Hi Jenny! Feeding 3 teenage boys over here - we are using a lot of thermoses to send to school or practice. What’s a great high calorie soup or stew for me to cook?
Curious your two cents on the proper way to cook green beans. I have always blanched them so they turn bright green but still have a crunchy snap. I have always liked green beans just fine but no big love there. I was visiting my friend this past fall and I pulled up a stool at her kitchen counter to chat while she prepared some food. I watched her push each large, firm beautiful green been through a frencher - first thing that blew my mind - i have spent so much time in kitchens and never ever seen or used this device. THEN - she put the green beans in boiling water and cooked them for easily 10 minutes maybe more.. I thought maybe she forgot or possibly had tooth pain.. didn't want to micromanage so i just let it roll and watched those beans cook to oblivion. She then took some tongs, grabbed a large mess of the flaccid guys, put them in a bowl with a little salt (don't even remember if there was butter i was so distracted by what was happening) and plopped it down in front of me like a bowl of spaghetti. Mind blown again, it was the MOST delicious and memorable offering and I haven't stopped thinking about it to this day. Now I maybe there were other variables at play, northern california air and produce, an old friend, being lovingly cooked for, hunger.. but this left an indelible mark. When I returned to VT I promptly bought green beans (no frencher yet - the VT beans aren't quite robust enough) boiled the hell out of them, served them to my husband and asked him "is it just me?" his response was "I have been cooking these wrong my whole adult life" . I have probably made them this way a doz times since with varying flourishes at the end.. SO - my question to you is if I were to have guests - what type of green bean preparation is appropriate? bright green, snappy fresh green beans with lemon and almond or a limp, brownish gray pile of overcooked green beans . I guess what I am asking is , is it just me?! And if not what other veg should i be "over cooking" what else have i not discovered in the wonders of the simple, un doctored every day veg. I am curious how I would feel about canned green beans and plan on exploring that soon.. should my goal be to replicate the consistency of canned veg more often? Help! Everything I thought I know to be true is in question! Yours truly, Kate
Kate, oh my goodness. I think you've answered your own question here! That sounds amazing and of course I demand that you get exact instructions for us over here. I do love the "French cut" beans they sell in the freezer department -- I grew up with them and they are like comfort food to me, especially with a ton of butter & salt, but I have a feeling that's not what you're talking about here! The only other recipe I can think of that is relevant here is Roy Finamore's famous "Broccoli Cooked Forever" which was anointed a genius recipe on Food52: https://food52.com/recipes/15632-roy-finamore-s-broccoli-cooked-forever?srsltid=AfmBOormMFQzcPeKRtEM_NnWw_nzlhgx_FHRO_E2d4ekO8rFNCqG5Wg3
Ali over at Alexandra cooks introduced me to the idea of green beans sautéed in a lot of butter with a clove or two of smashed garlic (pan is covered). I tried this week with a bag of frozen green beans and they weren’t quite as good as fresh we still devoured two pans of them. https://alexandracooks.com/2022/07/31/5-ingredient-8-minute-skillet-green-beans/
Hi Jenny! I love your books and consider myself a weekday vegetarian :) My family follows a kosher-ish diet; when we eat meat we omit diary. I’m always looking for good dairy-free substitutions for cheese, particularly ricotta (to use in meatballs) and Parmesan (for dishes like chicken Caesar salads or spaghetti w/ chicken meatballs). TY!
Nutritional Yeast would be a good substitute in the meatballs, but that would be just for flavor really (not for any structural reason) and you don't need a lot of it. Chicken Caesar Salads, here's the vegan Caesar dressing that is in The Weekday Vegetarians, and it is SO good -- whirl it all in a mini food processor:
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
(from ½ small lemon)
2 cashew cream (see below)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground
black pepper to taste
*Cashew Cream: Soak 1 cup raw cashews in enough water to cover for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. Add the soaked cashews to a blender with the liquid and whirl until it’s creamy and thick, about 30 seconds; I like it a little looser than almond butter. Makes 1 cup. Store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
I use it, yes -- I sprinkle it on salads when I feel like there's nothing special going on in the bowl, I sprinkle it on the bottom of a galette to just add a little extra umami (See Mushroom-Leek Galette in volume 1 of "The Weekday Vegetarians"), and I add it to popcorn, too. What do you use it for?
