Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs may seem like a lot of work, and they can be, but only if you have to fight to get the shells off of the eggs once boiled. The rest is a snap and makes for a quick side dish to bring to a summer picnic or add some protein to a vegetable plate.

If you don't have a deviled-egg tray or carrier, just cut your eggs horizontally and use your egg carton as the carrier. For that reason, this recipe makes 12, but you'll want to multiply it if serving a group. No one can eat just one deviled egg!

6 eggs

1 T. baking soda

2 T. mayonnaise

1 t. yellow mustard

1 t. white vinegar

1 T. sweet pickle relish

1/4 t. salt

Hard boil your eggs using these tips will not only help ensure a perfectly-cooked yolk, but will also make them easy to peel. Otherwise you could end up with eggs that look like they were peeled by Edward Scissorhands.

• Place eggs in saucepan before adding water to reduce the chance of them cracking. 
• Fill cool or lukewarm water 2 inches above eggs and add baking soda to the water. The baking soda will help the shell separate from the membrane more easily.
• Bring water to a boil over high heat. As soon as water boils, place a lid on the pot and let sit off the heat for 13 minutes.
• Pour water off eggs and transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. it doesn't matter if the eggs get cracked at this point.
• Once eggs are cool, remove from water and begin cracking and peeling them at the wide end. This is most likely where the air pocket is, which will decrease your chances of marring the egg white.
• Use the fleshy part of your thumb (not your fingernail) to gently peel sections of the shell back from the cooked egg. Be careful when you get to the pointed end of the egg. It's easy to inadvertently remove the whole top of the egg when that's the last section you get to.
• After removing all the shell, rinse the egg under cool water to remove any remaining flecks of shell or membrane.

Slice eggs in half and gently pop the yolks out into a bowl, or use a small spoon or spatula if you prefer. 

Mix mayo, mustard, vinegar, relish and salt into egg yolks and stir until creamy. Taste and adjust if needed.

Spoon 1 T. of yolk filling back into egg whites. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

No-Mayo Coleslaw

You don't need mayonnaise or even oil to make a delicious coleslaw. I had been making a slaw dressing with just oil, vinegar and sugar when my husband's aunt introduced me to her mama's recipe that didn't have any fat in it at all. I was skeptical, but it really is very good! Both dressings are included below. Cabbage is really the only vegetable you need for coleslaw, but I like to add carrots and sometimes onion, too. 

3 cups shredded cabbage

1 carrot, shredded (optional)

1/4 cup onion, chopped (optional)

Shred or chop cabbage as finely as you like it.

Add carrot and onion.

Mix up one of the below dressings and toss all ingredients.

Dressing 1

2 T. apple cider vinegar

1 T. vegetable oil

1 T. sugar

salt and pepper

Dressing 2

2 T. apple cider vinegar

2 T. water

2 T. sugar

salt and pepper

Refrigerate 30 minutes prior to serving. 

Guacamole

What goes better with margaritas than some guac and chips? If you've ever ordered guacamole at a restaurant that makes it at your table, you already know the basics. There are two reasons why they prepare it that way. First, avocados start to turn brown the longer they are exposed to air, so it really is best as fresh as possible. Also, by preparing it at the table, they can add whatever you like to it! Here's a basic recipe and some suggestions for how to spice it up.

I recommend 1 avocado for 2 people to have as a snack with chips or an accoutrement with dinner. So double this recipe as needed for your crowd, but don't make more than you think you'll need as it doesn't keep well.

1 ripe avocado (flesh gives a little when squeezed, but not firm or soft)

1 T. freshly-squeezed lime juice (1/2 a lime)

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 t. coarse salt

Cut avocado in half and plunge the knife blade into the pit and twist to release the pit from the flesh. Scoop out the flesh into a bowl and add lime juice, garlic and salt.

Mash the avocado with a fork and mix all ingredients together. Taste and add more salt, garlic or lime juice as desired.

Add any of the following herbs and veggies for some extra spice and pazazz.

• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Chopped red onion
• Chopped jalapeño peppers
• Diced tomatoes
• Chopped chives

Mix these into the guacamole or just use them to garnish the top and let them get mixed in as people scoop with their chips.

