Four Recipes to Make This Spring & What I Cooked Last Week

My favorite spring produce, crispy Parmesan potato halves, Korean banana latte, chicken cutlets with creamy spring orzo, peanut chicken spring rolls

Hi everyone,

Hope you’re having a great week! Doug and I had such an amazing trip to Thailand (if you missed my recaps, you can read more about it here and here). We’re back in LA for the next few weeks, and it really feels like spring. The weather is warming up and our plants are finally in bloom. About five years ago, we planted star jasmine, and three years ago we added bougainvillea. For the longest time, neither one really bloomed or filled out. And then this year, at last, everything came to life. The jasmine smells incredible and the bougainvillea is full of colorful leaves. We’ve been really enjoying our little garden.

All the blooms flowing out of our little garden 🌸

Today, I’m sharing four recipes I love to make in the spring using seasonal produce, including my mom’s Parmesan roasted artichokes, where I teach you how to prepare a fresh artichoke. There’s also an asparagus, prosciutto, and cheese stuffed chicken that I can’t wait for you to try.

First, here’s a recipe for crispy Parmesan potato halves I made last week. They’re perfectly crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. They’re topped with sour cream and an easy chive butter that makes them even more delicious.

As always, my cookbook Maxi’s Kitchen is now available for purchase at your local bookstore or online:

Thank you so much for your support 🤍

What I Cooked Last Week! ↓

Crispy Parmesan Potato Halves

These are crispy around the edges with a layer of melted cheese, and are so easy to make because the oven does all the work. They’re so delicious with the sour cream and chive butter.

Crispy Parmesan Potato Halves

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You can download the PDF recipe above and watch the video here :)

Four Recipes to Make This Spring

When spring rolls around, I find myself reaching for asparagus, peas, radishes, artichokes, leeks, scallions, and leafy greens like spinach and arugula. Everything is in peak season and tastes especially vibrant. It’s also the perfect time for fresh herbs like dill, chives, mint, and parsley.

The artichoke might just be the most beautiful vegetable 😍

For fruit, I always gravitate toward strawberries since they’re at their sweetest from spring into summer. And toward the end of spring, cherry season starts, which I look forward to every year. I have so many memories of eating cherries with my mom as a kid, sitting on the couch and tossing the pits into a bowl between us. You’ve probably also noticed I’ve been on a bit of a mango kick lately after Thailand.

Some of my favorite spring recipes are in my cookbook, like the Honey-Mustard Salmon with Pistachios and Dill (page 49), where baked salmon is topped with lots of fresh dill and lemon zest. I also love the Roasted Parmesan Asparagus (page 242), which pairs beautifully with chicken or fish, and the Rotini with Pesto and Frizzled Zucchini (page 134).

Here are a few recipes I’ve been making for years that really feel like a celebration of spring produce 🌱🫜

Spring Vegetable Baked Ziti

This baked pasta is packed with spring vegetables like leeks, asparagus, and peas. It has a creamy béchamel made with milk (no cream), so it feels luscious without being too heavy. And the melted cheesy topping is irresistible.

Find the recipe here.

My Mom’s Roasted Parmesan Artichokes

My mom came up with this method of quartering whole artichokes, removing the fuzzy center, and trimming the leaves. You rub the cut sides with fresh lemon to prevent browning, then roast them with Parmesan until the cheese crisps up against the pan. We serve them with a Parmesan, lemon, and black pepper aioli we’ve been making for years. It feels like a fresh take on a childhood favorite.

Find the recipe here.

Cheesy Asparagus and Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken

This one is loosely inspired by my nana’s broccoli and Swiss cheese stuffed chicken from my cookbook. Here, you pound the chicken into thin cutlets, coat it in a Parmesan breadcrumb mixture, and fill it with prosciutto, provolone, and asparagus. A little extra cheese on top melts in the oven. It looks impressive but is actually very easy to make.

Find the recipe here.

My Grandpa’s Korean Marinated Pickled Radishes

These are so delicious, especially in the spring when radishes are at their best. You lightly crack them with a meat mallet so the marinade seeps in and flavors them all the way through. They turn into these punchy flavor bombs that are incredibly addictive. I can polish off a whole jar in one sitting. Since it’s a healthy snack, I don’t mind eating so many of them :)

Find the recipe here.

I hope you’re enjoying these first weeks of spring. Wishing you a wonderful, relaxing weekend!

Love,

Maxine