Tag: nettle_recipe

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Nettle Powder

The health benefits of nettle (Urtica dioica) are absolutely amazing! We can use the roots, stems, leaves, flowers and seeds of nettle for different purposes. The leaves and stems are covered with stinging hairs that stop most people from using nettle. 

How to use nettle when you don’t want to touch them in the first place? And how can you add nettle to your eating plan if you don’t grow your own fresh stinging nettle? 

One of the practical forms of using nettle is leaf powder. The powder made of dried nettle leaves is actually a concentrated form of nutrients contained in these leaves that are rich in minerals (calcium, potassium, silica, sulfur, magnesium, iron, copper), vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin B9, vitamin C, Vitamin D, vitamin K), amino acids, proteins, polysaccharides, plant pigments (chlorophyll, carotenoids), fatty acids, sterols, tannins and many other phytochemicals.  

Nettle leaf powder can be used as a nutrient-rich food additive in sauces, soups or salads, as well as a conditioning agent in cosmetic preparations, shampoos and hair masks. It is rich in green pigment, chlorophyll, so it is perfectly usable as natural food, cosmetic and soap colorant. Its high content of proteins, vitamins and minerals makes nettle leaf powder a great dietary supplement. It is often sold in capsule or tablet form as well. Nettle is well-known for its high iron content and it is often recommended to people suffering from iron deficiency.

You can use nettle leaf powder in cookies and biscuits as well. Sweet nettle may sound unusual, but worth a try. This nettle shortbread recipe is based on traditional Scottish shortbreads.

Nettle shortbread recipe

Ingredients:

  • 160 g butter at room temperature
  • 310 g flour
  • 70 g sugar
  • 3 tablespoons nettle leaf powder
  • ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 egg yolks

Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Cut butter into small pieces.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients (flour, nettle powder, baking powder and sugar).
  4. Add butter and mix until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  5. Add the egg yolks and form a ball of the dough. If you want a softer dough, add a tablespoon milk.
  6. Roll dough on parchment paper to about 1 cm thick. Cut into squares, triangles or use a decorative cutter.
  7. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy this green shortbread with a cup of tea, while lying on the sofa with a book to read on the cold winter days!

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Nettle Pasta

25 October World Pasta Day

Pasta is one of the world’s most favorite foods! We celebrate World Pasta Day today. The goal of this day is to call attention not just to the product of pasta, but to new, healthy, and creative ways to enjoy a pasta meal. 

The world has enjoyed this dish since the first century A.D. Pasta are divided into two main categories: dried (pasta secca) and fresh (pasta fresca). Most dried pasta is produced commercially by machines and fresh pasta is traditionally produced by hand.

Dried pasta surged in popularity during the 14th and 15th centuries — mainly for its easy storage. This allowed people to bring pasta along on ships when exploring the New World. One of the first pasta factories of Europe was established in Pest, Hungary in 1859, which worked with steam machines.

Fresh stinging nettle is one of our most nutritious wild foods and makes a great cooked green, and it’s also a perfect addition to fresh hand-made pasta. Since it keeps its bright green color after cooking, it makes a beautiful and healthful pasta.

Let’s celebrate World Pasta Day with this home-made nettle pasta!

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups of fresh nettle leaves or 1 cup of nettle leaf powder
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 and a half cup all-purpose flour
  • A pinch of sea salt

Preparation:

  1. If you use freshly picked nettle, blanch them for 3 minutes, rinse in cold water and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
  2. Puree egg and nettle (blanched or powder) to a smooth consistency. 
  3. Add flour and salt and mix to combine. It shouldn’t be sticky but should hold together when pinched. Knowing when the consistency is right is something that takes practice.
  4. Gather into a ball, turn out onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth and elastic.
  5. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for half an hour in the fridge. Roll out and cut whatever pasta shape you prefer. You can do it with a pasta machine or a sharp chef’s knife.
  6. When ready to use, boil in salted water for 2 to 3 minutes or until al dente. Toss with olive oil or butter to prevent sticking.
  7. Add your favourite pasta sauce. Green herbs, garlic and spices work well with olive oil and cheese to nettle pasta.

Enjoy!

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Nettle soup for cool evenings

It’s autumn already. Days shorten and the temperature lowers day by day. We can still find some fresh nettle in the garden or in the wild to cook something delicious and nutritious to strengthen our immune system for the winter. If all the nettle had gone to sleep by this time, we can still use dried or frozen nettle we preserved during the growing season.

Let’s cook a heartwarming soup!

Ingredients:

  • 150 g of fresh/frozen nettle leaves rinsed or 2 cups dried leaves soaked in water for a few hours
  • 20 g of ginger finely chopped
  • 1 fennel root cut in pieces
  • 1 big sweet potato cut in pieces
  • 1 onion chopped in small pieces
  • ½ leek chopped in slices
  • 1 garlic clove finely chopped
  • 1 green apple cut in pieces
  • few drops of olive oil
  • salt/pepper to taste

Preparation:

Saute the ginger, onion, leek and garlic in a few drops of olive oil until they release their pleasant smell. Add the rest of the veggies and the nettle. Stir and cover with water, then bring to boil. When your ingredients are cooked, remove from fire and blend until you have a creamy texture.

Serving suggestions:

Add some spicy olive oil and a few drops of lemon to your plate. You can grill small pieces of Pleurotus mushrooms and add them to your soup as a crispy surprise. Alternatively, you can roast some pine nuts, or sunflower seeds/pumpkin seeds, or make some crouton from your old bread.

Bon appetit!