Eggplants were on sale at the market this week, so I picked one up and challenged myself to do something other than fry it. Since fried eggplant is so delicious in dishes like Eggplant Parmesan, I think it tends to be my easy go-to answer. I had something else in mind this time: an afternoon snack with a quick, delicious tahini dip that would carry us through until dinner. More

Gimbap satisfies in many settings: as a light lunch for both adults and kids, as an easy-to-carry picnic and hiking snack, or even as a party appetizer. Learn the basics of these Korean-style seaweed and rice rolls and you'll be able to fill them with endless combinations of vegetables, meat, tofu, and eggs. They're even a great way to use up leftovers! More

You probably already know that roasting winter vegetables turns them soft, caramelized and irresistible. But what you might not know is that tossing them with a three-ingredient dressing of miso paste, lime juice and walnut oil gives them a savory, bright and beguiling flavor that will make people wonder why the roasted vegetables you make are so much better than the roasted vegetables they make.

Here's a recipe that can easily work both as a party-worthy appetizer or as a light supper, perhaps served with a salad dressed in a sharp, mustardy vinaigrette. The sweet caramelized onions, sharp goat cheese and pungent fresh basil work together beautifully, especially when supported by a crisp but chewy flatbread. More

Smoothies made with protein powder are a great post-workout snack or breakfast on the go, but many commercial powders are loaded with artificial flavorings and other weird additives. Here's an economical and less processed alternative: make your own tasty, vegan protein powder!

I was a vegetarian for a good fifteen years — all through college and most of my twenties. It was never a huge struggle for me because my family didn't eat a great deal of red meat growing up and I wasn't crazy about fish at the time, so it was a natural transition in many ways. I went to college in Boulder, CO, and as anyone who either lives or has visited Boulder knows, it's a very tofu-friendly city. It's been years since I've been back, but I recall eating my fair share of tofu scrambles while there and recently I've been recreating a few of my favorites at home. More

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

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 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 speak not as an angry spinster but as a happily married woman when I say: I hate Valentine's Day. It probably stems from my general dislike of anything overly girly or pink, and my feeling that a sweet gesture of love is much more special on a day when society isn't pressuring you into doing it. And don't even get me started on how alienating the holiday is for anyone not in a romantic relationship.

In short, my feelings about Valentine's Day are a lot like this popcorn: salty and a little bitter, but impossible to ignore.