There are many reasons to love winter squash. It has a delicious, creamy taste – it’s orange (my favorite color) and it’s a nutritional powerhouse.  It also brings to mind autumn love and the warm memories of raking leaves with my children years ago. I think I used to purchase frozen squash in those days and even that was a treat shared by my family.

This time of year always brings to mind my sweet Norwegian grandmother, Helen. Grandma would use the last of the ripening tomatoes and red peppers to make her famous Indian Relish – not famous to anyone else but very famous and special to her family.

Summer is nearing an end. Labor Day and back to school sales are signs that fall is on its way. All too soon your grill will be mounded with snow and ice. But September can have its share of warm, sunny days, just perfect for cool meals on the patio.

Today’s recipe is suitable for any time of year but it’s really a nice crisp addition to a lovely summer meal and it takes advantage of the great local peppers in our stores now. Leftovers are great and be saved for up to 4 days – if it lasts that long.

I just finished writing a presentation recommending the DASH Diet (dietary approach to stop hypertension). I’ve mentioned it before in one of my blogs, as it was rated the best diet overall this last spring by the US News & World Report. I’m still excited about that.

There’s a long history behind the DASH – over 20 years! Two studies have shown that the DASH significantly lowers blood pressure.

Are you familiar with bulgur? If I mentioned tabouli you might say yes. Tabouli is a very healthy Lebanese salad recipe filled with parsley, mint, tomatoes, onions, a light vinaigrette dressing and bulgur wheat.

It’s Fourth of July week and thoughts go to burgers and brats on the grill.  Here’s a great alternative if you’d rather enjoy a great high-protein, vegetarian alternative.

A thick chunk of marinated and grilled tofu can make a satisfying veggie burger, an entrée to accompany a stir fry or the “steak” to go with the potato salad and baked beans.

It has come to my attention more than once that avocados are avoided because of their high fat content. Yes, one avocado contains 15grams of fat, with the majority of it being heart healthy monounsaturated fats - but this is no reason to avoid this powerhouse food. You just shouldn’t eat them like apples!

I’m a big fan of the Mediterranean Diet. Next to the DASH (dietary approach to stop hypertension) it’s one of my favorites. The Mediterranean Diet also received a “best” rating from an expert panel convened by the U.S. News & World Report in 2011.  That’s pretty cool! However, it’s not really a diet. It’s a lifestyle – there is no one factor to pinpoint its health benefits – it’s the whole diet and lifestyle surrounding it that are responsible for its success.

This recipe is a classic example of what you might find for lunch or dinner in a Grecian kitchen.

It’s a lovely cool, spring day and a perfect day for this light, creamy soup. Creamy doesn’t have to imply rich and fat laden! This soup is thickened and given a velvety consistency with the addition of a potato. 

It’s time to start thinking about your menu for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day typically represents the traditional start of the summer outdoor party season. Tangy coleslaw, baked beans, potato salad and burgers on the grill are the usual fare. 

Swiss chard is one of those beautiful, mysterious vegetables that many people don't know. A staple in Mediterranean kitchens, it is closely related to the beet family and has beautiful large green leaves. The sometimes thick stems, which look like celery stalks, can be red, white or a combination of vibrant reds, yellow and oranges – called rainbow or bright lights chard. The stems and leaves are both edible and can be cooked pretty much any way that spinach is, although the stems should be cooked before the greens as they may take a bit longer to soften.

Depending upon whom you ask – chard can have an earthy, sweet, sometimes bitter or salty flavor. It seems to have a sweeter flavor in cooler weather.

In case you’re wondering where the name comes from - Swiss Chard was named by a Swiss botanist and was so named Swiss Chard.

I made this recipe last night and was amazed at how easy it was to just throw everything together, bake and eat. It was delicious. I always feel as though I have to work really hard and make everything from scratch in order for a meal to be a delicious culinary success.

This is a great quick, healthy recipe for a day when you don’t have much time to cook. I imagine it would take less time than a drive through for fast food!

Here’s a quick and easy recipe for a busy Monday! This could easily turn into one of your favorite comfort foods. I’ve been making this yummy pasta with nuts recipe for years, , and in our house, it has evolved into a "Judy special."

It’s Monday and the most popular day of the week to start a diet – again. If you’ve had a rough weekend and need some recovery food, this recipe is the perfect prescription. Healthy, nourishing food tastes wonderful!

This recipe brings to mind my first days on the job at Outpost. I was amazed by the many strange products on the shelves that I had never seen in any other grocery store. Having worked in the world of conventional grocery stores all of my life, being at Outpost was like walking into a foreign country. I would scour the aisles, read labels and absorb everything I could in efforts to help my customers find products that I, too, had never heard of. There was no computer at my fingertips to do a quick search of tamari, nutritional yeast, gomasio and yes, the soba noodles used in the recipe for today. I learned a lot by trial and error, tasting and, best of all, listening to the audience of Outpost customers.

I love veggie burgers but tend to stay away from those that are highly processed and high in sodium. Unfortunately, it's hard to find a recipe for a good meatless burger – if you’ve ever attempted to make them you know - sometimes they just won’t stick together and you end up with more of a veggie crumble than a burger.

Pita breads have inspired unlimited recipes from many cuisines. Tasty and low in fat, pita breads can be made into sandwiches, pizzas, appetizers and my favorite – pita chips.  The truth is that pita bread can be served with just about anything.

This scrumptious Meatless Monday recipe is inspired by St. Patrick’s Day, one of the most meat-influenced days of the year. I’ve decided to share a Tempeh Reuben in honor of the holiday. The general taste of this is quite similar to the traditional corned beef sandwich but it has considerably less saturated fat, which gets a big thumbs up from me. If you don’t believe me, just pretend!

I wish you were in my kitchen right now and could smell the delicious flavors coming from this hearty stew simmering on my stove.  It would only be better if I could tell you that I had grown these beautiful vegetables in my garden.  There is new snow on the ground and no garden in sight – Outpost is my garden right now with tastes just as good as fresh picked.