Characteristic: kid-friendly

These quesadillas are a great lunch or simple dinner option, with a little extra savoriness and nutrition from the mushrooms and shallots. Get creative, these can be a template for all sorts of veggie add-ins.    Variations: Use corn tortillas and make 4 smaller quesadillas Add chopped spinach or other greens to the mushroom mixture  Substitute half an onion for the shallots    Serves 2... Read more »

This bowl is a template – use different grains like quinoa or farro or use different veggies. You'll have extra of the rich yet bright sauce to put on any leftover grains or vegetables, meat, etc.... 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 »

While I have several similar dishes on this site (Sesame Peanut Noodles with Peas and Noodles with Ginger Scallion Sauce, Tofu and Mint for example), this combination really works well AND is a good template--different noodles, different sauce, different veg. To make this sauce I add peanut butter and water to some of the marinade for the tofu. It streamlines things a bit and gives the dish variety without too extra much effort.  ... 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 »

This is a quick method  to dress up or vary simple roasted potatoes. Vary the spices to suit your taste and pantry. Scale this up or down as needed and increase the ratio of spice to potato for a more strongly flavored version.   Preheating your sheet pan will cook the potatoes more quickly and help them get crispy.... 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 delicious, fast, easy and nutritious.  If using home-cooked chickpeas I use the chickpea cooking liquid for part of the liquid, top it off with water and then season with some bouillon. Use vegetable stock or just water if that's what you have, just make sure to season it with plenty of salt and pepper.  ... Read more »

15 minutes, start to finish, adaptable and delicious and a good reason for having canned tomatoes and small pasta shapes in the pantry. You can use larger shapes and more of it (more like 3 cups of penne). [caption id="attachment_13629" align="aligncenter" width="438"] This version uses tender spring raab for the greens.[/caption]   Variations You can substitute cooked beans/chickpeas for the sausage, to make a meat-free version. You can use parsley instead of basil Delicious choices for tender greens are spring raab, spinach, chard, turnip, beet greens and/or tender kale greens. Enjoy in any combination. Use fresh tomatoes instead of canned Other great small noodle choices are Pipette rigate, Conchiglie (shell), or Orecchiette. ... Read more »

Talk about a template; minestrone is a bean and vegetable soup and, loosely defined, can use any bean, any shape of pasta (or no pasta), most any vegetable and herb, meat or no meat (diced bacon or a little sausage is good, added when cooking onions) be hearty and stew-like or light and brothy. For me, what makes or breaks minestrone are the beans and the bean broth. You can certainly use canned beans but home-cooked beans with their broth are what gives minestrone its richness and complexity.   Dishes like these are why I try to keep cooked beans (in their broth/cooking liquid) in the freezer and at the ready. It makes a soup like this, that cooks in 20 minutes, taste like it's been simmering for hours--in a good way!   Variations A variety of vegetables are well-suited for this recipe and can be used individually or in combination, such as: a bunch of leafy greens, such as chopped kale or spinach 2 cups trimmed and chopped greens beans 1 cup shelled peas and/or diced fennel 2 cups diced zucchini If adding pasta, use the smaller volume for small pasta shapes like tubes, as pictured, little elbows, orzo, or the larger shells, etc. Any type of garlic is great in this recipe, such as 1 head new garlic, 2 stalks green garlic or garlic scapes, thinly sliced. Vegetable broth or water are a great substitute for bean broth if unavailable or in a pinch. ... Read more »

This takes 5 minutes to stir together and 15 to bake. Warm cornbread for dinner (breakfast, brunch or lunch) is always a treat. If you happen to have access to locally grown and milled cornmeal, buy it and store it in the freezer. Some farmers markets are showcasing local grains and beans and they're so worth buying. Leftovers are delicious toasted, with butter and honey.... Read more »

  This is delicious, versatile, improves on the second/third day, can feed a crowd, and is also delicious made vegetarian. It's fun to use a couple of kinds of beans, if you have them.   In the late summer and fall when there is an abundance of fresh peppers I use sweet and hot red peppers in the sauté with the onion or add roasted poblano or Anaheim chiles for wonderful depth and flavors.   I often make a quick slaw to go with it and serve a bit of it right on top as a garnish. It's also delicious with cornbread.   Variations Many different beans work well in this dish but black, pinto or any red bean, is fine. Vegetable, beef or chicken stock are a good replacements for the bean cooking liquid, if using canned beans. To thicken your chili smash 1/4 of the beans. Top chili with chopped radishes, green onions, cilantro and/or parsley and a squeeze of lime juice ... Read more »

This is simple comfort food that complements most anything and is delicious the next day. You can dress it up with different herbs and/or spices, toss in other vegetables or leftover, cooked meat or sausage, etc. If you don't have fresh tomatoes, canned will do just fine. I do love to make this in late summer when I have more tomatoes than I know what to do with.... Read more »

I should make these more often, says my son. It really is a good template for farmers' market  or CSA produce. These employ the classic green bell pepper and onions, but the options are endless! Of course substitute whatever meat you have on hand or skip it altogether. Sausage is what I often have on hand and it works beautifully.  ... Read more »

--Inspired by Seductions of Rice by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid   Indian pilafs are made by sauteing onions and some spices, then adding rice and more vegetables (in this case) and sauteing again before adding liquid, then covering and cooking and then finishing by steaming, off the heat. The result is a beautiful, deeply flavored, fluffy dish that can stand on its own or be a robust side dish. Feel free to experiment with different vegetables or just use a single vegetable.  ... Read more »

You cook everything in one pot, drain, add a bit of cheese and olive oil and you have a steamy, good dish in 15 minutes or less.   Variations:  Use cauliflower, green beans, peas, asparagus, and/or carrots instead of broccoli Salad turnips and their leaves (if attached) or a few mustard green leaves or spinach is a nice variation Add some white beans for protein  ... Read more »

--slightly adapted from smittenkitchen.com   This is delicious, makes a lot and keeps well. Mix up the cheeses, change the greens but make it!... Read more »

During my time in Italy, I ate versions of this simple, flavorful dish all over the country. It's often made it with maltagliati which means badly cut pasta, the bits and pieces of odd-shaped pasta that are left over from the commercial pasta making process. They are sold in bags, just like regular pasta. Now I use whatever I have on hand.  ... Read more »

  --Inspired by Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi   This an ideal cook-with-what you have template. Saute onions, garlic and maybe some carrots and celery; add whatever vegetable you have--in this case chard, stems and all, and add broth, lots of fresh herbs, some cheese and rice-shaped orzo pasta and bake it all until cooked and set.   ... Read more »

This dish was inspired by one in Bryant Terry's book Afro Vegan. I have changed it substantially and give two different versions here: one quicker one with white rice made in a rice cooker (pictured above) and one with brown rice on the stove top that takes a bit longer. Both are delicious and good either warm or at room temperature. It's a great picnic/potluck dish.  ... Read more »