Lisa on January 9th, 2012

It’s Monday, it’s lunchtime, and you’re lunch-less and hungry. Odds are, you’re stuck going to the nearest faux-healthy restaurant. (Ever looked at the ingredients in a Panera sandwich? If you print out what’s in the Turkey Artichoke Panini, it’ll take up almost a full 8 1/2″ x 11″ page. But hey, I guess that’s better [...]

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Lisa on November 7th, 2011

Roasted kale and popcorn are probably my two favorite snacks (or dinners, for that matter). They’re both crispy-crunchy and can be tossed with a variety of spices and umami-rich flavors: kale with tamari and sesame and popcorn with anything from Ethiopian berbere spice blends to Indian curry powders. My only problem is that I tend [...]

Continue reading about Kale: It Just Keeps Getting More Delicious!

Lisa on January 31st, 2011

The next time you bake potatoes, you might want to toss a few extra spuds in the oven, because you can do a lot with the leftovers.  And you don’t have to slather your taters with canned mushroom soup to make them flavorful, either — you can combine the mashed innards with a quick vegetable [...]

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Lisa on December 6th, 2010

I know not everyone is going to be with me on this one, but poached eggs have always been my favorite.  Scrambled eggs are nice, and so are hard-boiled eggs, but for me, the creamy poached-ness is where it’s at.  Poached eggs are easy to make, too: just crack an egg into boiling water, set [...]

Continue reading about 2-for-1 Dinner & Breakfast Pilafs

Lisa on September 24th, 2010

Dips are fantastically fabulous: you can make them out of nearly any ingredients that you can purée, you can serve them with a variety of dippers (crackers, tortilla chips, raw veggies, etc.), and if you make the dip less thick, it becomes a sauce for pasta, a marinade for meats, even a spread for sandwiches.  [...]

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Lisa on December 28th, 2009

What do shrimp, salmon, avocado, and Boston lettuce have in common?  They’re all smooth — in the case of avocado, downright creamy — and full-flavored, and when you put them together, you get a very tasty, quick, well-balanced meal.  (And since the salad is served cold, it’s also a great way to use leftover cooked [...]

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Lisa on December 14th, 2009

The next time you have a big pot of chili or stew — in this case, I had made a batch of Moroccan harira — try creating a quick lasagna/casserole with your tasty leftovers.  All you have to do is cook some noodles (anything from penne to ziti to linguini), layer the noodles and stew [...]

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Lisa on October 16th, 2009

Just before I slipped off to sleep last night — a surprisingly sound one considering that I’d just watched another two episodes of my new favorite show, True Blood — I had a culinary ephiphany:  the term “leftover” needs to be revamped.  (Pun intended.) “Leftover”  sounds distinctly unappealing, doesn’t it?  I mean, who wants what’s [...]

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Lisa on June 4th, 2009

One day a pot of simmered and marinated vegetables, the next day a cold gazpacho soup, then finally a luscious pizza topping…it’s just a few days in the life of a leftover.  It’s like kitchen magic! Remember the Moroccan caponata?  I’d made such a big batch that I wound up freezing a bowl of it.  [...]

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Lisa on May 11th, 2009

Leftovers can be magic–especially versatile leftovers like roasted red pepper and chicken.  Just add a bit of pasta and olive oil, sprinkle with parsley, and poof! you have a delicious meal.  With a bit of purposeful overproduction, in fact, you can create your own healthy freezer meals/leftovers.  (But be sure to stick with your original [...]

Continue reading about Leftovers: the New Fresh