HERBED HONEY LIME SALAD DRESSING, GRILLED CORN CHOPPED SALAD

This is easily the best salad dressing I have ever made! And I've always made salad dressing myself, I never buy it. This dressing truly dresses up a salad, with clean ingredients and bright flavours! Best of all, it's quite a forgiving recipe so you can vary the quantities of ingredients however you prefer.

Although, I wouldn't do anything insane like adding parsley instead of mint or - heaven forbid - herbs like rosemary, sage, tarragon and all that. That would be nothing short of a travesty of this dressing!

If you're making the salad too: roasted corn is important in the salad. It rounds everything out with its smokiness. In corn season I buy a bunch of corn, roast it on my gas burner stove top, shave off the kernels, and freeze for use later. That is of course better than frozen store-bought roasted corn, but really, Trader Joe's frozen roasted corn is quite up to par. So definitely use that if you want or have to.

Herbed Honey-Lime Salad Dressing

Makes: approximately 12 oz.

- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/8 cup fresh juice from navel, tangerine, or mandarin oranges

- 1/8 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, roughly torn and including tender stems
- 1 cup fresh mint, roughly torn and including tender stems
- 1/2 jalapeño pepper

- 1 garlic clove, peeled

- 1 tsp good quality salt

- 1/4 cup or more water as needed to blend to a smooth, easily pourable, liquid consistency

1. Put everything in a blender or smoothie mixer and blend to a smooth consistency.

2. While still in the blender, taste the dressing and adjust flavours to your taste. Blend again to make sure it's all smooth.

3. Enjoy over salad leaves, roasted vegetables, raw vegetables, rice and raw vegetable salad, or a mixed chopped salad like below...

Grilled Corn Chopped Salad

Makes: a lot, or approximately 10 cups

1. Mix in a bowl small-medium sized dice of:

- 1 cup yellow or red onion

- 1 cup jicama

- 3 Persian cucumbers

- 1 cup capsicum of any colour

- 1 cup carrots

2. Add

- 1 cup celery, sliced not diced

- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

- 1 cup kernels from grilled corn (or use Trader Joe's frozen grilled corn)

3. Toss with three quarters of the salad dressing, adding more if required.

4. Enjoy on its own or as a salsa with tortilla chips! Or stuffed in a pita, as a soft taco with corn tortillas, with a bit of rice on the side, or filled in endive spears.

CAULIFLOWER SOUP: THE ONLY RECIPE YOU'LL EVER NEED

Don't fix it if it isn't broken. And this recipe isn't broken. So let your inner gourmet goddess take the day off while you make this soup the way it's written below. Guys, yeah I assumed women are reading this, but even though you're not a woman, the same instructions apply.

I've adapted this from Paul Bertolli's recipe from Cooking by Hand. I say adapted because I usually add less water since I like my soup slightly thicker. Other than that, I don't change it. It's really important not to over-heat the olive oil, and not to let the onions brown at all. Browned onions are tasty but not right now.

I really think the first time you have this soup keep the garnishes light... a drizzle of olive oil and some freshly ground toasted pepper is really all you need. And perhaps when you're on your second bowl, add in a dash of nutmeg or truffle butter. Because cauliflower loves nutmeg and truffles... sparingly.

I simply love this soup just on its own. But if you want, serve this with a hunk of good bread or a parrano grilled cheese for a party in your mouth!

Cauliflower Soup
Makes: 4 main, 8 first course servings

- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, sliced thin
- 1 head white cauliflower (about 1-2 lbs), broken into florets
- 2 tsp good quality salt
- 4-1/2 cups water, heated

- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil per serving, for 4 servings. For 8 servings, use 1/2 tsp per serving to garnish the soup before eating.
- Freshly ground regular or toasted black pepper, to taste
- Additional salt, to taste

1. Warm - not over-heat - the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. If the oil starts smoking, it's burnt and you have to start over with a clean pan.
2. Sweat the onion in the olive oil over low heat without letting it brown. At medium low this will take around 15 minutes.
3. Add the cauliflower and 1/2 cup hot water.
4. Raise the heat slightly to medium, cover the pot tightly and cook the cauliflower for 15 minutes, or until tender.
5. Then add the other 3-1/2 cups hot water and salt. Bring to a low simmer and cook an additional 15 - 20 minutes uncovered. Make sure the cauliflower is really tender at this point.
6. In batches, blend the soup to a smooth, creamy consistency. Let the soup stand for 20 minutes to let it thicken slightly.
7. Before serving, thin the soup with 1/2 cup hot water if required.
8. Reheat the soup and serve hot, drizzled with the extra-virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.

