Healthy Recipes to #BringOnSpring

August 27, 2019
Spring is around the corner and we're already craving fresh spring fruits and vegetables. From the first strawberries of the season to tender green asparagus, spring onions and sweet-tart rhubarb, these healthy recipes celebrate the delicious flavors of the season.
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Spring Roll Salad

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All the tastes, color and fun of a spring roll without all the work! This healthy salad recipe is bursting with the colors of rainbow from generous amounts of fresh vegetables, shrimp and whole grains all topped with a peanut dressing for the ultimate satisfying salad.

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Artichokes with Lemon & Dill

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These simply prepared artichokes can be served at room temperature or chilled. Serve as a first course or as a side dish with grilled chicken or fish.

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Baked Strawberry Custards

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Sour cream gives this healthy baked custard recipe richness and tang. It's delicious with in-season strawberries, but feel free to substitute whatever berries you can get your hands on.

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Ricotta Gnocchi with Spring Vegetables

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Traditional gnocchi is made with potatoes, but this easy recipe uses fresh ricotta cheese. For the lightest, most tender gnocchi, use a good-quality ricotta like Bellwether Farms or Calabro and gently but thoroughly pat it dry after draining to remove any extra liquid. Serve as a vegetarian main course or as part of a spring buffet with poached salmon or grilled chicken.

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Point Reyes Toma Frico with Pea Puree

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A frico is a cheese crisp that can be eaten plain or topped like a cracker. These are made with nutty, creamy and buttery Point Reyes Toma cheese from California's Marin County, but they're also delicious made with aged Gouda or Manchego cheese.

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Spring Radish Salad

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Let beautiful spring radishes shine in this simple radish salad recipe. Look for colorful radishes, such as watermelon radishes, French breakfast radishes, Easter egg radishes and green radishes at your local farmers' market and make sure to use your best-quality olive oil.

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Asparagus Salad with Eggs & Jambon de Bayonne

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This impressive-looking asparagus salad recipe is actually very easy to make. After quickly boiling the asparagus, the same water is used to soft-boil the eggs. Piment d'Espelette is a sweet, spicy ground pepper from the Basque region of France. While it's not essential, it does add a subtle kick to the otherwise mellow flavors of this salad. Look for this spice at specialty stores and well-stocked markets--or substitute smoked paprika.

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Endive with Goat Cheese, Strawberries & Walnuts

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Vary this quick-to-assemble vegetarian appetizer recipe with the season. Try sliced nectarines in place of the strawberries in the summer and halved grapes in the fall. Chopped pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts are all delicious in place of the walnuts as well.

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Salt-&-Vinegar Roasted Radishes

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Colorful roasted radishes make a unique and healthy vegetable side recipe. If your radishes come without greens, use 5 cups baby kale in Step 3 instead. Halve or quarter large radishes before roasting so they'll cook as fast as small radishes.

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Veggie Spring Rolls

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Don't be intimidated by these vibrant spring rolls--they're easier to make than you might think. Stuffed with fresh raw vegetables, these stunners are an impressive healthy vegan appetizer for your next gathering.

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Little Gem Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese & Herb Dressing

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Little Gem lettuce is like a cross between romaine and butterhead. It's perfect for making an updated take on the wedge salad in this healthy recipe. If you can't find Little Gem, use half a romaine heart for each serving. You can order Point Reyes Original blue cheese online from pointreyescheese.com or substitute another raw-milk blue cheese.

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Mint Vinaigrette

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This brightly flavored lemon-mint vinaigrette recipe is an ideal dressing for mixed green salads or grain salads, such a quinoa or freekah, topped with fresh fruit.

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Apricot-Strawberry Tart

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In this healthy one-bowl dessert recipe, strawberries and apricots are a sweet-tart combination for the filling, but you can use 3 cups of any sliced summer fruit or berries that inspire you. Although this is technically a tart, it bakes best in (and is easiest to serve from) a springform pan instead of a classic tart pan. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

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Potato-Leek Bisque

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It's hard to believe how rich and creamy this potato-leek soup is even though there's not a drop of cream in it. Croutons topped with anchovy, olives and leek are a crunchy, savory foil to the soup. But skip them if you like and incorporate all the cooked leeks into the soup instead.

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Creamy Asparagus Pasta

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Lemon zest ties all the flavors together in this light and creamy pasta. Make it a meal: Serve with a salad of sliced fresh mozzarella and cherry tomatoes tossed with a little fresh basil, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

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Skillet Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

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Fresh strawberries and rhubarb meld together under a crisp oat crumble in this gluten-free dessert recipe made in just one skillet. If you're not gluten-sensitive, regular rolled oats will work too. Top with a dollop of whipped cream for an extra-special treat.

