Couldn't get enough of this rice! It's a great example of how easy it is to transform a familiar dish -- anything really, an entrée, a soup and here a starchy side -- into something entirely new just by adding a few vegetables . "Vegging up", I call it: Adding nutrients and fiber and volume to otherwise vegetable-free dishes Increasing the proportion of vegetables in a semi-veggie dish (done so often here on A Veggie Venture that it rarely warrants a mention anymore) The principle can be applied to many dishes -- but this rice is spoon-lickin' good! OTHER 'VEGGED' UP RECIPES from the ARCHIVES ~ Tuna Salad ~ ~ Summer Lentils ~ ~ Spicy Thai Noodle Salad ~ ~ more recipes with rice and vegetables ~ CURRIED RICE "VEGGED UP" Hands-on time: 15 minutes (including cooking the rice, probably 10 minutes with leftover rice) Time to table: 25 minutes (including cooking the rice, probably 15 minutes if using leftover rice) Makes 3 cups 2 cups water

This started off to be simple stir-fried vegetables. But when I fetched the broccoli from the frig, a packet of tofu tagged along. And suddenly the supper plan moved from leftover salmon to a vegetarian entrée. It was good enough but could certainly have used a kick of heat. And if only I'd thought to make rice to soak up all the lovely garlic-ginger juice! VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES ~ more broccoli recipes ~ ~ more recipes with soy, including tofu ~ ~ more vegetarian supper recipes ~ STIR-FRIED BROCCOLI with TOFU Hands-on time: 20 minutes Time to table: 30 minutes Serves 4 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon garlic (from a jar) 1 tablespoon ginger (from a jar) 1/2 an onion, cut in strips 16 ounces extra firm tofu, cut in cubes 1 red pepper, cut in strips 1 pound broccoli, aggressively trimmed , stalks chopped and tops cut into small florets 1/2 tablespoon garlic (from a jar) 1/2 tablespoon ginger (from a jar) 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce LOTS of sa

~ recipe, nutrition & photo updated in 2007 ~ 2005: Stop! Even if you turn up your nose at turnips, there's a great-tasting white sauce in that bowl. If you like the idea of creamed anything , you'll want to keep reading. Me, I happen to like the turnips. But the white sauce is extraordinary, the result of adding simple flavor ( bay leaf, whole clove and peppercorns ) to the milk as it scalds. The recipe's inspiration comes from Simply Recipes whose homey culinary approach I admire. There are few recipes there that I wouldn't love to reproduce in my own kitchen. Who else writes about turnips, for goodness sake! (For the record, my take on Creamed Turnips is a bit simpler and a tad lighter than Elise's ; you may want to compare the two approaches to see if one better matches your own taste sensibility.) So these are good. Really good. So good that, ahem, one might make a meal out of 'em. Did I? I'll tell if you'll try them ... VEGAN CREAMED TUR

~ recipe & photo updated in 2007 ~ 2005: Minus the chipotle, this would be one great salad. I'll make it again but without the heat and the chickpeas added in a vain attempt to moderate the fire. Whew! That stuff is HOT! 2007: Nothing like swinging from HOT! to bland. A bit of the chipotle would be great, just to contrast with the earthy sweetness of the beets and the acidic sweet of the orange sections. VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES ~ more beet recipes ~ BEET & ORANGE SALAD Hands-on time: 15 minutes Time to table: 15 minutes Serves 4 1 pound cooked beets ( baked or roasted ), chopped or sliced 1 tablespoon olive oil Zest from an orange (2007: I added lime zest too) Sections from an orange (2005: two would be still better, 2007: the beets stain the orange sections so for color contrast, you might want to arrange sections on top of the chopped beets) 1 tablespoon lime juice (2005: I used lemon but think lime would be better, 2007: lime is good!) 1 chipotle pepper plu

"Presentation" rarely ranks high on the priority list but this easy way to serve fresh vegetables struck the right note in both function and form. As for the spinach dip -- the recipe looked interesting in its own right but especially because all the ingredients were already on hand -- yes! no grocery shopping! The dip turned out only okay but is worth trying again. Next time I would: Roughly chop the cooked spinach instead of pureeing it into an awful-looking green gruel Omit the goat cheese added in an attempt to 'save' the dip after the fatal pureeing Let it rest before serving (the inspiring recipe suggests at least one day and as many as four) Serve as a spread for bread not vegetables VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES ~ more appetizer recipes ~ SPINACH DIP with STANDING VEGGIES Active time for dip: 35 minutes, only 15 hands-on Time to table: 2 - 4 days Makes about 3/4 cup SPINACH DIP 4 garlic cloves 8 ounces fresh spinach (bagged spinach work

~recipe & photo updated in 2007~ All summer, I forgot to make these lemony zucchini chunks even though they're favorites! But now that eastern Missouri is enjoying a looooonnnng stretch of Indian summer -- that means day-time temperatures in the lovely 70s! -- a big plateful was in order! (And besides, there're all those southern hemisphere-folks who are in the middle of their spring and whose zucchini plants are just about to blossom.) These roast at very high temperature (so does this maple glazed salmon which pairs beautifully) and oh! are they good, lemony and sweet both at the same time. When I first tried 'em, my Dad reported that it was the first time he'd ever wanted seconds let alone thirds on zucchini. And Word to the Wise: second and third helpings are a good thing because the leftovers are less than inspiring -- make only what you'll eat right away. [Hmmm. If you'd like to know just how good these zucchini really are, I just this minutes edited

The entertaining season is nigh! This week's Kitchen Parade column features fast, make-ahead spreads perfect for sandwiches or crackers -- and thus perfect for relaxed gatherings with family and friends.