In March, the table still has the aromas of winter products but spring first fruits begin to arrive. 5 recipes for the March diet ?
- Risotto with spinach and ricotta .
- Orecchiette with broccoli .
- Lentil burger .
- Orange chicken breast .
- Baked asparagus omelette .
1. Orecchiette with broccoli
Broccoli, along with all the vegetables from the cabbage family, are about to leave fresh vegetable stalls to return in the fall.
Ingredients for 4 people
> 600 g of broccoli
> 320 g of orecchiette
> 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
> 1 clove of garlic
> 1/2 hot pepper
> salt.
Preparation
Clean the broccoli and boil them in abundant salted water, to which a clove of garlic has been added, for about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic and, in the same cooking water, add the orecchiette. Drain and season with extra virgin olive oil and chopped chilli pepper . This is the light version .
For a more delicious (but less light) version of the same dish, fry a clove of garlic in extra virgin olive oil and, after having cooked and drained the orecchiette with broccoli very well, sauté in a pan. If desired, the dish can be finished with fried breadcrumbs.
In this case, the smell of fried garlic is sufficient and therefore there is no need to add it to the cooking water.
2. Risotto with spinach and ricotta
Risotto with spinach and ricotta is a rather light dish that is very easy to make.
Ingredients for 4 people
> 320 g of rice for risotto;
> 200 g of fresh spinach;
> 200 g of cow's milk ricotta;
> 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil;
> vegetable broth;
> 1 shallot;
> 1/2 glass of white wine.
Preparation
Prepare the vegetable broth. Wash the spinach and chop them. Finely chop the shallot and let it dry in the oil, add the rice and toast it, add the white wine, add the spinach and let it dry; begin to pour the vegetable stock a ladle at a time until the rice is cooked. When the rice is cooked, stir in the cow's milk ricotta. Let it rest for a minute and serve.
3. Lentil burger
Lentils, like all legumes, are excellent not only for the preparation of soups and pasta dishes, but also for obtaining tasty meatballs and excellent veggie burgers.
Ingredients for 4 people
> 200 g of dried lentils;
> 1 bay leaf;
> 1 clove of garlic;
> 2 slices of stale bread;
> 1 tablespoon of Manitoba flour;
> 2 tablespoons of Parmesan;
> salt;
> 1 egg.
Preparation
Cook the lentils in abundant salted water, with a bay leaf and a clove of garlic. Drain them very well and put them in a bowl; add the crumb of two slices of stale bread, a tablespoon of manitoba flour, two tablespoons of Parmesan and an egg.
Blend everything with an immersion blender . Coat a baking sheet with baking paper. Form the four hamburgers; to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands, anoint them with a little extra virgin olive oil. Bake at 180 large for 20/25 minutes .
4. Orange chicken breast
March is still a good month to eat oranges, an extremely versatile ingredient that can help us create many different dishes.
Ingredients for 4 people
> 4 slices of chicken breast;
> 2 oranges;
> 1 pinch of salt;
> 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil;
> flour.
Preparation
Squeeze the two oranges and stretch the juice with a couple of tablespoons of water. Pass the chicken breast in the flour, a 00 flour is fine, but you can use the type you prefer. Quickly pass the slices in the pan with the oil, first on one side, then on the other.
Pour the orange juice over it ; if the oranges are organic you can also use the grated rind. Add a pinch of salt, cover with a lid and cook over low heat. Halfway through cooking, turn the slices. Orange juice must be consumed completely. The slices should be soft and well cooked.
5. Baked asparagus omelette
The asparagus omelette is also excellent cold, so it is a dish that you can prepare the previous evening and it becomes very practical when you need to cook in advance or bring lunch to work.
Ingredients for 4 people
> 1 bunch of wild or cultivated asparagus;
> 4 eggs;
> 1/2 glass of milk;
> breadcrumbs;
> extra virgin olive oil;
> 50 g of Grana cheese or grated Parmesan.
Preparation
Wash the asparagus, take only the tenderest part and blanch in salted water for 8/10 minutes. When they are cooked, but still firm, drain them and reduce them into smaller pieces using a pair of scissors.
Beat the eggs with a fork and pour the milk with the cheese; mix the mixture well and add the asparagus.
Oil a baking pan and cover the bottom with breadcrumbs, pour the mixture and finish with a layer of breadcrumbs and cheese. Bake at 180 degrees for 20/25 minutes.
