Shop Your Pantry, Refrigerator & Freezer First

All of Kitchen Parade's recipes, organized by their primary ingredients. If you keep common pantry ingredients on hand – or if you bought a specialty ingredient for a particular recipe – start here for ideas on how to use it or use it up! The point is, don't waste what we have!

Kitchen Parade's Fresh, Seasonal Recipes ♥ super-organized By Ingredient and more

A Life-Long Study

I spend a lot of time thinking and writing about How to Save Money on Groceries. It's just embedded in my culinary DNA. It's who I am. And like many frugal cooks, I've learned three make that four proven ways to save money on groceries week in and week out.


  • Don't waste food, use up what's on hand.
  • Stock up on the most-used ingredients when prices are good.
  • Before making a grocery list, "shop" from your pantry, fridge and freezer.
  • Lean into the ingredients you typically buy and recipes for Pantry Meals: How to Make a Meal with What You Have.


All four tricks require an easy way to take advantage of specific ingredients. This page is specially designed to help home cooks easily find much-tested, trusted recipes for common cooking ingredients, including ingredients commonly accepted as super foods, especially those with short shelf lives most at risk of going to waste.


Happy grocery shopping!
~ Alanna

MEAT, EGGS, FISH, SEAFOOD & PLANT PROTEIN
Chicken Turkey
Beef Bison Elk Venison Lamb
Bacon Pork Ham Sausage
Eggs Egg Whites Egg Yolks Cooked Eggs
Fish Salmon Tuna
Crab Scallops Shrimp
Lobster
Tofu

LEGUMES, GRAINS, CEREALS, RICE & SEEDS
Beans including
Uncooked Dried Beans & Peas & Canned Beans
Chickpeas Lentils
Barley Buckwheat Bulgur Wheat Farro Kamut Quinoa Wheat Germ
Oatmeal
Cornmeal Grits Polenta
Couscous Pasta
Rice Wild Rice
Nuts Peanut Butter
Chia Flax
Poppy Seeds Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds) Sunflower Seeds
Sesame Seeds Tahini

VEGETABLES
Artichokes Arugula Asparagus Avocados Beets Bell Peppers Broccoli Broccoli Rabe (Raab) Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celeriac Celery Chard Collard Greens Corn Cucumber Edamame Eggplant Endive Green Beans Greens Hearts of Palm Hominy Jerusalem Artichokes Jicama Kale Kohlrabi Leafy Greens Lettuce Leeks Lima Beans Mushrooms Okra Olives Onions Parsnips Peas Poblano Peppers Potatoes Pumpkin Radicchio Radishes Rhubarb Rutabaga Sauerkraut Snow Peas Spinach Sprouts Sugar Snap Peas Summer Squash Swedes Sweet Potatoes Tomatillos Tomatoes Turnips Watercress Winter Squash Zucchini

FRUIT
Apples Apple Cider Apricots Bananas Blackberries Blueberries Cantaloupe Cherries Cranberries Currants Dates Grapefruit Grapes Honeydew Kiwi Lemons Limes Mangoes Melons Nectarines Oranges Peaches Pears Pineapple Plums Pomegranates Raspberries Raisins Strawberries Tangerines Watermelon
Prunes Dried Fruit

DAIRY
Skim Milk Buttermilk Whole Milk
Half 'n' Half Cream
Cheeses (Various)
Cottage Cheese
Cream Cheese Goat Cheese Mascarpone Ricotta
Sour Cream Yogurt
Butter

PANTRY STAPLES
Popcorn
Agave Corn Syrup Honey Maple Syrup Molasses Sorghum
Evaporated Milk Sweetened Condensed Milk
Jam
Bread Panko
Graham Crackers Pie Crusts Puff Pastry
Tortillas
Capers Curry Paste Hoisin Pesto
Chili Sauce Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce
Green Chiles Salsa Verde Tomato Salsa
Hibiscus
Italian Dressing Ketchup Mayonnaise Mustard
Cilantro Garlic Parsley
Chocolate Cocoa Powder Coconut Coconut Milk Gelatin Jello
Flour Salt Spices Sugar Yeast
Coffee, Espresso & Tea Stock Tepid Water Vinegar Pickle Juice

HEALTHY PREPARED FOODS
Spaghetti Sauce

SUPER FOODS
Blueberries
Broccoli Pumpkin Spinach Sweet Potatoes Tomatoes
Oats Quinoa Walnuts
Salmon



Agave

Agave is the 'sweetener du jour', professed to be 'sweeter' than honey (so you can use less), to have a lower glycemic index (so preferred by diabetics, carb watchers and others who wish to control their glucose intake) and plant-based (so vegan) and less processed (compared to granulated sugar, say). On the downside, it is more expensive than honey and for most of us, travels many miles to reach our cupboards. The best price seems to be a Trader Joe's though you won't find it next to the honey, instead, next to the stevia, another natural sweetener. Use agave when honey is called for, usually using three-quarters of the amount of honey that's called for.


Estonian Apple Cake
Lamb Stew with Sweet Tomato Jam
Master Homemade Ice Cream Recipe (Skinny): Very Vanilla, Chocolate Mint, Coffee Spice, Coconut, Raspberry & More
Oven-Baked Oatmeal & Apples
Skillet Cornbread
Sugar-Free Chai Tea

Favorite Recipes with Agave from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Bok Choy Salad with Chinese Salad Dressing
Oil & Honey Dressing for Salad Greens




Apples
FAVORITES
My Favorite Apple Recipes
Rethinking Fruit for Weight Watchers

MY GO-TO APPLE RECIPES
Apple Butter Naturally Sweetened Apple Butter
Apple Cake Estonian Apple Cake
Apple Crisp (Fall) Extra-Crispy Apple Crisp
Apple Crisp (Winter) Cranberry Apple Crisp
Apple Muffins Cornmeal Muffins with Apple
Apple Pie American Apple Pie
Apple Sauce Homemade Applesauce
Apple Salad (Fall) Healthy Waldorf Salad
Apple Salad (Winter) Apple Yogurt Salad
Baked Apples Baked Apples
Apple Slaw Kohlrabi & Apple Slaw with Creamy Coleslaw Dressing

Apples for Breakfast Oven-Baked Oatmeal & Apples
Apples for Lunch On-the-Go Kale Salad To-Go with Avocado & Apple
Apples for Dessert-for-Dinner Dutch Apple Puff

Apples with Cabbage Swedish Red Cabbage & Apples
Apples with Chicken Chicken Cider Stew
Apples with Pork Thick Chops with Sauerkraut & Apples
Apples with Vegetables (Fall) Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple
Apples in Sangria My Perfect (Unsweet, Unboozy) Sangria

CLASSIC APPLE RECIPES
American Apple Pie
Baked Apples
Dutch Apple Puff
Extra-Crispy Apple Crisp
Healthy Waldorf Salad
Naturally Sweetened Apple Butter

APPLESAUCE & APPLE SAUCES
Apple Cranberry Compote
Cranberry Applesauce
Fresh Jellied Cranberry Sauce with Apple
Homemade Applesauce
Naturally Sweetened Apple Butter
Roasted Applesauce with Raspberries

APPLE PIE
American Apple Pie
Apple-Butter Pumpkin Pie
Cranberry Apple Pie

BAKING with APPLES
Apple Cake with Warm Cinnamon-Butter Sauce
Baked Apples
Cinnamon Apples
Cranberry Apple Crisp
Estonian Apple Cake
Extra-Crispy Apple Crisp
Thanksgiving Cake

BREAKFASTS with APPLE
Breakfast Casserole with Sausage, Apples & Caramelized Onions
Dutch Apple Puff
Easy Baked Oatmeal with Apples & Walnuts
Eggnog French Toast with Apple Cranberry Compote
Oven-Baked Oatmeal & Apples
Swiss Bircher Muesli

APPLES in MAIN DISHES
Chicken Cider Stew
Chicken with Apple & Creamy Cider Gravy
Thick Chops with Sauerkraut & Apples

APPLES in SIDE DISHES
Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple

APPLE SALADS
Apple Yogurt Salad
Cranberry Salsa
Festive Kale Salad with Apple & Pomegranate
Holiday Fruit & Yogurt Parfait with Cranberries, Applesauce, Pineapple & Kiwi
Mexican Fruit Salad
Power Food Broccoli Salad
Strawberry Salsa with Sweet-Cinnamon Baked Tortilla Chips
Winter Fruit Salad

Favorite Apple Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Morning Glory Muffins
Celery & Apple Salad
Kohlrabi & Apple Slaw with Creamy Coleslaw Dressing
Mashed Rutabagas & Apple
Swedish Red Cabbage & Apples




Apple Cider

In the fall, pick up a jug of apple cider, preferably unpasteurized from a farm stand somewhere. Over a few weeks, it will change in character, ripening, developing a real "zing". Good stuff!


APPLE CIDER MADE SPECIAL
Mulled Apple Cider

Cooking with APPLE CIDER - SWEET
Apple Cider Indian Pudding
Apple Cranberry Compote
Naturally Sweetened Apple Butter
Oven-Baked Oatmeal & Apples
Swiss Bircher Muesli

Cooking with APPLE CIDER – SAVORY
Chicken Cider Stew
Chicken with Apple & Creamy Cider Gravy
Thick Chops with Sauerkraut & Apples

Favorite Apple Cider Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Apple Cider Vinaigrette




Apricots
FRESH APRICOTS
Easy Apricot Jam with Rosemary
Fresh Apricot Bars

DRIED APRICOTS
Bacon-Wrapped Dried Apricots
Cranberry Chutney
DIY Power Balls
Homemade Granola with Almonds & Apricots
Irish Soda Bread Muffins
On-the-Run Breakfast Bars
Quick Brown Bread
Red Quinoa Salad Your Way
Swiss Bircher Muesli
Winter Stew

Favorite Apricot Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Detox Chopped Salad




Artichokes
Big Italian Chopped Salad
Easy-Easy Artichoke & Tomato Salad

Favorite Artichoke Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Artichoke Asiago Cheese Bread
Big Cajun Chopped Salad
Creamy Spinach with Artichokes
Greek Rice Salad with Artichokes & Feta
How to Cook Artichokes in the Microwave
Spinach & Artichoke Gratin
Spring Garden Vegetable Soup
Stuffed Artichokes
More Artichoke Recipes from A Veggie Venture




Arugula

Arugula is also called "rocket" and is a tender slightly bitter, lively and peppery green, lovely for salads. The later in the season, the more bitter it can become. It doesn't keep well so in the States, is rarely found in grocery stores (except famously at Trader Joe's!) and can be pricey at farmers markets.


Quick Supper Greek Chicken Dagwood Sandwiches
Big Italian Chopped Salad

Favorite Arugula Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Arugula Pesto
Detox Chopped Salad
Simple Arugula Salad
Winter Greens Salad with Oranges, Avocado, Olives, Feta & Orange-Cumin Vinaigrette
More Arugula Recipes from A Veggie Venture




Asparagus

THIN OR FAT? Thin tapers of asparagus are much ballyhooed but the fat spears are my favorite, especially for roasting. CLEAN WELL Rinse fresh asparagus well, especially the tips which can collect grit. HOW TO SNAP OFF THE WOODY ENDS Most recipes call for "snapping off the woody ends" – this means to bend the spear near its base, it will find its natural breaking point. It's got a natural rhythm: Bend, Bend, Snap. Bend, Bend Snap. It's shown in a short video here, Asparagus & Woody Ends (Step-by-Step Photos & Video) Save the ends for asparagus soup! PEEL OR NOT TO PEEL? I've learned to check the skins, if they're fibrous, it pays to skim them off with a vegetable peeler before cooking.


FAVORITES
My Favorite Asparagus Recipes
The Beauty of Asparagus Berries

Asparagus Whole Wheat Bread Pudding
Asparagus Custard Tart
Easy-to-Elegant Asparagus Soup
Finnish Summer Soup
Lemon & Asparagus Pasta
Lemon Asparagus
Roasted Salmon & Asparagus
Stir-Fried Shrimp with Asparagus or Other Summer Vegetables
Tourlou Tourlou (Greek Baked Vegetables)

Favorite Asparagus Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Asparagus & Woody Ends (Step-by-Step Photos & Video)
How to Microwave Asparagus

Asparagus Tapenade
Easy Sautéed Asparagus
Gorgeous Raw Asparagus Salad
Party Asparagus with Aioli (especially good for buffets)
Quick Pickled Asparagus
Roasted Asparagus with Feta
Roasted Asparagus with Roasted Lemon Slices
Spring Garden Vegetable Soup
More Asparagus Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog about vegetables




Avocados

AVOCADO IN BREAKFASTS
Green Chile Scrambled Eggs

AVOCADO IN APPETIZERS
My Guacamole

Easy Shrimp Bites

AVOCADO IN MAIN DISHES
BATTLE Sandwiches
Beef Tacos with Avocado, Cucumber, Mango Salsa
Easy Skinny Turkey Roll-ups with Fresh Veggies
Grilled Steak with Tomato-Avocado Salad in a Warm Poblano-Bacon Vinaigrette
Sheetpan Salmon with Garden Hash & Creamy Avocado Sauce
Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos
Southwestern Chicken Taco Salad Plates
Tropical Salad Supper

AVOCADO IN SALADS
Deep Mexico Fruit Salad
Orange & Avocado Salad

AVOCADO IN APPETIZERS? DESSERTS?
Fruity Gazpacho

Favorite Avocado Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Avocado Dip
Avocado Salad with Hearts of Palm
Homemade Cobb Salad
Homemade Guacamole with Tomatillos
Laura's Famous Chunky Guacamole
Smitten Kitchen's Avocado-Cucumber Salad
Winter Greens Salad with Oranges, Avocado, Olives, Feta & Orange-Cumin Vinaigrette
More Avocado Recipes from A Veggie Venture




Bacon
BACON BASICS
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
How to Make Homemade Bacon Bits & Render Bacon Fat

BREAKFAST
Bacon & Egg Breakfast Bake
Baked Bacon
On-the-Run Breakfast Bars

APPETIZERS
Bacon-Wrapped Dried Apricots

SIDES & SALADS
BLT Pasta Salad
Calico Beans aka "Alanna's Famous Cowboy Beans"
Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
Wedge Salad with Homemade Low-Cal & Low-Carb Blue Cheese Salad Dressing

SOUPS
Saturday Soup
Turkey Sweet Potato Soup

DINNERS
Balkan Summer Sausage Stew
BATTLE Sandwiches
Cauliflower Risotto
Chicken Cider Stew
Chicken Sybil
Cornmeal Catfish with Warm Potato Salad
Grilled Steak with Tomato-Avocado Salad in a Warm Poblano-Bacon Vinaigrette




Bananas

  • VERY VERY RIPE BANANAS For baking, bananas add luscious banana flavor only if they are very, very, very ripe. How ripe? See these photos of ripe bananas, including my favorite "black bananas".
  • NO RIPE BANANAS? Try sautéeing banana chunks in butter, see Banana Nut Cake with Caramel Frosting for details.

RIPE BANANAS - SWEET
Banana Bread with Cherries & Poppy Seeds
Banana Nut Cake with Caramel Frosting
Banana-Peanut Butter Muffins
Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Banana Streusel Muffins
Banana Syrup
Christmas Banana Bread
Old-Fashioned Banana Floats
Peanut Butter & Jelly Smoothies
Rustic Banana Ice Cream
Shhh Banana Bread
Spiced Banana Ice Cream
Triple-Banana Oat Pancakes

LESS-RIPE BANANAS - SWEET
Banana Cream Pudding
Easy Baked Oatmeal with Apples & Walnuts
Easy Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries & Bananas
Master Homemade Ice Cream Recipe (Skinny): Very Vanilla, Chocolate Mint, Coffee Spice, Coconut, Raspberry & More
Mexican Fruit Salad
Stovetop Oatmeal with Whipped Banana
Strawberry Banana Chocolate Crumble
Swiss Bircher Muesli
Winter Fruit Salad

LESS-RIPE BANANAS – SAVORY
Asian Chicken Salad
Power Food Broccoli Salad
Tropical Salad Supper




Barley
Beef Barley Soup with Mushrooms
Oven-Baked Whole-Grain Pilaf with Quinoa, Barley, Kamut & Other Grains




Beets
FAVORITES
My Favorite Way to Roast Beets (photo tutorial with tips & tricks)
My Favorite New Way to Roast Beets (with a touch of "pickled" beet)

Beet Röesti with Rosemary
Borscht Beets with Sour Cream
Karelian Borscht (Finnish - Russian Beet Borscht Soup)
Mango & Beet Smoothies
Refrigerator Pickled Beets
Scalloped Potatoes & Beets ("Those Pink Potatoes")

Favorite Beet Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Beet Pesto
Beet Salad with Sumac, Yogurt & Pita
Pickled Beet Salad with Fresh Blueberries & Mint
Roasted Beets with Feta & Lemon
Swedish Pickled Beets
Twice-Roasted Beets with Red Grapes, Cherries, Blueberries & Avocado Feta Cream
More Beet Recipes from A Veggie Venture




Bell Peppers

Stock up on bell peppers in the early fall when they're especiallly plentiful and inexpensive, especially at the farmers market. Mostly, we use fresh peppers but a few recipes also call for Roasted Peppers.


BELL PEPPERS as the MAIN INGREDIENT
Easy Sautéed Red & Yellow Peppers
Grilled Pepper Salad
Homemade Sazón
Red Pepper Crostini
Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables
Shakshuka (Eggs Nested in Summer Vegetables)
Spanish Stew with Roasted Pepper (Chilindron)
Sweet Pepper Pasta Skillet
Warm Pepper Salad

Favorite Recipes Starring Bell Peppers from A Veggie Venture,
my food blog about vegetables
Cabbage & Pepper Chakchoukah aka OogaChaka Eggs
Green Pepper Frittata
How to Roast Peppers in the Oven
Fresh Tomato & Basil Stuffed Peppers
Grilled Pepper & Tomato Salad
Pickled Bell Peppers (Pied Piper Refrigerator Pickles)
Sautéed Balsamic Peppers
Stuffed Peppers
Peperonata with Potatoes
Turkish Cucumber-Tomato-Olive Chopped Salad with Sumac
More Bell Pepper Recipes from A Veggie Venture

APPETIZERS with BELL PEPPERS
Herbed Goat Cheese

SALADS with BELL PEPPERS
Best-Ever Macaroni Salad
Big Italian Chopped Salad
Bloody Mary Salad
Confetti Potato Salad
Cucumber & Pepper Refrigerator Pickles
Garden Pasta Salad with Mint Vinaigrette
Greek Pasta Salad
Holy Slaw!
Quinoa & Black Bean Salad
Tomato Soup Vegetable Salad
Wild Rice Salad

SIDE DISHES with BELL PEPPERS
Grilled Vegetables in Foil
Ratatouille

MAIN DISHES
BEEF with BELL PEPPERS
Quick Supper Simple Beef Salad
Beef Tacos with Avocado, Cucumber, Mango Salsa
Hamburger Casserole
Old-Fashioned Southern Brunswick Stew

CHICKEN & TURKEY with BELL PEPPERS
Asian Chicken Salad
Chicken & Veggies Baked in Foil
Chicken a la King
Chicken Burgers with Fresh Spinach, Feta and Garden Tzatziki Sauce
Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Salad for Sandwiches
Chickpea & Chicken Salad
Crockpot Chicken Goulash
Easy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Easy Margarita Chicken
Easy Skinny Turkey Roll-ups with Fresh Veggies
Lemon-Honey Chicken Skillet
Rainbow Chicken

FISH & SEAFOOD with BELL PEPPERS
Easy Baked Fish with Red Pepper & Cucumber Salad
Hurricane Rice with Shrimp & Sausage
Lazy Man's Ciopinno
Sheetpan Salmon with Garden Hash & Creamy Avocado Sauce
Shrimp Veracruz
Smoked Salmon Salad with Quick-Pickled Cucumbers & Roasted Peppers

PORK with BELL PEPPERS
Pork Chops & Rice Oven Dinner
Tropical Salad Supper
Wine-Braised Pork Roast with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

SAUSAGE with BELL PEPPERS
Balkan Summer Sausage Stew
Hurricane Rice with Shrimp & Sausage

VEGETARIAN DISHES with BELL PEPPERS
Ratatouille Omelettes
Refried Bean Sauce with Eggs on Top
Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
Savory Cauliflower Cake
Shakshuka (Eggs Nested in Summer Vegetables)
Two-Way Lentil Skillet

SOUPS with BELL PEPPERS
Cantaloupe-Tomato Gazpacho
Crockpot Chili with Spicy Sausage
Easy Turkey Chili
Fruity Gazpacho
Hamburger Soup
Turkey Orzo Soup with Lemon & Spinach
White Chicken Chili



ROASTED PEPPERS
Quick Supper Greek Chicken Dagwood Sandwiches
Afghan Chicken & Rice Casserole (Kabeli Palau)
Smoked Salmon Salad with Quick-Pickled Cucumbers & Roasted Peppers
Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

Favorite Recipes Starring Roasted Peppers from A Veggie Venture,
my food blog about vegetables
How to Roast Peppers in the Oven
How to Roast a Pepper on a Gas Stove
Crustless Quiche with Roasted Peppers




Blackberries & Raspberries

Fresh blackberries and fresh raspberries are often interchangeable, though blackberries often have more seeds and need more sweetener. I often buy them frozen at Trader Joe's.


FRESH BLACKBERRIES and / or FRESH RASPERRIES
Chocolate Raspberry Icebox Cake
Easy Elegant Fruit Tart with a Shortbread Crust
Homemade Frozen Yogurt with Blackberry Sauce
Iowa-Style Shortcake
Lemon Pudding Cake with Raspberries
Raspberry Muffins
Roasted Applesauce with Raspberries
Sugar-Free Raspberry Bliss
Summer Fruit Salad with Fresh Mint
Summer Three-Berry Pie

FROZEN BLACKBERRIES or FROZEN RASPBERRIES
Baked Baby Back Ribs with Spicy Berry Sauce
Chocolate Raspberry Icebox Cake
Lemon Pudding Cake with Raspberries
Raspberry-Red Wine Coulis (Reduction Sauce)
Raspberry & Red Wine Granita
Sugar-Free Raspberry Bliss




Blueberries
FRESH BLUEBERRIES – SAVORY
Blueberry Salsa
Easy Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries & Bananas
Easy Blueberry Vinaigrette
Five-Minute Fruit Salad

FRESH BLUEBERRIES – SWEET
Blueberry Cake
Blueberry Cheesecake Pie
Blueberry Jam with Cinnamon
Blueberry Sour Cream Pie
Chocolate Raspberry (or Blueberry) Icebox Cake
Easy Elegant Fruit Tart with a Shortbread Crust
Finnish Fruit Tart
Fresh Blueberry Cookies
Lemon Pudding Cake with Blueberries
Melon Ball & Blueberry Salad
Mini Blueberry Tarts
Mom's Blueberry Coffeecake
Peach Blueberry Cake
Peach, Cherry & Blueberry Fruit Sauce or Fruit Soup
Peanut Butter & Jelly Smoothies
Raspberry (or Blueberry) Morning Cake
Rustic Blueberry Ice Cream
Summer Corn Bread with Fresh Blueberries
Summer Three-Berry Pie

FROZEN BLUEBERRIES
Blueberry Galette
Chocolate Raspberry Icebox Cake
Cornmeal Pancakes with Warm Blueberries
Mom's Blueberry Coffeecake
Raspberry (or Blueberry) Morning Cake

DRIED BLUEBERRIES
Buffalo Ragout

Favorite Blueberry Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Corn & Cucumber Salad with Fresh Blueberries
Melon, Blueberry & Feta Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette
Pickled Beet Salad with Fresh Blueberries & Mint
Raw Tomatillo Salad with Blueberries
Roasted Beet Salad with Fresh Mango, Blueberries & Blue Cheese
Twice-Roasted Beets with Red Grapes, Cherries, Blueberries & Avocado Feta Cream




Bread

These recipes use bread that's already been baked, especially stale bread that might otherwise go to waste. If you'd like to make homemade bread, check the homemade bread recipes. I love to make bread!