Fresh Margaritas on the Rocks

The key to a great margarita is fresh lemon and lime juice (and a good-tasting tequila, of course). The store-bought sour or margarita mixes just can't compare. This recipe serves six because it's an effort to freshly-squeeze the citrus, so you might as well make a big batch while you're still sober!

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice

1 1/2 cups tequila

1/2 cup orange liqueur

ice

Kosher salt

Make simple syrup by combining sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and allowing the sugar to dissolve in the water. Once dissolved, remove from heat and set aside.

In a shaker filled half full with ice, combine all ingredients with half of the simple syrup. Shake and taste. Adjust the flavors adding more syrup or booze as needed. 

Rub the rim of four margarita glasses with a piece of lemon or lime wedge that you already juiced and dip the rim into kosher salt to line the glass (optional).

Pour margaritas and ice into prepared glasses and serve.

Broccoli Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce

This recipe is a perfect example of how simple, satisfying and delicious an all-veggie meal can be. Stir-fried broccoli, red peppers and garlic get tossed in a peanut sauce and served over rice.

1 cup dried rice, rinsed

1/3 c. peanut butter

1 T. brown sugar

2 T. soy sauce, divided

1 T. rice wine vinegar

2 T. coconut, peanut or other oil with a high smoke point

1 lb. broccoli florets

1 large red bell pepper, cubed

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. chopped peanuts

Red pepper flakes or hot chili sauce, to taste

Cook rice according to package instructions.

Make peanut sauce by combining peanut butter, brown sugar, 1 T. soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and 1/4 cup water. Set aside.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a wok or large skillet. Add broccoli and stir continuously for 3 to 5 minutes or until the broccoli begins to turn bright green.

Add remaining 1 T. soy sauce and 1/4 cup water to the wok along with red pepper and garlic. Bring to a boil and stir fry all veggies until lightly steamed and liquid has evaporated some. 

Remove from heat and stir in peanut sauce. Divide rice and veggies among four plates and top each with 1 T. chopped peanuts. Serve with hot pepper flakes or hot chili sauce, such as Sriracha.

Kale Slaw

For Memorial Day, if you're looking for a side-dish to bring to the cookout that won't compromise the work you've been doing to get ready for bathing-suit season, this is it! Not only is Kale full of nutrients such as beta carotene, vitamin C and calcium, but this slaw has no mayo or sugar. I have two variations of dressing that I will use depending on what else is being served, but the veggie bases remains the same.

I bunch kale, chopped

1 large carrot, shredded

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Combine all ingredients and toss with one of the dressings below. Let sit for at least 20 minutes before serving. 

Dressing 1

I make this if we're having a main course/meat that is sweet, like barbecue or salmon, or heavy, like burgers or brats. The mustard provides a nice contrast and holds up to rich foods with bold flavors.

Whisk together:

2 T. Dijon mustart

2 T. cider vinegar

2 T. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Dressing 2

I make this if we're having something lighter, like fish tacos, shrimp or grilled chicken. The citrus juice brings out the flavor in these lighter meats.

Whisk together:

2 T. olive oil

2 t. lemon juice

1 1/2 T. orange juice

salt and pepper to taste

Light Strawberry Souffles

This souffle is "light" because it is egg white only, but still melts in your mouth with a burst of fresh flavor. If you need a use for the leftover egg yolks and you have an abundance of fresh strawberries, make strawberry ice cream! The souffles will be ready to eat long before the ice cream freezes!

1 1/2 cups quartered strawberries

2 t. lemon juice

4 egg whites

1/4 cup sugar, plus more for lining the souffle cups

pinch of salt

2 T. butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Puree strawberries and lemon juice. 

Line 6 ramekins or 8 oz. oven-safe baking dishes with butter and sugar.

Whip egg whites, gradually adding 1/4 cup sugar and  pinch of salt, until stiff peaks form. Whip in half of strawberry puree. Fold in remaining strawberry puree.

Pour mixture into ramekins, filling them to the top. Level with a knife to ensure an evenly-browned top, or allow mixture to have a dollop top, but watch that they don't burn.

Bake for 14-17 minutes or until tops are lightly brown. Serve immediately. If you have leftovers, put them in the fridge and have them the next day, topped with slices of fresh strawberry. It will have compacted and be more the consistency of a light strawberry gelato. 

