With spring right around the corner, berries are starting to make their appearance in stores. While harvesting your own berries may still be a few months away, there are some great berries available now and you shouldn’t pass them up. Mangos are easy to find at this time of year too. A juicy mango that you can smell from across the room…that will get your mouth watering! Spring also means the arrival of fresh garden lettuce. Farmers markets and many grocery stores will be carrying some local greens to make your perfect salad and that is exactly what we will be making with this recipe. It is time for blueberries, it is time for mangos and it is always time for salad!


Goodbye to the citrus fruit of winter and welcome berries, one of the best signs of warm weather to come. Who doesn’t love the antioxidants that those little blueberries are packed with? In fact, blueberries are one of the highest antioxidant foods in the world, containing resveratrol, lutein, vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese…the list goes on! Rather than throwing a handful of berries onto the salad, this recipe utilizes the power packed fruit in an easy vinaigrette. You can make the vinaigrette a few days early and keep it for up to a week – it goes great on almost any salad!

Serves 4
 
2 lemons, sliced
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon thyme
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
dash salt & pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive old
 
Preheat oven to 425F.  Layer ½ of the lemon slices on the bottom of a baking dish.  Sprinkle with ½ of the herbs and ½ of the sliced garlic.
 
Place the chicken breasts on top and sprinkle salt & pepper.  Place remaining lemon, herbs and garlic on top of the chicken.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Cover with a lid or foil.
 
Bake for 45 minutes until chicken is cooked through.  If you want the chicken to be a bit more “roasty” then remove the lid/foil and broil for another few minutes (watching carefully not to burn it).
 
Serve & enjoy!
 
Tip: You can add a leftover sliced chicken breast to your salad for lunch the next day!

Roasting Brussel sprouts is a great option - even people that don't like them will enjoy this fresh and tasty high fiber side dish.  Roasting the vegetable brings out the natural sweetness of the vegetable.

Brussel sprouts are an exceptionally rich source of protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. As one of the low-glycemic vegetables, Brussel sprouts is a nutritious and tasty mainstay on your family's food plan. 

Serves 4
1 lb. Brussels sprouts (washed, ends removed, halved)
2-3 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
dash salt and pepper
 
Preheat oven to 400F. 
In a bowl toss sprouts with garlic, oil, and lemon juice.  Spread on a baking tray and season with salt and pepper.

Bake for about 15 minutes.  Toss.

Bake for another 10 minutes.
 
​Serve and Enjoy!

Tips:
Before cooking, remove discolored and loose outer leaves and trim the stem end. Wash in clean water, and then, soak for a few minutes in salt water to remove any dirt particles.  Cut in half.  

Cutting the vegetables in half releases some of the allyl isothiocyanates and reduces their bitterness. Fresh sprouts exhibit delicate flavor. However, overcooking results in the release of allyl isothiocyanates imparting sulfurous odor (pungent smell) to cooked recipes. 

Brussel sprouts contain the fat-soluble bone-loving vitamin K.  You may want to eat them more often!