MACADAMIA COCONUT BUTTER

My sister brought me some - a lot of - beautiful macadamias from Australia where they grow abundantly. Macadamias are the only native Australian food crop to be commercialized. A couple of years ago, while driving around the Nightcap National Park area, we passed dozens of macadamia orchards where folks had baskets of tree-fresh macadamia nuts set out on tables, to be paid for on an honor system. Most people, particularly in North America and around associate Hawai'i with macadamia nuts but in fact they were introduced to Hawai'i in the late 1800s as a wind shield for sugar cane crops. They were, however, commercialized in Hawai'i well before Australia, which is why they're associated with Hawai'i more than Australia.

So anyway I had all these macadamias sitting around and I thought why not do a butter with these beauties - and add in coconut and sweeten the whole lot with plump Halawi dates I had in the fridge. I happened to have 6 dates left so I put them all in, but if you want a sweeter butter, add more! Medjool dates which are most commonly available would probably work well, although I think Halawi is a more fragrant and soft date and any similar date if you can get it, would be just as good.

Macadamias are quite soft and unctuous compared to, say, almonds or pistachios, and will turn into butter more easily. I add salt to my nut butters if I am using unsalted nuts because salt enhances the flavour of the nut butter. You can certainly omit the salt if you wish.

I like this butter with pear and apple wedges but I sometimes have it on a cracker or in my breakfast rolled oats which I always soak overnight with fruits and nuts or nut butter.

Macadamia Coconut Butter

Makes: approximately 1-1/2 cup

- 2 cups (250 grams) macadamia nuts, toasted or raw

- 6 pitted Halawi dates, or any soft date variety of your choice

- 3 tbsp unsweetened dried coconut, shredded or flaked
- 1/2 tsp good quality salt, I use Himalayan pink salt

1. Put everything in a food processor and pulse until you have a nearly smooth butter, with some date flecks. You will need to occasionally push the ground mix of dates, nuts, and coconut back into the bowl of the food processor, as shown in my almond butter post.
2. Enjoy!

DANDELION PESTO

I love dandelions - the delicate wispy flowers and the delicious leaves! If I had a garden and if dandelions grew in it, I'd never consider them a weed. I usually whip up a dandelion green smoothie - one of my favourites! But this time around I had an exceptionally large bunch of dandelion greens, so I decided to do something different with half of the bunch: pesto. The lemon juice enhances the distinct flavour of the fresh dandelion greens and the earthiness of toasted walnuts. And parsley as always, just livens everything up!

Not only are dandelion greens delicious, but like all delicious things they're high in the feel-good factor: you know, the one you need everyday to feel like you're not slowly degenerating thanks to many weekends - and some weekdays - of long nights and lots of adult bevvies! Anyway, while we're on the subject, dandelion is excellent for liver detox. Not that I need it, but just letting everyone know. It is also rich in iron, calcium, and protein. And it's a leafy green so: antioxidants. Basically, you need some of this weed.

The pesto is fantastic in a grilled cheddar sandwich, as a pizza/pasta sauce, on a burger, with roasted vegetables and some homemade pita, or just with crackers. Or, let your imagination run wild like a dandelion and use it in any way you like!

Dandelion Pesto

Makes: approximately 2 cups

- 3 cups dandelion leaves, cleaned
- 1/2 cup parsley, cleaned
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted just until aromatic
- 1 teaspoon good quality salt, I use Himalayan pink salt
- 1 Meyer or regular lemon, juiced

1. Put the walnuts, garlic, salt, lemon juice, olive oil, and greens - in that order - into a blender jar and blend until smooth.
2. Refrigerate or freeze if not using within 2 hours. As all pestos and condiments, this one also tastes best after 6 hours or longer.