Fiesta Omelette

It's like a cheese enchilada for breakfast! This is also the easiest way I've found to make an omelette -- by putting all the fillings on the outside. It tastes just as good!

3 eggs

3 T. milk

1/4 t. salt

1/4 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

1/4 cup salsa

1/2 avocado

dollop of sour cream, yogurt or creme fraiche

Heat an 8" non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Hit it with some non-stick cooking spray. 

Whisk eggs, milk and salt. Pour into pan once warm. Allow to cook until you can see that it has gotten firm on the bottom, but is still slightly liquid on top.

Sprinkle cheese evenly on top of egg mixture and allow to melt for 1 minute. 

Gently fold each side of the egg mixture into the center, like folding a burrito. Cook for one minute more, then gently flip upside down. Cook for 2-3 minutes more, until eggs are cooked through.  

Slide from pan to plate and top with salsa, avocado and sour cream. Serve with a side of tortilla chips.

Vegetable Stock from kitchen scraps

The first recipe for homemade vegetable stock I made called for 11 whole vegetables and only yielded four cups of stock. The thought of throwing away all these perfectly good vegetables once I had cooked them weighed on my conscience so much that I tried to cook things like meatloaf or fritters to incorporate them into. I quickly realized that I had already cooked all the flavor and nutrients out of them, and that I was never going to make such a wasteful recipe ever again!

I started thinking about all the vegetable scraps I throw away each time I cook, and decided to try collecting them for vegetable stock instead. I now keep a gallon-sized storage bag in my freezer at all times and once it's full with perfectly good peelings, ends and other leftover vegetable scraps that never made it into a meal, I boil them and have something delicious.

 There are a few guidelines to know before you start your freezer bag collection.

1. Always wash your vegetables well. Since you're saving peelings, you want to be sure there's no dirt on them.
2. Save scraps that are perfectly edible, but may not be either aesthetically or texturally pleasing (such as the top end of a carrot or the exposed side of a half-used onion that has gotten dry in the fridge). Don't save anything that you wouldn't eat, like a bad spot cut out of a potato. Remember, you're looking for flavor!
3. You will want a good variety of vegetables to give your stock a complex flavor. If your freezer bag only has potato and onion scraps, it's probably not going to be the best tasting stock.
4. You don't have to chop the scraps you add to your freezer bag. Big (1-2") chunks will do and be easier to remove at the end.
5. Not every vegetable is good in a soup stock. Any cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, kale) should not be used. You also wouldn't want to use peppers, squash, corn or tomatoes. Root vegetables work best, in addition to some herbs. 

Vegetables I use:

• Carrots (clean peelings, ends and green tops)
• Parsnips (clean peelings and ends)
• Turnips (clean peelings and ends)
• Thin-skinned potatoes, such as Yukon Gold (clean peelings)
• Celery (ends and leafy tops)
• Onion and garlic (ends, no paper)
• Leeks (ends)
• Swiss Chard (the hearty stalks)
• Tender fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, chives, savory

In addition to a 1 gallon freezer bag full of a mix of the above vegetables and herbs, you will also need:

10 cups cool water

3 bay leaves

10 black peppercorns

Add frozen vegetable scraps to a large stock pot. Cover with water and add bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Remove the lid and let cool. 

Scoop out cooked vegetables with a mesh strainer and gently press any excess liquid back into the pot. Once you have removed nearly all the large vegetables, pour your remaining stock through the strainer. If the stock still has small pieces of vegetable matter, line your strainer with a coffee filter and pour through again.

Either use your stock within three days or freeze it.

Choucroute Garnie (avec Biére)

Translated from French, this is Packed Sauerkraut with Beer. The idea for this recipe came from one of my favorite food/cooking shows, The Splendid Table. The host, Lynne Rossetto Kasper, had a caller ask what to make with sauerkraut. My attention was piqued, having made sauerkraut the last few summers and still having a few quarts in my pantry. Lynne's suggestion was a Choucroute Garnie, a dish from the heavily German-influenced Alsace region of France, that pairs pork and potatoes with a mound of classed-up sauerkraut. I took Lynne's suggestions, along with some cues from Jacques Pépin's recipe in Food and Wine, swapped out the wine for some beer and called this our St. Patty's day dinner. There's sausage, cabbage, potatoes and beer, so I think it counts, even if it is German!

