CT FM 022: April Foods In Season

CT FM 022:

April Foods In Season Brought To You By: RecipeThis.com

Introduction: Welcome to our April in season Podcast here at RecipeThis.com.

At home with the Milners we love April as it tends to mean the first month when it is warm enough to hit the beach without needing to wear a jumper.

We live just 20 minutes drive away from the Ocean and our local beaches is one of our biggest addictions. We will park our beach towels right by the shore, watch our 2 year old daughter get excited over the waves as they wet her little feet or laugh at our teenage son that believes that life starts and ends with football.

Last time we went down the beach with him it was February and it was rather cold at about 17c. That to us is freezing and before we knew it he was down to his skinny jeans and was without shoes or a top. Though to our amusement he had kept his socks on. Hopefully those hormonal teenage years will not last much longer‌.

April for us (well apart from it being the start of the summer season) is also the time for the barbeque coming out for the first time, the first park picnic and from a food point of view we go crazy for in season sardines. There are one of the most famous local foods and they are amazing. Oh and they make the best ever sardine pate.

April Foods In Season I am sure what you really want to know is what the main foods in season are right now. Well I have highlighted what I consider to be the top 10 as there is just way too much choice. Way too many foods to get excitable about and it is hard to know where to start.

These are also the foods that are in season in April that are not expensive to source and you could imagine cooking a variety of recipes with.

Foods In Season #1 – Spring Onion

I am starting with the salad item that excites me the most and that I am always complaining that we never have. I just love spring onion.

If I could eat them everyday for the rest of my life then I would.

But there is a big problem that really frustrates me and that is that it is rarely available in Portugal. And when it is they think they need to up the price by 200%. So I look at the price and often move on unless I am desperate.

Spring Onion Recipe Suggestions Starting with my Instant Pot Spanish Orange Turkey. I love the fact that it uses spring onions to garnish it with and how they give that delicious crunchy texture. Though even though they are called spring onions to everyone outside of the US if you are in America you probably know them as scallions.

After this I would also suggest:  Slow Cooker Paleo Turkey & Vegetable Hash  Instant Pot Luxury Egg Mayonnaise Sandwiches  Slow Cooked Frugal Japanese Turkey Noodles  Instant Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta Broth

Foods In Season #2 – Spinach

Yeah….Spinach is BACK from last month. It is still in season and still amazing. I got given some from my neighbours allotment last week and it was so good. She had grown hers into a huge plant and needed to free some space for the next ones to grow. I sliced it up, gave it a clean and it went into one of my new soup recipes. It was just go good.

Spinach Recipe Suggestions For spinach recipes I would suggest starting the spinach party with my Airfryer turkey stuffed bread recipe. A good layer of green veg and turkey inside some lovely warm bread makes this the perfect supper.

After this I would also suggest:  Dutch Oven Baked Turkey & Spaghetti  Creamy & Dreamy Paleo Blender Sauce  Flourless Best Ever Mediterranean Broccoli Pizza  Bottom Of The Fridge Leftover Turkey Muffins

Foods In Season #3 – Grapefruit

Grapefruit came up among all the different foods that are in season and I must admit I was hesitant to add it. After all it has a terrible

reputation and I blame extreme diets for that. The way they suggest you have it for breakfast on its own when it is so sour and disgusting. But it can be nice. So re-think the grapefruit now it is in season!

Grapefruit Recipe Suggestions For grapefruit recipes lets start with these Mason Jar cocktails. They look brilliant and it makes me want to have one right now. They come all the way from tastefulventure.com and remind me that I need to get more drinks on the blog for you to all enjoy.

After this I would also suggest:  Grapefruit Greek Yoghurt Loaf  Spicy Shrimp & Citrus Salad  Grapefruit Buttercream Cupcakes  Pink Detox Salad

Foods In Season #4 – Asparagus

This is my all time favourite green, but thanks to the fact that it is often expensive means that it is not always in our supermarket

trolley. I remember my mum commenting it was a bit posh to have in our fridge and this is coming from someone that lives in a RV. Whenever it is on offer in the local supermarket I will grab some and use it on a range of dishes. Because of its price I will stretch it out as far as it will go.

