Chock-full of fresh veggies, this Italian classic has made it into our short list of winter staples. It’s particularly well suited to the holiday season as a healthy counterpoint to all the cookies.
Source improved upon public domain Difficulty trivial Time 20 min preparation, 35 min cooking Serves 2
Minestrone, the mother of all vegetable soups.
In its simplest form, this Italian classic consists merely of spaghetti dressed in garlic (aglio) and olive oil (olio), though chili flakes and parsley are a common addition. We’ve replaced the flakes with fresh chili, reinforced the olive taste with actual olives, and heightened the addiction factor with toasted pine nuts. One of our more sinful creations — be sure to combine it with some lazy veggies to balance it out!
Source improved upon public domain Difficulty trivial Time 25 min Serves 2
Mmmm…
A word of warning: This is the first of a series of messages which will thoroughly and entirely bereave you of any and all excuses to skimp on your daily rations of vegetables. These tasty recipes are so easy you can literally set them up while cooking spaghetti with canned tomato sauce and not lose any time. (And before you ask: no, canned tomato sauce does not count as a serving of vegetables…)
Microwaving is not only a convenient and quick way of preparing vegetables, but also a particularly healthy one, since the cooking time is minimal and there is no loss of nutrients from drained-off cooking water (see Wikipedia).
Source public domain Difficulty trivial does not even begin to describe it Time 2–5 min for preparation; 3–7 min for microwaving Serves 1–2 as a side dish
Freshly nuked tomatoes with a very conservative amount of cheese. ;o)
This delightfully simple yet addictive recipe is stolen wholesale from Caroline Peterson’s cooking blog, Just Clean Food. It makes an ideal healthy side dish — just set it up and prepare the main course while it’s baking!
Source Just Clean Food blog Difficulty your goldfish could do it Time 10 min preparation, 30 min baking Serves 2
Baked cauliflower, here with the breadcrumbs options and a few tomatoes and potato slices to fill out the dish. I think I’ll leave it to brown a bit longer next time, though.
This might not be a particularly traditional recipe for tajine, but frankly, the changes are for the better. Rich and tasty, sweet and comforting, this new discovery is sure to become one of our staples.
Source improved and simplified version of a recipe from Vegetarisch Kochen Difficulty trivial Time 45 min Serves 2
Vegetable tajine, here with quinoa instead of the usual couscous.
Among the many delicious options for enriching the basic risotto recipe, tomatoes are a classic choice, and pine nuts round out their taste just perfectly. With its built-in portion of vegetables, this risotto can easily stand on its own as a dinner meal, but also works nicely as a sophisticated side dish.
Source improved on public domain Difficulty easy Time 35 min Serves 2 as a main dish, 3–4 as a side dish
Tomato and pine-nut risotto.
Rich and soul-warming, milk rice (or Milchriis in Schwiizertüütsch, pronounced [ˈmilχˌriːs]) is a traditional Swiss dinner with a high addiction potential. We rarely go ten days without cooking it.
For some reason, however, it is highly polarizing — people either love it or hate it. Most likely, the main reason for the latter demography is simply the astounding proliferation of bad recipes. In the wrong hands, milk rice ends up bland and unsatisfying, and no amount of vanilla will change that. The secret to good milk rice is as simple as it is effective: Salt, very little sugar, and most importantly, lemon zest.
Of course, some people just dislike sweetish dinners for reasons unfathomable. If you are one of those, perhaps you can try this recipe as part of a Sunday brunch instead.
Source family recipe plus some subtle improvement of our own Difficulty trivial Time 25 min Serves 2
Milchriis with applesauce and lemon tea… mmm. ;o)
An incredibly versatile dish, risotto bears an undeserved reputation of being challenging to cook. Admittedly, it can go wrong more easily than macaroni and cheese, but that can be avoided with just a bit of preparation and diligence. Although commonly used as a mere side dish, this «plain» risotto may well eclipse whatever fancy main course you’re inflicting it upon. Risotto can also be turned into a complete dinner with the inclusion of a few vegetables and herbs — in fact, I have a few particularly good combinations lined up for future posts —, but here I’ll concentrate on perfecting it in its purest form.
Source public domain plus some improvements Difficulty way easier than its reputation, but does demand your full attention for a while Time 30 min Serves 3–4 as a side dish; 2 as a main dish with some salad or vegetables on the side
Prosecco and shallot risotto… sorry for the bad photo, I was too hungry to do better. I’ll try again next time. ;o)
Here’s one of our all-time favorites: healthy, satisfying, chock-full of complex warming flavors, this Indian-style spicy lentil stew has proven an effective antidote against Dutch weather. Its stress-free preparation makes it an ideal way of unwinding after day’s work.
Source improvement over a recipe from Vegetarisch Kochen Difficulty trivial Time 20 min for preparation; ~20 min for simmering Serves 2
Red lentil dal with basmati rice, here further served with homemade paratha bread and mint-coriander chutney (not included in this recipe).
This light yet satisfyingly filling dish really shines on swelteringly hot summer days where the mere thought of eating is exhausting, but makes a refreshing and healthy lunch all year round. It can be prepared in large quantities with negligible effort and feels at home in tupperware, which makes it an ideal bring-along dish for a grill party.
Source improved upon various public sources Difficulty trivial Time 30 min for preparation; benefits from an hour or two of soaking in the fridge Serves 2, but can easily be scaled to fill a large salad bowl
It’s never too hot for a bowl of summer couscous!
a nerd walks into a kitchen 