2 Springtime Recipes: 1 Good-girl Healthy, 1 Feed-the-Soul Chocolate

This week's Recipe of the Week, Red Pepper-Asparagus Sauté, is one of my favorite ways to create a fast vegetable side dish. It uses a basic standby method of quick-cooking that will work for just about any vegetable. Start with a skillet, place over medium-high heat, add olive oil, and toss in chopped veggies with a sprinkling of salt or Adobo. The combination of sizzling heat + oil + veggie + seasoning is one of the quickest ways to turn the same old-same old into an exciting side dish, no matter what you have on hand. Whether it’s corn + broccoli … carrots + peas … or onions + peppers.

The second one here -- oh, what can I say: it's chocolate, it's peanut butter. But really, make it at your own risk. The risk of never wanting to buy overly sweetened commerical chocolate-peanut butter egg versions again. And the risk of eating way too many (if everyone else in your house doesn't beat you to it). This recipe is an all-time classic, thanks to my wonderful neighbor Danelle.

Years ago she surprised us with a box of Easter candy: chocolate-coated peanut butter, coconut cream, and butter cream eggs. Oooh-la-la. Just can't find neighbors like that anymore, eh? Of course, I just had to have the recipe -- and while we've occasionally attempted to duplicate her lovely little pink and yellow flower-topped creations, it's a rare day when I have colored frosting when I need it (but we did have some colored sprinkles we used on a few). Just the fact that we managed to make some homemade candy is celebration enough. It's a good thing I took pictures when we did, 'cause our Chocolate-Peanut Butter Egg Candy has already disappeared. Trust me: you won't regret making these -- they're worth the extra bother.