It is great fun to discover new recipes only because some random ingredient was hanging around and needed using up! Today, the target was pepitas, roasted pumpkin seeds. For situations like this, my favorite resources are: The reliable Epicurious despite its less-than-modern search capabilities The multi-ingredient useful FoodieView which could be still more useful were its feeds to include more than 2 or 3 food blogs So after considering everything from fish crusts to pepita brittle, I settled on this quick bread. It's a good way to use up pepitas -- today's were hulled from Trader Joe's but you can make your own, too, as Elise has here at Simply Recipes . That said, I wouldn't buy pepitas special for making pumpkin bread and thus this recipe won't replace my long-time favorite , especially since the pepitas really add to the calorie count. VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES ~ more pumpkin recipes ~ PUMPKIN PEPITA BREAD Hands-on time: 20 minu

How to Cook Fresh Broccoli in the Microwave with Perfect Results Every Time I know, I know. Life's busy. Who has time to "cook" a vegetable for dinner? I do! And you do too! Cooking broccoli in the microwave is fast, easy and really, who needs a recipe?! It's just a simple technique, try it once and you'll never need anything more than a quick reminder again. Real Food, Fast & Casual. Year-Round Kitchen Staple. Weeknight Easy. Great for Meal Prep. Low Carb. Low Fat. Weight Watchers Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real . Naturally Gluten Free. Whole30 Friendly.

When the oven's already on for something else, it just feels good to roast some vegetables at the same time, even if they're not on the night's menu. Tonight I tried roasting the beets with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, the new favorite technique over at The Amateur Gourmet . Adam wraps the beets in foil. I wrapped two, then decided that foil wasn't so efficient for the remaining five beets so arranged them in a single layer in a covered casserole dish and roasted them side-by-side. Both turned out great! And the balsamic vinegar is an inspired addition. Oven temperature is always a question. The Amateur Gourmet roasts his at 400F for an hour. I did a little math and thought that at 375F, the beets'd be done in 65 minutes. Nope. It took 90 minutes for both those wrapped in foil and the ones in the casserole. Are there temperature/time conversion techniques that actually work? UPDATE: I've learned that it really isn't predictable how lon

Winter and Spring and Summer may have their soups. But Fall? Fall is the Real Soup Season! This week's Kitchen Parade column features a long-time favorite, a wild rice soup creamed with parsnip and potato and perfect for chilly days.

'The Minimalist' Mark Bittman was in St Louis last night to promote his new book, The Best Recipes in the World , another tome of 700+ pages like his bestselling and my oft-cooked- from How to Cook Everything . It was a small group of foodies gathered round, not a bite in sight, but I found him funny, cerebral and real, the kind of person you'd love to share a table with, even if he knew not one whit about food! My thoughts on the new book after scanning maybe 100 pages, yes, in the vegetable section: If you like How to Cook Everything and the Wednesday columns in the New York Times, you'll likely appreciate the new book too It's classic Minimalist style with short ingredient lists and shortcut techniques It's packed with substitution ideas -- this is also hallmark Minimalist and last night he quoted Jacques Pepin about kitchen artistry, 'You never step in the same river twice' The recipes seem somewhat adventurous but not the least bit 'w

Today three Moms wrote of (surprising!) success getting vegetables into their little ones: Meg of Too Many Chefs made kid- and parent-friendly (if a tad messy for toddlers) zucchini muffins Alysha from The Savory Notebook first had luck with a canned vegetable soup and decided to brave a vegetable soup with pesto Sweetnicks ' Nick gobbled up a Rachael Ray spinach salad 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 .

My favorite standby lunch, year-round, with any luck, the inspiration to help readers discover their own low-point standby lunch. ~recipe & photo updated 2010~ 2005: If you're wondering, yes, those are canned beans! But please, keep reading. Canned beans are not required! When there's a big supper on the calendar, this is my standard eat-at-my-desk lunch. It racks up a grand total of 1 Weight Watchers point (that's about 5% of a day's calories) but is still very filling and very satisfying . (If I'm having hunger pains before going out, I might fix another. The point is to fill up -- with volume and fiber -- without wasting the wonderful calories that'll be so enjoyed later on ! I fix the same salad at five o'clock to avoid overeating at a happy hour. Or if I've had a big lunch out but still want to nosh for supper. Or if I'm just too full from too much and too-rich food over a few days. Or just because it's easy and fast and healthful. Eve