Nut Free

Inspired by the house salad I’ve enjoyed at Thai restaurants, this is the perfect companion to several of the Thai-style dishes in this book. A bigger portion of this can almost be the centerpiece of a meal, served with a simple tofu or tempeh dish.

In my part of the world (the Northeastern United States), we get the best mangos and avocados in mid-to late winter, just when our winter-weary palates need them most. This relishlike salad is not only scrumptious but also lovely to look at. It’s especially welcome with Southwestern-style tortilla dishes.

This appetizing bean salad adds color and crunch to a meal. Make it to bolster grain dishes and pastas.

Luscious and yummy are rarely terms applied to salad, but I would be so bold as to use them to describe this one. Offbeat, colorful, and quick, it’s a dish I make often in winter months when cool, crunchy salads are less enticing.

This is an appetizing small side salad to serve when colorful bell peppers are plentiful. It goes well with pastas as well as grain dishes.

The word daikon actually comes from two Japanese words, dai (large) and kon (root). And that’s just what it is. Daikon radish, a large white root vegetable, is often served grated in small quantities with Asian meals, since it’s considered a good digestive aid. I often combine it with one or two other vegetables—if one, that would be carrots, as presented here, and if two, I’ll also grate any broccoli stem I’ve saved in the fridge. It’s a refreshing little salad that goes with just about any kind of meal.

Bursting with Southwestern flavors, this salad is as delicious as it is easy.

Potatoes and black beans synergize nicely in this offbeat salad. The liquid from the artichoke hearts provides plenty of flavor.

This recipe is one I’ve used for a long time, though oddly, it has never made it into any of my books until now. It’s an attractive, fast main dish salad that can be made all year round (now that fresh herbs of all kinds are always available in any supermarket), though I still prefer serving it during warmer months. Leftovers of this salad are delicious in a wrap the next day for lunch or dinner.

This is one of my favorite things to make in the late summer—a gorgeous platter that’s really less work than it may seem at first glance. It’s an extravaganza of flavor, and though it’s perfect for late summer or early fall, with these particular veggies there’s no reason you can’t make it year-round.

Bountiful, easy, and filling, these quesadillas entice with the combination of traditional and offbeat ingredients

When I first blogged about big quesadillas, a number of readers commented about their own fillings. My favorite was this one from Monica Clark-Robinson, an avid and creative cook.

Pizza Margherita is a simple classic, emphasizing fresh tomatoes and basil. This version takes the concept a bit further with a few extra embellishments. It’s a wonderful pizza for late summer or for cool summer evenings when you don’t mind turning on the oven.

Big quesadillas make a filling one-dish meal that is easily completed with a salad on the side. Here is the first of a trio of such fare.

I’d love to be able to buy a good vegan pesto sauce for those times when I’m too lazy to make one, but so far, I haven’t found a brand that doesn’t contain cheese. No matter, once you get going, pesto is easy to make, and the one used on this pizza packs a nutritional punch with spinach. This pizza makes a splendid way to get lots of greens in one shot.

Swiss chard is a beloved kitchen-garden vegetable in Italian cuisine. Combined with white beans and tomatoes, this stick-to-your-ribs dish will satisfy the heartiest of appetites.

I’ve suggested in the box on page 141 that most of the pizza recipes in this chapter double easily if you need more servings, with the exception of this one. This is only because it would take an awfully long time to caramelize four large onions. Not that this can’t be done, but it wouldn’t be a particularly quick meal. However, if time is not an issue and you have a nice large pot for the onions, be my guest and make two of these amazingly delicious pizzas.

The simplicity of this Neapolitan recipe, named for ladies of the night, belies its luscious flavor. Use pitted olives to ease preparation. I especially like this dish made with whole wheat spaghettini.

Here’s a lovely, light pizza that’s perfect for a springtime meal.

Use slender asparagus and you won’t need to scrape the stalks. If you still believe that asparagus should be a harbinger of spring (even though it’s in the market nearly year-round now), make this dish a tradition by serving it every April or May.