Feta

After enjoying a two-tomato vegetable soup the night before, extend your meatless meal streak tonight with an easy and light whole wheat rigatoni toss.

Use crunchy, nutrient-rich broccolini to impart a slightly nutty, peppery quality to a medley of whole wheat tubes and blanched radishes that get tossed in an orange zest vinaigrette.
The fiber in both the vegetables and the pasta ensures this'll be a filling dish to dig into; enjoy a beguiling, salty creaminess in every bite with crumbles of feta cheese as well. Don't have sherry vinegar, oranges, or broccolini on hand? This recipe is flexible: swap them out for red wine vinegar, lemon zest, and cauliflower or regular broccoli florets. Get the method when you read on.

In the Fall, when the pears are plentiful, I enjoy experimenting with new pear preparations. Doesn't this one for a pear pizza sound scrumptious and interesting? It's not a sweet dessert pie, but a savory entree that makes for a delicious dinner. The other toppings include brown-sugar-coated bacon, cream cheese, green onions, feta cheese, and fresh basil. Each ingredient provides a different texture that gives the pizza depth, complexity, and richness. Sliced into smaller pieces, it would be an excellent appetizer.

I'm betting this recipe's a winner, so learn how it's made after the jump.

The other day I was struggling with the transition from Summer to Fall and decided I needed a new place to look for recipe inspiration. Instead of browsing the web, I walked by one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco, Nopa, and read the menu in the window. The words "baked giant white beans, feta, oregano, and breadcrumbs" caught my eye. I've never had this appetizer at Nopa, but I was moved to re-create the dish in my own kitchen. I simply tossed white beans with feta, fresh oregano, and breadcrumbs, then I baked the whole thing. The combination of flavors was wonderful, and it made for a hearty snack. When I make this dish again, I'll mash the white beans together and serve it as a spread for crostini. To get the uncomplicated technique — serve with mixed greens and you've got an easy vegetarian meal — keep reading.

If you're tired of the same old boring salads, turn to seasonal fruit to jazz up those greens. In Winter, I love tossing in segmented oranges, in Spring, I'll throw in strawberries, and now? Well, Summer's beautiful blackberries make an excellent addition to a bed of mixed lettuces. Thanks to sugared walnuts and tangy feta, this recipe has tons of texture. It's crunchy, creamy, tart, and juicy. To make the salad more substantial and a standalone supper, I incorporated pieces of crisped prosciutto. Serve with a chunk of bread and a glass of sparkling Rose and you've got the perfect easy and delicious August meal. Want the recipe I used? Keep reading.

In the heat of Summer, I usually crave a fresh and light meal that's simple to prepare. This one combines chicken, feta, and zucchini for a tasty dinner that takes under an hour to make. If you're looking for a healthy way to spruce up a basic chicken breast, this is a great dish to whip up. I recommend serving it on a bed of whole wheat pasta, or on a mixed green salad with a simple balsamic dressing. For the fit-friendly recipe, read more.

Last weekend when I asked my sister what she wanted for dinner, she said, "something stuffed." I started to throw out options like grilled, ricotta-stuffed chicken and rice-filled, baked tomatoes, but she grabbed the Saveur that was sitting on the coffee table and said excitedly, "let's make these stuffed peppers!" Since they looked absolutely amazing, I happily obliged. The recipe is pretty straightforward and simple. The filling is a creamy, tangy, and tart mixture of feta, Greek yogurt, and lemon zest. The ingredient list calls for Fresno or Anaheim chiles, which are more sweet than hot, so you can serve this vegetarian dish to people who don't like spicy foods. It's a wonderfully scrumptious appetizer and I highly recommend you give these feta-stuffed peppers a try; here's the recipe.