BREAD CRUMBS
See Also Panko (Japanese Bread Crumbs), so convenient!
Thick Iowa Chops with Easy Stuffing Crust

BREAD - SWEET
Eggnog French Toast with Apple Cranberry Compote
Pumpkin Bread Pudding

BREAD – SAVORY
Asparagus Whole Wheat Bread Pudding
Bacon & Egg Breakfast Bake
Cast Iron Meatloaf
Fried Bread
Gashouse Eggs
Mom's Roast Chicken With All the Trimmings
Panzanella
Sausage Stuffing (Turkey Dressing)
Savory Bread Pudding with Butternut Squash, Chard & Cheddar
Spring Stuffing with Leeks & Mushrooms

Favorite Recipes calling for Bread from A Veggie Venture, my food blog




Broccoli
Broccoli Rigatoni with Chickpeas & Lemon
Date-Night Chicken
Finnish Summer Soup
Grilled Vegetables in Foil
Power Food Broccoli Salad
Quick Cauliflower Soup or Quick Broccoli Soup
Smashed Potatoes & Broccoli Casserole

Favorite Broccoli Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Big Cajun Chopped Salad
Broccoli Potato Cheddar Soup
Detox Chopped Salad
How To Steam Broccoli (Step-by-Step Photos)
Lemony Broccoli Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Never-the-Same Steamed Broccoli
Perfect Pan-Fried Broccoli
Roasted Broccoli with Lemon & Garlic
Tomato & Zucchini Salad

More Broccoli Recipes from A Veggie Venture




Broccoli Rabe (Broccoli Raab)

Broccoli rabe [pronounced "rob", also spelled "broccoli raab"] is also called "rapini" and is a slightly bitter but wonderful green.


Meatball Soup with Broccoli Rabe
Rapini Panini
Turkey Orzo Soup with Lemon & Spinach

Favorite Broccoli Rabe Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Potato, Cabbage & Rapini Colcannon
Collection of Broccoli Rabe (Raab) Recipes
More Broccoli Rabe (Raab) Recipes from A Veggie Venture




Brussels Sprouts
BASICS

  • FOUR WAYS to Cut Brussels Sprouts, depending on how they'll be cooked, from A Veggie Venture
  • HOW MANY BRUSSELS SPROUTS IN A POUND? There are about 50 tiny sprouts in a pound, only 17 - 20 large ones in a pound.
  • WHY DO SOME PEOPLE NOT LIKE BRUSSELS SPROUTS? It's not a matter of taste, but a matter of chemicals called glucosinolates. If someone in your family is hesitant, resistant or outright militantly in opposition to Brussels sprouts, the trick is to break up the center of the sprouts by cutting them in half through the core and then, to leach out the chemicals, to cook in a lot of well-salted water.

Bodacious Brussels Sprouts
Easy Brussels Sprouts Bites
Marinated Brussels Sprouts

Favorite Brussels Sprouts Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Braised Brussels Sprouts
Creamy Brussels Sprouts Gratin
Fast Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Lemony Creamy Brussels Sprouts & Celery
Raw Brussels Sprouts Salad
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
More Brussels Sprouts Recipes from A Veggie Venture




Buckwheat

WHAT IS BUCKWHEAT? Buckwheat is one of the world's most healthful grains. In the U.S., it's often inaccurately called "kashi". (More about buckwheat.)


Favorite Buckwheat Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Buckwheat with Mushrooms & Carrots




Bulgur Wheat

WHAT IS BULGUR WHEAT? Bulgur wheat is highly nutritious because it’s made from the whole kernel of wheat, with just a touch of the bran removed, then parboiled and dried, so that when it reaches our kitchens, it cooks quickly. It even “cooks” just by soaking it for an hour in boiling water. Also called / spelled BULGHUR and BURGHUL and BULGAR WHEAT.


Ina Garten's Tabbouleh Salad




Butter

Salted vs Unsalted Butter There was a time when Kitchen Parade recipes usually called for unsalted butter, which let us, the cooks, control how much salt to add, especially important for baked goods. But then I adopted the European practice of using salted butter alllll the time and with great results, especially in baking.

My favorite butter All Kitchen Parade recipes are tested with my favorite butter, Land O' Lakes, both salted and unsalted, which has 80% butterfat. I rarely use European-style butters, which typically have a higher butter-fat content (usually 82%) and are more expensive. For baking, I never use butter from Sam's Club, say, which has a lower butter-fat content.

How to soften butter Place a wrapped stick (not a whole box) on a plate and leave it at room temperature for 30 - 45 minutes. If you cut it into chunks and separate them, the butter will soften in about 15 minutes. To test if the butter is soft enough – but not too soft – for baking, press the tip of your finger into the butter. If you're slightly obsessive about this stuff, the proper temperature for creaming butter is 65F - 67F.

How to to soften or melt butter in the microwave Cut a stick into pieces and place in a small microwave-safe dish. Mike for five seconds at a time, until the butter is softened or melted. This technique is not recommended for softening butter to room temperature unless the recipe specifies.

Butter equivalents A stick of butter weighs 1/4 pound and is equivalent to a half cup (eight tablespoons) of butter. Four sticks of butter is a pound of butter.

Can butter be frozen? When butter is on sale, stock up! It can be frozen, making a batch of cookies just a few minutes away. Butter freezes beautifully!

Anyone having trouble with butter may find this 2008 article useful, Butter Holds the Secret to Cookies That Sing.




Buttermilk

Why do recipes call for buttermilk? Buttermilk is must-have ingredient for baking. It's slightly acidic, so helps break down flour's natural gluten. This makes pancakes fluffier, muffins more tender and cakes slightly tangy. For a dieter, buttermilk does all this with just a few calories! For a frugal cook, it does all this for low cost. For a thrifty cook, it does all this and lasts for weeks. Good stuff, buttermilk!

American buttermilk vs other buttermilks The buttermilk product found in the U.S. is a "cultured" buttermilk, akin to yogurt. Cooks from other countries have access to old-fashioned, churned buttermilk, a thin, slightly acidic liquid left over after churning butter from full-cream milk. The two are not interchangeable.

Cultured buttermilk Until 2012, Kitchen Parade recipes were tested with cultured buttermilk. An okay substitute for commercial cultured buttermilk is "soured milk" – just place a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup, then add milk to measure one cup in total.

But really, make your own buttermilk In 2012, I started to make Homemade Buttermilk. Wow, this stuff is good, I keep a bottle on hand nearly all the time for baking, for salad dressings, for terrific smoothies.

Attention, smoothie lovers! In fact, buttermilk is my favorite liquid for smoothies, just see Healthy Smoothies: Recipes & Tips!


BUTTERMILK – SMOOTHIE RECIPES
Peanut Butter & Jelly Smoothies
Strawberry Milk

Favorite Smoothies with Buttermilk from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Beet Smoothies
Cucumber Smoothies
Green Smoothies
Make-Ahead Smoothies
Strawberry Rhubarb Smoothies
Tomato Smoothie

BUTTERMILK – SAVORY RECIPES
Best-Ever Macaroni Salad
Buttermilk Balsamic Dressing
Cheese Puffs (Gougère)
Christmas Chicken Salad
Finnish Whole-Wheat Flatbread
Hamburger Casserole
Manna Café Oatcakes (Oatmeal Pancakes)
Mom's Perfect Biscuits
My Everyday Creamy Herb Salad Dressing
Sheetpan Salmon with Garden Hash & Creamy Avocado Sauce
Skillet Cornbread
Southern Corn Bread
Whole-Wheat Irish Soda Bread

BUTTERMILK - SWEET RECIPES
Autumn Pumpkin Bread
Banana Streusel Muffins
Banana Bread with Cherries & Poppy Seeds
Christmas Banana Bread
Chocolate Cinnamon Whipped Cream Cake
Cornmeal Muffins with Apple
Cornmeal Muffins with Peaches
Easy Baked Oatmeal with Apples & Walnuts
Easy Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries & Bananas
Easy-Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake
Five-Week Bran Muffins
Irish Soda Bread Muffins
Lavosh (Armenian Cracker Bread)
Lifetime Pancakes
My Mom's Pancake Recipe
Overnight Coffeecake
Quick Brown Bread
Raspberry Morning Cake
Raspberry Muffins
Rhubarb Cake
Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
Shhh Banana Bread
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Summer Corn Bread with Fresh Blueberries

Favorite Buttermilk Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Broccoli, Bacon & Raisin Salad with Cheddar
Buttermilk Garlic Ranch Salad Dressing
Carrot Buttermilk Pancakes
Classic Seven Layer Salad
Pumpkin Pancakes
(Un) Fried Green Tomatoes (Baked Green Tomatoes)




Cabbage
See also Sauerkraut.

GREEN CABBAGE
Alice Waters’ Coleslaw
Baked Cabbage Wedges
Big Italian Chopped Salad
Cabbage Noodles
Corned Beef with Red Potatoes, Carrot Chunks, Cabbage Wedges & Cheese Sauce
Holy Slaw!
Oaxaca Tlayuda (Mexican Flat Tacos)
Plant Sale Soup (Hearty Hamburger Soup for a Crowd)
Simple Dill Pickle Slaw
Slow Cooker Curried Vegetable Stew
Stir-Fried Shrimp with Asparagus or Other Summer Vegetables
Winter Stew

RED CABBAGE
Grilled Vegetables in Foil
Karelian Borscht (Finnish - Russian Beet Borscht Soup)

NAPA CABBAGE
Beef Tacos with Avocado, Cucumber, Mango Salsa
Tropical Salad Supper

Favorite Cabbage Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Big Cajun Chopped Salad
Cabbage Roses
Cabbage & White Bean Stew
Green Cabbage Salad
Light Red Cabbage & Carrot Salad
Swedish Red Cabbage & Apples
Cabbage & Pepper Chakchoukah aka OogaChaka Eggs
More Cabbage Recipes from A Veggie Venture




Capers

What are capers? [KAY-pers] Capers are one of my very favorite pantry items because they add a touch of piquancy and a bite of saltniness to so many dishes. Capers are actually the flower buds of bushes found in the Mediterranean and Asia. The buds are sun-dried and pickled in a salty brine. Some capers are tiny, others are as large as a small grape. Many recipes suggest rinsing capers before using, I don't find this necessary.


Caper Chops with Curried Carrots
Cauliflower Salad with Fresh Herbs
Chicken Sybil
Cold Shrimp in Creamy Dill Sauce with Capers
Herbed Goat Cheese
Lemon Basil Shrimp
Panzanella
Potato Bites with Smoked Salmon
Red Pepper Crostini
Roasted Eggplant Salad with Tomato-Caper Salsa
Roasted Salmon & Asparagus
Smoked Salmon Quiche
Warm Goat Cheese Appetizer with Mini Tomatoes & Capers
Warm Pepper Salad
Warm Potato Salad

Favorite Recipes with Capers from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Baked Orzo Casserole with Eggplant, Olives, Goat Cheese & More
Golden Beet Carpaccio
Caponata – Sicilian Eggplant
Summer Lentils




Carrots

BABY CARROTS vs WHOLE CARROTS For eating out of the hand, so-called "baby" carrots are great. But for cooking, "baby" carrots have no flavor and in fact, are not even baby carrots. (They are huge industrial-size carrots shaped into small carrot bullets.) If you can manage the two or three minutes it takes to peel whole carrots, it's worth it. In fact, unless the skins are tough, I often skip peeling carrots entirely.


CARROTS as MAIN INGREDIENT
Baked Cabbage Wedges
Butter-Simmered Carrots
Carrot-Jalapeño Quick Pickle Relish
Celebration Salad (Maple-Roasted Carrots with Arugula, Dill, Cranberry Vinaigrette, Pomegranate and Glazed Pecans)
Cumin Carrot Fries
Curried Carrots
Honey Carrots
Laura's Healthy Carrot Soup
Mashed Potatoes & Carrots
Rustic Mashed Sweet Potatoes & Carrots

CARROT RECIPES – SIDE DISHES & SALADS
Bloody Mary Salad
Curried Carrot Rice
Grilled Vegetables in Foil
Holy Slaw!
Light Vegetable Stock
Rainbow Salad
Sauerkraut Salad
Simple Dill Pickle Slaw

CARROT RECIPES - EXTRAS
Carrot-Jalapeño Quick Pickle Relish
No-Big-Deal Vegetable Stock for the Slow Cooker

CARROT RECIPES – MAIN DISHES
Quick Supper Simple Beef Salad
Afghan Chicken & Rice Casserole (Kabeli Palau)
Corned Beef with Red Potatoes, Carrot Chunks, Cabbage Wedges & Cheese Sauce
Cashew Chicken Curry
Chicken Cider Stew
Chicken Stew with Chickpeas & Kale
Chicken Veggie Quesadillas
Irish Beef Stew
Lemon-Honey Chicken Skillet
One-Pot Chicken with Beans & Vegetables
Rainbow Chicken
Slow Cooker Curried Vegetable Stew
Squash & Carrot Stew
Turkey Tetrazzini
Turkey Wild Rice Casserole

CARROT RECIPES – SOUPS
Beef Barley Soup with Mushrooms
Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)
Finnish Summer Soup
Hamburger Soup
Karelian Borscht (Finnish - Russian Beet Borscht Soup)
Homemade Lentil Soup
Low-Fat Vegetable Soup
Meatball Soup with Broccoli Rabe
My Chicken Noodle Soup
Plant Sale Soup (Hearty Hamburger Soup for a Crowd)
Scandinavian Split-Pea Soup
Turkey Orzo Soup with Lemon & Spinach

CARROT RECIPES – SWEETS
Carrot Cake
Zucchini Bread with Carrot & Candied Ginger

Favorite Carrot Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Bourbon-Glazed Roasted Carrots
Carrot & Chickpea Salad with Tahini-Lemon Dressing
Cowboy Coleslaw
Creamy Carrot Purée
Easy-Easy Slow Cooker Honey Carrots
How to Steam Carrots
Paleo Carrot Soup
Roasted Carrots & Mushrooms with Thyme
"Wonderful" Glazed Turnips & Carrots
More Carrot Recipes from A Veggie Venture




Cauliflower
CAULIFLOWER as the MAIN INGREDIENT

MAIN DISHES
Cauliflower Risotto
Savory Cauliflower Cake
Spiced Chicken Tagine with Roasted Cauliflower

CAULIFLOWER SALADS
Cauliflower Salad with Fresh Herbs
Rainbow Salad

CAULIFLOWER SIDES
Mashed Cauliflower (Low-Carb Mashed "Potatoes")
Roasted Cauliflower

CAULIFLOWER SOUPS
Quick Cauliflower Soup

CAULIFLOWER – MORE RECIPES
Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole

CAULIFLOWER MASQUERADING as POTATOES or RICE or BREAD CRUMBS
Cauliflower Risotto
Mashed Cauliflower (Low-Carb Mashed "Potatoes")
Stuffed Mushrooms with Cauliflower & Smoked Gouda

Favorite Cauliflower "Potato" and "Rice" Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Cauliflower "Potato" Salad
Cauliflower Spanish "Rice"
Mexican Cauliflower "Rice"
Raw Mexican Street Corn Salad with Cauliflower Rice
Cauliflower Spanish "Rice"

More Favorite Cauliflower Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Cauliflower Cream
Cauliflower Steaks with Warm Corn & Poblano Salsa
Cauliflower Tomato Medley
Christmas Cauliflower
Curried Cauliflower
Detox Chopped Salad
One-Skillet Cauliflower Casserole with Cheese Sauce
Whole Cauliflower with Homemade Cheese Sauce
Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Vinaigrette
More Cauliflower Recipes from A Veggie Venture




Celeriac

Celeriac is pronounced [seh-LER-ay-ak] and is also called "celery knob" and "celery root". It has a rough, brown exterior and is quite ugly on the outside but has a pearly white dense flesh inside. While it is not easily found in American supermarkets, I find it in farmers markets during the late summer and early fall. Here's a photo of celeriac.


Favorite Celeriac Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Celeriac Slaw
Celeriac Remoulade
More Celeriac Recipes from A Veggie Venture




Celery

Celery appears in one Kitchen Parade recipe after another, too common and too many to make a list useful, really. It is one of three vegetables in the "holy trinity" of onion, celery and bell peppers. It's a staple in salads, adding volume and crunch and wetness. But it is quite rare for celery to "star" in a dish but I have come to appreciate these special celery dishes, especially the celery salads during the winter. Do look for celery stalks that have their leaves, they are fabulous. To keep celery fresh longer, keep it in the plastic bag but wrap the bag in foil. It will stay fresh for a month or more. During long car trips, I cut up celery sticks to munch on.


CELERY RECIPES - EXTRAS
No-Big-Deal Vegetable Stock for the Slow Cooker

Favorite Celery Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Boozy Baked Celery
Celery & Apple Salad
Celery & Chickpea Salad
Celery Salad with Dates & Walnuts
Cream of Celery Soup
Simple Braised Celery
More Celery Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Cheese
See Cheddar Feta Mexican Cheeses Mozzarella Parmesan Other Cheeses
See Cream Cheese Goat Cheese

Any On-Hand Cheese
Charcuterie for Two
Mac n Chicken
Never-the-Same-Twice Vegetable Frittata



Cheddar Cheese
At Last! Black Bean Soup
Bacon & Egg Breakfast Bake
Cheddar-Olive Spread
Cheese Gnocchi Pie
Corned Beef with Red Potatoes, Carrot Chunks, Cabbage Wedges & Cheese Sauce
Easy-Easy Triscuit with Cheddar & Basil
Date-Night Chicken
Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole with Hash Browns & Eggs
Easy Margarita Chicken
Hamburger Casserole
Homemade Pub Cheese
On-the-Run Breakfast Bars
Savory Bread Pudding with Butternut Squash, Chard & Cheddar
Smashed Potatoes & Broccoli Casserole

Favorite Cheddar Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Broccoli Potato Cheddar Soup
Butternut Mac 'n' Cheese
One-Skillet Cauliflower Casserole with Cheese Sauce
Twice-Baked Potatoes
Zucchini with Tomatoes & Cheddar



Feta Cheese

Feta cheese is a particular favorite since it's strong-flavored but has fewer calories than other cheeses. Do try to purchase feta in bricks or blocks, not crumbles, it's fresher and still more flavorful.


MAIN DISHES with FETA
Chicken Burgers with Fresh Spinach, Feta and Garden Tzatziki Sauce
Chicken Greek Salad
Greek Chicken Dagwood Sandwiches
Greek Feta Chicken
Red Quinoa Salad Your Way
Seared Scallops with Garlicky Polenta & Chimichurri
Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta
Warm Baked Feta & Tomatoes with Shrimp

APPETIZERS with FETA
Cucumber Dip with Feta

SALADS with FETA
Cantaloupe Salad with Feta & Basil
Easy-Easy Artichoke & Tomato Salad
Greek Pasta Salad
Green Bean Garden Salad
Melon Ball & Blueberry Salad
Quick 'n' Easy Raw Salad
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

SOUPS with FETA
Peach & Cantaloupe Soup

Favorite Feta Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Creamy Feta Mousse with Greek Salads
Feta Stuffed Zucchini
Roasted Asparagus with Feta
Roasted Beets with Feta & Lemon
Spinach Quiche with Red Pepper & Feta
Twice-Roasted Beets with Red Grapes, Cherries, Blueberries & Avocado Feta Cream
More Recipes for Vegetables with Cheese from A Veggie Venture



Gruyére
Asparagus Whole Wheat Bread Pudding
Julia Child's Soubise (Onion & Rice Casserole)
Mac n Chicken



Mexican Cheeses
"MEXICAN" CHEESE BLEND
Easy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Easy Green Chile Egg Casserole

QUESO FRESCO
Chilaquiles

CHIHUAHUA
Refried Bean Sauce with Eggs on Top
Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole

COTIJA
Easy Green Chile Egg Casserole
Grilled Steak with Tomato-Avocado Salad in a Warm Poblano-Bacon Vinaigrette
Oaxaca Tlayuda (Mexican Flat Tacos)
Refried Bean Sauce with Eggs on Top
Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole



Mozzarella
FRESH MOZZARELLA
Tomatoes & Fresh Mozzarella for a Crowd

Favorite Mozzarella Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Eggplant, Tomato & Mozzarella Sandwiches
Fresh Tomato with Fresh Mozzarella
Insalata Caprese
Tossed Caprese Salad



Parmesan

Be sure to save bits of Parmesan rind, too. Just toss them into a pot of soup to add richness and flavor.


Asparagus Custard Tart
Basil-Cream Cheese Spread (Boursin Substitute)
Big Italian Chopped Salad
Broccoli Rigatoni with Chickpeas & Lemon
Cast Iron Meatloaf
Cauliflower Risotto
Cheese Gnocchi Pie
Cheese Puffs
Leek Sauce for Pasta
Lemon & Asparagus Pasta
Meatball Soup with Broccoli Rabe
Parmesan Chicken
Parmesan Crisps
Plant Sale Soup (Hearty Hamburger Soup for a Crowd)
Ratatouille
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Savory Cauliflower Cake
Scalloped Potatoes & Beets ("Those Pink Potatoes")
Spinach Puffs
Strawberry Pepper Salad
Winter Pesto with Spinach



Other Cheeses
BLUE CHEESE Wedge Salad with Homemade Low-Cal & Low-Carb Blue Cheese Salad Dressing

HAVARTI Finn Crisp with Marmalade & Cheese
Smoked Salmon Quiche

IMPERIAL CHEESE (hard-pack cheddar)
Cheese Puffs
Homemade & Semi-Homemade Pub Cheese

ROMANO Mac n Chicken

SMOKED GOUDA
Easy Green Chile Egg Casserole
Stuffed Mushrooms with Cauliflower & Smoked Gouda




Cherries
FRESH CHERRIES (or frozen cherries)
Blueberry (or Cherry) Cheesecake Pie
Finnish Fruit Tart
Ham Loaf with Sour-Cherry Sauce
Peach, Cherry & Blueberry Fruit Sauce or Fruit Soup

DRIED CHERRIES
Acorn Squash with Quinoa & Cherries
Homemade Granola with Almonds & Apricots
Quick Brown Bread

MARASCHINO CHERRIES
Banana Bread with Cherries & Poppy Seeds

Favorite Cherry Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Festive Celery, Cauliflower and Apple Salad
Tomato & Sour Cherry Gazpacho
Twice-Roasted Beets with Red Grapes, Cherries, Blueberries & Avocado Feta Cream




Chia
DIY Power Balls




Green Chiles

Small four-ounce cans of green chiles are wonderful! I usually buy "mild" green chiles, they add a fresh, warm fresh green-chile flavor to dishes. Spicy-food lovers? Power up to the "hot" green chiles! Green chiles are a key flavor profile in the distinctive cuisine of New Mexico, usually from New Mexico's Hatch chiles. Hatch chiles are very seasonal at best and hard to find at worst, my solution is these tiny cans of green chiles. Yes, I am smitten with green chiles!

