Yay! Spring is here! The days are warming, but the nights are still cool. As the temperatures rise, who wants to spend hours in a hot kitchen or eat heavy, wintery meals?
Have you ever noticed which vegetables come into season in the spring? Lettuces, spinach, kale, cabbage, collards, and peas thrive in the cooler months and often become even sweeter after a light dusting of snow. Whether you're picking them up on sale at the grocery store or harvesting them from your own garden, these fresh veggies are a welcome blessing!
Spring vegetables are packed with essential nutrients, water, and fiber—perfect for cleansing our bodies after the heavier meals of winter and providing the building blocks for a season full of activity. Take advantage of the season and enjoy spring’s bounty!
Tools, Kitchen Tips, and Recipes for the Spring Kitchen
TOOLS
The right tools can make your kitchen time easier and more efficient. Here are a few I highly recommend:
- Bread knife: Ideal for slicing homemade artisan bread without compressing it. It also works well for cutting thick boneless chicken breasts or pork chops into thinner fillets—perfect for grilling and stretching portions further.
- Salad spinner (IKEA’s works great!): Perfect for rinsing and drying fresh greens.
- Glass storage containers (Pyrex Snapware, IKEA’s glass containers, or wide-mouth quart canning jars): These keep food fresh longer, stack neatly, and eliminate the need for disposable plastic. Use them for prepped salad ingredients, grated cheese, grilled meats, leftovers, and even single-serve desserts.
Warning: Do not reuse metal canning lids for canning. - Oui yogurt jars (reusable with silicone lids): Great for storing dressings, dips, or portioned snacks.
Kitchen Tips
- Plan Ahead: Move frozen meats to the fridge the night before so they’re ready for cooking the next day.
- Prep Early: Chop vegetables and assemble meals earlier in the day before life gets busy.
- Pre-Make Salads: Slice romaine lengthwise twice, turn, and slice again before cutting across the width. Rinse, spin, and pack tightly into quart jars to keep fresh for days.
- Cook Once, Eat Twice (or More!): Grill extra chicken to dice and freeze for quick meals. Freeze leftover rice and ground beef for easy meal prep. Pre-chop rotisserie chicken for salads, stir-fries, and sandwiches.
- Hard-Boiled Eggs (Steamed, Not Boiled!): Steaming eggs makes them incredibly easy to peel. Experiment with timing based on your altitude—I find 15.5 minutes followed by an ice bath works perfectly at 4,700 feet.
- Freeze Bananas: Peel and freeze whole or sliced for smoothies, chocolate-dipped treats, or homemade banana ice cream.
- Smoothie Prep: Pre-wash and portion greens, fruits, and nuts for quick breakfasts. Try adding a squeeze of lemon for a bright, refreshing twist!
- Freeze leftovers in portion size. This can be used at a later date for lunch or a smorgasbord dinner.
- Cut up and freeze left over rotisserie chicken. Package in 1 to 2 cup packages. Great for pasta/ green salads, quesadillas, burritos, chop suey, chow mein, stir fry, alfredo, divan, chicken crepes, casseroles, pizza, and chicken salad sandwiches.
- Cooked Rice can be frozen. So, next time you make cilantro-lime rice, or just rice, cook double, cool and freeze half for a quick meal in the future.
- Ground beef can be frozen. It is called Ground Beef Gravel. Cook, season, and drain, then spread on a parchment covered cookie sheet, freeze, then scoop into ziplock bags or wide mouth freezer jars and store in the freezer. Once cooked and frozen, ground beef can be added to boiling soup, or sauces, without thawing first.
- Wedge Salads
Thin slices across a cabbage or iceberg lettuce head, or cut into wedges, rinsed and spun, make a simple salad with dressing or just sea salt.
Recipes for the Spring Kitchen
RECIPE: Donna's Pink Chicken Mandarin Salad
Ingredients
1-2 heads romaine lettuce, torn, rinsed, and spun
1 cup celery, chopped
2 scallions (green onions), chopped
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup slivered almonds, caramelized
Directions
Combine the ingredients in a serving bowl, toss with Creamy Pink Pomegranate Dressing, and top with caramelized almonds.
