Vegetables

Inspired by a Lebanese pasta dish, we toss steamed green beans with garlicky yogurt for an easy side dish. Try it with roast lamb. 

I recently devoured a sugar snap pea and radish salad at Locanda Verde, a new restaurant in TriBeCa, that was so succulent and sprightly that I became more determined than ever to make sure my next haul was large enough to accommodate both prodigious snacking and salad. Inspired, I also picked up some radishes, which have a gentle bitterness that pairs well with the crisp sugariness of the peas. Locanda Verde’s chef, Andrew Carmellini, dressed his salad with two pestos, a Sicilian one made from sun-dried tomatoes, almonds and olive oil, and a regular basil pesto.

White beans mashed with ripe avocado and blended with sharp Cheddar and onion makes an incredibly rich, flavorful filling for this wrap. The tangy, spicy slaw adds crunch. A pinch (or more) of ground chipotle pepper and an extra dash of cider vinegar can be used in place of the canned chipotles in adobo sauce. Serve with tortilla chips, salsa and Tecate beer.

ACTIVE TIME: 25 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

This tasty salsa is just right as an appetizer served with tortilla chips but you can also try it over grilled chicken or as a side dish. 

This healthy side dish will add a whole lot of flavor to your next meal. Try it tonight with grilled fish, chicken or steak. 

Inspired by that famous New Orleans sandwich, the muffaletta, this jazzy vegetarian version is actually good for you. 

Made with a combination of avocado and edamame, the flavor of this variation on traditional guacamole is both creamy and fresh. Serve with raw vegetables like celery, carrots and radishes for dipping or alongside tortilla chips as a healthy snack or appetizer. 

At Le Cordon Bleu’s teaching restaurant, Technique, these pancakes are served with grilled salmon. 

With dips there is always something new, because if you substitute “thick purée” for “dip,” the options are limitless. A friend takes last night’s vegetable dish, purées it with whatever it takes to get his food processor working — oil, lemon juice, water — adds other flavorings if necessary, and serves it to guests with crackers or crudités. Thinking about this got me started playing with green dips, made from peas (with mint and Parmesan) and fresh edamame (with miso and ginger).