2 T. bacon grease or peanut oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. fresh thyme
1 qt. sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
1 12 oz. beer
1 T. brown sugar
1/2 t. ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 lb. beer brats
3 lbs. thin-skinned potatoes (such as Yukon Gold or red potatoes), cut into 2" chunks
1/4 c. butter
1 T. dried marjoram

Ingredient notes:

• If you don't have your own homemade sauerkraut, buy some that is refrigerated in the grocery store, not the canned stuff! 
• You can use any beer, but I would choose one that you're going to want to drink with dinner. I used a flavorful pilsner. If you use a sweeter, full-bodied stout or porter, you may want to omit or cut back on the brown sugar. 
• Jacques used pork ribs in his recipe, that he coated in salt and brown sugar the night before. Next time I make this, I'm going to try that in place of the brats. Again, you would want to omit the brown sugar in place of this.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large, oven-safe skillet (preferably one with a lid), melt the bacon grease over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and thyme and sauté until onions are caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add sauerkraut , beer, sugar, pepper and bay leaves, and stir to combine all ingredients. Once the beer begins to boil, add brats and remove from heat. Put a lid on the skillet or top it with aluminum foil and put in the oven. Bake for 1 hour or until brats are cooked through.

While brats are cooking, prepare potatoes. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, reduce heat to a steady simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes or until tender but not mashable. Drain potatoes and return to the pot you cooked them in. Add butter and marjoram and stir to coat.

Serve each brat on a mound of sauerkraut with potatoes on the side. Accompany with some spicy or grainy mustards and sweet pickles. 

Chocolate, Banana and Peanut Butter Shake

This shake is so thick and creamy, you won't notice that there is no ice cream in it! Freezing the banana makes a good substitute for ice cream, the peanut butter gives it extra thickness and chocolate soy milk gives it a silky quality. It makes an equally good breakfast as dessert!

This is also a great way to use bananas that are getting too ripe. Just slice them, lay them out on a plate and put them in the freezer. Once frozen, move the banana slices to a freezer bag and then use them in this shake or other fruit smoothies as needed. 

You will need a blender that can crush ice.

1 banana, sliced and frozen

2 T. peanut butter

1 cup chocolate soy milk

Place frozen bnana slices in the blender. I try to let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes to get the frost off before I turn the blender on. I think this reduces the chance that you'll get a frozen chunk of banana in your shake. 

Add peanut butter and soy milk. Turn blender on high or ice-crushing setting for 20 secnds or until smooth.

Zucchini and Swiss Frittata

I love omelettes, but can never seem to make them successfully at home. Instead, I've started making frittatas! Same ingredients but no flipping required. Just cook your meat and/or veggies in a oven-safe skillet, add your eggs and cheese and pop it in the oven to cook. This recipe serves 2, but you can adjust the ingredients and cooking time to feed a bigger crowd. As always, use whatever veggies, herbs and cheese you have on hand. This is a guideline!

1 T. olive oil

1/2 medium onion, sliced

1/2 medium zucchini, sliced

1/2 medium yellow squash, sliced

1/2 t. thyme, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

4 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1/4 t. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Heat oil in a large oven-safe non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, zucchini, squash and thyme. Sauté until tender but not mushy, about 10 minutes. 

Whisk eggs and milk and add salt. Once veggies are cooked, be sure they are spread evenly in the bottom of the skillet and pour egg mixture on top. Sprinkle cheese on top. Don't stir! Cook for a few minutes in the skillet to help the frittata solidify on the bottom. 

Pop the skillet in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese begins to brown and the eggs feel firm. Remove from oven and let frittata set for about 5 minutes.

Cut frittata in half. Flip each half in half and serve.

Pesto

If you grow basil in your garden, you'll get to a point in July or August where you can't use it fast enough to keep it from bolting. That's when it's time to make pesto! The peppery flavor of basil combines with spicy garlic, and savory nuts and cheese to make this a rich yet bright sauce that can be used in myriad ways -- on a pizza or pasta, in a salad dressing or marinade, as the spread on a sandwich or wrap, etc.

Blanching the basil leaves will help your pesto retain its bright green color. I think it's worth the effort, especially if you aren't planning on using the pesto immediately, but you can skip this step. Pesto will stay good in the refrigerator for about 10 days or in the freezer for several months.


