Zucchini Pancakes

Top with a poached egg or dollop of sour cream for a light dinner entrée

Are you part of the “breakfast for dinner” movement? Me too. So how about some pancakes? But maybe not the kind smothered in maple syrup.

Instead, I propose a savory variation. These Zucchini Pancakes give you all the breakfasty fun—without the sugar.

Add a poached or fried egg, or a dollop of sour cream, and you’ve got a complete meal. Or slather some butter on the cakes and serve them as a side dish, sharing the plate with a piece of meat or fish.

Dinner is served.

Corned Beef

With or Without Cabbage

When was the last time you cooked Corned Beef?  If you’re like most of us, it was some St. Patrick’s Day in the past. 

It’s one of those dishes I seem to cook only every 3 or 4 years.  I always wonder why.  I love the flavor.  And although Corned Beef is available at every deli counter, it’s rarely as good as home cooked.

So this year I decided it was time to cook Corned Beef again.  It’s a simple dish to make, even if you add the traditional cabbage (and other vegetables).

Roast Pork

The Trick to a Perfectly Cooked, Juicy Pork Roast

Pork is trendy.  Pork cuts of all descriptions have become favorite menu items at chichi restaurants in recent years.  And no wonder.  It’s a tasty meat that combines beautifully with many side dishes.

Roast Pork is one of the first things I think of when I’m cooking for company or preparing a festive dinner.  And I’ve found an easy way to make sure that it turns out perfectly.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Corn Flakes Top this 1950s Classic

Many home cooks in the 1950s were mad for the new convenience foods — canned this or powdered that.  Although many of these items had become available earlier in the 20th century, they reached their zenith of popularity in the 50s. 

The 1950s were also the decade of casseroles.  “One-pot” recipes of the casserole persuasion have been around since mankind first invented cooking utensils, but people rediscovered them in the 1930s.  And eventually people realized that many of those swell convenience foods — condensed soup in particular — worked well in casserole assembly. 

Tuna Noodle Casserole was the quintessential 50s dish.  It required boxed noodles!  Canned soup!  Canned tuna!  Canned peas!  And a topping of boxed cereal!  How wonderful— you could make it without any fresh ingredients!  Convenient, no?

And amazingly enough, it was also a pretty good dish. 

Tuscan Bean and Pasta Soup

This Vegan Italian Recipe Makes the Best Bean Soup

After a long, wonderful holiday season full of rich (and fattening!) food, many of us are craving healthier fare.  And with the colder weather typical of January, simple but hearty recipes sound mighty appealing.

There’s nothing quite as hearty (or simple) as recipes based on dried beans, legumes, and pulses.  These little nutritional powerhouses are great sources of protein, complex carbs, and fiber.  Because they’re one of our oldest foods (dating back over 7000 years, according to some estimates), they feature in many of the world’s cuisines, offering us a wide variety of recipes and traditions to draw from. 

Italy’s rich culinary heritage includes numerous dishes that incorporate dried legumes and pulses.  Some of my favorites are soups.  Typically, these are meal-in-a-bowl recipes that are easy to make and that deliver comforting, satisfying flavor.  Today’s recipe may be the best of the breed.