ThePrep: Comfort Food Dinners for Spring

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It was 34℉ the other day and I thought to myself, "Wow, it's so warm today!"—which shows you just how cold Vermont winters are. But really, I'm feeling like winter is finally loosening its grip and the warmer days have me excited for the spring. I'm sure we'll still have plenty of chilly days before "real" spring, so I'm combining my two current cravings to create this week of comfort-food dinners for spring.

Your Meal Plan

This week of dinners highlights fresh flavors so many of us love from spring—think pesto, peas and asparagus—with the comfort we crave in chilly weather, like pasta and soup. Take Monday's Hearty Minestrone, which packs in the veggies, including spinach, zucchini and leeks, for a cozy, satisfying dinner. And the Shrimp Risotto with Asparagus on Tuesday and the Pasta with Creamy Mushroom-Pea Sauce on Thursday are both creamy yet healthy dinners that will definitely hit the spot.

Lemon is also a flavor I love this time of year and both Sunday's Lemon Chicken Piccata and Wednesday's Skillet Lemon Chicken with Spinach deliver a tasty dose of fresh lemon. To cap off this week of delicious dinners, we have the Greek Turkey Burgers with Spinach, Feta & Tzatziki, which is a favorite any time of the year. Maybe the snow will melt enough that I can get to my grill, or maybe I'll just keep things easy and use my grill pan inside. Enjoy!

Sunday: Lemon Chicken Piccata over whole-wheat spaghetti with Balsamic & Parmesan Broccoli

Monday: Hearty Minestrone with whole-wheat baguette slices

Tuesday: Shrimp Risotto with Asparagus

Wednesday: Skillet Lemon Chicken with Spinach with brown rice

Thursday: Pasta with Creamy Mushroom-Pea Sauce

Friday: Greek Turkey Burgers with Spinach, Feta & Tzatziki with Oven Fries

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Big Batch Breakfast

I've been in a savory breakfast mood lately, so rather than my normal yogurt with fruit and granola, I'm making these Parmesan & Vegetable Muffin-Tin Omelets. An added bonus is that making them ahead of time means all they need is a quick reheat before they're ready to eat! I like topping them with a little hot sauce and some fresh herbs like cilantro or basil.

Get the Recipe: Parmesan & Vegetable Muffin-Tin Omelets

Treat Yourself

Margaritas always remind me of warmer weather, and this Fresh Strawberry Margarita is what I'll be making this weekend—even though it's supposed to snow on Saturday and be sunny and warm on Sunday. I'll take what I can get!

Get the Recipe: Fresh Strawberry Margarita