See Also Salsa Verde.


Easy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Easy Green Chile Egg Casserole
Green Chile Scrambled Eggs
Green Chili Burgers
Green Chile Sauce (Salsa Verde)
Microwave Green Chili Cheese Grits

Favorite Recipes with Green Chiles from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Quick Green Chile Stew
Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
Supper Casserole with Pumpkin & Green Chile Cornbread Topping




Chili Sauce

Chili Sauce is a broad category of condiments made with chilis. Some are hot, some are sweet, some are both. They're used as an ingredient, a dipping sauce, a marinade, a cooking glaze and more. Chili sauces are similar to hot sauces but are usually thicker, more viscous and less fiery. Some names that fall into this category are: chili crisp, gochuchang, sambal, sriracha, sweet chili sauce, harissa. But so far, Kitchen Parade sticks to a mild chili sauce from Heinz, which is more like a thicker, more savory ketchup.


HEINZ CHILI SAUCE
Comeback Sauce




Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce

Chipotle [pronounced chee-POTE-lay] chiles are really just the familiar jalapeño chile, dried and smoked. Find them in small cans in a Mexican market for maybe $1.50. Inside are 10 or 15 small peppers, each one packing some powerful heat, in an adobo [pronounced uh-DOH-BO] sauce made from ground chiles, herbs and vinegar. For a southwestern or Mexican dimension to stews or salads, remove the seeds of one pepper, mash it and use about half. The contents, if transferred to a glass jar, will last for months in the fridge. Some times recipes call for the peppers themselves, some times just a smidgen of the adobo sauce, so it's good to keep the two things separate. But in recent years, I've taken to running the entire can through a mini food processor to make a chipotle chile adobo paste. This is good stuff, inexpensive, refrigerator-stable, with huge flavor. And heat too, use just a tiny bit at a time!


Black Beans & Rice Skillet Casserole with Smoked Chicken
Greens & Grits
Homemade Chili with Dried Beans
Hurricane Rice with Shrimp & Sausage
Strawberry Vinaigrette with Chipotle
Sweet Potato Salad with Roasted Poblano, Roasted Corn & Chipotle

Favorite Recipes with Chipotle in Adobo Sauce from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Chipotle Chickpea Salad
Jicama-Mango Salsa with Chipotle
Weight Watchers Mexican "Zero Points" Soup
No-Guilt Grilled Corn with Chipotle-Lime Browned Butter
Vegetable Chili with Sweet Potatoes & Chipotle
Zucchini Mushroom Tacos




Chocolate
CHOCOLATE CHIPS
Banana-Peanut Butter Muffins
Chocolate Ginger Crinkle Cookies
Derby Pie
Graham Cracker Toffee
Gourmet Chocolate Mocha Cookies
Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Chip Cookies
Strawberry Banana Chocolate Crumble

SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE, BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE & UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE
Chocolate Decadence Cake
Master Homemade Ice Cream Recipe (Skinny): Chocolate Mint
Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Fudgicles
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Old-Fashioned Black Walnut Chocolate Cake
Perfect M&M Cookies
Vanilla Brownies



COCOA POWDER

Cocoa powder is one of my favorite pantry ingredients because unlike chocolate chips and chocolate bars, there's no snacking on it during a hungry moment! When cocoa powder is called for in Kitchen Parade recipes, it is always the naturally unsweetened cocoa powder, never the sweet or Splenda-sweetened cocoa used for a commercial hot chocolate mix. I'm especially fond of the Hersheys Special Dark which is a "Dutch processed" cocoa powder with deep color and an intense chocolate flavor.


I generally keep both natural unsweetened cocoa powder and Dutch-processed unsweetened powder in the pantry because they are shelf stable and recipes often specify one or the other, due to different leavening requirements. But one can be easily substituted for the other, just use these substitution guidelines:


  • To make Dutch-processed cocoa – Mix 3 tablespoons natural cocoa powder with 1/8 teaspoon baking soda.
  • To make natural unsweetened cocoa – Mix 3 tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa with 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar or vinegar.


COCOA POWDER RECIPES
Chocolate Chili
Chocolate-Almond Shortbread Cookies
Chocolate-Cinnamon Sugar
Chocolate Cinnamon Whipped Cream Cake
Chocolate Cream Puffs Stuffed with Strawberries & Cream
Chocolate Ginger Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate Malt Ice Cream
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
DIY Power Balls
Easy-Easy Chocolate Coconut Pudding
Finnish Tiger Cake
Fresh Strawberry Pie
Easy-Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake
Frosty Christmas Trees
Homemade Chocolate Sauce In-a-Flash
Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
Homemade Poppy Seed Cake
Light 'n' Easy Chocolate Pudding
Two-Bite Brownies

Favorite Recipes with Chocolate from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Sweet Potato-Chocolate Swirl Pie




Cilantro

To keep cilantro fresh, rinse it well, then stick the whole bunch, stems down, into a cup with about an inch of water and store in the refrigerator; if needed, freshen the water every couple of days.





Coconut
COCONUT MILK
Banana Cream Pudding
Cashew Chicken Curry
Coconut Cream Pie
Easy-Easy Chocolate Coconut Pudding
Eggplant & Bean Thai Curry Bowl
Master Homemade Ice Cream Recipe (Skinny): Coconut

DRIED COCONUT
Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Gum Drop Cookies
Golden Coconut Cookies
Healthy Trail Mix
Homemade Granola with Almonds & Apricots

COCONUT OIL
DIY Power Balls

Favorite Recipes with Coconut Milk from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Butternut Squash Soup with Mango & Toasted Coconut
Curried Corn Chowder with Coconut Milk
Green Rice
Paleo Carrot Soup
Quick Corn Soup with Coconut Milk
Slow Cooker Green Beans & Tomatoes
“Soul Food” Sweet Potato Soup with Chicken, Kale & Coconut Milk




Coffee, Espresso & Tea

  • Coffee For years, I made special trips to buy coffee beans, then every morning took the time to faithfully grind the beans to make the "best" coffee. Then I read somewhere – probably Cook's Illustrated – about the rich coffee made from Folgers, yes, Folgers, 100% Colombian. Ever since, it's my coffee of choice, a big tub can be found for $8 or $9. It's become harder to find in the last couple of years but it worth seeking out.
  • Espresso Do you say "expresso"? I did too for a long while, then learned that the proper spelling and pronunciation is "espresso". So pretty! I don't have an espresso maker but have great luck with instant espresso powder from Medaglia D'Oro.
  • Instant Coffee & Instant Espresso Wow. What coffee does for chocolate, giving it intensity. That's why recipes with chocolate call for instant coffee or instant espresso. I keep a jar of one or both on hand all the time, the two are interchangeable.
  • Tea Red Rose all the way, baby! This is the traditional Canadian tea and in honor of my Canadian mother, this is the only tea my family drinks. Red Rose was acquired by Lipton a few years ago and so now Red Rose can be found in the States. Unfortunately it is not the "real" Red Rose which can only be found in Canada.

COFFEE & TEA DRINKS
Cold-Brewed Coffee
Sugar-Free Chai Tea

SWEET
Coffee Pots & Lemon Pots
Gourmet Chocolate Mocha Cookies
Master Homemade Ice Cream Recipe (Skinny): Coffee Spice
Mini Coffee Cookies with Currants
Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies
Spiced Honey Cake
Two-Bite Brownies

SAVORY
Oatmeal Espresso
Skillet Pork Chops with Sweet Coffee Syrup

INSTANT COFEE & INSTANT ESPRESSO
Easy-Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake
Gourmet Chocolate Mocha Cookies.
Mini Coffee Cookies with Currants
Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies
Two-Bite Brownies


Corn
BASICS
How to Cut Corn Off the Cob: Keeping All Ten Fingers, Capturing Every Delicious Kernel and "Milking" the Sweet Corn Milk
How to Cook Corn in the Microwave
from A Veggie Venture

FRESH CORN
(recipes for summer's best sweet corn, straight off the cob)
Best-Ever Macaroni Salad
Creamy Ricotta with Tomato-Cucumber-Corn Salad
Easy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Fresh Corn & Tomato Salad
Fresh Creamed Corn
Garden Pasta Salad with Mint Vinaigrette
Green Bean Garden Salad
Mexican Chicken Salad
Mexican Rice
Mini Crab Bites
Sheetpan Salmon with Garden Hash & Creamy Avocado Sauce
Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos
Southwestern Chicken Taco Salad Plates (with Quick Corn Relish)
Summer Corn Bread with Fresh Blueberries
Summer Seafood Chowder
Sweet-Corn Soup with Shrimp
Sweet Pepper Pasta Skillet Colorful bell peppers in a light cream sauce.
Sweet Potato Salad with Roasted Poblano, Roasted Corn & Chipotle
Tourlou Tourlou (Greek Baked Vegetables)

FRESH or FROZEN or CANNED CORN
At Last! Black Bean Soup
Black Beans & Rice Skillet Casserole with Smoked Chicken
Easy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Easy Tortilla Soup with Chicken or Turkey
Easy Turkey Chili
Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)
Hamburger Soup
Hurricane Rice with Shrimp & Sausage
Old-Fashioned Southern Brunswick Stew
Quinoa & Black Bean Salad
Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos
Sweet Potato Salad with Roasted Poblano, Roasted Corn & Chipotle
White Chicken Chili

CORNMEAL - see cornmeal recipes

Favorite Corn Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Black Bean & Corn Salad
Cooler Corn - How to Cook Corn in a Beer Cooler
Grilled Sweet Corn
No-Guilt Grilled Corn with Chipotle-Lime Browned Butter
Raw Corn Chowder
Raw Mexican Street Corn Salad with Cauliflower Rice
Summer Vegetable Stew
Sweet Corn Relish
More Corn Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Corn Syrup

Corn syrup is an intense sweet liquid, an extra-thick simple syrup often used in baking. It is not the same as high-fructose corn syrup, which should be avoided. Karo is the brand I see most often, in "light" that's clear and "dark" that's the color of pancake syrup. Look for it in the baking aisle.


LIGHT CORN SYRUP
Best-Ever Caramel Cake
Easy Fruit Sorbet
Eggnog French Toast with Apple Cranberry Compote
Homemade Chocolate Sauce In-a-Flash
Homemade Microwave Caramel Corn
Homemade Peach Syrup with Fresh Peaches
Orange-Kissed Marshmallows
Rhubarb Sorbet
Skillet Cornbread
Two-Bite Brownies

DARK CORN SYRUP
Pumpkin Pecan Pie


Cornmeal, Grits, Polenta & Masa

The differences between cornmeal, grits, polenta and even masa can be confusing. The one thing that's certain, each one starts with corn. After that, differences emerge depending on how the corn is treated and how finely it's ground. (This conversation at ChowHound is illuminating if not definitive.)


Commercial producers of these products, especially the "quick" or "instant" versions, blur the differences. To experience what's special with each one, purchase them directly from the mills, I've had great luck with Anson Mills, War Eagle Mill (which I've personally visited!) and also with the Bob's Red Mill products available in good grocery stores.


All whole-corn stone-ground products should be kept in the freezer so that they don't go rancid.


If you really love corn bread, you'll not want to miss the cookbook called The Cornbread Gospels. But naturally, I keep a collection of my own favorite cornbread recipes!


Okay, now for the different cornmeal products:

  • CORNMEAL is field corn that's been dried and ground and thus qualifies as a "vegetable" especially if the more healthful full-kernel stone-ground cornmeal is used, either in a coarse or a fine grind. That said, some recipes really need the finer texture of a degerminated yellow cornmeal so I keep both on hand.
  • GRITS are a southern specialty and are usually the most coarsely ground.
  • POLENTA is an Italian dish that's made from boiled cornmeal. Polenta is usually the most finely ground cornmeal.


CORNBREAD
Cornmeal Muffins with Apple
Cornmeal Muffins with Peaches
Savory Cornbread Muffins
Skillet Cornbread
Southern Corn Bread
Summer Corn Bread with Fresh Blueberries

Favorite Cornbread Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Pumpkin Cornbread
Supper Casserole with Pumpkin & Green Chile Cornbread Topping
Sweet Potato Cornbread

BEST with COARSELY GROUND CORNMEAL
Apple Cider Indian Pudding
Buffalo Ragout
Savory Cornbread Muffins
Skillet Cornbread
Southern Corn Bread

BEST with FINELY GROUND CORNMEAL
Cornmeal Catfish with Warm Potato Salad
Cornmeal Muffins with Peaches
Cornmeal Pancakes with Warm Blueberries
Fresh Creamed Corn
Fried Okra "Garden Popcorn"
Greens & Grits
Hamburger Casserole
No-Knead English Muffin Bread
Raspberry Muffins
Seared Scallops with Garlicky Polenta & Chimichurri
Summer Corn Bread with Fresh Blueberries
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

GRITS
Greens & Grits
Microwave Green Chili Cheese Grits
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato (or Pumpkin or Butternut Squash) Grits

Favorite Grits Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Slow Cooker Tomato Grits

POLENTA
Seared Scallops with Garlicky Polenta & Chimichurri

Favorite Polenta Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Butternut Squash Polenta


Cottage Cheese
Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Cottage Cheese Pie
Deep Mexico Fruit Salad
Easy Green Chile Egg Casserole
Green Chile Scrambled Eggs
Herbed Goat Cheese
Old-Fashioned Potato Salad
Potato Blintzes
Smashed Potatoes & Broccoli Casserole

Favorite Recipes using Cottage Cheese from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Everything Bagel Breakfast Salad


Couscous

Pronounced [koos-koos], couscous is made from semolina flour (a wheat flour) which makes it a culinary cousin to other semolina-based products such as macaroni, spaghetti and other pastas. For pasta, semolina is mixed with egg and water. For couscous, semolina is mixed with just enough water to form tiny grain-shaped bits. Couscous is not a grain, although often treated like one. "Israeli Couscous" is shaped into tiny perfect pearls with a pasta-like texture.


COUSCOUS
Quinoa & Black Bean Salad
Summer Couscous with Mango & Tomato

ISRAELI COUSCOUS
Garden Pasta Salad with Mint Vinaigrette

Favorite Couscous Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
No-Cook Tabbouleh
Israeli Couscous Salad


Crab
Mini Crab Bites


Cranberries

Yes, I have a "thing" for fresh cranberries! I just love their brilliant color, their sour burst of juice. Better yet, for calorie watchers? Fresh cranberries are the better choice. Fresh cranberries are big, because they haven't been dried, so especially when they're chopped, they go further, more berry for the buck, so to speak. And fresh cranberries are unsweetened; did you know that dried cranberries aka "craisins" are nearly always heavily sweetened?


JUST CRANBERRIES, JUST WOW
Cranberry Salsa
Sugared Cranberries

BAKING with FRESH CRANBERRIES
Christmas Banana Bread
Cranberry Apple Crisp
Cranberry Apple Pie
Cranberry Linzer Tart
Cranberry Pudding
Fresh Cranberry Bars
Fresh Cranberry Cake
Fresh Cranberry Drop Cookies
Thanksgiving Cake

FRESH CRANBERRIES in OTHER DISHES
Eggnog French Toast with Apple Cranberry Compote
Holiday Fruit & Yogurt Parfait with Cranberries, Applesauce, Pineapple & Kiwi

FRESH CRANBERRIES for the "CRANBERRY COURSE" for HOLIDAY MEALS
Apple Cranberry Compote
Cranberry Applesauce
Cranberry Chutney
Cranberry Orange Relish with Fresh Ginger
Fresh Jellied Cranberry Sauce with Apple
Homemade Whole Cranberry Sauce for the Slow Cooker

DRIED CRANBERRIES – SAVORY
Acorn Squash with Quinoa & Cherries
Celebration Salad (Maple-Roasted Carrots with Arugula, Dill, Cranberry Vinaigrette, Pomegranate and Glazed Pecans)
Festive Holiday Salad
Turkey Salad Supper with Green Beans & Dried Cranberries
Turkey Wild Rice Casserole

DRIED CRANBERRIES – SWEET
Cranberry Macadamia-Butter Cookies
Cranberry Walnut Bread
Gingerbread Granola
Homemade Granola with Almonds & Apricots
Irish Soda Bread Muffins
Quick Brown Bread
Swiss Bircher Muesli

CRANBERRY JUICE
Cranberry Champagne Cocktail

CANNED CRANBERRY
Beef Stew with Cranberries
Cranberry Orange Spread
Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Cranberry Sauce

Favorite Recipes with Cranberries
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Detox Chopped Salad
Healthy Holiday Salad with Broccoli, Cauliflower & Dried Cranberries
Pumpkin Granola
Simple "Sweet Potato" Potato Salad with Hardly Any Mayonnaise
Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Cranberry & Orange
Spinach Pinwheels with Pears & Dried Cranberries
Stuffed Pumpkin with Apple & Cranberry


Cream Cheese

WHAT KIND OF CREAM CHEESE SHOULD I BUY? Three kinds of cream cheese are easily found. The best-known is full-fat cream cheese, 100 calories per ounce. My favorite – there's no telling the difference – is the reduced-fat cream cheese often called Neufchâtel, 70 calories per ounce. Avoid using non-fat cream cheese, despite its 30 calories per ounce, as it is gummy and watery.


CREAM CHEESE – SAVORY
Basil-Cream Cheese Spread (Boursin Substitute)
Chilaquiles
Cranberry Orange Spread
Cream Cheese-Chutney Spread
Perfect Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes (Party Potatoes)
Savory Peach Appetizer
Smoked Whitefish Spread on Cucumber
Tomato Soup Vegetable Salad

CREAM CHEESE – SWEET
Banana Cream Pudding (Stabilized Whipped Cream)
Blueberry Cheesecake Pie
Chocolate Cream Puffs Stuffed with Strawberries & Cream
Easy Elegant Fruit Tart with a Shortbread Crust
Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Last-Minute Pantry Pie
Molasses Ice Cream
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Strawberry Ice Cream
Upside-Down Rhubarb Cheesecake

Favorite Recipes with Cream Cheese
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
No-Bake Pumpkin Cream Pie
Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
Spin Dip Baked Eggs




Uncooked Dried Beans & Canned Beans

Dried beans are inexpensive but require time and a little know-how to soak and then cook.

Canned beans are relatively expensive (compared to dried beans) and convenient albeit, even to my salt-loving taste, oh-so-salty. (Do know, you can wash awash much of the salt in canned beans by rinsing them before using them.)

For different reasons, both dried beans (and peas) and canned beans are staples in my kitchen.

Different kinds of beans and peas have different textures, that's why I go to considerable effort to specify which of my recipes call for specific beans. For example, kidney beans are quite fibrous and hold up well in chilis and long-cooking soups. In contrast, white beans can be quite creamy and so are the usual choice when making appetizers and spreads. And of course, chickpeas are the favorite choice for that kitchen staple we call hummus. In fact, do you know that the word "hummus" means "chickpea"?


Uncooked Dried Beans & Peas (Dried Beans) for Main Dishes, Appetizers, Soups, Side Dishes & Salads

Canned Beans for Main Dishes Appetizers Soups Side Dishes Salads

By Type of Bean including All or Many Beans Black Beans Butter Beans Kidney Beans Large Lima Beans Pork & Beans White Beans (Great Northern, Cannellini, Small White)

Black-Eyed Peas Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) Split Peas

See Also Hominy Lentils



Uncooked Dried Beans & Peas
See also Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) & Lentils

ESSENTIAL RECIPES
How to Cook Dried Chickpeas Especially for Hummus aka "Jerusalem Chickpeas"
How to Cook Dried Beans from Scratch (Slow Cooker or Oven Slow-Cooking)
How to Make Chili with Dried Beans (Slow Cooker or Slow-Cooked in the Oven)
Why Dried Beans Won't Cook

SALADS
Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Salad

SOUPS & CHILI
At Last! Black Bean Soup
Homemade Chili with Dried Beans (Slow Cooker or Slow-Cooked in the Oven)
Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Soup
Scandinavian Split-Pea Soup
Split-Pea Soup with Sausage & Kale

SIDE DISHES
Greek Baked Beans (Gigantes Plaki)

SUPPERS
Ham & Beans
Red Beans & Rice

Favorite Recipes Starting with Uncooked Dried Beans
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
15-Bean Soup
Bean & Lacinato Kale Soup
Crazy-Smooth Crazy-Good Hummus
How to Cook Dried Chickpeas Especially for Hummus aka "Jerusalem Chickpeas"
Roasted Eggplant “Hummus" (Eggplant & Chickpea Dip & Spread)



Canned Beans
Main Dishes Appetizers Soups Side Dishes Salads



MAIN DISHES using CANNED BEANS
Broccoli Rigatoni with Chickpeas & Lemon
Chicken Nachos with Homemade Pickled Jalapeño Rings
Chickpea & Chicken Salad
Easy Margarita Chicken
Mexican Chicken Salad
One-Pot Chicken with Beans & Vegetables
Refried Bean Sauce with Eggs on Top
Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos
Southwestern Chicken Taco Salad Plates

Favorite Main Dishes with Canned Beans
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Chard & Chickpeas with Feta
Chickpea Cakes with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce
Chickpeas with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta
Chipotle Chickpea Salad
Chunky 'Choke & Chickpea Chow
Homemade Black Bean Burgers
Hot & Sour Chickpeas (Chana Masala)
Supper Casserole with Pumpkin & Green Chile Cornbread Topping
Warm Black-eyed Peas with Yogurt & Ginger



APPETIZERS using CANNED BEANS
Simple Hummus

Favorite Appetizer Recipes with Canned Beans
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Pumpkin Hummus with Honey
Tuna & White Bean Dip



SOUPS using CANNED BEANS
Crockpot Chili with Spicy Sausage
Easy Tortilla Soup with Chicken or Turkey
Easy Turkey Chili
Plant Sale Soup (Hearty Hamburger Soup for a Crowd)
Twenty-Minute Beefy Black Bean Chili
White Chicken Chili

Favorite Soup Recipes with Canned Beans
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Beefy Tomatillo Chili
Cabbage & White Bean Stew
Hoppin' John Soup
Quick Green Chile Stew
Vegetable Chili with Sweet Potatoes & Chipotle



SIDE DISHES using CANNED BEANS
Calico Beans aka "Alanna's Famous Cowboy Beans"



SALADS using CANNED BEANS
Quinoa & Black Bean Salad
Sauerkraut Salad

Favorite Side Dish & Salad Recipes with Canned Beans
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Asian Vegetables with Kidney & Edamame Beans
Cherry Tomato & White Bean Salad
Simple Chickpea Salad
Fresh Three-Bean Salad
Pinto Bean Salad
Quick Radish & White Bean Salad
Quinoa Salad with Tomato-Balsamic Vinaigrette
Summer Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Tossed Caprese Salad
Tuscan Bean Salad



By Type of Bean



ALL BEANS and MANY BEANS
Creamy Slow-Cooker Beans – my favorite way to cook dried beans

Favorite Recipes using All or Many Beans
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
15-Bean Soup
Quick Green Chile Stew
Vegetable Chili with Sweet Potatoes & Chipotle



BLACK BEANS (also called TURTLE BEANS)
At Last! Black Bean Soup
Black Beans & Rice Skillet Casserole with Smoked Chicken
Chicken Nachos with Homemade Pickled Jalapeño Rings
Easy Margarita Chicken
Easy Tortilla Soup with Chicken or Turkey
Oaxaca Tlayuda (Mexican Flat Tacos)
Quinoa & Black Bean Salad
Twenty-Minute Beefy Black Bean Chili

Favorite Recipes using Black Beans
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Beefy Tomatillo Chili
Black Bean & Corn Salad
Homemade Black Bean Burgers
Quick Green Chile Stew
“Soul Food” Sweet Potato Soup with Chicken, Kale & Coconut Milk
Supper Casserole with Pumpkin & Green Chile Cornbread Topping
Vegetable Chili with Sweet Potatoes & Chipotle



BLACK-EYED PEAS
Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Favorite Recipes using Black-Eyed Peas
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Hoppin' John Soup
Summer Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Warm Black-eyed Peas with Yogurt & Ginger



BUTTER BEANS
Calico Beans aka "Alanna's Famous Cowboy Beans"

Favorite Recipes using Butter Beans
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
None so far, this is my reminder!



