Characteristic: vegan

This is just a template to assemble a delicious bowl of food. The sauce makes everything taste good. Cook a pot of grains and then let people customize their bowls to suit their taste.... Read more »

[caption id="attachment_18042" align="aligncenter" width="660"] This was the soup on day two or three, warmed up and fancified with an egg, for lunch.[/caption] I buy a bunch of cilantro and parsley every week (unless I have enough parsley in my garden) and when I'm in a hurry I twist off however many leaves I want from the bunch for whatever it is I'm making. Eventually I'm left with a bunch of stems and a few straggling leaves. I used an entire bunch of parsley and cilantro stems (finely chopped) in this soup and I think it's what made it particularly good. So use those stems! I'm sure they'd be good in most any soup, just chop finely.   This makes a lot of soup and it is even better the next day or the next.   You can also serve it over toasted bread rubbed with garlic.... Read more »

You can use herbs in quantity and in many different combinations here. However, make it even if you’re short on herbs. It will still be good. This is a great way to use parsley and cilantro stems.   Variations Use 1-2 teaspoons sage or rosemary instead of tender, leafy herbs. You’ll want to use much less as they are more strongly flavored. Add the zest of 1⁄2 a lemon in addition to the juice for a more lemony version. You can garnish this dip with capers and if you have a spare minute, fry the capers in a little olive oil until crisp and sprinkle over the dip. ... Read more »

Chicories, the slightly bitter wintry greens like escarole, sugarloaf (Pan di Zucchero) and radicchio are delicious raw in salads but wonderful quickly braised and paired with creamy beans and bright capers. This a simpler and quicker version of this dish.... Read more »

Radicchio or any chicory (escarole, frisee, sugarloaf, etc.) is delicious in this wintry salad. The parsnips add a sweet, earthiness that complements the slightly bitter greens.... Read more »

This is a go-to method for a quick lunch or dinner. Grate or finely chop whatever veg you have. Top with an egg if you’d like or leftover meat or toasted seeds or enjoy as is.... Read more »

[caption id="attachment_17903" align="aligncenter" width="660"] This version had potatoes and celery root but it's best with just celery root.[/caption] It has no crust and it is really nothing more than thinly sliced celery root (& potatoes if you'd like) layered in a skillet with a little olive, salt and thyme. It's delicious, especially that browned, bottom layer. This is best with all celery root. Skip the potatoes unless you need to stretch it a little. And make however many layers, i.e. how much you want. Three layers give you some brown crispy ones as well as some more steamed layers.... Read more »

[caption id="attachment_17822" align="aligncenter" width="660"] I took the photo before I added the orange slices fyi. . .[/caption] Chicories, the robust, slightly bitter winter lettuces are delicious with dried and/or fresh fruit (particularly citrus) and nuts.... Read more »

Hummus is wonderful to have on hand. You can spread it on a plate and top it with vegetables, raw or cooked, chickpeas, other kinds of beans, herbs, cooked meats, herbs, hardboiled eggs and always plenty of olive oil.  Or of course you can use it as a dip or a spread. [caption id="attachment_17816" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Above: Hummus topped with finely chopped vegetables and herbs and seasoned with salt, cumin, dried hot pepper, plenty of lemon juice and olive oil.[/caption] Two things that make hummus really good: plenty of tahini and processing it for a few minutes so it gets nice and smooth.   You can change the ratios to suit your taste, more or less garlic, lemon or tahini, more water for a lighter version. Once you make it a time or two you probably won't need to measure and can just taste and adjust as you go.... Read more »

Spinach is quick-cooking and tender and makes for a wonderful, quick weeknight curry. This coconut milk curry is quite similar to this one, which includes onions and is a bit drier.   Start the rice the minute you walk in the door and sit down to eat 20 minutes later if using white rice or 35-40 if brown. And the leftovers are excellent.... Read more »

Quickly sautéeing (or grilling) chicories like escarole or sugarloaf is quick and delicious. Finish the wilted greens with a little lemon juice and you have a lovely side for roast chicken or toss them with white beans and top with grated Parmesan or toasted nuts.... Read more »

This dish was inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi's Palak Tofu but I've adapted and simplified it almost beyond recognition. Typically Palak Paneer employs a silky sauce made with spinach. I use chard and cabbage (not blended) or any combination of leafy greens instead. It has more texture, is deeply flavorful and makes wonderful leftovers.   I love employing Ottolenghi's salted water tofu-soaking method as it infuses the tofu with more flavor, but the dish will still be good if you skip it.... Read more »

I happened to have a purple daikon (radish) and radicchio on hand as well as some leftover citrus dressing. I always try to have some kind of toasted nuts or seeds as well as fresh herbs, for exactly this reason. It's quick to pull together something really delicious. Radicchio, with its tight head of leaves doesn't really need washing making this even quicker than a typical salad.... Read more »

If you go to a winter farmers market or get a winter CSA you might find Brussels Sprout tops. They grow on the top of the stalk of sprouts and are kind of like a giant, loose-leafed Brussels Sprout. They are tender and sweet and taste like a cross between cabbage and Brussels Sprouts to me. They get crisp and chewy and even sweeter with a quick roast. You can use them like any leafy green, blanching or sautéeing them, adding to soup, stews or stir-fries. They are also delicious, quickly roasted.... Read more »

  I overlook the beets in my fridge sometimes because I think I don't have time to prepare them. In this dish I skip the peeling, and instead dice the beets (and carrots, below version) nice and small. This saves time and you'll have a delicious side dish in 10-15 minutes. The pictured cornbread is also much quicker to make than you might think. ... Read more »

Green cabbage keeps forever, is inexpensive, versatile and so tasty. It's delicious sauteed with nothing but a bit of oil and salt. Add a little garlic or onion if you'd like and/or season with hot pepper or stir in some herbs but it is wonderful just as is, especially if you have a cabbage from a local farm.   Make however much you'd like. It cooks down quite a bit and keeps well and is easily fancy-fied with an egg or some potatoes or sausages.... Read more »

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 »