We know the weekend definitely didn’t feel like spring, but — technically speaking — spring has sprung! It officially began last Saturday. So to honor the new season, we thought we’d share a recipe and photo we found online at Tan Kitchen.com. Click here to visit the website to get more info.

Happy Spring, everybody!

FRIED SPRING ROLLS

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. Spring roll wrappers
• 1 cup Ground pork 1 cup
• 1 Egg
• 2 oz. Mung bean noodle (or beanthread)
• 1 cup Green cabbage, sliced thin
• 1 cup Bean sprouts 1 cup
• 1 tbsp. Garlic, chopped.
• 1/2 cup Flour and water paste
• 1-2 tsp.Ground pepper.
• 2 tbsp. Soy Sauce.
• 4 cup vegetable oil.

Preparation:

• Soak the beanthread in water until soft, drain and cut into short lengths.
• Mix together ground pork, egg, cabbage, bean sprouts, ground pepper, soy sauce and beanthread and put aside.
• In a pan heat up a little oil and fry the chopped garlic until aromatic, then add the mixture and fry until cooked and well seasoned. Take this mixture off heat and allow to cool.
• Once cooled, stuff this filling into the spring roll wrappers and seal with flour paste.
• Fry spring rolls in hot oil until golden brown and drain. Served hot with plum sauce.

When the weather’s this cold, soup’s an easy fix. It’s comforting and easy to make.

We cruised around the Food Network.com site and found some great-sounding soup recipes we plan to make this month. Here are a few (click on the individual soup bowls to go see that recipe on the Food Network site):

Broccoli Soup With Homemade Croutons (Recipe courtesy The Neelys)

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup cream

Homemade Croutons, recipe follows

Directions: Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy medium pot over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, onion, carrot, salt and pepper and saute until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, until the flour reaches a blonde color. Add stock and bring to boil.

Simmer uncovered until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes. Pour in cream. With an immersion blender, puree the soup. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and then replace the lid back on the pot. Serve hot with Homemade Croutons.

Homemade Croutons:

• Day old French bread
• Olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut bread into cubes and place in a large bowl. Drizzle cubes with olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Mix well.

Spread seasoned bread onto a sheet pan and bake for about 15 minutes.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Smoky Portobello Soup (Courtesy Paula Deen)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet onions
• 8 medium portobello mushrooms
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/4 cups white roux (1 stick of butter and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; cook slowly over low heat)
• 1 quart heavy cream
• Salt and pepper
• Croutons, sour cream, and sliced chives, for garnish

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine 1/4 cup of olive oil and 3 drops of liquid smoke. Toss 4 of the Portobello mushrooms in oil mixture and roast them in the oven for approximately 45 minutes. Chop mushrooms into cubes. In a large pot, saute the onions in olive oil. Once onions are sauteed, add uncooked portobello mushrooms and garlic. After mushrooms and garlic are cooked add roasted mushrooms, white wine and chicken broth and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and place mixture in blender. Add roux to pot. Blend in heavy cream. Place mixture back in pot on stove and add roux. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Garnish with croutons, sour cream and sliced chives.

Mexican Chicken Soup (Courtesy Barefoot Contessa at Home)

Ingredients:

• 4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
• Good olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
• 1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
• 2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
• 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 1/2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
• 2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional
• 6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas

Directions: For serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat. Cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using. Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips.

MYOTO (Make Your Own Take Out): Thai Chicken Noodle Soup (Courtesy Rachael Ray)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 1 medium size yellow onion, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 poblano or anaheim peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup shredded carrots, available in pouches in the produce department
• 6 cups, 1 1/2 quarts, chicken broth
• 1 1/2 pound chicken tenders cut into bite size chunks, 2 packages
• 2 small bundles from a 3.75 ounce package of bean thread noodles, there are usually 3 bundles in one package (recommended: Kame)
• 3 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped
• 15 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 lime

Directions: Heat a large heavy-bottomed soup pot with vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan, over high heat. Once you see the oil ripple, add the sliced onion, chopped garlic and sliced peppers. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup shredded carrot and 6 cups chicken stock or broth. Cover with a lid and bring up to a simmer. Once simmering, add the chicken simmer 5 minutes then add noodles and simmer 5 minutes more. Remove the soup from the heat and add the cilantro, basil and the juice of 1 lime.

by Rhonda Franz, nwaMotherlode.com contributor

Enjoy adding these recipes to your list of summer foods. These are perfect for light meals, picnics, casual eating on the back porch or pool parties for the neighborhood.

