Spring is a great time to whip up some light and fresh dishes with all the great produce being in season! As we move into warmer weather and away from the cold, you may be looking to update your go-tos from soups and hearty dishes, to something a little lighter that is packed with lots of in-season produce!
Seasonal Spring Produce Includes:Â
Apples
Apricots
AsparagusÂ
Avocadoes
Bananas
BroccoliÂ
CarrotsÂ
HerbsÂ
KaleÂ
KiwiÂ
Lemons
LettuceÂ
LimesÂ
MushroomsÂ
PeasÂ
PineappleÂ
SpinachÂ
StrawberriesÂ
Swiss ChardÂ
To help you get back including some fresh seasonal favorites in your fueling routine, I've shared a few of my favorite spring recipes!
Loaded Veggie Egg Bake
This is a great make ahead recipe that you can make ahead of time and enjoy on a busy, early morning.
Ingredients:Â
12 eggsÂ
â…” cup of milk or half and halfÂ
1 lb of breakfast sausage or other protein, cookedÂ
4 cups of cubed crusty bread, roasted potatoes, or hashbrown potatoes
1 to 2 cups of each of your favorite vegetables (like spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, or spring onions)
1 cup of shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning to taste
Directions:Â
Cover a 9x13 baking pan with a non-stick cooking spray
Fill the pan with bread or potatoes of choice, pre-cooked protein, and vegetables
Pour in 12 whisked eggs with milk, cheese, and season with salt and pepper
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. This allows for the bread or potatoes to soak up the liquid and for the ingredients to develop a really rich flavor
Bake for 40-45 minutes until the bake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the dishÂ
Western Omelette Egg Cups
Quick and easy morning breakfast full of nutrients
Ingredients:
12 eggs (to fill all 12 molds of a standard muffin tin)
1/4C milk
3oz ham, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
¼ cup of shredded cheeseÂ
Directions:Â
Preheat your oven to 350F
Heat up skillet with a nonstick cooking spray or ½ TBSP of olive oil
Saute the ham, peppers, and onions for 5 minutes, until they start to get soft
Grease a non-stick muffin tin. Spoon the ham and vegetable mixture evenly into the wells of the muffin tin. Top each well with cheese.
Whisk together the eggs and milk, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the eggs into the muffin tins.
Bake for 20 minutes, until the eggs have set. Let cool and refrigerate for up to 5 days
Build a performance plate by adding toast or a bagel and a side of fruit.
Pineapple Ginger Smoothie
Enjoy this refreshing morning treat loaded with protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Ingredients:Â
1 cup of fresh or frozen pineapple chunksÂ
1 inch piece of ginger that is peeled and mincedÂ
½ cup of greek yogurtÂ
1 cup of pineapple juiceÂ
â…› teaspoon of cinnamonÂ
1 cup of ice (if using fresh pineapple)
Directions:Â
Blend all ingredients together and enjoy!Â
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
Build Your Own Grazing Board
Very customizable and easy to pack for school lunches!Â
Ingredients:
Pre-sliced salamiÂ
1-2 types of cheese (I love using pepper jack and mozzarella pearls!)
2-3 fruits (my go-tos are strawberries, grapes, and apple slices)
2-3 vegetables (I like sliced cucumbers and peppers)
HummusÂ
Pita breadÂ
Pretzels / pretzel thins (or your favorite crackers)
Directions:Â
Cut your fruits and vegetables into slices or fun shapes
Put all ingredients in various meal prep containers for an easy grab and go lunch!
Caprese Pasta Salad
Great warm or cold, and easy to pack for school lunch or pre-practice fuel
Ingredients:Â
Favorite box pastaÂ
Mozzarella cheese pearlsÂ
Cherry or Grape TomatoesÂ
Basil leaves and/or arugulaÂ
Olive OilÂ
Italian seasoningÂ
Directions:Â
Cook pasta according to directions on the box
Slice tomatoes into smaller piecesÂ
Tear basil leaves into several piecesÂ
Combine pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil leaves/ arugula togetherÂ
Drizzle olive oil and Italian seasoning on top to finishÂ
Shake it all up in a meal prep container to mix flavors together
Chicken Taquitos
A tasty fueling lunch or dinner. Great for adding in extra veggies and protein!Â
Ingredients:Â
TortillasÂ
16oz Ground beef
Bell peppers
Corn
Black beansÂ
Tomato pasteÂ
Taco seasoningÂ
Fiesta blend cheese
Directions:
Dice peppers into small pieces
Spray a skillet with cooking spray or olive oil and cook meat until browned
Add the corn, black beans, and peppers to the pan and saute for 2-3 minutes (they don’t have to fully cooked through at this point)
Add the taco seasoning and tomato paste and mix to combine
Lay out the tortillas. Put a scoopful of all toppings into a tortilla and roll up ensuring nothing falls out
Place tortillas with the opening facing the bottom of a 9x13 pan or casserole dish (pack them there tightly so that they hold their shape)
Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degreesÂ
Take out of oven, sprinkle with cheese on top, and cook for 2 more minutes to allow the cheese to melt
Enjoy with salsa and guacamole. This recipe is also delicious for leftovers the next day - just re-heat in the microwave!Â
Loaded Baked Ziti
This high-protein version of a traditional favorite is delicious and great for meal prepping!Â
Ingredients:
1 box of Ziti noodlesÂ
1 lb of ground beef
1 white onionÂ
1 ZucchiniÂ
2 Bell PeppersÂ
1lb of mushroomsÂ
2 cloves of garlicÂ
4oz Mozzarella cheese
2oz Shaved Parmesan cheese
6oz SpinachÂ
Italian SeasoningÂ
2C Pasta sauceÂ
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cook noodles at dente according to directions on boxÂ
Cook ground beef in an oiled skillet over medium heat, add in garlic until fragrantÂ
Dice and chop all vegetables while meat is cookingÂ
Add cut vegetables to the skillet with the meat and Italian seasoning - continue stirringÂ
Add in the pasta sauce and most of the mozzerella cheese to the meat. Stir to combine and add to a casserole dish.
Top with the rest of the mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheeseÂ
Cover with tin foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, uncover and back for 5 more minutes, until the cheese has browned
Recipe adapted from A Paige of Positivity
Strawberries and Chocolate yogurt dipÂ
Ingredients:
StrawberriesÂ
1 cup Greek Yogurt
1-2 TBSP of NutellaÂ
Directions:Â
Combine Greek yogurt and nutella together in a dishÂ
Enjoy with strawberries (or other fruit or graham crackers)Â
Copycat Wendy’s Frosty
Ingredients:
1 frozen bananaÂ
½ TBSP of cocoa powderÂ
¾ cup of chocolate milkÂ
1 scoop of chocolate protein powder
¼ cup of cool whipÂ
A dash of vanilla extractÂ
Handful of ice cubesÂ
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth!
Adapted from A Paige of Positivity
Comments