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These 31 March Recipes Will Bring Spring Vibes To Your Kitchen While It's Still Cold
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There may still be snow on the ground, but that doesn't mean we can't welcome in spring. I'm Claudia, an NYC-based editor on the Tasty team covering all things food, whether it's a viral recipe, the latest food drama, or politicians awkwardly standing in a Steak 'N Shake. That's right: your favorite muffin, but in pancake form. The lemon glaze on top is optional (but is it really?). You'll never skip breakfast again if huevos rancheros are your breakfast. Between the runny egg, spicy tomato salsa, and crispy tortilla, it might even become your new hyper-fixation meal. What's better than banana bread? That's right, carrot cake banana bread. The carrots make this loaf cake super moist, while the cream cheese frosting adds just that right amount of tang. Recipe: Carrot Cake Banana Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting This pasta utilizes the whole leek, so nothing goes to waste. The white ends are sautéed in butter until soft and caramelized, while the light green bits are blanched just before cooking the pasta. It's really a leek-lover's dream. This easy one-pot curry is anything but boring. Plus, it uses a lot of pantry staples you likely already have, so no need for last-minute grocery runs. There's nothing quite as comforting as saucy, cheesy enchiladas. Premade green enchilada sauce makes this dish super weeknight-friendly, but if you have more time on your hands, try making your own! If you're a texture person when it comes to your meals, then this crispy orzo is for you. Not only are you getting that crisp from tossing the cooked orzo in a skillet with oil, but also from the prosciutto crumbles on top. Recipe: Crispy Orzo with Artichokes and Lemon This chicken dish is pretty much textbook when it comes to hitting every flavor palate. The briny olives, acidic vinegar, and citrus-y oranges balance out the fatty chicken thighs in a way that'll keep you reaching for more. Recipe: Vinegar Chicken with Oranges and Olives I know we haven't quite hit spring yet (cries in never-ending East Coast winter), but this gnocchi will have you feeling like it's a sunny 70-degree day. Plus, it comes together in just 20 minutes. Recipe: Spring Gnocchi with Peas and Asparagus This Alfredo recipe skips the usual heavy cream and swaps it for cauliflower, making it a little lighter and packing in fiber. Recipe: Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Pasta I promise cooking fish doesn't have to be intimidating. This mostly hands-off recipe is ready in 30 minutes and full of bright, citrusy flavors and aromatic herbs. Recipe: Roasted Fish with Orange and Rosemary These fresh, vibrant shrimp rolls will have you forgetting it's still frigidly cold out for a second. Don't skip the creamy peanut sauce — it's really the perfect pairing. Recipe: Vietnamese Salad Rolls with Shrimp and Peanut Dipping Sauce I may not have been so reluctant to eat my carrots as a kid if they were served with creamy labneh and vibrant, spicy zhoug. If you're looking to keep things milder, feel free to substitute chimichurri or chermoula. Recipe: Grilled Carrots with Labneh and Zhoug Steak purists, look away. Cabbage-lovers, keep reading. Roasting cabbage makes it super tender and caramelized. Plus, your vegetarian friends will thank you for giving them an option they'll actually enjoy. Recipe: Cabbage Steaks with Green Chermoula and Toasted Walnuts Simplicity at its best, this seven-ingredient pasta will save you on those nights you can't be bothered with a complicated dinner. For some extra protein, try serving with fish or white beans. Even a can of tuna will complement those briny, lemony flavors. This TikTok-famous recipe of what is essentially deconstructed mapo tofu has gone viral for a reason. Silken tofu is blended to make an udon sauce that adds a good helping of protein and makes everything rich and creamy. A creamy soup base mixed with hearty kale, sausage, and potatoes makes this the ultimate comfort meal while it's still chilly out. Want to skip the cream? Try blending the white beans and adding them to the soup at the end. One of our Tasty writers recently published her family's generations-old colcannon recipe, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about this Irish comfort dish since. This one uses kale, but you can also swap it for cabbage. Recipe: Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes) Two cuisines combine to give us the ultimate dinner. First, ground chicken is mixed with the usual suspects of scallions, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce, then smashed and grilled on a tortilla. Traditional? No. Delicious? Absolutely. Roll up your sleeves and have yourself a dumpling night of filling and folding. You'll get better as you go (I promise!), but even if your pleats aren't perfect, you'll still be left with comforting pork and chive dumplings. Recipe: Taiwanese Night Market-Style Pork And Chive Dumplings Make these for your next plant-based taco night. Jerk-spiced cauliflower and hearty black beans make it so you won't miss the meat. Recipe: Jerk Cauliflower Tacos with Mango Hot Sauce Okonomiyaki is a savory Japanese pancake filled with vegetables and sometimes, a protein (this one has shrimp). Topped with Okonomiyaki sauce and Kewpie mayo, it's an incredibly satisfying medley of flavors and textures. Spicy, creamy, filling, these noodles are a satisfying, easy dinner you can make in just 30 minutes. Pair with some crispy tofu or other protein of your choice! This date-night steak is sure to impress anyone you serve it to. Save it for a weekend cooking project when you have a bit more time and really want to splurge. Recipe: Brown Butter Steak with Roasted Garlic Whipped Cauliflower Asparagus season is my favorite season, and this tart celebrates it in the best way possible. Serve it for a group brunch, an appetizer, or even a light dinner. There's something about eating an entire chicken leg that makes me feel like a medieval king. Even better when it's braised in a garlic ginger sauce until fall-off-the-bone tender. Recipe: Garlic and Ginger Braised Chicken If you've never had a Guinness cake, this is your sign to celebrate St. Patrick in the most delicious way possible. Stouts pair beautifully with chocolate cake, adding coffee notes and a richer cocoa flavor. Recipe: Guinness Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting The concept of a "snack cake" is one of the greatest culinary inventions of all time, if you ask me. Serve this "orange creamsicle" one for a weekend brunch, a quick breakfast, dessert, or, y'know, just a snack. For those who are baking-averse, key lime pie is a great beginner-friendly recipe. Plus, I swear the mini version makes it taste even better. Grapefruit and rosemary are practically a match made in heaven for cocktails. The sweetness of the honey also helps balance out any acidity or bitterness from the grapefruit. Recipe: Ruby Red and Rosemary Honey Cocktail Drink this mocktail if you want to pretend it's summer. Unfortunately, since it's not, you might want to opt for frozen mango. Recipe: Sparkling Hibiscus Orange Mocktail