Delicious Vegetable Based Dishes Inspired by Spring

There’s nothing like seasonal vegetables to bring a smile to your face in the spring. After the long months of winter, starchier, heavier veggies, light pepper arugula and rich artichokes give you that boost you need with a healthy kick! It’s so easy to pull out your old tried and true recipes, but we think it’s much more fun to experiment in the kitchen.

While keeping the MIND diet, well, in mind, we have pulled some of our favorite unique recipes that are sure to please many palates this spring. From a great transitional meal like roasted spring veggies to baby artichokes with crescenza cheese, these meals are truly must-tries for your spring meal planning. From our expert chefs at Juniper Glen Memory Care and Transitional Assisted Living to you, here are our top four favorite spring meal ideas!

Roasted Spring Vegetables

Spring weather can be unpredictable–when some days can be warm and others downright cold and rainy, a solid meal of roasted veggies can perk up those chillier spring nights, while still offering the lightness of a spring meal. These simply prepared veggies rely heavily on the vegetables’ depth of flavor and are not overpowered with too many additions. With olive oil, garlic, and your choice of seasoning (we recommend Italian herbs), prepping these veggies has never been easier. While you can customize the recipe with your favorite in season vegetables, we love the combination of parsnips, radishes, carrots, sugar snap peas, and a super special addition of ramps.

Garden Risotto

Another perfect meal for a cooler night is this delicious garden risotto from Food Network. Pairing the nutty and rich flavors of risotto with the bright sweetness of spring peas and spinach, as well as lemony asparagus, this greens packed risotto offers a punch of nutrition in every creamy bite. Using low-sodium chicken stock allows you to control your salt intake, and you can trade the grated parmesan cheese for a vegetable-based cheese for those looking to avoid dairy. We can’t say enough good things about this dish, but we think you should just take our word for it and try it for your next dinner!

Lemony-White Bean and Arugula Salad

Arugula (also called rocket in some parts of the world), can have a reputation as being too strongly flavored for some. With its peppery and somewhat bitter taste, it’s best to pair it with a citrus to soften it. Welcome to this incredible salad with simple ingredients but plenty of flavor. A vegan-friendly dish, this salad gets its tang from lemon and dijon mustard, its depth from arugula and red onion, and its richness from creamy white cannellini beans. Easy to dress in mere minutes, this dish is perfect as a side dish, or in a larger portion for a full nutrient-packed meal.

Baby Artichokes with Marinated Crescenza Cheese

Most of us might not be familiar with crescenza cheese, but this soft Italian cheese deserves to be known. Similar to taleggio or brie, this cheese is a wonderful addition to a spring meal. Marinating this cheese may be a little bit time-consuming, but every minute spent is worth it. Combined with fresh basil and parsley, artichokes, fava beans, and our favorite – arugula, this dish is slow living at its finest.

This spring, we hope you open up your meals to a little creativity and try your hand at whipping these up. We know you won’t regret it!

If you are interested in learning more about our Buffalo area memory care community, please give us a call. We would love to give you a virtual or in person tour of our incredible community.