The streets of Montreal may still be covered in slush and snow, but the first official day of spring is right around the corner. March 20 marks the end of the season for soups, stews and slow-cooker meals. Thankfully, we can now leave class at 5:30 p.m. and still be able to see the light of day outside—plus, it was 8 degrees in the city the other day! Spring is upon us, and with it comes the perfect time for renewal. It’s a great opportunity to beat the winter blues by livening up your daily meals with fresh, bright foods as the city starts to come alive again. Freshening up your winter diet will help you look forward to the warmer times ahead, and help get you through the last weeks of the winter semester. Here are a few meal ideas to brighten your mood and start your transition into spring!
This salad originated in the French city of Nice in the late 19th century. Traditionally, its main ingredients were solely fresh tomatoes, olives, anchovies and good olive oil. Decades later, canned tuna and olives were added to the mix, and it soon became a dish served either tossed or composed. The reason this salad is ideal for getting you in the mood for spring is that it’s now commonly served as a combination of both fresh and cooked vegetables. Nowadays, Salade Niçoise still includes its traditional olives and tomatoes, but hard-boiled eggs, tuna, raw red peppers, fresh or steamed green beans, and cooked baby potatoes are now the norm. The dressing is meant to be light—mainly dijon mustard, olive oil and lemon juice—so it doesn’t overpower the seasonal vegetables or the fish and eggs. I love to make this salad when the sun starts to come out because it’s a great transition to a raw summer salad, but still includes heartier ingredients that will keep you full and satisfied.
Tropical Matcha Smoothie
While Montreal is doing its best to reach above 0 degrees, the month of March means the rest of the world is on spring break in Cabo. My newfound favourite way to pretend like I’m on vacation sipping a cocktail is through smoothies. I shy away from cold drinks during the winter months because I crave more warming and grounding foods, but the minute the weather starts to get nice again, I start having an appetite for cold, refreshing drinks. My go-to revitalizing smoothie for times like these is one inspired by Jugo Juice’s “Never Too Matcha” smoothie. It’s a pineapple, apple and orange juice based smoothie with spinach and matcha green tea. I swap out the apple juice for coconut milk to make it taste even more tropical and fresh, and I add frozen mango as well. I find, too, that adding superfoods like hemp hearts, spirulina, flax seeds or chia seeds to the matcha gives you an even stronger coffee-free buzz. This smoothie will make you feel like you’re sipping a green version of a Pina Colada poolside, and give you some energy for your studying.
“Super-green Vegan Kale Pesto”
For me, spring means getting back to incorporating seasonal, raw and fresh produce into my diet. After months of chilli and curries, nothing screams spring and summer to me more than flavourful pesto and its main ingredient: fresh, vibrant herbs. This pesto is a great way to use up a ton of seasonal vegetables from the market and any other leafy greens you might have on hand in the fridge. This recipe is a bright, nutrient dense take on classic pesto. Two cups of kale might sound like it would make a bitter pesto, but when it’s combined with the nutritional yeast and the nuts, the kale adds a great punch of flavour. It also brings in a ton of fibre and iron to pesto’s already great mix of healthy fats. Try this versatile sauce on pasta as you normally would, or even on spiralized zucchini noodles for a fresher and lighter meal.