Here is another great recipe for Spring Fever! The original recipe comes from Simply in Season, but I have adjusted the ingredients and the method of serving. The first set of ingredients and directions is more or less the original, with some additions. The second set is my own creation, created to compliment the flavors in the chowder.

I created this meal to celebrate a new apartment for my friend Leah. On the first evening in a new place, I felt the kitchen needed to be “broken in” as a welcoming gift. Both she and I loved this dish, and it makes plenty of leftovers for lunch (or enough to feed a crowd). Of course, I had to serve this with my favorite Coconut-Ginger Rice. We also had fresh cantaloupe on the side, which complimented the dish perfectly.

2 tbsp butter
2 ribs of celery, minced
1/2 medium onion, minced
2-3 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into half-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup fresh basil, torn or chopped into small pieces
1/3 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups water
3 vegetable bouillon cubes (or chicken)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 can (14-16 oz) diced tomatoes, not drained
1 can (14-16 oz) corn kernels, drained
1 1/2 cups (12 oz) evaporated milk

In a large stockpot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add celery and onions, saute 3-5 minutes until tender. Add zucchini and basil, saute an additional 3-5 minutes until tender.

Stir flour, salt, and pepper into vegetables. Gradually stir in water to make a smooth stock. Add bouillon cubes and lemon juice, mix well. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes until bouillon cubes have dissolved.

Add tomatoes and juice, corn, and evaporated milk to pot. Return mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, cooking for 5 minutes until corn is tender.

At this point in the original recipe, 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese are stirred into the chowder just before serving and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese is sprinkled on top of the serving bowls. In my recipe, the sauteed beef is prepared while the chowder cooks and everything is served over hot, cooked rice.

1 lb beef, cut into thin strips 
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 ribs celery, minced
1/2 medium onion, minced
6 scallions, cut into half inch pieces, white and green parts separated
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp allspice
1 cup water

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Saute garlic for 1 minute. Add celery, onion, and white scallions to skillet and saute 3-5 minutes. Remove onion mixture from skillet and set aside.

Toss beef in cornstarch, cumin, cayenne pepper, and allspice until coated. Add beef to hot skillet and cook 2 minutes on one side, do not stir. Add water to pan and turn beef, scrapping the bottom of the skillet to loosen any browned bits. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium.

Return onion mixture to pan and toss with beef. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 3-5 minutes.

Serve sauteed beef and zucchini chowder over hot, cooked rice. Top with green scallions.

 Dinner is served!

Here is a simple sauce, perfect for tossing with pasta, veggies, and chicken. The recipe originally came from Simply in Season, was a few tweaks courtesy of Jenn. I added red onions, mushrooms, and chicken breasts to turn this into a full meal. Be careful not to overcook the sauce, it could start to solidify.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz linguine pasta
1/2 lb sugar snap peas
2 tbsp butter
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 small red onion, halved and sliced
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
3 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tbsp fresh dill
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook 4 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and cook 2 minutes longer or until tender. Drain.

While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, red and green onions, and lemon peel and saute 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

Add chicken breasts to pan with lemon juice and turn heat to high. Cook about 3-5 minutes per side until cooked through.

Meanwhile, add onion mixture to pan with pasta and snap peas. Beat milk and eggs together and to pan. Cook over very low heat until mixture is slightly thick, do not boil. Stir in dill, salt, and nutmeg. Toss cooked chicken breasts with pasta. Serve immediately.

Celebrate National Peach Cobbler Day with this easy impostor. Okay, this is more of a crisp than an actual cobbler, but it’s the thought that counts! Since cherries and peaches are a distant memories here in mid-April Michigan, I used frozen fruit and it tasted great. Be sure to thaw fruit completely first. Wheat germ adds a toasted, nutty taste to the crumbly topping.

Cherry-Peach “Cobbler”

2 bags (16 oz each) unsweetened frozen sliced peaches, thawed
1 bag (12 oz) unsweetened frozen dark sweet cherries, thawed
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup brown sugar, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1/2 cup flour
1 cup quick oats
2 tbsp wheat germ
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
frozen yogurt, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F and coat a 13×9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Pour thawed peaches and cherries into prepared pan, including any juices from the bags. Toss fruit with cornstarch and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Set aside.

In a food processor or chopped, combine flour and butter. Pulse until butter is in pea-sized pieces. Add remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, quick oats, wheat germ, and cinnamon. Pulse until just combined.

Sprinkle topping over prepared fruit. Bake 20-25 minutes, until topping is golden and fruit mixture is bubbly. Serve warm with frozen yogurt, if desired.

Shown below, served with vanilla frozen yogurt and garnished with mint:

Hearty whole wheat pasta strikes a balance with fresh green vegetables in this light but filling dish, which can be made with spring or summer vegetables. The recipe is simple enough: take 2 pounds of your favorite vegetable and toss with any shaped pasta or egg noodles. I’ve added some garlic, basil, and lemon for flavor, but that’s about it. The recipe below is printed as I prepared it, but if you want to adjust the vegetables just remember to adjust cooking time as needed. This isn’t quite a one-dish meal, but would be great with some grilled chicken breasts or salmon fillets. Even though I’ve listed this as a “side dish,” it’s quite large (think 2 side dishes: pasta and veggies).

1 box (16 oz) whole wheat rotini
1 1/2 lb (2 medium) zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1/2 lb (8 oz) sugar snap peas
1 small onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1/4 cup torn basil leaves
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt and rotini, boil 8-10 minutes until al dente. Drain and toss with 1 tsp olive oil, set aside in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add onion and saute 3-5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add stock and bring to a simmer.

Add zucchini and snap peas to pan. Cook, uncovered, until vegetables are crisp-tender and about half of cooking liquid has evaporated, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest and juice, basil, and pepper.

Pour hot vegetable mixture over pasta. Toss well and top with additional pepper if desired.

Serve warm immediately or chill 30 minutes to serve “room temperature.” Dish can also be served cold (chill 1-2 hours).

Optional: serve topped with parmesan cheese.

I’ve been working with Asian-style cuisine lately for a few reasons, mostly because these dishes are generally quick and easy to prepare, but also because they are usually quite healthy. This dish combines garlic and ginger to make a tasty sauce for staples like chicken and broccoli. Even though broccoli is more of a summer vegetable, I’m still filing this one under Spring Fever because it is a light and fresh dish. Enjoy!

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken tenders
1 tbsp vegetable oil 
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
3-4 cups broccoli, coarsely chopped if florets are large
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp dark sesame seed oil
2 tbsp sesame seeds
hot cooked rice, for serving

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salt over chicken tenders and place in skillet. Saute one side for 3 minutes and flip chicken pieces. Add ginger, garlic, hoisin sauce, and red pepper flakes. Saute 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add chicken broth and soy sauce, bring to a boil, turning chicken.

Add broccoli over chicken and cover skillet. Allow broccoli to steam 4-5 minutes, until crisp-tender, and toss broccoli with chicken. Remove chicken and broccoli, leaving sauce in pan. Add 1/2 cup waters and stir in cornstarch, sesame seed oil, and sesame seeds. Bring to a simmer and return chicken and broccoli to pan, tossing to coat. Serve immediately over rice.