by Chef Audrey Blake

Flexible Spring Meals

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Featured in This Issue:
Easy Spring Recipes
(see recipe links below)

What is cold, warm, cold, hot, warm, cold, then hot? Spring!

I don't think any place that has season changes has a steady transition from winter to spring. There is that teasing "on again, off again" period which people find either exciting or annoying. The anxious are tapping their foot thinking "Okay, make up your mind! Stay hot or stay cold." Some are exhilarated by the "What will it be today?" question and stretch their hand out the door to check the temperature and are excited that they do indeed need a coat, again.

For those warm days, the idea of a quick meal comes to mind in order to hasten their ability to get outside and play. Throw a sudden cold day in the mix and the desire to stay in and cook a hearty meal returns. Basically, spring means you have to be prepared to do them all.

Pack your fridge with tasty favorites that can go any direction the season change may require--like tortillas (flour and corn), mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, basil, cream cheese and blue cheese. Stock the pantry with bread, onions, garlic, olive oil and potatoes.

For spring, I have included a few exotic ingredients that I don't typically keep on hand such as filo and Napa cabbage. When you buy these things, it is nice to know how to do more than one thing with them so that they can be used more than once. Filo is the thin sheets of dough used in Greek cooking; most commonly seen in Spanakopita. They are available in the freezer section of the gourmet shops or the bigger supermarket chains.

Shepherds Pie is an Irish Classic of minced lamb cooked with hearty onions and seasonings, topped with creamy mashed potatoes and baked; but here I am going to use the name "Sailors Pie" for my seafood potato bake dishes.

No matter what type of day spring brings in, I have recipes here that are easy to put together and light as a spring day.

Recipes:

Light Seafood Dishes & Salads

Salmon & Cream Cheese Quesadilla
Scallops, Blue Cheese and Pecan Quesadilla
Creamy Pesto Swordfish Enchiladas
Seafood "Flavor-fresh" Enchiladas
Simple Sailors Pie with Tilapia
Sassy Sailors Pie with Seafood
Tasty Tidbits:
     Roasted Tomatoes
     Roasted Peppers
     Sauteéd Mushrooms
     Croutons
Mahi-Mahi wrapped in Filo
Fruity Spinach and Napa Cabbage Salad
Honey Dressing
Savory Spinach Salad
Tomato Basil Dressing
Asian-style Sautéed Napa Cabbage
Garlic Bread with the Works
Baked Pears and Almonds in Filo

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Select a product or season at left for more recipes!

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