Enjoy a veggie-focused meal that tastes like spring

As we head into spring, light and delicious foods are begging to be made. The air is fresh, the snow is melting, and there's no better time to dip into a fresh batch of salsa, take a juicy bite out of a jackfruit barbecue sandwich, or enjoy a crisp bite of a jalapeño corn fritter. Birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and these three tasty veggie-centric dishes are on your weekly meal plan.

If you're someone like myself who struggles in the winter with motivation and yearns for gorgeous sunny days again, these recipes will surely put some pep in your step as we gear up for better weather and await the opening of farmers markets. The best part? All are ready in less than 30 minutes.

The Baja Fresh Salsa is my take on a restaurant classic. It's full of flavor from charred veggies and a perfect addition to any meal prep for the week. Enjoy over breakfast tacos, with chips, or honestly anything!

Pulled Jackfruit BBQ sandwiches are a staple for Meatless Mondays or even if you want to try something new. They are juicy and meaty, just like the classic pulled barbecue sandwich, and worth trying.

Jalapeño corn fritters make the best side dish. The sweetness from the corn combined with the crispy, light texture is like eating how spring feels - refreshing!

• My Bizzy Kitchen runs once a month in Food. Follow Biz Velatini on her blog at mybizzykitchen.com/, on Instagram at instagram.com/mybizzykitchen/?hl=en and Facebook at facebook.com/mybizzykitchen.

Baja Fresh Salsa

14 firm Roma tomatoes

2 jalapeños

6 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups cilantro

4 tablespoons lime juice

Grill the tomatoes and jalapeño. This step is necessary to get the char marks. I have broiled the tomatoes, but it takes a long time and I don't get as many char marks.

Start with a tiny bit of the grilled jalapeño and add more as you go. Some jalapeños I can eat like an apple and others are so spicy that I'm running for a glass of milk.

Blend everything together and taste for extra heat or salt.

Note: If you cannot grill the veggies, I would recommend broiling them in your oven to get a nice char on them.

Makes 14 1/3-cup servings

Biz Velatini

Jackfruit Pulled BBQ Sandwiches

20-ounce canned jackfruit, drained and squeezed dry

2 tablespoons Zen of Slow Cooking BBQ sauce seasoning

6 tablespoons barbecue sauce, divided

4 hamburger buns

For the slaw:

4 tablespoons light ranch dressing

2 teaspoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons Zen of Slow Cooking BBQ Sauce seasoning

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups broccoli slaw

Drain the jackfruit. You will see that there are seeds in the cut jackfruit. Pop those out and set aside. Place the jackfruit in a clean dish towel and squeeze dry - this will help with the shredding and also texture.

Mince the seeds and add the seeds to the jackfruit. Add to a skillet sprayed with avocado oil spray, and sprinkle the jackfruit with the 2 tablespoons of Zen BBQ seasoning and cook on medium low heat for 15 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the barbecue sauce the last 5 minutes.

To make the slaw: Combine the ranch, vinegar, mustard, Zen BBQ seasoning and salt. Add in broccoli slaw and mix until combined.

To plate: Toast buns - add slaw on the bottom, divide the barbecue jackfruit on top of the slaw, add an additional tablespoon of barbecue sauce and serve with fries or fresh fruit.

Serves 4

Biz Velatini

Jalapeño Corn Fritters

¾ cup flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups corn cut off the cob (from 4 medium ears)

1 medium jalapeño

2 tablespoons basil, fresh and chopped

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 tablespoon lime zest

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/3 cup cheddar cheese

Avocado oil spray for pan frying

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper together. Add in the remaining ingredients and mix just until blended. It will be a thick "batter." I used a ¼ cup measuring cup for each fritter and got 14 fritters out of this recipe.

Heat a skillet with ½ teaspoon of oil and avocado oil spray at a time - I was able to make 4 fritters at a time, and added more oil/avocado oil spray between batches. Cook for 3 minutes a side, or until golden.

These can be made ahead of time. Store in a zip-lock bag. Preheat air fryer or oven to 400 degrees. Reheat for 5 minutes or until heated through and crispy.

Serves 7 (makes 14 fritters - 2 per person).

Biz Velatini