eat your veggies

If you're like me, you are always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to serve vegetables. Perhaps you fancy yourself something of a French woman in training. Or maybe you identify as a whole foods enthusiast. Or a part-time vegan, for that matter. You may be a mom looking to pack nutrients into little kids' diets. Or a First Lady hoping to inspire a nation to eat well (with a hip-hop album!). Or maybe you just happen to believe, as I do, that vegetables are the answer to most problems in life.

Whatever the case may be, when it comes to greens, I'm guessing we can all agree that more is probably better. 

But finding ways to actually get the 7-10 servings a day that we're all encouraged to eat is another matter entirely. And so I am always pleased when I find a yummy veg recipe that works at any meal. 

Zucchini pancakes, friends, are just that. These delicious jack-of-all-trades are a hit at breakfast, as a side dish for eggs. They are magnificent eaten cold at lunch, with a simple beet or carrot salad. And they are equally lovely at dinner, warm with a dollop of sour cream and a crisp green salad. Zucchini fritters are great for picnics and potlucks and road trips, but I have to say that they are especially nice served at sunset summer suppers. As you place a platter of these veggie-packed bad boys on the table, feel free let your guests know that Mrs. Obama would approve. 

Zucchini Pancakes
Adapted from allrecipe.com
Makes 20 pancakes

2 cups of grated zucchini
2 large eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons of chopped green onions
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 punch of dried oregano
vegetable oil for frying

1. Grate zucchini and then press into a colander to squeeze out excess liquid. Dab with paper towels. The more moisture you get out, the crispier your pancakes will be.
2. Mix together the zucchini, eggs and green onions.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cheese, baking powder, salt and oregano.
4. Heat oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. It is important to get the pan good and hot. Drop spoonfuls of batter into oil. Fry on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towel and serve. 

kitchen yoga

Those of us who have learned how to bake know the secret to equanimity. When the world pinches us – when we feel discouraged or depleted or slightly despairing – we retreat to the kitchen. 

We know that there is nothing more soothing than mixing and stirring and kneading, nothing more comforting than the sweet scent that fills your home when something is baking in the oven. And we know that there is nothing more magical than the transformation of butter and sugar and flour into cakes and cookies and pies. Baking takes the goodness of the universe and somehow makes it tangible.

Every pastry chef that I have ever interviewed has echoed this sentiment. But I think that Anna Olson said it best when she told me that she refers to baking as "kitchen yoga."

Your recipe need not be super saccharine to do the trick. Healthy recipes give you all the joy of baking without winding up with a gooey chocolate cake hanging around on your counter, insisting that you cut off just one more slice. 

I grew up on these wholesome bran muffins, and to me they taste like home. Sometimes I throw in some blueberries (or raisins, if I'm making them for people who like that sort of thing). But really, they are much better plain. Serve them warm, with just a dab of butter.

Making them is a truly restorative exercise, ideal for performing in the early morning hours on the weekend, as the city slumbers and then stirs and wakes to life.

Zen Bran Muffins
Adapted from The Laura Secord Canadian Cookbook's Cavendish Bran Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

1 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of bran
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar 
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup molasses
2/3 cup yogurt
1/2 cup of raisins or 1 cup blueberries (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Line a medium muffin tray with paper baking cups.
3. Sift or blend together the dry ingredients.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla and molasses.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients alternately with yogurt. Combine lightly after each addition. If using, fold in berries or raisins. 
6. Fill prepared muffin cups and bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. 

breakfast of champions

Before I started cooking, I had all kinds of funny notions about what actually went on in the kitchen. One of which concerned granola. Specifically, I entertained fantasties about making it. The granola that's sold in stores tends to be tasteless and wildly expensive, so I figured that people would love receiving a container of truly delicious homemade cereal for Christmas. I had visions of filling Ikea glass jars and hand painting cards. Thing was, I was sure that the task of making the granola itself would be arduous and complicated and would take hours and hours to complete. So I never did it. 

Then I learned to cook and nothing seemed all that daunting anymore. But for some reason granola was a last, stubborn vestige of the old way of thinking. 

Four years ago, my best friend gave me a wonderfully decadent collection of recipes, Baked, and flipping through it I came across Easy Homemade Granola. I was intrigued. Was it possible that I had it all wrong? Could whipping up granola be something simple and straightforward, more of a casual Tuesday night affair than the holiday mega-project that I had imagined it to be? 

Happy to report that I did have it backwards. Granola is actually easy as pie, and this recipe especially so. It takes minutes – minutes! – to get in the oven. And it fills your home with the tantalizing aroma of cinnamon and sugar and toasted oats, to boot. Plus, it is about a thousand times more yummy than the packaged stuff. I have since made granola as gifts, and people do indeed appreciate it. But it need not be reserved for special occasions. Breakfast is occasion enough. 

Easy homemade granola
Adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito
Makes: 1 pound of morning goodness

2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup almonds
1/3 cup cashews
1/3 cup pecans
1/3 cup dried sour cherries

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a  large bowl, toss the oats with cinnamon and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the oil, honey, brown sugar and vanilla. Whisk until completely combined.
4. Pour the honey mixture over the oats mixture and use your hands to combine until all oats are covered in honey.
5. Pour mixture on baking sheet and spread out, leaving a few clumps for texture.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. Sprinkle the almonds over granola and return to oven.
7. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from oven and flip granola again. Sprinkle on the pecans and cashews and return to oven.
8. Bake 10 minutes then remove from oven. Let cool completely. Sprinkle the dried cherries over the granola and use your hands to transfer to an airtight container. Granola will keep for one week.

more brunch bliss

A chef I once met told me that there are two kinds of people in the world: those who wake up in the morning thinking about what they are going to eat that day – and those who don't. You probably don't have to guess which one I am. But you should know that left to my own devices I take things even a step further than that. I spend much of the week daydreaming about what I'll eat on the weekend. Then I go ahead and plan my entire social schedule around such hankerings. (Can I get an amen?)

