Characteristic: template

Snap peas are a good substitute for asparagus. Mushrooms are a nice addition in this quick, savory dish. This method works with both ground beef and strips of steak, with slightly different cooking methods.   ... Read more »

If you have good stock on hand use it for this simple dish. And if you don't, still make it but don't be shy with the butter or olive oil to finish. The greens need to be quick-cooking and more tender than kale typically is, for this to come together well. The goal is to get a silky, moist dish but not a soupy one.   Here I served it over red lentils that I cooked with a few pinches of cumin seeds and finished with salt and olive oil.   Variations A good stock can be made from chicken, mushroom, veg, pork, or beef. You can also use broth or water for the base liquid in this recipe. Spinach, young, tender collard greens, beet greens or turnip greens are good here. ... Read more »

This comes together quickly and is good with any very tender green. You can also use substitute other kinds of noodles. The miso here is key and gives the dish its complexity. You can add tofu, or chicken or toasted nuts to make it a meal-in-one.   Variations Delicious choices for tender greens include mustard greens, beet greens, or quelites (aka lambs quarters or pigweed). ... Read more »

[caption id="attachment_13252" align="aligncenter" width="660"] I had a little leftover winter squash which I added to the fava greens in this version[/caption]  ... Read more »

Black futsu squash is so easy to use because the skin is tender and edible, it keeps its shape, and is delicious. In this dish the squash is diced and sauteed until tender--just takes 7 minutes or so and then tossed, warm with cooked beans, lots of parsley, and a nice bright dressing.    ... 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 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 a typical lunch for me. I bake whole grain sourdough breads weekly and often toast a slice to dice and toss with whatever vegetables and herbs I have on hand. I like sandwiches but you can be even more creative and cook-with-what-you-have like by tossing them with other bits and pieces. Use this as a template for what you have/like and scale up or down as needed.   Variations Collard raab, blanched and chopped, or 2 cups arugula or other lettuce can easily take place of the kale, in this recipe. Great herbs to include in this salad are parsley, cilantro, dill, basil, and/or mint. Sunflower, pumpkin, or toasted amaranth seeds and/or any chopped and toasted nut, such as walnuts, pine nuts, or almonds. ... Read more »

This is a fairly quick, flavorful curry and you can use whatever leafy greens you have (feel free to increase the quantity of greens). I needed to use up some leeks when I made the above version, which adds sweetness. Adding the fresh, mashed garlic at the very end adds a nice dimension.... Read more »

Make this your own with whatever cooked beans and/or grains you have on hand. You can keep it simple with just some cilantro and beans and the sauce or add an egg, or lots of vegetables or bacon or other meat, etc.  The sauce is good on noodles, cooked or raw vegetables, plain rice and pretty much anything, and it is inspired by the wonderful folks at Umi Organic (Noodles).   Variations Any cooked grain, such as rice, quinoa, barley, etc., complements this template very well. You can use red, green, napa, and/or savoy cabbage to give this meal a wonderful crunch and flavor. Lovely herbs that give this recipe a great depth of flavor are cilantro, mint, basil, or whatever tender herb you have. ... 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 template for Parsley Root Hash is highly versatile with numerous potential variations. Most of these vegetables are quite sweet so you want to be sure to give the sauce enough tang to balance that out.  ... Read more »

This is a gorgeous, robust salad that holds up well and nicely pairs with richer wintry dishes, stews, roasts, curries, etc.   This is one of the few recipes in which winter squash is called for raw. I used a kabocha squash here, but others work great too!  ... Read more »

You can assemble this in minutes as there's no cooking ingredients separately. It takes about 30 minutes to bake, can be assembled in the morning, then popped in the oven when you walk in the door in the evening. It depends on fresh herbs for its fragrance and flavor. This is a great way to use up old bread.... Read more »

This is really just a template for a hearty, beautiful wintry salad. I like to mix cooked vegetables and salad greens and this is one way to do it.  In the winter I often cook vegetables in quantity and then use them throughout the week in a variety of ways. In this case I used cooked carrots and beets.  ... Read more »

You can use most any vegetable or combination of vegetables here and feel free to vary the curry paste. Put on the rice the minute you get home and be sitting down to dinner 20 minutes later. You can certainly fancy it up with chopped fresh cilantro or mint, lime juice, etc. but it is delicious just as is.  ... Read more »

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Korma is a loose term originating in Southeast Asia, given to meats and/or vegetables braised in a spiced sauce to which yogurt or cream are added towards the end. This is a deeply flavorful version that can accommodate different vegetables (winter squash, kohlrabi, turnips) or chicken. It also comes together quite quickly.... 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 »