Spring Fruit & Veggies

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Asparagus

When the first bundles of pencil-thin asparagus start showing up at the market, you know it's officially spring. Asparagus can be prepared in innumerable ways, but early-harvest stalks are so delicious raw that they may not even make it to cooking.


Oriental Flank Steak with Asparagus and Wild-Rice Pilaf

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 4 asparagus spears, 3 ounces steak, and 1 cup wild-rice pilaf)

Ingredients
16 asparagus spears
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (1-pound) flank steak or boned top round steak
4 cups sliced spinach
2 cups cooked wild rice
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
2/3 cup chopped green onions
Preparation
Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Cook asparagus in boiling water for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain well, and chill.

Combine soy sauce and next 4 ingredients (soy sauce through garlic), reserving 1/3 cup soy sauce mixture. Set aside. Place remaining soy sauce mixture, asparagus, and steak in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally.

Remove asparagus and steak from bag, and discard marinade. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add asparagus and steak, and cook steak 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness, turning asparagus as needed. Place steak on a platter, and cover with foil. Let stand for 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.

Combine 1/3 cup reserved soy sauce mixture, spinach, rice, celery, oil, and onions; toss to coat. Divide asparagus, steak, and wild-rice pilaf evenly among 4 plates.

Cooking Light January 1999


Asparagus Melt with Pesto Spread

Yield
2 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients
16 asparagus spears
3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
1 tablespoon commercial pesto
2 (2-ounce) slices sourdough bread, toasted
2 (1-ounce) thin slices ham
4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato
2 (1-ounce) slices part-skim mozzarella cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Steam, covered, 2 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Preheat broiler.

Combine mayonnaise and pesto in a bowl, and stir with a whisk. Spread 2 tablespoons pesto mixture onto 1 side of each bread slice. Layer each slice with 8 asparagus spears, 1 ham slice, 2 tomato slices, and 1 cheese slice. Place on a baking sheet; broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts. Sprinkle with pepper.

Cooking Light May 2001



Strawberries

Head to your local farmer's market or U-pick, and, depending on your latitude, you can get fresh strawberries in peak season from mid-April to early June. If you can muster the willpower not to eat them all straight out of the container,

Meringues with Fresh Strawberries and Chocolate Mascarpone

Yield
6 servings

Ingredients
Meringues:
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar

Chocolate Mascarpone:
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) mascarpone cheese, softened
1 teaspoon fat-free milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Strawberries:
3 1/2 cups quartered small strawberries (about 1 1/2 quarts)
1/4 cup sugar
Mint sprigs (optional)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 225°.

To prepare meringues, cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw 6 (4-inch) circles on paper. Turn paper over; secure with masking tape. Place egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form (do not underbeat). Divide egg white mixture evenly among 6 drawn circles on baking sheet; spread to fill the circles using the back of a spoon.

Bake at 225° for 1 1/2 hours. Turn oven off; cool meringues in closed oven for 30 minutes. Carefully remove meringues from paper. Cool completely. (Meringues can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.)

To prepare chocolate mascarpone, sift together 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and cocoa. Combine mascarpone, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl; stir just until combined. Stir in cocoa mixture.

To prepare strawberries, toss berries with 1/4 cup sugar; let stand 15 minutes.

Place 1 meringue on each of 6 plates; spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons mascarpone mixture on top of each meringue. Top each serving with about 1/2 cup strawberry mixture. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

Cooking Light May 2002


Spring Strawberry Pie

Yield
8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge and 1 tablespoon whipped topping)

Ingredients
Crust:
1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
Cooking spray

Filling:
2 cups sliced strawberries
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
6 cups small strawberries

Topping:
3 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped hazelnuts or almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons butter, melted
1/2 cup frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl, tossing with a fork until moist. Press into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes; cool on a wire rack.

To prepare the filling, combine strawberry slices and vinegar in a medium nonstick skillet. Place the berry mixture over medium-high heat; cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/4 cup sugar. Combine the water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add to pan, and bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in juice. Cool completely. Arrange whole strawberries, stem sides down, in crust. Pour cooled strawberry mixture over whole strawberries. Cover loosely, and chill 4 hours.

To prepare the topping, combine 3 tablespoons cracker crumbs, nuts, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons melted butter in a small bowl. Place crumb mixture in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook 2 minutes or until golden brown; cool. Sprinkle crumb mixture over pie. Top each serving with whipped topping.