It's true, the middle of the week often finds me flipping through cookbooks looking for novel brunch dishes with which to entertain myself and others. I found these Cottage Cheese Pancakes a few months ago and quickly incorporated them into my repertoire. Topped with a fresh fruit compote and a dollop of Greek yogurt, they taste a lot like cheese blintzes. But less heavy (and containing less sugar than many stir in their coffee). In short: seriously tasty, folks. And since these pancakes require such basic ingredients – and can be whipped up in a matter of minutes – you don't even have to plan all week for them. But you'll probably want to.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Adapted from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook
Serves 2
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter

1. In a bowl, mix together egg, cottage cheese, flour and sugar. 
2. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and melt butter.
3. When butter sizzles, drop batter by spoonfuls into pan. Cook on both sides until lightly browned.

Strawberry Compote
Serves 2
2 handfuls of strawberries, hulled and sliced
pinch of sugar
fresh mint leaves, torn

1. Place strawberries in a saucepan, add sugar and cover with water. 
2. Heat over medium heat until the sauce reduces and thickens. 
3. Serve garnished with mint.

ridiculously simple banana bread

I often change the names of recipes that I find, because I don't feel that the wording quite captures the essence of the dish. But how could you even think about changing a recipe's name when it includes "ridiculously simple" in it? After all, the only thing that I love more than cooking is cooking something that manages to be both delicious and ridiculously simple at the same time. And this banana bread pulls off both quite nicely.

This is my mother's recipe. (Which originates, I think, from Susan Mendelson's Mama Never Cooked Like This. Which is kind of hilarious, if you think about it, because my mama did actually cook like that.) Anyway, when I pop this in the oven, my kitchen smells all homey and childhood memories of warm loafs and lots of butter come wafting back to me. My Mum can def whip up a mean banana bread.

The beauty of this recipe lies in its moistness, and – no surprises here – its utter simplicity. When you notice two bruised-looking bananas hanging out in your fruit bowl looking all forlorn and forgotten, chances are very good that you will have what you need in your cupboard for a little on-the-spot baking action. Plus, it takes less than 10 minutes to get in the oven. I know, because I just timed it.

Ridiculously Simple Banana Bread

1 1/4 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1 cup of brown sugar 
2 eggs

1. Sift together flour and baking soda.
2. Mix together bananas, oil, sugar and eggs.
3. Stir the wet into the dry, until well combined. If you like nuts, you can add 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts. Ditto chocolate chips. (I hear that diced crystalized ginger and chocolate is a killer combo.)
4. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350F for about 1 hour. Watch the loaf after 50 minutes – if it begins to get too dark, test with a toothpick. When toothpick comes out clean, you are ready to take out. 
5. Cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

I often freeze this in pieces in saran wrap that can be defrosted and taken to work to be enjoyed with a morning coffee. Infinitely more yummy – and more healthy, and cheaper – than those awful cardboard-tasting baked goods that haunt coffee shops everywhere. This also makes a great gift when you are invited to someone's house for dinner, or if you feel like surprising a friend when you turn up for tea. 


Seriously, 10 minutes is all it takes. You'll never shell out good money for horribly dry packaged banana bread again. Promise. 

lazy sunday pancakes

The Digable Planets once had some wise words about Sunday mornings: "Searching for a relax, pullin' from the jazz stacks/Cause it's Sunday/On the air is incense, sounds to the ceiling/Tried to get this feeling since Monday."

Exactly, right?

There's nothing that I enjoy more on Sunday mornings than chilling out. Ideally over a good brunch. The problem is that (a) not many spots can actually pull off a decent brunch and (b) hitting one of the ones that can requires changing out of your pajamas. (Did you know that in Vegas, this fab restaurant Simon does a PJ Brunch on Sundays? Unfortunately, some especially bold folks take PJs to mean lingerie, which can obviously be a little awkward. Flannel please!)

Anyway, I am not a fan of dragging myself out of the house to shell out twenty bucks for pasty pancakes doused in synthetic corn syrup. So I often just make my own.

This recipe is my mother's and I've been eating it since I was little. It's a whiz to whip up (five minutes!), and super duper delicious. The batter is very thin, so these pancakes turn out almost crepe-like, which means you have permission to eat a whole stack of them if you so desire.


You can add fruit – blueberries or thinly sliced strawberries or banana – or chocolate chips, but I have to say that I prefer them plain. They are best enjoyed with real maple syrup and a dab of butter, with a strong cup of coffee and the newspaper. (Feel free to blast the very apropos "Sunday Morning" by K-OS.)

A note for the health-conscious: you can substitute whole wheat flour and the pancakes will still be tasty, but the consistency will not be as light and thin. And, vegan friends, I'm afraid that soy milk is absolutely out of the question; it makes the flapjacks all gummy and unappetizing. 

Five Minute Pancakes

1 1/2 cups of flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 cups of milk, or more
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1. Sift together dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, beat together egg, milk and oil.
3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Beat until smooth. If needed, add more milk until the batter is quite runny.
4. Fry pancakes in a very hot, buttered pan until lightly browned and slightly crispy.

The best thing about this recipe is that makes 4 servings, so chances are good that you will leftover batter and can take a little of your lazy Sunday with you into Monday morning. The only thing better than five minute pancakes, after all, is two minute pancakes.