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Writer's pictureKerry Bair

Fresh, Fueling Spring Recipes

Move over winter! Spring is officially here! And with that returns so many of our fresh and seasonal favorites, including greens, peas, asparagus, berries, and more! To help you get back including some fresh seasonal favorites in your fueling routine, I've shared a few of my favorite spring recipes!


 

Make Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches


These delicious sandwiches are easy to make, great to make ahead of time, and stack up to your Starbucks Favorite


Ingredients:

  • 6 Whole Grain English Muffins

  • 8 Large Eggs

  • 1 Cup Baby Spinach

  • 1/2Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

  • 6 Slices Canadian Bacon

  • 1/2t Salt

  • 1/4t Black Pepper


Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325F

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, spinach, salt, and pepper Pour into a greased 8x8 baking sheet (or use a large muffin pan).

  3. Bake for 10 minutes, then top with cheese and continue baking until the eggs are set (about 10 more minutes)

  4. Cut eggs into 6 squares (or remove from muffin pan) and assemble your sandwiches

  5. Wrap in parchment paper and foil to store. Sandwiches are good in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month

Spring Berry Oatmeal Bowl


Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats

  • 1C milk (with protein)

  • 1T chia seeds

  • 3-4 strawberries, sliced

  • 1 banana, sliced

  • 1/2C blueberries or blackberries

  • dash cinnamon

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions:

  1. Cook oatmeal according to package directions using the milk as the liquid (for added protein).

  2. Sprinkle with chia seeds, cinnamon, and maple syrup and top with fruit

Recipe inspired by Project Sunny




Strawberry Salad with Arugula and Walnuts


Ingredients:

For The Salad

  • 4 big handfuls of fresh arugula, mixed greens, or spring mix

  • 12 Strawberries hulled and halved

  • 1/2 cup soft cheese (like feta or goat)

Caramelized Walnuts

  • 1 cup walnut halves

  • 3 Tbsp brown sugar

  • pinch salt

  • 1 tsp butter

Dressing

  • 1/4 cup oil

  • 3 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar

  • 1 tsp hot pepper flakes (more or less to your taste)

  • 1 tsp honey

  • 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

  • salt to taste

Directions:

  1. To make the caramelized walnuts, put the nuts, sugar, butter, and salt into a small sauté pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until everything melts and coats the walnuts. Turn them out onto parchment or foil to cool.

  2. To make the dressing, combine all the dressing ingredients into a small jar or single serve blender and mix well using the blender, immersion blender, or whisk

  3. To assemble the salad, add the greens in a wide bowl and top with the strawberries, cheese and chopped walnuts. Add dressing immediately before serving!

Make this salad into a balanced performance plate by adding extra protein (like grilled chicken, tuna, or beans) and grains (like mixing in quinoa or farro or pairing with a whole wheat dinner roll)


Recipe inspired by The View From Great Island


Spring Quinoa Bowl


Ingredients: For the Lemon Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 2T lemon juice

  • 2T golden or white balsamic vinegar

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 2 teaspoons honey

  • Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Quinoa Bowl:

  • 2 cups arugula, mixed greens, or spring mix

  • 1/2 cup cooked quinoa

  • 4 asparagus spears, cooked and cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 1/4 cup peas

  • 2 radishes sliced

  • 1/2 avocado sliced

  • 1 hard boiled egg sliced

  • 2 tablespoons chopped almonds

  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. To make the dressing, whisk together all dressing ingredients

  2. Place the greens in a salad bowl and with the quinoa, asparagus, peas, radishes, avocado, egg slices, and almonds. Drizzle with dressing and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.

Recipe inspired by Two Peas & Their Pod


Chicken Gyro Wrap


For The Chicken:

  • 4 medium chicken breasts

  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1 garlic clove minced

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • salt and pepper

For The Tzatziki Sauce:

  • 8oz plain Greek yogurt

  • 8 oz cucumber

  • 1 large garlic clove minced

  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped

  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

For The Wraps:

  • 4 Pita flatbreads

  • 1 medium tomato, cut into thin slices

  • ½ red onion, cut into thin slices

  • olive oil

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450F

  2. In a small bowl mix the paprika, oregano, garlic, and olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place the chicken in a baking dish and pour the marinade over the chicken. Massage the chicken for the marinade to spread evenly. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, until the chicken gets a golden brown color. Transfer chicken breasts to a cutting board and once cooled, cut into thin strips.

