Spinach, White Beans, and Pine Nut Strudel 

Tender baby spinach is delicious, good for you, and easy to use. It

combines creamy white beans and crunchy pine nuts in flaky pastry for a strudel vaguely reminiscent of spanakopita. Since pine nuts can be a bit pricey, walnuts can be used instead if you want to economize.

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 shallots, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups baby spinach

1½ cups cooked or 1 (15.5-ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup chopped pine nuts or walnuts

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

 Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and

garlic, cover, and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted and any liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes.

 Place the beans in a bowland mash them well. Add the spinach mixture, the lemon juice, salt, oregano, and pepper, stirring to mix well. Refrigerate to cool completely.

 Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll out the thawed puff pastry and sprinkle with about one-third of the

pine nuts. Spread the cooled spinach and bean mixture evenly across the dough and sprinkle with half of the remaining pine nuts. Fold over the sides and then roll the pastry up like a strudel. Place the strudel on the baking

sheet, seam side down. Sprinkle with the remaining pine nuts. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

SERVES 4

The vivid color contrasts and delectable flavors set this stuffed squash

apart. If you can find the super-sweet brilliantly orange-fleshed

kabocha squash, please buy it—it’s the best-tasting squash on the

planet. If you can’t find a squash with a large cavity, use two smaller squashes.

1 large sweet winter squash, halved and seeded Salt

1 cup long-grain brown rice

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 scallions, minced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 small hot or mild chile, seeded and minced

1½ cups cooked or 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and chopped

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons sugar

¼ cup minced fresh parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

 Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a shallow baking pan. Season the

squash halves with salt and place them in the baking pan, cut side down.

Add ¼ inch water to the pan and cover tightly. Bake for 20 minutes to soften slightly.

 Bring 2 cups salted water to a boil and add the rice. Decrease the heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 40 minutes.

 Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions, ginger, and chile and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the cooked rice, beans, mango, lemon juice, sugar, and parsley and

season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly to combine well, then taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Turn the squash halves over, cut side up, and fill the squash cavities with the stuffing, packing well. Cover

and bake until the stuffing is hot and the squash is tender, about 45 minutes.

SERVES 4

This flavorful bean-asparagus combo is seasoned with a zesty Brazilian chimichurri sauce, made with lots of garlic and parsley. It’s delicious

over rice or quinoa or tossed with hot cooked pasta.

1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

1½ teaspoons fresh oregano, or ½ teaspoon dried

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Pinch of sugar

1½ tablespoons rice vinegar

1½ cups cooked white beans or 1 (15.5-ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed

¼ cup water

 Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a bowl, combine the asparagus and 1

tablespoon of the oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat. Spread the asparagus on a baking pan and roast until tender, about 8

minutes.

 In a small food processor, combine the garlic, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and the sugar. Process to a paste. Add the vinegar and the remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Process until smooth.

 In a saucepan, combine the beans and ¼ cup water. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until hot. When the asparagus is roasted, transfer it to the saucepan with the beans. Add the sauce and mix gently to combine. Serve hot.

SERVES 4 TO 6

Like mac and cheese but made with quinoa, this dish is bursting with flavor and nutrition. The creamy sauce is made with cashews, white

beans, and roasted red bell pepper and seasoned with sherry, mustard, and nutritional yeast. It’s hard to believe a dish so comforting and

delicious is also so good for you.

1½ cups quinoa

2½ cups small broccoli florets

5 scallions, chopped

1½ cups raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours, then drained

1 cup cooked white beans

¼ cup chopped roasted red bell pepper

¼ cup nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons dry sherry

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 cup plain unsweetened almond milk

¼ cup panko breadcrumbs

 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a baking dish.

 Cook the quinoa according to the package directions. About 4 minutes before the quinoa is done cooking, stir in the broccoli and scallions. Cover and set aside.

 In a food processor, combine the drained cashews, white beans, roasted red bell pepper, nutritional yeast, sherry, vinegar, mustard, salt, and

paprika. Process until smooth and well blended. Add the almond milk and process until smooth.

 Transfer the cooked quinoa mixture to the prepared baking dish. Add the cashew mixture and mix well to combine. Spread evenly in the baking dish and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.

 Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crumbs are golden brown.

SERVES 4

Serve these zesty chickpeas over freshly cooked rice. Roasted

cauliflower makes a great addition to the chickpeas—simply give bite- size cauliflower florets a 10-minute head start in the oven in the baking dish, then add the chickpeas and sauce and continue with the recipe.

1 tablespoon olive oil, or 2 tablespoons water

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger ½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons ketchup

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons dark (toasted) sesame oil

1 cup water

3 cups cooked or 2 (15.5-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3 scallions, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

 Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a 9- x 13-inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper.

 Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cover,

and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the

garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, and cayenne, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, ketchup, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Stir in the

water and cook, stirring, for 1 minute to blend the flavors. Remove from the heat. Add the chickpeas to the skillet, stirring gently to coat with the sauce. Spread the chickpea mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish. Bake until

the sauce glazes onto the chickpeas, about 15 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with the scallions and cilantro.

SERVES 4

For best results, use cold cooked long-grain rice and your rice grains will remain fluffy and separate. Fried rice is a delicious reason to plan ahead and make extra rice whenever you’re cooking some up. Cooked rice freezes well, so keep a container in the freezer.

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 large carrot, shredded

3 scallions, minced

1 zucchini, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

3 cups cold cooked rice

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

3 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more if needed

2 teaspoons mirin or white wine

1 tablespoon dark (toasted) sesame oil

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and

carrot and stir-fry until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the scallions,

zucchini,garlic, and ginger and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the rice, peas, soy sauce, and mirin and stir-fry until hot, about 5 minutes. Drizzle on the

sesame oil, toss to combine, and taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more soy sauce if needed.