spring | Nourish Yourself

It’s hot here this week. Today it’s above 80, which is way warmer than usual for April. My allergies are out of control; the pollen count is something insane (like 4000 when it is usually about 150 here). The thought of eating a hot meal today is totally unappealing so it made me think of one of my favorite, super-simple warm-weather meals. Consider this a preview of things to come from me this summer!

I love that this makes a big batch so we can have it for dinner and then I can have it for lunch throughout the week. It keeps beautifully in the fridge because the vegetables in it hold up well. For those of you looking for easy make-ahead options, add this one to your files! You’ll be so glad you did.

When I make this, I often serve it with homemade hummus and some whole wheat pita to round out the meal. If you try this, I’d love to know what you think and what you decide to serve with it!

Lemon Chicken and Spring Vegetable Salad
adapted from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Serves 8

2 lbs grilled lemon chicken (See below – must make ahead of salad)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cups raw sugar snap peas, strings and ends removed
1 cup each red and yellow peppers, julienned
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped

After the chicken has been grilled, chill in refrigerator. Slice chicken diagonally into 3/8 inch slices. Toss in a bowl with their juices plus the rest of the ingredients above. Taste for seasoning, adjust, and serve cold or at room temperature.

Grilled Lemon Chicken
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. minced fresh thyme

Whisk together all ingredients except chicken in a small bowl. Pour over chicken breasts into a non-reactive container. Cover and marinate 6 hours in refrigerator (or overnight).

Remove chicken breasts from marinade and pat dry. Grill over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Cool slightly before cutting.

Spring has sprung here…or so it seems. We’ve had a gorgeous preview of spring this week with temperatures in the 60s and streets filled with children in short sleeves playing with abandon in the sunshine. That first breath of spring air always changes my palate in an instant. I am passionate about cooking seasonally, and days like we’ve had this week make me start to crave lighter, greener foods. I want to fire up the grill (without having to brush the snow off of it first!) and smell the char of a steak or the smoky edge of shrimp. I want to steam asparagus and toss salads of mixed greens with lemony vinaigrettes. Gone is my desire to spend the day near the stove stirring warm, comforting foods…the soups and stews that have satisfied and nourished our family through the cold and snowy days of winter here in the Midwest. Changing the foods on the table is like throwing off the comforter and quilts of winter to reveal crisp white sheets and light coverlets of spring. Aaaaah.

Tonight we’re having Mediterranean Grilled Vegetables on whole wheat flatbread. I’ll grill red, yellow and green peppers, a sweet Vidalia onion, some baby zucchini, and a handful of cherry tomatoes tossed in olive oil till the edges are charred and the pieces are crisp tender. I’ll grill the flatbread just until it’s warm and spread it with hummus and top it with the grilled vegetables, a sprinkle of goat cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic reduction. And we’ll have that green salad with shallot-lemon vinaigrette I’ve been craving all day. If I weren’t pregnant I’d open a bottle of bright, crisp Sauvignon Blanc and toast to the joy of our spring preview…as it is, I’ll make do with a bottle of Pellegrino and a twist of lime. 😉

I’m afraid we’ll be back to soups and stews for a few more weeks before spring is here for REAL but with a dinner like this to whet our appetite, I’ll spend those weeks poring through cookbooks for ideas to take advantage of the first spring harvests.

Tag Archives: spring

Lemon Chicken and Spring Vegetable Salad

A meal to welcome spring