Spring is in the air and so is the aroma of tangy salads, French quiches and creative culinary choices. These spring veggies can speak for themselves or be happily married to other ingredients. Read on to discover how healthy cooking isn’t always boring and how preparing posh plates isn’t always hard.
Beets
Pickled, roasted or juiced up, this vibrant coloured vegetable does spring cleaning to your body. Helpful to the liver and rich in vitamin C, beets are an excellent way to detox and add a little colour to your menu. Combine beets, carrots, apples and ginger for the ultimate smoothie or a refreshing spring soup. Be creative and courageous with your menu to give these underrated vegetables the attention they deserve.
Peas
Rich in fibre and folic acid, these little pods carry more than delicious pearls. Try them in a pasta primavera along with any other favourite veggies, or add them with carrots and onions to a Sheppard’s pie made with lean ground beef or turkey. Ask for mushy peas at your local fish and chip shop for a healthier side dish or add them in rice with some spice for a more interesting side dish.
Rhubarb
Rhubarb roots haves been used in traditional Chinese, medieval European and modern medicine. The roots are said to act as a laxative and are therefore most commonly used in diet medications. If delicious means more to you than diet right now, than skip the laxative roots and head straight for the rhubarb pie. Add apples, apricots, lemons, strawberries, vanilla and/or ginger for a decadent dessert filled with the bouquet of nature’s candies that will satisfy your sweet tooth as well as your daily vitamin intake.
Asparagus
Delectably delicate and beautiful to look at, add asparagus for a touch of class to any dish. Stuff a spring chicken with asparagus, brie or gruyere, then lightly bread it and bake it for an easy yet impressive dinner party dish. As a side you can grill it with olive oil or boil it plain, both are healthy choices loaded with vitamins A, C and K. Chopped up asparagus is also a star ingredient in quiches, pastas and why not even pizza.
Spring Onions
Also known as scallions, these pretty little bulbs are much milder in flavour than other onions. You can eat them raw in salads or wraps and add them at the last minute to soups, pasta sauces and spring vegetable sauté©s. Since they are usually sweeter than other members of the onion family, you can use raw thin slices for relishes and salsas-perfect for parties and keeping it all homemade and healthy.
