With step-by-step photos and A Veggie Venture's first video! How to "cut" asparagus to remove the woody ends, the woody stems. That's "cut" in quotes because the trick is to put the knife aside and instead, just snap the spears, one by one. Get into the rhythm. Bend, bend, snap! Bend, bend, snap! And as a special treat? A Veggie Venture's very first video! I'd love to know what you think! Who else has noticed that an asparagus spear may be as tender as can be at the tip but is as tough and woody as can be at the other end? That's why recipes here always-always suggest "snapping" off those woody ends before roasting , slow roasting , steaming, microwaving , whatever your favorite cooking method. But where does the edible, tender part of the asparagus spear begin and the woody part end? It depends, spear by spear but there's a natural breaking point. Here's how to find it. Just remember the rhythm! Bend, bend, snap! Bend, bend

How to steam fresh broccoli in a collapsible steamer basket, producing perfectly cooked broccoli, the creamy stalks, the chewy stems, the tender florets. There are three tricks, they're all detailed here! Steamed broccoli, what could be simpler, right? Well that's the thing about simple stuff, the tricks are in the details. So now there are step-by-step photos with all my broccoli-steaming insider tips, including my Top Three Tricks to perfectly steamed broccoli. Trick #1: Trim Aggressively! Trick #2: Layer the Broccoli Trick #3: Finish Off Heat WHAT YOU'LL NEED A cutting board A sharp knife A vegetable peeler A collapsible steaming basket That's all!

Today's slow cooker recipe: Simple, tasty cooked carrots, either baby carrots (I know, I know, read on!) or real carrots (better still!). Just dump 'em in with a few pantry ingredients and let the slow cooker go to town. The kitchen will smell so good! Kids and grownups like these approachable carrots and they add great color to a buffet or dinner plate. Inexpensive. Weight Watchers Friendly. Low Cal. Gluten Free. Primal. Vegetarian. Okay so no April Fool's joke here but for the first time ever, I'm gonna say, "Okay, okay. Go ahead, use baby carrots." Surprised? Because we remember the outright lies fiction about so-called "baby" carrots, right? I first started spreading the word way back in 2005 on Day Twelve of A Veggie Venture. The truth is, baby carrots aren't the young, tender carrots they're marketed to be. The fact is, baby carrots are giant carrots shaved down to bite-size carrot bullets. Snopes even claims that carrots destined

Hey, asparagus lovers. I'm here to offer two big thumbs ups for asparagus cooked in the microwave, definitely quick, definitely easy and definitely delicious. Hands-down, we cook fresh asparagus in the microwave more than any other way. Here's how. Real Food, Fast & Casual. Just Two Ingredients! A Summer Classic. Not Just Easy, Summer Easy . Little Effort, Big Taste. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Great for Meal Prep. Low Carb. Low Fat. Weight Watchers Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real . Naturally Gluten Free. Whole30 Friendly. Rave Reviews.

Today's easy pancake recipe: Whole-wheat pancakes with fresh spinach, light and fluffy. The pancakes are "dyed" green (St. Patrick's Day, anyone?!) from the all-natural spinach but yet, there's no bitter spinach taste at all. Surprisingly good, frankly they taste just like regular pancakes except maybe a little "greener". Thanks to both Greek yogurt and spinach, they're also high in protein. And besides, aren't they just plain fun?! Weight Watchers Friendly, WW 2 PointsPlus. Vegetarian. So let's talk pancakes, shall we? Cuz everybody loves 'em, at least my family does! I don't repeat many recipes in my column Kitchen Parade – but pancakes are an exception! There's my sister's recipe (thick and fluffy with tiny, small, medium and large batches for changing family sizes) and my mom's recipe (the classic! calling for either buttermilk or "sweet" milk) and cornmeal pancakes (especially good with blueberries) an

Oh people, what a gorgeous cornbread recipe this is! Sweet Potato Cornbread is made with a whole field full of sweet potatoes – kidding! but lots! But there's no flour so it's naturally wheat-free and gluten-free. Seasonal. Vegetarian. Golden color and delicious! Total winner, here! Y'know, trips to the mailbox just aren't what they used to be, are they? In fact, they're hardly necessary. A bill or two, a statement or two. The odd old-fashioned if much-appreciated thank you note and postcard. But after that? It's just junk mail that hits the recycling bin with barely a glance. But when Southern Living magazine hits the mailbox? Be still, my beating heart! Every month I want to settle in right away, thank you very much. Pour a cup of coffee, now please . (If this sounds like a paid advertisement or a sponsored post, banish the idea! I'm a happy paid subscriber. Southern Living knows this blogger from nobody.) Mine may be a northern soul but page after p

Today's easy recipe: How to make Cajun dirty rice with much-reduced calories and carbs, thanks to the addition of "dirty" eggplant instead of chicken livers or gizzards. Weight Watchers, you're going to love this one, just one PointsPlus per serving! Weight Watchers Friendly. Low Cal. Low Carb. Gluten Free. Paleo. Vegetarian. Not just vegan, " Vegan Done Real ". Our friends Mark and Lisa give a Mardi Gras party every year. But sad-so-sad, we've yet been able to attend. But happy-so-happy, 2014 is our year! It's quite the bash so I've been experimenting with Cajun-style dishes. One Friday awhile back, I cooked red beans for Red Beans & Rice, a Cajun Pot Roast and Dirty Rice with Eggplant. What a meal! WHAT IS "DIRTY RICE" Now after dinner, there's a pile of dirty dishes and a kid who plays outside is likely to come in with dirty clothes and we all know scoundrels who play dirty tricks . But "dirty" rice, what in d