Category: Carrots

Quick, spicy and delicious, these noodles are similar to these but don't call for mushrooms or eggs. Any quick cooking green works well but the crunchy bok choi stems are really nice here. If you have the ever-more-popular spicy chili crisp condiment, this is the place to use it! You can use fresh ramen noodles (above & below) or any long, skinny dried noodle. [caption id="attachment_18692" align="aligncenter" width="660"] And a bacon-free version w/ carrots, snap peas & mustard greens.[/caption]... Read more »

This dish was born out of haste and what was on hand. I didn't have time to cook rice but had half a head of savoy cabbage which turned into a lovely bed for this ground-beef stir fry.  ... Read more »

Making homemade red curry paste will mean an extra trip to the store (which I usually avoid) but it’s worth it. The paste recipe below makes enough for about 3 meals (for 4-6 each) for my family’s spice-level. If you like mild-medium you may get more meals out of it. It keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. You can change the mix of vegetables to suit your taste/what you have on hand. You can use either leftover chicken from a roasted or poached chicken or add raw chicken to the curry.... Read more »

This is just a template to assemble a delicious bowl of food. The sauce makes everything taste good. Cook a pot of grains and then let people customize their bowls to suit their taste.... Read more »

  [caption id="attachment_19384" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Chicken and lots of veg in this version.[/caption] My son loves this dish and it's a pretty quick weeknight dinner. It's a great way to use (up) any number of vegetables. It calls for a higher ratio of vegetables than might be typical and you can certainly use fewer. [caption id="attachment_21828" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Straight chicken version with lots of scallions and cilantro.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_17922" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Tofu version[/caption]... Read more »

  I overlook the beets in my fridge sometimes because I think I don't have time to prepare them. In this dish I skip the peeling, and instead dice the beets (and carrots, below version) nice and small. This saves time and you'll have a delicious side dish in 10-15 minutes. The pictured cornbread is also much quicker to make than you might think. ... Read more »

Whole grains (rye, barley, farro, spelt, wheat, etc. ) take about an hour to cook (if not soaked ahead of time) but the are versatile, flavorful, and nutritious, not to mention a very affordable staple. 2 cups of dry whole grains will yield about 4 1/2 cups cooked grains that can be used in salads, soups or for breakfast with fruit, nuts and a little honey.   In this recipe you steam the vegetables with the already cooked grains.  ... Read more »

This is a bright, hearty salad with plenty of crunch. It keeps well, making it a good lunch-box or potluck candidate.   Whole grains like this take a while to cook, about an hour if you haven’t soaked them (which I often forget to do). But they keep well, so cook a big pot at the beginning of the week and use it in a variety of ways.... Read more »

  Stir-fried noodles are a delicious, quick weeknight, or any-time dish. Here in the Pacific Northwest we're lucky to have these fresh ramen noodles which cook in 2 minutes, but use whatever long noodle you'd like. [caption id="attachment_16951" align="aligncenter" width="600"] I cook the eggs and leafy greens right in the same pot as the noodles. I put the eggs in the boiling water for 3-4 minutes, then add the fresh noodles and greens for 2 more minutes and then drain all together and rinse with cold water briefly.[/caption]... Read more »

A box grater (or grating blade on a food processor) can turn any number of vegetables into a form that will cook quickly, brown easily and absorb and/or combine with myriad flavors. It's a good method to have in your cook-with-what-you-have repertoire when you have random bits to use. It's delicious with a piece of good bread and maybe an egg or as a side to most anything. It's delicious the next day so make plenty.   Variations: Use any vegetable you can grate such as turnips, kohlrabi, sweet potatoes, potatoes, summer squash/zucchini, beets, broccoli stems. 1 stalk green garlic or 2-3 cloves garlic, minced Tender greens such as spinach, beet greens or mustard greens, finely chopped are a great addition, add toward end of the cooking time. Herbs like parsley, cilantro, basil or mint, chopped; add toward end of the cooking time. ... Read more »

This bright, crunchy salad (template) can be rounded out with crumbled feta, if you'd like. It pairs beautifully with medium-rare steaks. Alternatively serve it with 7-minute eggs (eggs covered with cold water, brought to a boil and simmered for 7 minutes then drained), beans or grains, grilled tofu, etc.    Use whatever tender herb you have or like. Cilantro, parsley, mint, chives, chervil or basil would all be great--or mix and match any of these. You could also just use radishes or turnips. Make it work for you!  ... Read more »

