Bored of making the same old dishes day in and day out? Think outside your recipe box with and join us for the Bluprint 31-Day Cooking Challenge for the month of March!
We’ve picked a word or phrase to inspire your meals for each day in March. Bring in the month like a lion with dandelion greens, and out like a lamb with spicy lamb sausage — and even celebrate some National food holidays in between. Challenge yourself to find creative ways to use these ingredients for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We’ve even provided a few recipes to get the pan sizzling!
Pin this, print this or share it on Facebook to get all of your friends in on the action!
March 1: Dandelion greens
Did you know you can eat dandelions? Check out this post for five ways to eat dandelion greens.
March 2: Turmeric
One easy way to use turmeric? Make a curry dish (like this one) — curry typically is a mix of coriander, cumin and turmeric.
March 3: Rutabaga
Rutabagas are nearing the end of their season, but are still considered at their peak in March. This root vegetable is well-suited to roasting (an easy method is detailed in here), which brings out their natural sweetness.
March 4: Wine
Wine is always in season! There are plenty of ways too cook with wine — or you could just have a glass with dinner. Find the right wine to complement your food with Bluprint Course The Everyday Guide to Wines of California.
March 5: Absinthe
Today is National Absinthe Day, so it’s the perfect day to enjoy this intoxicating and once-illegal spirit in a craft cocktail.
March 6: Goat cheese
The bright, tangy flavor of goat cheese is the perfect complement to the vegetables of the season, including beets and asparagus.
March 7: Cereal
Today is National Cereal Day! Whether it’s a Rice Krispie treat, a wholesome oatmeal or a homemade granola, be sure to incorporate cereal into your diet today.
March 8: Ginger
Fresh, pickled or in spice form, ginger’s warming flavor will take the chill out of the air as winter gives way to spring.
March 9: Arugula
Arugula’s unique, slightly astringent flavor makes it a perfect complement to rich foods (try it on pizza), and helps give salads a pleasant “bite.”
March 10: Whiskey
With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, it’s a good time of year to stay cozy by including whiskey (or whisky, depending on where it’s made) in your cooking, baking or in a tasty cocktail.
March 11: Grapefruit
Grapefruit’s zing may not hasten the arrival of spring, but it will help brighten your cooking. Add it to a main course salad, incorporate it into a cake or even use it to make an infused vodka.
March 12: Onion
Spring onions are sprouting, and they can be roasted along with root vegetables, grilled as a tasty topping or used as you would vidalia onions in your cooking. (Want to learn how to cut an onion the right way — without tearing up? There’s a FREE video lesson for that!)
March 13: Nettles
Nettles, especially the type with the descriptor “stinging,” may seem forbidding to cooks. But they’re actually delicious — and healthy! Try them on pizza, with pasta or in salads.
March 14: Potato chips
It being National Potato Chip Day, it’s a fantastic day to include the salty spuds in your cooking. Get creative: Try our recipe for addictive chocolate chip potato chip cookies.
March 15: Stout beer
St. Patrick’s Day is coming up fast, it’s a great time to experiment Ireland’s iconic stout beers in your cooking or baking projects — and it’s a great day to enjoy a stout beer with a friend.
March 16: Artichoke
It’s National Artichoke Hearts Day today, but why stop at the heart when you can enjoy the entire vegetable? Learn how to cook an artichoke three ways in this comprehensive guide.
March 17: Corned beef
Not only is it St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s also National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day. This slow-cooked traditional dish is rich, flavorful and the perfect hearty meal for late winter.
March 18: Potato
There are so many ways to cook potatoes — we can’t wait to see what you come up with! A hearty baked potato is the perfect complement to any corned beef leftovers you might have from St. Patrick’s Day; or, perhaps you’ll take a less literal approach and make Irish potato candy.
March 19: Chicken
Winner, winner, chicken dinner! It’s National Poultry Day, and we’ve got all the best chicken recipes (plus instructions for roasting a whole chicken) in this free download.
March 20: Ravioli
If the first day of spring feels like winter, stay warm with a big bowl of ravioli. Bonus points if you make your own ravioli with fresh, seasonal ingredients.
March 21: French bread
French bread can be used to make sandwiches, jumbo croutons for French onion soup, delicious bread pudding — or you can enjoy it simply, slathered with butter. Today is National French Bread Day, so make it your carb of choice.
March 22: Caramel
Everyone deserves a sticky, gooey treat now and again. This Bluprint blog post details how caramel is a versatile confection that can create a crisp candy coating, a soft stand-alone candy or a rich, luscious sauce.
March 23: Spinach
Spinach fares better in colder temperatures than lettuce, so chances are you can find fresh varieties at this time of year. Enjoy it in a stir-fry or in a fresh salad.
March 24: Salt
Oh, the places you can go with this prompt! Salt is a magic ingredient that brings flavor and fullness to just about any food, from soup to chicken to even caramel and cookies and cakes. How will you use it today?
March 25: Parsley
Parsley is most famous as a garnish, but it can add so much more to your cooking. Use it to make a homemade bouquet garni seasoning mix or add it to pesto for a fresh, bright flavor tone.
March 26: Eggs
Easter is tomorrow, so it’s an appropriate time to think about eggs. Hard boiled eggs make egg-cellent (sorry — couldn’t resist the pun!) specimens for dyeing. Of course, there are countless other ways to cook eggs (quiches! souffles! meringues!), all of which you can discover in Cracking the Egg: 25 Ways to Transform Your Cooking.
March 27: Jelly Beans
Happy Easter! Since this holiday is strongly associated with candy, keep things sweet. Use jelly beans in a creative cake decorating project, or to accent a sweet treat.
March 28: Ham
Got Easter leftovers? This is an ideal moment to make a delicious, hearty Croque Monsieur sandwich, which works for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
March 29: Rhubarb
The first rhubarb of the year is a true harbinger of spring. It’s certainly not just for pie: this post details 10 creative uses for rhubarb.
March 30: Asparagus
Whether it’s served grilled, steamed and served with Hollandaise, or even fried, asparagus is a spring crop with many uses.
March 31: Merguez
This spicy sausage is typically made with lamb and spiced with a mixture of chili, cumin and harissa, which give it a unique red hue and signature flavor. It tastes great with Middle Eastern fixings like hummus, babaganoush and za’atar bread.
Bonus: Share your culinary creations and win!
We can’t wait to see what you’re inspired to create from these prompts — so please share your dishes with us! We’ll be keeping an eye on our projects page to see your progress throughout the month — and one lucky chef will win a Bluprint cooking class prize just for participating.
Use the hashtag #MarchCookingChallenge
No fooling: we’ll be looking at submissions on April 1, 2016, and will pick a winner at random!
Share tips, start a discussion or ask one of our experts or other students a question.
No Responses to “Join on Our 31-Day Cooking Challenge and WIN!”