Notes:

1. Use all organic ingredients if possible, especially greens.

KHOUBZ aka PITA: IN AN INSTANT

Khoubz in Arabic, pita in the West via Greece. Whatever you call it, it's easy to make at home! And don't give up even if the first couple of times your loaves aren't the best or the roundest because... well because you can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs. So get to it!

I wanted to try making bread with instant yeast which I never use because it just sounds soul-less. And I am glad I tried it, because now I know why I never use instant yeast. Can't make an omelette without you-know-what!

Of course, it's better to use instant yeast and have bread rather than having none at all, but I missed the flavour of the yeast and delicious yeast-y smell of bread in the oven. If you have time, use the yeast dough method in my pizza dough post. Or make both a couple of times and see if you prefer one over the other.

Khoubz, or Pita
Makes: 8 - 10 loaves

- 3 cups flour
- 1-1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar, I use demerara
- 2-1/4 tsp instant yeast (1 packet)
- 1-1/2 cups warm water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tbs olive oil

1. In a large bowl, mix the yeast, flour, salt, and sugar. Add the olive oil and 1 cup water and mix to form a ball of dough. If the dough is not holding together and is crumbly, add more water 1 - 2 tbsp. at a time. Mix the water really well into the dough each time - don't let the water just remain on the surface of the dough otherwise all you'll get is a sticky mess!
2. Once you have a ball of dough, put it on the counter-top, baking tray, or cutting board and knead for approximately 5 minutes or until the dough feels smooth and supple. A simple hand kneading technique is to firmly press down on the dough with the palm of your hand, fold the dough in half toward you like you are closing an envelope, rotate the dough 90 degrees and then repeat these steps. But really, knead however you want and do whatever it takes to make that dough smooth like a baby's bum.
3. Oil your palms with a tsp of olive oil and shape the dough into a ball. Let it rest in a covered bowl in a draft-free, warm place such as an unheated oven. After 60 - 90 minutes when the dough has risen and doubled in size, push it down gently to release some of the yeasty gases and divide the dough into 8 - 10 pieces.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 F/220 C with or without a pizza stone.
5. Roll each piece of dough into a ball, cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 15 - 20 minutes. Or, roll each ball of dough into a circle, and let it rest in baking trays or any other flat surface for 15 - 20 minutes.
6. Put 2-3 or however many uncooked pita loaves fit without being crowded on your baking surface and bake for 5-6 minutes. When the bread puffs up and takes on a slight brown colour, remove from the oven. The bread *will* brown and eventually burn if you leave it in the oven for even a minute longer than 5-6 minutes. 425 F/220 C is hot!
7. If you're not eating these immediately, take them out of the oven, put them in a large container and cover with a damp towel until you're ready to use them. Reheat as needed.

GRAPE ARUGULA MINT SMOOTHIE

I have at least one 32 oz. green smoothie a day - breakfast or dinner. Sometimes I have one at breakfast and one at dinner - a green smoothie with fruit and a savoury smoothie/raw soup with vegetables.

When grapes are in season, this is one I have pretty much everyday for breakfast or dinner. When grapes are in season, I have them everyday at breakfast, as a snack, or at dinner. But not at all three meals - because that would be a bit of a bore.

As I've mentioned before, the key to getting a good chunkless smoothie in a regular blender - the kind of blender that doesn't have a truck motor and doesn't cost as much as a truck - is to layer correctly in the blender: solid fruits or vegetables at the bottom, light leafy things on the top, just enough water to make a smooth puree, then add more leaves and water. The lemon, salt, and other powdered spices can go in whenever. Don't be afraid to let the blender run on High for a good 2-3 minutes to make everything smooth and well blended.

