For us, spring is a time for celebration. The earth is coming back to life, baby animals abound, seedlings are getting transplanted and we spend a LOT more time outdoors.
There's something about the arrival of spring that makes me want to lighten up our food and freshen up our plates. Here are ten ways you can make your spring meals as fresh as the new leaves on the trees!
1. Use tons of fresh herbs.
While winter tends to be when I utilize the herbs I dehydrated over the summer, spring brings a wealth of new fresh herbs to add to your meals. That fresh taste really brings a whole new depth of flavor to your dishes. A good rule of thumb when swapping fresh herbs for dried ones is to triple the amount the recipe calls for. You can also use them to top your dishes at the end of cooking, like I do with my garlic lemon Orzo.
2. Add more veggies.
Adding lots of fresh veggies to your dinner table is a great way to freshen up your special meal. Some of my favorites for spring are asparagus, especially roasted, zucchini, and arugula. Try making your veggies into your main dish for a fantastically fresh meal!
3. More greens please!
Salads are about as fresh as you can get and they don't have to be boring. Try mixing greens with different cooked grains and/or roasted vegetables. Toasted seeds and nuts in place of heavy croutons give you a satisfying crunch without weighing down your salad with extra calories.
4. Make your own salad dressing.
Many store bought dressings are nothing but oil, sugar, and a ton of preservatives. Making your own dressing goes you complete control over the ingredients and flavors. It can be as simple as whisking together some olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper or you can get really fancy and make a cashew cream based ranch or Caesar.
5. Ditch the heavy ingredients.
Cheese may be lovely and delicious but it's an incredibly heavy food that can leave you feeling sluggish and uncomfortably full. Try using recipes that have nutritional yeast or cashew creams instead of cheese and cream to lighten up any meal.
6. Use citrus flavors.
Citrus is always a beautiful, bright addition to a recipe and adding a squeeze of lemon juice at the end up preparation can brighten up all the different flavors in your dish. Try adding a squeeze of lemon to your soup or pasta, making a salad dressing with lime and cilantro, or adding a squeeze of orange to your tea.
7. Try a new drink recipe.
There are so many fun infused waters, again frescas, and fruity and/or herby mocktails recipes on Pinterest. Pick a particularly fresh sounding one and mix up a pitcher. We especially love to keep a big pitcher of iced tea with fresh mint in the fridge as the weather warms.
8. Add a loaf of homemade bread to your table.
My grandma always served buttered bread with dinner. On fancy occasions, she would make rolls. Making a loaf of bread to accompany the meal elevates it to something special. I recommend my two hour no knead bread for something quick and light.
9. Eat outdoors!
One of my very favorite things about the weather warming is moving our meals to the picnic table in our garden. Eating outside makes me happy. It encourages everyone to slow down with their meal, to spend a little more time together, to enjoy just a little meal. There's nothing fresher than eating in the fresh air and breathing in the smell of spring.
10. Fruit for dessert!
No meal is complete without dessert. At least, according to my ten year old! Swapping heavier desserts for fruit based ones lightens up the after dinner feels while still giving you something sweet. It could be something as simple as a fruit salad drizzled with honey or more complex with a pie or cobbler. Strawberries and blueberries mixed together are one of my favorite combinations for fruit desserts.
Spring is definitely the time to lighten up our meals and enjoy some of the fresh bounty mother earth is providing. What do you plan to put on your table this spring?
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