On Christmas Eve Eve, it seems like the perfect time to share a festive drink ingredient that was borne of the kind of leftovers that usually get tossed and a desire to make something a little magical for the holidays.
Salads can be amazing. They tend to be healthy, feature fresh produce, and come together fairly easily. That said, if your salad consists of iceberg lettuce and a tomato or two, it's time to start thinking outside the box and beyond greens.
When "eat your veggies" becomes "can I please have more", you know you're doing something right. Get a cheer from friends and family alike when you put together some tasty fritters featuring kohlrabi and carrots that are great as a lunch entree, appetizers or snacks, or a light dinner.
When you go out for a burger or plate of meatloaf at your favorite pub, you want a pint of suds and some great fries to accompany them. But if you're looking for something a little different consider setting the potatoes aside and looking to parsnips for some fantastic fries.
When I recently smoked beef short ribs, I knew I needed to work them into one of my favorite simple dinner plans: noodle bowls. Before I knew it, everything from chunks of tender ribs to sweet roasted squash and peppery slices of radish were spending quality time with a nest of noodles and miso broth.
An acquired taste, fennel packs a lot of flavor and nutrition in an oft-overlooked vegetable. I'd likely overlook it myself, but it finds it's way into one or two of our community-sponsored agriculture (CSA) boxes each year. But now I know how to make it and have all of my family swoon!
There's nothing like a wonderful blend of colors, textures, and flavors in food. This is especially true of salads this time of the year, when ingredients are at their freshest and we're all looking for something refreshing and light on our plates.
In a summer filled with spicy brats, peppered sausages, and fiery burgers, a crunchy-sweet slaw might just be what you are looking for when it comes to topping those lovely, heat-filled treats.
The last thing most people are craving this time of the year is soup, which is a shame since some of my favorite vegetarian soups are most delicious when made with vegetables at the peak of their season. Get my all-time favorite and enjoy fresh or, if summer soup just doesn't appeal, pop it in the freezer for enjoy in fall or winter.
We're entering what is often lovingly referred to as the dog days of summer — that time when it seems like the only way to combat the heat is to lay around and pant like a pooch. But I prefer to call them salad days and fight heat and boredom with one gorgeous salad!
