Sunchoke Cauliflower Soup with Quick Parsley Walnut Pesto

This soup is simple and comforting. The sunchoke flavor shines through, but the cauliflower mellows it just slightly. Potatoes or another mild root veggie would do the same thing. The pesto is optional of course, but it adds a nice zing to the soup.   Variations: Swap a few potatoes or parsnips for the cauliflower Use leeks or shallots in place of the onion Omit the optional cream for a vegan soup Top with any pesto or bright, herby sauce you have on hand ... Read more »

Grated Vegetable Sauté with Peanut Sauce

This is a simplified version of this and can be adapted to suit your needs. I often make more peanut/tahini sauce than I need for a specific dish and then use leftover sauce on these quickly sautéed vegetables. This recipe makes a lot of sauce so feel free to halve it if you want. It stores well for 5 days, covered, in the fridge. ... Read more »

Vermicelli Noodle Stir-fry Salad

This is similar to this Salad-Roll Salad but it's quicker and even more versatile. Here bean thread noodles are combined with quickly stir-fried vegetables (and meat if you like), fresh herbs and a bright fish sauce, lime dressing. You can change the ratio of noodles to vegetables/herbs to suit your likes and needs. [caption id="attachment_20643" align="aligncenter" width="660"] And a fully loaded version with lots of toppings.[/caption] Bean thread noodles aka mung bean, cellophane, glass or vermicelli noodles are made with mung bean starch. They are a popular noodle in Chinese cuisine. They're quick to prepare and can be used in salads, stir-frys and soups.  ... Read more »

Cook-with-what-you-Have Green Salad

Salads are superb templates. Sometimes all you need is a few greens lightly dressed. But sometimes a slightly more substantial green salad with crunch, a little sweetness, and maybe a little spice is in order.  In the winter you might make this heartier one.   You will need to taste and adjust your version to balance the tart and sweet and crunch as ingredients vary widely. Add a pinch of sugar if your dried fruit is quite tart.... Read more »

Spiced Cauliflower Steaks

These are beautiful, delicious and very quick to make. Here's a similar but plainer, version.   You will end up with a few beautiful steaks that hold together and lots of smaller bits--they'll taste just as good. I suggest adding a little water to the pan when cooking the second side to make sure the cauliflower is tender and crisp but not burned. You can omit the water and watch the heat carefully but the water speeds things up a bit.... Read more »

Eggplant and Tomato Curry

This is savory, complex and delicious and uses Thai red curry paste to create a lot of flavor quickly. You can serve it over potatoes instead of rice.   Variation Green beans would be a wonderful addition here. Add them at the same time you add the tomato sauce and coconut milk. If you don't have time to make tomato sauce and have fresh tomatoes, add fresh, chopped tomatoes to the curry paste after you've fried it for a few minutes and let reduce a bit before adding the eggplant and remainder of the coconut milk. Use green curry paste if you don't have red  ... Read more »

Warm Brussels Sprout Salad with Walnuts and Cilantro

  This is bright and tangy and wonderful! If you don't have walnuts, toasted almonds or peanuts would work too.... Read more »

Roasted Squash Halves with Herbs

If you see this cute, golden acorn-type squash, buy it! It's called Gill's Golden Pippin and is incredibly flavorful--much more so than most acorn types. The skin is very hard and brittle so I just crack it in half and scoop out seeds and roast. And it's fun to serve, in it's little boat-like shell.   You can enjoy them as is or serve them filled with anything from been or beef chili to cooked grains or even other cooked vegetables.  ... Read more »

Seared Young Fava Beans and Garlic Scapes with Lemon

When you have young/small fava beans you can eat the whole pod, either grilled or just seared in a heavy skillet, in this case alongside some shelled ones and garlic scapes and scallions. The whole pod gets tender and when well seasoned with salt and lemon, is just delicious. You can cook them all whole or shell a few for contrast and fun-either way is delicious.... Read more »

Garlicky Spinach with Chickpeas and Miso Tahini Sauce

If you have home cooked or canned chickpeas on hand, this comes together very quickly. The sauce is versatile and keeps for a week so make plenty to use in other ways. Use other tender greens like mustard or turnips greens or even mizuna or tatsoi if you don't have spinach.   You can scale this up but don't skimp on the greens. You want plenty per serving and they cook down so much.  ... Read more »

Green Tomato, Winter Squash and Lentil Salad

This a hearty but bright side dish/salad that is beautiful to boot. The tang of the green tomatoes offsets the sweetness of the squash.... Read more »

Radicchio and Celery Root Remoulade with Parsley and Walnuts

This is a colorful and hearty variation of the classic Celery Root Remoulade. You can substitute a vegan mayo and/or yogurt.... Read more »

Miso and Cider Vinegar Roasted Winter Vegetables

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Corn Chowder Salad

No time for chowder but have the same ingredients on hand, more or less?  Make this, robust and bright salad with a buttermilk dressing.   Variations Substitute halved cherry tomatoes for the bacon Substitute cilantro or basil for the parsley Substitute smoked trout for the bacon (see comment below)  ... Read more »

Charred Zucchini with Zhoug and Feta

Zhoug is an herb and green chile sauce/paste from Yemen but popular in Israel as well and other parts of the Middle East. ... Read more »

Baba Ganoush

This smoky dish of roasted eggplant, pureed with tahini, garlic and lemon is one of my favorite dishes. It's good with/on most anything. And if you have a decent broiler you can have this on the table in about 30 minutes.  If your broiler is no good you can just roast them at high heat. You can alternatively cook the eggplants on the barbecue and get a nice smoky flavor.   You can also use summer squash in stead of or in combination with eggplant for a delicious variation, using the exact same process though you can of course skip the peeling part.  ... Read more »

Sautéed Chard with Jalapeño, Ginger and Sausage

This pairs very nicely with a very quick red lentil dal and a cooling dollop of yogurt. Substitute spinach, mustard or collard greens or any other leafy green you might have, for the chard. You can also omit the sausage and fry a couple of eggs in the pan instead or just serve as is with dal or rice. ... Read more »

Salsify and Potato Soup with Bacon and Thyme

This is a lovely, light wintry soup. The earthy salsify makes it interesting.... Read more »

Black Radish, Carrot, Collard Green and Apple Salad with Toasted Walnuts

I love this combination of disparate flavors. Toast the walnuts a bit longer than you might typically--the hint of char is delicious here. ... Read more »

Eggy Quesadilla

Years ago the wonderful Heidi Swanson of 101cookbooks.com posted a version of this dish that has inspired me ever since. I make variations of this simple concept--a beaten egg in a skillet, covered after a few seconds with a corn tortilla, then flipped over and topped with herbs, cheese, beans, veggies, . . . then folded in half and cooked for another minute.   You can also make these with flour tortillas, if that's what you have on hand or if you want to feed more people. Use at least 2 eggs for a large flour tortilla, and a larger skillet.   Watch a quick video of me making this with my son, if you'd like a tutorial.   I usually use an 8-inch skillet which works perfectly for my 6-inch corn tortillas. You want the skillet to be just a little bigger than the tortillas so the pan contains the egg to the size of your tortilla but still enables you to flip it easily.... Read more »