D
uring spring, it's time to look at cooking with seasonal spring produce. Most of the fruits and vegetables for this season can be found year round at grocers around the country. Artichokes, asparagus, avocados, beets, blueberries, fava beans, peas, radishes, rhubarb, spinach, spring lettuce, spring onions and strawberries are some of these tasty fruits and vegetables that peak in the spring. Cooking with these fresh seasonal ingredients brings out a stronger and/or sweeter taste to your recipes that you would not experience at any other time of the year.
1. Jen's Asparagus
What you need:
3 bunches of asparagus, cut into bite sized pieces
2-3 squirts of lemon juice
1/4 -1/2 stick of butter (2 T - 4 T)
Salt
black pepper
lemon pepper
garlic salt
What you do:
Heat butter in a large dutch oven, skillet or wok. Add asparagus and lemon juice. Add salt, garlic salt, black pepper and lemon pepper to taste. Stir fry on medium heat until asparagus is tender; serve.
2. Bacon Avocado Dip
What you need:
5 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
2 medium avocados, pitted and peeled
2/3 c sour cream
2 t minced onion
2 T lemon juice
1/2 t salt
What you do:
Mash avocados with fork. Combine with sour cream, onion, lemon juice and salt; mix. Refrigerate until chilled. Mix in bacon and serve.
3. Blueberry Muffins
What you need:
2 c flour
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 c butter
3/4 c milk
1 c fresh blueberries
1/2 c sugar
2.5 t baking powder
2 T vegetable oil
1/2 t salt
What you do:
Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, butter, milk and oil; add to flour mixture and mix until moist. Fold blueberries into batter. Take muffin tin(s) and fill 12 cups with muffin paper. Evenly distribute batter to all cups. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden.
4. Easy Spinach Salad
What you need:
10 oz package or 6 c fresh spinach, washed with stems off
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1-2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c radishes, sliced
1/2 c red onion, chopped
3 boiled eggs, sliced
1 carrot, grated
vinegar and oil based dressing
What you do:
Combine all ingredients except dressing and toss. Serve with dressing per taste.
5. Rhubarb Cake
What you need:
31/2 c fresh rhubarb, diced
1 package yellow cake mix
1 c sugar
2 c whipping cream, not whipped
What you do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake mix per box directions. Pour into a greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Add rhubarb on top of cake mix. Evenly distribute sugar on top of rhubarb. Pour cream over rhubarb and cake. Bake 50 - 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
6. Strawberry Banana Smoothie
What you need:
2 c strawberries with the tops cut off
2 large bananas, peeled and sliced
1 c vanilla yogurt
3/4 c milk
4 ice cubes
What you do:
Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth; serve.
[Photo: medicaldaily.com]
