BY SIERRA ROSALES
As we transition from winter to spring and beyond, it’s always ideal to consider which vegetables and fruits are in season. Produce in season is easier to find, more economical and it can be a great way to introduce different foods or different dishes into your normal diet.
And now that spring is upon us, there are a lot of great choices. April is home to many seasonal foods like artichoke, arugula, avocado, broccoli, cabbage, lemon, onion, parsley, radish, turnip and spinach.
We’ve used some of this produce for this months’ recipes. But before we get to those, let’s look deeper into these nutritious ingredients to see how they can benefit our bodies.
Super Green Hummus includes a lot of seasonal green vegetables like spinach. Spinach is filled with many beneficial vitamins and minerals and is a great source of vitamin A, C, folic acid, iron and calcium. With its many nutrients, spinach can improve eye health, promote heart health, reduce inflammation and help stabilize your blood pressure.
At first glance, avocados may be lumped into the seasonal green vegetable category, but they are actually fruit. Potassium, healthy fats, fiber and folate in avocados benefit your body by fighting high blood pressure, lowering bad cholesterol, normalizing bowel movements, controlling weight and helping your brain function properly.
Avocados can be served in a variety of ways: on toast, in guacamole, and something that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, dipped in breadcrumbs mixed with egg mixture and cooked in an air fryer, as shown in the recipe.
In fact, all three recipes would make tasty, healthy snacks for kids even if they think they don’t like vegetables.
Different healthy foods provide different benefits to your body, making it extremely important to have variety in your diet.
We hope these recipes will help you and your families try new seasonal produce this month!
SUPER GREEN HUMMUS
- 1 cup of canned drained chickpeas
- 1 cup of frozen (thawed) or fresh edamame
- 1 cup of spinach
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons green onion
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- lemon juice of one lemon
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin
- Extra add-ins could be kale, great northern beans, parsley, basil, arugula, avocado, etc.
Add all of the ingredients except the olive oil to a blender and puree until creamy. The more healthy ingredients you add to the hummus, the healthier it is. If you’re missing a few ingredients that’s OK too.
Top off the green hummus with olive oil and eat with tortillas or pita, chips, carrots, broccoli or other vegetables. You can refrigerate or freeze this yummy recipe, which lasts about seven days in the refrigerator.
LEMON ROASTED RADISHES
- 2 cups of halved radishes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 a stick (4 tablespoons) of unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon of dill
- The juice of 1/2 lemon
- Parsley for garnish (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400.
Put the butter, minced garlic, dill, lemon, salt and pepper in a big dish. Put the dish into the oven for about five minutes until the butter is melted. Make sure the spices and butter are mixed.
Cut the radishes in half and lay them flat down on top of the butter and spices.
Place the dish back into the oven for 30 minutes until the tops of the radishes are crispy.
Top with parsley if desired.
AIR-FRIED AVOCADO BITES
- Two avocados
- The juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
- 1 cup of Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1-2 cups of flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cut the avocado into slices, then squeeze the lemon or lime juice over the slices.
Scramble the egg in a bowl. Mix the breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and any other seasonings you want in a separate bowl. Put the flour in a separate bowl.
Coat the avocado slices in the egg then coat in flour, back in the egg again and then into the breadcrumbs.
Make sure the avocado slices are covered generously then put them into the air fryer at 400 degrees for seven-10 minutes, flipping them halfway. Serve with ranch, spicy mayo or another sauce of your choice.
MCHD WIC provides nutrition packages and counseling and breastfeeding support to participants in six counties. To find out if you qualify, check out monchd.org/wic-eligibilty-guidelines.html or call 1-800-675-5181.
