Characteristic: quick

Only three ingredients in this simple dish. The crunch and depth of the deeply toasted nuts is critical. You could certainly try other nuts or seeds--I imagine walnuts and pine nuts would be good and probably also hazelnuts. ... Read more »

Sometimes, often actually, limitations are the foundation of creativity. Three partial bunches of greens needing to be used (before the next CSA share arrived) and hungry people underfoot inspired this delicious meal. Use any tender, leafy greens you have and in most any combination. If the greens are not so tender the dish will take a little longer--if using spinach and beet and/or turnip tops it will be very quick. And feel free to vary the spices to suit your taste. ... Read more »

Quick, delicious, adaptable. Use cauliflower or sweet potatoes or winter squash or even just potatoes and onions. Add what I call "cheesy" toast--any bread toasted, buttered and topped with cheese of choice and broiled until bubbly--and call it dinner. ... Read more »

  This takes 20 minutes (at the most) to make and is richly flavored. It's delicious just with rice or with Sautéed Chard with Ginger, Jalapeño and Sausages or with stewed meats or other vegetables or grains. It is superb the next day and freezes well so by all means double the recipe. You can also stir leafy greens such as spinach, turnip, beet or mustard greens into the lentils a few minutes before they're done.   [caption id="attachment_20344" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Here I've served it with sauteed leeks and bell peppers seasoned with mustard seeds.[/caption]... Read more »

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 »

Start the rice the minute you walk in the door and sit down to eat 20 minutes later if using white rice or 35 if brown. And the leftovers are excellent. You could also substitute other greens like turnip or beet greens though spinach is particularly good here. ... Read more »

Light, bright and tender. . . these are such a treat. I typically serve mizuna raw in salads or added to soups at the very end. In this preparation they stay really fresh despite the quick visit to the pan.  ... Read more »

This soup is superb with a good homemade chicken stock as well as with vegetable stock/bouillon or just water. The former is richer and silky but the other two are deliciously bright and just a bit lighter. The version above is made with chicken stock and included a handful or two of macaroni. You can omit the noodles or substitute a few diced salad turnips or new potatoes for added heft. ... Read more »

This takes 15 minutes, start to finish. I created it to bring to a potluck when I was in a big rush. It's savory, bright and good either warm or at room temperature. You can substitute fava greens/tops or spinach for the pea shoots. Feel free to halve the recipe or change the ratio of greens to lentils. It does keep well so leftovers might be welcome.... Read more »

This the perfect thing to do with the first of the season purple sprouting broccoli. Tender, fragrant with garlic and addictive.... 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 »

Two of my favorite condiments/sauces in one dish. They have cumin and hot pepper in common and the heat and spice from the harissa, thinned down with red wine vinegar and a little olive oil, tenderizes the meat which also nicely absorbs the flavors. I developed this recipe for Carman Ranch who's meats are delicious and need little fanfare. Serve this with rice or roasted potatoes or something that can soak up the juices and any extra chimichurri. If your short on time skip the harissa and just grill your steak and dress with chimichurri--totally delicious as is! ... Read more »

Quick and fun to make, look at and eat.  ... Read more »

This is a quintessential summer salad that takes 5 minutes to put together. Add feta or fresh mozzarella if you'd like but the simplicity of this is just lovely.  ... Read more »

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 »

This is hardly a recipe but it's such a tasty combination and template for a quick dinner. Use cauliflower, roasted squash or greens or pretty much any vegetable you have. Skip the meat if you don't have it or use other leftover meats.... Read more »

I had grand plans to create a soup with a beautiful bunch of fava greens (tops) but a week passed and the soup didn't materialize. Instead I sautéed the slightly wilted greens with some diced bacon. Some were consumed as is and some were piled on toast--both delicious.... Read more »

This salad is so quick and so good. Use oranges, cara caras or grapefruit. Citrus and fennel are a wonderful pairing. Red onion would be more typical than scallions but scallions are what I had on hand. Scale this up or down as needed. You can't go wrong.... Read more »

Unlike this dish that uses the same three ingredients, this one is quick. Don't be tempted to skip the blanching step--it does add a few minutes to your prep but the results are worth it.  ... Read more »

  I never tire of slaws and this is a quick, delicious one. As usual, substitute other kinds of cabbage or greens or herbs. Mint would be wonderful here instead or in addition to the cilantro. Any kind of miso will do but I tend to keep red miso on hand so it's what I typically  use.... Read more »