YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Zucchini & Dill Soup

This is such a good project for the abundance of zucchini in your friends’, neighbors’ and coworkers’ gardens! You can make the soup now, with fresh zucchini, or you can make it in a few more months with frozen zucchini. Then again you can make soup now, and freeze that instead of raw cubes of zucchini. If you use frozen zucchini, remember to saute it a little bit longer. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Best Gazpacho I’ve Ever Made

August means it’s –YES — gazpacho time! I think of gazpacho as soup and salad, both at the same time. Chief Cook-and-Bottle-Washer brought home a tray of golden, acid-free tomatoes last Friday, and (I admit it) I had my coveting eye on them from the minute they entered the house. We ate a few on Friday night, and more on Saturday. Couldn’t resist, so I swooped in on Sunday morning to pulverize the rest! Chief C&BW said it was okay, he would go buy more. Thank you, Chief. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Adzuki Sprouts Salad

Why is it that the likelihood of requests for a recipe is usually in direct proportion to the rapidity with which you threw it together!? Last week we had a potluck at work, and I threw together a little “early morning salad.” Don’t judge me!! for having this spectacular constellation of ingredients at hand, just in case, you know, I had to throw together an impressive, last-minute salad! Sometimes the stars just line up. Sometimes, on the other hand, Mercury is in retrograde. Okay, let’s give it a shot. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Jason’s Kale Chips

This recipe for kale chips is a little treat from a friend down the street. He says that he doesn’t actually measure, but just eyeballs everything. Other than the first two ingredients, therefore, you should consider the amounts listed below as suggestions only, and feel free to make it your own. Kale chips are a really great option with a sandwich, or instead of a bowl of popcorn, or for an afternoon snack.

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YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Brussels Sprouts Slaw

When you hear about a recipe for cole slaw, you usually think about cabbage. The “cole” in cole slaw” actually refers to cabbage, and it’s related to the “kohl” in kohlrabi, as well as the “col” in colcannon, that delicious Irish dish of cabbage and potatoes. Like Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi and cabbage are members of the Brassica family of vegetables, also known as crucifers. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Rustic Zucchini Layered with Tomatoes

A long time ago, I spent an exciting albeit exhausting day climbing inside the Pyramids at Giza. Later that night, I ate a dish just like this in a restaurant in Cairo. Having worked up quite an appetite, my memories of that meal are layered through with the sounds of noisy waiters and clanging pots, the smart smack of pottery plates being gathered to and from tables, and the sight of dozens of cats walking silently above us on the ceiling beams of that busy restaurant. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Tabouleh Like You’ve Never Seen It!

I’m still collecting recipes for July 4th! This particular tabouleh is a Mediterranean masterpiece! If you’ve never tried sumac and za’atar, you are in for a treat — packed with phytonutrients and flavor, they make for a major mouth rush! If you don’t have any and you’re not inclined to go find some, then just substitute a teaspoon of thyme and don’t give it another second’s thought. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Chickpea Chica’s Salad

This week we are all about this summer salad, created by our very own Chickpea Chica! The Chickpea Chica has developed dozens of recipes that showcase bright flavors you would never have thought to combine. So we celebrate her talent and thank our lucky stars, which reminds me: It’s not too early to start collecting your recipes for July 4th! Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Meal-in-a-Bowl in 20 Minutes!

Wondering what to make yourself for dinner tonight? Make a meal for two with this magnificent bowlful of flavor, or save half to take to work tomorrow. Then again, you might want to pack this meal-in-a-bowl for a picnic, or to eat once you get situated on that train or plane ride you’ve been planning. A very smart choice…and it sure beats those sad, little pretzels! Continue reading