Now that it’s spring, you’re probably cooking different recipes in your apartment – those warm winter chilis might feel too warm now. However, you might be tempted to enjoy outdoor dining more often now that it’s getting warmer outside, but doing so can cost several times more than cooking your own delicious springtime meals. Below, discover four easy, affordable springtime meals that you can cook in your apartment.
1. Curry roasted carrots
Try a delicious and affordable main or side dish of curry roasted carrots. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place approximately eight carrots on a baking sheet.
On top of the carrots, add a dash of oil, a dash of curry powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast your carrots for about 10 minutes, toss them, and roast them for another 10 minutes. Top your carrots with a dash of peanut sauce. You can eat these tasty carrots with millet, rice, or quinoa.
2. Scallion pancakes
If you love scallions, here’s a savory scallion pancake recipe. In a small bowl, whisk together a quarter cup of soy sauce with a dash of rice vinegar, sugar, and chili paste to make the dipping sauce. Then, stir in finely cut fresh ginger and set aside.
Place one dumpling wrapper on a cutting board. Lightly brush the wrapper with sesame oil and scatter two teaspoons of scallions on top. Top it with a second dumpling wrapper, then press down so the two wrappers adhere to one another.
Repeat this adhering process until you have a stack of six wrappers with which to make one scallion pancake. Next, make eight scallion pancakes. In a skillet with one tablespoon of canola oil, cook each pancake on medium heat for two minutes on each side. Lastly, serve with your ginger-chili sauce.
3. Lemon pasta with arugula
If you want a little bit of zest, try this tasty lemon pasta with arugula. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add some pasta. Cook the pasta until it’s al dente. Next, drizzle the bottom of a skillet with a dash of olive oil and two tablespoons of butter. When the butter melts, you can add in one crushed garlic clove until it browns. Mix in half a cup of heavy cream and let it simmer.
Combine half a cup of lemon juice and one tablespoon of lemon zest, letting it simmer until it reduces. Add the pasta right into the skillet without draining it first so that a little bit of pasta water goes into your sauce. The starches in pasta water make for a far creamier sauce.
Next, toss in some Parmesan cheese and a handful of arugula. You can then pour a little extra pasta water into the skillet to loosen the sauce. Lastly, add a dash of grated black pepper, a dash of Parmesan cheese, one tablespoon of lemon zest, and enjoy.
4. Spring essence soup with pistou
On a cold day, you can enjoy a spring essence soup with pistou. In a large saucepan, saute a medium-sized leek cut into quarter-inch slices, one chopped carrot, and one small sweet red pepper in oil until they’re crisp and tender. Next, add two garlic cloves and cook for one minute.
Add ten baby red potatoes and four cups of chicken stock (or vegetable broth if you eat plant-based) into the saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, then simmer the soup for five minutes. Stir in the six asparagus spears and one cup of chopped rhubarb with a dash of sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for about five minutes.
In a food processor, blend half a cup of fresh oregano, two tablespoons of toasted hazelnuts, and a dash of oil, salt, and minced garlic. Lastly, serve this blend with your soup and dig in.
What are your favorite affordable springtime meals? Share them in the comments!
