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2 cups (14 ounces) French green lentils

2 garlic cloves

1 dried bay leaf

1 pound small whole-wheat chiocciole or other small tubular pasta

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 leeks (about 1¾ pounds), white and light-green parts only, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds, washed well and drained

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1½ teaspoons coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces baby spinach, washed

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, 1 garlic clove, and the bay leaf. Add enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the lentils are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain, and discard the garlic clove and bay leaf; set the lentils aside.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta; cook until al dente, according to package instructions, about 7 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Place the pasta in a large bowl.

3. Meanwhile, mince the remaining garlic clove. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, leeks, and thyme; cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked lentils and salt; season with pepper.

4. Add the spinach and reserved cooking liquid to the pan; toss to wilt the spinach, about 2 minutes. Pour the mixture over the pasta, tossing to combine. Serve immediately.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE PER SERVING: 638 CALORIES, 9 G FAT, 0 MG CHOLESTEROL, 120 G CARBOHYDRATE, 793 MG SODIUM, 29 G PROTEIN, 11 G FIBER

rice noodles with chinese broccoli and shiitake mushrooms

SERVES 4

Similar greens—such as yow choy, also known as choy sum (which looks almost identical to bok choy but bears small yellow flowers), broccolini, or even regular broccoli—will work well in this dish if you can’t find Chinese broccoli. You can buy wide rice noodles at Asian grocery stores, or use the narrow rice noodles (often labeled “pad thai noodles”) that many supermarkets carry.

8 ounces wide (about 3/8 inch) or other rice noodles

12 ounces Chinese broccoli (also called gai lan), cut into 2-inch pieces

3 tablespoons low-sodium tamari soy sauce

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Thai fish sauce (also called nam pla)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar (not seasoned)

1 teaspoon sugar

¾ cup homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger, or more to taste

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps quartered

2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water

4 scallions, white and pale-green parts only, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Crushed red pepper flakes, for sprinkling (optional)

Sesame seeds, for sprinkling (optional)

Coarse salt, for sprinkling (optional)

1. Cover the noodles with very hot water in a large bowl, and let soak 30 minutes. Drain the noodles, and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli; cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain; set aside.

3. Stir together the tamari, fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, and stock in a small bowl; set aside. Heat the canola oil in a large nonstick skillet or a wok over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the ginger, garlic, and mushroom caps; cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are soft, about 2 minutes.

4. Add the tamari mixture to the skillet; bring to a simmer over high heat. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, and simmer 2 minutes. Add the reserved noodles and broccoli, along with the scallions, and toss to coat. Drizzle with the sesame oil, and toss again. Serve with red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, and salt for sprinkling, if desired.

pasta with fennel, sardines, and pine nuts

SERVES 4

1 pound penne, trenette, or other short pasta

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup pine nuts

1 onion, finely chopped

2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and thinly sliced, plus ¼ cup