Nuking potatoes instead of parboiling them makes skillet-sautéed potatoes even quicker to fix. Fresh herbs add a nice finish.

YOU USE IT EVERY DAY. BUT CAN YOU MAKE IT COOK? Mark Bittman asked that about microwave ovens several years ago, when he was still writing The Minimalist column in the New York Times. In the article, he sang the praises of actually cooking fresh foods in your microwave. We don’t do that so much, but we often give fresh foods a head start in the microwave. Nudging carrots toward tenderness before adding them to our classic Chicken and Wine. Speeding up our popular favorite, Half-baked Potatoes. Or skipping parboiling for our Quick Skillet Potatoes, making them nice and tender on inside and crunchy on the outside. You’ll find the recipe for these delicious potatoes—and the Mark Bittman article—right here.

Fiber-rich chickpeas stand in for potatoes in this crunchy, healthy, summery salad. Recipe below.

THIS VERY SIMPLE DISH IS A RIFF on a recent New York Times recipe, that in turn, is a riff on a summer classic, potato salad. It is ridiculously easy to assemble—a few minutes of measuring, chopping and a bit of stirring. You never even need to turn on the stove. Continue reading “Chickpea Salad—a fresh (and healthier) take on a summer favorite” →

Canned butter beans create a fresh new take on hummus. Recipe below.

LATELY, WE’VE BEEN ENJOYING BUTTER BEANS—feed-me-in-a-hurry canned butter beans—and using them in some simple, delicious ways. Continue reading “Your new go-to snack/starter/condiment… Butter Bean Hummus” →

These burned-looking Brussels sprouts are actually perfectly done—and delicious. Extremely simple recipe and variations below.

SOME HOME COOKS ARE VERY SIDE DISH-FOCUSED. ME, NOT SO MUCH. I want sides to be healthy and delicious, of course, but I also want them to appear magically while I’m working on the main course. These quick charred Brussels sprouts come close. Continue reading “An easy peasy spectacular side dish: Quick Charred Brussels Sprouts” →

Roasted eggplant, fresh dill and Greek yogurt make a delicious summery dish that can be served warm or chilled. Recipe below.

THE SUDDEN ARRIVAL OF MASSIVE RAINS turned around the scary drought we’d been experiencing here in Illinois, and it had a more intimate effect: our Japanese eggplant, which had been struggling and miserable, suddenly and eagerly began producing. Continue reading “A simple, seasonal, sensational side: Eggplant with Dill and Yogurt” →