Italian Corona Bean Salad

Use any white bean to make this easy, tasty main or side

A hill of beans, you say? Coming right up.

Today we’re using corona beans (aka royal corona beans), a large white bean that’s very popular in Italy. Their size makes them perfect for an antipasto dish or salad. But if you don’t have corona beans on hand (they’re hard to find), you can substitute any white bean for this dish.

Coronas are worth the effort to search out, though. If for no other reason than to say you’ve bean there, done that. 

Chicken and Roast Cauliflower Soup

A hearty, winter-friendly way to use leftover chicken or turkey

We see leftover poultry in your future. Chilly weather too.

So why not take them both on with this warming soup? Add some roast cauliflower to the mix and you’ll increase the comfort quotient even more.

Who knew you’d be giving thanks for leftovers?

Creamy Curried Carrot and Chickpea Soup

Tangy tingle for your tongue in this easy and satisfying starter (or main)

We love to start with soup. Sometimes we stop with it, too.

Especially when the soup is as hearty as this Creamy Curried Carrot and Chickpea Soup. It’s full of luscious cream and nourishing chickpeas. Just combine it with a salad and some bread for a quick and easy dinner.

Curry in a hurry? Just what you need to spice up your weeknight.

Spring Lamb Stew

Celebrate the return of warmth with this classic dish

Spring means flower buds, baby bunnies – and fresh, local veggies.

Spring Lamb Stew – called Navarin Printanier in France, where it’s very popular – is a century-old dish that’s perfect for the season. After a long winter, who doesn’t want to celebrate with the freshest produce from local markets?

Spring fever never tasted so good.

Glazed Carrots with Guinness

The perfect side dish for St. Patrick’s Day

Corned beef and cabbage for St. Pat’s? You’ll need a side dish.

What better than these colorful (and nutritious!) Glazed Carrots with Guinness?

Eat your veggies in style. You’ll probably want seconds, too. Because beta-carotene, right?

Curried Pumpkin and Carrot Soup

Canned pumpkin makes for an easy and flavorful dish

Your pumpkin patch is calling: It’s tired of all the sweet spices and would like some savory for a change.

We’re happy to oblige. This soup unites the iconic October squash with some of its best pals – carrots, of course, but also chickpeas, ginger, and jalapeños.

This dish is great for weeknight dinner. But it’s also tasty enough to serve as a first course at your next dinner party. So give your guests pumpkin to talk about.

Curried Creamy Coleslaw

A spicy update to a traditional summer favorite

Warm weather has arrived in our part of the world. That means cookout time! And every cookout needs coleslaw.

This Curried Creamy Coleslaw is a tastier twist on traditional mayo-based slaws. Curry plays extremely well with cabbage – and you can make this as spicy (or not) as you wish.

Spicy for us, please.

Guinness Beef Stew

Meaty goodness with an Irish twist

On St. Patrick’s Day we’re all Irish – and we want to celebrate. So how about some hearty Guinness Beef Stew?

It’s a great dish for entertaining. Because you braise the beef slowly, most of the prep work will be done hours before you need to serve. You can even make this dish a day ahead, then reheat it – the flavor will only get better.

In fact, it will have more flavor than you can shake a shillelagh at.

Coq au Vin

Soothe your winter blues with this classic French recipe for wine-braised chicken

We have a foot of snow in our corner of the world. Time for comfort food! And what could be better than a meaty dish slowly braised in rich wine sauce?

Enter coq au vin, a classic French recipe. It requires some prep work, but the result is so worth it. Serve this at your next dinner party and bask in the adoring applause.

Adoration works for you, right?

Carrot Slaw

Mustard adds tang to this French-style dish

Coleslaw doesn’t require cabbage (really). You can use almost any shredded vegetable to make slaw. In France, carrots are a popular choice.

And what a terrific choice it is! The bright color and vibrant flavor of carrot slaw will liven up any picnic or cookout. Plus, you can make this dish several hours ahead of time.

Tasty, make-ahead dishes are gold. In this case, 14-carrot gold.

Collard Greens and Radish Slaw

Coleslaw with attitude for picnics and cookouts

Umm, coleslaw. Now that summer is on the way in our part of the world, we can’t stop thinking about it. And variations on it.

Like this collard-greens version.

Collard greens are a close relative of kale, that rock star of veggies. And like kale, they’re flavorful, nutritious, and versatile. Use them in coleslaw, and you’ll find that a familiar dish has acquired an entirely new personality.

That’s a good thing. Because with Memorial Day right around the corner (officially kicking off cookout and picnic season here in the US), you probably need all the coleslaw recipes you can get.