Cooking Light May 2001


Artichokes

You can get artichokes any time of year, but fresh ones grown in season just taste so much better. Take advantage with the recipes below so you can use fresh instead of frozen in the dip.



Creamy Artichoke Dip

To make this the night before, combine dip ingredients, spoon into the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: about 1/3 cup)

Ingredients
1/2 cup (4 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (9-ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts (about 2 cups), thawed and chopped
Cooking spray
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl; stir until well blended. Stir in artichoke hearts. Spoon artichoke mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until artichoke mixture is hot and begins to brown. Serve warm.

Cooking Light September 2007


Veal-and-Artichoke Stew with Avgolemono

Meat cooked with artichokes takes on a delicious sweetness that contrasts with the tart lemon juice. This dish is usually served on its own, but it's equally delicious with rice, orzo, or egg noodles mixed into the sunny sauce.

Yield
8 servings (serving size: 4 ounces meat, 2 artichoke halves, 1/4 cup sauce, and 1 1/2 teaspoons dill)

Ingredients
Stew:
4 cups water, divided
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons), divided
8 medium artichokes (about 10 ounces each)
4 lemons, cut in half
2 1/2 pounds veal round, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onion
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 (15.75-ounce) cans fat-free,less-sodium chicken broth, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Avgolemono:
1 large egg
5 tablespoons water, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
Lemon wedges (optional)
Preparation
To prepare the stew, combine 3 cups water and 1/3 cup lemon juice in a large bowl. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, cut off the stem to within 1 inch of base, and peel stem. Remove the bottom leaves and tough outer leaves, and trim about 2 inches from the top of the artichoke. Cut artichoke in half vertically. Remove fuzzy thistle from bottom with a spoon. Trim any remaining leaves and dark green layer from base. Rub edges with a lemon half; place the artichoke halves in lemon water. Repeat procedure with remaining artichokes.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add veal, browning on all sides. Add onion, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the wine and 1 can of broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes.

Drain the artichoke halves. Add artichoke halves, 1 cup water, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup dill, 1 can of broth, salt, and pepper to pan; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the artichokes are tender. Remove veal and artichoke halves with a slotted spoon. Keep warm.

To prepare avgolemono, combine the egg, 3 tablespoons water, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a medium bowl. Combine 2 tablespoons water and the cornstarch in a small bowl; add to the egg mixture. Add the egg mixture to juices in pan. Bring to a boil, and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Serve the sauce over the veal and artichokes, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup dill. Garnish with lemon wedges, if
desired.

Cooking Light July 2001


Rhubarb

Once a home-baking staple, this sweet-tart vegetable (it's the leaf stalk of the plant, not botanically a fruit) has waned in popularity, and that's a shame. Rhubarb peaks in availability from April to June, grows all over the country. Rhubarb, which looks like crimson celery, has a short season so stock up while you can. It freezes beautifully; just store the stalks in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag.


Pork Chops with Rhubarb Chutney

Yield
4 Servings

Ingredients (see preparation)

Preparation
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine 2 cups cubed rhubarb (from 2 large stalks), 1/4 cup cider vinegar, 1/4 tsp. orange zest, 2 Tbsp. currants, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1 tsp. minced fresh ginger, 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper, 1/4 tsp. salt and a pinch of cloves. Stir in 1/2 cup water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until rhubarb breaks down and liquid is almost completely absorbed, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Warm 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Season 4 (3/4 -inch-thick) boneless pork chops with salt and pepper. Cook chops, turning once, until well-browned on both sides and cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of chop should read 155°F), about 10 minutes. Serve with chutney.

All You May 2007


Rhubarb Custard Bars

You can use fresh or frozen rhubarb for this recipe. We actually preferred unthawed frozen rhubarb.

Yield
36 servings (serving size: 1 bar)

Ingredients
Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
Cooking spray

Filling:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
3 large eggs
5 cups (1/2-inch) sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb (unthawed)

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (4 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese
1/2 cup (4 ounces) block-style 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
Mint sprigs (optional)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare crust, lightly spoon 1 1/2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

To prepare filling, lightly spoon 1/3 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 1/3 cup flour and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a large bowl; add milk and eggs, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Stir in rhubarb. Pour rhubarb mixture over crust. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until set. Cool to room temperature.

To prepare topping, place 1/2 cup sugar, cheeses, and vanilla in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gently fold in whipped topping; spread evenly over baked custard. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

Cooking Light May 2002