You don’t have to be vegetarian to like Tofu with Black Pepper and Asparagus

Tofu, asparagus and plenty of black pepper star in this weeknight-quick, company-pleasing vegetarian meal. Recipe below.

THE OTHER DAY, AS WE WERE GETTING READY FOR WEEKEND GUESTS, I ran across an interesting, easy, fast recipe by Kay Chun in the New York Times. It had everything we wanted to please our guests, one a vegetarian and the other vegetarian-adjacent. Our version is even more stripped down than the original. Our guests loved it. We loved it. Continue reading “You don’t have to be vegetarian to like Tofu with Black Pepper and Asparagus” →

Satisfying, easy, healthy: Cauliflower Chickpea Dinner

This satisfying, weeknight-quick vegetarian meal is in our rotation—try it once and it will be in yours too. Recipe below.

OUR DAUGHTER LAUREL MAKES THIS QUICK, DELICIOUS DISH on a regular basis. She is not sure where she got the original recipe—she ran across it while visiting friends a few years back—but it’s become a regular part of her arsenal. It’s clearly inspired by the Indian street food chaat. It is packed with fiber and flavor, and it is so satisfying. We love it. Continue reading “Satisfying, easy, healthy: Cauliflower Chickpea Dinner” →

Weeknight quickish, vegetarian Mushroom Spinach Quiche

Mushrooms add “meatiness” to this quiche, creating a satisfying vegetarian meal. Recipe below.

YEARS AGO, CARLY SIMON’S SONG “ANTICIPATION” was brilliantly coopted for a Heinz Ketchup commercial, turning the frustration of their famously slow-flowing condiment into a delightful moment. For us, that anticipation could also be applied to quiche. One of the pleasures of making quiche is seeing leftover quiche in the fridge, wrapped in plastic and awaiting reheating. Yes, we made quiche again. And yes, seeing it in the fridge is making us quite happy. Continue reading “Weeknight quickish, vegetarian Mushroom Spinach Quiche” →

A delicious spin on a classic: Pizza Beans

A rich, thick stovetop-cooked tomato sauce with white beans is topped with two cheeses and then baked. It can be vegetarian or not. Recipe below.

SOME PEOPLE THINK WE HAVE AN EDITORIAL CALENDAR FOR BLUE KITCHEN—that we carefully and thoughtfully plan what we are going to cook and talk about it weeks or even months in advance. Those people do not know us. Continue reading “A delicious spin on a classic: Pizza Beans” →

Artichoke Heart and Spinach Quiche? Yes, please

Marinated artichoke hearts and spinach create a subtle, flavorful base for this vegetarian quiche. Recipe below.

I AM ALWAYS READY FOR QUICHE. If we’re out somewhere and see it on the menu, that’s what I’m ordering. I’m also a big fan of artichoke hearts. So recently, when Kalyn Denny shared her recipe for Artichoke, Kale and Ricotta Pie, my first thought was “that looks delicious”—closely followed by my second thought: “artichoke hearts would make a great quiche.” Continue reading “Artichoke Heart and Spinach Quiche? Yes, please” →

Simple, authentic, delicious: Burmese Green Tomato Salad (kayan chin thi thoke)

Green tomatoes, and some kind of pepper and onion are at the heart of this crisp, tart, easy-to-make traditional Burmese salad. Recipe below.

IT’S OCTOBER. THE DAYS ARE GETTING SHORTER, the nights crisp (well, sometimes). The bees are fewer in number and acting kind of drowsy. But the tomato plants, ever cheerful, are still optimistically generating loads of tomatoes. Continue reading “Simple, authentic, delicious: Burmese Green Tomato Salad (kayan chin thi thoke)” →

A vegetarian spin on a Southern classic: Gruyere Grits with Roasted Broccoli

Stone-ground grits are loaded with gruyere, butter and cream, and topped with roasted broccoli instead of shrimp. Recipe below.

I’VE BEEN ON A BROCCOLI TEAR LATELY, looking for new or at least newish ways to fix this old dependable. The other day, I happened to run across a recipe for pasta with a sauce loaded with gruyere, and with steamed broccoli mixed in at the last. As we say at our house, that was not without interest, but somehow the pasta side of this seemed overwhelming. That was when I opened the fridge door and saw the bag of Geechie Boy Mill white grits I’d ordered a little while back, just sitting on the door waiting patiently. Continue reading “A vegetarian spin on a Southern classic: Gruyere Grits with Roasted Broccoli” →

Making the most of a good peach year: Peach Habanero Tarragon Butter

When life hands you lots of great peaches, make this lively Peach Habanero Tarragon Butter. Recipe below.

Peach Habanero Butter with Tarragon — Peach Habanero Tarragon Butter

THIS IS BEING A GOOD YEAR FOR PEACHES, so we’ve been looking for ways to eat more of them. Out of hand, sliced up on ice cream, on salads, in cereal… And when we were looking for ways to spice them up, we found this lively peach butter made with habanero peppers right in our own archives. It’s worth a revisit. Continue reading “Making the most of a good peach year: Peach Habanero Tarragon Butter” →

Lemony bright and easy: Pasta al Limone

Pasta, lemon juice and lots of parsley and garlic create a lively, weeknight quick, vegetarian dinner. Recipe below.

PARSLEY WAS AN AFTERTHOUGHT IN OUR GARDEN THIS YEAR. Although we love the freshness it can add to a dish, we use parsley just infrequently enough that we’ve never bothered to grow it. Then we realized that if we had some in the yard and could harvest just what we needed, we wouldn’t be throwing out wilted, partially used store-bought bunches. Continue reading “Lemony bright and easy: Pasta al Limone” →

Two courses in one: Delicate Pea and Lettuce Soup

Lettuce, peas, leeks, garlic, tarragon, butter and cream make a fresh soup that can be served warm or cold, and tastes like spring. Recipe below.

SOUP OR SALAD? IT’S A QUESTION most of us have answered countless times in restaurants. This soup, made with six cups of chopped lettuce, lets you answer “both.” Next question: who would make lettuce a main ingredient in a soup? French cooks, of course. And it is brilliant. Continue reading “Two courses in one: Delicate Pea and Lettuce Soup” →