As winter becomes more and more of a memory, those of us in places like the Midwest are embracing the promise of sunshine and warmer days. Spring has officially sprung. And while some foods are year-round standbys, other things just don’t fit as well with spring weather. We’re not craving pumpkin recipes or recipes to warm us up. Instead, we want spring dinner recipes that are lighter, fresher and get us in the mood for warmer weather!
There’s a lot of IC friendly fresh produce in season in the spring that’s great for cooking. Spring is also a time when the grill can be a great option for cooking dinner once again. We’ve pulled together a variety of spring dinner recipes that are scrumptious, will feed your family and won’t irritate your bladder.
Pork Recipes
Whether you’ve got leftover ham from Easter dinner or have a hankering for a good pork chop, these pork recipes are perfect for springtime. Note, especially for ham, that you want to pay attention or know what was used for glaze. Sometimes hams can be cooked with troublesome ingredients, so you want to be aware before you try it.
- Ham and noodle casserole
- Gnocchi gratin with ham and peas
- Pesto pizza with arugula and prosciutto (This can be a great pizza option with using pesto instead of tomato sauce, but proceed with a bit of caution since pesto is in the “Foods Worth Trying” category.)
- Asparagus ham dinner (Leave out the tomatoes and the cayenne pepper, both of which are in the “Most Bothersome” category, to make this dish IC friendly.)
- Pancetta and pea quiche and/or broccoli, ham & cheese quiche
Chicken Recipes
Chicken is a great protein all year long, but during the spring is a great time to prepare chicken with brighter flavors and along with fresh veggies. These spring dinner recipes do just that.
- Chicken and vegetable sauté (This recipe calls for 1/2 of a medium red onion, which is in the “Foods Worth Trying” category. You can omit this, or try it with caution. Cooked onion loses some of its acidity, so some ICers can tolerate cooked onion and not raw onion.)
- Chicken and asparagus skillet supper
- Chicken fricassee with spring vegetables (This recipes calls for 1/2 cup of wine, which is in the “Most Bothersome” category. Replace the wine with an extra 1/2 cup of chicken stock to make this recipe completely IC friendly.)
- Penne with chicken and asparagus (This recipe calls for 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, which is in the “Foods Worth Trying” category. You can switch it to the more bladder friendly mozzarella cheese, or try it with caution.)
- Chicken and broccoli with herb butter sauce (This recipe uses shallots, which are milder than onions and are cooked. They should be problem-free, but always proceed with caution when trying something new or omit the shallots all together.)
- Honey thyme grilled chicken
Beef Recipes
From ground beef to steak, beef can be a great protein for spring dinner recipes. Give some of these a try!
- Sheet pan flank steak with greens and Yukon gold fries
- Grilled steak pinwheels (This recipe uses green onion, which is in the “Foods Worth Trying” category. Omit them or try them cautiously.)
- Vegetable, steak and eggs (If parmesan cheese bothers you, switch it for mozzarella to make this more IC friendly.)
- Greek meatballs with cucumber-yogurt sauce and rice (Skip the crushed red pepper and add more lemon zest instead of lemon juice to avoid bothersome ingredients.)
Fish Recipes
Whether you have a catch of the day you reeled in yourself or just have a hankering for fish, these recipes will make dinner tasty this spring.
- Creamy rice with scallops
- Roasted asparagus, fish and bay leaves (Omit the grape tomatoes and squeeze of lemon juice to make this recipe IC friendly, since both ingredients are in the “Most Bothersome” category.)
Meatless Recipes
Not all great family dinners have to include meat. These spring dinner recipes offer delicious taste without the meat.
- Pasta primavera with peas and mint (This recipe includes lemon zest and lemon juice. Lemon is in the “Most Bothersome” category; however, lemon zest is usually well tolerated for most IC patients. Add extra zest and skip the juice to make this recipe more IC friendly.)
- Skillet toasted gnocchi and peas (See the same note about lemon zest and juice as in the previous recipe.)
- Carbonara-style pasta with peas and shiitake “bacon”
- Grilled garden veggie pizza (Skip the red onion and swap the parmesan cheese for mozzarella to make this completely bladder friendly.)
- French herb omelets with new potatoes