Lately I have mixed with miso and a nut butter, like cashew butter or almond butter to make a cacio e pepe sauce for pasta and veggies. I got the idea from a NYT recipe and I love it. The sauce it great with shredded sautéed zucchini with LOTS of pepper. I sprinkled on popcorn as well! Thanks Jenny!
My chef husband uses a "Turkish Coffee Grinder"-it works so well and it's one of those objects that is so satisfying to use. I just gave one as a gift for Christmas. They are around $100. Sorry I can't provide a link as I'm at work.
Hi Jenny! My 12 year old son Henry has recently become obsessed with rice pudding. The other day we had a blind tasting with my homemade version, Kozy Shack and Petit Pots. Mine came in
last :( . I’m sure I lost out to more sugar and other gloppity glop that store bought uses but I’d love to make something that my - rice pudding loving boy - thinks is number one . Any suggestions for a fool proof straightforward recipe?
I want to live in a house that does rice pudding blind taste tests just for fun! I would not feel bad, it's hard to beat Kozy Shack, but here is a great recipe. It calls for coconut milk, but you can replace the coconut milk with regular milk if you want. And you can skip the long intro about Phoebe learning how to walk (!) which made me weepy!!! https://www.dinneralovestory.com/come-and-get-it/
Oh my goodness, what a treasure trove of entries DALS is for your family. I can't imagine a better form of record keeping, truly. It made me weepy as well, that dang passage of time is a doozy. I can't wait to try this recipe, Henry is on his way home from school as we speak so perfect cold weekend activity! Thank you. PS you can live in my house anytime : )
I have two questions: (1) Do you have any suggestions for high-quality pepper grinders for a gift? (2) Do you have any posts/suggestions on meals that can be made from panty staples or long lasting refrigerated items? I'm specifically looking for things would work well for someone who travels 3-4 days a week and does not always make it to the grocery store for fresh items. Thanks!
This is the best pepper grinder I have ever used. It was given to us as a gift and I have since gifted it many times. If the link doesn’t work, it’s by MANNKITCHEN.
2) My "can-to-table" dinner is the best for this -- if you stockpile rice, canned tomatoes, coconut milk, chickpeas, and frozen greens (like spinach and peas), you'll always have a healthy dinner ready to go. (You will have to chop aromatics, though, and if you want to be truly pantry-dependent could use powdered onion, garlic, and ginger): https://www.dinneralovestory.com/a-can-to-table-vegetarian-dinner/
Hi Jenny! Thank you for all you do. I've got 3 active teenagers - any suggestions for protein-filled lunches they can take to school and after-practice snacks?
I love that they are now making cottage cheese in snacking size containers. (Or maybe they have been doing this for a while and now I'm just more attuned to them.) Such a great source of protein. My favorite brand is Good Culture, there 5 ouncer has 18 grams of protein: https://goodculture.com/cottage-cheese/
Edamame -- SUCH a great source of protein and highly stackable
Plain Yogurt with fruit and nuts
If you are able to make them food after school, smoothies boosted with plain yogurt, nut butters, hemp and chia seeds!
I know a lot of veg recipes lean eastern in spices sauces etc which is not how I tend to cook. Before I spend like $80 on ingredients I’m not sure will land with my kids and haunt my pantry forever, what are the basics you recommend?
