Hot Potato: Salsa Verde Mashed Potatoes
You could eat these every day. Not just because they're luscious and wildly tasty. Because they provide nearly complete nutrition. Less than $1 per serious serving. Luscious, tart, spicy. Hot.
Eggplant Cheeseburger: The Best
It’s either the best cheeseburger of the year. Or the best vegetarian sandwich of the year. A luscious, juicy, pungent, rich and bright handheld meal in a bun. Less than half the price of a Big Mac. You have to try this.
The Grand Aioli
There's a meatless Friday tradition in France, in Provence: aioli monstre. The Grand Aioli. A monster feast of vegetables accompanied by huge bowls of aioli. Love the name. Love the idea. And now I love the meal.
Guys with hot flashes
And expanding guts. You may have heard about the study that examined the separate effects of decreasing testosterone levels and decreasing estrogen levels in men. Yes, we all have both of those hormones. And they affect muscle mass and abdominal fat in all of us.
Slower Sunday: Walkin’ the dogs
Want get into a good walking habit? Get a dog or two. Great companions, great trail guides. Improves your cardio- vascular health and reduces stress, too. Lab-tested.
Plum Cake: Mediterranean Diet Dessert
Diet as in healthy diet, not calorie-deprivation. Ranks very high on my Pleasure-Per-Calorie chart. Delicious, even luscious. Not super-low calorie, but Way lower than a muffin at Starbucks or a donut at Dunkin'. It's lemon-olive oil cake topped with fresh fruit.
100 Wineries a Day: Hike Mt. St. Helena
Maybe more. Because from the summit of Mt. St. Helena in Calistoga, California, USA, you can see the entire Napa Valley, the Alexander Valley and beyond to the High Sierra and San Francisco. An invigorating, self-righteous, guilt-free Way to start a day in California's wine country.
Eggplant, Ricotta & Dill: a great pizza
And a great reminder of the Top 2 Reasons you should always have fresh pizza dough in the fridge. Reason # 2: A great pizza crust is the perfect platform for thousands of delicious, healthy toppings. Reason # 1: You love pizza. And so does everybody you know and feed.
Shiitake French Toast. No kidding.
Light, airy brioche bread soaks up so much milk, egg and cheese that this French toast looks, feels and tastes like a cheese soufflé. Covered by sautéed shiitake mushrooms. Takes 20 minutes to make and it's foolproof.
Stir-Fry of the Season
A trip to the Farmers Market tells you it's still summer. Baskets full of great late summer greens for another week or two. Evening weather cool enough to crank up the stove to stir-fry them. 15 minutes start-to-finish. Nothing but slicing and stirring. You can and should.