Chickpeas (also called Garbanzo Beans)
Big Italian Chopped Salad
Broccoli Rigatoni with Chickpeas & Lemon
Chicken Stew with Chickpeas & Kale
Chickpea & Chicken Salad
Simple Hummus

Favorite Recipes using Chickpeas
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
HUMMUS! aka Hummus bi Tahina (Chickpeas with Tahini)
How to Cook Dried Chickpeas Especially for Hummus aka "Jerusalem Chickpeas"
Crazy-Smooth Crazy-Good Hummus
Pumpkin Hummus with Honey
Red Pepper Hummus
Roasted Eggplant “Hummus" (Eggplant & Chickpea Dip & Spread)

Carrot & Chickpea Salad with Tahini-Lemon Dressing
Celery & Chickpea Salad
Chard & Chickpeas with Feta
Simple Chickpea Salad
Chickpea Cakes with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce
Chickpeas with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta
Chipotle Chickpea Salad
Chunky 'Choke & Chickpea Chow
Hot & Sour Chickpeas (Chana Masala)
Quick Green Chile Stew
Quinoa Salad with Tomato-Balsamic Vinaigrette
More Chickpea (Garbanzo Bean) Recipes from A Veggie Venture

HOMINY
See Hominy



KIDNEY BEANS
Calico Beans aka "Alanna's Famous Cowboy Beans"
Crockpot Chili with Spicy Sausage
Refried Bean Sauce with Eggs on Top
Plant Sale Soup (Hearty Hamburger Soup for a Crowd)

Favorite Recipes using Kidney Beans
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Asian Vegetables with Kidney & Edamame Beans
Fresh Three-Bean Salad
Quick Green Chile Stew
Vegetable Chili with Sweet Potatoes & Chipotle



LARGE LIMA BEANS
Greek Baked Beans (Gigantes Plaki)

Favorite Recipes using Large Lima Beans
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
None so far, this is my reminder!



PORK & BEANS
Calico Beans aka "Alanna's Famous Cowboy Beans"

Favorite Recipes using Pork & Beans
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
None so far, this is my reminder!



SPLIT PEAS
Scandinavian Split-Pea Soup
Split-Pea Soup with Sausage & Kale

Favorite Recipes using Split Peas
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
None so far, this is my reminder!



WHITE BEANS (such as Great Northern Beans, Cannellini or Small White Beans)
Ham & Beans
One-Pot Chicken with Beans & Vegetables
White Chicken Chili

Favorite Recipes using White Beans
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Bean & Lacinato Kale Soup
Cabbage & White Bean Stew
Cherry Tomato & White Bean Salad
Quick Radish & White Bean Salad
Tossed Caprese Salad
Tuna & White Bean Dip
Vegetable Chili with Sweet Potatoes & Chipotle


Currants, Raisins & Dried Fruit

Dried currants and raisins are interchangeable. That said, I prefer currants because they are smaller (and thus a smaller quantity distributes more easily) and slightly less sweet. Dried fruit are "dense" calories, the calories and Weight Watchers points can really add up, see One-Point Fruit Servings for Weight Watchers.


CURRANTS & RAISINS – SAVORY
Afghan Chicken & Rice Casserole (Kabeli Palau)
Healthy Waldorf Salad
Picadillo (Cuban Ground Beef Skillet Supper)
Spicy Raisin Sauce for Ham
Summer Couscous with Mango & Tomato

CURRANTS & RAISINS – SWEET
Apple Cider Indian Pudding
Butter Tart Bars
Cranberry Apple Crisp
Cranberry Apple Pie
Fat Rascals
Gingerbread Granola
Hot Cross Buns
Irish Soda Bread Muffins
Make-Ahead Bran Muffin Batter
Mexican Mango Trifle (Ante de Mango)
Mini Coffee Cookies with Currants
Mom's Everyday Oatmeal Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Quick Brown Bread
Swiss Bircher Muesli
Tropical Salad Supper

GOLDEN RAISINS
Cranberry Chutney
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Savory Rhubarb Chutney
Winter Stew

DRIED APRICOTS – see Apricots

DRIED CHERRIES – see Cherries

DRIED CRANBERRIES – see Cranberries

DRIED DATES – see Dates

MULTIPLE DRIED FRUIT
Healthy Trail Mix
Irish Spiced Fruitcake
Swiss Bircher Muesli

Favorite Recipes with Dried Fruit from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Detox Chopped Salad


Cucumber
CUCUMBER as the MAIN INGREDIENT
Cucumber & Pepper Refrigerator Pickles
Cucumber Dip with Feta
Nana's Cucumbers with Sour Cream
Smoked Whitefish Spread on Cucumber

Favorite Cucumber Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Chinese Cucumber Salad
Julia Child's Cucumber Salad
Mixed Fruit & Vegetable Salad
Old Liz's Old-Fashioned Cucumber Salad
Tomato Platter with Olives & Feta
Turkish Cucumber-Tomato-Olive Chopped Salad with Sumac
More Cucumber Recipes from A Veggie Venture

APPETIZERS with CUCUMBER
Cantaloupe-Tomato Gazpacho
Cucumber Dip with Feta
Fruity Gazpacho
Smoked Whitefish Spread on Cucumber

SALADS with CUCUMBER
Bloody Mary Salad
Cucumber-Mango Salad
Garden Pasta Salad with Mint Vinaigrette
Greek Pasta Salad
Ina Garten's Tabbouleh Salad
Nana's Cucumbers with Sour Cream
Panzanella
Sauerkraut Salad
Tomato Soup Vegetable Salad

SOUPS with CUCUMBER
Cantaloupe-Tomato Gazpacho
Fruity Gazpacho

MAIN DISHES with CUCUMBER
Beef Tacos with Avocado, Cucumber, Mango Salsa
Chicken Burgers with Fresh Spinach, Feta and Garden Tzatziki Sauce
Chicken Greek Salad
Easy Baked Fish with Red Pepper & Cucumber Salad
Easy Skinny Turkey Roll-ups with Fresh Veggies
Shrimp Salad Recipes
Simple Lentil Salad with Seasonal Vegetables
Smoked Salmon Salad with Quick-Pickled Cucumbers & Roasted Peppers


Curry Paste

Curry paste is one of my very favorite pantry ingredients. It comes as 'green curry paste' and 'red curry paste'. I've not yet tried the red because even though a jar of curry paste is small, it's used a smidgin at a time. It keeps-keeps-keeps and is one of the best small investments a cook can make. Here are a few recipes that also use Thai curry paste:


Eggplant & Bean Thai Curry Bowl (photo of curry paste here)

Recipes Using Curry Paste from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Broccoli & Bok Choy with Coconut & Curry
Broccoli & Tomato Thai Curry
Quick Corn Soup with Coconut Milk
Curried Cauliflower


Dates
DIY Power Balls


Egg Whites
Orange Julius Drinks (1 egg white)
Roasted Pear Salad (1)
Skillet Cornbread (2)
Whole-Wheat Irish Soda Bread (3)


Egg Yolks
Banana Cream Pudding (6 yolks)
Chicken a la King (2 yolks)
Chocolate Malt Ice Cream (4 yolks)
Coffee Pots & Lemon Pots (5 yolks)
Crème Anglaise (2 yolks)
Golden Coconut Cookies (4)
Herbed Goat Cheese (3 yolks)
Homemade Mayonnaise (1 yolk)
Lavender Crème Brûlée (2 yolks)
Mom's Roast Chicken With All the Trimmings (1 yolk)
No-Roll Christmas Sugar Cookies (1 yolk)
Spiced Banana Ice Cream (2 yolks)


Cooked Eggs
How to make Perfect Hard-Cooked Eggs
How to Steam Eggs

Best-Ever Macaroni Salad (2 cooked eggs)
Deviled Eggs with Tomato-Herb Relish (1 - many cooked eggs)
Estonian Deviled Eggs (1 - many cooked eggs)
Simple Egg Salad with a Twist (2 cooked eggs)
Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing (2 cooked eggs)
Old-Fashioned Potato Salad (3 cooked eggs)
Spinach Soup with Perfect Hard-Cooked Eggs (5 cooked eggs)

Favorite Recipes with Cooked Eggs from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Asparagus Scallion Salad (1 cooked egg)
Creamed Eggs with Spinach (4 cooked eggs)
Golden Beet Carpaccio (1 cooked egg)
Homemade Cobb Salad (1/2 cooked egg per serving)
Insalata di Finocchio aka Fennel Salad (4 cooked eggs)
Steamed Leeks with Chopped Egg (1 cooked egg)

See also Easy Egg Recipes A collection of thrifty egg recipes.


Eggplant
EGGPLANT MAIN DISHES
Eggplant & Bean Thai Curry Bowl
Mediterranean Eggplant Skillet
Moroccan Chicken
Ratatouille Omelettes
Roasted Eggplant Salad with Tomato-Caper Salsa
Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables
Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
Shrimp Veracruz
Simple Lentil Salad with Seasonal Vegetables

EGGPLANT SIDE DISHES
Ratatouille
Roasted Eggplant Salad with Tomato-Caper Salsa
Tourlou Tourlou (Greek Baked Vegetables)

Favorite Eggplant Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Afghan Eggplant & Tomato Casserole (Borani Banjan)
Baba Ganoush (Middle Eastern Eggplant Spread)
Baked Eggs with Ratatouille Vegetables
Baked Orzo Casserole with Eggplant, Olives, Goat Cheese & More
Brushed Eggplant
Caponata – Sicilian Eggplant
Eggplant Steaks
Grilled Eggplant with Balsamic Honey Syrup
Roasted Baby Eggplant Halves with Herbs
Roasted Eggplant “Hummus" (Eggplant & Chickpea Dip & Spread)
Stacked Ratatouille
More Eggplant Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Endive
Mini Crab Bites

Favorite Endive Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Spring & Summer Sliced Salad
More Endive Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Evaporated Milk

Ever wonder about the nutritional impact of evaporated milk? Me too. See this soup recipe for some insight, Cream of Broccoli & Carrot Soup. I also compare the nutrition for both full-fat and non-fat evaporated milk, whole milk and half & half. Very interesting!


SAVORY
Light Tomato Basil Quiche
Microwave Green Chili Cheese Grits
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato (or Pumpkin or Butternut Squash) Grits

SWEET
Banana Cream Pudding
Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
Mexican Mango Trifle (Ante de Mango)
Mini Pumpkin Pies
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars


Farro

WHAT IS FARRO? Farro is a natural grain that once cooked, is nutty in flavor and slightly chewy in texture. It is also called "emmer wheat" and is much-appreciated in Italian cuisine. I use the "pearled" or "semi-pearled" farro where some of the husk is removed so it cooks more quickly. Farro can be hard to find in a store but can be purchased on Amazon.


Favorite Farro Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Farro Risotto with Butternut Squash & Mushrooms
Farro with Beet Greens
Farro with Asparagus & Green Onion Sauce


Flax
Easy Almond Crackers
On-the-Run Breakfast Bars
Our Daily Bread: My Easy Everyday Bread Recipe

Favorite Flax Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Hearty Heart-Loving Muffins


Flour

FLUFF TO AERATE BEFORE MEASURING This is my favorite baking trick! Always fluff flour before measuring it. You see, when flour sits, it settles. As you stir the flour for just a few seconds, you'll add air and actually feel it lighten. By fluffing the flour first, you'll use as much as 25% less flour, by weight. The result is that all your baked goods will turn out noticeably lighter – pancakes, muffins, cakes and cookies. I keep a spoon right in the flour canister, so I never forget and rarely, rarely get out the flour sifter, which performs much the same function. It's a miracle tip! Try it yourself, then pass it on to a friend!


OUR FLOUR CHOICES MATTER Time was, flour was flour. (Or maybe not, but at least in my experience growing up, there were two kinds of flour, "all purpose" and "bread".) As I make the switch from bleached flour to unbleached flour, my baked goods just don't taste the same, they're drier and tougher and the baker, well, she's plenty frustrated. I haven't yet figured out how to make the transition more easily. So I'm beginning to record what flours I'm using and for best results, will recommend use of the same flour.


Kitchen Parade recipes use several kinds of flour.

  • All-Purpose Flour (Bleached) – Often called "white flour" or just plain "flour", all-purpose flour is a low-gluten wheat flour and often the only flour found in home pantries. However, all-purpose flour is milled without the germ and the bran, so has less fiber and fewer nutrients than whole-grain flours. In the U.S., all-purpose flour is enriched with vitamins and minerals by law. To incorporate more whole grains into our diets, many home cooks now substitute as much as half whole-wheat flour for all-purpose flour. My favorite all-purpose flour is Pillsbury but I use others, as well, especially if on sale.
  • All-Purpose Flour (Unbleached) –
  • Whole Wheat Flour – Is a heavy, high-gluten and full-flavored flour. Typically, about 1/4 to 1/2 of all-purpose flour can be substituted with whole wheat flour. I buy ground-yesterday whole wheat flour at Great Harvest Bakery and store it in the freezer to keep it fresh. I also buy King Arthur and Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Flour.
  • 100% White Whole Wheat Flour – Is a relatively new product, a whole-grain flour milled with the idea that it can be substituted 1:1 for all-purpose flour. However, my own experience is that this flour (the King Arthur brand, anyway, which is found in many supermarkets) cannot be substituted 1:1.
  • Whole Wheat Pastry Flour –
  • Bread Flour – Is unbleached and especially milled for high-gluten content and is primarily used for yeast breads, especially rustic breads where some heft is desirable. That said, if I'm out of all-purpose flour, bread flour is a good substitute especially in muffins, cookies, cakes and other baked goods with a rustic-style crumb.
  • Cake Flour – Has a silky texture and is often specified for fine-crumbs cakes and baked goods.
  • Arrowroot Flour – A fine powder made from the stalks of the arrowroot plant, arrowroot is used as a tasteless and easily digestible thickening agent. Diabetics often use arrowroot instead of flour or cornstarch to thicken stews and soups. It should be mixed in very late in the cooking process, as heat tends to break down its thickening capabilities. In small jars in the spice section, arrowroot is very pricey; instead, find it in large bags at Whole Foods in the flour aisle.


Garlic
GARLIC BASICS
How (and Why) to Grow Garlic at Home from A Veggie Venture
How to Roast Garlic from A Veggie Venture

FRESH GARLIC vs JARS For everyday cooking, I use jars of chopped garlic purchased inexpensively from a small Asian market, worth their weight in gold. Here's a photo of the brand of chopped garlic I use.
GARLIC PRESS For fresh garlic, I often use what's called a "garlic press" (affiliate link) that makes it easy to mince or mash a clove of garlic.


EXTRA-GARLICKY RECIPES
Chicken Cacciatore (a love letter to garlic)
Easy Garlic-Herb Mediterranean Chicken ("Med Chicken")
Seared Scallops with Garlicky Polenta & Chimichurri
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Italian Spaghetti with Garlic & Olive Oil)
Wine-Braised Pork Roast with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Favorite Extra-Garlicky Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Chilled Green Bean Salad with Rosemary & Garlic Oil
Garlicky Bok Choy
Garlicky Romano Beans
Garlicky Zucchini Noodles with Leftover Lobster
Italian Pasta Salad with Garlicky Tomatoes & Collard Greens
Roasted Broccoli with Lemon & Garlic
Roasted Garlic Soup
Sautéed Okra & Garlic
Slow Cooker Garlic Smashed Potatoes


Gelatin (Jello)
KIDS OF ALL AGES!
Easy Easy Magical Jello Bites

SAVORY
Bloody Mary Salad
Tomato Soup Vegetable Salad

SWEET
Canadian Flag Cake with Strawberries
Christmas Trifle
Fresh Strawberry Pie
Southern Belle Lemon Layer Cake

Favorite Recipes with Gelatin from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Sweet Rhubarb Pizza
More Jello Salads from A Veggie Venture


Goat Cheese

Goat cheese has a lovely piquancy. It can be expensive so for every day, I use big logs of less-expensive goat cheese from Sam's Club or Trader Joe's – or for a quick substitute, use cream cheese. Good news: goat cheese can be frozen, it need never go to waste.


Cranberry Orange Spread
Herbed Goat Cheese
Julia Child's Soubise (Onion & Rice Casserole)
Rapini Panini
Roasted Eggplant Salad with Tomato-Caper Salsa
Roasted Pear Salad with Toasted Goat Cheese
Savory Peach Appetizer
Warm Goat Cheese Appetizer with Mini Tomatoes & Capers

Favorite Goat Cheese Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Baked Orzo Casserole with Eggplant, Olives, Goat Cheese & More


Graham Crackers

I love to keep graham cracker crumbs on hand, one of the very few convenience foods that I rely on. Why? The obvious: with graham cracker crumbs, you've got a quick pie crust in 5 minutes. The less obvious reason? If a box of graham crackers were on hand, it would tempt and tantalize me. Some night, I'd have a snack attack and eat a whole package. A box of crumbs? It's just a box of crumbs.

Lately, Trader Joe's Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Grahams have become my graham-cracker of choice for a thick, sturdy graham cracker crust. Here's that recipe, My Favorite Graham Cracker Crust!


For WHOLE GRAHAM CRACKERS
Graham Cracker Toffee
My Favorite Graham Cracker Crust

PIES with GRAHAM CRACKER CRUSTS
(start with whole crackers or crumbs)
Apple-Butter Pumpkin Pie
Banana Cream Pie
Blueberry Cheesecake Pie
Cottage Cheese Pie
Easy Margarita Pie
Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

MORE WAYS to USE GRAHAM CRACKERS
(whole crackers or crumbs)
Chocolate Raspberry Icebox Cake
Extra-Crispy Apple Crisp


Grapefruit
Broiled Grapefruit
Citrus Slices with Orange Flower Water, Spices & Chocolate Shavings


Grapes
SAVORY
Asian Chicken Salad
Italian Sausage with Grapes & Greens
Power Food Broccoli Salad

SWEET
Five-Minute Fruit Salad
Fruity Gazpacho
Grape Salad with Almonds & Cilantro
Mexican Fruit Salad
Roasted Pear Salad
Winter Fruit Salad

Favorite Grape Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Twice-Roasted Beets with Red Grapes, Cherries, Blueberries & Avocado Feta Cream


Green Beans

The trick, I've learned, to cooking green beans is to make sure they'e cooked in a lot of water with plenty of salt. Per pound of green beans, use two quarts of water and one tablespoon of table salt. It makes a world of difference! Watch for flat 'Romano beans' at the farmers market – they're especially tender and delicious!


FRESH GREEN BEANS
Chicken Stew with Chickpeas & Kale
Eggplant & Bean Thai Curry Bowl
Green Bean Garden Salad
Make-Ahead Fresh Green Bean Casserole
Slow Cooker Curried Vegetable Stew
Tourlou Tourlou (Greek Baked Vegetables)
Turkey Salad Supper with Green Beans & Dried Cranberries

OTHER GREEN BEANS (frozen, preferred, or canned)
Chicken Stew with Chickpeas & Kale
Plant Sale Soup (Hearty Hamburger Soup for a Crowd)

Favorite Green Bean Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
COLLECTIONS
Falling In Love with Green Beans: Favorite Recipes

"Best Ever" New Potatoes & Green Beans
Chilled Green Bean Salad with Rosemary & Garlic Oil
Fresh Three-Bean Salad
Green Beans with Mayo & Soy Sauce
Roasted Green Beans with Rosemary & Walnuts
Summer Green Bean Salad with Corn & Pickled Onion
Trader Joe's Flat Green Beans (Product Review)
World's Best Green Bean Casserole
More Green Bean Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Hearts of Palm

Favorite Hearts of Palm Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Avocado Salad with Hearts of Palm
More Hearts of Palm Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Hibiscus
Hibiscus Tea with Ginger & Vanilla


Hoisin

Hoisin or hoisin sauce is a thick sweet-salty sauce used in Chinese cooking for glazing meat and adding flavor. It's quite easily found in the international section of grocery stores.

Bacon-Wrapped Dried Apricots
Hoisin & Honey Pork Tenderloin


Hominy

First introduced by native Americans to early American settlers, hominy [HOM-eh-nee] is popcorn-shaped kernels of dried corn, with the hull and the germ removed. It is dense, chewy and nutty. Look for it in the Mexican section of grocery stores in cans like black beans or pinto beans.


Fall Stew Baked in a Whole Pumpkin
Sauerkraut Salad

Favorite Hominy Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Zucchini Mushroom Tacos


Honey
HONEY in SAVORY DISHES
Baked Baby Back Ribs with Spicy Berry Sauce
Creamy Ricotta with Tomato-Cucumber-Corn Salad
Hoisin & Honey Pork Tenderloin
Honey Mustard Chicken
Lamb Stew with Sweet Tomato Jam
Orange & Cumin Vinaigrette
Sweet-Corn Soup with Shrimp
Trio of Vegetables (Honey Carrots)
Weeknight-Easy Yeast Rolls with Honey Butters

HONEY in SWEET THINGS
Mini Pumpkin Pies
Sesame Candy
Spiced Honey Cake

Favorite Recipes with Honey from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Honey Pumpkin Pie
Morning Glory Muffins
Roasted Acorn Squash with Mustard & Honey
Simple "Sweet Potato" Potato Salad with Hardly Any Mayonnaise
Sweet Potato & Butternut Squash Tagine


Italian dressing

While I will always encourage home cooks to Never Buy Salad Dressing Again, at the same time, a bottle of Italian salad dressing can be helpful to have around. I nearly always use the non-fat house brand, it works like a charm.


