Connect! Unite! Act! Washington DC Meet-up Event TOMORROW +Q: What Springtime Foods Do You Crave?

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What's Your Favorite Springtime Food to Eat, Prepare, or Enjoy?
Recipes or Food pr0n Welcomed!

Ah, spring. The heavy soups and stews of winter are behind us, and we look forward to the early fresh foods and salads of the season.

* cough *

How was that for putting on my metaphorical apron and imitating a cover story worthy of Better Homes and Gardens? However cliche it is, I am sick of winter leftovers (I really must throw out that remnant of lentil soup) and have begun to revisit some of my regular online cooking light sites. Two favorites, Skinnytaste and emily bites include Weight Watcher points conversions and lightened versions of comfort foods, which you don't have to be on a diet or counting points to enjoy. Aaagh, I'm feeling ridiculously like Betty Crocker again.

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~~ Heloise's Helpful Hints

Lately I've been into making cupcakes. Not the cake and frosting kind, the mini-meal kind: Lasagne cupcakes, enchilada cupcakes, taco cupcakes, even Caesar salad Parmesan cupcakes. Are you happy now, Julia Child?

While these take a bit of assembling, it's still far less work than assembling a pan of lasagne or enchiladas. They make nice single-meal sizes that can be frozen or taken to parties as appetizers. Basically you spray a muffin tin (or mini-muffin tin for appetizer-sized cups), line each cup with a won ton wrapper, add your first layer of ingredients, add another won ton wrapper, then add another layer of ingredients and bake. (See links above for full recipes)

The baked cups turn out crispy and light and one or two 'cupcakes' are pretty filling. I mean, this is rich food; it helps me to dole it out.

The white vegetable lasagna cupcake is only 131 calories and 4 WW pts each, while the red lasagna cupcake with low-fat ground beef (I use turkey Italian sausage) is 165 calories and also 4 WW points. Both are crispy light, delicious, and handy to have around.

Another seasonal craving I've been having is for spinach and mushrooms, which on weekends I turn into either a scramble or a fritatta. Spring is a good time for dark green vegetables that benefit the liver, which brings me to another favorite seasonal food:

Shrimp stuffed artichokes

For this recipe I cook and cool the artichokes, scoop out the fuzzy choke and spritz the heart with lemon juice, then stuff with cooked shrimp in a mix of light mayo, fat free Greek yogurt, lemon juice, dill and shallots.

With all of the above I love a salad made of spring greens with a dressing of a bit of avocado oil and lemon juice, garnished with cherry tomatoes, avocado, crumbled bleu cheese and a topping of chopped walnuts. Bring on the noms.

How about you? What foods are you craving lately?
(Are you channeling your inner American housewife yet?)

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