Vegetarian

Haitian households celebrate their country’s Independence Day with bowls of this comforting soup. The national holiday falls on New Year’s Day, when Haitians walk from house to house to pay friends and family the first visits of the New Year. Although this is a vegetarian version, add small cubes of browned beef stew meat along with the pumpkin, if you like. Simply remove and then return them to the pot just as you do the hot peppers. This recipe was inspired by Norzina, a lumber and charcoal vendor and microcredit client of Fonkoze, Whole Planet Foundation’s implementing partner in Haiti.

Rajas (strips) of crisp corn tortillas and sweet mini bell peppers make a colorful garnish.

This classic Greek bean soup is thick and creamy, though it contains no cream or other dairy products. The beans cook into a smooth, pleasing mixture. Use a fruity olive oil to saute the aromatic root vegetables to start the cooking process, then add white beans that have soaked overnight.

There’s enough filling to make 8 rolls. If you don’t need that many for dinner, pop a few in the freezer or wrap them in parchment paper (instead of foil) and tote them to work. A quick pop in the microwave and lunch is hot. So, before you head for the couch, assemble, roll, and wrap the burritos.

Sunday supper becomes doubly satisfying when your favorite sports team is winning and you’re passing bowls of hearty chili. If chili doesn’t seem to be a dish you can reconcile with your resolution to slim down, rest assured that this version is healthy (and happens to be thrifty too). It’s a vegetarian bowl with a spicy kick, so it will stand up to the meatiest opponents. Begin with dried beans, which need an overnight soak to soften. Saute onions with poblano and jalapeno peppers, adding the spices to the oil to release their aromas.

Toss these easy homemade croutons in salads, sprinkle over soups and stews or fold into hot scrambled eggs and omelets.

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.

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.

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.

Sicilian caponata is similar to southern French ratatouille; both are stews of eggplant and other vegetables. And like ratatouille, caponata is served as a side dish with roast meat or grilled fish. To my taste, caponata is best on its own, served as a first course, or as an entree for lunch, with some lightly dressed greens on the side. Serve caponata at room temperature with roast meats, grilled fish, or with a green salad.