Miso, sesame oil, rice vinegar, nori, furikake, gochujang, kimchi, Sriracha, turmeric, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, fish sauce, soy sauce, coconut milk, Maggi brand tamarind sauce, basmati rice, sushi rice, split legumes, chickpea flours (SEE ALSO: Andrea Nguyen's "Vietnamese Anyway" my favorite intro book to Vietnamese cooking; Rie McClenny's "Make it Japanese" which has excellent starter recipes for someone who wants to learn more, many of them from her Japanese mother; Priya Krishna's "Indian-ish," which blends traditional Indian flavors with modern, approachable twists, also inspired by her Indian-American mom; Eric Kim's "Korean American" which celebrates the fusion of Korean flavors and American traditions. His mother plays a big role, too. MOMS!)
I love your recipes and I know you've written a lot to debunk the idea that a vegetarian diet doesn't have enough protein in it. But my doctor (and yes, I am not 25 anymore) says I need a lot of protein to maintain muscle mass, about 100 grams a day, which feels overwhelming on a vegetarian diet. Any tips? thanks so much
When I’m at my best (not this month, ha) I try to start my day with a smoothie that has Greek yogurt, hemp hearts and a scoop of protein powder (I was so anti but like… it’s FINE and it’s effective). It winds up starting the day with soooo much protein and then I feel full and don’t worry much for the rest of the day. (Same re starting the day with lots of produce.)
I'm so glad you asked, Anna! This is definitely something I've been thinking of a lot lately as a...not 25 year old either. In my first book, The Weekday Vegetarians I have a section in the back that gives you easy ways to prepare what I think of as the three backbones of a vegetarian protein-diet: tofu, eggs, chickpeas. (Beans in general are of course a huge category, but I do find that the chickpea is the most versatile one.) I also wrote a little cheat sheet for protein boosting here: https://dinneralovestory.substack.com/p/the-protein-question
Lastly! Do you follow Lukas Volger's substack Family Friend? He is protein-obsessed but also has real chef bonafides so comes up with really fun solutions to this. If you look at the photo of my green beans up there, they are showered with some za'atar that has been spiked with protein-packed hemp seeds which is a trick I stole right from him. He's brilliant! Here is his substack: https://lukasvolger.substack.com. Thanks Anna!!!!
This is so helpful thank you Jenny! Also I did not know about Family Friend so really appreciate the steer. Had no idea hemp could be the protein secret sauce so really appreciate it. Thanks as always.
I have a limited diet due to allergies: gluten, dairy, nightshades and peanuts. That means no potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes or peppers, the bases for so many recipes. I do make vegan dishes with tofu and grains. But many of the Weekday Vegetarian recipes rely on dairy for protein and on other taboos for deliciousness. I love your recipes and writing, but, I fear, would find a book with many recipes I can’t make more frustrating than fun.
Thanks for the feedback, Rebecca. I'm sorry that you're not able to enjoy many of my recipes (though there are definitely a few that would work in both my books). Have you ever looked through any of Amy Chaplin's cookbooks? She's a genius and addresses so many allergens while still managing to cook the most beautiful meals. Here is her website: https://amychaplin.com
Hi Jenny! Feeding 3 teenage boys over here - we are using a lot of thermoses to send to school or practice. What’s a great high calorie soup or stew for me to cook?
