One of my favorite parts of spring is going to the farmers market, getting fresh local produce and cooking delicious in season meals! Below are three recipes I’ll be making for my first outdoor BBQ that are chock full of ingredients that are wonderful to support your liver during the changing of the seasons. And as an added benefit I’ve added several ingredients that will also help those that suffer with springtime allergies!
Roasted Beets in Coconut Oil
Ingredients:
4-5 large beets
1 bunch chopped parsley
2 TB sesame seeds
1 TB coconut oil
2 TB olive or avocado oil
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. pure maple syrup
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash beets. Take coconut oil and rub in hands to
warm up, rub oil over beets and place in foil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, wrap beets completely in foil and place on sheet pan.
Place pan in oven to roast for 1.5 hours. Test beets by placing small knife into the largest beet to confirm they are done. Depending on your oven they may need more or less time.
Meanwhile, make dressing; take olive or avocado oil and whisk in salt, pepper, vinegar, maple syrup, and parsley.
Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool, rinse beets to remove skin. Place on cutting board and dice into ½ inch cubes. Place cut beets into bowl and stir in dressing. Top with sesame seeds and serve.
Springtime Salad
Ingredients:
2 cups strawberries sliced
4 cups fresh spinach
½ cup slivered almonds
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tb avocado oil
1 Tb chopped red onion
1 tsp. chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp. honey
Directions:
Make dressing by whisking vinegar, oil, onion, ginger, honey, salt and pepper. In a separate bowl place spinach, almonds, and strawberries. Toss with dressing and serve.
Hearty crackers
Ingredients:
½ cup hemp seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup pepitas
½ cup chia seeds
½ cup brown rice flour
½ tsp. garlic granules or 1 clove fresh garlic
½ tsp. salt
1 cup water
1 tsp. pure maple syrup
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place seeds in a food processor, grind into coarse flour. Place seeds into a large bowl and add flour, garlic, and salt in a bowl, stir to combine. Add water and maple syrup and stir to combine. Let sit for 3 or 4 minutes until water is completely absorbed.
Place parchment sheet on baking sheet and take ½ of dough on center of cookie sheet. Flatten to ¼ inch thick into a circle or rectangle. Score dough to size of preferred crackers.
Bake for 25 minutes, remove from oven and gently pull crackers apart and flip. Bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, remove from oven and cool completely.
I like to serve mine with hummus and olives!