Eating Well Makes Good Sense

For those who think that going without meat, sugars, and processed foods means a bland, boring diet, think again. Buying local, seasonal, fresh produce and paying attention to what you eat pays off with big dividends.

The truth is, you'll save money and feel better. What's more, you won't be giving up convenience. Most of these dishes can be made in 30 minutes or less.

Salads

Arugula Salad with Avocado

Arugula Salad with Hazelnuts, Carrots, and Avocados

Arugula Salad with Persimmons and Pomegranate Seeds

Bulgar Salad with Celery

Carrot Salad with Lemon-Soaked Raisins

Chopped Parsley Salad

Cole Slaw with Capers

Couscous Salad with Grilled Vegetables

Egg Salad

Farmers' Market Fresh Chopped Vegetable Salad

Grilled Corn Salads

Grilled Vegetable Couscous Salad

Grilled Vegetables

Parsley-Grilled Corn Salad

Potato Salad with Corn

Risotto with Summer Vegetables

Roasted Beet Salad

Salad-e Shirazi: Iranian Cucumbers, Cherry Tomatoes, and Onions
Spinach Salad

Tomato and Avocado Salad

Tomato, Avocado, Corn and Garlic Toast Salad

Wilted Spinach Salad

Soups, Sauces, and Side Dishes

The Amazingly Versatile Blackened Pepper

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Sauteed Shallots, Garlic, and Mushrooms

Braised Sprouted Broccoli

Cannelini Beans with Roasted Tomatoes and Spinach

Caramelized Vegetable Pasta

Charmoula Sauce for Salads, Side Dishes, and Entrees

An Easy Saute with Brussels Sprouts and Carrots

Grilled Artichokes

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Grilled Vegetables

Farmers' Market Fresh Vegetable Saute

Homemade Vegetable Soup

Kale Sauteed with Garlic and Farm Fresh Vegetables

Kimchi Ramen Soup

Kosher Pickles

Mushroom Soup

Ramen Soup with Kimchi and Farmers' Market Fresh Vegetables

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Roasted Garlic-Tomato Sauce

Roasted Tomatoes

Roasted Tomato Sauce

Salt Crusted Fingerling Potatoes

Salt Steamed Broccoli

Sauteed Beet Greens

Sauteed Kale with Vegetables

Steamed Artichokes

Summer Vegetable Risotto

Sweet Potatoes Grilled

Sweet Potato Inari Sushi

Tapenade the Frugal Cook's Secret Weapon

Tomato-Vegetable Soup

Vegetable Soup

Entrees

Ginger-Soy Sauce Poached Black Cod

Cioppino with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic Toasts

Ginger-Soy Black Cod

Green Garlic and Clams

Grilled Shrimp

Grilled Shrimp with a Tex-Mex Dry Rub

Low Cal Breaded Fish Fillets

Israeli Couscous with Vegetables

Native American-Style Salmon

Pasta Alla Checca

Risotto with Farmers' Market Fresh Squash Blossoms and Baby Zucchini

Roasted Cherry Tomato and Shiitake Mushroom Pasta

Sauteed Fish with Capers, Corn, and Tomatoes

Skewered Cherry Tomatoes

Tofu, Beet Greens, and Brown Rice

Tofu with Crispy Toppings

Desserts

Baked Cherries

Baked Plums

Custard

Honey Poached Apples and Pears with Cinnamon, Vanilla, Raisins, and Peppercorns

Sweet Potatoes Rock!

Amy Ephron and One for the Table rounded up a half dozen sweet potato recipes for a contest held by “The North Carolina Sweet Potato Association’s Food Bloggers’ Recipe Contest." The recipes she submitted take sweet potatoes from savory to sweet.

I contributed a recipe for Sweet Potato Inari Suishi.

By definition sweet potatoes bring a deep sweetness to any dish. If anything, sweet potatoes are so strongly flavored, they must be used with a deft hand. Sweet potato pie is great, but sweet potatoes work as well as a savory ingredient in beef stews, chicken pot pies, and simply sauteed as a side dish.

You can read the recipes Amy submitted to the contest on One for the Table.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

Yield: 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes, washed, peeled, thinly sliced into rounds
1/4 cup olive oil
Sea salt and pepper

Method

Taking a tip from Japanese robata grilling, first steam the potato slices for 5 minutes in a covered pan in lightly salted water (1 teaspoon to a quart of water). Drain and let cool.

Put the olive oil on a plate, season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Dredge each sweet potato round through the seasoned olive oil, both sides.

Grill for a few minutes on each side until tender. If you don't want to use a grill, then put them on a cookie tray covered with a Silpat sheet or piece of aluminum foil. Roast in a 350 degree oven, turning once, for 5-10 minutes or until tender.

Serve as a side dish with grilled chicken breasts or julienne the rounds and saute with garlic and parsley and toss with pasta.

Brussels Sprouts the Easy Way

There are some vegetables I remember my mother cooking that I didn't like. Beets and Brussels sprouts were high on my list of vegetables-to-avoid. And all of them were served after they'd been boiled until they were soggy.

Years ago I learned to oven roast whatever my mother boiled. Most importantly I learned that Brussels sprouts, either whole, if they're small, or quartered when they're on the large size, caramelize beautifully when oven roasted, seasoned only with olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. Their flavor is even better when they're available in the local farmers' market.

A mainstay of our dinner parties, roasted Brussels sprouts go with just about any meat: chicken, turkey, duck, steak, roast, or pork loin.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Yield: 4 servings

Time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound Brussels sprouts, washed, stems trimmed off
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method

Toss the Brussels sprouts with the olive oil and seasoning, then put them into a roasting pan with enough room so they don't sit on top of each other. Roast in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes, turning them every 5-10 minutes.

They'll come out of the oven so warm and sweet, they'll get eaten before they arrive at the table.