Cozy Comfort Food and Vibrant Salads

Spring can bring rain or shine so we planned five dinners to make no matter what the weather brings.

By
Sara Bir
Sara Bir
Sara Bir
Sara is a chef, culinary educator, and author of three cookbooks, The Pocket Pawpaw Cookbook, Tasting Ohio and The Fruit Forager's Companion. The latter won a 2019 IACP Cookbook Award.
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Published March 30, 2021
Sara Bir
"What's For Dinner?" with a plate Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce.
Simply Recipes

This week is all about variety in the kitchen. With spring comes a swing of temperatures. One day it’s 40 degrees outside and rainy, which means only a rich, cozy meal will do and the next day its sunny and 70 so a fresh, vibrant salad is in order. 

No matter the weather I have you covered with Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon, Thai Noodle Salad and Salmon with Lemon Cream Sauce, among others. Plus, what is life without dessert! I round out this week meal plan with a no bake gluten-free dessert celebrating one of the first gifts of spring – rhubarb!

  • Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce

    How to Make a Thai Noodle Salad
    Jessica Gavin

    Every time I have a big salad for dinner, I think of the Seinfeld episode when Elaine orders a big salad. Big salads are always tops in our book, but this one is especially enticing with a sweet and creamy peanut sauce. The salad is easy to adapt, too, and the only cooking required is boiling the noodles.

  • Pork Chops with Sweet and Sour Sauce

    Pork chops with sweet and saur sauce.
    Elise Bauer

    The “sweet” in this sweet and sour sauce is jelly. The recipe calls for red currant jelly, but any berry jelly (not jam) would work here. In 25 minutes or less, your saucy pork chops will be on the table! Try them with smashed new potatoes and mustard greens.

  • Circassian Chicken Salad

    Circassian Chicken
    Elise Bauer

    Tired of regular mayo-based chicken salad? Try this one, which gets its richness from chopped walnuts and its color from paprika. You can poach the chicken yourself or do the tried-and-true method of using the meat from a rotisserie bird.  Good crusty bread or pitas and a green salad round this meal out.

  • Salmon with Lemon Cream Sauce

    Salmon with Lemon Cream Sauce
    Elise Bauer

    Make a simple cream and lemon sauce, then cook salmon fillets in a skillet. Try this with a boxed couscous mix and basic boiled asparagus.

    Continue to 5 of 6 below.

  • Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

    A slice of bread dipped into a bowl of Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Mushrooms, Onions and Carrots and set to the side.
    Ariane Resnick

    Prep this in the morning, and you’ll know when dinner comes, you’ll have amazing beef stew enhanced with bacon and mushrooms. What a finale to your week! Serve with rice, pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes.

  • Weekend Dessert: Rhubarb Fool

    Easy Rhubarb Fool
    Sally Vargas

    Rhubarb is one of the first vegetables to arrive in the spring. It is often used in desserts like this Rhubarb Fool. Cook the fibrous stalks down with some sugar and layer it with pillows of freshly whipped cream for an easy, gluten-free dessert to celebrate the season!