Grape Arugula Mint Smoothie

Makes: approximately 32 oz./2 pints/4 "regular" 8 oz. glasses

- 2 cups red grapes

- 4 cups arugula or greens of your choice

- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

- 1 lemon, juiced

- 1/2 in. piece fresh ginger cut into a couple of pieces (~2 tsp grated or minced)

- 1 tsp. Himalayan pink salt, or any other good quality salt with trace minerals

- 3-4 cups water, or more, depending on how thin you like your smoothies

1. Blend the grapes, 2 cups arugula/greens, ginger, mint leaves, lemon, salt, and 1 cup water until you have a smooth puree.

2. Add the remaining greens and 1 cup water and blend until it's all smooth. You may need to let the blender run for a couple of minutes while everything is evenly blended.

3. If it's too thick to drink, add the remaining 1 cup of water and blend. Adding too much water will dilute the flavour so taste before adding more water. Besides, you don't want a watery thin smoothie anyway so be judicious with water beyond 3 cups...

CHICKPEA, MINT, AND CITRUS DIP (WITH TOASTED PEPPERCORNS)

I seldom write effusive blog posts, but sometimes things just fall into place. Sometimes you have exactly the amount of things you need to fall into place. Or into your blender! Like this delicious dip that will take an unexpected turn in your mouth thanks to the smoky toasted peppercorns and fresh grapefruit.

I pulled a shoulder muscle and was in pain all day at work but I reeeeally wanted to workout like I normally do in the evening. It's the thing I look forward to every single day, because it's fun! And lively. Well anyway a workout was just a preposterous idea because my "trial" moves in the work bathroom left me unable to move much for a good 15 minutes. So I took the hint and came home, certainly not up to cooking or eating.

But - I had cooked chickpeas, a beautiful bunch of fresh mint, which is one of my favourite herbs, and over half a bunch of equally beautiful fresh parsley. And an aging grapefruit.

And - I absolutely hate wasting food and always feel dreadful about having to throw away food, especially if it's because of my own neglectfulness. 

So - I decided that the chickpeas would have to become my usual hummus that I could take to work as a snack, and the herbs would become a persillade but with mint and parsley. And the grapefruit - especially great with toasted pepper and a light sprinkle of salt - would be a snack. That, I reckoned, was the way to dispense with things expeditiously so I could mope about having to stay in all evening.

But as I was laying everything out, the smell of the torn mint and parsley leaves, the lemon, peppercorns, and grapefruit halves was just so heady together that I figured I'd have a go at putting it all together in a dip. And it turned out to be phenomenal - gorgeous light green, with a garlic-ey, herbal scent and the smokiness of toasted peppercorns. Love it!

Chickpea, Mint, and Citrus Dip (with Toasted Peppercorns)

Makes: approximately 1-3/4 cups

- 1-1/2 cups chickpeas, cooked

- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

- 1/8 cup parsley

- 1/2 cup grapefruit juice (from 1 medium grapefruit)

- 1 Meyer lemon or a regular lemon, juiced

- 2 large cloves garlic

- 1 tsp minced ginger

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 2 tsp freshly ground toasted black pepper, or regular black pepper

- 1 tsp salt, or to taste

1. Blend everything until it is smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste - add more lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil to taste.

2. Garnish with minced parsley or a drizzle of olive oil, or both.

3. Let it sit for a few hours/overnight to let the flavours meld and let the dip thicken a bit as the chickpeas absorb some of the liquid before serving. Or, serve immediately as an appetizer with bread/pita, pita chips, crostini, lavash, roasted vegetables, crudites, or as a main with roasted salmon.

MOIST CHOCOLATE BANANA CUPCAKES

There isn't a whole lot to say about this recipe... except that it's fantastic! I adapted it from a recipe on the Joy of Baking website (link below, just before the recipe). I used a vanilla frosting, but the one on the website sounds delicious, and as are most recipes on the website, it's very manageable. Although this recipe says it's for cupcakes, it's my go-to recipe for a moist, delicious chocolate cake. This recipe makes one 8 in. round cake.

