Long ago and far away, there lived a working mother who wanted to serve her children well-balanced meals, on a tight food budget and an even tighter schedule. Over the years, she developed a lot of ideas and techniques that helped her kids learn to really like vegetables, to come to expect more meatless days…

Those who know me are aware that I find most recipes pretty confining and use them more as guides or idea starters than as an ironclad chart to be followed. In fact, this blog has been a real challenge, since I now very carefully weigh or measure far more than I ever have in the…

Here’s a quick and inexpensive way to prepare crisp tortillas for use in dipping or as a side “bread” for Mexican dishes. Corn tortillas are a great staple to keep on hand, since they store well in the refrigerator and many can be kept at room temperature for a few days when space inside the…

This dish may be a little “hard-core” for those still used to having more “meat and potatoes” type meals, but it is also a very colorful dish that could entice non-vegetarians to take a chance on a bean-focused meal. Check out the end of the recipe for some suggested substitutions. Black Beans and Vegetables 1/2…