Enjoy spring veggies with bulgur or in a sauté

When spring is in the air, it's a great time to celebrate. And what's better than with cooking up a tasty meal with fresh spring vegetables? We'll give you tasty recipes for a sauté  with tarragon and bulgur with veggies.

This recipe takes 15 minutes to prepare, just 4 to cook, and it serves 4. Here's what you'll need:

• 15 ml (1 tbsp) butter
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) canola oil
• 1 bunch scallions, cut into 5 cm (2 in) lengths
• 1 medium yellow zucchini, unpeeled, thinly sliced
• 125 g (1⁄4 lb) snow peas, blanched
• 1 small bunch asparagus, trimmed, cut into 10 cm (4 in) pieces, blanched
• 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) salt
• 1 ml (1⁄4 tsp) black pepper
• 5 ml (1 tsp) chopped tarragon or 2 g (1⁄2 tsp) dried

1. Heat butter and oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the scallion and zucchini. Sauté for about one minute.
2. Add the snow peas, asparagus, salt, and pepper. Cover. Cook until vegetables are heated through, or about 2 minutes. Stir in the tarragon and serve immediately.

Bulgur is a source of complex carbohydrates, protein, niacin, insoluble fibre, and vitamin E, all of which work to keep your cardiovascular system healthy. This recipe takes 45 minutes to prepare, 10 to cook, and serves 6. Here's what you'll need:

• 275 ml (1 1⁄4 cups) bulgur
• 800 ml (3 1⁄2 cups) boiling water
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) fresh lemon juice
• 5 ml (1 tsp) salt
• 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) pepper
• 2 leeks, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces, rinsed well
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 12 asparagus spears, cut into 5 cm (2 inch) lengths
• 250 ml (1 cup) frozen peas
• 50 ml (1⁄4 cup) chopped mint

1. Combine bulgur and boiling water in a large heatproof bowl. Let stand until bulgur is tender (about 30 minutes) stirring after 15 minutes. Drain bulgur in a large, fine-meshed sieve to remove any remaining liquid.
2. Whisk 15 millilitres (1 tablespoon) oil, the lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add bulgur and fluff with a fork.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a medium frying pan over low heat. Add leeks and garlic and cook until leeks are tender, or about 5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl containing bulgur.
4. In a steamer set over a pan of boiling water, steam the asparagus until tender (about 4 minutes). Add the peas during the final 30 seconds. Add vegetables and mint to bulgur mixture and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Both of these recipes are relatively low in calories and are loaded with tasty and nutritious veggies. Here's what a serving of each contains:

Spring vegetable sauté with tarragon

• 96 Calories
• 3 g Protein
• 7 g Fat (including 2 g saturated fat)
•  8 g Carbohydrates (including 3 g fibre)
• 8 mg Cholesterol
• 310 mg Sodium

Bulgur with spring vegetables

• 188 Calories
• 6 g Protein
• 5 g Fat (including 0.5 g saturated fat)
• 32 g Carbohydrates (including 8 g fibre)
• 0 mg Cholesterol
• 330 mg Sodium

When fresh and delicious vegetables are in season, it's best to seize the opportunity and use them as often as possible in your meals. These 2 recipes are a tasty place to start.