Easy Easy Grilled Mushroom Appetizer
Easy-Easy Artichoke & Tomato Salad
One-Pot Chicken with Beans & Vegetables

Favorite Recipes with Italian Dressing from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Tomato & Zucchini Salad


Jerusalem Artichokes

These knobby creatures are also called "sunchokes". See a photo here.

Favorite Jerusalem Artichoke Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Autumn Sunchoke Salad
More Jerusalem Artichoke Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Ketchup

Believe it or not, ketchup is a quick and inexpensive way to add instant flavor to a dish. Check the label, however, for many favorite ketchups include high-fructose corn syrup.


Bacon & Egg Breakfast Bake
Baked Baby Back Ribs with Spicy Berry Sauce
Calico Beans aka "Alanna's Famous Cowboy Beans"
Chicken Cider Stew
Elk Meatloaf
Five-Minute Shrimp Cocktail Sauce
Hamburger Soup
Homemade Lentil Soup
Minnesota Sloppy Joes

Favorite Recipes with Ketchup from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Homemade Thousand Island Dressing


Jicama
Mexican Chicken Salad

Favorite Jicama Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Vegetables 101: What Is Jicama?

Eloisa's Jicama Salad
Jicama-Mango Salsa with Chipotle
Jicama Slaw
More Jicama Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Kiwi
Holiday Fruit & Yogurt Parfait with Cranberries, Applesauce, Pineapple & Kiwi
Strawberry Salsa with Sweet-Cinnamon Baked Tortilla Chips
Winter Fruit Salad


Lima Beans
Old-Fashioned Southern Brunswick Stew

Favorite Lima Bean Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Lima Bean Hummus
Succotash Salad with Green Beans, Lima Beans, Corn & Tomatoes
More Lima Bean Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Lobster

Favorite Lobster Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Garlicky Zucchini Noodles with Leftover Lobster


Kohlrabi

[kohl-RAH-bee] Kohlrabi is in the turnip family and like the turnip, its white bulblike stem and its greens are edible. The kohlrabi bulb tastes like a mild, sweet turnip or broccoli stalks. It's wonderful raw!


Favorite Kohlrabi Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Fresh Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi & Apple Slaw with Creamy Coleslaw Dressing
Quick-Cook Kohlrabi
Raw Beet, Carrot & Kohlrabi Salad
Roasted Kohlrabi
More Kohlrabi Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Leafy Greens

Leafy greens (those are the greens like kale, mustard greens, beet greens, spinach, collard greens, turnips greens along with the leafy lettuces such as red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce) are some of the most healthful foods and most of us, me included, don't eat enough of them.

Leafy greens should be washed well before cooking or eating. Rinse the leaves under running water, wiping the leaves with your fingers; or let the greens soak for a few minutes in cool water, then 'swoosh' around and rinse thoroughly. To know if the greens are free of grit, eat a leaf!


ANY GREEN
Ontario Greens with Sour Cream
Slow-Cooked Greens & Smoked Turkey

Favorite Leafy Green Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Greek Greens (Flash Cook to Eat Later)
Greens 'n' All Beet Soup
Jubilee Greens (How to Sauté Leafy Greens Like Spinach, Chard, Kale & More)
More Recipes for Leafy Greens from A Veggie Venture



CHARD
Savory Bread Pudding with Butternut Squash, Chard & Cheddar

Favorite Chard Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Chard & Chickpeas with Feta
Crustless Quiche with Greens & Garden Vegetables
Green Smoothies
Jubilee Greens (How to Sauté Leafy Greens Like Spinach, Chard, Kale & More)
Swiss Chard Gratin
Swiss Chard Skillet Supper with Tomatoes, Corn, Fresh Dill & Feta
More Chard Recipes from A Veggie Venture

COLLARD GREENS
Sautéed Collard Greens with Bacon
Slow-Cooked Greens & Smoked Turkey

Favorite Collard Green Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Braised Collard Greens
Italian Pasta Salad with Garlicky Tomatoes & Collard Greens
New Year's Soup with Black-eyed Peas & Collard Greens

KALE
Chicken Stew with Chickpeas & Kale
Festive Kale Salad with Apple & Pomegranate
Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Soup
Split-Pea Soup with Sausage & Kale

Favorite Kale Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Crispy Salty Kale Chips
Green Rice
Pride of Erin Soup
Quick "Massaged" Kale Salad
Quinoa Pilaf with Kale & Corn
“Soul Food” Sweet Potato Soup with Chicken, Kale & Coconut Milk
More Kale Recipes from A Veggie Venture

SPINACH - please see Spinach

LETTUCE - please see Green Salads


Kamut

WHAT IS KAMUT? Kamut (pronounce kuh-MOOT) is a high-protein wheat that’s nutty in flavor and chewy in texture.


Oven-Baked Whole-Grain Pilaf with Quinoa, Barley, Kamut & Other Grains

Favorite Kamut Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Egyptian Kamut Salad with Roasted Carrot & Pomegranate
Kamut Salad


Leeks
How to Clean Leeks (illustrated)

Asparagus Whole Wheat Bread Pudding
Cauliflower Risotto
Creamy Wild Rice Soup
Leek Sauce for Pasta
Scandinavian Split-Pea Soup
Spring Stuffing with Leeks & Mushrooms
Vichyssoise
Winter Tomato Soup

Favorite Leek Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Leek & Root Vegetable Gratin
No Waste Leek Stock
Steamed Leeks with Chopped Egg
More Leek Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Lemons
CLASSIC LEMON RECIPES
Brown Sugar Lemon Curd
Lemon Asparagus
Lemon Meringue Pie
Lemon Pots
Lemon Pudding Cake
Old-Fashioned Homemade Lemonade
Spiced Preserved Lemons

LEMON as a PRIMARY FLAVOR – SAVORY
Broccoli Rigatoni with Chickpeas & Lemon
Italian Lemon Chicken
Lamb Roast with Greek Lemon-Oregano Potatoes
Lemon & Asparagus Pasta
Lemon Asparagus
Lemon Basil Shrimp
Lemon Chive Chicken Salad
Spiced Preserved Lemons

LEMON as a PRIMARY FLAVOR – SWEET
How to Sweeten Lemonade with Fruit Not Sugar

Black Walnut Bread
Brown Sugar Lemon Curd
Lemon Crinkle Cookies with Poppy Seeds
Lemon Meringue Pie
Lemon Pots
Lemon Pudding Cake
Old-Fashioned Homemade Lemonade

LEMON as a FLAVOR BRIGHTENER - SWEET
American Apple Pie
Blueberry Jam with Cinnamon
Blueberry Galette
Cranberry Apple Crisp
Dimply Plum Cake
Extra-Crispy Apple Crisp
Homemade Frozen Yogurt with Blackberry Sauce
Homemade Ricotta
Hot Cross Buns
Naked Peach Cobbler
Naturally Sweetened Apple Butter
Old-Fashioned Banana Floats
Peach & Cantaloupe Soup
Peach Blueberry Cake
Rhubarb Ginger Jam
Rhubarb Sorbet
Roasted Rhubarb
Simple Sliced Peaches
Strawberries in Wine
Strawberry Ice Cream
Summer Three-Berry Pie
Winter Fruit Salad

LEMON as a FLAVOR BRIGHTENER – SAVORY
Best-Ever Macaroni Salad
Chickpea & Chicken Salad
Fried Okra "Popcorn"
Grilled Pepper Salad
Herbed Goat Cheese
Ina Garten's Tabbouleh Salad
Leek Sauce for Pasta
Lemon-Honey Chicken Skillet
Moroccan Chicken
Mini Crab Bites
Orange & Cumin Vinaigrette
Roasted Salmon & Asparagus
Shrimp Salad
Simple Hummus
Sole with Mushrooms & Onions
Spiced Chicken Tagine with Roasted Cauliflower
Spiced Yogurt Chicken
Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
Squash & Carrot Stew
Swiss Bircher Muesli
Turkey Orzo Soup with Lemon & Spinach

PRESERVED LEMONS
Spiced Preserved Lemons

Spiced Chicken with Roasted Cauliflower Tagine




Lentils

My pantry is rarely without at least one of two kinds of lentils. Both are prized for hearty flavor and for holding their shape after cooking, especially compared to brown lentils or red lentils. They do take slightly longer to cook.


  • Black Beluga Lentils (some times just Black Lentils) – These were once available at Trader Joe's in dried form very inexpensively. I'm told that the dried lentils will return to the shelves but in the mean time, Trader Joe's does sell bags of pre-cooked black lentils although for a much higher price. They're also available at Amazon.com.
  • "Green Lentils" or "French Lentils" (Lentilles du Puy) – I find these pretty lentils at Whole Foods and in bulk bins at other grocery stores. They're also for sale on Amazon.com.
  • Brown Lentils – These are much less expensive and more easily found than Black or Green Lentils. I once pooh-poohed them but then realized the flavor and texture are much the same, only the color varies.
  • Red Lentils – Red lentils look so pretty in the package but cook down to a pale and lentil-y mush that can really work in a recipe so long as you know what to expect!

Homemade Lentil Soup
Oven-Baked Whole-Grain Pilaf with Quinoa, Barley, Kamut & Other Grains
Simple Lentil Salad with Seasonal Vegetables
Two-Way Lentil Skillet

Favorite Lentil Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Best-Ever Lentil Salad
Curried Red Lentil Soup
Falafel Burgers (Lentil Burgers)
Greek Lentil Soup
Julia Child's Lentil Salad
Lentil Salad with Tomatoes, Dill & Basil
Lentil, Pepper & Spinach Supper with Crispy Tofu & Indian Spices
Oven-Cooked Lentil Soup
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Sloppy Joes
Summer Lentils
Sweet Potato Curry with Red Lentils, Roasted Peppers & Spinach
Veggie Burritos with Cilantro Sauce
Warm Lentil Salad with Spinach & Goat Cheese
More Recipes with Beans & Lentils from A Veggie Venture


Lettuce
I ♥ ICEBERG LETTUCE, I DO, I DO
BLT Pasta Salad
Grilled Steak with Tomato-Avocado Salad in a Warm Poblano-Bacon Vinaigrette
Wedge Salad with Homemade Low-Cal & Low-Carb Blue Cheese Salad Dressing

Favorite Iceberg Lettuce Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Loaded Iceberg Steaks with Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

MORE LETTUCE SIDE SALADS
Big Italian Chopped Salad
Festive Holiday Salad
Roasted Pear Salad
Strawberry Pepper Salad
That Pink Salad

MAIN DISH SALADS
Please see Cold Suppers

Favorite Lettuce Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Classic Seven Layer Salad
Fattoush (Traditional Middle Eastern Salad)
Jerusalem Salad
Seven-Layer Strawberry Salad with Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing


Limes
DRINKS
How to Sweeten Lemonade with Fruit Not Sugar

Bloody Caesar (Canada's Bloody Mary)
Cranberry Champagne Cocktail
Strawberry Milk

APPETIZERS
Almond Cilantro Spread
Blueberry Salsa
Cranberry Salsa
My Guacamole
Strawberry Salsa with Sweet-Cinnamon Baked Tortilla Chips

SIDES & SALADS
Alice Waters’ Coleslaw
Cucumber-Mango Salad
Melon Ball & Blueberry Salad
Mojito Strawberries
Orange & Avocado Salad
Quinoa & Black Bean Salad
Summer Couscous with Mango & Tomato
Thai Cantaloupe Salad
Zucchini Spiral "Noodle" Salad

MAIN DISHES
Asian Chicken Salad
Beef Tacos with Avocado, Cucumber, Mango Salsa
Chicken Nachos with Homemade Pickled Jalapeño Rings
Crockpot Chicken Goulash
Eggplant & Bean Thai Curry Bowl
Grilled Steak with Tomato-Avocado Salad in a Warm Poblano-Bacon Vinaigrette
Honey Mustard Chicken
Mango Chicken Salad
Mexican Chicken Salad
Oaxaca Tlayuda (Mexican Flat Tacos)
Sheetpan Salmon with Garden Hash & Creamy Avocado Sauce
Shrimp Salad Recipes
Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos
Tropical Salad Supper

SOUPS
At Last! Black Bean Soup
Cantaloupe-Tomato Gazpacho
Fruity Gazpacho
Sweet-Corn Soup with Shrimp

SWEETS
Easy Margarita Pie
Fruity Gazpacho
Raspberry Morning Cake

LITTLE EXTRAS
Lime Crema

Favorite Lime Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Green Beans with Jalapeño Lime Butter
Green Cabbage Salad
Grilled Sweet Corn with Spiced Lime Butter
Melon, Blueberry & Feta Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette


Mangoes

MANGO SMOOTHIE RECIPES
Mad for Mangoes: Two Mango Smoothies
Banana Mango Smoothie
Mango Lassi with Mint
Mango & Beet Smoothies

SAVORY MANGO RECIPES
Asian Chicken Salad
Beef Tacos with Avocado, Cucumber, Mango Salsa
Cucumber-Mango Salad
Deep Mexico Fruit Salad
Easy Skinny Turkey Roll-ups with Fresh Veggies
Mango Chicken Salad
Shrimp Salad Recipes
Summer Couscous with Mango & Tomato

SWEET MANGO RECIPES
Finnish Fruit Tart
Grape (or Mango) Salad with Almonds & Cilantro
Mexican Fruit Salad
Mexican Mango Trifle (Ante de Mango)
Tropical Salad Supper

Favorite Mango Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Butternut Squash Soup with Mango & Toasted Coconut
Jicama-Mango Salsa with Chipotle
Roasted Beet Salad with Fresh Mango, Blueberries & Blue Cheese


Maple Syrup

'Grade B' maple syrup isn't second-quality maple syrup, in fact, it has the most flavor. It's the maple syrup I always seek out.


MAPLE SYRUP – SAVORY
Acorn Squash with Quinoa & Cherries
Chicken Sybil
Maple Glazed Salmon
Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple
Swiss Bircher Muesli

MAPLE SYRUP – SWEET
Buttered Pecan Ice Cream
Easy Baked Oatmeal with Apples & Walnuts
Easy Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries & Bananas
Gingerbread Granola
Homemade Granola with Almonds & Apricots

Favorite Recipes with Maple Syrup from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Brussels Sprouts with Maple & Walnut Vinaigrette
Butternut Squash with Maple Glaze
Maple Ginger Sweet Potatoes
Mashed Rutabagas & Apple


Mascarpone
Mini Tiramisu Cups with Pralines


Mayonnaise

I am a Hellman's gal, Hellman's Light Mayonnaise, that is. To my taste, the Light Mayonnaise tastes just as good, if not better, than the full-fat mayonnaise — all for half the fat and half the calories. For salads, I often thin the mayonnaise with buttermilk for a still lighter and tangier texture and taste. Hellman's goes by the name Best Foods west of the Rocky Mountains. For a vegan mayonnaise, I make Almonnaise that's based on whole almonds. For BLTs, I make Homemade Mayonnaise.


Melons

The thick skin of a melon, especially the rough skin of a cantaloupe, can harbor bacteria and other unsavory stuff. Please - do wash the exterior of a melon before cutting into it, so that the knife doesn't transfer it from the skin to the flesh.


CANTALOUPE
Cantaloupe-Tomato Gazpacho
Cantaloupe Salad with Feta & Basil
Cantaloupe Smoothies (Creamy or Frosty)
Cold & Creamy Cantaloupe Soup
Five-Minute Fruit Salad
Melon Ball & Blueberry Salad
Mexican Fruit Salad
Peach & Cantaloupe Soup
Shrimp Salad
Thai Cantaloupe Salad

HONEYDEW
Fruity Gazpacho
Mexican Fruit Salad

WATERMELON
How to Sweeten Lemonade with Fruit Not Sugar
One Quick Tip: The Magic of Watermelon Wedges
Melon Ball & Blueberry Salad

Favorite Melon Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Melon, Blueberry & Feta Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette
Mixed Fruit & Vegetable Salad
Watermelon & Celery Salad with Honey-Lime Vinaigrette
Watermelon, Cucumber & Feta Salad


Skim Milk to Cream & Everything Between

At least in the United States, which naturally I know best, MILK comes in several ways, skim milk having the least fat, cream having the most. I drink skim milk every day but keep both whole milk and cream on hand nearly all the time for coffee and cooking.
TASTE MILK! It pays to try milks from different producers. I love the milk from Farmers' Creamery so much, even the skim milk, that some times I drink it from a wine glass! I credit the grass-fed cows.
SKIM MILK is some times called non-fat milk but still has some fat, a scant half gram per cup.
1% MILK is considered low-fat milk.
2% MILK is considered reduced-fat milk.
WHOLE MILK has 3.25% fat, enough fat that it can thicken custard.
HALF & HALF is half whole milk and half cream, thus, yes, half and half! In the U.S., half 'n' half is easily available in the dairy case but of course, you can mix your own, just mix half milk and half cream.
NON-FAT HALF & HALF is a Land O' Lakes product, with 'taste' of half & half without the calories. I love this for my morning coffee and for stirring into a milk-based soup, say. But I've learned the hard way that it has no thickening properties so can't be used for custard or ice cream, say.
CREAM is heavy cream, the cream used for making homemade whipping cream.
EVAPORATED MILK aka "CANNED MILK" is high in protein. For nutrition detail, see Cream of Broccoli & Carrot Soup.
SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK is thick, viscous, like milky caramel. It's the "key" (tee hee) ingredient in Key Lime Pie.



Molasses

I love the distinctive flavor of molasses, dusky and dark, sweet and sour at the same time. "Light molasses" comes from the first boiling of the syrup from sugar cane and sugar beets. "Dark molasses" comes from the second boiling and is thicker, darker and less sweet, which is why, perhaps it's my personal preference. I'm also a fan of "blackstrap" molasses from the third boiling even though many find blackstrap molasses too bitter. Watch too for "unsulphured molasses" which has a purer, more refined sugar-cane flavor but can be harder to find.


SAVORY
Best-Ever Oatmeal Bread
Calico Beans aka "Alanna's Famous Cowboy Beans"
Mexican Salsa Bread

SWEET
Big Fat Chewy Molasses Cookies
Chocolate Ginger Crinkle Cookies
Cranberry Pudding
Cut-Out Spice Cookies
Fresh Cranberry Bars
Frosty Christmas Trees
Gingerbread Granola
Gingerbread Muffins
Gingerbread Pudding Cake
Gingerbread Snickerdoodle Bars
Molasses Cookies
Molasses Ice Cream
Quick Brown Bread


Mushrooms

MUSHROOM TIPS Can mushrooms be washed? Yes, especially if they're going to be cooked, but do trim off the rough edges first. For raw mushrooms for salads, say, brush off the dirt with a small brush. Cut mushrooms in large pieces (or leave whole or separate the caps and then slice the stems) to avoid a "canned mushroom soup" character. There's one trick for stuffed mushrooms, cook them first.


JUST MUSHROOMS
Easy Easy Grilled Mushroom Appetizer
Homemade Mushroom Soup
Simple Roasted Mushrooms
Stuffed Mushrooms with Cauliflower & Smoked Gouda

MUSHROOM RECIPES - EXTRAS
No-Big-Deal Vegetable Stock for the Slow Cooker

MUSHROOMS as a MAIN INGREDIENT
Asparagus Whole Wheat Bread Pudding
Beef & Mushroom Stew
Beef Barley Soup with Mushrooms
Chicken a la King
Easy Skillet Stroganoff (Beef or Chicken)
Greens & Grits
Make-Ahead Fresh Green Bean Casserole
Pepper Steak & Mushrooms
Sole with Mushrooms & Onions
Smoked Turkey Chowder

MORE MUSHROOM RECIPES
Black Beans & Rice Skillet Casserole with Smoked Chicken
Cashew Chicken Curry
Chicken & Wild Rice Soup (or Turkey & Wild Rice Soup)
Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Sybil
Grilled Vegetables in Foil
Lemon-Honey Chicken Skillet
Low-Fat Vegetable Soup
Marinated Tofu Stir-Fry
Ratatouille
Spanish Stew with Roasted Pepper (Chilindron)
Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
Spring Stuffing with Leeks & Mushrooms
Tourlou Tourlou (Greek Baked Vegetables)
Wild Rice Salad

Favorite Mushroom Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Buckwheat with Mushrooms & Carrots
Roasted Carrots & Mushrooms
World's Best Green Bean Casserole
Zucchini Mushroom Tacos
More Mushroom Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Mustard

WHAT IS "GOOD" MUSTARD? Kitchen Parade recipes often are no more specific than 'good mustard' – which is to say, anything except yellow "ballpark" mustard. The safe bet is Dijon mustard, a pantry staple. But feel free to explore the many, many mustards available now, especially the mustards from other countries, some times sold in tubes like toothpaste! Many mustard packages bear a date – purchase the freshest mustard possible, it loses strength sitting on the shelf.

Or make your own, go DIY! My refrigerator is rarely without a jar of Homemade Finnish Mustard and a squeeze bottle of Famous Mustard Sauce (Carolina BBQ Mustard Sauce). They keep for weeks!


Nuts

How to store nuts Nuts can be more expensive than meat, we don't want them to go to waste! To keep nuts fresh, store them in the freezer, just 'double-bag' to avoid freezer burn. For baking, heighten the natural nut flavor by toasting the nuts beforehand.

How to toast nuts Arrange the nuts on a baking sheet, use a single layer with plenty of space between the nuts. Roast in the oven at 350F or 375F until the nuts begin to turn gold in color, stirring every 5 minutes, watching very carefully at the end. I often start toasting nuts while the oven is preheating, it works great.

Nut substitutes Nuts are often interchangeable so don't hesitate to substitute one for another.


Any Nut Almonds Cashews Macadamia Nuts Peanuts Pecans Walnuts

JUST NUTS
Black Pepper Almonds
Party Nuts with Fresh Rosemary
Savory Roasted Pecans

NUTS, any kind
Irish Spiced Fruitcake
Mom's Everyday Oatmeal Cookies
Overnight Coffeecake
Party Nuts with Fresh Rosemary

ALMONDS
ALMOND MEAL
Blueberry Cheesecake Pie
Chocolate-Almond Shortbread Cookies
Easy Almond Crackers

WHOLE or SLIVERED or CHOPPED ALMONDS
Afghan Chicken & Rice Casserole (Kabeli Palau)
Almond Cilantro Spread
Black Pepper Almonds
Cranberry Linzer Tart
Curried Carrot Rice
DIY Power Balls
Gingerbread Granola
Grape Salad with Almonds & Cilantro
Healthy Trail Mix
Homemade Granola with Almonds & Apricots
Strawberry Pepper Salad
Summer Three-Berry Pie
Swiss Bircher Muesli
Turkey Wild Rice Casserole

Favorite Recipes with Almonds from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Almonnaise (Vegan Mayonnaise Made from Almonds)
Big Cajun Chopped Salad
Detox Chopped Salad

CASHEWS
Cashew Chicken Curry

MACADAMIA NUTS
Cranberry Macadamia-Butter Cookies

PEANUTS See also Peanut Butter
Asian Chicken Salad
Kung Pao Chicken

PECANS

Old pecan trees still grow wild along the riverbanks in Missouri. The smaller, sweeter pecans are painstakingly harvested by hand. Read more here in the recipe for Buttered Pecan Ice Cream.