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Chive & Goat Cheese Souffles

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This light, airy individual cheese soufflé recipe is dramatically puffed when it comes out of the oven. Serve for a healthy brunch or lunch with a spring salad of watercress, baby arugula and tender greens tossed with lemon-chive vinaigrette.

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Snap Pea & Quinoa Salad

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Snap peas and mushrooms are combined with the fresh flavor of lemon in this pretty, healthy quinoa salad recipe. If you can make it ahead of time, do--this quinoa salad is even better the next day, after the dressing has soaked into the mushrooms and quinoa. (Adapted from “Quinoa Revolution” by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming; Pintail Books, 2012.)

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Quick "Corned" Beef & Cabbage

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Traditional corned beef & cabbage sure is tasty, but it's typically loaded with preservatives and sodium. In this healthy recipe makeover, we slash more than 2,300 mg of sodium with our quicker twist on the St. Patrick's Day classic. To get great flavor without the additives found in store-bought corned beef, we rub ground pickling spice onto steak instead.

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Pineapple & Avocado Salad

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This refreshing, simple Cuban salad recipe captures the flavors of the tropics. Serve alongside spiced chicken or pork, with rice and beans.

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Arugula Pesto

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This pesto is a great way to use fresh, flavorful spring arugula. Try tossing it with pasta, spread it on pizza instead of tomato sauce or use it as the base for a vegetable dip.

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Spring Pea Salad with Strawberries

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As delicious as it is beautiful, this spring pea salad recipe is a potluck or dinner party stunner. Assemble the salad and dress just before serving--or serve the dressing next to the salad for people to drizzle. The tangy champagne vinaigrette balances the grassy sweetness of the peas and fruity pop of the berries.

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Roasted Cabbage with Chive-Mustard Vinaigrette

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In this roasted cabbage recipe, cabbage wedges are roasted at a high temperature, creating an amazing texture and sweet flavor. Serve the roasted cabbage wedges drizzled with the chive-mustard vinaigrette as a side dish for roast poultry, meat or fish, or alone with crusty bread.

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Sugar Snap Pea Salad

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Sweet, crisp and snappy, this healthy pea salad recipe is all about the sugar snaps, plus a little Aleppo pepper for some heat. The creamy sheep- or goat's-milk cheese adds a touch of richness and the edible flowers give it a gorgeous pop of color. Serve this beautiful salad alongside lemon-grilled chicken or fish.

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Raspberry Rhubarb Bread

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Sweet raspberries and tangy rhubarb jibe beautifully in this spring-inspired whole-wheat quick bread recipe.

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Asparagus & Baby Kale Caesar Salad

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Traditional Caesar salad gets a nutrition and flavor boost with the addition of crisp asparagus and dark, leafy baby kale in this healthy recipe. Use arugula or mixed greens for the salad if baby kale isn't at your market.

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Quick Dilly Carrots

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In this quick pickle recipe, salting the carrots first extracts their natural moisture. Once the salt's rinsed off, the carrots absorb the pickling liquid like a sponge. You may want to double this recipe--they're addictive!

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Garlic Scape Pesto

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During the spring and early summer when garlic scapes are plentiful at farmers' markets and farmstands, this healthy garlic scape pesto recipe is a great way to enjoy their gorgeous garlicky flavor for weeks. Garlic scapes are the green, spiral-shaped sprouts that appear on the top of garlic plants in the spring. Regular garlic cloves can be used as a substitute for garlic scapes. Try the pesto with pasta, stir-fries, grilled fish, poultry or steaks or add it to scrambled eggs, soup or pasta sauces.

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Scrambled Eggs with Ramps & Bacon

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In this healthy breakfast recipe, a small amount of bacon fat is enough to cook the ramps, shallots and eggs while adding amazing smoky flavor. This fast and easy recipe is quick enough for breakfast but also makes a satisfying supper when served with a green salad.

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Jalapeño & Dill Labneh

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In this labneh dip recipe, we stir in a little hot pepper and herbs for a delicious kick. Labneh is a thick, slightly salty Middle Eastern strained yogurt that's easy to make at home. Serve the dip with cucumber slices or pita chips, or use it to top roasted carrots.

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Muffin-Tin Strawberry Shortcakes

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Skip rolling and cutting dough and use your muffin tin in this healthy strawberry shortcake recipe. Look for lemon curd in the store near jams and jellies or skip it and combine the berries with 2 tablespoons sugar in Step 4.

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