Asparagus Recipe Suggestions Well we all love asparagus wrapped in bacon, but how about we add a delicious layer of soft cheese to the mix and cook it in the Instant Pot and let the bacon get all crispy?

After this I would also suggest:  Asparagus & Chicken Bake  Baked Egg & Asparagus  Slow Roasted Asparagus  Crustless Breakfast Tarts With Asparagus

Foods In Season #5 – Limes

Just like last month citrus fruits are very much still in season and offer you the perfect timing to buy them. This month we have

decided to focus on the trusted lime. They are small for a fruit, but give you so much flavour when you add them to your dishes.

I love them with coriander in a marinade, in a cocktail or best of all to make homemade mayonnaise.

Lime Recipe Suggestions This key lime cupcake is one of my favourites. It is totally flour free and they are so easy to make with the aid of your Airfryer. We have them a lot and love to take them down the beach in the summer months.

After this I would also suggest:  Guilt Free Paleo Thai Green Curry  Thai Chicken Salad With Cucumber Noodles  Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken & Lime  Spicy Mexican Slaw

Foods In Season #6 – Sardines

Last month we had salmon and the fish of choice for this month is sardines. They are a brilliant fish and so cheap. Cook them whole over the grill or use them to make pate. They also work in a whole

range of simple dishes where the focus is on simplicity with great flavours.

Sardine Recipe Suggestions How about the simplicity of the sardine rice bowl for a quick one pot dinner for you and the kids?

After this I would also suggest:  Grilled Sardines  Sardine & Soft Cheese Fishcakes  Sardine Fishcakes  Sardine Rillettes

Foods In Season #7 – Garden Peas

Since the word “paleo” or the diet “Whole 30” came about there has been a lot of hatred for the old peas and beans. As Paleo followers ourselves we rarely eat them and I surprised Dominic by

requesting them on the shopping list last month for some recipe testing. But they are nice, they are low calorie and they work perfectly with a lot of dishes. So grab them now while they are in season.

Garden Peas Recipe Suggestions For something totally different to do with your garden peas how about some delicious Thai Veggie Bites cooked to perfection in the Airfryer? They’re one of those simple genius moments and so good for sharing at parties.

After this I would also suggest:  How To Make A Grain Free Paella  Green Tagliatelle  Soup Maker Minted Pea Soup  How To Make The Best Ever Tomato Sauce In The Soup Maker

Foods In Season #8 - Crab

Next we have crab. They are my favourite frugal seafood and I have fond memories of walking along the British pier eating some fresh

crab in its shell. It can make delicious crab cakes and is also very good for stuffing.

Crab Recipe Suggestions First on the agenda is crab soup. Cooked with cauliflower and so easy and quick in the soup maker.

After this I would also suggest:  Crab Stuffed Potatoes  Easy Crab Cakes  Crab Mac & Cheese  Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

Foods In Season #9 - Mushrooms

For a humble vegetable that is super cheap and perfect for cooking with in a huge range of sauces then it doesn’t get much better than mushrooms. They’re often associated with the vegan and

vegetarian due to their nutrients but the rest of us could do with more mushrooms in our lives too.

Mushroom Recipe Suggestions Starting with our 20 minute beef and mushroom stroganoff.

It is one of those delicious frugal meals that makes a great dinner at this time of the year.

Plus it is great for when you are losing weight as it is not very high in calories.

After this I would also suggest:  Mums Stuffed Mushrooms  Mushroom & Feta Cheese Breakfast Casserole  Spinach & Mushroom Frittata  Classic Garlic Mushrooms (in the airfryer)

Foods In Season #10 - Avocado

My youngest child was born in September last year. The craving of choice was avocadoes and I could eat them from dusk until dawn. I

just couldn’t stop and would constantly be seen walking around eating them as nature intended for them to be made. It has also made me explore more ways with avocadoes that I wouldn’t have thought about before.

