Vegetable Enchiladas

Posted by Emma Feigenbaum

In a perfect world, every meal is balanced with just the right amount of protein, carbs, fiber ... and yummy cheese.

What? Yummy cheese is not a nutritional requirement around your house? Yeah, the magazine vetoed my request to include the “yummy cheese” index.

Rest assured, these enchiladas have it all: real nutrition (yes, the important kind) and the yummy cheese index, plus they're vegetarian. It’s hard work, but someone’s got to do it. Are you going to make these tonight with Jack cheese? (Hint: I am)

PREP: 30 minutes
TOTAL: 55 minutes

GET THE RECIPE:
Vegetable Enchiladas

Spinach and Mushroom Quesadillas

Posted by Emma Feigenbaum

I don't want to eat meat every night (I know a lot of you thought you'd never hear me say those words) so sometimes it's nice to change the pace a bit -- and these quesadillas are right up my alley. Serve them with these great beans for a little more protein. Are there days that you just want to go meatless? And to the vegetarians out there, do you ever want a little meat?

PREP: 25 minutes
TOTAL: 35 minutes

GET THE RECIPE:
Spinach and Mushroom Quesadillas

Stuffed Greek Peppers

Posted by Caroline Wright

So, it's Slow Cooker Week here on Dinner Tonight and we know you still need dinner on the table. As always, you're fighting to find something new to incorporate in your family's favorite dishes -- and I have the perfect recipe for you. Hollow four peppers and stir together a simple filling of raw couscous, a can of white beans, a few scallions, and feta and you have a fresh (and healthy) dinner in the works. Seriously, that's it.

PREP: 15 minutes
TOTAL: 4 hours 30 minutes

SEE THE RECIPE:
Stuffed Greek Peppers

Bean Burritos

Posted by Sandy Gluck

Burritos can be filled with pretty much anything. These babies have rice, beans, cheese, and corn, and they are packed! What's more, they can be frozen. Let the freezer be your friend. Have a burrito tonight, and then one of those nights when you just feel like kicking back, pull some out of the freezer, bake them, and you're all set. If you're feeding a crowd, you might want to start off with some guacamole.

PREP: 1 hour
TOTAL: 1 hour

SEE THE RECIPES:
Bean Burritos
Guacamole
Mango Guacamole

Reheating From Frozen
Microwave and Oven: Remove frozen burritos from plastic wrap. Place on a microwave-safe plate; microwave on high for 3 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet; bake at 450 degrees until crispy, about 10 minutes.
Microwave Only: Remove from plastic wrap, and place on a microwave-safe plate, covered with a microwave safe bowl. Defrost at high power for 3 to 4 minutes; uncover, and microwave on high 3 to 4 minutes longer.
Oven Only: remove burritos from plastic wrap; rewrap individually in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet; bake at 450 degrees, 40 minutes; remove foil, and bake to crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. (To reheat defrosted burritos, remove any wrapping and bake for 10 minutes).

Ratatouille with Eggs

Posted by Adina Steiman

At this point in summer, it's hard to find a fruit or vegetable that's not in season.  As Deb pointed out, there's a cornucopia of tasty, affordable vegetables crowding markets right now, and just like a certain Disney character in a movie earlier this year, I like to use them to make ratatouille.

Zucchini, eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes are the usual suspects, but ratatouille is nothing if not flexible.  It's just another name for a vegetable stew, so sometimes I skip the eggplant and zucchini and throw in Lima beans and corn instead -- it's a deliciously flexible way of making use of whatever's at the market (or hanging out in your fridge). 

To make it into dinner, just cook a few eggs right in the pan with the simmering ratatouille, and serve with a crisp baguette or toast.

What late-summer vegetables would you combine in your own version of ratatouille?

PREP: 15 minutes
TOTAL: 15 minutes

SEE THE RECIPE:
Ratatouille with Eggs

Money-Saving Eggstravaganza!

Posted by Regan Burns

With the price of meat sky-high, I've been giving a lot more love to a favorite protein source these days: eggs.

For most of us, eggs are a weekend thing, unfairly (I think) singled out as breakfast fare. But they make a delicious and fast dinner option and boy, are they cheap!

