January 2010

Many of us regularly season food with a sprinkling of black pepper, but rarely do we use it as a bold flavor stroke. Black pepper, when it’s more than a background note, can engage the senses with a warming bite and an aroma that reminds me, to varying degrees, of chili, cloves, and citrus. Many Asian cuisines, including Chinese and Vietnamese, feature versions of a spicy black pepper sauce for stir-fried meats and fish; my recipe has Thai accents, and uses chicken rather than the more common pork. If you use white-meat chicken, reduce the time you cook it by a minute.

Many of us regularly season food with a sprinkling of black pepper, but rarely do we use it as a bold flavor stroke. Black pepper, when it’s more than a background note, can engage the senses with a warming bite and an aroma that reminds me, to varying degrees, of chili, cloves, and citrus. Borrowing a classic technique often reserved for beefsteaks, the recipe for salmon au poivre balances pungent heat against the lush, rich flavor of the fish. The recipe produces a modest quantity of sauce. The idea is to accent the fish, not drown it.

Cooking beans at home is renowned as a simple way to save money and provide the base for many a healthy meal. It requires little effort and they're easy to keep on hand in the fridge or freezer. And then you can quickly put together everything from basic beans and rice (seasoned differently in different cultures) to soups, salads, dips and spreads.

This simple but intensely flavored sauce can be used in many Italian recipes. Make a large batch and freeze in small containers for quick reheating.

We reduced fat by coating the eggplant with egg whites instead of whole eggs and baking, rather than frying, the slices for a lighter version of this classic.

This gluten-free updated version of classic cornbread has more flavor and texture than most, thanks to the cooked quinoa folded into the batter and sprinkled on top. Plus, quinoa is a healthy whole grain! Serve squares of it underneath, alongside or crumbled on top of beans, soup, chili, greens or roasted veggies.

This date-worthy recipe proves that healthy budget meals aren't boring! As good as or better than a restaurant entree, it features salmon raised by our farmer partners committed to producing the most environmentally friendly farmed seafood. We source only from farms that meet our unique, industry leading Quality Standards for Aquaculture. Those standards never allow antibiotics, added growth hormones or poultry and mammalian by-products in feed.

Switching to whole grains provides more nutrients and more fiber, plus they're more filling. These things make them beneficial to overall health and weight control. It can be fun to look for products that contain the variety of whole grains now available. It can also be fun to cook with them! Here's one simple recipe for starters. Later you might find yourself experimenting with different whole-grain flours or adding nuts and seeds. 

Austin, Texas, firefighter Rip Esselstyn and his wife chose this hearty lasagna as their wedding entree. Because sweet potatoes are prominent in "The Engine 2 Diet," Esselstyn usually cooks a few to keep on hand. If you're starting this from scratch, begin by baking two sweet potatoes and start layering the lasagna once they're done.