This hearty, penne with spicy zucchini tomato sauce is an old standby I’ve been making for years. When I went vegan 2 years ago, I eliminated the shredded mozzarella I used to smother it with (don’t need it!) and when I learned the faux sausage I had been using wasn’t vegan, I replaced it with Upton’s Naturals Italian Sausage. Another …
Drunken Eggplant
“Sure, we’ll take the eggplant!” I heard myself say as my sister packed to leave after visiting us on vacation. I figured I’d grill them one of the remaining nights of our stay at a rental in the Finger Lakes. But I didn’t, and abhorring wasting food, we added it to cooler for the trip home. It sat for four …
Really Ripped Marinara Sauce with Zoodles
This is another recipe from our friend Jaime Rothbard, aka The Foodie Alchemist, who showed us the power of batch cooking. It serves 8 to 10 people, but if you don’t have 8 to 10 people to serve, store the sauce in your leftover food jars and pop it in the fridge (or the freezer) and eat it all week …
Swimmin’ In Green Beans Stir Fry
Back when I was a kid growing up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, my parents would grow green beans in their garden. I have (not so) fond memories of taking lots — and lots — of green beans and “Frenching” them with a French style bean slicer my mother provided to my 2 sisters and me. We’d take fresh green beans and …
No Meat-a Fajitas
Fajitas are a great item to serve at a party or at a festive family occasion. And cooking veggie fajitas on the grill gives them that smoky char that people love. Kids love fajitas, too, since the presentation of the cooked ingredients allows them to make them exactly as they want them. And I’m going to let you in on …
Asparagus and Bean Salad
This hearty asparagus and bean salad can serve as a light meal all by itself. Accompany it with a crusty bread and a glass of wine, and you have dinner. Marinating the onion in vinegar while you prepare the rest of the salad helps mellow out the flavors while retaining the crunch. The earthiness of the asparagus and white canellleni …
Stuffed Pineapple
When we were in Mexico for spring break in 2016, we stayed at the Maya Luna Hotel and Restaurant a small, eco-resort (just 4 bungalows on the beach!) that is off the grid. But trust me, we had all the modern amenities and the food was truly delightful. Maya Luna is famous for its Stuffed Pineapple which is normally prepared with …
Colcannon with Fried Leeks
When you think “Irish food” potatoes usually come to mind. Traditionally, Irish Colcannon is made with mashed white potatoes and cabbage. Americans usually think of it as the perfect dish for St. Patrick’s Day – though in Ireland, it’s served more often in the fall. Go figure! This dish dates back to pre-Roman times in Ireland and was popular because …
Mexican Tofu Steaks
Watch our YouTube video on how to prepare this dish. I don’t care what anyone else says, but for protein, I love tofu which is made from soy. It’s versatile, can go in practically anything, and takes on whatever flavor you throw at it. Tofu is also rich in calcium, low in fat, and is associated with the reduction …
Mushrooms Stuffed with Faux Sausage
Omnivores and plant eaters alike gobble up this dish which is easy to prepare thanks to the small number of ingredients and short baking time. My friend Denese, who discovered this recipe in a newspaper, shared it with me many years ago. At the time, I altered it to make it vegetarian by using Light Life Smart Sausages Italian Style. But …