Food and Entertaining

Spring into Lighter, Healthier Meals

There comes a point during the winter when you're itching to shed the heavy sweaters and dark colors for a brighter, swingier spring wardrobe. Sure, the sweaters served their purpose, keeping you warm, but the spring clothes lift your spirits. It's the same with food - during the winter, heavier meals like stews and roasts provide comfort in the face of ice, snow and wind. But with the arrival of warmer weather, you crave lighter, fresher tastes.

The welcome arrival of the spring's first produce helps add layers of taste and interest to even the simplest of recipes. That means you can savor all the flavor without adding a lot of calories. Fresh ingredients make all the difference in straightforward dishes like salads and easy to assemble pasta meals.

As you look for your favorite springtime produce at the grocery store, keep your eyes out for Certified Extra Sweet Vidalia Onions. Their unique flavor comes from the low flavor intensity and high sweetness levels attained through careful cultivation within a specific sweet onion-growing region of South Central Georgia.

"Vidalia onions are among the sweetest onions grown in the world; only a percentage achieve certified extra sweet status and these alone are designated by National Onion Labs as Certified Extra Sweet," says lab president David Burrell. Not only do these onions taste terrific, they also provide health-promoting phytochemicals as well as nutrients.

Research shows that onions may help guard against many chronic diseases, thanks to generous amounts of a flavonoid called quercetin. Studies show that quercetin protects against cataracts, cardiovascular disease and cancer. In addition, onions contain a variety of naturally occurring chemicals known as organosulfur compounds that have been linked to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

With only 30 calories per serving, Vidalia onions are sodium, fat and cholesterol free. They also provide dietary fiber, vitamin C, B6, potassium and other key nutrients. So while you enjoy the superior taste of these Certified Extra Sweet Vidalia Onions, you can feel good about their healthful properties as well.

These onions are only available from May through mid-June, so take advantage of their extra sweet taste in your spring cooking, from appetizers to the main course. Or you can savor them the way southerners have for generations: spread some fresh bread with mayonnaise, top with slices of Vidalia Onions and enjoy.

Here are some quick spring recipes to get you cooking. For more recipe ideas, visit www.cesonions.com.

Vidalia Salmon Dip
6 ounces pre-sliced smoked salmon
1 small Certified Extra Sweet Vidalia onion, peeled
1/2 bunch fresh dill, chopped
3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 cups regular or fat free sour cream
2 drops Worcestershire sauce
A squeeze of lemon
Salt & pepper to taste

Cut the salmon and onion in 1-inch long, very thin strips.  Next, mix the salmon, dill, mustard, onions and all the seasonings into the sour cream.  Stir for about 3 minutes. Use your Kitchen Aid with a whisk on the slowest speed.  Salt and pepper to taste.  If the dip is too salty then add more sour cream.

Note:  The salmon is very salty, and as the dip is refrigerated, more flavor and salt will be transferred into it.

Yield: 5 - 6 people as an appetizer

Hot and Spicy Cucumber Salad
1 large cucumber
1/2 small Certified Extra Sweet Vidalia onion, peeled and quartered
1/2 small red chili pepper (1 teaspoon)
1 cup rice or white distilled vinegar
1/2 tablespoon sugar
Salt & pepper to taste

Wash the cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise.  Scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon (for a different look, peel off single strips of the cucumber skin).   Then slice the cucumber into moon shaped 1/3-inch thick pieces.  Cut the Vidalia onion into fine strips to match the size of your cucumber pieces.  Place everything in a salad bowl.

Then halve, deseed, and chop the red chili pepper into tiny little squares.  

Note:  If you own surgical gloves, this is the time to wear them.  If not, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after working with the chili pepper.

Add the chili pepper to the bowl and finish your salad with the vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Stir and chill for at least 10 minutes.

Yield: 3-4 servings

Vidalia is a registered trademark of the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Certified Sweet and Certified Extra Sweet are trademarks of National Onion Labs, Inc.  Recipes and photos courtesy of National Onion Labs, Inc.

Copyright © 2006, ARA Content