The hot water makes a difference because it activates the cocoa and draws out the chocolate-y flavour without being over-bearing. Also, butter, olive oil, or coconut oil are really the only fats I use for baking. Generally, if a recipe calls for oil, I use olive oil. I always have it at hand, and it's got natural emulsifiers that results in cakes with a moist crumb even after refrigeration. And no, you won't get an olive oil flavour in your cake at all.

I used *very* ripe bananas for the best flavour. Really ripe. Blackened skin ripe. Blackened skin, soft to the touch ripe. But really, even if your bananas have lots of black spots on them, they're fine to use. Don't bother using unripe bananas... won't work.

Moist Chocolate Banana Cupcakes

Servings: 12 regular cupcakes, 24 mini cupcakes

Adapted from this recipe.

**See Notes for additional information on sugar, oil, and eggs**

- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup demerara sugar

- 1/3 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened regular or Dutch-processed

- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 medium sized ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/2 cup hot water, not boiling
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract

- 3/4 tsp almond extract (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C.

2. Line 12 regular or 24 mini muffin cups with paper liners, butter each cup, or spray with your favourite non-stick vegetable spray.
3. In a large bowl mix well the dry ingredients - sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In another large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients except hot water - eggs, mashed banana, milk, oil, vanilla extract and almond extract if using.

5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir or whisk until combined.

6. Add the hot water and mix. The batter will be quite thin but don't worry it's fine.

7. Pour or spoon the batter into the muffin cups no more than 3/4 full, and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

9. Frost with your favourite frosting - or serve plain with a side of whipped cream or ice cream.

Notes:

1. I always use demerara sugar, but you can also use any other unprocessed sugar like evaporated cane juice. White granulated sugar is heavily processed and I don't recommend it for anything but use it if you must.

2. Olive oil has natural emulsifiers that make cakes moister and softer, so I like using olive oil for baking rather than any other oils. Also, that's really the only oil I always have at hand.

3. I use organic free-range eggs for eating and baking but any eggs will do.

SPICED GHEE

You are what you eat.

The internet is full of information about the importance of ghee in Ayurveda and the many health benefits of ghee so I won't get repetitive about it. But I will say that ghee is one of the best fats your mind and body can have.

This ghee with aromatic spices is wonderful for cooking, in rice dishes, and drizzled over oats or a warm fruit compote. One of my favourite winter breakfasts is rice with ghee, a bit of cayenne pepper, and salt. The spices in the ghee add roundness and warmth to the flavour of food - perfect for the cooler months of the year!

I use 4 cooking fats: ghee, cold expeller-pressed coconut oil, olive oil, and grape-seed oil, in that order. Of the 4, olive oil has the lowest smoke point so I almost never use it for cooking unless I'm sauteeing something at a very low heat or adding it to a soup or stew later in the cooking process and heating everything together.

Ghee and coconut oil have a higher smoke point and don't oxidize easily, and they taste divine in sweet and savoury foods alike.

Spiced Ghee

Makes: approximately 8 oz./1 cup

- 8 oz. organic cow's milk butter, preferably unsalted but salted will do just fine

- 1 tsp cloves, whole 

- 1 tbsp cardamom, whole

- 1 tbsp fennel seeds, whole

- 1 tbsp black Tellicherry peppercorns, whole

- 1 tbsp caraway seeds ("shah jeeru" in Gujarati)

- 1 stick cinnamon, 3-4 in. long

- stainless steel pan (cast-iron and enamel may be ok, but definitely not non-stick or aluminium)

- fine mesh strainer

1. In a mortar and pestle, lightly crush the peppercorns, cardamom, and fennel.

2. In the same pan that you will use to make ghee, add all the spices and turn on the heat to low and gently dry-roast the spices till aromatic. This will happen within a minute so keep an eye on things or you'll have burnt-tasting spiced ghee. If you are distracted or short on time, skip this step and add the spices and butter together to the pan. Unroasted spices will affect the final flavour far less than burnt spices!

3. Add the butter, turn the heat up to medium-low and let the butter melt completely.

4. Turn the heat to very low, for the remainder of the process, 25 - 30 minutes. The butter will start to foam and you will hear the butter crackle and pop - this is water evaporating from the butter.