PECAN MEAL
Easy Almond Crackers

PECANS SAVORY
Best-Ever Oatmeal Bread
Bodacious Brussels Sprouts
Festive Kale Salad with Apple & Pomegranate
Savory Roasted Pecans
Spinach Salad with Fruity Vinaigrette, Fresh Fruit & Maple-Glazed Pecans
Swiss Bircher Muesli

PECANS SWEET
Autumn Pumpkin Bread
Banana Streusel Muffins
Bourbon Pralines
Butter Tart Bars
Buttered Pecan Ice Cream
Cranberry Chutney
Derby Pie
Fresh Cranberry Cake
Fresh Cranberry Drop Cookies
Gingerbread Granola
Maple-Glazed Pecans
Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies
Naked Peach Cobbler
Pecan Meringue Cookies
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin Pecan Pie
Spiced Nuts
Thanksgiving Cake

WALNUTS

BLACK WALNUTS If you can find them, black walnuts have a distinctive flavor that many people, including me, find quite addictive. Believe it or not, I buy large bags of black walnuts (Missouri native walnuts, no less) at Sam's Club in St. Louis. Keep them in the freezer for lasting freshness.

TOASTING To my taste, English walnuts should nearly always be toasted before baking where black walnuts need not be toasted.


ESPECIALLY GOOD WITH BLACK WALNUTS
Autumn Pumpkin Bread
Banana Nut Cake with Caramel Frosting
Black Walnut Bread
Extra-Crispy Apple Crisp
Fresh Cranberry Cake
Old-Fashioned Black Walnut Chocolate Cake
Spiced Nuts
Thanksgiving Cake
Two-Bite Brownies

MORE RECIPES USING WALNUTS
Acorn Squash with Quinoa & Cherries
Banana Streusel Muffins
Basil-Cream Cheese Spread (Boursin Substitute)
Cinnamon Apples
Cranberry Walnut Bread
Derby Pie
Easy Baked Oatmeal with Apples & Walnuts
Easy Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries & Bananas
Festive Holiday Salad
Gingerbread Granola
Graham Cracker Toffee
Healthy Trail Mix
Healthy Waldorf Salad
Quick Brown Bread
Roasted Pear Salad
Sun-Dried Tomato Spread
Thanksgiving Cake
Vanilla Brownies
Winter Pesto with Spinach

Favorite Recipes with Walnuts from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Beet Pesto
Bok Choy Salad with Homemade Creamy Vinaigrette
Brussels Sprouts with Maple & Walnut Vinaigrette
Celery, Date & Walnut Salad
Pumpkin Granola
Roasted Green Beans with Rosemary & Walnuts


Oatmeal

WHICH OATMEAL IS BEST? Kitchen Parade recipes call for the least-processed forms of oats, either steel-cut oats or what the Quaker people call "old-fashioned" oats. So-called "quick oats" may be substituted with good results but "instant oats" or any of the sweetened breakfast oat packets should not be used.

For a description of all the types of oats (old-fashioned oats, steel-cut oats, etc.) you'll want to read Oatmeal: How and Why to Cook It Every Day.


ESPECIALLY FOR STEEL-CUT OATS
Creamy Oatmeal
Slow Cooker Steel-Cut Oats

MORNING OATMEAL
Amazing Texture Creamy Oatmeal
Make-Ahead Homemade Granola with Almonds & Apricots
Especially for the Holidays Gingerbread Granola
Grab 'n' Go On-the-Run Breakfast Bars
Microwave Microwave Creamy Oatmeal with Peanut Butter
Microwave Oatmeal Expresso
Oven (Squares) Easy Baked Oatmeal with Apples & Walnuts
Oven (Squares) Easy Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries & Bananas
Oven (Ramekins) Oven-Baked Oatmeal & Apple
Overnight Oats Swiss Bircher Muesli
Pancakes! Manna Café Oatcakes (Oatmeal Pancakes)
Slow Cooker Slow Cooker Steel-Cut Oats
Stovetop Stovetop Oatmeal with Whipped Banana

Favorite Morning Oatmeal Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Baked Oatmeal with Pumpkin & Pears
Creamy Pumpkin Steel-Cut Oats
Savory Oatmeal with Scallions & Soy Sauce
Carrot & Fruit Oatmeal Slump

GRANOLA
Gingerbread Granola
Homemade Granola with Almonds & Apricots

Favorite Granola Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Pumpkin Granola
Sweet Pumpkin Seed Crumbles

OATMEAL COOKIE RECIPES
(apparently someone here is a fiend for oatmeal cookies!)
Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Gum Drop Cookies
Mom's Everyday Oatmeal Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

All-Natural Dog Treats

MORE OATMEAL – SWEET
No-Roll Oatmeal-Cookie Crust
Pumpkin Pecan Pie
Summer Three-Berry Pie
Triple-Banana Oat Pancakes

MORE OATMEAL – SAVORY
Best-Ever Oatmeal Bread
Elk Meatloaf (or Bison, Beef, Other Meatloaf)
Mexican Salsa Bread


Okra
Black Beans & Rice Skillet Casserole with Smoked Chicken
Cornmeal Catfish with Warm Potato Salad
Fish with Roasted Okra "Fries" & Tomato-Fennel Salad
Fried Okra "Popcorn"
Gumbo
Hurricane Rice with Shrimp & Sausage
Old-Fashioned Southern Brunswick Stew
Steak & Tomatoes
Summer Seafood Chowder
Tourlou Tourlou (Greek Baked Vegetables)

Favorite Okra Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Potato Okra Curry
Sautéed Okra & Garlic
Warm Tomato, Corn & Okra Salad
More Okra Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Olives
Big Italian Chopped Salad
Cheddar-Olive Spread
Chicken Greek Salad
Chickpea & Chicken Salad
Easy Sautéed Red & Yellow Peppers
Easy-Easy Broiled Salmon with Olive Salad
Greek Pasta Salad
Olivada & Olivada Appetizers
Picadillo (Cuban Ground Beef Skillet Supper)
Ratatouille
Red Quinoa Salad Your Way
Smoked Salmon Salad with Quick-Pickled Cucumbers & Roasted Peppers

Favorite Olive Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Baked Orzo Casserole with Eggplant, Olives, Goat Cheese & More
Big Cajun Chopped Salad
Caponata – Sicilian Eggplant
Summer Orzo with Radicchio
Tomato Platter with Olives & Feta


Onions
HOW TO
How To Keep Green Onions Fresh for Weeks
How to Peel Pearl Onions
Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions
Spiced Pickled Red Onions

RECIPES
Breakfast Casserole with Sausage, Apples & Caramelized Onions
Julia Child's Soubise (Onion & Rice Casserole)
Moroccan Onions
No-Big-Deal Vegetable Stock for the Slow Cooker
Oaxaca Tlayuda (Mexican Flat Tacos)
One-Skillet Braised Chicken with Shallots
Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables
Savory Orange Slices

CARAMELIZED ONIONS
Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions

Recipes Using Caramelized Onions
Afghan Chicken & Rice Casserole (Kabeli Palau)
Homemade Onion Dip
Oaxaca Tlayuda (Mexican Flat Tacos)
Caramelized Onion Tart

PEARL ONIONS
How to Peel Pearl Onions
Beef Bourguignon (French Beef Stew)

Favorite Onion Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Slow Cooker Onion Soup
More Onion Recipes from A Veggie Venture

ONION TIPS

Store green onions in the refrigerator, all others in a cool dark place. Onions can be purchased less expensively in three-pound bags and since onions last for several weeks, this can be a real bargain. Wash onions before slicing into them, preventing any dirt or contamination on the outside being transferred to the cutting board and to the interior of the onion. Discard or compost the root end and the leaf end, but otherwise throw the skins into a freezer bag and keep in the freezer to add to chicken stock, vegetable stock, etc. the next time a batch is made.

Kitchen Parade recipes use several kinds of onion, a basic pantry ingredient:


  • GREEN ONIONS — Green onions are also called scallions. They're typically left raw but can be quite delicious when softly cooked in butter or olive oil, as in Asparagus with Green Onion Sauce or used to add flavor to a cooking liquid as in Asparagus Scallion Salad. Put them in a little water, How To Keep Green Onions Fresh for Weeks!
  • YELLOW ONIONS — When a Kitchen Parade recipes calls for "onion", choose a yellow-skinned yellow onion or a brown-skinned yellow onion. Yellow onions brown better so are an especially good choice when you want to caramelize onions. I've learned recently that the yellow-skinned onions are also called "Spanish onions".
  • RED ONIONS — Red onions are especially pretty in salads, just be sure to chop them very small so not to overwhelm with onion flavor.
  • WHITE ONIONS — White onions have a sharper, more onion-y flavor. Choose white onions when you'd like onion flavor to stand out. They also have less juice so are a good choice for anyone whose eyes water when cutting onions. Many Mexican recipes call for white onion.
  • SWEET ONIONS such as Vidalia or Walla Walla — Choose sweet onions only for dishes where they'll stay raw, for sweet onions actually go flat when cooked. Unfortunately, some grocery stores label sweet onions as "yellow onions" so be sure to watch the little stickers on the onions themselves. Interestingly, sweet onions start off from the same plant but the soil and the climate are so different, they end up tasting much different. Sweet onions have a shorter shelf life than yellow, red or white onions.
  • SHALLOTS — Shallots have a gentle onion flavor, I especially like to use shallots when a recipe calls for just a tablespoon or so of onion. They keep a long time so are especially useful to keep on hand.
  • LEEKS — Another way to encourage gentle onion flavor is with leeks.


Oranges
PHOTO TUTORIAL
How to Cut an Orange for Slices

RECIPES WHERE ORANGES STAR
Orange & Avocado Salad
Citrus Slices with Orange Flower Water, Spices & Chocolate Shavings
Cranberry Orange Relish with Fresh Ginger
Cranberry Orange Spread
Old-Fashioned Banana Floats
Orange & Cumin Vinaigrette
Orange Julius Drinks
Savory Orange Slices
Sunshine Orange Muffins

WHOLE ORANGES – SAVORY
Corned Beef with Red Potatoes, Carrot Chunks, Cabbage Wedges & Cheese Sauce
Cranberry Orange Relish with Fresh Ginger
Cranberry Orange Spread
Orange & Cumin Vinaigrette
Savory Orange Slices
Tropical Salad Supper

WHOLE ORANGES – SWEET
Citrus Slices with Orange Flower Water, Spices & Chocolate Shavings
Fresh Peach Pie
Gingerbread Granola
My Perfect (Unsweet, Unboozy) Sangria
Old-Fashioned Banana Floats
Orange Julius Drinks
Roasted Applesauce with Raspberries
Sunshine Orange Muffins

ORANGE JUICE – SAVORY
Apple Yogurt Salad
Celebration Salad (Maple-Roasted Carrots with Arugula, Dill, Cranberry Vinaigrette, Pomegranate and Glazed Pecans)
Orange & Cumin Vinaigrette
Swiss Bircher Muesli
Winter Tomato Soup

ORANGE JUICE – SWEET
Easy Margarita Pie
Peach-Pie Pudding
Raspberry Morning Cake
Spiced Honey Cake
Strawberry Fool

ORANGE JUICE CONCENTRATE

Frozen orange juice concentrate is my favorite way to create intense, undiluted orange flavor. I keep a small container in the freezer nearly all the time, scooping out a spoon or two as needed.


Apple Yogurt Salad
Chicken Sybil
Fresh Cranberry Drop Cookies
Mini Crab Bites
Orange-Kissed Marshmallows
Spiced Honey Cake
Sunshine Orange Muffins

ORANGE ZEST
Cranberry Apple Crisp
Dimply Plum Cake
Hot Cross Buns
Peach & Cantaloupe Soup
Swedish Rye Bread

ORANGE LIQUEUR such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau
Cranberry Champagne Cocktail
Easy Elegant Fruit Tart with a Shortbread Crust
Naked Peach Cobbler
Winter Fruit Salad

MANDARIN ORANGES (canned)
That Pink Salad

Favorite Recipes with Orange from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Fennel-Apple Salad with Orange-Zest Candied Black Walnuts
Green Smoothies
Harvard Beets
Mixed Fruit & Vegetable Salad
Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Cranberry & Orange


Panko

WHAT IS PANKO? Panko (pronounced pawn-ko) is a Japanese bread crumb, light and coarse and crunchy and best of all, shelf stable. I used it for crumb toppings for both sweet and savory dishes. Check out an Asian market, panko is sold in bags or boxes. Increasingly, you can find panko at a regular grocery store but for 3x the price.


Cranberry Apple Crisp
Make-Ahead Fresh Green Bean Casserole
Toasted Goat Cheese
Turnip Puff or Rutabaga Puff


Parsley

For more flavor, choose flat-leaf parsley (also called Italian parsley) rather than curly parsley. But wait! That's the common wisdom, yes, to choose Italian parsley for flavor. But Mark Bittman (who wrote the Minimalist food column at the New York Times until 2011) says that freshness is more important than variety. To keep the parsley fresh, rinse it well, trim the stems by a quarter inch or so, then stick the whole bunch, stems down, into a water glass (one tall enough to brace the stems without smashing the leaves) with about an inch of water and store in the refrigerator; if needed, freshen the water every couple of days.


Chimichurri (Argentinian Parsley Sauce)


Parsnips
Beef Barley Soup with Mushrooms
Creamy Wild Rice Soup
Roasted Parsnips with Pine Nuts

Favorite Parsnip Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Hunger Moon Parsnip Soup
Parsnip Fries
Parsnip Pear Purée
More Parsnip Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Pasta

Kitchen Parade recipes are tested with two types of pasta. For dried pasta, I prefer an Italian dried pasta such as De Cecco pasta. I also often use the low-glycemic pasta from Dreamfields. It may be "low-carb pasta" but it's so good, no one will notice the difference. It comes in just a few of the most common pasta shapes and can be hard to find but is worth seeking out.


See Main Dish Pasta Recipes
See Noodle Soup Recipes
See Pasta Salad Recipes
See Side Dish Pasta Recipes

ORZO & OTHER MINI PASTAS

Mini pasta is so fun! So no surprise, orzo is perhaps my favorite pasta. Since orzo is so small, it distributes further, that means you can use less but still get lots of pasta mouthfeel in every bite. Orzo is also sometimes called "riisi" because yes, orzo is shaped like rice, either short-grained rice but some times long-grained rice. There are also tiny round balls of pasta called "Israeli couscous".


BLT Pasta Salad
Garden Pasta Salad with Mint Vinaigrette
Turkey Orzo Soup with Lemon & Spinach

Favorite Orzo Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Baked Orzo Casserole with Eggplant, Olives, Goat Cheese & More
Orzo with Spinach
Summer Orzo with Radicchio
Israeli Couscous Salad with Yellow Squash & Sun-Dried Tomatoes


Peanut Butter
Banana-Peanut Butter Muffins
Cashew Chicken Curry
Crockpot Chicken Goulash
Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
'Dog Chow' for Kids
Holy Slaw!
Microwave Creamy Oatmeal with Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter & Jelly Smoothies
Snickers Cookies on Sticks (or NOT)


Peaches & Nectarines

Peaches and nectarines may be interchanged.


FRESH PEACHES – SAVORY
Baked Chicken with Fresh Peaches
Savory Peach Appetizer

FRESH PEACHES – SWEET
Cornmeal Muffins with Peaches
First-Prize Peach Pie
Fresh Peach Pie
Homemade Peach Syrup with Fresh Peaches
Last-Minute Pantry Pie
Naked Peach Cobbler
Peach & Cantaloupe Soup
Peach Blueberry Cake
Peach-Pie Pudding
Peach, Cherry & Blueberry Fruit Sauce or Fruit Soup
Roasted Peaches
Rustic Peach Ice Cream
Simple Sliced Peaches
Summer Fruit Salad with Fresh Mint

CANNED PEACHES
Winter Fruit Salad


Pears
FRESH PEARS
Easy-Easy Pear Sauce
Estonian Apple Cake
Mexican Fruit Salad
Roasted Pear Salad

CANNED PEARS
Winter Fruit Salad


Peas
including Green Peas, Snow Peas & Sugar Snap Peas

Many Kitchen Parade recipes include a cup or so of peas at the end of a recipe. Bags of frozen peas are inexpensive to buy and easy to keep on hand. Better still, the peas cook in just minutes and often add a welcome spark of color.


PEAS as the MAIN INGREDIENT
Very Very Green Green-Pea Soup

SUGAR SNAP PEAS
Marinated Tofu Stir-Fry
Mint Julep Pork Chops with Sugar Snap Peas

PEAS added LATE FOR COLOR
Best-Ever Macaroni Salad
Cashew Chicken Curry
Chicken a la King
Chicken Sybil
Cornmeal Catfish with Warm Potato Salad
Sweet Pepper Pasta Skillet
Turkey Sweet Potato Soup
Turkey Tetrazzini
Turkey Wild Rice Casserole
Wild Rice Salad

Favorite Pea Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Sugar Snap Peas with Lemon Butter
East African Pea Soup
Summer Dill Salad
More Pea Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Pickle Juice

Whaaatttt? Pickle juice?!

A squirt or spoon of pickle juice can make all the difference in a dish. After all, it's often just concentrated saltiness and vinegary-ness, perhaps with some other flavors.

And if you save leftover pickle juice after the pickles are gone, well, it's free seasoning, right?

Sweet pickle juice works but I am especially fond of the leftover juice from dill pickles. Experiment with what works for you! Here are a few ideas ...


Best-Ever Macaroni Salad
Chicken Salad for Sandwiches
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Easy Skillet Stroganoff (Beef or Chicken)
Simple Dill Pickle Slaw

Favorite Recipes Using Pickle Juice from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Polish Dill Pickle Soup


Pie Crusts

Even though I starting making homemade pie crusts when I was 16, as an adult, I lost the knack and for three or four years, struggled to make pie crusts worth eating. During this period, I often turned to Pillsbury's Refrigerated Pie Crusts and learned that to improve their taste by sprinkling the dough with a little sugar and rolling it out thinner. It's still easy to handle, you throw away the excess so save a few calories, and is less likely to get gummy during baking.

I'm happy to report that once again I make pie crusts that cause people to moan with pleasure, see my recipe for Flaky Tender Pie Crust and step-by-step pie crust photos and tips in How to Make Flaky Tender Pie Crust. That said, I still keep a box of the Pillsbury crusts in the freezer, they do come in handy on occasion.


Pineapple
Deep Mexico Fruit Salad
Holiday Fruit & Yogurt Parfait with Cranberries, Applesauce, Pineapple & Kiwi
How to Sweeten Lemonade with Fruit Not Sugar
Mexican Fruit Salad
Winter Fruit Salad


Plums
FRESH PLUMS
Dimply Plum Cake

DRIED PLUMS aka 'PRUNES'


Poblano Peppers

Poblanos are my favorite "hot" pepper and are fast becoming a signature ingredient in my kitchen. Their dark-green skins are really quite mild, more "warm and smoky" than "fiery hot". In fact, the chef Rick Bayless calls poblano chiles "starter" peppers! An added benefit is that poblanos are often far less expensive than the pricey red bell peppers. Look for poblano peppers with the chiles, they'll be large and rather rumpled looking but are worth seeking out.


BREAKFAST
Ham & Eggs
Refried Bean Sauce with Eggs on Top

MAIN DISHES
Black Beans & Rice Skillet Casserole with Smoked Chicken
Green Chili Burgers
Grilled Steak with Tomato-Avocado Salad in a Warm Poblano-Bacon Vinaigrette
Ham & Beans
Mini Porcupine Meatballs
Picadillo (Cuban Ground Beef Skillet Supper)
Pork & Poblano Skillet
Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
Steak & Poblanos

SALADS & SIDES
Grilled Pepper Salad
Mexican Rice
Sweet Potato Salad with Roasted Poblano, Roasted Corn & Chipotle

SOUPS & CHILIS
Crockpot Chili with Spicy Sausage
Gumbo
White Chicken Chili

EXTRAS
Green Chile Sauce (Salsa Verde)

Favorite Poblano Pepper Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Cabbage & Pepper Chakchoukah aka OogaChaka Eggs
Cauliflower Steaks with Warm Corn & Poblano Salsa
Grilled Pepper & Tomato Salad
Potato & Poblano Pepper Gratin
Quick Green Chile Stew
Vegetable Chili with Sweet Potatoes & Chipotle


Pomegranates
TIPS
How to Remove Pomegranate Seeds

Apple Yogurt Salad
Celebration Salad (Maple-Roasted Carrots with Arugula, Dill, Cranberry Vinaigrette, Pomegranate and Glazed Pecans)
Festive Kale Salad with Apple & Pomegranate
Mexican Fruit Salad

Favorite Pomegranate Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Carrot Salad with Pomegranate
Red & Green Warm Spinach Salad


Popcorn
Homemade Microwave Caramel Corn
How to Cook Popcorn in a Microwave in a Paper Bag


Potatoes
POTATOES as the MAIN INGREDIENT
Baked Chicken with Herb-Roasted Potatoes
Grilled New-Potato Kabobs
Lavender Potatoes
Potato Bites with Smoked Salmon
Potato Blintzes
Scalloped Potatoes & Beets ("Those Pink Potatoes")
Vichyssoise

MASHED POTATOES
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Cauliflower (Low-Carb Mashed "Potatoes") (not potatoes but a low-carb substitute)
Mashed Potatoes & Carrots
Perfect Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes (Party Potatoes)
Smashed Potatoes & Broccoli Casserole

POTATO SALAD
Confetti Potato Salad
Warm Potato Salad

RECIPES for COOKED POTATOES
Smashed Potatoes & Broccoli Casserole

RECIPES for FROZEN POTATOES
Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole with Hash Browns & Eggs

POTATOES as a SUPPORTING INGREDIENT
Balkan Summer Sausage Stew
Chicken & Veggies Baked in Foil
Corned Beef with Red Potatoes, Carrot Chunks, Cabbage Wedges & Cheese Sauce
Irish Beef Stew
Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)
Finnish Summer Soup
Lamb Roast with Greek Lemon-Oregano Potatoes
Low Fat Vegetable Soup
Rainbow Chicken
Smoked Turkey Chowder
Tourlou Tourlou (Greek Baked Vegetables)
Winter Stew

POTATOES as THICKENERS
At Last! Black Bean Soup
Creamy Wild Rice Soup
Laura's Healthy Carrot Soup
Light Vegetable Stock
Scandinavian Split-Pea Soup
Creamy Wild Rice Soup

Favorite Potato Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog about vegetables
"Best Ever" New Potatoes & Green Beans
Finnish Summer Potato Salad
How to Roast Potatoes to Perfection
Microwave Baked Potato
Peperonata with Potatoes
Polish Dill Pickle Soup
Rosemary Potatoes
Twice-Baked Potatoes
Warm German Potato Salad
More Potato Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)
Mexican Salsa Bread
Squash Puff

Favorite Pumpkin Seed Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Spicy Sweet Pumpkin Seeds
Sweet Pumpkin Seed Crumbles




Pesto
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE PESTO
Homemade Fresh Basil Pesto Without Cheese
Winter Pesto with Spinach

RECIPES USING PESTO (Homemade or Store-Bought)
Salmon with Pesto Zucchini Noodles & Warm Tomatoes

Favorite Recipes with Pesto from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Chilled Zucchini Noodle Salad with Pesto, Sweet Corn & Sun-Dried Tomato
Pasta with Zucchini Noodles, Ricotta & Basil Pesto
Warm Caprese Bites


Poppy Seeds

Poppy seeds are priced like black pearls at supermarkets. Instead, buy bags of poppy seeds for a couple dollars at an international grocery.