4 cups fresh basil leaves
2 cloves of garlic, quartered
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup good quality olive oil
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 t. salt


In a small saucepan that you can rest a mesh strainer in, boil water (about 1 inch from the top). In batches, place the strainer full of basil leaves into the boiling water for 20 seconds, then remove and submerge in ice water until cool. Squeeze any excess liquid from the basil and set it aside. Repeat until all leaves have been blanched.

Add your garlic to a food processor while it's running. Stop and add basil leaves and pine nuts. With blender running, slowly add olive oil. Once the mixture is pureed, add Parmesan and salt and pulse a few times. Store in an air-tight container with plastic wrap covering the surface of the pesto to keep air away from it, or immediately add it to your favorite recipe.

Ranch Dressing

Buy the wings, but make the ranch! Homemade ranch dressing is easy to make and so much more flavorful than what you can buy in a plastic bottle. Use it as a salad dressing or dipping sauce and you'll be glad you took a few minutes to make it fresh. Make it lighter by using low-fat ingredients or yogurt instead of sour cream.

You can easily double this recipe and save some for other recipes in the coming days. Keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

1/2 cup light sour cream or plain yogurt

1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/4 cup mayonaise

1 T. minced garlic (about 2 cloves)

1 1/2 t. chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/2 t. salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least one hour to allow the seasonings to diffuse into the dressing. If you want it to be a more pourable dressing, add some more buttermilk.

Red Curry with Vegetables

Add a good curry paste and coconut milk to your pantry and you'll be all set to make a delicious Thai curry any time you have a bunch of vegetables you're looking to do something different with. You can use any vegetables, but the only one I always want to be sure I include (aside from the onion) is potato. Since this is a vegetarian dish, the potato makes it more filling. And it absorbs the curry sauce, reminding me a little bit of tofu.

1 1/2 cups long-grain white or brown rice

1 T. vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1-2 T. curry paste

1 small can coconut milk

1 cup water

1 cup diced carrots

1 large white potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes

1 crown of broccoli, chopped into florets

1 red pepper, diced

salt to taste

Rinse your rice. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups salted water to a boil and add rice. Stir and cover, reducing the heat to medium so the water slowly simmers. Let cook undisturbed (do not open the lid) for 45 minutes. Check rice and remove from heat once the rice has absorbed all the liquid.

While rice is cooking, chop your vegetables. When the rice has 25 more minutes to cook, heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or with a lid. Saute onion 5 minutes or until tender but not brown. Add curry paste (amount depends on how spicy you like it) and stir until fragrant. Mix water and coconut milk and add to the pan along with carrots and potatoes (or any hearty vegetables).

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer over medium to medium low. Cook covered for 8 minutes and then add broccoli and pepper (or other more tender vegetables). Cook for another 5-7 minutes or until tender. If using greens, like kale, Swiss chard or spinach, add those 2-3 minutes before you remove the skillet from the heat. Add salt to taste and serve over the rice.

Risotto with Mushrooms and Peas

What makes risotto so creamy is the starch in the rice breaking down as you add your cooking liquid and continually stir. This is also why it has a reputation for being tedious to prepare. If you heat your chicken broth in advance, it will make the process go a bit quicker. The finished product is well worth the effort you put into stirring. Add a side salad and call it dinner!

6 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade

1 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

2 lbs fresh mushrooms, sliced (or 2 cups dried mushrooms)

1/4 t. dried thyme

1/2 cup chopped onion or shallots

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 T. butter

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Heat chicken stock in a medium saucepan. If using dried mushrooms, boil your broth and add the mushrooms. Cover and let sit off the heat for 10 minutes or until reconstituted. Remove mushrooms from broth, press the liquid out and sauté them in less oil and for less time than if yo were using fresh.

Return the broth to the heat and keep it warm until you're ready to add it to the recipe. Add frozen peas to the broth to thaw them.

Meanwhle, in a large pot, heat 2 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and stir to coat in the oil, adding more oil if needed. Add thyme and cook mushrooms until they soften and reach desired brownness. Season with salt and pepper and remove mushrooms and their juices from the pan. Remove peas from chicken stock and add them to the mushrooms. Season the stock with salt, to taste.