5. Periodically check the butter without stirring: tilt the pan slightly or use a stainless steel or wood spoon to separate the foam so you can see the butter solids and spices. As the butter cooks, the solids will separate and settle, and the butter will get clearer.

6. As more and more water evaporates, the crackling and popping will reduce and the solids at the bottom of the pan will turn caramel in colour. Around 20 - 25 minutes after you start cooking the butter on low heat, the crackling and popping will almost completely stop. The solids will also turn a deep golden colour (not dark brown!).

7. TURN OFF THE HEAT! Deep golden to burnt takes no time at all and that's most definitely going to make the ghee taste burnt. 

8. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the ghee into a completely dry container. Let the ghee cool completely before putting a lid on the container.

9. Store in a covered container at room temperature. Ghee at room temperature is straw coloured with a semi-liquid texture. If correctly made, it will be easily spoonable at room temperature, no scraping required. Always use a clean spoon to scoop out ghee for use. Ghee does not need to be refrigerated and if it is not exposed to contaminates, it will keep for over a year, even outside the fridge.

Notes:

1. If you don't have a strainer with very fine mesh, improvise by putting a paper towel inside the strainer and strain the ghee through that.

BETTER THAN MAC-N-CHEESE: ORECCHIETTE WITH ROOT VEGETABLE SAUCE

Cheesy? Dairy-free? Lowfat? Vegetarian? Vegan? Gluten-free? Yeast-free? Totally delicious? Easy? All of those is what this recipe is! Just make this - you're going to love it! I've served it plenty of times to my dairy- and dairy-free friends, no one can tell that there's not a morsel of cheese in this mac-n-cheese.

I used orecchiette but any short-ish pasta with a texture that allows sauce to cling on to will do: Maccheroni, fusili, rigatoni, radiatori, conchiglie, cavatelli, casarecci, gemelli, ruote... whatever strikes your fancy. Or whatever you've got waiting to be cooked... or whatever the market has for you.

Orecchiette with Root Vegetable Sauce

Makes: 6 generous servings

Sauce:

- 4 cups water

- 1/2 cup raw cashews

- 1 shallot
- 2 medium red or yellow potatoes
- 3-4 small (2 medium) carrots
- 1 medium yellow or white onion
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 2 tsp. crushed red pepper

- 2 tsp. good quality salt

- 1 tbsp. olive or grapeseed oil

Pasta:

- 4 quarts water

- 16 ounces orecchiette

Topping:

- 2 slices of bread, torn into large pieces

1. Soak cashews in 1 cup water.

2. Cut all the vegetables except garlic into roughly evenly sized pieces.

3. Bring 3 cups of water to a rolling boil in a large saucepan.

4. Add the cut vegetables and 4 cloves of garlic to the boiling water. There's no need to cut the garlic, add the cloves whole.

5. Bring everything to a boil.

6. Lower the heat to medium-high and cook until vegetables are soft.

7. Remove the vegetables from the heat and allow to cool almost completely.

8. Do not drain vegetables.

9. Add the cashews, 1 clove of garlic, cooked vegetables and water, salt, and all the seasonings to a blender.

10. Blend on high until everything is a smooth paste. SAUCE!!

11. Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C.

12. Bring the 4 quarts water to a rolling boil.

13. Add the orecchiette and cook until al dente. Thoroughly drain the pasta.

14. Process the bread in a food processor or blender to make breadcrumbs.

15. Mix the drained pasta with the sauce and put in a 9 in. x 13 in. baking pan. I prefer a glass or ceramic pan but metal will do I suppose.

16. Top with the breadcrumbs and bake for 30 min. or until the sauce starts to bubble.

17. Remove from the oven and enjoy!

Notes:

1. Make the sauce ahead of time and thin if required before mixing in cooked pasta.
2. Make this gluten-free: use gluten-free pasta and breadcrumbs.

3. Mix in other vegetables along with the sauce and pasta: kale or chard torn into pieces, spinach, lightly steamed broccoli, or even cauliflower florets.

4. Make it vegan: make sure to use eggless pasta.