Curious your two cents on the proper way to cook green beans. I have always blanched them so they turn bright green but still have a crunchy snap. I have always liked green beans just fine but no big love there. I was visiting my friend this past fall and I pulled up a stool at her kitchen counter to chat while she prepared some food. I watched her push each large, firm beautiful green been through a frencher - first thing that blew my mind - i have spent so much time in kitchens and never ever seen or used this device. THEN - she put the green beans in boiling water and cooked them for easily 10 minutes maybe more.. I thought maybe she forgot or possibly had tooth pain.. didn't want to micromanage so i just let it roll and watched those beans cook to oblivion. She then took some tongs, grabbed a large mess of the flaccid guys, put them in a bowl with a little salt (don't even remember if there was butter i was so distracted by what was happening) and plopped it down in front of me like a bowl of spaghetti. Mind blown again, it was the MOST delicious and memorable offering and I haven't stopped thinking about it to this day. Now I maybe there were other variables at play, northern california air and produce, an old friend, being lovingly cooked for, hunger.. but this left an indelible mark. When I returned to VT I promptly bought green beans (no frencher yet - the VT beans aren't quite robust enough) boiled the hell out of them, served them to my husband and asked him "is it just me?" his response was "I have been cooking these wrong my whole adult life" . I have probably made them this way a doz times since with varying flourishes at the end.. SO - my question to you is if I were to have guests - what type of green bean preparation is appropriate? bright green, snappy fresh green beans with lemon and almond or a limp, brownish gray pile of overcooked green beans . I guess what I am asking is , is it just me?! And if not what other veg should i be "over cooking" what else have i not discovered in the wonders of the simple, un doctored every day veg. I am curious how I would feel about canned green beans and plan on exploring that soon.. should my goal be to replicate the consistency of canned veg more often? Help! Everything I thought I know to be true is in question! Yours truly, Kate
Kate, oh my goodness. I think you've answered your own question here! That sounds amazing and of course I demand that you get exact instructions for us over here. I do love the "French cut" beans they sell in the freezer department -- I grew up with them and they are like comfort food to me, especially with a ton of butter & salt, but I have a feeling that's not what you're talking about here! The only other recipe I can think of that is relevant here is Roy Finamore's famous "Broccoli Cooked Forever" which was anointed a genius recipe on Food52: https://food52.com/recipes/15632-roy-finamore-s-broccoli-cooked-forever?srsltid=AfmBOormMFQzcPeKRtEM_NnWw_nzlhgx_FHRO_E2d4ekO8rFNCqG5Wg3
Thank you for opening my eyes to this! :)
Ali over at Alexandra cooks introduced me to the idea of green beans sautéed in a lot of butter with a clove or two of smashed garlic (pan is covered). I tried this week with a bag of frozen green beans and they weren’t quite as good as fresh we still devoured two pans of them. https://alexandracooks.com/2022/07/31/5-ingredient-8-minute-skillet-green-beans/
Hi Jenny! I love your books and consider myself a weekday vegetarian :) My family follows a kosher-ish diet; when we eat meat we omit diary. I’m always looking for good dairy-free substitutions for cheese, particularly ricotta (to use in meatballs) and Parmesan (for dishes like chicken Caesar salads or spaghetti w/ chicken meatballs). TY!
Nutritional Yeast would be a good substitute in the meatballs, but that would be just for flavor really (not for any structural reason) and you don't need a lot of it. Chicken Caesar Salads, here's the vegan Caesar dressing that is in The Weekday Vegetarians, and it is SO good -- whirl it all in a mini food processor:
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
(from ½ small lemon)
2 cashew cream (see below)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground
black pepper to taste
*Cashew Cream: Soak 1 cup raw cashews in enough water to cover for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. Add the soaked cashews to a blender with the liquid and whirl until it’s creamy and thick, about 30 seconds; I like it a little looser than almond butter. Makes 1 cup. Store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
Do you use nutritional yeast at all for extra flavoring? I started using it more and I'm always open for suggestions on new ways to use it.
I use it, yes -- I sprinkle it on salads when I feel like there's nothing special going on in the bowl, I sprinkle it on the bottom of a galette to just add a little extra umami (See Mushroom-Leek Galette in volume 1 of "The Weekday Vegetarians"), and I add it to popcorn, too. What do you use it for?
Lately I have mixed with miso and a nut butter, like cashew butter or almond butter to make a cacio e pepe sauce for pasta and veggies. I got the idea from a NYT recipe and I love it. The sauce it great with shredded sautéed zucchini with LOTS of pepper. I sprinkled on popcorn as well! Thanks Jenny!
My chef husband uses a "Turkish Coffee Grinder"-it works so well and it's one of those objects that is so satisfying to use. I just gave one as a gift for Christmas. They are around $100. Sorry I can't provide a link as I'm at work.
those look beautiful!
