Hi!
On several walks through my neighborhood this week the perfumed scent of jasmine has been heavy in the air, which means one thing. Spring is here.
I know that many of you are still stuck in the long, gray slog of late winter. I get it. Before I moved to Southern CA, March was my least favorite month. Spring never properly arrived until April or even May.
If you haven’t felt the warmth of a truly sunny day in months, then a recipe celebrating the glorious arrival of spring can be a little bit annoying. For that reason, I’m going to hold off on asparagus and artichoke recipes until more of us are feeling the warm sun on our faces.
Instead, here’s a recipe that gently bridges the gap between winter and spring, Spinach Pesto.
Spinach is considered an early spring green because it grows best with moderately warm weather and shorter days.
This pesto tastes very close to traditional basil pesto and gives you a little taste of the warm spring and summer days ahead. It’s made with plenty of basil, a handful of baby spinach, plus garlic, parmesan, olive oil and your choice of nut (pine nuts, slivered almonds or cashews).
I like to eat pesto as an appetizer, with a baguette and a glass of wine. You can also serve this pesto with pasta or spoon it over salmon. Your choice!
Dinner Last Week
I’m always curious about what other families are eating. Aren’t you? Here’s what my crew ate last week.
Monday: Sorin made his famous chicken schnitzel, with enough leftovers for everyone to have a chicken schnitzel sandwich for lunch the next day. When Sorin plans and cooks dinner and I just have to show up at the table at 6pm, I’m always amazed by how much time it opens up in my day. It’s not just the time spent cooking, it’s also the mental energy that I can put towards something else instead of thinking about what’s for dinner.
Tuesday: Fish tacos with corn tortillas, shredded cabbage, black beans, etc…and another big bowl of guacamole from our homegrown avocados. I dredged the fish in flour and spices (chili powder/garlic powder/smoked paprika) and fried it in a skillet with a generous drizzle of oil and butter.
Pan-frying fish like this is easy, but is it easier than walking to our neighborhood taco truck and buying a fish taco for $3? Nope.
Wednesday: We had gnocchi soup and by “we’ I mean “me” because I don’t think anyone else in the family ate it. The kids had grilled cheese sandwiches and I’m not sure what Sorin ate after a late night at work.
I love how store-bought, shelf-stable gnocchi turns into soft, pillowy potato dumplings when you simmer it for just a few minutes in soup. Unfortunately, my family is not so enamored.
Thursday: I tested a recipe for miso-butter salmon and served it with baked potatoes and salad. The salmon recipe will be showing up on my blog next month and I’ll definitely share it here, too.
The idea to serve salmon and baked potatoes came from a recent episode of The Mom Hour podcast, “Always in Rotation.” I also followed a suggestion from the podcast to pre-cook the potatoes in the microwave for 5 minutes, then transfer them to the oven for a shorter baking time (30 minutes at 400F).
Friday: We had an easy Friday dinner of cheese ravioli, jarred marinara and asparagus that I just boiled for a few minutes and finished with salt and a squeeze of lemon. My pasta-hating child happily ate leftover white rice that was already in the fridge and seaweed snacks. 😊
Cookbooks
For several months I’ve been thinking about how I can involve my kids more in making dinner. As with most tasks around the house, it’s actually easier and faster if I just do it myself, but I try not to get stuck in that sort of short-term mindset.
My kids are 9 and 13, so it’s the perfect time to start building cooking skills that will really pay off in the long run. Especially for my 13 year old, who’s very ready to advance beyond grilled cheese sandwiches and scrambled eggs.
Prep: The Essential College Cookbook by Katie Sullivan Morford is a good place to start. This cookbook is written for college kids who are newly on their own, but it’s also great for teens who are still at home and cooking with supervision.
There are recipes like noodles with spicy peanut sauce, lemon-garlic chicken thighs and easy teriyaki salmon that the whole family can eat and your teen can cook.
What do you have planned for this weekend? We’ll be busy with a karate tournament, a fun run at Josie’s grade school and enjoying snacks + drinks on Sunday for the Oscars. I’ve actually seen four of the best picture nominees, which might be a new record for me!
Hope you have a good weekend,
Jenny
Hi Holly! I’m so glad you reached out and I’m looking forward to following you here and on your blog!
I heard you on a podcast the other day ( now I can’t remember which one 😂) but I found you to be very genuine and engaging so I looked you up on Substack and subscribed to your newsletter. I am a new food blogger looking for a community. You mentioned how important that was to you on the podcast so I thought I’d reach out and say hey 👋! This recipe for spinach pesto looks delicious. I will definitely be trying it in the very near future :)