Use in-season spring ingredients to create some healthier dinners this week. After a few weeks of holiday eating and chocolate candy, you may want to eat a bit lighter.

Dinner Menu 1

 

Shrimp with Easy Risotto

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh or frozen large shrimp in shells or shelled
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/3 cup chopped onion (1 small)
• 2/3 cup uncooked Arborio rice
• 1 14 1/2 ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Lemon wedges

Directions

Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Peel and devein shrimp if needed. Rinse shrimp; pat dry with paper towels.

Place shrimp in a resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish.

For the marinade:

In a small bowl combine lemon juice, oil, garlic, oregano and salt. Pour marinade over shrimp. Seal bag; turn to coat shrimp. Marinate in the refrigerator while you prepare the risotto (15 to 25 minutes).

For the risotto:

In a medium saucepan heat butter over medium heat until melted. Add onion; cook about 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add rice. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Carefully stir in broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in peas. Let stand about 1 minute or until heated through. (Rice should be tender but slightly firm and creamy.) Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Cook shrimp in a skillet or on the grill as described below. Serve shrimp with risotto and lemon wedges.

SKILLET: Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and marinade to the skillet. Cook about 3 minutes or until shrimp are opaque, stirring frequently.

GRILL: Drain shrimp, reserving marinade. Thread shrimp onto metal skewers, leaving 1/4 inch between shrimp. Brush shrimp with the reserved marinade.

For a charcoal or gas grill, place kabobs on the grill rack directly over medium-high heat. Cover and grill for 4 to 6 minutes or until shrimp are opaque, turning once halfway through grilling.

Dinner Menu 2

Roasted Pork and Spring Vegetables

8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds tiny new potatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1-2 pound boneless pork top loin roast
• 6 fresh baby artichokes or use thawed  frozen artichoke hearts, if you cannot find fresh
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 cups whole baby carrots

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place potatoes in a large bowl.

In a small bowl combine rosemary, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour half of the mixture over the potatoes; toss to coat.

Trim fat from meat. Place meat on a rack in a shallow roasting pan; spread the remaining oil mixture over the meat. Arrange potatoes around the meat. Roast for 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, wash artichokes if using fresh; trim stems and remove loose outer leaves. Cut 1/2 inch off the top of each artichoke. Cut each artichoke lengthwise into quarters. Place quartered artichokes in a medium bowl; toss with lemon juice.

In a covered large saucepan cook artichokes and carrots in boiling, lightly salted water for 10 minutes; drain.

Add artichokes and carrots to the roasting pan, stirring to combine with potatoes. Roast for 15 to 35 minutes more or until a meat thermometer registers 150 degrees F and vegetables are tender, stirring vegetables occasionally.

Remove from the oven. Cover meat and vegetables with foil; let stand for 10 minutes before slicing meat.

Dinner Menu 3

Creamy Carrot Soup

4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped (about 3 cups)
• 1/2 cup rice
• 2 ½ cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable stock or broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ cups milk
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dillweed
• Paprika and coarse salt

Directions

In a 3 to 4 quart pot melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook for 10 minutes until tender. Add the carrots, rice, stock and salt. Bring to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Cook, covered, for 35 minutes until rice and carrots are very tender. Cool slightly.

Using a handheld immersion blender, process the mixture in the pan until completely smooth. Whisk in milk and creme fraiche.

Heat and stir over low heat. For a thinner texture, stir in additional milk. To serve, sprinkle with green onion, dillweed, paprika and coarse salt, if desired.

White Bean Tuna Salad

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1-15 ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 2-5 ounce cans tuna packed in water, drained
• 2 cups lightly packed arugula or spinach
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 lemon
• Crusty Italian bread, sliced and toasted

Directions

In a large bowl combine beans, tuna, arugula, red onion and parsley.

For the dressing:

In a screw-top jar combine vinegar, oil, oregano, salt and pepper. Shake well to combine.

Pour dressing over tuna mixture; toss gently to combine. Squeeze juice from half of a lemon over the salad. Serve with toasted bread.

Dinner Menu 4

Oregano Chicken and Peppers

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds bone-in meaty chicken pieces (breasts and thighs), skinned
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds
• 1 large tomato, peeled and chopped (3/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 medium green sweet pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into thin strips
• 8 oz thin spaghetti

Directions

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a deep skillet with a cover. Cook chicken over medium heat about 15 minutes or until light brown, turning once. Reduce heat.

Scatter the garlic, half of the lemon slices, half of the tomato, the olives, onion, parsley and oregano over chicken pieces in the skillet. Sprinkle with ground red pepper. Add the wine and the chicken broth. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

Add the remaining tomato and the bell peppers. Cook, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes more or until sweet peppers are crisp-tender and chicken is tender and no longer pink.

Cook the pasta to the al dente stage. Drain and place on a serving platter.Place the the chicken on top of the spaghetti and pour the peppers and sauce over the chicken. Garnish with remaining lemon slices.

Dinner Menu 5

Avocado and Asparagus Egg Sandwiches

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 8 ounces fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
• Boiling water
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and chopped
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 large slices country-style white or whole grain bread
• 8 slices bacon, crisp cooked

Directions

Place asparagus spears in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Pour enough boiling water over the asparagus to cover. Let stand for 10 to 12 minutes or until bright colored and crisp-tender. Drain. Finely chop three of the asparagus spears; set aside.

In a small bowl use a fork to mash the avocado; stir in lime juice. Stir in the chopped asparagus; set aside.

For the omelet:

In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, the water, salt and pepper until combined but not frothy.

Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet with flared sides over medium-high heat until the skillet is hot. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the skillet. Add half of the egg mixture; reduce heat to medium. Immediately begin stirring eggs gently but continuously with a wooden or plastic spatula until the mixture begins to come together. Stop stirring. Cook for 30 to 60 seconds or until the egg is set.

Remove from heat. Using a spatula, lift and fold an edge of omelet to opposite edge. Transfer to a warm plate. Cover with foil and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the remaining egg mixture to make a second omelet.

Toast bread. Spread avocado-asparagus mixture on 2 of the bread slices. Top with each with half the bacon, half the asparagus spears, omelets and the remaining 2 slices of bread. Cut sandwiches in half to make 4 servings.

Roasted Beet Salad

4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh beets with tops
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 4 ounces sliced ricotta salata cheese or feta cheese
• Balsamic vinegar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut the tops from beets; set tops aside. Place beets and rosemary on a piece of heavy foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Bring up two opposite edges of the foil; seal with a double fold. Fold in remaining edges to completely enclose. Roast beets about 60 minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife. Carefully open the packet to release the steam. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel skins from the beets and cut into wedges. Discard rosemary.

Meanwhile, thoroughly wash and dry the beet greens. Thinly slice just the beet greens and discard the stalks.

In a large bowl gently toss warm beets, shredded beet greens and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until the greens are slightly wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

On a large platter or four salad plates arrange the beet mixture. Sprinkle with raisins and nuts. Top with cheese and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Posted by Jovina Coughlin in artichokes, arugula, asparagus, Bacon, Balsamic Vinegar, Beans, beets, Bread, cannellini, carrots, Cheese, Chicken, Dinner, eggs, Fish, greens, Healthy Italian Cooking, Olives, Pasta, peas, peppers, Pork, potatoes, Risotto, sandwiches, shrimp, Soup, tomatoes, tuna, Vegetables Tags: spring dinner menus