Characteristic: gluten free

I love green cabbage! It keeps forever, is inexpensive and is most of all delicious. It's one of the least expensive vegetables at farmers markets and is especially delicious in the winter. It's perfect just sauteed in a little oil with nothing more than salt and maybe some hot pepper. Here lots of cilantro, some green onions and sesame oil and soy sauce take it up another notch!   Quantities are completely up to you, just season to taste. Top it with an egg to make a meal.... Read more »

This is savory, earthy and not heavy at all. It will be a key player in the saving-room-for-pie-while-not-skimping-on-dinner plan!... Read more »

White beans of any kind will be good here just be sure not to overcook them so they keep their shape. The lemon, crisp fennel and creamy beans are a really nice combination.... Read more »

This is so simple and so good. The sweetness of the cabbage is wonderful with the creamy beans and heat from the chili. You can heat it up for breakfast with an egg. You can cook some sausages in the same pan and serve it all with a little mustard.... Read more »

Acorn squash lends itself to baking and stuffing. Its thick skin is impossible to peel raw and therefore keeps its shape nicely when stuffed. The filling is very flexible, as the squash and filling are cooked separately and just combined for a final trip to the oven. You want the filling to be well-seasoned and flavorful, so taste it before you fill and adjust as needed.   This template isn't too time consuming and can come together for a weeknight meal. In addition to Acorn Squash, Sweet Dumpling or Jester or any small-medium squash with a nice cavity and enough flesh to make a sturdy shell will work well.   Here's a black bean and chili stuffed version for a different flavor profile.... Read more »

Using up random bits of things (and freeing up fridge space) AND making something delicious with said bits is one of my greatest pleasures. These quick rice patties came about one Saturday when we returned, very hungry, from a soccer game. And this template of a recipe is yet another reason to cook more rice than you think you'll need so that you can make these on the fly a day or two later.   You can make these with nothing but leftover rice, a couple of eggs, and a few herbs or spices but there are so many options! And ratios and quantities are totally up to you and what you're needing to use up. This batch included about 2 tablespoons of leftover Green Sauce (the simplified version w/out egg). Just be sure to add more eggs and/or cheese if you increase the amount of rice so that the patties stick together.... Read more »

This is a wonderful template for vegetables you can grate or thinly slice. Make sure your dressing has enough acidity to balance the sweet vegetables and seeds. This is very similar to this carrot and radish slaw.  ... Read more »

Delicata squash, the small, oblong, striped squash is quick to prepare as it doesn't need peeling and when sliced into half-rounds, roasts in 15 minutes in a hot oven. It can be dressed with many different sauces such as this spicy yogurt sauce with cilantro and toasted pumpkin seeds, possibly my favorite method.   You can cut the slices thinner for quicker roasting and a different texture.... Read more »

This simple, simple salad is bright and delicious. The lemon cuts fennel's licorice flavor a bit. This is a lovely side/salad to meats, beans or grains.... Read more »

Versions of this simple and delicious dish of stewed peppers and tomatoes into which you nestle and cook eggs, are made all over the Middle East and Mediterranean.  ... Read more »

There are dishes that are quick to prepare, there are those that take a long time and then there is the occasional one that tastes like it took a long time to make but was actually pretty quick. This falls in the latter category. It’s doable on a weeknight if you have the ingredients (more or less) on hand. Yes, the list of ingredients is long but most of them are spices and the dish comes together quite quickly once you've chopped everything.   Here’s a tutorial for “butchering” winter squash.  ... Read more »

Grating beets (on a box grater or in a food processor) is a simple though slightly messy way to get beets on your plate in short order. A fairly quick sauté with a little olive oil and salt and you have a lovely side dish. You can fancify with fresh herbs, yogurt, or add to other vegetables. ... Read more »

Fragrant, light yet complex, this Indian dish is beloved far and wide and varies from cook to cook. Scale it up or down or vary the ratios as needed. Just be sure to use plenty of garlic and ginger.... Read more »

Beet greens are tender and so simple to cook. They're good mixed with the beets themselves, added to soups, stir-fries or frittatas or enjoyed as a side just like this.   They last much less long than the beets themselves so cut them off, just an inch or so above the roots and store them separately in a plastic bag and cook sooner rather than later.... Read more »

The cumin, red wine vinegar and mint play very nicely with the roasted eggplant for a superb salad.... Read more »

I like to cook a whole bunch of beets at once so that I have them ready to add to salads, sandwiches, or to make this quick spiced dish. Serve with or without the yogurt. Scale this up are down as needed.... Read more »

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 »

This idea came from a very cool woman who owns a very cool "junk" store on the Oregon Coast. She told me she didn't like beets until she started preparing them like this! Thank you, Lexie! They are indeed delicious.   I don't peel them and I don't worry too much about a little variation in thickness. The thin ones get really crisp and the slightly thicker ones have a bit more chew but by all means be uniform if you'd like. ... Read more »

  This is a delicious, quick, inexpensive, vegetarian version of the classic rice and seafood dish. Mark Bittman published this recipe in the New York Times many years ago and I’ve been adapting it ever since. It’s best with really flavorful, juicy, ripe slicing tomatoes. If you have a few big beautiful heirloom tomatoes, this is the place for them. Unlike Bittman I cook the whole thing on the stove top instead of finishing it in the oven but with either method it’s a quick one-dish meal with a simple green salad on the side. Note: It’s important to season the ingredients properly as you go. It’s a shame to under salt this dish as you can't make up for it at the end. Taste your stock or bouillon to make sure it’s well seasoned.  ... Read more »

These are quick to make and addictive! They are a variation of Szechuan green beans you might find in a Chinese Restaurant in the U.S. By all means add a teaspoon or more of spicy chili crisp instead of the chili flakes if you have it on hand.... Read more »