Who says raw vegetables can't pack plenty of flavor? This vegetable sushi roll, made with creamy avocado and crunchy cucumber and carrots, has two secret ingredients: gomasio and umeboshi paste. Gomasio literally means "sesame salt" in Japanese. This condiment is sprinkled onto Asian cuisine like salt and is made from crushed, toasted sesame seeds and salt. Unlike salt, which only adds one dimension of flavor to a dish, gomasio gives food a nutty, roasted quality. Just be sure to keep your bottle in the fridge, because sesame seeds go rancid quickly, and nothing is worse than ruining a dish with rancid seasoning!
Also contributing to the saltiness of the sushi is umeboshi paste, or pureed, pickled Japanese plums. What does this bright purple paste taste like, you might be wondering? Umeboshi paste is at once extremely salty and full of savory umami flavor (the Western equivalent, in terms of texture and flavor, would be concentrated bouillon paste). Even just 1/4 of a teaspoon of umeboshi paste smeared on a sushi roll will give the sushi sufficient seasoning, so much so that you probably won't be tempted to dip the roll in a dish of soy sauce.
To see how this simple vegetable sushi roll is constructed, keep reading for the recipe.
Getting to work on time is an ongoing struggle of mine, so I'm constantly on the lookout for ways to streamline my morning routine. Sometimes this means a quickly blitzed 
The solution quickly became apparent after my first taste of baked oatmeal. Don't get me wrong; it's not an exact analogue to a creamy bowl of traditional oaten porridge. It does, however, tick many of the same boxes: it's nearly infinitely adaptable, keeps tummy grumbles at bay for hours, and is, most importantly, delicious. Even better, it can be made ahead and doled out into a to-go container to enjoy at my desk cold, at room temperature, or piping hot, depending on my mood. All in all, a win!
When it comes to healthy eating, what's old is new again. Case in point: cottage cheese, which is making 
Have you met bok choy? If not, get yourself to the nearest supermarket posthaste, and snap up a bundle. Slightly sweet and grassy in flavor, the 
While there are many reasons to love this weeknight-friendly side — it's affordable, easy, quick as all get out, and, most importantly, delicious — what I love most is how such simple ingredients translate into a dish far more exciting than one would assume on the outset. Little more goes into this loose recipe of sorts than the vegetable at hand, oyster sauce (a magical ingredient if there ever was one), sriracha, soy sauce, and sesame seeds, but a quick turn in a screaming-hot cast-iron takes it to the next level by imparting an essence similar to wok hei, a wok-imbued flavor prized in Chinese cuisine. 
What are you waiting for? 
Ultrasimple roasted carrots dressed in naught but a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper are a perennial favorite in my household, but let's face it: too much of anything gets old fast, no matter how delightful. Not quite ready to abandon the idea completely — I relish in how fuss-free carrots are to prep, their relatively long 
Thankfully, this recipe from Mark Bittman delivers. I suspect that I'll be devouring this zingy, vibrant, pared-down side until I'm as sick of it as its predecessor (a mark of a good recipe, in my book). 
I know what you're probably thinking: kale chips are so two years ago. And sure, they've been done before (we even have 
So no, I'm not exactly reinventing the wheel here; rather, consider this a tune-up. These salty, tangy, and dangerously snackable crisps are more akin to a fresh set of tires for the kale chips "wheel." Heavy-handed with both salt and vinegar to mimic the addictive flavor of salt and vinegar chips (minus the fryer), these chips are hands-down my favorite kale snack I've tried to date (and I really like kale).