Spring Pea Soup with Orzo and Mint 青豆薄荷濃湯與Orzo義大利麵

Though the local English peas can't usually be found at this time, can you blame me for being a little bored with root vegetables after five winter months?! Every spring I'm always itching for something green and springy. The weather is still chilly here and the local spring vegetables won't appear for nearly another month. This is a time when I'm dying to have soups like this. Luckily, I can find frozen peas all year round.

Creamy Lemony Goat Cheese Spread 檸檬羊乳酪麵包抹醬

Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure to host a little going away party for my dear friend. I could've made several big dishes and had everyone serve themselves, but I thought, why not make it an event that everyone would remember! I've always believed in expressing love and making lasting memories for others through food. It was my mom's cooking that taught me that. Even though I didn't realize it at the time, it kind of grew on me later.

Crispy Butterflied Chicken with Lemon and Thyme 脆皮檸檬蝴蝶烤雞

I love roast chicken and I spent a lot of time searching and trying different ways of roasting them. Many years ago, I was watching the Martha Stewart Show, and she happened to butterfly a chicken by browning it in a pan, then finishing it with some lemon juice and garlic. After that, it became one of my favourite ways to prepare it. Over the years, I lost the recipe and added my own little tweaks and changes to what I had remembered, but I've always kept the idea of lemon and garlic in there. Normally, I use regular lemons for this recipe, but since I bought a lot of Meyer lemons lately, I thought I'd use them for this recipe and share it with you. The chicken is butterflied and browned in a cast iron pan first, then goes into the oven to continue cooking. The result is a nice crispy skin with very juicy and tender flesh. Butterflying the chicken easily shortens the roasting time, so your hungry belly doesn't have to wait too long.(￣▽￣) The juice of the chicken, the garlic, the thyme and the lemon all blended together make for a really yummy gravy. It's truly a simple and delicious way of enjoying chicken! Bon appétit!

Lemon, Honey and Mint Tea 檸檬蜂蜜薄荷茶

As we all know, lemon and honey are both very good for sore throats. I used to make this tea without mint, but we happened to have a bunch of leftover mint in the fridge, so I decided to try it with mint this time. Not only does it have a soothing effect for the throat, but it also adds a nice flavour to the tea! Besides the mint, I used a little bit of ginger as well because it's warming, This is the perfect tea if you have a sore throat or cough with fever. Drink it throughout the day while it's hot. I hope it helps you as it did for me.

Penne with Fiddlehead Ferns, Yellow Wax Beans and Lemony Spinach-Pistachio Pesto 義大利麵與野生蕨菜、菜豆和檸檬菠菜開心果青醬

When I went to the Marché du Vieux Port a few weeks ago, I was very happy to see that slowly, spring vegetables are starting to make their appearance. Besides some lettuce, one of the few greens you'd find are fiddlehead ferns. When I first encountered this rare spring delicacy back in 2010 in New York at a farmer's market, their unusual curlicue shape caught my eyes and lit my curiosity. If I remember correctly, it was just starting to get some "recognition" at the time. Without knowing exactly what it was or how it tasted, my intuition told me to grab a handful of them. I was so excited about it that I rushed home and immediately cooked them that evening! Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ

Lemony Spinach-Pistachio Pesto 檸檬菠菜開心果青醬

 

Whenever the whether starts to get warm, I like to incorporate more herbs, such as basil, parsley, and chives in my cooking. Every year around this time, I buy several different pots of herbs to grow. Unfortunately, they always die in the winter, since it's so cold here. I can't seem to keep any indoor plants without my cat eating them. Given all that, it's still worth it for me to get them and enjoy them, even if only for a few months. 

 

Lentil-Fennel-Apple Salad With Lemon-Hazelnut Vinaigrette 球莖茴香、蘋果、法式扁豆沙拉與檸檬榛果醋醬汁

 

While most places have been greeted by the arrival of spring, the blossoming of flora, and the abundance of vegetables in the past few weeks, Quebec still remains under 10 degrees most of the time. In fact, we still had some snow here and there until just a week ago. The temperature finally rose! Most of the spring vegetables are not usually out for another few weeks. By this time, I'm already itching for something a little lighter and more cleansing for a change.