Wine-Braised Beef Short Ribs

Served over mashed potatoes, comfort food at its finest

Spring may be coming, but it’s still plenty chilly in our part of the world. So we’re not putting away our braising pot just yet. And what better than braised beef short ribs to chase away the last days of winter?

After a few hours luxuriating in a rich wine sauce over low heat, the meat becomes soft, yet retains its toothsome character. And the rich flavor is succulent beyond belief.

Best of all, this dish tastes better cooked a day or two ahead, then reheated. So it makes perfect party food.

It’s so good your guests will applaud. Or even better, request seconds.

Asian-Spiced Chicken Noodle Soup

Rev up this traditional favorite with ginger, garlic, and jalapeño

We’re trudging through cold-and-flu season in our part of the world. Time for chicken noodle soup (a/k/a liquid penicillin).

You could buy canned soup, of course (and the leading brand’s logo is museum quality when painted by Andy Warhol). But homemade is so much better, especially when you add an Asian angle.

This soup is so good you may look forward to getting sick. And creating your own work of art.

Moroccan Beef Tagine

Carrots, peas, and cauliflower liven up this classic

Think beef stew is boring? Meet Moroccan Beef Tagine.

It has cinnamon, cumin, paprika, cayenne – and they all come out to play. They give this dish savor unlike any other beef braise you’ve had. And we pump ours up even more with frisky veggies.

Prepare to wow your guests.

Roast Carrots and Parsnips with Herbs

The deep, sweet flavor of this dish will please even the veggie averse

Roasting concentrates the flavor of veggies, coaxing out their savor and natural sweetness. Which makes roast vegetables perfect for a festive dinner – such as, say, Thanksgiving.

These roast carrots and parsnips aren’t just something you’ll eat because “they’re good for you.” In fact, their flavor is so inviting, you may find them stealing the spotlight from your main dish.

Moral of the story? Make extra. Loads extra.

Indian Carrot Salad with Mustard Seeds

This spicy vegan dish doubles as a starter or side

Can vegan rock? We’ll let this dish answer for itself.

It’s colorful and easy to make. And it’s equally tasty at room temperature or chilled, so you can make it ahead of time.

And don’t tell your vegan friends, but it also goes great with meat or chicken (serve it with fried or roast chicken, grilled or barbecued meat or fish, or even tacos or a burger).

So feel free to use this dish as you like. We won’t say a word.

Wine-Braised Beef Pot Roast

Easy and classic French-style cooking (that’s also down home)

When we entertain, we often like to serve a big honking hunk of meat. Preferably something that’s full of flavor, easy to prepare—and can be made ahead of time.

Like pot roast.

Doesn’t sound fancy enough for company? Then just call it braised beef. And cook it with wine, the way the French do. All of a sudden we’re talking gourmet fare (and the perfect complement to a bottle of dry red wine).

Just make sure to prepare a big batch. Because your guests will be begging for seconds.

Moroccan Carrot Soup

Cinnamon and cumin add zip to this warming dish

Looking for a zesty starter? Something that will wake up your taste buds, but still leave you hungry for the main course?

This Moroccan Carrot Soup fills the bill. It’s chockfull of nutrition, but it’s light on calories. Best of all, it’s packed with flavor.

If you’ve resolved to eat lighter and healthier in 2014, this dish is for you. Who knew it would be so easy to keep your New Year’s resolutions?

Moroccan Carrot Salad

This Zesty, Lightly Cooked Starter Doubles as a Side

We tend to treat carrots as supporting players — they may serve as flavor enhancers for soups or stews, or as a sidekick to meat.  When served raw, they often function mainly to convey dip from bowl to mouth. 

But with their terrific flavor and color, carrots are well worth serving on their own.

And this traditional Moroccan dish brings out their potential.  Brief cooking mellows their woody texture, while gentle spices mix with lemon and olive oil to envelop them in smooth, subtle flavor. 

Like many Moroccan “salads,” this one can be eaten at the beginning of the meal, or as a side dish (where it pairs exceptionally well with grilled and roasted poultry, fish, or meat).

Either way, it will steal the show at your table. 

Steamed Vegetables

The Perfect Way to Cook Your St. Patrick’s Day Cabbage 

This Saturday is St. Patrick’s Day, and many people will be celebrating with Corned Beef and cabbage.

It’s tempting to boil the cabbage in the same pot with the Corned Beef.  After all, you already have a big ‘ol piece of beef simmering in water, so why not plop your cabbage in along with it? 

Well, that works, and might be traditional.  But the salty broth your corned beef cooks in can mute the flavor of the cabbage.  And most people cook cabbage too long, resulting in an odor many find offensive.

A better way to cook cabbage — or just about any veggie — is to steam it separately.  It will taste much better, look more attractive, and retain more nutrients. 

And steaming is almost as easy as boiling.