YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Lilah & the Banana Muffins

My friend Lilah sent me this recipe for banana muffins earlier today. Even though she really doesn’t care for bananas, she said “I have to tell you, I loved these.” She said she’s planning to make batches to feed her kids for breakfast on schooldays. I like that idea. You have to assume, of course, that she’s planning to make enough to eat a couple more after they leave. I like that, too. And just so you know, there’s a version of this recipe (check out Debbie Reichert’s blog) that’s been posted more than 600,000 times on Pinterest. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Lebanese Potato Salad

This past weekend I had the great pleasure of collaborating with a friend on a collection of recipes for a beloved young couple starting their married lives together. Many of the recipes came from my friend’s mother and her grandmother, who came to the U.S. from Lebanon so many, many years ago. In honor of my friend, Judith, therefore, and the culinary heritage that she has been so lucky not just to inherit but to perpetuate, here is a recipe for Lebanese Potato Salad. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Black Bean Salad with Quinoa

You can’t go wrong with this one-pot meal. Eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Take it to a picnic, a potluck, a brunch, or your own kitchen table. For folks with dietary restrictions, it’s the perfect dish to bring to a celebration or gathering when you’re not sure there’ll be anything there you can eat. Make a big batch on Sunday, and see how long it takes to disappear from your refrigerator. Continue reading



YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Raspberry-Coconut Popsicles

These popsicles are just what I need — the perfect antidote to 88 degrees and 100% humidity. In June.

Note that you have to plan ahead, so don’t try to make these an hour before the party. Although it will take only around 20 minutes to put together the popsicles, you’ll need about 6 hours from start to finish after you add in all the freezer time. Continue reading


YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Strawberry-Pecan Spinach Salad

The quintessential springtime salad! Can you just imagine this recipe’s tiny sweet strawberries bursting in your mouth? Soft, gently flavorful leaves of spinach, fresh from the ground? With a bit of bite from the onion and some satisfying give from the pecans? Thank you, lowfatveganchef.com, for the original version of this recipe.

Continue reading



YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Chicken Cacciatore

If, like many of our friends this week, you’re getting ready for a huge onslaught of guests to celebrate a commencement of one sort or another, think about putting a recipe like this in your slow cooker. The very process of slow cooking blends and brings out flavors, caramelizes and smoothes the natural sweetness in ingredients like tomatoes, and generally turns what was previously a very nice recipe into something entirely more subtle and sublime. Try this chicken cacciatore, in honor of Ann’s graduation.

Continue reading