Springtime Veggie Dishes

Spring is just around the corner – March 20th is the official first day! And while we are fortunate here to have fresh local produce available year-round, there is something about the beginning of spring that just makes you want to eat more fruits and veggies. Plus, with so many people being hit by that nasty flu bug recently, don’t we all want to take just a little bit better care of ourselves? 

Well, we have a break coming up and maybe a few of you, like me, want to spend some time in the kitchen making something yummy for your family, or testing out a new recipe or two. Today I want to share a few of my favorite dishes that make me think of spring and veggies and good-for-you deliciousness:

The Greenest Salad

101 Cookbooks
serves 4

Usually I try to get a rainbow of colors into a salad, but green is the color of spring and this very green salad is a favorite of mine! This would be quite fitting to serve on St. Patrick’s Day, in fact.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium head / 6 oz romaine or baby romaine lettuce
• 1 medium head of broccoli / 8 oz or equivalent broccolini, florets and stalks cut into small bite-sized pieces
• 1 small avocado, sliced
• 1/3 cup toasted pistachios
• a bit of crumbled feta
• big splash of balsamic tarragon vinaigrette*

Directions:

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, salt as you would pasta water, add the broccoli and simmer for just a minute or so until the broccoli is bright and just tender. Drain, run under cold water to stop cooking, pat dry with a clean cloth, and set aside.
2. Trim the base off the head of romaine, then slice it crosswise into 1/2-inch strips of lettuce. Wash well and dry gently but completely. Set aside someplace cold until ready to use.
3. Just before serving, in a large bowl, combine the broccoli, lettuce, and pistachios with a generous slug of vinaigrette. Toss well, add the avocado, and gently toss once or twice more, Serve topped with the feta, and a pinch of salt if needed. You can use any remaining vinaigrette drizzle over all sorts of vegetables, frittatas, bread, savory tarts, and the like.

*Balsamic tarragon vinaigrette: In a blender or food processor, combine 1 small peeled shallot, 1/4 cup tarragon, 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, and 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Pulse until smooth, taste, and adjust with more lemon juice, salt, (or a kiss of something sweet), if needed. Makes about one cup of dressing.

Zucchini Pizza Boats

In Sonnet’s Kitchen
serves 2

This is a quick, easy, healthy way to use up various veggies, and you can let each member of the family customize their own, just like real pizza. This particular recipe doesn’t use any cheese, but of course you can add it and make these even more delectable! Use this as a base, but mix it up and add any chopped veggies or other toppings that you would enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium zucchini
• ½ cup marinara or pizza sauce
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast (optional)
• ¼ red onion, sliced
• ¼ cup kalmata olives, chopped
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil chiffonade

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the inside seeds.
3. To help them lay flat on the pan, you can also cut a piece off the bottom of the “boat” to create a flat surface.
4. Mix tomato sauce and nutritional yeast (if using).
5. Spread a light layer of sauce (about 1 tablespoon) inside each zucchini.
6. Top with onions, olives, and tomatoes.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until zucchini is tender (but not mushy).
8. Top with basil and serve.

Strawberry Shortcakes

The Nourishing Home
serves 6

Let’s not leave out fruit, especially with strawberry season arriving. Here’s a healthy dessert option – my favorite way to do Strawberry Shortcake! These almond shortcakes are so good, and honestly I just cut up fresh strawberries on top (I don’t bother marinating them) and usually make whipped coconut cream. Yum!

Ingredients:

For the shortcakes:

• 2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup butter, melted (or coconut oil)
• 2 tbsp pure honey (I prefer sage honey due to its mild flavor)
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs

For the topping:

• 1 1/2 pounds of fresh, ripe organic strawberries (stems removed, sliced)
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the almond flour, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter and honey until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla, whisking together until well combined. Using a spoon, stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until thoroughly combined.
2. Place dough in fridge to cool about 10 minutes. (While waiting, prepare the strawberry topping, and homemade whipped cream, if using.)
3. Once dough is cool, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Scoop a large spoonful of the biscuit dough into your hands and shape it into a ball about the size of an apricot. Then, place each dough ball onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and use the palm of your hand to gently flatten to about one-inch thick. (The dough should yield 6 three-inch round biscuits.)
5. Bake approximately 15 minutes, until top is golden brown. Allow biscuits to cool completely before splitting and filling.
6. In a large bowl, combine sliced strawberries, maple syrup and vanilla. Place in fridge while biscuits bake and cool. (Sweetened sliced strawberries become mushy if they marinate overnight, so it's best to prepare them about an hour or so before serving.)
7. Once cool, split biscuits in half and top with a couple of heaping spoonfuls of strawberry topping and a dollop of homemade whipped cream.

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