Vicki Strauss says
January 24, 2016 at 7:39 pmI’m participating in the challenge also and I think the photo you submitted is by far the most interesting and unique. Excellent grey/black contrast with the red. Good selection. My submissions have not been strong – so far – but I plan to keep improving…
Lea Ann Brown says
January 26, 2016 at 5:46 amThank you Vicki. Sending you a personal email to chat about that challenge. Fun stuff.
Heather says
January 25, 2016 at 9:17 amAll my favorite green foods on one plate! I could seriously eat this everyday!
Lea Ann Brown says
January 26, 2016 at 5:46 amEspecially those peas!
Cathy at Wives with Knives says
January 25, 2016 at 9:33 amI’m always looking for ways to add more veggies to my diets. What a yummy combination of flavors. Your photos are wonderful.
Lea Ann Brown says
January 26, 2016 at 5:45 amThank you Cathy. And so good to hear from you.
Pat says
January 25, 2016 at 10:02 amI love your photographic challenges, Lea Ann! You have a wonderful eye. Your New Years dinner sounds fabulous. I have not made osso bucco in a long time and that is one of my husband’s favorite meals You veggie side looks delicious. I can’t find many vegetables here that were our favorites in NY, so I’m learning to like new ones and always looking for good ideas.
Thrilled the Broncos won last night! On to the Superbowl!
Lea Ann Brown says
January 26, 2016 at 5:45 amThanks Pat. What a nice compliment about my photography. Osso Buco is such a wonderful meal. And easy enough that you better treat that hubs. Go Broncos.
Susan says
January 25, 2016 at 1:47 pmThe vegetable medley sounds like something I’d like very much. I love all of the separately but never though about putting them all together! I think the photo you picked is perfect. I almost looks like a modernistic painting. My only very humble thought is it would look even more impressive cropped to use just the top 1/3 and then cropped on both sides so that the red is flanked by just two fabrics on each side. The red would really pop then! I do love the sock monkey too 🙂
Lea Ann Brown says
January 26, 2016 at 5:44 amThanks for the crop idea Susan. I thought about that also. Going to go back in and play with that one.
Abbe @ This is How I Cook says
January 26, 2016 at 1:05 pmSounds like a great new year’s tradition! Green veggies are always so pretty, too! I like the photo you submitted!