I love beef stew because once it is assembled it cooks on its own with little attention and everyone loves it. Here is a favorite recipe for a good, hearty Beef Stew instead of cooking potatoes with the beef, I make a colorful mashed potato “nest” of mashed carrots and white potatoes and serve the stew [...]

The “Berries” in the title refer to wheat berries, I use them to add body to the recipe.  The final dish is so  thick with vegetables it is almost a stew. I buy my wheat berries from the farmer’s market and health food store, (if you cannot find them, simply substitute with brown rice). The wheat berries double [...]

In my opinion we can eat just about anything, and make a meal “balanced”,  by serving generous portion of vegetables. Here are several ideas for delicious, traditional  family meals. Meatloaf : I often substitute ground turkey instead of beef when making meatloaf. I add carrots and onions right in the cooking pan, and bake a [...]

    Primavera means “spring” in Italian a season when fresh, tender vegetables become plentiful. However, I made this dish in January when temperatures were in the low 20’s. Instead of all fresh vegetables I relied on frozen asparagus, broccoli, and peas, the zucchini and grape tomatoes were fresh. Allow the frozen vegetables to thaw [...]

We rely on pasta and sauce as a quick go to meal because almost everyone likes it. Unfortunately pasta is all to often served in  the wrong combinations: lots of pasta, too little vegetables. Both the Quick Tomato Sauce and the Bolognese recipe (pictured below) will automatically add just the right balance of vegetables to any [...]