Optional Chicken - Add grilled, steamed, or baked chicken for a heartier main dish salad.
* Caramelized Almonds
Ingredients
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 Tablespoons cane sugar
Directions
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat.
- Stir sugar and almonds continuously until sugar melts and coats almonds.
- Transfer to a jar and store in the refrigerator.
- Save any caramelized bits for extra crunch!
Optional: Add cinnamon for cinnamon-sugar glazed nuts.
Donna's Creamy Pink Pomegranate Dressing
Makes 1 Pint
Ingredients
* 1/3 cup Pompeian Red Wine Vinegar - infused with Pomegranate & Grape Juice.
1 teaspoon Freshly Ground Pink Himalayan Salt
1 teaspoon Dry Mustard Powder
3/4 cup granulated C&H Cane Sugar (best with cane sugar, rather than beet sugar)
1/4 red onion (Peeled)
1 cup vegetable oil
Optional: 3 Tablespoons Poppy Seeds
Directions
Add all ingredients into a blender and pulse to puree, about 1 minute. I like to see little pink flecks of red onion in the dressing. Stir in poppy seeds after blending. Store in a lidded jar. Shake before serving. Refrigerate. Salad dressings with fresh raw onion or garlic will keep in the fridge for four days. Serve over Donna's Pink Chicken Mandarin Salad or simply over romaine lettuce with thinly sliced red onion rings.
* Mix 2/3 cup Pomegranate Juice and 1/3 cup Grape Juice. Then combine 1 cup of this juice mixture with 1 cup red wine vinegar.
Tasty Seasoned or Marinated Grilled Chicken
Grilled chicken seasoned with fresh herbs or your favorite marinades can be cubed, shredded, or cut into strips and frozen for quick meals. Store in wide-mouth pint freezer jars for easy access. I also debone and freeze Costco Rotisserie Chicken. To use, place frozen chicken in the refrigerator the night before.
Great for salads, sandwiches, casseroles, soups, tortillas, fajitas, stir-fry, quesadillas, or pizza.
Donna's Island Teriyaki Marinade
This "Island-style" Teriyaki recipe from my youth yields 1 cup.
Donna's Island Style Teriyaki Marinade Ingredients
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 teaspoon ground ginger or freshly gsrated ginger
1 crushed garlic clove or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or Ranch dressing powder
Directions
Combine brown sugar and soy sauce until the mixture reaches the one-cup mark. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. To store, heat just below boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar and prevent burning. Cool, pour into a glass bottle, seal, and refrigerate.
Excellent on chicken, pork, beef, turkey, seafood, rice, and stir-fry vegetables. It can also be drizzled over rice or potatoes. Try substituting honey or fresh light amber maple syrup for the brown sugar.
Marinate for at least an hour—overnight is even better!
Pasta Magic
Makes 4-6 servings.
Ingredients
2 cups cooked meat (shrimp, ham, turkey, bacon, or chicken).
2 cups vegetables (cooked, thawed, or raw)
2 cups pasta, cooked al dente, rinsed in cool water, and drained
4-8 oz. salad dressing (white sauce, Italian dressing, Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette, Roasted Red Pepper dressing, Ranch, or Mayo with herbs).
Optional: diced or cubed cheese of choice.
Directions
Combine all ingredients, mix together, and chill.
For a festive and beautiful salad, layer pasta at the bottom of a clear glass bowl or trifle dish, followed by veggies, then meat. Pour dressing over the top and chill.
Note: Cooked pasta, when chilled, converts 50% of its starch into resistant starch, which the body treats as fiber. This process remains even if reheated. The same happens to potatoes, bread, and rice at lower levels.
Experiment with new vegetables this spring and explore different preparation methods. Enjoy the fresh, lighter meals of the season!
Enjoy the Freshness of Spring!
Spring is the perfect time to refresh your kitchen routines and embrace lighter, fresher meals. Whether you're making meal prep easier, experimenting with seasonal produce, or trying new recipes, these simple strategies can help you enjoy the season to the fullest.
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