YMCA Healthy Living Magazine, powered by n4 food and health SPRING 2019 | Page 8

MARNIE NITSCHKE, APD
Marnie is an Accredited Practising Dietitian at www.n4foodandhealth.com.
She also works in clinical nutrition at Epworth Healthcare, and in private
practice at Everyday Nutrition in Glen Iris. www.everydaynutrition.com.au
SEASONAL
EATING
IN SPRING
We give you some seasonal inspiration to get
you enthused in the kitchen, this spring.
ongratulations! You’ve made it through another chilly
winter. The weather is finally starting to warm up, and
the days are getting a little bit longer. Another great
thing about the change of season, is that it brings with it new
seasonal produce. And that means shaking things up a bit in
the kitchen.
C
} } With the milder weather, salads are back on the menu.
Check out your local greengrocer and take your inspiration
from the vibrant colours of seasonal produce. Roast up a
big tray of in-season vegetables to go with dinner, and then
use the leftovers in your salads or frittatas. Asparagus and
cauliflower work wonderfully here.
} } Stir fries are another great crossover dish during spring,
when the evenings are still chilly. There’s a lot of new
produce in season to throw in the wok – like snow peas,
capsicum and beans. You might also like to try these in a
veggie-rich fried rice or curry.
} } Spring is also still a great time for soup. You might like to try
your hand at pho (a Vietnamese-style broth noodle soup -
see page 17) or put your spin on a spring minestrone
featuring peas and asparagus (see page 9).
} } What about playing around with seasonal veggies like
zucchini, spinach or broccoli on a homemade pizza, or
sautéing them in a simple pasta sauce made with extra
virgin olive oil?
It’s time to get excited about this season’s fruit
and vegetables
Bananas are in season all year round, as are grapefruit. In
spring, we’ve still got lemons, limes and mandarins carrying
through. But let’s give a warm welcome to berries, which we
love for their amazing antioxidant content, health properties
and, of course, how delicious they are!
Other all year-round veggies to love include beetroot, carrots,
leek, lettuce, onions, parsley, potatoes, rhubarb, silverbeet
and spring onion. And during spring we’ve still got beans,
broccoli, cauliflower, parsnip and spinach. Spring newcomers
we haven’t seen in a while include artichoke, beans, broad
beans, capsicum, chillies, cucumber, peas, squash and
zucchini. Enjoy!
Look out for the following delicious recipes starring seasonal ingredients in this edition:
Green Spring
Minestrone soup
PAGE 9
8
Salmon, Asparagus
and Pea Frittata
PAGE 9
YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE SPRING 2019
Carrot Cake Bircher
PAGE 16
Chicken
Vietnamese Pho
PAGE 17
Quinoa, Cranberry,
Parsley and
Cucumber Salad
PAGE 16