Last week, Martha brought in dozens and dozens of fresh eggs from her farm (pictured here) to share with the office (yes, we are very lucky!). The hens at her home in Bedford, New York, started laying around Christmas -- now about 100 eggs are collected from the coops each day! Guess what I had for dinner that night...

Garden Goodies: Cuke and Zuke Fest

Posted by Deb Puchalla

My mom didn't garden (six kids, no time), but she used midsummer moments in rural Connecticut to show off in the kitchen. One of her best tricks was working magic with piles of zucchini and cucumbers from neighbors' backyard rows of veggie plants.

There was a seemingly endless supply of cucumber spears we ate with a flurry of salt; more interesting were the cukes that became part of a crisp, cool, cucumber salad. Zucchini dazzled in a sauteed side dish and in huge batches of freezer-ready ratatouille -- my mom loves that word and still says it with French flair. The best recipe she had was for zucchini bread that I ate warm, slathered with too much butter.

In my kitchen now, as in so many around the food world -- and the garden world, too -- cucumbers and zucchini, gifts from friends, await. Cukes and zukes are affordable and adaptable and everpresent, so they seem ripe for this, the next in a series of garden-food parties we're hosting with A Way to Garden from now through September. Time to wave some culinary wands, folks. Abracadabra!

White-Bean Salad with Zucchini and Parmesan

Posted by Adina Steiman

Deb's fab post on the myriad uses for zucchini and cucumbers reminded me that one of my favorite summer dishes is perfectly in season right now.  It's your typical two-bean salad, but with a twist -- the green beans are uncooked and sliced thin, and so is the inspired addition, zucchini.

Lemon has a great affinity for both white beans and zukes, bringing out their subtle flavors with a delightful dose of acidity, and Parmesan (another compatible partner) adds a touch of savory nuttiness.  And you can't go wrong with fresh basil!

The salad only improves after a day or two in the fridge, so it's the perfect thing to have on hand for sweltering days like these, to nosh on by itself or alongside a homemade tuna sandwich.

Are you stocking bean and vegetable salads in the fridge this summer?  Tell us more!

PREP: 10 minutes
TOTAL: 10 minutes

SEE THE RECIPE:
White-Bean Salad with Zucchini and Parmesan

Preserving Veggies (and Saving Money, Too!)

Posted by Sandy Gluck

With markets and gardens overflowing with ripe vegetables and fresh herbs right now, it's hard to imagine an end to this bounty. But come winter, fresh produce gets a little less abundant and a little more expensive. By being proactive now, though, you can savor summer's riches in the colder months, too.

Eggplant, zucchini, and peppers are abundant now and pretty reasonably priced. To preserve summer's bounty, I make a huge batch of ratatouille, pack it in bags, and freeze it. You can reheat it and serve it in a bunch of different ways. It's great tossed in pasta, add some broth and make it into a soup, serve it with eggs, or spoon it over chicken breasts.

Mix and match whatever veggies you have a surplus of for our vegetable chowder. Or whip up this corn soup to enjoy corn now, and freeze leftovers for up to six months. Not only do these soups give your veggies a purpose, but they also are a great way to stretch your dollar. Another way to keep corn around in the colder months is to freeze it off the cob.

Overwhelmed with tomatoes? Gather them up from your garden (or local farmer's market) to cook up a tomato sauce that'll go great with a big bowl of pasta this winter.

Those are just a few suggestions for how to make summer last well past August. Any more tips?

Pesto Pizzas

Posted by Deb Puchalla

The time's ripe to take advantage of the most abundant herb in your backyard or at the market: Basil! Instead of calling the delivery guy (I got nervous when they started calling me Mrs. Puchalla and asking how the kids were), transform basil into a quick-to-mix classic pesto with a drizzle of good olive oil, some nuts and cheese, and the whir of a food processor.

For tonight, spread it over ready-made pizza crusts and top with thick slices of fresh mozzarella and juicy red tomatoes. The result? Everyone's favorite Italian main in a pretty green dress, perfect for summer.

And since herb pots everywhere are overflowing with green greats, check out our Pesto Party post, and see all the ways we -- and new friends -- improvise ingredients for and uses of the versatile sauce.

How do you use pesto?

PREP: 10 minutes
TOTAL: 20 minutes

SEE THE RECIPE:
Pesto Pizzas