Sunny Spring Salad
Today’s recipe is a tasty vegetarian salad that is as satisfying as it is pretty. The color is bright, just perfect for a rainy day. If it doesn’t feel like Spring outside, it can feel like Spring inside.
When I say split peas, what comes to mind? Split pea soup? GREEN split pea soup? Years ago my dear friend, Dale Gallis, turned me on to yellow split peas. I started making soup from them, but also use them in salads.
The yellow split peas are combined with carrots, sweet onion, sweet peppers and fresh herbs, then tossed with a simple combination of apple cider vinegar and olive oil. You can serve it right away, or let the flavors blend in the fridge for a bit. I served my salad over a mix of Spring greens.
Yellow (or green) split peas cook to al dente in about 20 minutes, so they are a quick option, too. Much shorter cooking times than other legumes.
Sunny Spring Salad
1- 1 1/2 c. raw yellow split peas
salt
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1/2 c. chopped sweet onion
1/2 c. chopped sweet pepper
1/2 c. chopped parsley
1/2 c. snipped chives
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
6 c. mixed Spring greens
Rinse peas and place in a saucepan. Cover with water and add a little salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until peas are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Combine peas with carrots, peppers and onion and toss well. Add parsley, chives, oil, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Chill until ready to use. Serve on greens. Serves 3-4.
Ham and Asparagus Quiche
Ham and Asparagus Quiche
I had some fresh asparagus and wanted to make something special with it. I decided to make a quiche. I also had some ham, so combining the two ingredients in a quiche seemed like a good idea.
It was a very good decision.
Quiches are so versatile. You can fill them with almost any ingredients. They can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. You can also bake it right away, or freeze it for later. I often make two quiches, just so I can freeze one for later use.
The mix of ham, asparagus and Havarti cheese worked well together. You could use any number of cheeses that you like. Swiss would be nice, Gruyere or even a sharp cheddar would also work.
I use a homemade crust, but you can use a store bought crust, if you prefer.
Ham and Asparagus Quiche
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
1½ c. shredded cheese – I used Havarti
4 t. flour
1½ c. diced cooked ham
12 oz. asparagus, trimmed, cut in ½- inch pieces and steamed 3 minutes
4 eggs
1 c. milk or half and half
2 T. fresh chopped parsley or 2 teaspoons dried
¼ t. salt
1T. Dijon mustard
1 t. hot sauce
Toss cheese with flour in a bowl and place in pie crust. Sprinkle the ham and asparagus over the cheese and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl beating well to combine. Pour over the ham and asparagus mixture and bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn down heat to 350-degrees and bake until knife inserted off-center comes out clean, about 30 minutes more. Makes 1.
Note: This quiche freezes well. After adding the fillings just wrap in heavy foil and freeze solid until ready to bake. When ready to bake unwrap and allow to sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Bake as with the fresh version, but add another 10-15 minutes to the baking time. If you don’t want to freeze the pie pan, you can line the pie pan with foil before you add the crust. Once it is frozen you can remove the frozen quiche from the pie pan and wrap, returning to freezer. When ready to use unwrap and put the quiche back in the pie pan before baking. Or, if you are planning on freezing it, you can use a foil pie pan.
The Green Bowl of Spring
Green Bowl of Spring
We all get cravings. Food cravings. I think most of us think of cravings as a bad thing, like wanting brownies at midnight. But there are other cravings. The ones we should listen to.
It’s been a long winter. Spring, so far, has been unseasonably cold. I found myself have a craving lately, for veggies. More specifically, green veggies.
Don’t get me wrong. I eat veggies all the time. I like them. But this is more than my normal desire for veggies.
So I listened to these cravings, and made a big saute of green veggies for dinner last night. I used what I had on hand. The mixture was so full of flavor, and just what I had been wanting. It reminded me of Spring, all green and full of life, so that is what I called the recipe. I plan on making this again, maybe switching up some of the veggies. I just ate them as is, but I could see serving them over rice or pasta.
The Green Bowl of Spring
3 T. olive oil
2 onions, sliced
2 c. chopped cabbage
1 pound of Brussels spouts, trimmed and cut in half
1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut in 2-inch pieces
1 c. stock- veggie or chicken
salt and pepper to taste
parsley
Heat oil in large skillet and cook onions until tender. Add cabbage and cook until cabbage is tender, about 5 -7 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts and cook five minutes longer, reducing heat to medium and stirring often. Add remaining ingredients and cook 3-5 minutes more, until veggies are tender and most of the stock has cooked off. Adjust seasonings. Makes 4-6 servings.