Banana Bread with Cherries & Poppy Seeds
Christmas Banana Bread
Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Homemade Poppy Seed Cake
Lavosh - Aremenian Cracker Bread
Lemon Crinkle Cookies with Poppy Seeds
Poppy Seed Pancakes
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Vinaigrette



Puff Pastry
Coming soon.


Pumpkin

Canned pumpkin is a good choice for most baking, just be sure to purchase 100% pumpkin, not a pumpkin pie mix. But ever since discovering an easier technique for roasting a "pumpkin", I usually rely on Homemade Kabocha Squash "Pumpkin" Purée. You can also roast a whole butternut squash, a good substitute for pumpkin, even in 'pumpkin' recipes. In some parts of the world, 'pumpkin' is what Americans call winter squash.


RECIPE COLLECTIONS
Favorite Pumpkin Recipes

HOMEMADE PANTRY
Homemade Kabocha Squash "Pumpkin" Purée

CLASSIC PUMPKIN RECIPES
Autumn Pumpkin Bread
Perfect Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato (or Pumpkin or Butternut Squash) Grits

PUMPKIN RECIPES - SWEET
Apple-Butter Pumpkin Pie
Autumn Pumpkin Bread
Gingerbread Granola
Mini Pumpkin Pies
Perfect Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Pumpkin Spice Lattes
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Pumpkin Pecan Pie
Thanksgiving Cake

PUMPKIN RECIPES – SAVORY
Fall Stew Baked in a Whole Pumpkin
Light 'n' Fluffy Homemade Whole-Grain Bread & Buns
Pumpkin-Stuffed Lasagna Rolls
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato (or Pumpkin or Butternut Squash) Grits

Favorite Pumpkin Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Baked Pumpkin Donuts & Donut Holes
Creamy Pumpkin Steel-Cut Oats
Honey Pumpkin Pie
No-Bake Pumpkin Cream Pie
Pumpkin Bars
Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
Pumpkin Granola
Pumpkin Pancakes
Pumpkin Smoothies
Stuffed Pumpkin with Apple & Cranberry
Whole Pumpkin Baked with Custard
More Pumpkin Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Quinoa

WHAT IS QUINOA? [pronounced KEEN-wa] Quinoa is a a high-protein grain and is considered a complete protein. It's also higher in unsaturated fats, lower in carbohydrates than other grains and entirely gluten-free. I love it because it's lighter-tasting than other grains and cooks quickly. Look for quinoa at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and natural-food stores. Recently, I've begun to find "red quinoa" which has a dramatic appearance but tastes the same as "white quinoa".


MEAL PREP
How to Cook Quinoa for Meal Prep

QUINOA RECIPES – SWEET
Brown Rice & Quinoa Rice Pudding

QUINOA RECIPES – SAVORY
Acorn Squash with Quinoa & Cherries
Oven-Baked Whole-Grain Pilaf with Quinoa, Barley, Kamut & Other Grains
Quinoa & Black Bean Salad
Red Quinoa Salad Your Way

Favorite Quinoa Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Quinoa Pilaf with Kale & Corn
Quinoa Salad with Tomato-Balsamic Vinaigrette
Sweet Potato Soup with Quinoa & Coconut Milk
Sushi Salad




Radicchio
Big Italian Chopped Salad

Favorite Radicchio Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Summer Orzo with Radicchio
Seared Radicchio
Spring & Summer Sliced Salad
Weight Watchers Italian Zero Points Soup
More Radicchio Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Radishes
Finnish Summer Soup

Favorite Radish Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Easy Easy Radish Appetizer
Finn Crisp with Laughing Cow & Radishes
How to Cook Radishes in the Microwave
Quick Radish & White Bean Salad
Spring & Summer Sliced Salad
More Radish Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Rhubarb
Country Rhubarb Cobbler
Finnish Fruit Tart
Rhubarb Cake
Rhubarb Custard Pie
Rhubarb Ginger Jam
Rhubarb Muffins
Rhubarb Rosemary Jelly
Rhubarb Sorbet
Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
Roasted Rhubarb
Savory Rhubarb Chutney
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Upside-Down Rhubarb Cheesecake

Favorite Rhubarb Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Custard with Rhubarb Sauce
Perfect All-Rhubarb Pie
Rhubarb Curd
Strawberry Rhubarb Smoothie
More Rhubarb Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Rice
  • WHAT IS WHITE RICE? For many of us, white rice is what we just call "rice". It's the standard, the every day. Technically, white rice is what's found inside every grain of rice, after the outer hull is removed. Truth? I adore white rice, especially since I learned a quick, basic cooking method, see How to Cook White Rice.
  • WHAT IS BROWN RICE? Because it is more healthful, whole and natural brown rice is nearly always my choice when cooking rice. But "brown rice" is not a variety of rice. Instead it is any unmilled rice; the grains retain their outer hulls and their inner germs, keeping the nutrients intact. (The exception is "quick" brown rice, these should be avoided.) So look for all varieties of brown rice, basmati brown rice, jasmine brown rice, medium brown rice, long brown rice, etc.
  • RISOTTO RICE For risotto, the traditional choices are Arborio rice and carnaroli rice.
  • WILD RICE See also wild rice which is actually a grass, not a rice.
  • TIRED of RICE? Try whole grains like barley, buckwheat, bulghur wheat, farro, kamut or quinoa or a whole-grain pilaf like Oven-Baked Whole-Grain Pilaf with Quinoa, Barley, Kamut & Other Grains.

HOW TO COOK BROWN RICE
Oven-Baked Brown Rice
Fool-Proof Oven-Baked Brown Rice from A Veggie Venture
Perfect Stovetop Brown Rice from A Veggie Venture

UNCOOKED RICE RECIPES
Afghan Chicken & Rice Casserole (Kabeli Palau)
Black Beans & Rice Skillet Casserole with Smoked Chicken
Cauliflower Risotto
Hurricane Rice with Shrimp & Sausage
Julia Child's Soubise (Onion & Rice Casserole)
Mexican Rice
Mini Porcupine Meatballs
Pork Chops & Rice Oven Dinner
Red Beans & Rice
Red Rice with Tomatoes

Favorite "Vegetables with Rice" Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Cajun Dirty Rice with Eggplant
Finnish Carrot-Rice Casserole
Greek Rice Salad with Artichokes & Feta
Green Rice

COOKED RICE (LEFTOVER RICE) RECIPES
Hurricane Rice with Shrimp & Sausage
Quick Supper Simple Beef Salad
Brown Rice & Quinoa Rice Pudding
Curried Carrot Rice

Favorite "Vegetables with Cooked (Leftover) Rice" Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Finnish Carrot Casserole
Tomato & Rice Salad

More "Vegetables with Rice" Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Ricotta
How to Make Homemade Ricotta

Creamy Ricotta with Tomato-Cucumber-Corn Salad
Crockpot Lasagna
Herbed Ricotta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Personal Pan Lasagna
Smashed Potatoes & Broccoli Casserole
Spinach Dip

Favorite Ricotta Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Cauliflower Mac n Cheese with Ricotta
Pasta with Zucchini Noodles, Ricotta & Basil Pesto
Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi with Creamy Tomato Sauce


Rutabagas

Rutabagas are also called "swedes", "Swedish turnips" – also "yellow turnips" for their lovely sunny color of their flesh – and some times, just "turnips". However, rutabagas are much different in appearance from the familiar purple-topped white-fleshed turnips (see turnip recipes) although can be cooked interchangeably. Rutabagas are large and dense root vegetables, usually sold covered with a layer of wax to preserve.

Turnip or Rutabaga Puff

Favorite Rutabaga Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Glazed Rutabagas
Leek & Root Vegetable Gratin
Mashed Rutabagas & Apple
Scalloped Swedes & Finns
More Rutabaga Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Salmon
FRESH SALMON
Easy-Easy Broiled Salmon with Olive Salad
Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)
Maple Glazed Salmon
Roasted Salmon & Asparagus
Salmon with Crispy Crust
Salmon with Pesto Zucchini Noodles & Warm Tomatoes
Simple Grilled Salmon
Sheetpan Salmon with Garden Hash & Creamy Avocado Sauce

"SMOKED SALMON" (Cured and Cold-Smoked Without Heat, often called Lox or Nova Lox)
Potato Bites with Smoked Salmon
Smoked Salmon Salad with Quick-Pickled Cucumbers & Roasted Peppers

GRAVLAX (Scandinavian-Style Salt- and Herb-Cured But Unsmoked Salmon, Even Though, So Confusingly, It's Often Called Smoked Salmon)
My Recipe Is Coming Soon!

HOT-SMOKED SMOKED SALMON (Uncured and Heat-Smoked, also called "Smoked Salmon")
Smoked Salmon Quiche
Smoked Salmon Spread


Salsa Verde

It's easy to make your own Green Chile Sauce, aka Salsa Verde, but easy-to-find jars of salsa verde are inexpensive and great to have on hand. See also Green Chiles.


MAKE YOUR OWN
Green Chile Sauce (Salsa Verde)

RECIPES USING SALSA VERDE
Easy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Green Chili Burgers
Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
Southwestern Chicken Taco Salad Plates (with Quick Salsa Dressing)

Favorite Recipes Using Salsa Verde from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Quick Green Chile Stew

Tomato Salsa
MAKE YOUR OWN
Best Quick Tomato Salsa (Red Salsa)

RECIPES USING TOMATO SALSA
Crockpot Chicken Goulash
Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole with Hash Browns & Eggs
Easy Margarita Chicken
Mexican Gas House Eggs
Mexican Salsa Bread
Southwestern Chicken Taco Salad Plates (with Quick Salsa Dressing)

Favorite Recipes Using Tomato Salsa from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Cauliflower Spanish "Rice"
Easy Salsa Dressing


Salt

Kitchen Parade typically calls for three or four types of salt.


  • TABLE SALT is what most of us thought of as just 'salt' until we became cooks. It is fine-grained and includes additives to prevent clumping and to encourage pouring. It often includes iodine, a natural chemical that prevents goiters. (Did you know that with more people using non-iodized salt, the incidence of goiter is on the rise? Be sure to include iodized salt in your diet! I use it in the cooking water for vegetables, say.) It is useful for baking, since the small grains distribute easily throughout a dough or batter. For anything else, it can be harsh and bitter. To substitute table salt for a recipe specifying kosher salt or sea salt, use half as much table salt.
  • KOSHER SALT comes in blue boxes (Morton Kosher Salt) and red and white cylinders (Diamond Kosher Salt). Look for them in the salt section at your supermarket. Either one will work, both are free of additives. I use both, interchangeably, but it's good to know (especially for brining and other salt-centric techniques) that Morton Salt is 'saltier' than Diamond because it's heavier; this means that 1 teaspoon of Morton Kosher Salt is the equivalent of 2 teaspoons of Diamond Kosher Salt. Kosher salt has a larger grain and is more gentle than table salt. It is less expensive than sea salt. To substitute kosher salt for a recipe specifying table salt, use twice as much kosher salt.
  • SEA SALT, at least 'real' sea salt is more expensive than kosher salt, thanks to a time- and labor-intensive harvest, capturing the salt that's left when sea water evaporates. To substitute sea salt for table salt, use twice as much sea salt.
  • FINISHING SALTS are typically sprinkled atop a dish (say slices of rare beef tenderloin or garden-ripe tomatoes) immediately before serving, adding bright bursts of saltiness and ironically, using less sodium. My favorite finishing salts are fleur de sel from France and Maldon sea salt from Great Britain.


Sausage
Balkan Summer Sausage Stew
Big Italian Chopped Salad
Breakfast Casserole with Sausage, Apples & Caramelized Onions
Charcuterie for Two
Crockpot Chili with Spicy Sausage
Gumbo
Hurricane Rice with Shrimp & Sausage
Italian Sausage with Grapes & Greens
Karelian Borscht (Finnish - Russian Beet Borscht Soup)
Sausage Stuffing (Turkey Dressing)
Split-Pea Soup with Sausage & Kale

Favorite Sausage Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Homemade Swedish Potato Sausage
Pasta with Sausage & Broccoli Rabe
Sausage & Cabbage Skillet
more Sausage Recipes with Vegetables from A Veggie Venture


Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is a busy cook's friend (it's already cooked), a dieter's friend (it has hardly any calories and tons of fiber), a frugal shopper's friend (it's cheap)! That's practically a miracle food. Do purchase sauerkraut in a jar or a plastic pouch, anything other than canned sauerkraut. Small butchers often have their own sauerkraut, it can be excellent. See also Cabbage.


Ribs & Sauerkraut for Slow Cooker or Dutch Oven
Sauerkraut Salad
Thick Chops with Sauerkraut & Apples

Favorite Sauerkraut Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Reuben Casserole
More Sauerkraut Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Scallops
Seared Scallops with Garlicky Polenta & Chimichurri
Summer Seafood Chowder

Favorite Scallop Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Smoked Scallops with Zucchini Ribbons


Sesame Seeds & Tahini

Sesame seeds were the first recorded seasoning, dating way back to 3000BC and Assyria. The tiny seeds grow widely in India and throughout the Orient and were brought to America by African slaves, who called the seeds bennĂ© (pronounced BEHN-nee) seed. No wonder that sesame seeds became popular in Southern cooking! Sesame seeds are most commonly ivory in color but also come in shades of brown, red and black. Sesame seeds have a nutty, slightly sweet flavor and are often used in baked goods such as breads, pastries, cakes and cookies – but most importantly in its ground form, akin to peanut butter. We call ground sesame seeds "tahini", it's one of two essential ingredients in hummus!


SESAME SEEDS
Armenian Easter Bread
Lavosh - Aremenian Cracker Bread
Mom's Everyday Oatmeal Cookies
Quick Crisp Flatbread
Savory Cauliflower Cake
Sesame Candy
Swiss Bircher Muesli

TAHINI

Tahini is a thick paste the consistency of peanut butter made from ground sesame seeds. For the record, I don't recommend Trader Joe's Tahini "Sauce" product since it's not tahini. Since that product launched, Trader Joe's also sells small-ish jars of tahini, it's not bad but I prefer the imported bottles. Tahini should be stored in the refrigerator. Over time, it will separate, just run it through the food processor to reconstitute the tahini.


Simple Hummus

Favorite Sesame Seed & Tahini Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
SESAME SEEDS
Armenian Tahini Bread
Asian Carrot & Sesame Salad
Carrot & Chickpea Salad with Tahini-Lemon Dressing

TAHINI
Armenian Tahini Bread
Baba Ganoush (Middle Eastern Eggplant Spread)
Crazy-Smooth Crazy-Good Hummus
Jerusalem Salad
Warm Butternut Squash & Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing




Shrimp
See Also Fish Salmon Tuna Crab Lobster Scallops

SHRIMP APPETIZERS
Five-Minute Shrimp Cocktail Sauce

Cold Shrimp in Creamy Dill Sauce with Capers
Easy Shrimp Bites
Lemon Basil Shrimp
Warm Baked Feta & Tomatoes with Shrimp

SOUPS with SHRIMP
Lazy Man's Ciopinno
Gumbo
Quick 'n' Easy Shrimp Bisque
Summer Seafood Chowder
Sweet-Corn Soup with Shrimp

SHRIMP in MAIN DISHES
Hurricane Rice with Shrimp & Sausage
Shrimp Salad Recipes
Shrimp Veracruz
Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta
Two-Way Lentil Skillet
Warm Baked Feta & Tomatoes with Shrimp


Sorghum

WHAT IS SORGHUM? Sorghum (also called 'sorghum syrup' and 'sorghum molasses') is a plant-based sweetener that's popular in the American Midwest and American South. It has the consistency of rice syrup and is used like a table syrup on pancakes and biscuits.


Easy Baked Oatmeal with Apples & Walnuts
Easy Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries & Bananas
Homemade Granola with Almonds & Apricots
Light & Fluffy Homemade Whole-Grain Bread & Buns
Magical Breakfast Cream

Jam

Do jars of jam mysteriously appear in your pantry? Here too! We love jam on our morning toast, nearly always Fried Bread made from my My Easy Everyday Bread Recipe. But after that? Think of jam as an ingredient, all of a sudden, it's handy to have on hand!

Easy-Easy Jam Tart


Sour Cream

To my taste, low-fat sour cream is a great lower-calorie substitute for sour cream but non-fat sour cream is largely to be avoided.


SOUR CREAM – SAVORY
Almond Cilantro Spread
Baked Chicken with Herb-Roasted Potatoes
Borscht Beets with Sour Cream
Caper Chops with Curried Carrots
Chicken Burgers with Fresh Spinach, Feta and Garden Tzatziki Sauce
Chicken Sybil
Chicken Nachos with Homemade Pickled Jalapeño Rings
Cucumber Dip with Feta
Easy Creamy Scrambled Eggs for a Crowd
Easy Skillet Stroganoff (Beef or Chicken)
Homemade Onion Dip
Lime Crema
Mexican Salsa Bread
My Everyday Creamy Herb Salad Dressing
Nana's Cucumbers with Sour Cream
Ontario Greens with Sour Cream
Perfect Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes (Party Potatoes)
Potato Bites with Smoked Salmon
Skillet Cornbread
Smashed Potatoes & Broccoli Casserole
Smoked Whitefish Spread on Cucumber
Trio of Vegetables with Sour Cream
Turkey Burgers with Zucchini

SOUR CREAM - SWEET
Apple Yogurt Salad
Easy Margarita Pie
Finnish Fruit Tart
Homemade Poppy Seed Cake
Irish Soda Bread Muffins
Mini Blueberry Tarts
Mom's Blueberry Coffeecake
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Quick Banana Dessert
Strawberry Fool
Swedish Cream

Favorite Recipes with Sour Cream from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Cauliflower Cream
Parmesan Sweet Potato Fries with Horseradish Sauce
Twice-Baked Potatoes


Edamame

Edamame is pronounced [eh-dah-MAH-meh], but in my family, we call them Aunt Edna May! Edamame are fresh soybeans and in the shells, they are my very favorite nutritious and kid-friendly quick snack. They're available shelled and unshelled in the frozen food section, also occasionally in fresh produce but much more expensive.


Favorite Edamame Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Asparagus & Edamame Salad
Easy Refrigerator Salad
How to Cook Edamame Right in the Shell
More Edamame Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Spaghetti Sauce
Mini Porcupine Meatballs


Favorite Spices

Kitchen Parade recipes are "spice forward" — this means that spices are applied assertively to heighten flavor and increase satisfaction even when decreasing fat, sugar and portion size.


Grocery stores are notorious for marking up spices to astronomical prices. Much better prices are found in international markets. But if that's not convenient, some bargains can be found, even at the grocery store. For the best prices for spices, check the spice aisle each trip, noting what's on sale. Just before Christmas, many baking spices go on sale for half price or less, this is a good time to refresh your spice cabinet.


SPICE BLENDS — I rarely buy or use store-bought spice blends. Why? They're expensive. Many are heavy on salt, so hard-earned cash is spent on salt vs flavor. Many others are hard to find, so can't be replicated by Kitchen Parade readers so I don't want to rely on them.


HOMEMADE SPICE BLENDS Two favorites are Spiced Tuscan Salt and Cajun Spice Mix.


BAKING SPICE & CAKE SPICE — That said, for many years I have relied on two special spice blends from Penzeys, Cake Spice (cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cloves) and Baking Spice (cinnamon, anise, mace, cardamom). Use them 1:1 when cinnamon or nutmeg is called for in cakes, cookies, muffins, fruit crisps or anything, really. You'll notice the difference, things just taste a little bit better, there's some nuance and interest that just doesn't happen with a one-note spice.


CINNAMON — I love another Penzeys product, the Vietnamese Extra-Fancy Cinnamon.


PIMENTÓN [pe-men-TONE] — Pimentón is also called "Spanish paprika" or "smoked paprika" and is a mainstay in Spanish cuisine. It has a deep, smoky essence that has become a signature flavor in stews and braised meats, in eggs and grain salads. It's not inexpensive but is worth seeking out. I buy the semi-sweet pimentón but there is a "hot" Spanish paprika too. For online orders, check Penzeys. St. Louisans, look for pimentón at Global Foods in Kirkwood. For recipe ideas, see Easy Baked Fish with Red Pepper & Cucumber Salad or Squash & Carrot Stew or search for pimentón in the Search Box.


SUMAC is a ruddy red-colored spice. It's made from the ground fruit of sumac trees and shrubs and adds a wonderful sour note that I just love and is common in Middle Eastern food. Here, you can search for my recipes using sumac in the Search Box.


Spinach

Fresh baby spinach – including the oh-so-convenient bags of fresh baby spinach – is perfect for salads but too tender for cooking. For recipes where cooking is specified, choose the curly spinach often found in open bins. It will need to be washed very well and it often pays to cut out the tough ribs and stems.


FRESH SPINACH
Asian Chicken Salad
Chicken Burgers with Fresh Spinach, Feta and Garden Tzatziki Sauce
Chicken Greek Salad
Chicken Veggie Quesadillas
Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole with Hash Browns & Eggs
Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)
Green Mayonnaise
Herbed Goat Cheese
Italian Sausage with Grapes & Greens
Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Soup
Meatball Soup with Broccoli Rabe
Ontario Greens
Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta
Spinach Salad with Fruity Vinaigrette, Fresh Fruit & Maple-Glazed Pecans
Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
Spinach Soup with Perfect Hard-Cooked Eggs
Split-Pea Soup with Sausage & Kale
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
Tropical Salad Supper
Turkey Orzo Soup with Lemon & Spinach
Winter Pesto with Spinach


Favorite Fresh Spinach Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Baked Eggs in Cream with Spinach
Big Cajun Chopped Salad
Creamed Eggs with Spinach
Creamy Spinach with Artichokes
Easy Spinach Nests
Everything Bagel Breakfast Salad
Green Rice
Healthy Creamed Spinach
How to Make a Spinach Omelet
Orzo with Spinach
Red & Green Warm Spinach Salad
Spin Dip Baked Eggs
Spinach & Artichoke Gratin
Spinach Quiche with Red Pepper & Feta
Spinach Brownies
Spinach Curry
Spinach Burgers
Spinach Pancakes
Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi with Creamy Tomato Sauce
Weight Watchers Spinach Dip
More Spinach Recipes from A Veggie Venture

FROZEN SPINACH
Bacon & Egg Breakfast Bake
Crockpot Lasagna
Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole with Hash Browns & Eggs
Greens & Grits
Personal Pan Lasagna
Spinach Dip
Spinach Puffs
Spinach Soup with Perfect Hard-Cooked Eggs

Favorite Frozen Spinach Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Chickpeas with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta
Creamy Spinach with Artichokes
Healthy Creamed Spinach
Spin Dip Baked Eggs
Spinach, Artichoke & Bacon Dip
Spinach Burgers
Spinach Casserole
Turkey Florentine
Warm Lentil Salad with Spinach & Goat Cheese
More Spinach Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Sprouts

Favorite Sprout Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
More Sprout Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Strawberries
SAVORY
Five-Minute Fruit Salad
Strawberry Pepper Salad
Strawberry Salsa with Sweet-Cinnamon Baked Tortilla Chips
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
Strawberry Vinaigrette with Chipotle

SWEET
Canadian Flag Cake with Strawberries
Chocolate Cream Puffs Stuffed with Strawberries & Cream
Finnish Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake
Fresh Strawberry Pie
Mojito Strawberries
Rustic Strawberry Ice Cream
Strawberries in Wine
Strawberry Banana Chocolate Crumble
Strawberry Fool
Strawberry Ice Cream
Strawberry Milk
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Strawberry Shortcake Iowa-Style
Summer Three-Berry Pie
Winter Fruit Salad

FROZEN STRAWBERRIES
Strawberry Ice Cream
Winter Fruit Salad

Favorite Recipes with Strawberries from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Seven-Layer Strawberry Salad with Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing
Strawberry Rhubarb Smoothies


Stock
Homemade Chicken Stock
Light Vegetable Stock
No-Big-Deal Homemade Chicken Stock
Turkey Stock

Favorite Stock Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Homemade Vegetable Bouillon Concentrate
No Waste Leek Stock


Sugar

Kitchen Parade recipes use several kinds of sugar and other sweeteners.


