Lemon Gnocchi with Peas and Spinach

Spring is in the air!  This means breaking away from some of the heavier flavors associated with winter and trying to lighten things up with Spring ingredients that are starting to trickle in to your grocery store.  Here, we’ll use gnocchi again as our canvas that acts as the perfect backdrop to showcase how the sweetness of early spring spinach and peas can be contrasted by minimal use of fresh lemon.

Asparagus with Walnut-Lemon Vinaigrette

Asparagus season is short and sweet, so we take full advantage and eat as much as we can during these months.  One of my favorite ways of preparing asparagus is with a light lemon dressing that uses walnut oil, rather than olive oil, for an earthier taste that matches the cold temperatures outside.

Sesame Beef Stir Fry with Garlic and Ginger

Short on time but don’t want to order takeout? This dish has you covered.  Tender beef combined with ginger and garlic come together in a sweet and spicy sauce.  Using simple ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your pantry, you can satisfy those hunger pangs in mere minutes.

Steamed Mussels in Spicy White Wine Broth

It’s hard to resist the appetizing siren call of a big bowl of steamed mussels, drawing you in with the smells and contrasting colors.  Give in to this dish, in which mussels  are steamed in an aromatic white wine broth with a playfully spicy kick, and is ready to devour in mere minutes.

Thai Coconut Chicken Curry

This Thai-inspired curry is fragrant and silky smooth, pitting the sweetness of coconut milk against the slight sourness of fish sauce and earthiness of mushrooms.  Additionally, this curry can really be adapted to suit your tastes from mild to blazing hot.  You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to make something this good.