  3. For The Tzatziki sauce, in a mixing bowl, add the yogurt, garlic, dill, vinegar, and olive oil. Grate the cucumber with a hand grater (not too thin) and add to the mixture. Mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.

  4. Add a drop of olive oil to a frying pan and heat over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the first pita flatbread. Cook for 1-2 minutes each side to warm and lightly brown. Repeat with the remaining flatbreads.

  5. To assemble the wraps, to each flatbread add 2-3 slices of tomato, a few slices of onion, a few pieces of chicken, and 1-2 tablespoons of tzatziki.

Recipe inspired by Real Greek Recipes


Vietnamese Spring Roll In A Bowl


Ingredients

  • 8 ounces thin rice noodles

  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

  • 8 ounces cooked shrimp, diced (or substitute with cooked chicken, pork, or tofu)

  • 1 English cucumber, julienned, shredded, or diced

  • 3 cups shredded cole slaw mix (or 1C shredded carrots and 1/2 small head of cabbage)

  • 2/3 cup loosely-packed chopped fresh bean sprouts

  • 2/3 cup loosely-packed chopped fresh cilantro

  • 2/3 cup loosely-packed chopped fresh mint

  • 1/3 cup chopped peanuts

  • 2/3C Thai Peanut Dressing


Directions:

  1. Cook rice noodles according to package instructions. Once they are cooked, rinse them with cold water under a strainer until completely chilled. Then transfer to a large mixing bowl, drizzle with sesame oil, and toss until the noodles are evenly coated with the oil.

  2. Add the shrimp, cucumber, carrots, bean sprouts, cilantro, mint, peanuts, cabbage, and dressing to the noodles, and toss until evenly combined.

Recipe inspired by Gimme Some Oven

Chili Lime Sheet Pan Shrimp


Ingredients

  • 2 pounds uncooked shrimp (26-30 per pound), peeled and deveined

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • 1 teaspoon ground chile pepper

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

  • 1 medium lime

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

  • 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cubed

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425°.

  2. Add the shrimp, garlic, paprika, chile pepper, cumin, lime zest and juice, cilantro, oil, salt and pepper to a bowl and mix to combine. Pour out the seasoned shrimp onto a greased baking sheet. If you like your tomatoes cooked, you can also add them to the bowl here.

  3. Bake until shrimp turn pink, 12-15 minutes.

  4. Top shrimp avocado (and tomato if leaving them raw)

Enjoy as a taco, burrito, bowl, salad or any way you'd like!


Recipe inspired by Taste of Home


Creamy Sweet Pea and Ham Rice



Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Place 1 1/2 cups of cooked peas in a blender along with 1/2 cup of broth and cheese and puree until smooth. Set aside until ready to use and reserve the remaining cup of whole peas for the very end.

  2. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the rice and stir to coat the rice grains with oil.

  3. Add the broth, bring to boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, until the broth has evaporated and the rice is cooked.

  4. Stir in the butter, basil, pureed peas, and the reserved cup of whole peas. Heat through and add salt to taste. Sprinkle with the ham and top with a extra chopped basil.

Recipe inspired by The Daring Gourmet


Air Fryer Banana Split


Ingredients:

  • 1 banana

  • 1/4t cinnamon

  • 1/4C vanilla Greek Yogurt

  • 2T peanut butter

Additional toppings: granola, crushed nuts, chocolate chips


Directions:

  1. Cut your banana in half, longways, cutting about 3/4 of the way through the banana. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

  2. Air fry at 400F for 6 minutes

  3. Top with your desired toppings, including greek yogurt, peanut butter, granola, nuts, chocolate chips, or anything that sounds good to you! Enjoy

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Kerry Bair, RD, LDN, MPH

The Gymnast RD

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