cauliflower romesco

Photo: Courtesy of Purple Carrot

An Ingenious Way to Get Tender, Crisp Cauliflower
If you've ever cooked pot stickers—even the frozen kind—you're familiar with the steam-then-sear method, which quickly heats the interior and browns the exterior of the dumpling. Turns out this speedy technique also works really well with cauliflower. You cut a head into large wedges, prepare it using the aforementioned two-step approach and serve the veggie—which, when cooked this way, is supersatisfying and way more substantial than we're used to cauliflower being. Also on the plate: roasted potatoes and a rich Spanish romesco sauce, made with garlic, almonds and roasted red peppers.

Get the recipe: Cauliflower Romesco with Roasted Salt Potatoes and Green Olives
winter panzanella

Photo: Courtesy of Purple Carrot

The Seasonal Take on a Beloved Warm-Weather Recipe
We don't often eat panzanella in winter, as the bread-and-veggie dish tends to brim with ripe summer tomatoes. Yet Bittman convinces us that the entrée salad can make a winning winter meal. He uses lacinato kale, a dark, purplish variety that grows through the winter in all but the chilliest climates. With its walnuts for crunch, mandarins for sweet juiciness and portobello mushroom "steaks," this meal will have you wondering what other summer recipes you can winterize (corn on the cob in February, anyone?).

Get the recipe: Winter Panzanella with Seared Portobello Steaks
spinach risotto

Photo: Courtesy of Purple Carrot

Proof That Risotto Isn't Hard to Make
This creamy, gorgeously green version of the classic Italian rice bowl is surprisingly easy to make and outrageously tasty, too, with a subtle saltiness from miso (Bittman says it's the Japanese equivalent of Parmesan) and a bit of a kick from cayenne and paprika. The finishing touch: a crumble you make by mashing canned chickpeas slightly and then roasting them at high heat until they're crispy. The chickpeas are a nice contrast to the soft rice, and also double as a protein-packed garnish you can use in many other dishes.

Get the recipe: Spinach Risotto Topped with Spiced Chickpea Crumble
aloo paratha eggplant

Photo: Courtesy of Purple Carrot

An Eggplant Dish with a Newbie Friendly Shortcut
We often feel a bit stumped with eggplant; aside from our usual go-to dish or two, we just aren't sure how else to cook it. This 101-level twist on a popular flatbread dish found in India and Pakistan gives us a new reason to love the purple nightshade. You throw together a simple stew with eggplant, tomato and crunchy mustard seeds then serve the savory mixture with wedges of the bread. The brilliant trick here: Use whole wheat tortillas instead of making your own flatbread dough.

Get the recipe: Aloo Paratha with Mustard Seed-Scented Eggplant

Photo: Courtesy of Purple Carrot

Beets Seen in a Whole New Light
This cold, layered salad makes terrific dinner-party fare; or, you can skip the assembly and just spoon it onto a plate for a weeknight supper, taking a more easygoing approach to eating the components. Either way, you've got a delicious lineup of ingredients: farro, yellow beets, avocado, tofu and frisée lettuce, mixed with a horseradish-dill dressing that's spiked with some traditional beef tartare ingredients: briny capers and Dijon mustard. Endive leaves and crackers give the dish a welcome crunch and serve as edible utensils.

Get the recipe: 5-Layer Beet Tartare
Published 01/22/2016