The only thing you need to have thought of in advance is to have made more rice than you needed for an earlier meal so that you have leftover rice ready, whether in the fridge or freezer. It matter little whether you use white or brown rice, short or long grain. I always make more rice than I need at any given time and then freeze the rest for the fried-rice-nights. Or make it in the morning and leave it sitting out all day and then you’ll have nicely dried out rice for the fried rice that evening.   Variations You can use most any vegetable you have on hand such as, broccoli, celery, Brussels sprouts, daikon, bell pepper, radish, and/or water chestnuts. Watery vegetables, like zucchini and tomatoes, are less well suited. Use a handful of radishes, chopped or a few salad turnips, chopped, in place of the carrots. If you don't have turnip tops, use beet greens, bok choi or any leafy green, you have. Snap or snow peas are great instead of shelling peas. Add any leftover meat you'd like or dice a couple slices of bacon or half a chicken breast and cook with the vegetables before adding rice. Add toasted peanuts or cashews for crunch and heft. Delicious herbs to add, in place of or with, cilantro are mint or basil ... Read more »

This is a fairly quick, flavorful simplified version of a Thai curry paste. You may have everything in your pantry already. I try to keep Makrut lime leaves in the freezer (I stock up if I see them in the store) but you can substitute a little lime and lemon zest for those, here. If you have galangal by all means use it instead of the ginger or use a combination.   The paste keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and adds so much flavor to a quick curry. Use whatever vegetables you'd like and substitute chicken for the tofu, if desired.  ... Read more »

Often my dinner-cooking plans take a detour because I run out of time. I imagine I'm going to develop something new and creative. . . and sometimes those running-out-of-time meals are the best. This one was enjoyed by all and is definitely a winning template. Use whatever vegetables you have and cut them small or grate them for quicker cooking time. Serve with cheesy toast or any good bread, toasted if a little stale.   Variations You can use vegetables like carrots, zucchini, winter squash, turnips, potatoes, etc. Change or omit the spices, use sausages instead of eggs, or add a couple of cups of beans. ... Read more »

[caption id="attachment_14077" align="aligncenter" width="628"] Served with meatballs loaded with cilantro and dill and dill aioli.[/caption] This feels like an elegant dish thanks to the lemon and dill but is very simple and suitable to a variety of vegetables. Any combination of sweet and hot peppers would be good.   Variation You could add diced summer squash, or greens beans, or fava beans, or peas or fennel Instead of water, you can liven up the dish by using vegetable broth or veggie bouillon. ... Read more »

The combination of beans stewed with herbs and whatever vegetables you have on hand, makes for a lovely ragout that's particularly delicious over creamy polenta. This version employs cranberry beans, leeks, carrots, celery, thyme and parsley.  ... Read more »

This is a bright, fresh salad that is also good, topping a bowl of rice or noodles. I have a little handheld peeler that creates these lovely julienned strips. You can also use a mandolin or cut them be hand or you can grate the vegetables on the large holes of a box grater. You'll get a softer, juicier salad if you grated them but it's just as tasty.... Read more »

This is delicious with most any combination of winter vegetables and roots. Cut the vegetables into fairly small dice but if you don't have the time, bigger chunks will work fine too; they'll just take a bit longer to roast.  ... Read more »

This is gorgeous, bright, tart and crunchy from the seeds. It's delicious as a salad as well as on toast with hummus or avocado or cheese or egg, in some form. It will enliven most anything, really. ... Read more »

This salad came about on a hot evening when I didn't feel like neatly rolling salad rolls but had most of the ingredients I typically use to make salad rolls. Instead of dressing the salad in a peanut sauce (which I would normally make to accompany proper salad rolls) I just added roasted peanuts to the salad and made a lighter/brighter dressing.  Don't be put off by the handful of steps--it comes together fairly quickly. This salad is begging for variations: add snap peas, blanched green beans or edamame, cooked shrimp or chicken, diced cucumber, even halved cherry tomatoes or sliced red peppers. Have fun with it and use what you have on hand and use fewer herbs if you don't have the volume I suggest. Shiso would be a delicious addition here as well.... Read more »