Add another 1 T. of oil to the large pot and sautee onion for 2 minutes. Add Arborio rice and coat in oil. Cook for another 2-3 minutes to toast the rice. Add wine and stir to deglaze the pan. Continue stirring until wine is absorbed. Gradually add warm chicken stock (1/2 cup at a time), and continue stirring, adding more stock as it is absorbed by the rice (about 20 minutes).

Once the rice has absorbed nearly all of the stock, add mushrooms and peas and warm the mixture through. Remove from heat and add butter, Parmesan cheese, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and serve hot.

BEV NOTE: Enjoy with a buttery California Chardonnay

Fried Rice

This recipe puts leftover rice to good use, and is great for clearing out veggies from the fridge and freezer. Leave the bacon out and make it vegetarian.

1 cup uncooked (or 2 cups cooked) long-grain rice

1/4 lb. bacon, chopped (or 2 T. canola or coconut oil)

1 cup onion, chopped

1 T. garlic, minced

2 t. fresh ginger, minced

2 carrots, cut into matchsticks

2 cups shredded cabbage

3 cups other fresh, frozen or pre-cooked vegetables (peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, green beans, corn, etc.)

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 eggs

1 T. toasted sesame seed oil

salt and pepper, to taste

Rinse rice and prepare according to package instructions. While it cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook bacon until just shy of being crisp, tossing occasionally. Remove bacon, reserving grease, and add onion, garlic and ginger to the pan. Cook two minutes and add carrots, cabbage and any other hearty fresh vegetables (broccoli, zucchini). Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften. Add remaining fresh (pepper, mushrooms), frozen or pre-cooked vegetables and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 more minutes. Add rice and soy sauce and stir to combine. Whisk eggs with sesame seed oil andd 1/4 t. salt and add to hot pan, stirring until eggs are cooked. Return bacon to the pan and stir in. Serve hot with additional soy sauce.

Zucchini Hummus

As you're thinking about what to bring to the traditional Super Bowl party, here's an option that will help you keep your new year's resolutions. Roasted zucchini replaces chickpeas and there's no oil or fat aside from the sesame seed oil in your tahini. Serve this dip with pretzels and it will remind you of pizza-flavored Combos. If you're feeding a crowd, go ahead and double the recipe.

1 large or 2 small zucchini

3-4 garlic cloves, quartered

1/4 cut tahini (sesame seed paste)

1 T. lemon juice

1 t. cumin

1 t. smoked paprika

1/2 t. coarse salt

Preheat oven to 425. Cut zucchini lengthwise and lay cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. If seeds are large, scrape them out. Roast for 15 minutes or until tender throughout. Remove from oven and let cool.

In a food processor, chop garlic. Add the rest of the ingredients, including cooled zucchini, and process for 1 minute, or until smooth. Serve with pretzels, pita chips, tortilla chips or raw vegetables.

This recipe also freezes well, so when I have a lot of zucchini in the summer, I'll make up a few batches of this and put it in the freezer for the winter.

Poor Man's Cabbage

After a holiday season of decadence, expense and lots of hours in the kitchen, this is just what I needed to be reminded of the joy of everyday simplicity. Leftover mashed potatoes and a head of cabbage never tasted so satisfying.

3-4 cups leftover mashed potatoes or 2 lb. baking potatoes

3 T. olive oil

1 head of cabbage, shredded

2 onions, sliced

2 carrots, shredded

Salt and pepper

Reheat mashed potatoes with milk or boil 1 lb. of peeled potatoes in salted water, mash and then add milk and butter until creamy. Heat oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and cabbage. Cook for 20 minutes stirring often to caramelize. Add carrots and cook for another 10 minutes or until soft. Add salt and pepper. Serve cabbage mixture on top of potatoes. Make it a full meal with a side of Southern Skillet Cornbread. 

BEV NOTE: A crisp pale ale or IPA adds a nice freshness to an otherwise savory meal. 

Dried beans

Dried beans are an essential staple in Southern Appalachian cooking. Some of my elder Tennessee relatives remember having soup beans for supper every day growing up. I felt silly asking them what soup beans were, since I figured the name tells you all you need to know, but I wanted details. Essentially they are dried beans that have been cooked in water until tender, with a little bacon grease or ham hock added for flavor. You serve them with their juices and eat it either as soup or served over cornbread with however much of the liquid you desire.

