Today we take full advantage of the glorious spring vegetables with a primavera salad, gorgeous asparagus, and tasty little new potatoes. I find that many of my spring and summer meals tend to be something like this, lightly cooked or raw vegetables lightly seasoned, accompanied by a dish with whole grains and beans.
Primavera is the classic spring/summer dish, and you could easily pack this whole meal up in a picnic basket and take it to the park. Even the shake could come with you in a thermos and you could enjoy it while wandering on the soft new green spring grass. I like to add the roasted asparagus and baby new potatoes directly into this salad, but you could eat them separately as well. This is a perfect end-of-the-week dish as you can really take any vegetables you have in the fridge, chop them up, and throw them in. I like to have a nice mix of colors and textures-- some crunchy and some softer. Use my ingredients as a general guideline.
1 c. brown basmati rice (or use leftover cooked rice)
1 15 oz can of your favorite beans, rinsed and drained
2 c. small tomatoes, diced
4 green onions, chopped
1 small cucumber, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1/3 c. olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
If you're making fresh rice, bring 2 cups water to a boil, add the dried rice, return to a boil, then lower the temperature to low and simmer until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 40 minutes.
In the meantime, combine the vinegar and mustard and drizzle in the oil in a large bowl, while whisking. This will help the ingredients to emulsify so they won't separate later. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Rinse and chop all the vegetables and beans, and then toss them in the salad dressing. When the rice is cooked and cooled, add it to the bowl and chill. This tastes amazing when it has some time for the flavors to blend, so make it the night before if you can.
Per serving: 297 calories, 13g fat, 116 calories from fat, 8g protein, 38g carbohydrates, 7g dietary fiber, 0mg cholesterol, 10mg sodium, 36.5mcg vitamin K, 1.1mg manganese, 37.8mg vitamin C
Asparagus is at its peak in early spring, and the stems will be tender and fresh. I think keeping it simple brings out the flavor the best, so I love to roast them with a tiny bit of oil, salt, and pepper.
2 lb. asparagus
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 450º F.
The trick to cutting the tough ends off asparagus is to take one piece out, hold one side with each hand, and bend it. Wherever it snaps is the right place to cut. Then I line that one piece up with the rest of the asparagus and cut at the same point. You can use the ends for a vegetable stock, or simply compost it.
Line the asparagus up on a baking sheet and drizzle oil on it, then sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roll the asparagus around to make sure it's fully coated, then make sure they're in a single layer.
Roast for 10-12 minutes, depending on the thickness, until a fork can pass through the flesh.
Per serving: 75 calories, 4g fat, 32 calories from fat, 5g protein, 5g dietary fiber, 0mg cholesterol, 9g carbohydrates, 295mg sodium, 3mg vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), 2.2mg niacin, 0.2mg vitamin B6, 31.4mg magnesium, 116mg phosphorous, 453mg potassium, 1.2mg zinc, 1693IU vitamin A, 12.5mg vitamin C, 95.2mcg vitamin K, 0.3mg thiamin, 0.3mg riboflavin, 116mcg folate, 4.8mg iron, 0.4mg copper, 0.4mg manganese
In my opinion, potatoes are never better than in the springtime. They're often called “new potatoes” because they come out of the ground first, and their skin is thin enough to flake off in your hands. Make sure to handle them gently, and give them a quick rinse to get rid of dirt. My favorite thing to do with them is to cut them in half (unless they're really small) and throw them into the steamer until they are just tender, about 5-10 minutes. You can serve them with some Earth Balance butter, or just plain with some salt and pepper.
On days when I really don't feel like cooking, I'll add other spring vegetables, like broccoli and asparagus, into the steamer and cover everything with a quick salt and pepper.
They don't list new potatoes in nutritiondata.com.
This is an old school recipe for shakes. I like to use a thick milk like hemp or soy, but you can really use anything you like. If you can't find powdered soy milk at your local store, just use a little more liquid milk.
1 c. fresh or frozen strawberries
2 c. nondairy milk
1/2 c. powdered soy milk (or use a little more liquid milk) 1 c. crushed ice (if using fresh fruit)
Fresh strawberries and mint leaves, for garnish
Blend all the ingredients well in a high powdered blender and serve, garnishing with mint if you like.
Per serving: 73 calories, 2g fat, 19 calories from fat, 4g protein, 11g carbohydrates, 1g dietary fiber, 0mg cholesterol, 51mg sodium, 0.2mg thiamin, 22.3mg vitamin C, 59.5IU vitamin D, 0.3mg riboflavin, 1.3mcg vitamin B12, 157mg calcium