March Into Spring with Fresh & Healthy Recipes

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Vinaigrette

An early spring vegetable, asparagus’ array of nutrients, slightly bitter and hearty flavor make it a favorite of vegetarians and steak aficionados alike. This recipe from Melissa D’Arabian features not only the pleasing mouthfeel and filling, well-cooked and softer textures of the roasted vegetable, but also accentuates its spring-like flavors with a tangy lemon vinaigrette. Jazz it up with some freshly ground black pepper, Celtic sea salt, and a little lemon oil for that extra oomph! Consider serving alongside a cast-iron skillet-cooked ribeye, or with a side of baked salmon – spring veggies don’t have to mean rabbit food!

Creamy White Chicken Chili with Beans 

Let’s be honest: it’s still a bit nippy out, and chili’s a great way to warm up. That said, you can lighten up a standard, beefy, spicy chili for a more mild stew that won’t weigh you down. Featuring great northern beans, cumin, green chilies, chicken thighs and a touch of cream cheese for some added creaminess, this recipe will satisfy you with a one-two punch of chicken’s juiciest cut and healthy but filling northern beans. Check out our “pre-blended” chili seasonings too! (Snow Country & Bull Moose)

A bunch of cilantro is recommended to add a fresh, green, element, but you can substitute parsley, or even basil if you count yourself amongst the cilantro-averse.

Lemon & Dill Chicken

Protein-packed and refreshing, this springtime entrée is served alongside whole-wheat orzo (which can always be substituted white-flour orzo, if you prefer), and roasted broccoli. Dill, garlic, and just a splash of lemon juice commingle their flavors to produce an aromatic wonder of a sauce that is reduced and spooned over the crispy, flour-coated chicken breasts.

This is an exceptionally low-fat, and weeknight-friendly standby. Keep all three in your repertoire this spring for flavorful, nourishing meals that won’t take all night to prepare!

Soup Mixes & Soup Seasonings (Souper & Thai Souper Blends) are also great this time of year as we transition to warmer temps! Check out all of Niblack Foods’ soup mix offerings here.

It’s almost Spring, a favorite season when we are teased by the weather, still comfortable in our “caves” and looking forward to the crocuses. It’s a time to refresh, renew, plan projects, and think of new adventures.

Meanwhile, your kitchen cabinet ingredients and spices can be inventoried. It’s a good time to look at item expiration dates and decide when to use or replace them.
Spices never actually go bad like a quart of milk; they just fade away losing the potency and flavors for which they were purchased.  As a general guide, whole spices are good for three to four years while ground spices should be useful for two to three years.

Many Niblack shoppers may have a frugal gene, so to avoid anxiety over this process it might be an opportunity for culinary experimentation.  Older spices can be used beneficially by increasing the quantity in a recipe to achieve flavoring goals.  Many spices that haven’t been used for a while can be blended and included in soups, pot roasts, and all sorts of crockpot/instant pot creations.

In the end, spices have the greatest cost/benefit ratio in your cupboard when it comes to enhancing and delivering pleasure in dining.

Closely related to cardamom, and native to West Africa, grains of paradise (Aframomum melegueta) is a pepper-like spice that has been historically used to impart an aromatic flavor to the wines and beers of the Mediterranean.

Warm, but not harsh, this black pepper-like seed has cinnamon, ginger, & citrus notes in its finish that work especially well in salad dressings, as well as a more complex & interesting substitute for the aforementioned black pepper in any savory dish.