yum, I love muffins . . .

Normally I go simpler than this for pancakes, but for a special occasion this weekend I wanted to go for something a little more exotically flavored. It was a bit more labor intensive, but was not super-difficult and didn’t require anything not already in our fridge or pantry. Served up with some maple syrup and/or fruit, this was/is mighty tasty stuff!

This tasty dip is good any time of year, though if fresh herbs are available, all the better.

If you had told me 20 years ago that I would actually get excited about eating cauliflower, I would have been rather skeptical, but it’s now true, at least when cooked this way. This is great as a side dish or (especially with the optional raisins and walnuts) a light main course if served over rice.

This has become a go-to recipe when Tiana is home/visiting, and as shown in the picture, was specially requested to be made as an appetizer for Ariana’s wedding. If you have the ingredients (miso might require a trip to the health food store if you’re not a hippie like me, though if you make any…

An all-time favorite salad dressing – vegan, yet rich, creamy and flavorful.

I first had Japanese carrot-ginger salad dressing at a sushi place in New Haven maybe 20 years ago. This style of dressing has become a staple in our kitchen. It’s a versatile dressing, so if you’re not too much of a purist, any of these variations can be enacted depending on what’s in your pantry and still with positive results.

In its simplest form, kasha (a.k.a. buckwheat) is a tasty but mild, versatile cooked grain that’s also very high in protein. With the variations here (also fairly simple), you can also make kasha varnishkes, a pretty fancy and centerpiece-worthy dish.

A good tomato sauce is a great for coating pasta or spreading on pizza, and it’s a multi-purpose way to spruce up vegetables or soups or even sandwiches. AND, it’s actually quite easy and relatively cheap to make a tomato sauce that’s better than anything you’ve ever had from a jar.

The recipe below represents an approximation of what we typically do. It’s interesting to note, however, that there is a lot of variation possible with not only amounts (you’ll learn how you like it best) but also actual ingredients, and there are satisfying variations for people who have allergies and sensitivities.