5 Easy, Delicious, and Healthy Recipes for Spring

Kendra Thornburgh-Mueller '20, Staff Writer

Classic Acai Bowl

You’ve probably tried a delicious acai bowl out somewhere before, but have you ever thought of making one at home? It’s a super easy and great way to start any day feeling refreshed!

Courtesy of Eater Miami

Ingredients:

1 acai packet (you can get them in packs of 4 at Whole Foods)

A few (around 3-5) chunks of frozen pineapple, frozen mango, and frozen banana slices

¼ cup almond milk

1 tablespoon peanut butter

Toppings:

Your favorite granola

Fresh strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries (or any fruit of your choosing)

Chia seeds

Coconut flakes

Honey

Directions:

Run the acai packet under hot water for about 10 seconds. Cut off the plastic and break the frozen acai puree into chunks. Make sure to do this over a sink and wash your hands after (the juice can stain!). Some brands of the packets have recipes for bowls on them so feel free to try any of those too!

Next, put the acai chunks, frozen fruit, almond milk, and peanut butter in a blender. Blend until smooth and well mixed, but still thick (around a minute to 2 minutes on medium). Pour the smoothie into a bowl.

Time for toppings! Wash and cut your fruit. Put the toppings into your bowl in any way you’d like. Finish with a drizzle of honey and enjoy!

Strawberry and Avocado Spinach Salad with Candied Pecans

Both my parents and I ate this salad one day on a family vacation, and, let’s just say, we went back to the same restaurant for this lunch every day after. Trust me– after trying this recipe, you’ll never want to eat another type of salad again!

Courtesy of Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Ingredients:

For the candied pecans:

2 cups of pecan halves, unsalted

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ tablespoon ground cinnamon

pinch of cayenne pepper

½ – 1 egg white, whisked

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the salad: (it is easy to change amounts depending on how hungry you are or how many are going to be eating this)

½ cup chopped candied pecans

1-2 cups fresh spinach

½ or 1 avocado depending on how much you want

¾ cup sliced strawberries

¼ or 1/8 cup crumbled blue cheese

For the dressing

You can either use a strawberry or raspberry vinaigrette or whatever you’d like

Directions:

For the candied pecans (which are great just as a snack by the way, this recipe makes leftovers):

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne to a large bowl. Whisk evenly until combined.

In another bowl, add pecans and egg whites. Stir until pecans are evenly coated.

Add the sugar mixture and vanilla extract to the pecan bowl and stir until pecans are coated.

Spread the coated pecans out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes, removing the baking sheet and giving the nuts a stir every 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack until the nuts are at room temperature. Store in refrigerator in a sealed container or use for this salad.  

Salad Assembly:

Put your washed spinach in a bowl and top with chunks of avocado, strawberries, blue cheese, and candied pecans. Drizzle the dressing on top and enjoy.

Crispy Parmesan Garlic Edamame

Most tasty snacks these days are filled with unhealthy preservatives and calories, but not this one! Although it may take a little more effort than just opening a bag of chips, it is totally worth it for the amazing smell and taste of this healthy, low-calorie (but still filling) delight!

Ingredients:

2 cups edamame (frozen or raw)

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

¼ teaspoon onion powder

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch of pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a bowl, add parmesan cheese, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper; mix together.

In another medium bowl, add edamame (If you are using frozen edamame: place in a bowl of cool water for 5-10 minutes, then drain and pat dry).  Add olive oil to the bowl and toss to coat edamame.

Pour cheese mixture on top of edamame and stir until evenly coated.

Spread edamame out on your baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and browned to your liking. Let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy!

Chilorio Tacos and Pico de Gallo

Although you will probably need to gather some new ingredients from the grocery store, these tacos are a unique, healthy and delicious meal that can easily fill up your whole family (you might have to double the recipe depending on size, though) and leave you wanting more.

Courtesy of Foodgawker

Ingredients:

For the tacos:

2 dried ancho chiles, rinsed, stemmed and seeded (you can get these at Bristol Farms)

1 cup boiling water

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup chopped white onion

¼ cup fresh parsley leaves

2 peeled garlic cloves (or you can just use crushed garlic from a jar)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ – ½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound extra firm tofu, cubed (Important Hint: take the tofu out of the package and wrap in a lot of paper towels. Put something heavy on top of it and let it sit for at least 15 minutes before cutting it. This takes out most of the moisture so that the tofu won’t be soggy.)

1 cup orange juice

Small (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas, warmed

For the radish, cucumber, and mint Pico de Gallo:

1/8 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons lime juice

¼ teaspoon grated lime zest

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ green onions, thinly sliced(1/4 cup)

½ of a jalapeño or serrano chile, finely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves

1 cup red radishes, halved and sliced

2 baby cucumbers, halved and thinly sliced (1 cup)

Directions:

For the Tacos:

Put chiles in a small bowl and cover with 1 cup boiling water. Soak for 10 minutes or until chiles have rehydrated. Purée chiles (stemmed and seeded), ½ cup of the soaking water, vinegar, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, and pepper in a blender until smooth.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu (be careful, it sizzles) and cook for 8-10 minutes or until beginning to brown. Turn tofu occasionally. Reduce heat to medium, pour in orange juice, and simmer for 5 minutes(until juice has mostly cooked off).

Stir in the blended sauce and cook, partially covered, for 15 minutes or until sauce is thicker and darker. Mixture should be very moist but not wet.

Fill each tortilla (warmed in microwave or stovetop) with spoonfuls of the chilorio mixture and top with your Pico de Gallo.  Enjoy!

For the Pico de Gallo:

Whisk oil, lime juice, and lime zest in a bowl. Stir in the remainder of the ingredients and let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Lip-Lickingly Good Lemon Bars

To put it simply, these lemon bars are nothing short of the best lemon bars I’ve ever tasted!

Courtesy of Kitchme

Ingredients:

For the crust:

2 sticks butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 cups flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

6 extra-large eggs

3 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

1 cup lemon juice (fresh!)

1 cup flour

Powdered Sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper, and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in the flour and salt until dough forms.

Press the dough into the pan, making a 1/2 inch crust on all sides (it is okay if it’s not perfect).

Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Chill for 10 minutes.

Whisk together all of the remaining ingredients (except the powdered sugar), and pour into the cooled crust. Bake for 30-35 minutes until filling is set. Let cool to room temperature and put in the fridge or chill overnight (as the days go on, the lemony flavor gets even better and better).

Dust with powdered sugar before cutting and serving. Enjoy!