  • SUGAR If a recipe calls for sugar, assume granulated sugar, the standard refined sugar. My house sugar is C&H cane sugar, made directly from sugar cane. Off-brand and less-expensive sugars are usually based on beet sugar. American-style recipes are typically much sweeter than European-style recipes. My own taste skews to less sweetness so many Kitchen Parade recipes have been "Alanna-sized" with reductions in sugar, allowing the more natural, more healthful flavors of fruit or chocolate, say, to come forward.
  • SUPERFINE SUGAR (CASTER SUGAR) creates a more tender crumb in some baked goods. It is a finer grain of sugar, what Europeans call 'caster" sugar. To make your own caster sugar, just run granulated sugar through a food processor.
  • BROWN SUGAR is refined granulated sugar with molasses added back in. To measure it properly, pack the moist sugar into the measuring cup. If a recipe calls for brown sugar, either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar may be used, to my taste there is little difference. To make a cup of brown sugar, mix 1-3/4 cups powdered sugar with 1-1/2 teaspoons molasses.
  • POWDERED SUGAR is also called 'confectioners sugar' and 'icing sugar'. A light dusting can add a 'finished' look to baked goods without adding much sweetness or many calories.
  • VANILLA SUGAR builds the essence of vanilla, right into the sugar. In Europe, grocery stores sell vanilla sugar right alongside the other sugars. But it's so easy to make at home, I keep a jar among my baking ingredients. Just place "spent' vanilla beans (ones scraped clean) into a glass jar and leave indefinitely.
  • DECORATING SUGARS are large grains of white sugar add visual and texture interest to the top of baked goods, again without much sweetness or many calories. Some times they are called "pearled" sugar or "Swedish pearl sugar". They can be hard to find but keep well in the pantry. Here's a source for a variety of Swedish Pearl Sugar (Swedish Snow) (affiliate link) on Amazon. Once you get there, you might search on "decorating sugars" too.
  • RAW SUGAR is large grains of light-brown sugar are variously labeled "raw sugar" or "DEMERERA SUGAR" or "TURBINADO SUGAR". I especially like these for topping muffins, cakes, etc., for they add a bright burst of sweetness in the mouth, reducing the need for sugar in the baked good itself.
  • SPLENDA I do bake with Splenda on occasion and have had quite good results substituting it for sugar, especially when the sugar's primary purpose is sweetness. If a recipe has been tested with Splenda, that will be stated.


Summer Squash including Zucchini

"Summer Squash" is the general category of thin-skinned squashes that appear in the summer. The most common varieties are the familiar zucchini and yellow squash but pattypan squash and chayote squash are becoming easier to find during the growing season.


ZUCCHINI NOODLES – SPIRALIZER "ZOODLES"
Salmon with Pesto Zucchini Noodles & Warm Tomatoes
Zucchini Spiral "Noodle" Salad

Favorite Zucchini Noodle Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Chilled Zucchini Noodle Salad with Pesto, Sweet Corn & Sun-Dried Tomato
Pasta with Zucchini Noodles, Ricotta & Basil Pesto
Spiral Zucchini Noodle Salad with Homemade Catalina Dressing
Spiral Zucchini Noodle “Zoodle” Greek Salad

SUMMER SQUASH RECIPES – SAVORY
Balkan Summer Sausage Stew
Easy Beef Kabobs
Finnish Summer Soup
Grilled Zucchini Kabobs
Low Fat Vegetable Soup
Mediterranean Eggplant Skillet
Rainbow Chicken
Ratatouille
Ratatouille Omelettes
Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables
Sheetpan Salmon with Garden Hash & Creamy Avocado Sauce
Shredded Zucchini with Thyme
Tourlou Tourlou (Greek Baked Vegetables)
Turkey Burgers with Zucchini

SUMMER SQUASH RECIPES – SWEET
Zucchini Bread with Carrot & Candied Ginger

Favorite Summer Squash Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Easy Cheesy Zucchini
Easy-Easy Barely Roasted Zucchini & Yellow Squash
Feta Stuffed Zucchini
Homemade Zucchini Relish
Quick Summer Squash & Tomato Sauté
Stacked Ratatouille
Zucchini Mushroom Tacos
Zucchini Timbale with Cheese (Crustless Zucchini Cheese Pie)
More Summer Squash Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds are an inexpensive and good substitute for walnuts, in pesto, say.


Healthy Trail Mix
Homemade Granola with Almonds & Apricots
Mexican Salsa Bread
Our Daily Bread: My Easy Everyday Bread Recipe
Swiss Bircher Muesli
Winter Pesto with Spinach

Favorite Sunflower Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Beet Pesto
Detox Chopped Salad


Sweet Potatoes

Watch for a variety of sweet potato called Red Garnet, perhaps labeled as "yams" or "red-skinned yams" with a slightly sweeter and less mealy flesh. Ever been curious about the difference between sweet potatoes and yams?


RECIPE COLLECTION
My Favorite Sweet Potato Recipes

SALADS
Confetti Potato Salad
Sweet Potato Salad with Roasted Poblano, Roasted Corn & Chipotle

SIDE DISHES
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Rustic Mashed Sweet Potatoes & Carrots
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato (or Pumpkin or Butternut Squash) Grits
Tourlou Tourlou (Greek Baked Vegetables)

MAIN DISHES
Chicken Cider Stew
Lamb Roast with Greek Lemon-Oregano Potatoes
Mac n Chicken
Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
Slow Cooker Curried Vegetable Stew
Turkey Sweet Potato Soup

Favorite Sweet Potato Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog about vegetables
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Savory Stir-Fried Sweet Potatoes
Delicious Microwave Sweet Potato
Frozen Sweet Potato Fries: Are They Worth the Price? the Calories?
How to Cook Sweet Potatoes in a Slow Cooker
Maple Ginger Sweet Potatoes
“Soul Food” Sweet Potato Soup with Chicken, Kale & Coconut Milk
Sweet Potato-Chocolate Swirl Pie
Sweet Potato Cornbread
Sweet Potato Curry with Red Lentils, Roasted Peppers & Spinach
Sweet Potato & Butternut Squash Tagine
Vegetable Chili with Sweet Potatoes & Chipotle
More Sweet Potato Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Sweetened Condensed Milk
Cold-Brewed Coffee
Last-Minute Pantry Pie
Mexican Mango Trifle (Ante de Mango)


Tangerines
Apple Yogurt Salad
Deep Mexico Fruit Salad
Mexican Fruit Salad
Winter Fruit Salad

Favorite Tangerine Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Bok Choy Salad with Homemade Creamy Vinaigrette
Watercress, Clementine & Blue Cheese Salad


Tofu
Marinated Tofu Stir-Fry
Two-Way Lentil Skillet

Favorite Tofu Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Tofu Pudding
Tofu Salad Sandwiches
Ugly But Delicous Tofu
More Tofu Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Tomatillos

Tomatillos, in front, with husk removed, in back, with husks still on The tomatillo [tohm-ah-TEE-oh] is actually a fruit and like the tomato, belongs to the nightshade family. It resembles a small green tomato in size, shape and appearance. However, it also has a husk, a thin parchment-like covering which should be removed before eating or cooking.


RESOURCES
Vegetables 101: What Is a Tomatillo?
from A Veggie Venture

RECIPES
Fall Stew Baked in a Whole Pumpkin
Green Chile Sauce (Salsa Verde)

Favorite Tomatillo Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Beefy Tomatillo Chili
Deep Mexico Carrot Soup with Tomatillo & Lime
Fresh-Tomato Chili
Homemade Guacamole with Tomatillos
Raw Tomatillo Salad with Blueberries
Turkey on Pita with Tomatillo Sauce
More Tomatillo Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Tomatoes
RECIPE COLLECTIONS
Never Take a Tomato for Granted: My Twelve Favorite Tomato Recipes
Pretty Ways to Serve Summer's Best Tomatoes
from A Veggie Venture

QUICK TIPS
How to Freeze Tomato Paste
Tomato Knife for Clean, Sharp Slices

TOMATO CLASSICS
BATTLE Sandwiches
Best Quick Tomato Salsa (Red Salsa)
Homemade Marinara
Ina Garten's Tabbouleh Salad
Panzanella
Ratatouille
Shakshuka (Eggs Nested in Summer Vegetables)
Summer’s Tomato Soup
Winter Tomato Soup

ROASTED TOMATOES, a small obsession
Roasted Roma Tomatoes
Roasted Roma Tomato Dip
Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

Best for Perfect Summer Tomatoes
APPETIZERS
Creamy Ricotta with Tomato-Cucumber-Corn Salad
Deviled Eggs with Tomato-Herb Relish
Herbed Ricotta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
My Guacamole
Warm Goat Cheese Appetizer with Mini Tomatoes & Capers

SALADS
Easy-Easy Artichoke & Tomato Salad
Fresh Corn & Tomato Salad
Garden Pasta Salad with Mint Vinaigrette
Greek Pasta Salad
Green Bean Garden Salad
Ina Garten's Tabbouleh Salad
Panzanella
Roasted Eggplant Salad with Tomato-Caper Salsa
Tomatoes & Fresh Mozzarella for a Crowd
Wedge Salad with Homemade Low-Cal & Low-Carb Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
Zucchini Spiral "Noodle" Salad

SIDE DISHES
Ratatouille
Summer Couscous with Mango & Tomato
Red Rice with Tomatoes
Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables
Tourlou Tourlou (Greek Baked Vegetables)

SOUPS
Cantaloupe-Tomato Gazpacho
Summer’s Tomato Soup

MAIN DISHES
Balkan Summer Sausage Stew
BATTLE Sandwiches
BLT Pasta Salad
Chicken Burgers with Fresh Spinach, Feta and Garden Tzatziki Sauce
Chicken Greek Salad
Fish with Roasted Okra "Fries" & Tomato-Fennel Salad
Greek Chicken Dagwood Sandwiches
Grilled Steak with Tomato-Avocado Salad in a Warm Poblano-Bacon Vinaigrette
Hurricane Rice with Shrimp & Sausage
Lamb Stew with Sweet Tomato Jam
Light Tomato Basil Quiche
Mexican Chicken Salad
Sweet Pepper Pasta Skillet
Ratatouille Omelettes
Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables
Salmon with Pesto Zucchini Noodles & Warm Tomatoes
Shakshuka (Eggs Nested in Summer Vegetables)
Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta
Simple Lentil Salad with Seasonal Vegetables
Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos
Steak & Tomatoes
Summer Seafood Chowder
Warm Baked Feta & Tomatoes with Shrimp

Canned Tomatoes (Tinned Tomatoes)
APPETIZERS
Best Quick Tomato Salsa (Red Salsa)

SIDES
Cabbage Noodles
Greek Baked Beans (Gigantes Plaki)
Ratatouille

SOUPS
At Last! Black Bean Soup
Chocolate Chili
Crockpot Chili with Spicy Sausage
Easy Tortilla Soup with Chicken or Turkey
Easy Turkey Chili
Hamburger Soup
Homemade Chili with Dried Beans (Slow Cooker or Slow-Cooked in the Oven)
Homemade Lentil Soup
Low Fat Vegetable Soup
Plant Sale Soup (Hearty Hamburger Soup for a Crowd)
Winter Tomato Soup

MAIN DISHES
Balkan Summer Sausage Stew
Beef & Mushroom Stew
Cashew Chicken Curry
Cast Iron Meatloaf
Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Stew with Chickpeas & Kale
Greens & Grits
Hamburger Casserole
Homemade Spaghetti Meat Sauce
Lazy Man's Ciopinno
Mediterranean Eggplant Skillet
Moroccan Chicken
Old-Fashioned Southern Brunswick Stew
Picadillo (Cuban Ground Beef Skillet Supper)
Pork & Poblano Skillet
Shrimp Veracruz
Skillet Burgers with Tomato Gravy
Slow Cooker Braised Lamb Shanks or Venison Shanks
Slow Cooker Curried Vegetable Stew
Spanish Stew with Roasted Pepper (Chilindron)
Squash & Carrot Stew
Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta

SUN-DRIED TOMATOES
Black Beans & Rice Skillet Casserole with Smoked Chicken
Red Quinoa Salad Your Way
Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

TOMATO JUICE
Bloody Mary Salad

Favorite Tomato Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Baked Orzo Casserole with Eggplant, Olives, Goat Cheese & More
Cabbage & Pepper Chakchoukah aka OogaChaka Eggs
Fire-Charred Tomatoes
Fresh-Tomato Chili
Fresh Tomato Sauce
Lentil Salad with Tomatoes, Dill & Basil
Mexican Cauliflower "Rice"
Mexican Scrambled Eggs (Huevos Revueltos a la Mexicana)
Quick Summer Squash & Tomato Sauté
Slow Cooker Tomato Grits
Tomato Platter with Olives & Feta
Tomato & Onion Salad
Tomato & Zucchini Salad
Tomato Cobbler with Cornmeal Biscuits & Goat Cheese
Tomato Bisque
Turkish Cucumber-Tomato-Olive Chopped Salad with Sumac
More Tomato Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Tepid Water

WHAT IS TEPID WATER? ‘Tepid’ water is not a particular 'brand' or 'kind' of water, it is the term for water that is the perfect temperature for proofing yeast, not too hot, not too cold. I use the ‘baby bottle’ test, if the water feels warm to the inside of my wrist, it’s perfect. If it feels cold, the water’s too cold, if it feels hot, it’s too warm. For a funny story about tepid water, see my recipe for Acorn Squash with Quinoa & Dried Cherries.


Tortillas

CORN TORTILLAS For better nutrition, choose corn tortillas rather than flour tortillas but watch especially for corn tortillas made with just a handful of ingredients and no preservatives. This likely means finding a source away from the typical grocery store, at least here in the Midwest. Here in St. Louis, I find El Milagro corn tortillas at Global Foods in Kirkwood but a Mexican or Latino grocery would work too. They're great!


Beef Tacos with Avocado, Cucumber, Mango Salsa
Chicken Veggie Quesadillas
Chilaquiles
Easy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Fried Egg Quesadillas
Mexican Gas House Eggs
Oaxaca Tlayuda (Mexican Flat Tacos)
Refried Bean Sauce with Eggs on Top
Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
Strawberry Salsa with Sweet-Cinnamon Baked Tortilla Chips
Ten-Minute Enchiladas
Twenty-Minute Taco Bar

Favorite Tortilla Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Zucchini Mushroom Tacos
Veggie Burritos with Cilantro Sauce


Tuna
Favorite Tuna Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Kalamata Tuna Salad Bok Choy Wraps
Tuna & White Bean Dip
Farmgirl's Swiss Chard Tuna Salad


Turnips
Buffalo Ragout
Mashed Cauliflower (Low-Carb Mashed "Potatoes")
One-Pot Chicken with Beans & Vegetables
Rainbow Chicken
Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
Slow Cooker Curried Vegetable Stew
Turnip Puff or Rutabaga Puff

Favorite Turnip Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Creamed Turnips
Low-Carb Fried 'Potatoes' (Turnips)
"Wonderful" Glazed Turnips & Carrots
More Turnip Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Vinegar

WHAT IS GOOD VINEGAR? Many Kitchen Parade ingredient lists are no more specific than "good vinegar" – which means, anything except harsh white vinegar. I buy red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar and rice vinegar from an international grocery, where the prices are lower than the supermarket. My very favorite vinegar is the sweet and gentle sherry vinegar. I am especially fond of the vinegars from O Olive Oil; they are pricey but during the first taste test, my then 15-year old nephew turned to me with surprise, "We could drink this!" We could indeed.


Watercress

Favorite Watercress Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Watercress, Clementine & Blue Cheese Salad
More Watercress Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Wheat Germ
Banana Bread with Cherries & Poppy Seeds
Christmas Banana Bread
Mom's Everyday Oatmeal Cookies
On-the-Run Breakfast Bars
Swiss Bircher Muesli

Favorite Recipes with Wheat Germ from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Green Smoothies


Wild Rice

Wild rice is a favorite in my home state of Minnesota. Much of the rice that's available in stores is raised commercially, it takes much longer to cook. The native wild rice, which isn't a rice at all but a grass, is difficult to find but a real treat. For a photo comparison of commercial wild rice and native wild rice, see my recipe for Wild Rice Salad.


Chicken & Wild Rice Soup (or Turkey & Wild Rice Soup)
Creamy Wild Rice Soup
Oven-Baked Brown Rice
Oven-Baked Whole-Grain Pilaf with Quinoa, Barley, Kamut & Other Grains
Turkey Wild Rice Casserole
Wild Rice Salad


Winter Squash

"Winter Squash" is the general category of thick-skinned squashes that appear in the fall. Common varieties are the acorn squash, the butternut squash, the kabocha squash.


Acorn Squash with Quinoa & Cherries
Chicken & Wild Rice Soup (or Turkey & Wild Rice Soup)
Homemade Kabocha Squash "Pumpkin" Purée
Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple
Savory Bread Pudding with Butternut Squash, Chard & Cheddar
Simple Lentil Salad with Seasonal Vegetables
Slow Cooker Curried Vegetable Stew
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato (or Pumpkin or Butternut Squash) Grits
Spiced Chicken Tagine with Roasted Cauliflower (substitute winter squash)
Squash & Carrot Stew
Squash Puff
Winter Stew

COLLECTIONS
My Favorite Winter Squash Recipes
from A Veggie Venture

WINTER SQUASH BASICS
How to Roast a Whole Butternut Squash
How to Cut, Peel & Cube Butternut Squash and Keep All Ten Fingers
from A Veggie Venture

Favorite Winter Squash Recipes from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Buffalo Chicken Dip with Spaghetti Squash
Butternut Mac 'n' Cheese
Butternut Squash Soup that Actually Tastes Like Butternut Squash
Butternut Squash with Maple Glaze
Butternut Squash Soup with Mango & Toasted Coconut
Roasted Acorn Squash with Mustard & Honey
Steamed Butternut Squash in a Collapsible Steamer Basket
Sweet Potato & Butternut Squash Tagine
More Winter Squash Recipes from A Veggie Venture


Yeast

WHAT KIND OF YEAST TO USE? I love to use cubes of fresh yeast but it is so very perishable that it's rarely found in the U.S. So like other bakers, I use dry yeast. There are two types of dry yeast, 'active dry' and 'rapid rise' or 'fast rise'. Rapid rise supposedly rises more quickly, supposedly sacrificing flavor for speed. However, I use the two interchangeably and notice no real difference.
HOW MUCH YEAST IS IN a PACKET of YEAST? Commercial packets of yeast contain 2-1/4 teaspoons of dry yeast weighing 1/4 of an ounce or 7 grams. Over the years, I've learned to use a tablespoon of yeast whenever a packet is specified. Do check the yeast's expiration date. If it's past, you'll for sure want to 'proof the yeast'.
HOW TO PROOF YEAST To 'proof yeast' means to ensure that its leavening properties are active. Just place the yeast in a small bowl with a tablespoon of tepid water and a sprinkle of sugar. If it bubbles in five minutes or so, the yeast is still alive and will be a good leavener for bread. If it doesn't, you'll want to get more yeast before continuing.
WHERE TO BUY YEAST Whatever yeast you choose, for the best value, buy it in large bags at a warehouse store or even the grocery store. I gift half to a fellow bread-baker and keep my own in a jar in the refrigerator or the freezer where it will keep for months and months.


Yogurt

YOGURT Grocery-store yogurts all taste the same to me, sweet and fruity, even the low-fat versions. Still I use plain yogurt, especially large tubs of non-fat yogurt, as a substitute for mayonnaise in potato salad, chicken salad, etc.
GREEK YOGURT Many Kitchen Parade recipes call for "Greek yogurt", an especially thick and tangy yogurt that is some akin to sour cream. Cup for cup, Greek yogurt has more protein, fewer carbs and less lactose than sweet, gloppy American-style yogurts. Greek yogurt is beginning to appear in regular supermarkets (although with prohibitive price tags) but can be found in international markets and specialty markets like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's whose house-brand Greek yogurt is quite inexpensive. I'm especially fond of Fage Greek yogurt, especially the 0% fat.
GREEK YOGURT SUBSTITUTE To create a decent substitute for commercial Greek Yogurt, strain whole or low-fat plain yogurt to remove much of the liquid.


YOGURT – SWEET
Apple Yogurt Salad
Healthy Waldorf Salad
Homemade Frozen Yogurt with Blackberry Sauce
Lifetime Pancakes
Magical Breakfast Cream
Mango Lassi with Mint
Peach & Cantaloupe Soup
Peanut Butter & Jelly Smoothies
Quick Banana Dessert
Strawberry Fool
Strawberry Shortcake Iowa-Style
Swiss Bircher Muesli

YOGURT – SAVORY
Cashew Chicken Curry
Chickpea & Chicken Salad
Easy-to-Elegant Asparagus Soup
Easy Ham Salad
Easy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Greek Feta Chicken
Green Chile Scrambled Eggs
Lemon Chive Chicken Salad
Mango Chicken Salad
Mexican Chicken Salad
Skillet Cornbread
Spiced Yogurt Chicken
Turkey Burgers with Zucchini

Favorite Recipes with Yogurt from A Veggie Venture, my food blog
Beet Salad with Sumac, Yogurt & Pita
Chickpea Cakes with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce
Roasted Eggplant with Pomegranate & Buttermilk-Yogurt Sauce
Spinach Brownies


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Alanna Kellogg
Alanna Kellogg

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

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Comments

  1. Anonymous2/19/2014

    your link for colcannon points to beef stew instead.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Alanna Kellogg2/19/2014

    Thanks, Anonymous! The colcannon recipe is actually in the left column, to the left of the recipe for Emerald Isle Stew, both of which I heartily recommend!

    ReplyDelete

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Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. But I also love hearing your reactions, your curiosity, even your concerns! When you've made a recipe, I especially love to know how it turned out, what variations you made, what you'll do differently the next time. ~ Alanna