It’s that lovely time of year when asparagus is in season! Delicate but bursting with flavor, add asparagus to your menu. My local grocer (Winco) has it on sale for $0.98/pound!
Some asparagus dish ideas:
🍴Cream of asparagus soup
🍴Roasted asparagus with balsamic dressing for dipping
🍴Two-inch size pieces added to rice
🍴Steamed and added to veggie tortilla wrap
However you use it, indulge in this spring time delicious vegetable!
This soup is light yet flavorful! Even got the double thumbs up from Becki and Lexi! Thanks ladies for a fun lunch date!
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked dried tortellini (I used spinach tortellini, but you can use any dried variety)*
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 carrots, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
5 oz fresh spinach
1 head broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 bay leaf
10 cups water
Directions:
1. Boil dried tortellini for 10 minutes, strain.
2. Using the same pot, water saute onion and carrot for 4 minutes.
3. Add celery, all spices and chicken broth. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the 10 cups water and cooked tortellini. Boil for 7-10 minutes.
5. Turn off heat, add the broccoli and spinach, stir to push under the water. Put lid on pot and let sit for 5 minutes.
* Note: Don’t use more than one cup dried tortellini because it swells up a lot and will continue to absorb water during cooking process. You can see a dried tortellini (in left spoon) becomes quite large after cooking (in right spoon). The first time I made this soup, I made the mistake of putting in two cups of dried tortellini and had to add several cups of water to compensate for the tortellini swell!
Serve with crusty bread. For a little extra love, after ladling soup into individual bowls, add drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
I’ll see you at the table!
I want my children to have a love affair with vegetables and fruit. So when they like a veggie dish, my heart beats with joy! Roasted Brussels Sprouts are a hit in our home and even a favorite at extended family dinners too.
These are best served right out of the oven, so plan your meal accordingly.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Serve immediately. Enjoy!
I’ll see you at the table!
Power Kale Salad and Lentil Soup for lunch!
I’m pretty sure my body has a calcium deficiency right now because I keep waking up in the middle of the night with charlie horses in my calves. So I am adding the plant based calcium today with a big kale salad.
Salad Ingredients:
1 big leaf of Kale, ripped into little pieces
4 leaves of Romaine, ripped into bite-size pieces
1/2 avocado, cubed
1 cup #blueberries
2 tablespoons raw unsalted sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons walnut pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Directions:
Wash kale and lettuce thoroughly, towel dry lightly. Using large salad bowl, toss with OO and balsamic vinegar. Then add all the other ingredients. Mix and enjoy the textures and tastes of a nutrient rich salad!
A vegetable with a bad name for itself, Brussels sprouts have historically been steamed and then served swimming in a butter bath to cover the bitter taste – no wonder most of us hated them when we were young. But we also know these little green rounds are packed with tons of vitamins… So, give this easy recipe a try and you just might fall in love!
Ingredients:
2 cups Brussels sprouts per person
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, which is about 180 degrees celsius (had to figure out conversion between Fahrenheit and Celsius while cooking in Spain!).
Line baking sheet with parchment paper. If you don’t have, bake directly on the baking sheet.
Cut off ends of washed Brussels sprouts, then cut in half. Place into a large bowl. Toss with 1/4 cup olive oil. Add more OO if serving more than 4 people.
Sprouts shouldn’t be super wet, just a little drizzle. Spread sprouts evenly on baking sheet. Sprinkle salt and black pepper over Brussels sprouts.
I use very little salt, or use non-salt instead. (One of my favorites is Costco’s Organic No-salt Seasoning).
Bake for 20 minutes or until edges are brown and some sprout leaves are crispy.
Serve immediately with meal. Great with couscous and green salad, as shown, for full dinner. Extra sprouts make great leftovers, but these taste so good it’s rare to have any left over!
Shopping tip:
When buying groceries internationally or in the USA, Brussels sprouts aren’t necessarily better when bought in bulk. The pre-packaged are usually just as good.
Enjoy and I’ll see you at the table!