Get Creative, Use Seasonal Vegetables In Springtime Meals

Jazz up spring meals with vegetables. Prepared right, they are bright, crisp and full-flavored. To create added interest, vary the vegetable depending on which produce is freshest and the best buy at the market. Most vegetable dishes will adapt well to your creativity.

As an added value, eating an assortment of vegetables provides a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals and fiber. The nutrition people keep telling us to eat more veggies up to five half-cup servings a day. That’s easy with dishes like these.

Cold and Spicy Mushroom Noodles

8 ounces egg noodles

8 ounces fresh asparagus, snow peas, green beans or broccoli

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

Cold and Spicy Sauce:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes

3 tablespoons green onions, thinly sliced for garnish

In 2- to 3-quart saucepan, cook noodles in boiling water until done, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain; cover with cold water until ready to use.

Saute asparagus or other seasonal vegetable in oil until just tender. Add mushrooms and toss. Chill.

To prepare Cold and Spicy Sauce, combine all remaining ingredients, except green onions, in container of electric blender. Blend for 1 minute.

In large bowl, combine noodles, vegetables and sauce. Arrange on platter and garnish with green onions.

Yield: 4 servings.

Garden Gnocchi

Pronounced “NYOH-kee,” these tasty little Italian dumplings make a delightful accompaniment for meat or poultry. If you prefer, the dough can be chilled, sliced and either fried or baked.

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup water

1-1/8 cups flour

4 eggs

3/4 cup finely chopped carrots

1/2 cup finely chopped spinach (see note)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Prepared pasta sauce

Grated Parmesan cheese

In medium saucepan, heat butter and water together until butter melts and water begins to boil. Add flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until blended. Continue cooking and stirring until mixture forms a ball and leaves the sides of the pan.

Remove from heat and add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in carrots, spinach and seasonings.

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil; cook gnocchi by dropping teaspoonfuls in boiling water and poaching 3 to 4 minutes or until gnocchi float to surface. Drain.

Serve with pasta sauce and Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 8 side-dish servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 167 calories, 4 grams protein, 11 grams fat (59 percent fat calories), 12 grams carbohydrate, 178 milligrams sodium, 110 milligrams cholesterol.

Note: If using frozen spinach, squeeze out all excess liquid and pat dry.

Buttery Veggie Couscous

2 tablespoons light butter or margarine

1 (14-1/2-ounce) can vegetable broth

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 cups fresh vegetables (any combination, such as chopped red pepper, chopped onion, small broccoli florets, chopped pea pods, chopped carrots, asparagus pieces, etc.)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (basil, thyme, tarragon, sage, etc.)

1 cup uncooked couscous

Salt and pepper

In 2-quart saucepan combine butter, broth, mushrooms, vegetables and herb. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low; simmer until vegetables are crisp-tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in couscous. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 5 to 7 minutes or until broth is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Yield: 8 (1/2-cup) servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 130 calories, 4 grams protein, 24 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fat (14 percent fat calories), 5 milligrams cholesterol, 240 milligrams sodium.

Artichokes with Lemon Butter Sauce

4 medium artichokes

Lemon juice

3 quarts water

Sauce:

1/2 cup light butter

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Wash, trim stems and remove bruised outer leaves of artichokes. Cut off pointed leaf tips and the top inch of each artichoke. Brush cut edges with lemon juice.

In 5-quart pot, bring water to a full boil; add artichokes. Cover; cook over low heat until leaf pulls out easily, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove artichokes; drain upside down on wire rack. Slice artichokes in half and gently remove chokes (the fuzzy or prickly growth covering the artichoke heart).

Meanwhile, combine butter and lemon juice and heat in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat (or in microwave container on high setting) to melt butter. Stir in parsley and pepper.

In a small bowl, stir together water and cornstarch until smooth; pour into butter mixture. Continue cooking, stirring constantly with wire whisk (or every 30 seconds if using microwave), until smooth and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve warm artichokes with butter sauce spooned into center of each artichoke half. Use additional sauce for dipping leaves.

Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 80 calories, 2 grams protein, 7 grams carbohydrate, 6 grams fat (68 percent fat calories), 20 milligrams cholesterol, 130 milligrams sodium.

Spring Pea, Mushroom and Radish Salad

10-ounce package frozen baby green peas, slightly thawed

12 ounces fresh white mushrooms, sliced (about 4 cups)

1/2 cup sliced radishes

1/2 cup bottled creamy Caesar dressing

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives or sliced green onions (scallions)

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

Lettuce leaves

Hard-cooked eggs and chives for garnish, optional

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. Add peas; simmer uncovered, until nearly tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a colander; drain and rinse under cold water. Place in a large bowl along with mushrooms, radishes, dressing, chives, Parmesan cheese and salt; stir gently to coat.

To serve, spoon salad over 4 lettuce-lined serving plates, dividing evenly; garnish with egg wedges and chives, if desired.

Yield: 4 (1-1/2 cup servings)

Note: To prepare ahead, combine cooked, cooled peas, radishes, dressing, chives, Parmesan cheese and salt. Cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, stir in mushrooms, divide and garnish as above.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: Have a food question? Looking for a recipe? Laura Carnie, a certified family and consumer scientist and food consultant in Coeur d’Alene, would like to hear from you. Write to Cook’s Notebook, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. As many letters as possible will be answered in the newspaper; sorry, no individual replies.

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