I've always loved beans, but never cooked dried beans, or even thought of them as a staple until now. With a little advance planning, any bean dish can be made with dried beans instead of canned, and the difference in taste is worth the extra effort.

Buying dried beans
I recommend going to a grocery store that sells bulk foods by weight, not only because they usually have a better variety of dried beans than what you find pre-packaged on the shelves, but also because the beans are likely fresher. If you're used to cooking with canned beans, remember that dried beans enlarge when they cook. Depending on the kind of bean, it may double in size when cooked.

Cooking dried beans
If you have no time constraints, begin preparing your beans the night  before you want to serve them. Rinse your beans thoroughly under running water to remove any dirt or grit, and pick out any beans that look discolored or shriveled. Transfer beans to a bowl and cover in 2 inches of fresh water. Let beans soak in the refrigerator overnight until you're ready to cook them the next day. If time is of the essence, then you can expediate the soaking process by using hot water and letting them sit covered at room temperature for at least an hour.

Before cooking your beans, discard the liquid they soaked in. Add beans to the pot you want to cook them in, covering them with 1-2 inches of fresh cold water. Place them on the stove over medium heat. While beans are slowly coming to a simmer, add in any herbs or seasonings that you want to flavor your beans with. Do not add salt at this point. Put a lid on the pot and stir occasionally, maintaining a simmer, for 90 minutes or until beans are tender.

Soup bean flavoring suggestions
I add different seasonings to the beans depending on the type and what I'm using them for. If you want to just season the beans, add seasonings whole and tie them in a bundle to easily remove them when you're done cooking.

• Black beans: Oregano sprigs, garlic cloves, black peppercorns. Makes a great side dish if you use chopped fresh or dried oregnao flakes, minced garlic and ground black pepper. Serve with some of their liquid and a scoop each of salsa and sour cream.
• Chick peas/garbonzo beans: Bay leaves, garlic cloves, black peppercorns.
• Great Northern/Navy beans: Rosemary sprigs, garlic cloves, black peppercorns.
• Pinto beans: Bay leaves, ham hock or other scraps of pork. This is how to serve traditional soup beans, but usually if I have ham, I'd just make ham and bean soup.

Once the beans are tender, you can add salt and serve them as soup beans, use them in place of canned beans in any recipe, or store them in their liquid in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

One recipe that I think has been greatly improved by using dried beans rather than canned is hummus. The secret to a healthy, creamy hummus is including the bean liquid. I'd never dream of using the slimey goop that canned beans are packed in.

You can make hummus with any beans, not just chick peas, but let's start with the what's familiar.

Chick Pea Hummus
I think it's best to make hummus in advance and give the flavors at least a few hours to mingle for best results.
Ingredients
1 heaping cup of dried garbonzo beans
1 bay leaf
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 c. bean liquid
2 T. tahini
1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T. olive oil
1/4 t. salt
Dash of black pepper

Instructions
Follow the above instructions for cooking dried beans, using a bay leaf in the cooking water. You should have 2 cups of cooked beans. Reserve cooking liquid. In a food processor, chop 2 cloves of garlic. Add remaining ingredients and puree until smooth. You may want to add fresh herbs or veggies to the food processor and make a flavored hummus, such as parsley, chives, carmelized onions, roasted red peppers, etc.

You can make just plain hummus and then dress it up when you serve it, like adding olives, crushed red pepper and olive oil. Pita or tortilla chips make great dippers, but it's great with carrot sticks, too. I also use it in a vegetarian wrap with lettuce, carrots,green onions, tomatoes and feta cheese.

Black Bean Hummus
Instead of salsa and guacamole at your next fiesta, try this spicy black bean hummus for an interesting change.

Ingredients
1 heaping cup of black beans
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 T. bean liquid
1 1/2 T. lemon juice
1 T. tahini
1 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. salt
1 small jalapeno, copped and seeded


Instructions
Follow the above instructions for cooking dried beans, using oregano sprigs in the cooking water. You should have 2 cups of cooked beans. Reserve 1 T. cooking liquid. In a food processor, chop 2 cloves of garlic. Add remaining ingredients and puree until smooth. If you like it spicier, you can leave the seeds in the chopped jalapeno, or top the hummus with a pinch of cayenne pepper.