Fast and Fresh Spring Dinners
Our spring recipes highlight the flavors of vegetables, citrus, fresh herbs and more.
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Green Veggie Pasta
Go green with three superfood veggies—collard greens, asparagus, and peas. It's delicious as a meat-free meal, but if you like, add some ham for extra flavor and protein.
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Halibut en Papillote with Fennel, Olives and Leeks
Baking halibut with lemon, thyme and fennel in a parchment parcel yields effortlessly perfect texture and flavor. And as a fringe benefit, you get to open dinner like a present.
Related: Fish Recipes for Dinner Tonight
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Roasted Asparagus and Gnocchi
Keep it simple. Roast your entire dinner in one pan, then clear a little space in the corner of the pan to mix up a simple dressing.
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Risotto with Asparagus and Shiitakes
Brothy rice with mushrooms, tender asparagus, chives and Parmesan make this risotto truly luxurious. Be sure to sop up leftover sauce with a chunk of crusty bread.
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Carrot Soup with Tarragon and Cream
Thickened with a little potato and flavored with leeks, shallot, white wine and the faintly anise-y herb tarragon, this sleeper hit of a soup is subtle, springy and unexpectedly special.
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Spring Veggie Wedges
Made with a tube of crescent roll dough, herby cream cheese and fresh vegetables, this is a fancied-up version of a classic Midwest party app. Cut it into slim wedges for a crowd, or try it as an easy dinner that won't weigh you down.
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Fig and Pig Quiche
Satisfy sweet and salty lovers alike with this kicky bacon-topped quiche. It's one of the signature recipes at Maya-Camille Broussard's Chicago bakery, Justice of the Pies.
Related: Quiche Recipes For Any Meal
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Herb-Roasted Chicken with Bread Salad
In addition to slathering the bird in butter, herbs, shallots and lemon zest, you'll stuff a lemon and a bunch of thyme in the cavity. The result? Bronzed skin and huge flavor.
Related: Favorite Chicken Recipes
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Salmon Grain Bowl with Carrot-Miso Dressing
Sit down on a weeknight to a bowl of hearty whole-grain farro, seared salmon, and fresh spinach, cucumber and radish. The carrot-flecked dressing riffs off one that's a standby at Japanese restaurants.
Related: 20 Great Salmon Recipes
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Zucchini and Feta Frittata
This simple, fresh frittata recipe is ideal for a make-ahead brunch, though it can also be served as a healthy lunch or dinner. Serve it at room temperature so the salad on top won't wilt (and the cooking is complete before the guests come knocking).
Related:Â Easy Frittata RecipesÂ
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Mango Toast with Proscuitto
Cream cheese, mango, prosciutto and honey star in this easy toast recipe. Whip it up for a quick work-from-home lunch or light dinner.Â
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Chicken Katsu with Mango Sauce
Trade flavorful boneless thighs for breasts in this twist on a beloved Japanese comfort food, and you'll have super crispy, juicy chicken to serve over a bed of rice with sweet-and-savory mango sauce.Â
Related: Fresh Recipe Ideas for Chicken
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Chorizo-Potato Tacos with Collards
Classic chorizo-potato tacos get a nutrition boost from hearty chopped collard greens in this weeknight-easy recipe.
Related: Easy Taco Recipes
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Roasted Tomato Chilaquiles
Our shortcut chilaquiles use corn chips to avoid frying tortillas. The sauce is a quick puree of canned fire-roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic and chipotle peppers. Serve with fried eggs, quick-pickled radishes, and an appetite for adventure.
Related: Sizzling Mexican and Tex-Mex Recipes
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Vietnamese-Style Noodle Soup
This comforting, spiced soup will warm you up on those chilly spring evenings. Our recipe echoes pho (pronounced "fuh") but has a shorter simmer time thanks to boxed broth and flank steak.
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Cauliflower Parmesan
Wisconsin blogger Erin Clarke gives cauliflower "steaks" the chicken Parm treatment in her book, The Well Plated Cookbook.
