Spring into Nutrition






Spring is a venerable season of fresh fruits and vegetables that colorfully burst with vitamins, minerals, and other powerful nutrients. Combining high-quality proteins, whole grains, and unsaturated fats with this season’s abundant bounty guarantees delicious and nutritious meals to feed your hunger and fuel your muscles.

The seemingly endless array of fresh produce can leave even the most decisive eater unsure of what to pick and how to prepare it. Sure there is the old stand by of throwing one or two oft-used vegetables in a steamer or microwave, but that does little to excite your tastebuds and it detracts from what should be a filling and fulfilling dining experience.

Ready to dig into spring’s offerings? The following recipes deliver a rich cornucopia of mouthwatering nutrition that will pique your appetite as well as sumptuously satisfy your hunger.

Spinach Salad with Dijon Dressing
Serves 6

Vibrant, nutrient-dense spinach partners perfectly with the fantastic flavors of toasted walnuts, turkey bacon, and hard cooked eggs. The Dijon dressing adds pizzazz to this already-tasty side dish or light meal. This dynamite dish is packed with “good for you” unsaturated fats, vitamin A, folate, iron and potassium.

½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 slices turkey bacon, preferably nitrite-free

1 pound baby spinach leaves (4 to 5 cups)
1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed, lightly steamed (15 to 20 spears)
6 hard cooked eggs, each quartered

Dijon Dressing (makes about ½ cup)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, minced (or 2 tablespoons minced onion)
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon or parsley, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch salt
Black pepper to taste

In a small skillet, toast walnuts over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and transfer nuts to a paper towel to cool. Replace skillet on the burner and cook turkey bacon until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and coarsely chop.

Divide spinach, asparagus spears, and wedges of egg among six plates. Drizzle each salad with 2 tablespoons of Dijon dressing and sprinkle with toasted walnuts and bacon bits. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Analysis (per serving): Calories 197 (62% from fat); Protein 13 grams; Carbohydrates 6 grams; Fiber 3 grams; Total Fat 13 grams (Saturated Fat 3 grams; Monounsaturated Fat 5 grams; Polyunsaturated Fat 5 grams); Cholesterol 214 milligrams; Sodium 346 milligrams.

Curry Steak Stir-Fry
Serves 6

Stir-frying offers one of the fastest and tastiest methods of cooking lean meats, poultry or fish and vegetables. A little oil, a variety of ingredients and frequent stirring yields a vast array of flavorful dishes. This protein-rich recipe combines juicy slices of curry-seasoned tenderloin with a colorful mix of carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, water chestnuts and cilantro. Balance it out with a side of brown rice or whole wheat pasta.

1 ½ pounds tenderloin beef, thinly sliced into pieces 2 inches long
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 small onion, halved, sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 Serrano pepper, seeded, minced
2 carrots, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, cut into thin sticks
6 ounces small brown mushrooms, sliced
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Toss steak, curry powder, and soy sauce in a large bowl until well coated. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Heat oil in a large wok or nonstick skillet on medium high. Cook onion for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and Serrano and stir-fry until fragrant and vegetables are soft. Add steak and cook, stirring often, until steak begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add carrots and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook, stirring often, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and stir-fry until mushrooms release some of their moisture, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes and water chestnuts and cook, stirring often, until tomatoes are warm and their skins are wrinkled. Serve immediately.

Note: If the wok or skillet dries out and food begins to stick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water at a time, as needed.

Nutritional Analysis (per serving): Calories 280 (32% from fat); Protein 32 grams; Carbohydrates 14 grams; Fiber 4 grams; Total Fat 10 grams (Saturated Fat 4 grams; Monounsaturated Fat 5 grams; Polyunsaturated Fat 1 gram): Cholesterol 84 milligrams; Sodium 281 milligrams.


Chili Verde Burritos with Tomatillo Sauce
Serves 6

Spicy slow cooked pork melds marvelously with a mild tomatillo sauce creating a succulent filling for tortillas. Tomatillos, which look like small green tomatoes covered with papery husks, can be found in the produce aisle. Pork and sauce can be made up to two days ahead. Feel free to substitute chicken breasts or lean beef for the pork shoulder. Tomatillo sauce is delicious poured over grilled fish or used as a dip for chips.

Shredded Pork
1 pound boneless pork shoulder, trimmed, quartered
1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth or water
1 small onion, cut into wedges
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Black pepper to taste

Tomatillo Sauce
2 cups fresh cilantro
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
½ cup reduced sodium chicken broth
2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed, peeled, quartered
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeno, coarsely chopped
Salt to taste

6 whole wheat tortillas (low-carb, if preferred)

Combine pork shoulder, broth, onion, garlic, and salt in a Dutch oven (large cast-iron pot with a tight-fitting lid) over high heat. Cover pot and bring ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low until meat is very tender, about 1 hour. Transfer pork from pot to a large bowl. When pork is cool enough to handle, shred it with two forks and season with cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, cayenne and black pepper. Set aside until ready to assemble burritos.

While pork is cooking, make sauce by combining cilantro, onion, broth, tomatillos, garlic, jalapeno and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables become tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let mixture cool slightly. Transfer ingredients to a blender or food processor and pulse until combined and thick. Pour sauce into a medium-sized bowl.

To assemble burritos, evenly divide pork among tortillas and top with tomatillo sauce. Wrap pork and sauce in tortilla and plate. Pour additional sauce over burritos. Garnish with sour cream and fresh cilantro, if desired. Refrigerate leftover pork and sauce for up to three days.

Note: If you don’t have a Dutch oven, pork can be cooked in a slow cooker or crockery pot for 4 to 6 hours on high. It can also be cooked in a stockpot covered with a lid.

Nutritional Analysis (per burrito): Calories 291 (29% from fat); Protein 26 grams; Carbohydrates 30 grams; Fiber 6 grams; Total Fat 9 grams (Saturated Fat 3 grams; Monounsaturated Fat 4 grams; Polyunsaturated Fat 2 grams): Cholesterol 74 milligrams; Sodium 652 milligrams.