Stephanie Yao Long
15 light and healthy recipes to celebrate spring
Warmer spring days usher in the first wave of great seasonal produce. At Portland-area farmers markets, look for pencil-thin asparagus spears and other ingredients that capture the season. These 15 recipes are perfect spring suppers with leaner ingredients but plenty of flavor.
-- Grant Butler
gbutler@oregonian.com
503-221-8566; @grantbutler
Don't Edit
Grant Butler
Clarke's Asparagus Salad
Jonathan Clarke, chef/owner of Clarke's Restaurant in Lake Oswego, first shared his recipe for this wonderful salad in 2002, and we recently added it to Recipe Box because it’s worth rediscovering. The recipe makes more dressing than you need to dress up the salad, and leftovers make a terrific marinade for chicken, pork roast, even tofu.
Recipe: Clarke's Artichoke and Asparagus Salad With Serrano Ham.
Don't Edit
Nathan Hostler, Special to The Oregonian/OregonLive
Leek Torta
Leeks are one of the glorious finds at the spring farmers market, and Joan Harvey came up with this perfect Sunday brunch dish that maximizes their flavor. The leeks are sautéed, then baked in an eggy custard. Make it now, or hold onto it for Mother’s Day.
Recipe: Leek Torta.
Don't Edit
Grant Butler
Thai Greens and Beans
Mushrooms provide the backbone of flavor for this Asian stir-fry, so look for flavorful varieties at the farmers market instead of those blah button mushrooms from the grocery store.
Recipe: Thai Greens and Beans.
Don't Edit
Steven Nehl
Pea and Ham Soup
Still have a bit of leftover Easter ham in the refrigerator? This recipe, from New York chef April Bloomfield, is a great way to use up a meaty ham hock. And you can add bits of chopped ham as a garnish to add even more richness to the soup.
Recipe: Green Pea and Ham Soup.
Don't Edit
Don't Edit
Ross William Hamilton
Mujaddara
This low-fat Middle Eastern staple combining lentils, rice and onions has a perfect mix of flavors and textures, with a minty yogurt sauce that ties everything together.
Recipe: Mujaddara With Spiced Yogurt.
Don't Edit
Mitch Mandel/Rodale Press
A bloody good salad
This fragrant salad showcases one of the quintessential elements of Italian cuisine, namely that you don't need complicated recipes to make outstanding food. You only need outstanding ingredients and the willingness to let them speak for themselves.
Recipe: Blood Orange, Olive and Basil Salad.
Don't Edit
Oxmoor House
Roasted spring asparagus
Tender asparagus spears get an extra dose of deliciousness with the addition of shaved cheese and pine nuts. This is a perfect weeknight side dish because it comes together in just 15 minutes.
Recipe: Roasted Asparagus With Pecorino and Pine Nuts.
Don't Edit
Christine Dias, Special to The Oregonian/OregonLive
Fattoush salad
Columnist Matthew Card shared his interpretation of the Middle Eastern salad fattoush, which he adds protein to in order to make it substantial enough for a spring supper. This version features a spicy dressing featuring the spices sumac and Aleppo chile powder
Recipe: Chickpea and Sun-dried Tomato Fattoush With Fennel and Spicy Yogurt Dressing.
Don't Edit
Gregor Torrence, Special to The Oregonian/OregonLive
Braised baby artichokes
If you’re lucky, you may find the first baby artichokes of the season at the farmers market. If not now, soon. This dish is vegan if you use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth.
Recipe: Braised Baby Artichokes With Carrots and Dill.
Don't Edit
Don't Edit
Christine Dias, Special to The Oregonian/OregonLive
Flank Steak Fattoush
Want a meatier take on fattoush? Matthew Card created this version featuring thinly slice flank steak, feta cheese, zingy peppers, and a dressing loaded with dried mint and sumac.
Recipe: Flank Steak Fattoush With Feta, Mint and Sweet-Tart Peppers.
Don't Edit
Ross William Hamilton
Chicken Mango Tacos
Light and healthy can also be refreshing and delicious, as with these tasty tacos that combine lean chicken with tropical mango. Because the chicken is grilled, it gives the dish a layer of additional flavor you wouldn’t get with baked or poached chicken.
Recipe: Chicken Mango Tacos.
Don't Edit
Matthew Mead, The Associated Press
Celery Root Slaw
Celery root isn’t one of the most-celebrated finds at the farmers market, but it’s loaded with vitamin K and adds great flavors to dishes, like this slaw, which gets lightened up significantly with yogurt taking the place of half of the mayonnaise in the dressing.
Recipe: Celery Root and Chipotle Remoulade Slaw.
Don't Edit
Grant Butler
Black Bean and Corn Salad
One of our most-popular salad recipes is normally made with late summer sweet corn. But you can make it now by substituting 1 cup of thawed frozen corn kernels. This is a perfect side dish with grilled fare, making it ideal for a spring cookout.
Recipe: Black Bean and Corn Salad With Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette.
Don't Edit
Daniel Strehlau
Eggplant Salad
This eggplant salad is North African in origin, and was created to celebrate Passover. But it’s a light addition to any spring meal, and can serve as a vegan entrée.
Recipe: Cooked Tomato, Pepper and Eggplant Salad.
Don't Edit
Don't Edit
Grant Butler
Copy Desk Salad Bowl
A few years ago, we were digging through our deep recipe files, and came across this surprisingly modern arugula salad that first appeared in the Oregon Journal in 1937. Who would have guessed that a salad that's nearly 80 years old could be so good?
Recipe: Copy Desk Salad Bowl.
Don't Edit
