Spring brings to mind light bright dishes and opens the gateway to some of the best in-season produce. So as you rely on some of your tried-and-true favorites, remember also, to be inspired to try something new! The crustless spinach quiche couldn't be easier. Filled with spinach, onions, mushrooms, ham and cheese it serves up beautifully for breakfast, lunch or dinner. A main dish salad for lunch or a light spring dinner is a perfect selection to add to your menu rotation. The mandarin orange-chicken salad is a combination of sweet, savory, fresh and crunchy, so spring. Cinco de Mayo calls for the oven baked soft tacos. In the oven the shells warm and become ever so slightly crispy. No standing over a skillet frying corn tortillas; just add margaritas for the cook, please! With so many social events centering on spring brunches the strawberry scones and the butter botanical cookies add the sweet touch. You can choose to add some edible petals to the cookies right before finish or sprinkles of lavender sugar to guarantee a memorable spring taste. The strawberry scones call for pantry ingredients and fresh strawberries drizzled with a simple glaze, no bakery needed. May these recipes make their way to your tables this spring season!

Crustless Spinach Quiche

Ingredients
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
1 package (14 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
? cup finely chopped fully cooked ham
5 large eggs
3 cups shredded Muenster or Monterey Jack cheese
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

In a large skillet, sauté onion and mushrooms in oil until tender. Add spinach and ham; cook and stir until the excess moisture is evaporated. Cool slightly. Beat eggs; add cheese and mix well. Stir in spinach mixture and pepper, blend well. Spread evenly into a greased 9-in. pie plate or quiche dish. Bake at 350? for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Serves 6

Mandarin Orange-Chicken Salad

 

 

Ingredients
SALAD
3 cup finely chopped romaine or iceberg lettuce
2 cups shredded red cabbage
2 cups shredded chicken
¾ cup mandarin oranges, drained
1instant ramen noodle packet, crushed (flavor packet discarded)
¾ cup shredded carrot
½ cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
? cup sliced green onions
½ cup sliced almonds, peanuts, or cashews
DRESSING
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp minced ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup vegetable oil

Lightly toast instant ramen noodles in a skillet or the oven. In a large bowl, toss together lettuce, red cabbage, chicken, mandarin oranges, crushed ramen noodles, carrots, red bell peppers, green onions, and sliced almonds. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Slowly drizzle in vegetable oil, whisking constantly until emulsified. Before serving, drizzle dressing over salad and toss to combine. 

Servings 8 as a side dish

Oven Baked Soft Tacos

 

Ingredients
1½ pounds lean ground beef
½ small yellow onion chopped
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp taco seasoning
8 to 10 soft flour tortillas
Taco toppings of your choice:
lettuce
tomatoes
onion
sour cream
guacamole
shredded cheese
Queso
salsa
lime wedges

Preheat oven to 350 ?. Place ground beef in a large non-stick skillet. Add onion, garlic powder and taco seasoning to beef. Cook and crumble beef over medium-high heat, until no longer pink. Drain any grease. Meanwhile, fold flour tortillas in a taco shape and place side by side in a 9×13-inch baking pan (6 down the center and 2 on each side). Fill the tortillas with even amounts of beef mixture. Place pan in oven and bake 5 to 8 minutes or until shells are heated through. Carefully remove from oven and fill tacos with all your favorite taco toppings. Enjoy!

Makes 10 tacos

Strawberry Scones 

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour 
1 tbsp baking powder
3 tbsp granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
6 tbsp chilled unsalted butter, cut into tiny cubes
12 small strawberries, hulled and diced
¾ cup half and half
For the glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup half and half
½ tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 ?. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender (or your hands) until mixture resembles crumbs. Toss in strawberries and coat lightly with the flour mixture. Add half and half and fold together gently until the mixture just begins to come together and forms a soft dough. It will be wet. Do not knead or over mix the dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and pat into a 1-inch-thick rectangle or circle. (If dough is very sticky, sprinkle with just a hint of flour.) Using a sharp knife, cut into 6 or 8 triangles. If using a wedged scone pan, after mixing just place dough by tablespoon into the greased pan and pat into shape. Place scones on prepared baking sheet and bake 16-18 minutes or until no longer wet, golden, and cooked through. Place a sheet of parchment on a work surface, then place a cooling rack over top of parchment. Remove scones from pan to cooling rack. Cool about 10 minutes. In the meantime, make glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, vanilla, and half and half until smooth. If glaze is too thick, add a bit more cream, if it's too thin, add more powdered sugar. Gently dunk the tops of the scones in the glaze or drizzle over the top. Glaze will firm up when scones are completely cool.

Servings 8 scones if cut, 16 using a mini scone pan

Botanical Flower Butter Cookies

Ingredients
½ cup (1 stick) of butter, softened, not melted
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1½ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract
Lavender sugar and/or botanical edible flowers

Preheat oven to 375?. In a Large bowl, beat butter until light. Beat in egg and extracts. In a medium bowl stir together the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Add contents of dry ingredients into the wet on low until the dough comes together. You do not have to chill the dough. On a floured surface or between 2 pieces of parchment paper roll dough into a 12-inch diameter circle that is ? inch thick. Dip cookie cutters in flour before each use. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet. At around 5 minutes sprinkle with lavender sugar or place an edible flower petal on just before removing from the oven. Cookies take 6-8 minutes to bake or until very lightly browned. They will continue cooking when removed.

Servings 2 dozen, depends on cookie cutter size