Spring Recipes
Spring Flowers and a Summer Salad Recipe Challenge
Do you have any special spring traditions? Each year as the weather starts to warm, we pay a visit to a particular field on my in-laws’ farm to pick from a massive expanse of bluebells. Even as my sons grow older, they love to do this. As we pick, we separate out big bunches for…
Asparagus Egg Noodle Soup (Gluten Free Option)
My kids love this soup because it tastes great. I love it for its taste, but also for the utter ease of preparation. With asparagus season upon us, I will cook this soup many times. While I started making this soup with angel hair pasta many years ago, I now often make it with rice…
Apple Pecan Spring Greens with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
Apples, pecans, and blue cheese are the base of this versatile salad, and the speedy maple-Dijon-cider vinaigrette makes it a keeper. As I was walking my boys home from school one day last spring, a friend of mine drove by and yelled a funny thing out her car window. โI love your maple Dijon vinaigrette…
Roasted Asparagus with Panko
Serve these deliciously crunchy spears as a satisfying side dish or appetizer โ they can be finger food. For a delicious, gluten-free adaptation, substitute crushed Rice Chex for the panko. (Trust me, it works!) Many years ago, I read Barbara Kingsolver’s book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. The story chronicles her own family after they vowed…
Almond Bark with Sea Salt
Every year before Easter, I find myself up to my elbows in chocolate. For as long as I can remember, making homemade chocolates has been part of my family’s holiday tradition. I have so many fond memories of making Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs with my grandmother. Dipping Coconut Cream Eggs with a dear friend, who…
Coconut Cream Eggs
With its classic flavor and texture, this decades-old recipe has garnered legions of fans and truly stood the test of time! Last year at about this time, I shared my grandmotherโs decades-old recipe for peanut butter eggs. So it seemed only fair to offer the recipe that my family deems its counterpart. To…
Avocado Egg Salad
Enjoy this healthy egg salad in a wrap, as a salad, or serve with carrot and celery sticks for a chunky and super-satisfying dip! Lauren Kelly is a certified nutritionist, not to mention a dear foodie friend of mine. She recently published a comprehensive book on eating wheat-free and kindly shared it with me. It…
Almond Crust (Gluten-Free Pie Crust)
Graham cracker crusts can be a crunchy, delicious part of an ice cream or pudding pie. But if you are gluten-intolerant, a graham crust can make those desserts off limits. For my father’s recent birthday, I created a version he could enjoy using almond meal. I think my kids loved the nutty, crunchy crust even…
Balsamic Dijon Grilled Vegetables
In my book, grilled veggies are fabulous for so many reasons. First and foremost, they taste great. But also, they are easy to prepare and need nothing more than a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. However, they can be fancied up with any number of marinades and herbs. Vegetables can be grilled in…
Mango Freeze
In my never-ending quest to satisfy my sweet tooth and provide a worthy alternative to my favorite indulgence, ice cream–not an easy task, mind you!–I hit upon this gem of a dessert. My kids started the mango craze in our house a couple of years ago. They consider mangoes a real treat…sweet like candy. Once…
Blackberry, Feta and Mint Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
Last summer, a friend of mine offered me one week of her farm share as her family was leaving town and wouldn’t be home to use the food. Included in the stash of colorful summer veggies was a bunch of fresh spearmint, some crisp greens, and a box of plump, juicy blackberries. My mind immediately…
Sautรฉed Minted Peas
A few fresh ingredients make sweet peas shine in this versatile side dish that takes less than five minutes to prepare. Fresh peas in the summer are such a treat. Tossed into salads and pasta dishes, they offer a hint of sweetness and color. Yet they are perfect all by themselves too. This…
