Page 22 - Florida Sentinel 4-6-18

Recipes
From salmon to kale to avocado to sweet potatoes, there are some foods that have probably earned a spot in your kitchen year-round. But others make seasonal appearances.
Now that things are (finally!) starting to warm up, it’s time to trade in your winter meal workhorses for lighter spring choices. Next time you hit the market, add these warmer-weather fruits, vegetables, and cooking staples to your basket. Now’s the time of year when strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and rasp- berries start tasting juicy and flavorful, instead of like cardboard. So stock up!
Springtime Spaghetti
Zucchini and carrots are sauteed in butter, mixed in a creamy sauce, and tossed with spaghetti. This is a great side dish that goes really well with barbeque."
Ingredients:
8 ounces spaghetti
2 tablespoons butter
1 large zucchini, julienned
3 large carrots, julienned
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Directions: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, cook spaghetti for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the zucchini, carrots, and garlic until tender. Stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, and dill. Cook and stir until thickened. Mix with the cooked spaghetti to serve.
Penne with Chicken and Asparagus
A light but super-tasty pasta dish, with fresh asparagus cooked in broth with sauteed garlic and seasoned chicken."
Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package dried penne pasta
5 tablespoons olive oil, di- vided
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into cubes salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 bunch slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut on di- agonal into 1-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Directions: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
Warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in chicken, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until chicken is cooked through and browned, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken to paper towels.
Pour chicken broth into the skillet. Then stir in asparagus, garlic, and a pinch more garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cover, and steam until the asparagus is just tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet, and warm through.
Stir chicken mixture into pasta, and mix well. Let sit about 5 minutes. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, stir again, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Fennel Soup
Directions: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the quartered fennel bulbs; cook and stir until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Pour in the broth, and simmer until fennel is tender, about 15 more minutes. Ladle into soup bowls, and season with salt and pepper.
This soup is so easy to prepare and tastes better than most soups you could buy. Mild onion and anise fla- vored - it's awesome!"
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
5 fennel bulbs, trimmed and quartered
1 (32 fluid ounce) container vegetable broth salt and pepper to taste
Springtime Strawberry Spinach Salad
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons sesame seeds 1 tablespoon poppy seeds 1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar 1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced onion
10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered
A great way to get kids to eat spinach!"
Directions: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour.
In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Banana Strawberry Smoothie
This smoothie will leave you feeling refreshed and give you that little extra boost you need to get you through the day. It also tastes great!"
Ingredients:
1 banana
5 strawberries, hulled
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cup cold milk/milk alterna- tive
Directions: Combine the banana, strawberries, cinnamon, milk, and food coloring in a blender; blend until smooth; serve immediately.
PAGE 10-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2018