Broccoli/Broccolini

Oh lentils, what can't you do? Here they join forces with miso to create a flavorful, silky gravy that you'll want to pour over everything. You have my permission to do so, but let's start here: with quinoa, sautéed seitan, and broccoli that's steamed perfectly, still crispy and bright. For a more organic feel, tear the seitan into bite-size pieces with your hands instead of slicing it with a knife. You'll have more gravy than you need, but reserve the rest for sopping up with toast or biscuits for breakfast.

This all-purpose, all-season stock recipe works perfectly in any Vedge recipe. This will store for up to five days in the refrigerator. You don't need to peel any of the vegetables; just wash them carefully.

While waiting for a main course to finish cooking, you can make this simple salad with the remnants of a bunch of broccoli. Or, you can integrate the shaved broccoli, which is sweet, mild, and tender, into other lettuce-based salads, or julienne the strips for cabbage slaws.

Giving the broccoli a head start on the salmon in this one-pan dish lets it get nicely browned, coaxing out its natural sweetness.

"Set sun-dried tomatoes on paper towels to soak up some of their oil so the dish doesn't get greasy," Bemis suggests.

SUPERFOODS: Broccoli, Edamame, Eggs, Kale, Mushrooms, Olive Oil Step away from the take-out menu! This dish delivers weight loss by calling on supersatiating soy protein, nutritious veggies, and whole-grain brown rice, which all help keep your blood sugar and insulin levels steady—and your body burning calories.

SUPERFOODS: Artichokes, Broccoli, Mushrooms, Olive Oil, Parmesan, Whole-Grain Pasta Boxed mixes may be slightly faster to prep, but they can't compete in taste and fat fighting. This recipe packs a trio of creamy cheeses, fat-whittling fiber, and hunger-beating protein into every bite.

Raw broccoli is made for slaw. It's sweet and crunchy—and can be dressed hours in advance.

Rice sticks are a magic trick in a bag: Crumble them into hot oil and they poof instantly into crispy, twisty little morsels of browned, puffed rice—ready in seconds to serve as a crunchy topping for bite-sized pieces of quick-cooked chicken, broccoli, and almonds.

Brining the lamb before it is slowly braised results in flavorful meat.

To save time, use canned chickpeas instead of dried.

These udon noodles with chicken and scallions come together in under 30 minutes.

After many rounds of tweaking and perfecting, Epicurious member Robert Belden landed on a quick and easy formula for creamy and comforting Alfredo sauce. Although bathing fresh shrimp in a velvety blanket of cream and butter is a pairing that Belden says “is tough to beat,” he admits to occasionally substituting seared scallops or grilled chicken for the shrimp. Alongside crisp homemade garlic bread, this pasta dish makes a satisfying dinner to share with a friend or keep all to yourself.

Thai cuisine is known for its flavor combinations of sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and hot, and this dish encapsulates them all. Find Thai yellow bean sauce (or paste) at your local Asian market, or substitute miso paste or black bean sauce. If Chinese broccoli isn’t available, use broccoli rabe or broccolini. A heavy sauté pan or cast-iron skillet can replace a wok.

Consider roasting broccoli over steaming it—doing so allows it to caramelize under the high heat. Add some slightly nutty and mildly tangy Asiago, and your taste buds will tell you this cruciferous vegetable deserves its place in the pantheon of vegetables. Be sure not to cut the broccoli into tiny pieces, as those will burn.

Hot ribs, meet cool slaw. Yogurt magically lightens the dressing.

Umami-rich cheese and chicken stock make an encore appearance, but this time they share the spotlight with high-fiber chickpeas. Adding 1/2 cup of these lean beans to your daily diet can help you cut your consumption of fatty foods, a study in the journal Appetite notes

Barigoule is typically a stew of artichokes. This version blends vegetables in a bit of vanilla-scented sauce.

Anchovy is the secret ingredient that makes this dish so delicious. If you have anchovy haters in your family, don’t worry; the anchovies melt into the butter-and-olive oil mixture, so no one will even know they are there.