Mushroom Scramble

For this spur-of-the-moment, dark-hued scramble, thinly slice or dice one shallot and add this to a pat of butter melting in a skillet over medium-low heat. Let the shallot soften for about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add anywhere from three to five smallish crimini mushrooms, roughly diced. If the pan is dry, add a [...]

Cool Rice Salad for Hot Days

For days when it’s just too hot to contemplate cooking, it’s good to have some meals on hand that are filling but don’t require actual cooking. The trick with this one is that you have to plan ahead a bit because the two main components do require the hot stove as well as time – [...]

Zucchini “Pasta”

Something to do with the summer squash invasion while also incorporating some of the mint from the huge bunch you may have picked up at the farmers market or your own garden: 4 small zucchini, about 1 pound, julienned 1 clove garlic (or more, if you love garlic), red pepper flakes, vermouth (or white wine) [...]

Fun Things to Do With Pita

Here are some things you can do when you have a stack of pita (rounds): Spinach enchilada (variation): grated Colby Jack cheese, mixed with chopped fresh spinach, between pita halves; proceed as with a classic grilled cheese sandwich: start with one pita half in a hot, oiled cast iron pan, layer on the spinach and [...]

Finally, Fried Rice

Fried rice can be a fast meal, provided you have various leftover vegetables and some 2- or 3-day-old rice in the fridge. I don’t usually have extra rice waiting to be put to a purpose, so I had to plan ahead and make the brown Basmati rice I used a few days earlier. I’ve tried [...]

Quick Dinner: Mushroom Quesadillas

For a fast but very tasty dinner, quesadillas are a great choice. I had some whole wheat tortillas in the fridge left from the enchilada extravagance, as well as a block of Colby Jack that didn’t get used for that dish. Add to that a few excellent Shiitake mushrooms courtesy of my CSA, and you [...]