Related: Creative Cauliflower Recipes
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Carrot Tart with Goat Cheese, Lemon and Mint
Since no one wants the soggy middle piece of a square tart, we cut a sheet of puff pastry in half to make two small ones: crisp edges for everyone! Eat as a meal with a salad or slice into petite wedges for a grab-and-go party app.
Related: Try Our Carrot Fritters with Tahini-Lemon Yogurt
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Meat-and-Veg Hand Pies with Cheddar Pastry
Inspired by Nebraska's Runzas and Michigan's pasties, these pocket pies hold beef, sausage, onion, and shredded greens. The crust is like a buttery, flaky Cheez-It, but pastry-phobes can use purchased pie crust and add cheddar to the filling.
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Thai Chicken Wraps
Collard greens take the place of rice paper wraps for heartier and more nutritious spring rolls.
Related: 17 Delicious Sandwich Wrap Recipes for Super-Easy Meals
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Flank Steak with Carrot Top Salsa Verde
Italian salsa verde—no relation to the Mexican one—is a classic herb sauce made with parsley, garlic and capers. Our version includes carrot tops, too. The bold, tangy flavor is a perfect match for steak (or any protein or roasted vegetable).
Related: Good-For-You Carrot Recipes
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Spring Potato Salad
This lightly sweet potato salad is a great way to use up leftover Easter ham.
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Kimchi Fried Rice
Wisconsin blogger Alice Choi (Hip Foodie Mom) says this weeknight-easy recipe is the perfect gateway into cooking Korean at home. All the ingredients can be found at a large urban supermarket, or at Asian grocery stores.
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Spring Scampi with Chives
These garlicky, lemony shrimp come together in just 15 minutes for a speedy weeknight dinner. Serve with crusty bread for mopping up the luscious butter sauce.Â
Related: Easy Shrimp Recipes
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Pork Chops with Curried Plum Glaze and Grilled Plums
This fruity spin on barbecued pork chops is special enough for company but ready in less than 45 minutes. For a complete meal, pair the recipe with a rice salad or simple steamed green beans or broccoli.
Related: Our Best Pork Recipes
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Spring Pasta with Morels, Ramps and Peas
Toss linguini with a rich sauce of morels, ramps (or leeks), peas, ham and cream. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese, if you like. Can't find morels? Substitute the same amount of stemmed shiitake, cremini and/or button mushrooms in the recipe. Or check online for dried morels.
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Herb-Crusted Lamp Chops
Brushed with mustard and coated with garlicky breadcrumbs, these petite chops are a quick alternative to a classic leg of lamb. The recipe comes from Michigan chef Andy Schudlich.
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Spaghetti Carbonara
This recipe for a classic pasta carbonara comes from the cookbook Michael Symon's 5 in 5 ($19.99), a fantastic source for weeknight dinner ideas. Plan to prep the ingredients (grate cheese, chop parsley) before you begin.
Related: Pasta Recipes with Pizzazz
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Spring Revival Couscous Salad with Filet Mignon
Lean and tender steaks crown a bright, lemony salad made with asparagus, peas and couscous. The recipe comes from chef Michael Ollier of Certified Angus Beef in Wooster, Ohio. He calls for generous 8-ounce steaks; for budget or dietary reasons, you may want to use a more modest 4-ounce steak. Just reduce the grilling time accordingly.
Related: Sensational Salad Recipes
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The Stone Barn's The Modena
Marinated chicken, sweet onion, mushrooms, snap peas and feta top an oiled crust in this recipe from the Stone Barn in Nelson, Wisconsin.Â
Related: 20 Recipes for Mushroom Lovers
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Tender-Crisp Spring Braise
Chicken, potatoes and veggies cook together for a nutritious dinner that's missing only one ingredient—a bottle of white wine.
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Lemon-Basil Pasta
Lemon, basil and olive oil form a pestolike sauce to complement the linguine and kidney beans. From start to finish, this five-ingredient dinner takes only 25 minutes.