Huevos Rancheros

This is truly less a recipe and more a set of assembly instructions, but it does feel helpful to have a guide as I meal plan or rally myself to get dinner on the table on a busy weeknight. So here goes. My best instructions for how to turn this simple, nutritious meal into aContinue reading “Huevos Rancheros”

Balsamic Vinaigrette

I’m a huge salad fan — I build them with spinach, beets, lentils, you name it. But the piece that really pulls all those fresh veggies together is the perfect dressing. For a mix of spinach and sprouts and strawberries and pecans, I have long enjoyed this Poppy Seed Dressing. Then I remembered how well balsamic vinegarContinue reading “Balsamic Vinaigrette”

Sugar-Coated Pecans

Add these to a salad or scatter them alongside the pickles and crackers on your cheese board or set them out before you serve your meal as an irresistible snack. In any case, they’ll bring a little fancy, a little salty, a little sweet to your table. The secret is starting with top-quality nuts. AndContinue reading “Sugar-Coated Pecans”

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

As the nights grow darker and cooler and broccoli shows up again at the farmers market, my family clamors for this comfort dinner. It’s surprisingly quick to come together. Serve it with fresh bread from the oven or a salad on the side and you’ve got your bases covered, deliciously. Makes 4 to 6 servingsContinue reading “Broccoli Cheddar Soup”

Tomato Shakshuka

What is Shakshuka? It’s eggs and tomatoes and a handful of greens and a combination of spices that is so warm and delicious, there is no dinner I can think of that better suits the waning light and heat of late summer. If you’re truly blessed, you’ve got tomato plants giving you a last burstContinue reading “Tomato Shakshuka”

Easy Dal Dinner

Lentils are (surprisingly) a favorite in our house, finding their way into all manner of weeknight dinners, salads, and soups. As grain bowls make regular appearances at the table these days, lentils show up there, too. In a recent quest to find more ways to serve this versatile, inexpensive, plant-based protein, I began digging intoContinue reading “Easy Dal Dinner”

Kale Smoothie

One of kale’s super powers is that it’s pretty easy to grow. Another is that once you’ve got a stand, it’s not going anywhere. Kale can survive freeze, drought, even some hot stretches. Which means you’ve sometimes got to get creative at finding ways to eat it. Kale chips are good. Kale is great inContinue reading “Kale Smoothie”

Asparagus and Greens Soup

As I write this in late spring/early summer, we have spring onions growing tall in one corner of the garden, our second planting of spinach is thriving, and our stand of kale is pretty as a picture. The asparagus is long-gone, but I can find some at my farmers market. I have a few jarsContinue reading “Asparagus and Greens Soup”

Super Simple Roasted Vegetables

Eating local means embracing root vegetables, especially in the winter — and on into spring. That’s hard for some folks, I know. To me, roasting the roots brings out their best flavor — and makes for a pretty simple meal. My go-to roasted veggie recipe includes winter greens and nice dash of cayenne and turmeric.Continue reading “Super Simple Roasted Vegetables”

Chicken Wings With Honey Yogurt Sauce

Wings are fun, festive, quick to make and delicious. Perfect as apps before your holiday party or as a simple dinner paired with mashed potatoes and salad. When my family last bought a batch of local chicken, we picked up six fresh whole chickens and cut them into parts before we froze them — ziplockContinue reading “Chicken Wings With Honey Yogurt Sauce”