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By Root 812 0

to the “ethnic” section of your supermarket, or it might be by the rice. A popular brand is Wolf’s, in a little black box.

In a heavy-bottomed 2-quart pot, cover and bring the kasha, water, and big pinch of salt to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the kasha is tender. Remove from the heat.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion for 7 to 10 minutes, until browned. Sprinkle with the ½ teaspoon of salt a few minutes into cooking, to draw out the moisture. Add the mushrooms and pepper. Sauté until tender and lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add the kasha and toss to mix well. Toss in the dill, taste for seasoning, and serve.

TIP

A really supergreat idea is to make the kasha in the morning. If you take an hour to get ready for work or whatever, why not have some kasha cooking on the stove? It ain’t no thing! Then just pop it into the fridge, and when you’re ready to make this dish, it will only take 20 minutes or so. And truth be told, it comes out better when the kasha has had a chance to chill.

Quinos Puttanesea

SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 20 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

PER SERVING

(¼ RECIPE):

Calories: 230

Calories from fat: 60

Total fat: 7 g

Saturated fat: 0.5 g

Trans fat: 0 g

Fiber: 8 g

Protein: 8 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 930 mg

Vitamin A: 30%

Vitamin C: 35%

Calcium: 10%

Iron: 25%

I’m always on the lookout for ways to incorporate quinoa and other grains into my meals, so it’s pretty brainless to just make a traditional pasta sauce and toss it on a grain instead. If you’re anything like me, you always have a gigantic thing of capers and olives in your fridge (not to mention great bone structure and an impressive unicorn collection.) Puttanesca is a really quick way to put together a complextasting—passionate, even—dish with pantry staples. Its ingredients and method are simple enough that you can prep it, cook it, and clean up after yourself in a leisurely 30 minutes, and then get back to the matter at hand. Succulent, salty, and a little spicy, this is in the “sides” section, but really, it makes a great dinner on its own.

2 cups cooked quinoa

SAUCE:

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

A generous pinch of dried tarragon

A generous pinch of dried marjoram

¼ cup white wine

½ cup kalamata olives, chopped roughly (sliced in half is great,

too)

½ cup capers

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat a saucepot over medium heat. Place the oil and garlic in the pot and stir for about a minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the herbs, spices, and wine; cook for about a minute.

Add the olives, capers, and tomatoes. Cook for about 15 minutes. You can serve by scooping quinoa into individual bowls and pouring the sauce over it, but my way is to just mix everything into a bowl together and reserve a little sauce to pour over my serving, because I like it extra hors d’oeuvre-y.

TIP

I like to make a big batch of quinoa at the beginning of the week and store it for a few days. If you don’t have a few cups of cooked quinoa around, then start your quinoa before starting your sauce: Mix 1 cup of uncooked quinoa with 2 cups water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the grain is tender and the water has been absorbed.

Soft Broccoli Polenta

SERVES 6 • ACTIVE TIME: 30 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

PER SERVING

(¼ RECIPE):

Calories: 120

Calories from fat: 5

Total fat: 0.5 g

Saturated fat: 0 g

Trans fat: 0 g

Total carb: 24 g

Fiber: 2 g

Sugars: 2 g

Protein: 4 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 580 mg

Vitamin A: 10%

Vitamin C: 90%

Calcium: 4%

Iron: 8%

Polenta is a fabulous side on its own—creamy, comforting, and oh-so-healthy for you! I’m very particular about how I eat my soft polenta, first running my spoon around the edges where it’s cooled down