Panacea (Greens & Beans Chicken Soup)

There's something particularly unproductive about having a wracking, productive cough. This was not the piece I planned to write, this month, but as my cough and fever worsened over the weekend and into midweek, drastic measures were required. With a tiny apartment kitchen, I don't keep a lot of food in the house, so feeling too sick to run to the grocery can quickly take the food situation to critical levels. Luckily, Aaron came to my rescue with a vat of homemade chicken soup. This vegetable-forward recipe is one we've made for years and is perfect for days when you're sick or just suffering some late April chill (it is the cruelest month, after all).

Save us from this cruel month

"Honey, stop baking" (Chicken, Kale, & Quinoa Salad)

I've been trying to be a little more health conscious, lately. As Chris Pratt put it upon being cast in Guardians of the Galaxy: "honey, stop baking, I have to lose 75 pounds!" I'm not quite so far gone yet, but I think it's a truth universally known that most Americans (or residents of developed nations, in general) could stand to be a little more mindful of what ends up on their plate. Of course, growing up with a food pyramid that's heavily influenced by lobbying from America's agribusiness conglomerates, it can sometimes be hard to divorce oneself from a craving for 11 servings of grains a day. Through use of other full-flavored ingredients and the selection of lesser evils, however, delicious, healthy, and satisfying meals are still an achievable goal. This month, I offer a chicken, kale, and quinoa salad, punched up with apples, bacon, and avocado.

For your approval

Health for the Holidays (Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad)

I've gotten a little carried away with the baking, lately. I love sweet treats as much as anyone else but, "everything in moderation." I like to maintain the balance. For every cookie, there should be a salad. With winter fast coming on, it's not surprising that cold and raw dishes get short shrift. Once you've walked home with frost-rimed leaves crunching underfoot and your breath steaming in the air, it can be hard to get excited for a chilled supper, but contrasts offer their own delight, so as we prepare to bake, roast, and pan fry all the hot and heavy foods that make Thanksgiving great, I'm actually most looking forward to a light yet hearty salad of raw kale and Brussels sprouts.

Unassuming

Easy Being Green (Gumbo z'Herbes)

Cajun cuisine may be stereotyped as all pork fat and crawdads, but gumbo z'herbes stands as a saucy testament to the cardinal importance of vegetables. While no dish would be complete without "the Holy Trinity," a blend of celery, onion, and green bell peppers, gumbo z'herbes raises the stakes by rounding up a potful of fresh greens and letting them rock out front and center. This recipe is extremely timely as April rains coax new shoots of tender green from the warming earth and budding leaves form misty plumes of color painted along the limbs of trees. Gumbo z'herbes is a fun, family-friendly dish that packs magnificently satisfying body and flavor with nary a shellfish nor ham hock in sight.

Flavor-full

Kaleidoscopic Colors (Kale and Citrus Salad)

Much like every March, I've come to harbor the deeply-held belief that this winter has overstayed its welcome. There's something about snowflakes greeting the first day of spring that puts me on the definite outs with Mother Nature. With citrus very much in season, however, I figured I could achieve a dash of lighter and brighter flavors via the sweet simplicity of salad. The tangy, floral zing of ruby red grapefruit was something I arrived at the grocery planning upon, the garnet-red blood oranges were a delightful surprise.

Surprise!

Back to the Roots (Portuguese Kale Soup)

My sisters and I always looked forward to trips to see our grandparents. In the case of my father's family, that meant Meme and Pepe in Ludlow, Massachusetts. Meme was a grand housekeeper and avid gardener, with heady roses and prolific tomatoes always leaning over the fence. The bees buzzed heavy in her yard, looping overhead like acrobats on hidden strings. Pepe was a retired milkman, ready with a joke and rather fond of cigars.

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