Avocado Recipe Suggestions Add the hubbys amazing homemade flatbread, add to that a delicious avocado burrito style filling and you have heaven in a wrap. This recipe of course is one of my favourites but I am game with most things served with avocadoes.

After this I would also suggest:  Banana & Avocado Chocolate Pudding  Simple Avocado Chow Mein

 Avocado & Spinach Zoodles  How To Make The Best Ever Avocado Sauce

April Food Holidays This part of the podcast is just so much fun. I mean getting the chance to talk about what is trending in the food world and what funny and crazy food holidays that we have among us.

These are the highlights for April Monthly Themes:  National BLT Sandwich Month  National Grilled Cheese Month  National Garlic Month For April daily food holidays we have:                      

National Sour Dough Bread Day = 1st of April National Chocolate Mousse Day = 3rd of April National Cordon Bleu Day = 4th of April National Caramel Day = 5th of April National Caramel Popcorn Day = 6th of April National Coffee Cake Day = 7th of April National Beer Day = 7th of April National Cheese Fondue Day = 11th of April National Peach Cobbler Day = 13th of April National Glazed Ham Day = 15th of April National Day Of The Mushroom = 16th of April National Cheese Ball Day = 17th of April National Animal Crackers Day = 18th of April National Rice Ball Day = 19th of April National Pineapple Upside Down Cake Day = 20th of April National Jelly Bean Day = 22nd of April National Cherry Cheesecake Day = 23rd of April National Picnic Day = 23rd of April National Pigs In Blankets Day = 24th of April National Prime Rib Day = 27th of April National Blueberry Pie Day = 28th of April National Shrimp Scampi Day = 29th of April

 National Oatmeal Cookie Day = 30th of April

Syn Free Slimming World Vegetable Frittata In The Instant Pot Welcome to our latest Syn Free Slimming World recipe and today we are making a delicious homemade vegetable frittata in the Instant Pot. It is full of great flavours and is an ideal meal for your SP days.

Author: RecipeThis.com Serves: 2 Preparation time: 5 Minutes Cook time: 23 Minutes

Ingredients:         

Instant Pot 6 Handfuls Spinach 100g Mushrooms 1 Large Onion 3 Eggs 40g Reduced Fat Mature Cheddar 2Tbsp Thyme 1Tbsp Parsley Salt & Pepper

Method: 1. Chop up your spinach, mushrooms and peel and dice your onion.

2. Place the vegetables in the bottom of your Instant Pot. 3. Set the lid to sealing and cook on manual for 8 minutes.

4. Remove the vegetables once it beeps turning the valve straight away instead of leaving it to naturally release.

5. When the vegetables is cool enough to handle drain any liquid and make sure you have all excess water removed.

6. Place it into a bowl and crack the eggs into it and mix well.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix one last time.

7. Place grease proof paper around the sides of your spring form pan and then add the frittata mixture.

8. Place 200ml of water into the bottom of your Instant Pot, add the steaming shelf and place your spring form pan on top of this. Add the lid and set to sealing and cook on steam for 15 minutes.

9. When it beeps manually remove pressure, slice and serve.

Notes: You could also use kale in replacement on spinach if you prefer.

This entire dish works out 1 HEA so if you are sharing make it half of one.

If you are not confident cracking eggs directly into your vegetables you can always have a spare dish and beat them in there and then transfer them into the bowl.

We cooked the vegetables right in the bottom of the Instant Pot because our steamer wasn’t big enough, but you can do either.

That’s A Wrap Thanks for listening to our Podcast and don’t forget how easy it is to transform your dinner plate to include lots of seasonal produce. It is a great way to get excited about what is in season and to vary what you eat for dinner and to get your kids excited about fresh local food.

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Thanks again for listening and best of luck with you food adventures.

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