Some people’s happiness tends to hinge on asparagus season and while you could purchase asparagus out of season, you sometimes get shunned for things like that here.  Yet when that first locally grown asparagus finally decides to show its ruddy little face at the grocery store or farmer’s market it is advisable to buy it in bulk and find opportunities to creatively experiment with it.

Those first batches, especially, which are sweet and young, need nothing more than a quick roast in the oven.  Or to be tossed with broccoli rabe and chickpeas and a dash of lemon juice, all of which is then thrown over some polenta, as is done here.  Quick, simple and for the lemon lovers out there – utterly delicious.

As the weather starts getting warmer, we often find ourselves craving tropical fruit. It’s as if there’s a switch deep down in our subconscious that feels the sixty degree weather and responds with “pineapple-mango-papaya-coconut time.” A fantastic way to satiate this craving is to just throw mangoes into any and every dish. Salads, stir fries, and here in this picadillo. I made this originally during my early days as a vegetarian and it served as the perfect throwback to a non-veg meat dish that I loved.  It’s so filling and satisfying, you won’t miss the beef at all.

This summer-inspired and textured panzanella is chock full of roasted asparagus and leeks, white beans, cubes of toasted bread, and the fresh flavors of sun-dried tomatoes and pesto all drizzled in healthy olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

This stir fry, rife with Asian flavors and loaded with eggplant, bell peppers, carrots will take under 30 minutes to prepare while leaving your taste buds satisfied with hints of sweet soy sauce and ginger. Serve over rice for a heartier addition to this adaptable meal.

Most of the time when a craving hits, it’s for two things: carbs and cheese. Usually together.

And while I generally try to convince myself that even though I may think I want mac and cheese all day every day, what I really want is an apple or a salad or both….sometimes I just have to give in. On those days, I make grilled cheese.

Not only is it a pretty portion controlled way to get your carb/cheese fix, but it can also be dolled-up to give it a bit more “oomph” factor.  These grilled goat cheese sandwiches are the perfect example of this. Read More

This tart should come with a warning: “Proceed with caution!”

Its luscious chocolate ganache filling will reel you in while the raspberry preserve center is what will keep you coming back, bite after bite; sliver after sliver.  Cutting the richness so that you never think, “Oh this is too much” and instead  are constantly leering into the pan thinking, “Well, I suppose one more can’t hurt.”

It can’t. Read More

There’s something about knowing that I have a pound of kale in my fridge that makes my heart race. Partly because I know that by ingesting it, I’ll be doing so much good for my body.

And partly because I’m thinking, “what am I going to do with it before it goes bad?!”

No need to stress about that any more though.  This lentil, sweet potato and kale dish is not only super easy to throw together, but it’s delicious. And it’s also a nutritional powerhouse, so from here on out, you can reserve your heart racing for other more rational things.

The truth of the matter is that rhubarb is a vegetable in fruit’s clothing, and our intention is to take a stand against its duplicitous nature. No longer will the wool be pulled over our strawberry-rhubarb-dream-filled eyes.

Here we dress it up with ginger and spice, smear it over a pizza crust, and top it with cheese.  If you can’t depend on a lattice crust-filled future, at least you can have your pie and eat it too.  And in a topsy-turvy world where up is down and down is up and fruits are actually vegetables…sometimes, that’s all we can ask for.

Asparagus season deserves a welcome home party, complete with streamers and party hats and noisemakers and confetti (lots of confetti).

Or…maybe just a big hearty salad that is bursting with color and flavor and tastes like a combination of spring breeze and summer sun.  On that note, send in the panzanella – chock full of roasted asparagus and leeks, white beans, cubes of toasted bread, and the fresh flavors of sun-dried tomatoes and pesto, this salad is just the kind of homecoming feast that asparagus deserves. Grab a fork and get ready to dig in. Read More

Photo: Joanne Bruno

Spring weather is fast approaching, if not already here, and while I’m sure we’re all looking forward to swimsuit season (!!) and therefore forcing ourselves to eat as many salads as possible before we are forced to go on an MD/PhD retreat cruise to Canada in August and wear a two-piece bathing suit in front of everyone we know…sometimes we just get a hankering for Mac and cheese.  It happens.

Luckily, there is such a thing as tasty delicious, good-for-you Mac and cheese.  And it’s right here, in this casserole dish.  This Mac and cheese is bulked up with sweet potatoes so you have a kind of sweet salty cheesy thing going on.  Read More