cabbage

Already, I'm pining for the fish sandwiches that I enjoyed on my culinary tour of Maui. That's why, for dinner tonight, I'm going to re-create this casual, kid-friendly meal in the comfort of my own home.

Don't be intimidated by the idea of throwing a delicate protein like fish on the grill. Just opt for a firm-fleshed species, like striped bass, being sure to dry it completely before putting it on the grill. Once it's cooking, leave the fish alone to do its thing; flip it and remove it from heat using the thinnest, widest spatula possible.

To make this meal a shore thing tonight, read more.

If you have any yummy chicken leftover from making twice-glazed Asian barbecued chicken last night, why not reheat it (or leave cold) and toss it in with this light soba salad? The smokey and sweet flavors of the barbecued chicken will add some excitement to this crunchy, tangy, and easy-to-make salad.

See the recipe after the jump

When made correctly, coleslaw can be a wonderful Summer side. It's cooling, crunchy, and filled with vegetables. Since the supermarket variety is often drenched in a liquidy mayo-based dressing that's unappetizing, I prefer to make my own coleslaw. Sure, the recipe requires mayonnaise, but I control how much is added to the salad.

This version — my current fave — follows a classic and easy technique: you chop the veggies and coat them in the dressing. It consists of green cabbage, bell peppers, carrots, and onions; cider vinegar provides a necessary acidic tang. It's great served alongside ribs and beans, or sandwiched with pulled pork between two toasty buns. To learn how to make coleslaw, keep reading.

Even if you don't have plans to throw a St. Patrick's Day bash, you can still celebrate in your own low-key way. As part of dinner, serve colcannon, an Irish peasant dish of potatoes mashed with leeks, cabbage, and kale. It's a basic, comforting, and traditional staple of Ireland that's easy to prepare with a festive, verdant hue. For a rustic variation, mash potatoes together with sautéed vegetables and aromatics. To step it up, run potatoes through a ricer for a weightless, soufflélike texture. Then, foil that with bits of bacon that have been cooked until crisp. Get your green spirit on with either recipe and read more.

I said it before, and I'll say it again. One can never have too much corned beef — especially if that corned beef is almost laughably easy to make in the slow cooker, and you can use the leftovers for craveworthy corned beef and fontina grilled cheeses. Yet as good as the corned beef is alone and in a toasted sandwich, I think I've found its best application yet: as the costar of corned-beef-and-cabbage pizza.

I began by making a basic pizza dough from scratch, then I loaded it with crisp slivers of potato, savory corned beef, sweet cabbage, and three types of cheese, for a sensory trip that was exotic, yet familiar at the same time. Trust me, this pizza wound up being my bona fide pot o' gold at the end of the corned beef rainbow! For the easy recipe, read more.

Party and I have been really obsessed with crockpots lately. I thought we'd prepared just about every kind of meat dish there is (beef chili, Cuban chicken, short ribs, you name it) — until I came across a corned beef and cabbage recipe. It was so hands-off, I was convinced it would be too good to be true.

The result wasn't too good to be true, but it was admittedly way too easy. If you can chop vegetables and place them with meat in a bowl, then you can make a St. Patrick's Day spread of meltingly tender corned beef, braised cabbage, and root vegetables. Consider it your veritable pot o' gold — just remember not to peek! For the recipe, read more.

The length of this year's Winter is getting to me. Lately, during my weekly farmers market trips, I've been on the lookout for newly-released fruits and vegetables in an attempt to spice up my dinner repertoire. This week, I spotted baby bok choy — a fantastic alternative to other prolific Winter leafy greens like kale and chard. If you spot it, pick up a bunch and learn how to prepare it when you read more.

Instead of ordering takeout on this Friday night, stay in and whip up a healthful, but uncomplicated chicken stir-fry. How simple is this? You toss zucchini, carrots, onion, and red pepper (or whatever veggies you have on hand) in a searing hot pan to cook, then throw in boneless skinless chicken breasts. Season with your favorite store-bought stir-fry sauce and ground ginger. Serve with cooked rice and you've got a crowd-pleasing meal quicker than it could be delivered. Sound delish? Then get the recipe now