Done just right, crispy roasted potatoes are an almost-perfect side. We know potatoes pair perfectly with rosemary, but this variation takes it one step further by coating the potatoes in cornmeal and parmesan and roasting in a bed of rosemary and garlic. Don't mind if we do! More

I am a reluctant adopter of hearty dark greens. Knowing they are "good for me" has never felt like quite enough incentive to get me to actually tackle a mound of greens and cook them up for dinner, and I do so grudgingly. Until I discovered baby spinach. Pre-washed, pre-bagged, tender and ready to eat, baby spinach is a total supermarket shortcut, and in the name of healthier eating habits and convenience, I'll take it.

One of the remarkable things about this savory potato and leek galette is that it looks fancy, yet the ingredients are simple and inexpensive. The potatoes are plain old russets, the fat is olive oil instead of butter, and even though it's gluten-free and vegan, the galette is pleasantly starchy and creamy — a perfect cross between comfort food and an elegant, company-worthy dish. More

Q: I have had three potatoes explode in my oven recently. What am I doing wrong?! I have never had this happen before, and yes, I puncture the potatoes. Help!

Sent by RB

When I die, I hope they carve these words on my headstone: She always found a way to add more vegetables. (It will be an enormous headstone, naturally.) I'm always looking for a way to add more vegetables to recipes, not only for health reasons, but also because I'm lazy. Why make a grain dish and a vegetable dish for dinner when I can combine them both into one bowl? Especially if that bowl is filled with creamy butternut squash studded with chewy nubs of barley and crunchy toasted pecans.

I taught a whole grain breakfast class in Seattle a few weeks ago, and my favorite dish of the morning surprised me. Was it the more elaborate kale quiche? How about the seasonal baked risotto topped with toasty hazelnuts? Those were all great, but the star of that morning for me was actually a humble pot of morning barley. I left class thinking, "It's about time barley got its day in the spotlight!" More

"If you liked it, then you would have put a steak on it." Go ahead. Channel Beyonce and sing while you read this.

Kale, chard, spinach, and the like are super foods. I've tried to get my children to eat them in a hundred different ways. Heck, it took me a while to learn to love them, and I would still prefer a large plate of fries smothered in pimento cheese, but you have to grow up sometime. More

I don't much go for the trappings of Valentine's Day, but I do appreciate the excuse to cook something brilliantly, undeniably pink. Most often that means playing with beets, and this year I'm roasting them up to make a velvety, magenta-colored soup. More

I'm going to level with you. Carrots are not my favorite. I'll tolerate raw sticks as long as they're super fresh, super cold, and super covered in ranch dressing. But cooked? My feeling is meh. This said, there are a few places where even I feel that carrots will hold their own.

Kelp powder is a relatively new addition to my pantry but it's quickly becoming a staple. Whether I'm making vegan-friendly soup, kimchi, mock fish sauce, or even popcorn or salad dressing, I'm loving this subtly salty, umami-rich ingredient. More