Spring is a temperamental season in Minnesota. Last week it was in the 70s–today we took a walk in the 30s with snow blowing in our faces. Brrr. As such, “spring food” is not exactly radishes, greens, and strawberries for us. More like a continuation of cozy winter fare and working our way through our freezer/pantry garden larder.
I did not growing up eating nose-to-tail but as an adult, I’m learning to cook different cuts of meats for our family that are both healthier than just chicken breast (due to nutrition from the connective tissue and bones) and also more economical. The higher cost of living has motivated me to be more adventurous than usual this year!
Main Course Recipes We’ve Enjoyed Lately
Croque Monsieur/Madame: A delicious brunch after a morning in the frosty woods. I made these with gluten-free sourdough bread and cheddar (as I did not have comte in the house) and they turned out beautifully. We’ve made another time since. Somehow my kids do not even question the addition of mustard and wolf them down!
The Best Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin: My 4&5-year-olds loved this. I served mashed potatoes and broccoli on the side. This recipe is so easy and not at all intimidating for those inexperienced with cooking meat.
Best Pulled Pork Recipe: I think Eric just about died and went to heaven when he tasted this. It is SO good. I will say that the cooking time was way off for us. We bought a 4.2lb pork butt roast and cut it into five pieces to fit in our Le Creuset. It was done in 2 1/2 hours. But that was fine! It just went into the fridge until dinnertime. Also, we only added 2 tbsp. of vinegar to the sauce–and that was more than enough.
Side Dish Recipes We’ve Enjoyed Lately
Parmesan Smashed Potatoes: Speaking of mashed potatoes, this is my favorite recipe. I love texture in my mashed potatoes and Eric does not, so I compromise. I do peel the potatoes but I don’t mash them completely smooth after cooking. I also add a bit of cream so they’re not quite as dry.
Simple Healthy Coleslaw: This was a wonderful side dish for the pulled pork and it’s a nice switch up from our usual side salads for lunch. Greens aren’t high quality in Minnesota this time of year but cabbage does satisfy the craving for something fresh and crunchy.
Dessert Recipes We’ve Enjoyed Lately
Coconut White Chocolate Cheesecake: I made this as a very belated birthday cake for Eric (we had norovirus for weeks around his actual birthday). It is incredible! Not too sweet, very flavorful and easy to make. The kids don’t like cheesecake, but more for us 😛
Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies: I was craving something fruity for a change and whilst I doubted this recipe and its simplicity–these are so tasty! Perfect, pillowy, chewy little treats with only a handful of wholesome ingredients. Plus strawberry jam… for balance.
Dates, Almond Butter & Dark Chocolate: Not a recipe, but a wonderful dessert when fresh fruit is lacking or cost-prohibitively expensive. Medjool dates are my favorite as they are soft and big enough to hold fillings! I’ve also found some great sales on chocolate on Thrive Market to enable my daily chocolate habit, ha.
And on a totally unrelated note–any other content creators frustrated with the prevalence of AI imagery lately? I got tired of combing through AI food “photos” on Pixabay and just used a picture of people hiking in a Nordic country instead. Might have to dust off the old DSLR and start taking more of my own photos again. Stock photo sites, please do a better job auditing the photos that purport to be “authentic”. It’s a bummer how many contributors are lying about their images and getting paid for it.
xx Claire