Today's "vegetable" (yes, those are quotes) recipe: One of those Midwestern classics, a zucchini chocolate, very chocolate-y and very orange-y thanks to both orange liqueur and fresh orange zest and juice. Virtuous only on the goodness scale. Parlor Tricks. That's what 99.99 percent of all dessert recipes with vegetables are. So now you think I'm gonna tell you that this Chocolate Zucchini Cake beats the odds, right? Nope. This is pure cake. The fact that there's zucchini in there matters not one whit in fact I suspect you could leave it out and not a soul would notice. I shake my head when I see you-know-the-type cookbooks talk about "sneaking" vegetables into kids foods. Like C.A.K.E. Still. This cake is so chocolate-y. And so orange-y. And extra-moist, even on Day Three. A keeper? You bet. But with full understanding, the zucchini is a parlor trick.

Today's vegetable recipe: A simple vegetable stew, a mélange of late-summer and early-fall vegetables like eggplant, peppers, summer squash, tomatoes, okra. Very Weight Watchers Friendly, just WW 1 PointsPlus for a whole cup. Low Cal. Low Carb. Gluten Free. Paleo. Not just vegan, " Vegan Done Real ". Every couple of weeks during late summer and fall, you'll find a big pot of vegetable stew a-simmerin' on my stove. (In winter? It's usually soup, not the thicker stew.) Then during the next week, it's my "go to" convenience food, just a minute or two in the microwave for a small, healthy and plant-based meal (in 100-calorie servings, the best thing I learned when I switched from Weight Watchers to Medifast ) or a supper side dish, no cooking required. Here's the latest! It's a mild stew – those of you who hanker for heat will want to grab the hot sauce! (Or for built-in heat, try the wonderful Chickpea Gumbo or Vegetable Chili with Swee

Ten favorite vegetable stew recipes for all seasons, summer, fall, winter and year-round. These are "killer stew recipes" – tried & true, healthy, great-tasting, easy to incorporate the vegetables you love and leave out the ones you don't. Some recipes work best with a cornucopia of fresh summer vegetables from your CSA, garden or farmers market; others work beautifully with year-round supermarket vegetables. Clean eaters, take note! All the recipes are for vegetarian stews. Most are vegan stews or easily made vegan. Every one works as a side dish or a vegetarian/vegan main dish perfect for Meatless Monday meals. Some take a little time to prep the vegetables, others are quick-quick. Two use a slow cooker! Healthy eaters, these recipes are for you! A satisfying cup usually adds up to about 100 calories (more if the stew calls for beans). For Weight Watchers, this is usually two or three PointsPlus. Plus ten tips and techniques for perfecting your own killer ve