Characteristic: gluten free

This bright and robust sauce is a variation of this one. Spice it to suit your taste and make it thinner/thicker to taste as well. I like it on the thicker side to top bowls of rice or add to wraps, as pictured, and thin it down to drizzle over roasted vegetables, fish or meat, etc. ... Read more »

My CSA (farm share) includes tiny, tender pea shoots in the spring. I've never seen such small ones at the market. You can use any really tender green or herb for this dish, such as young spinach or mustard greens or mizuna. If you're using the larger pea shoots typically seen at farmers markets be sure to discard any tough stems.... Read more »

Soups like these are why I cook more beans and rice than I need for any given meal. Canned beans would be just fine, too! Pair the leftover rice and beans with sausage from the freezer and some leftover chicken stock (or just water or veg broth).   Variation: Leafy greens such as mustard greens, chard, spinach, kale are all excellent.... Read more »

This is a bright, springy dish that can be a light supper with some good bread or another vegetable or salad. You can omit the lentils. I happened to have some previously cooked little black lentils (which hold their shape beautifully--much like French Green lentils) on hand and like the color contrast with the white beans but the dish doesn't need them to succeed.   You can change the ratio of chicken to beans/herbs using either half a chicken breast or a whole one. A whole one will give you lots of meat per person. You can also substitute thighs for the breast if that's what you have or use up leftover cooked chicken.... Read more »

This was part of the menu of the very first cooking class I taught in 2008. It remains a favorite. Whether much of it makes it into a dish--of pasta, eggs, beans or simply spread on toast--remains a question. By the spoonful at the counter, however. . .     Variations Kale or collard rapini work well too as does chard or beet greens Use hazelnuts, walnuts or even toasted pumpkin seeds if you don't have almonds You can skip toasting the nuts if you're in a hurry Substitute Parmesan or an aged Asiago if you don't have Pecorino. Add a little lemon zest if you'd like ... Read more »

Once you've peeled and sliced the celery root this is very simple to make. The texture is silky and if you have a lot of celery root this is a great way to use it up. You can add leftovers to a soup or mix of other roasted vegetables.... Read more »

This sauce is so delicious and can be used with/on any manner of vegetable, protein, grain or bean even--it's delicious with chickpeas. Here I served it first (above) with rice and salmon and lots of cilantro and scallions and then (below), thinned out with a bit of cream and water with the black "forbidden" rice, some scallions and an egg. Makhani curry (a North Indian dish) is classically made with butter and cream. I use olive oil and coconut milk here but substitute butter and cream if you'd like. I often stretch the sauce on the second day with cream and a little water.   If you have a few extra minutes you can toast spices and grind them for the garam masala. The flavor is fabulous but a store-bought version will be just fine.  ... Read more »

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

[caption id="attachment_17896" align="aligncenter" width="660"] A version with 1 sausage (a little goes a long way) and no celery, carrot or leek.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_15295" align="aligncenter" width="600"] An all veg version with carrots and celery.[/caption]   This classic combination comes together quickly with either canned or home-cooked beans.... Read more »

Fresh green beans cooked in well-salted boiling water for 4-5 minutes are so good. Enjoy as is or with some aioli.... Read more »

This is delicious on winter squash or eggplant or most any vegetable, as well as with chicken or lamb, grains, beans, or greens.  ... Read more »

If you've roasted squash and need to turn it into a meal these fritters might be the ticket. I love the combination of these fritters and my all-purpose cilantro yogurt sauce. Quantities, as per usual, are just suggestions and can be adapted to suit your needs. The variations on this template are manifold.   Variations Using other non-watery mashed vegetables, spices, grains or fresh herb, in great quantity, are a great addition. Good examples include sweet potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower. You can use a shallot or a chunk of onion in place of the green onions.      ... 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 basic kale preparation is delicious as is or can be the beginning of a frittata, or mixed with beans or as an element in a bowl of grains or topped with a fried or poached egg or any number of other variations.... Read more »

I often roast winter squash to just have on hand. It's easy to toss into salads or combine with beans or just top with any flavorful dressing.   This concoction came about when I was very hungry and I had a bunch or already roasted squash--one of my favorite varieties, Marina di Chioggia a dense flavorful squash--on hand. A few minutes later I had this gorgeous, creamy spread that is just as good eaten by the spoonful standing at the counter or spread onto bread or used as a dip with raw or cooked vegetables or dolloped on a soup.... Read more »

This wonderfully pungent radish softens and sweetens in this quick preparation and is a lovely addition to most any wintry meal. Scale this as needed based on how much radish you have on hand or want to use.... Read more »

Reducing fresh apple cider into a tangy sweet syrup is a great way to preserve cider if you can't drink it all (the syrup freezes well and keeps in the fridge for several months) and makes a versatile  delicious condiment/sweetener. I reduce a gallon of cider down to about 2 pints or a little less. If you reduce a bit too far, add some cream and a little salt for the most divine apple cider caramel sauce.   It also makes a great gift for friends who like to cook and/or drink.   Use it in: Salad dressings; strongly flavored winter greens are perfectly complemented by this mystery ingredient in the dressing. Drizzle into soups or braises that need a little lift Dress roasted vegetables with it Use like maple syrup on pancakes or waffles. ... Read more »

This is a quick and flavorful dish. You can you use leftover flank steak or even substitute other meat, leftover or cooked for this purpose. The vegetables, and ratio of vegetables to meat are up to you. In this version, I used cabbage, carrots, and scallions (reserving most of the scallion tops for garnish).   Variations  Most any vegetable (except for tomatoes and maybe winter squash), chopped finely, will work such as kale, bok choi, broccoli, turnips, peppers, etc. You can use bavette, skirt or round steak in place of the flank or substitute the steak, all together, for chicken or shrimp. ... Read more »

Lentils and rice are a lovely combination and celery root (celeriac) adds another layer of earthy sweetness. A dash of your favorite vinegar at the end will balance things out if it's too sweet. I've used the tiny black caviar lentils in this version but small French Green lentils work perfectly as well.   Variations You can certainly substitute potatoes, sweet potatoes, or even parsnips for the celery root. In place of the black lentils, you can use small French green lentils or any small lentil that holds its shape when cooked Other delicious rice choices include arborio rice or brown rice. Veggie bouillon or NoBull scratch starter--the mushroom flavor is particularly good in this dish, are great substitutions for the water or broth. ... Read more »

I grew up eating cabbage rolls and love them but rarely take the time to make them. This deconstructed version, if you will, is quicker and also delicious. You can season the meat however you'd like and change up the sauce to be heavier on tomato, etc. Here I used ground beef and a little bacon but ground pork or lamb would be good too. You can also add bread crumbs soaked in a little milk to the meat mixture for a lighter version.   Mashed potatoes would be great accompaniment but roasted or boiled do the trick as well.... Read more »