They are and work so well. This was meant to go under the pepper grinder post...I should try it with coffee beans!
Hi Jenny! My 12 year old son Henry has recently become obsessed with rice pudding. The other day we had a blind tasting with my homemade version, Kozy Shack and Petit Pots. Mine came in
last :( . I’m sure I lost out to more sugar and other gloppity glop that store bought uses but I’d love to make something that my - rice pudding loving boy - thinks is number one . Any suggestions for a fool proof straightforward recipe?
I want to live in a house that does rice pudding blind taste tests just for fun! I would not feel bad, it's hard to beat Kozy Shack, but here is a great recipe. It calls for coconut milk, but you can replace the coconut milk with regular milk if you want. And you can skip the long intro about Phoebe learning how to walk (!) which made me weepy!!! https://www.dinneralovestory.com/come-and-get-it/
Oh my goodness, what a treasure trove of entries DALS is for your family. I can't imagine a better form of record keeping, truly. It made me weepy as well, that dang passage of time is a doozy. I can't wait to try this recipe, Henry is on his way home from school as we speak so perfect cold weekend activity! Thank you. PS you can live in my house anytime : )
I have two questions: (1) Do you have any suggestions for high-quality pepper grinders for a gift? (2) Do you have any posts/suggestions on meals that can be made from panty staples or long lasting refrigerated items? I'm specifically looking for things would work well for someone who travels 3-4 days a week and does not always make it to the grocery store for fresh items. Thanks!
This is the best pepper grinder I have ever used. It was given to us as a gift and I have since gifted it many times. If the link doesn’t work, it’s by MANNKITCHEN.
https://a.co/d/giUsMg9
Thank you!
1) this is my pick for high-quality gift-worthy pepper mill: https://us.peugeot-saveurs.com/en_us/paris-u-select-manual-pepper-mill-in-natural-wood-22-cm.html (I'm definitely not the first to endorse it, it is always on chef's lists)
2) My "can-to-table" dinner is the best for this -- if you stockpile rice, canned tomatoes, coconut milk, chickpeas, and frozen greens (like spinach and peas), you'll always have a healthy dinner ready to go. (You will have to chop aromatics, though, and if you want to be truly pantry-dependent could use powdered onion, garlic, and ginger): https://www.dinneralovestory.com/a-can-to-table-vegetarian-dinner/
Also this one: Creamy Peanutty Cabbage and Tofu...tofu doesn't last forever, but definitely longer than animal proteins; cabbage would outlive cockroaches in an apocalypse lol: https://www.dinneralovestory.com/creamy-peanutty-cabbage-and-tofu/
Frittatas, too. Eggs, onions, frozen spinach, cheese is all you need to have on hand.
I’ve been eyeing the cabbage/tofu recipe but I don’t know where to buy pre-baked tofu. Can I just use extra firm? Can I bake it myself??
I made this using the baked tofu method from Weekday Vegetarians and it came out great!
Trader Joe's has a good baked tofu that I like.
Thank you so much!
Hi Jenny! Thank you for all you do. I've got 3 active teenagers - any suggestions for protein-filled lunches they can take to school and after-practice snacks?
Frittatas? They are wonderful cold or at room temp (there's a recipe in TWV2 for one, but you can also see Andy's here: https://dinneralovestory.substack.com/p/frittata-apple-pie-book-talks)
I love that they are now making cottage cheese in snacking size containers. (Or maybe they have been doing this for a while and now I'm just more attuned to them.) Such a great source of protein. My favorite brand is Good Culture, there 5 ouncer has 18 grams of protein: https://goodculture.com/cottage-cheese/
Edamame -- SUCH a great source of protein and highly stackable
Plain Yogurt with fruit and nuts
If you are able to make them food after school, smoothies boosted with plain yogurt, nut butters, hemp and chia seeds!
