Lettuce soup

Really? Lettuce Soup? Even though I am the world’s worst gardener, one year we did have a bumper crop of lettuce, which I have never been able to achieve again. But that year we just had too much lettuce. I was desperate for ways to use lettuce that weren’t salads. One good way is Thai lettuce …

Unstuffed cabbage

Need something quick and hot? My grandmother’s stuffed cabbage is great if you were going to be home all day and want to spend a lot of that time cooking and watching a pot slowly simmer your stuffed cabbage into yummy goodness. But if you want something that tastes pretty much the same but you …

Tofu fried rice

Tofu Fried Rice for all Seasons: In the summer, I make this stir-fry with bell peppers, as in the recipe below. But in the fall and winter, I use shredded cabbage instead, and it’s even more popular. How to make Tofu Fried Rice: Start by putting on the rice: in a small saucepan, put 1 …

Thai lettuce wraps

Why lettuce? When you just have too much lettuce in your garden, or you want a low-carb meal, or you want the fun of everyone assembling their own dinner at the table – actually, there are a lot of reasons to enjoy Thai Lettuce Wraps! How to make Thai Lettuce Wraps: Make rice: in a …

Sushi

Why make your own sushi? It’s much cheaper than going out for sushi, it’s a quick easy dinner you can make after you get home from work, most people like it, and it’s a great way to use up leftover veggies in the fridge. How to make sushi: Start by making rice. You should use …

Stuffed peppers

Easy to serve at parties These stuffed peppers take a while to make, but you can make them the day before and then just heat them in a low oven (at about 250) for the party, and set them out on trays. Then they are easy for your guests to serve themselves, and it doesn’t …

Stuffed zucchini

Got too much zucchini? If you’re a better gardener than I am, there may come a point in July or August where you have more zucchini than you know what to do with. This is a delicious way to use up a lot of zucchini. And it makes a great main dish for company. You …

Stuffed cabbage

Grandma’s Scientific Recipe You might think my grandma’s recipe for stuffed cabbage was probably ancient, handed down from her grandmother’s grandmother. Cabbage, right? It’s been around forever? Well, yes, but surely rice and tomatoes and green peppers weren’t actually so common in medieval Lithuania? And actually her recipe called for canned tomato paste, which wasn’t …

Squash risotto

Oh, Risotto’s not that hard! People avoid making risotto because you have to keep stirring it and stirring it, but it’s not really that bad if you’re hanging out in the kitchen anyway. This makes a good solid winter main dish, fancy enough for company. How to make leek and squash risotto: Set the oven …