I adapted the following recipe from Emeril Lagasse’s Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette. Just for fun, I say “Bam!” when I put in the salt or pepper. For even more fun, I let my three-year-old help by letting him shake the ingredients together in a jar. If you try this in your home, make sure the lid is screwed on tight.

Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing

Ingredients

• ¼ c Balsamic vinegar
• ¼ c apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1-2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• approx. ¼ tsp salt
• approx. ¼ tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• ½ c olive oil
• 1 Tbsp mustard

Directions

Whisk together balsamic vinegar, cider, garlic, salt, and pepper

Add mustard and whisk some more. Repeat with brown sugar.

Slowly add olive oil, whisking constantly.

No-Bake Cookies

No-bake cookies are the perfect summertime treat when you don’t want the oven heating up your house. This recipe is my version of the tasty cookie.

Ingredients

• 2 heaping cups of sugar
• ¼ c cocoa
• 1 stick (¼ lb) butter
• ½ c milk
• dash of salt
• ½ c extra crunchy peanut butter
• 1 ½ tsp extra strength vanilla
• 3 cups oatmeal (Either quick oats or old fashioned oats can be used, or try 1 ½ c. of each)

Directions

Combine sugar, cocoa, milk, and butter in sauce pan over low to medium heat.

When the mixture starts to boil, put the lid on and cook only two minutes (this melts down the sugar from the sides of the pan). Remove from heat.

Add vanilla, salt, and peanut butter. Mix well.

Stir in oatmeal.

Drop by spoonful on waxed paper, parchment paper, or cookie sheets

Let stand several hours until cookies hold together (if you can wait that long).

Summer Salad (This is my new favorite salad).

Ingredients

• Several cups of mixed greens (I use a mixture of green leaf, romaine, and whatever I can find at the farmer’s market)
• As much or as little of the following as you want: raisins, sunflower seeds, shredded parmesan cheese or crumbled blue cheese, croutons, chilled vinaigrette dressing.
• For a salad to serve four, I would use about two large bunches of romaine lettuce, a cup of raisins, ½ c. sunflower seeds, 1 ½ cups cheese, and 1 ½ cups croutons.

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a big bowl and toss.

Drizzle vinaigrette dressing over the salad just before serving.

Tasty Veggie Sandwich

Ingredients

• Toasted bread (sandwich bread or ciabatta rolls)
• Cream cheese
• Avocado
• Cheddar or mozzarella cheese
• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Salt & pepper
• salsa

Directions:

Spread cream cheese on one slice of bread.

Add one thick slice of avocado, a couple thin slices of cheddar or mozzarella cheese, lettuce, two tomato slices, salt and pepper to taste, and about 2 tsp of salsa.

Party Dip

Add some zing to the popular Rotel and Velveeta cheese dip! Here’s how to do it:

Mix according to directions (1 can Rotel to 1 loaf Velveeta cheese), or however you like to make it. Add the following and stir:

• One diced tomato
• 1 cup chopped roasted red pepper (found in the grocery store on the pickle aisle)
• 2 Tbsp chili powder

Heat the mixture in microwave or on stovetop. Pour over warmed tortilla chips, or serve in a bowl for dipping.

Rhonda Franz enjoys cooking for her husband and two young boys. She loves the classic Rotel cheese dip, but hopes that if she eats enough of the summer salad, it will help balance out her diet. When she’s not making a mess in the kitchen, she writes about all kinds of things at http://coffeehousemom.wordpress.com.

No time to cook tonight? Remember that Cuisines Gourmet to Go, which sponsors this feature, offers lunch daily and take-home meals for dinner. Today’s specials are Chicken Breast Gorgonzola with Orzo Tuscano pasta ($8.95) or Scallops Scampi with Angel Hair Pasta ($12.95). The Motherlode Mamas have eaten at Cuisines many times, and we are huge fans. The food is amazing. Click here to see the list of daily lunch specials and take-home meals or call them at 479-631-2900. Bon apetite!