Hating the frigid weather? Hang in there! Spring is just around the corner, and with it, a new batch of fresh, seasonal foods to put on your dinner table. Soon, you can retire the hearty winter fare and trade it up for bright, bountiful spring-style meals.
Here are 8 suggestions to help you prepare for the next season!
1. Roasted Chicken with Spring Veggies
It’s easy enough to make this one-pan dinner any night of the week in just about 30 minutes. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and fresh lemon juice and roast for 15 minutes, then add in your chopped potatoes, carrots, and scallions and keep roasting for 20 more minutes or until cooked through. It’s simple yet looks elegant, and can even be served when you have company.
2. Pasta Primavera
This dish is the quintessential spring dish. Afterall, “primavera” means spring in Spanish. What’s fun about it is you can make it your own using what’s seasonal and fresh in your area during spring. Bright pops of red and yellow peppers dancing along with green peas and other seasonal veggies makes this a simple and delightful dish any night of the week.
3. Chicken Piccata Pasta Casserole
For a dinner that will serve a crowd or a spring potluck, taking the classic chicken piccata and tossing it with pasta makes it a super-simple, super-delicious meal everyone will beg for.
4. Tilapia and String Beans
Light and refreshing tilapia can be cooked a number of ways, plus it’s very inexpensive for a coastal-style meal that welcomes in the warmer weather. Add a little flour and herb to coat it plus a squeeze of fresh lemon and pan-fry it with butter until it’s nice and crispy. Some lemon-drizzled string beans are a perfect pairing.
5. Herb-Grilled Salmon
Like you need an excuse to trot out that grill! Fire it up with a citrus-drenched hunk of salmon rubbed with fresh herbs that will surely be the winner of dinner!
6. Roasted Beets with Feta
Beets might be a root vegetable usually associated with colder temperatures, but they’re still very much a thing in spring. That bright hue and refreshing earthy taste go beautifully with crumbles of fresh feta cheese and scallions for crunch for a sublime side or a light meal.
7. Shrimp Scampi
It’s one of the easiest dishes you can make! Just add fresh shrimp into a lemony shrimp scampi sauce and toss it all over fresh pasta for a perfect meal any night of the week.
8. Spring Vegetables with Pappardelle
Fat and flat pappardelle is a stunning contrast with radishes, fresh herbs, and fresh green peas. Keep it simple and drop a blob of ricotta mixed with lemon zest on top for an unforgettably good meal you can throw together in under 20 minutes.
With these springtime meal ideas, it’s no wonder we can’t wait until spring!