589 spring recipes

Hearty tofu stew loaded with sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, zucchini, and mushrooms in a ginger-spiked broth with mirin and sake. A warming, veggie-packed bowl for cold nights.

Low-fat unfried rice with marinated shiitake mushrooms, bell peppers, brown rice, and teriyaki. All the flavor of fried rice without the oil, using rice wine to keep vegetables from sticking.

Drunken crawfish pie tucks two pounds of crawfish tails into a buttery brandy-spiked cream sauce with the Cajun holy trinity, sealed inside a double crust and baked golden. A Louisiana classic that turns brunch or supper into an event.

Pasta Provencal tosses delicate angel hair with a light, brothy tomato sauce full of summer squash, mushrooms, scallions, and fresh basil. A quick, vegetable-forward weeknight dinner finished with Parmesan.

Warm lentil salad with stir-fried carrots, celery, scallions, and water chestnuts tossed in balsamic vinaigrette. High-fiber, diabetic-friendly, and served on crisp lettuce.

Spaghetti in a creamy peanut sauce with sesame oil, soy sauce, lime juice, and crushed red pepper, topped with blanched summer squash, scallions, and red bell pepper.

Hot and sour celery soup with tofu, sunchokes, and jicama in a ginger-spiked broth thickened with cornstarch. A low-fat, high-fiber twist on the Chinese classic.

Baked rice and beans casserole with cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, and shredded carrots. A low-calorie vegetarian one-dish meal with a bubbly cheese top.

Spicy tofu salad with julienned vegetables, chopped peanuts, and a chili-soy-rice vinegar dressing. Thai-inspired, loaded with crunch, and completely plant-based.

White chicken chili with white beans, green chiles, poblano pepper, cumin, and oregano. A lighter, brothy chili loaded with garnish options.

Cajun chicken and sausage gumbo with a dark roux, ham, two kinds of sausage, Creole seasoning, and cayenne. A Louisiana party pot that feeds 15 to 20.

Grilled curry chicken rice salad layers yogurt-marinated chicken strips over curried rice with bell pepper, snow peas, raisins, and peanuts. Cool Indian-inspired main for hot weather.

Roasting concentrates flavors without adding fat and lends a buttery-soft texture.

Texas-style chili loaded with cubed brisket and ground chuck, simmered low and slow in beer, beef stock, and toasted cumin. No beans, no tomato sauce, just bold, meaty heat that's worth every minute of the 4-hour cook.

Cajun shrimp Creole simmered for hours in a homemade shrimp stock with fresh tomatoes, three peppers, thyme, basil, and the holy trinity. Even better made a day or two ahead.

Mexican-style chicken potato salad tossed in a chili-lime-cumin mayo with fresh tomato salsa, cilantro, and jalapeños. A zesty, no-cook twist on classic potato salad.