I know a lot of veg recipes lean eastern in spices sauces etc which is not how I tend to cook. Before I spend like $80 on ingredients I’m not sure will land with my kids and haunt my pantry forever, what are the basics you recommend?
Miso, sesame oil, rice vinegar, nori, furikake, gochujang, kimchi, Sriracha, turmeric, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, fish sauce, soy sauce, coconut milk, Maggi brand tamarind sauce, basmati rice, sushi rice, split legumes, chickpea flours (SEE ALSO: Andrea Nguyen's "Vietnamese Anyway" my favorite intro book to Vietnamese cooking; Rie McClenny's "Make it Japanese" which has excellent starter recipes for someone who wants to learn more, many of them from her Japanese mother; Priya Krishna's "Indian-ish," which blends traditional Indian flavors with modern, approachable twists, also inspired by her Indian-American mom; Eric Kim's "Korean American" which celebrates the fusion of Korean flavors and American traditions. His mother plays a big role, too. MOMS!)
Hi Jenny,
I love your recipes and I know you've written a lot to debunk the idea that a vegetarian diet doesn't have enough protein in it. But my doctor (and yes, I am not 25 anymore) says I need a lot of protein to maintain muscle mass, about 100 grams a day, which feels overwhelming on a vegetarian diet. Any tips? thanks so much
When I’m at my best (not this month, ha) I try to start my day with a smoothie that has Greek yogurt, hemp hearts and a scoop of protein powder (I was so anti but like… it’s FINE and it’s effective). It winds up starting the day with soooo much protein and then I feel full and don’t worry much for the rest of the day. (Same re starting the day with lots of produce.)
haha sounds totally FINE. Thanks for the advice Jojo
I'm so glad you asked, Anna! This is definitely something I've been thinking of a lot lately as a...not 25 year old either. In my first book, The Weekday Vegetarians I have a section in the back that gives you easy ways to prepare what I think of as the three backbones of a vegetarian protein-diet: tofu, eggs, chickpeas. (Beans in general are of course a huge category, but I do find that the chickpea is the most versatile one.) I also wrote a little cheat sheet for protein boosting here: https://dinneralovestory.substack.com/p/the-protein-question
Lastly! Do you follow Lukas Volger's substack Family Friend? He is protein-obsessed but also has real chef bonafides so comes up with really fun solutions to this. If you look at the photo of my green beans up there, they are showered with some za'atar that has been spiked with protein-packed hemp seeds which is a trick I stole right from him. He's brilliant! Here is his substack: https://lukasvolger.substack.com. Thanks Anna!!!!
This is so helpful thank you Jenny! Also I did not know about Family Friend so really appreciate the steer. Had no idea hemp could be the protein secret sauce so really appreciate it. Thanks as always.
Made the thai chickpea dish the other night - easy and delish! thanks so much!
Awesome. For those who missed it, it's the one shown in the picture here: https://dinneralovestory.substack.com/p/week-2-the-weekday-vegetarian-challenge
Me too! OMG it exceeded all expectations. Just fantastic! It’s going into the regular rotation.
hooray!
Hi Jenny,
I have a limited diet due to allergies: gluten, dairy, nightshades and peanuts. That means no potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes or peppers, the bases for so many recipes. I do make vegan dishes with tofu and grains. But many of the Weekday Vegetarian recipes rely on dairy for protein and on other taboos for deliciousness. I love your recipes and writing, but, I fear, would find a book with many recipes I can’t make more frustrating than fun.
All the best,
Rebecca
Against All Grain cookbooks by Danielle Walker also really touches on a lot of options.
Thanks for the feedback, Rebecca. I'm sorry that you're not able to enjoy many of my recipes (though there are definitely a few that would work in both my books). Have you ever looked through any of Amy Chaplin's cookbooks? She's a genius and addresses so many allergens while still managing to cook the most beautiful meals. Here is her website: https://amychaplin.com