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Day 171: Peppadew Muffins

Aren't these the prettiest little muffins? Thanks to CookSister , a South African living in the UK, I knew just what to do with something new that showed up at the local supermarket recently, peppadews, a part tomato / part pepper indigenous to the Eastern Cape of South Africa. I was intrigued by the peppadews themselves but also by a muffin with half the 'standard' amount of fat. For all their prettiness and relative healthfulness, the taste testers found these a bit floury and at least to one palate, 'too spicy'. (They are good warm and doused in butter!) Destined for picnic sandwiches, these were made in giant muffin tins. The picnic didn't happen but I do think these muffins would be great that way, with ham or turkey or something slightly salty tucked inside with a little mayo, lettuce, tomato, even cheese. PEPPADEW MUFFINS CookSister's Recipe and Notes (including metric measurements, fyi you may have to scroll down aways) Hands-on time: 15

Day 170: Lemon Sesame Glazed Greens

I started to call these Yucky Greens. Or Inedible Greens. Or If-You-Want-to-Hate -Greens-Then-Just-Try-These-Greens. The promise was remarkable. The greens were glorious, just-plucked slick mustard greens from my favorite stand at Soulard Market, St Louis' middle-of-the-city farmers market. The remaining ingredients were simple, nothing more than garlic and lemon juice and honey, a tiny bite of red pepper flake fire. The recipe source was reliable, Alton Brown's Good Eats. The results were, well, awful. I chawed my way through a few bites, then tipped the whole thing into a freezer container to add, in very small doses, to soup and stock later on, where maybe, just maybe, its very existence will be redeemed. [There are, however, several great greens recipes here . And for the record, does anyone know? Are 'slick' mustard greens different than regular mustard greens? Might that have been the issue?] LEMON SESAME GLAZED GREENS Hands-on time: 10 minutes Time

Kitchen Parade Extra: Dutch Apple Puff ◄

With the outside air surely turning from summer's over-stayed heat to fall's welcome cool aaaannnny day now (please!), mix up an easy, ingredients-on-hand Dutch Apple Puff featured in this week's Kitchen Parade column.

Meme: 5th Sentence in 23rd Post (Sort of)

Thanks (I think!) to Nupur at One Hot Stove , whose Indian/other creations are regularly drool-icious and who's tagged A Veggie Venture for a meme oddity that's overtaking the food blogging world. Meme is an apt phrase, yes, since they're all about me-me-me? That said, they're also considerable fun, a way to further the friendship and affinity that occurs in online communities. So here goes: 23rd Post: Day 23: Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa & Cherries 5th Sentence: "No." My, my. That's cryptic. Maybe I'll 'Alanna-size' and use 1/3 of a cup instead of 2/3 of a cup. 13th Post: Day 13: Roasted Asparagus with Feta 5th Sentence: " " Oops. No fifth sentence. Those first posts were decidedly terse. This is harder than I thought! How about doubling it, 2/3 x 2 = 4/3 = Day 43. (Or Day 113 if 43 fails us, too.) 43rd Post: Day 43: Cucumber with Mustard & Dill 5th Sentence: "I would definitely make thi

Quick Tomato Sauce for Pasta & Pizza ♥

Grab some canned tomatoes, put the pasta water on to boil and, get this, a hot, satisfying supper is 20 minutes away. This is one of those miracle sauces, just those tomatoes plus smidgens of pantry ingredients to coax out a rich-flavored, lightly spiced and slightly chunky tomato sauce that works for pasta, sure, but also for homemade pizza, draping over sautéed greens, packing up in meal-size containers for the freezer, and more. Real Food, Fast & Casual. Just Canned Tomatoes + A Few Pantry Ingredients. A Summer Classic. Not Just Easy, Summer Easy . Year-Round Kitchen Staple. Supper Substantial. Budget Friendly. Little Effort, Big Taste. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Easy Meal Prep. Low Carb. Low Fat. Weight Watchers Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real .

Veggies for Kids: Out of the Mouths of Moms

Just today, Meg at Too Many Chefs wrote a thoughtful, tip-packed post about the tricks and tools and triumphs of encouraging her little one to eat more vegetables and fruits. It's worth a close read. VEGGIES for KIDS is a continuing crusade here at A Veggie Venture, a forum for parents wanting to encourage healthful eating habits at home and school. What works for you? What would you like to fix at your own table? Leave a comment, send an e-mail or write your own post -- ideas and links along with kid-tested recipes will be posted in Veggies for Kids .

Day 166: Napa Cabbage & Carrot Slaw

Today's vegetable recipe: A quick coleslaw with Napa cabbage and grated carrot tossed in an Asian-style dressing. Low carb. Weight Watchers 0 points. ~ recipe & photo updated in 2008 ~ 2005: After too much rich food in recent days, it was time to lighten up in calories, ingredients and even time. This slaw's dressing is delicious, a keeper. The Napa cabbage was quick to chop, a keeper. For a big batch, I should have pulled out the food processor for grating the carrots but didn't, costing time. And the basil/mint were alright but next time I'd forgo, tossing in green onion and cilantro (which was also specified in the recipe but I didn't have) and be done with it. 2008: This made for a quick and filling-yet-light lunch. I did use green onion and skip the fresh herbs, as recommended -- very good! It won't knock your socks off but it's a good basic coleslaw except without mayonnaise and other heavy ingredients. If all the ingredients are on hand, go fo