Four Vibrant Spring Recipes to Revitalise Your Midweek Meals
Four Spring Recipes to Revitalise Your Midweek Meals

Four Vibrant Spring Recipes to Revitalise Your Midweek Meals

As spring produce returns, finding culinary inspiration can sometimes be a challenge. From herby prawns with wild garlic pasta to asparagus dishes worth building a meal around and softly spiced carrot hot cross buns, these recipes offer the perfect solution for those unsure what to cook. Hannah Twiggs presents a collection that captures the essence of the season, focusing on lighter, brighter flavours that are both fresh and deeply satisfying.

Herby Orecchiette with Prawns

This fast, green-leaning pasta dish makes midweek cooking feel effortless. Lauren Hoffman's herby orecchiette with prawns is packed with zippy, fresh flavours, combining prawns, courgettes, and a muddle of mint and basil. For a vegetarian option, swap the prawns for baby mozzarella or burrata and use a vegetarian Italian hard cheese.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes

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Ingredients:

  • 300g orecchiette
  • 150g frozen broad bean, edamame and pea mix
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 courgettes, sliced into half-moons
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 20g parmesan, finely grated
  • ½ (175g) pack cooked peeled prawns
  • 1 small handful basil, leaves picked and shredded
  • 1 small handful mint, leaves picked and shredded

Method:

  1. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water as per pack instructions, adding the bean mix for the final 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan. Add the courgettes and fry over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until starting to soften and colour. Stir in the garlic and cook for a few minutes more. Partially cover and cook for 5 minutes until tender. Add the lemon juice and season to taste.
  3. Drain the pasta and beans, reserving a little water. Tip back into the pan and stir through the courgettes. Toss in the parmesan with 1 tbsp pasta water, then fold through the prawns and most of the herbs.
  4. Serve topped with the reserved herbs and a crack of black pepper.

Trofie with Wild Garlic Pesto and Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Lauren Hoffman's trofie with wild garlic pesto and purple sprouting broccoli is a vibrant twist on a Ligurian classic. Quick enough for a weeknight but impressive enough to feel special, this dish combines roasted potatoes, broccoli, and a homemade pesto. If wild garlic isn't in season, substitute with basil and a garlic clove.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 200g baby potatoes, cut into 5mm slices
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 pinches sea salt
  • 100g blanched hazelnuts
  • 1 (75g) bunch wild garlic, or use 75g basil and 1 garlic clove
  • 30g parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve (optional)
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 1 (250g) pack fresh trofie or other pasta
  • 200g purple sprouting broccoli, cut into small florets, stalks sliced

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9. Toss the potato slices in 1 tbsp olive oil and spread out in a single layer on a baking tray. Season with a pinch of sea salt and roast for 15 minutes or until golden, tossing halfway.
  2. Meanwhile, blitz the hazelnuts, wild garlic (or basil and garlic), parmesan, extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice in a food processor until smooth. Add more oil or cold water to loosen if needed, then season with sea salt and black pepper.
  3. Cook the pasta as per pack instructions until al dente, adding the broccoli for the final 3 minutes. Drain and return to the pan. Stir in 2-3 heaped tbsp pesto to coat, then fold through the potatoes. Serve with a grind of black pepper and extra parmesan if desired.

Asparagus with Seaweed Butter and Chopped Egg Salad

Created by Michelin-starred chef Paul Ainsworth, this asparagus dish with seaweed butter and chopped egg salad elevates simple spears into a centrepiece. The seaweed butter adds a savoury note that enhances the natural sweetness of the asparagus, making it versatile as a starter, light main, or side dish.

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Serves: 6
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 6 medium eggs, 4 hard-boiled and roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 4 tsp caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp English mustard powder
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • 150ml double cream
  • 100ml white wine vinegar
  • ½ lemon (approx), squeezed, to taste
  • 3 tbsp (approx) Clearspring Japanese Sea Vegetable Salad
  • 1 tsp chopped chives
  • 2 salad onions, thinly sliced
  • 100g unsalted butter
  • 2 bunches asparagus, woody ends trimmed
  • 10 (approx) edible flowers (optional)

Method:

  1. To make the salad cream, crack the 2 uncooked eggs into a heatproof bowl and whisk in the flour, sugar, mustard powder, sea salt, cream, and vinegar. Place over a saucepan of simmering water, whisking continuously for 5 minutes until thick and creamy. Remove from heat, season with salt and lemon juice, pass through a fine sieve, and chill until needed.
  2. Soak the dried sea veg in 200ml warm water for 5 minutes to rehydrate. Strain, reserving the soaking liquid, and roughly chop.
  3. Combine the chopped eggs with 1 tsp each chopped sea veg and chives, the salad onions, and 120g of the salad cream. Mix well, season to taste, and set aside.
  4. Put the reserved soaking liquid in a large saucepan with the butter and bring to a simmer to form a buttery stock. Add the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes or until just tender, then season.
  5. Heat a griddle pan over high heat. Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon and char for 30 seconds on each side, then place on a serving plate.
  6. Add the remaining chopped sea veg to the buttery stock and whisk over medium heat for 1 minute until thickened. Spoon the stock over the asparagus and garnish with violas if using. Serve with the chopped egg salad on the side.

Carrot Hot Cross Buns

Bake Off finalist Crystelle Pereira's carrot hot cross buns blend carrot cake flavours with traditional Easter baking. Made with grated carrots, cinnamon, and ginger, these buns are extra soft and springy, best served with a generous sweep of sweet cream cheese butter.

Makes: 16
Prep time: 25 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 400ml whole milk (60ml cold, 340ml warmed and separated)
  • 640g strong bread flour
  • 80g caster sugar
  • 3½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 (7g) sachet yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 190g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the proving bowl
  • 160g carrots, grated
  • 200g raisins
  • 2 oranges, zested
  • 75g plain flour
  • 4 tbsp maple syrup
  • 110g cream cheese
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Method:

  1. Combine the 60ml cold milk with 20g of the strong bread flour in a pan and whisk until smooth. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.
  2. Using a food processor or stand mixer, mix the remaining 620g bread flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, yeast, and salt. Add the egg, warm milk, and the flour-and-milk mixture, then mix on low for 5 minutes.
  3. Gradually add 80g of the softened butter in stages, mixing for 10-12 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Squeeze excess water from the carrots and add to the dough with the raisins and orange zest, mixing until fully incorporated.
  4. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place for 60-90 minutes until doubled in size.
  5. Punch down the dough and divide into 12 equal portions. Roll into tight balls and arrange on a lined baking tray in 3 rows of 4 buns. Cover loosely and leave to prove for 30-45 minutes until touching.
  6. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Mix the plain flour with 55ml water to make a thick paste. Pipe crosses over the buns using a piping bag.
  7. Bake for 25 minutes, rotating halfway, until golden and springy. Brush with 2 tbsp maple syrup and leave to cool slightly.
  8. To make the cream cheese butter, beat the remaining 110g softened butter until smooth. Add the cream cheese, remaining 2 tbsp maple syrup, and vanilla, beating until combined.
  9. Serve the warm buns cut in half and spread generously with the cream cheese butter, or toast if preferred.

These recipes, sourced from Ocado, provide a comprehensive guide to embracing spring's bounty with dishes that are both practical and indulgent, perfect for revitalising your cooking routine.