302 mellow recipes

Black beans and fettuccine topped with a spiced ketchup-tomato sauce, steamed broccoli, and colorful bell peppers. A low-calorie vegetarian pasta that feeds a crowd.

Vegetarian sweet and sour stir-fry loaded with snow peas, broccoli, enoki mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and tropical fruit (pineapple, mango, mandarin orange) over rice.

Vegan sweet and sour stir-fry with mushrooms, carrots, snow peas, bell pepper, and squash in a ginger-soy-brown sugar glaze. No oil needed. Serve over brown rice.

Wild rice and black-eyed pea salad with yellow bell pepper, jicama, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes in a lemon-Dijon vinaigrette with rosemary. No oil, no cooking required.

Chili-crusted flank steak fajitas grilled with marinated tri-color bell peppers, onions, and Roma tomatoes. A bright, lime-kissed Tex-Mex plate wrapped in warm flour tortillas.

Mandarin shrimp stir-fry made entirely in the microwave with broccoli, bell peppers, and a glossy orange marmalade glaze spiked with ginger and soy sauce. Ready in 30 minutes over rice.

Wild rice and lentil salad with brown rice, tri-color bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and fresh herbs in a fat-free tomato-herb vinaigrette. A colorful, high-fiber grain salad.

Black-eyed pea and crab salad with bacon, roasted peppers, and fresh herbs in a bright vinaigrette. A Stephan Pyles-style Southwestern recipe served on gorditas or crisp tortillas.

Vegan hearty stew with dried chickpeas and kidney beans simmered in a curry-soy broth, thickened with pureed parsnips, and loaded with carrots, zucchini, bulgur, pasta, and spinach.

Loaded Mexican potato wedges smothered in refried beans, salsa, green chilies, tri-color peppers, corn, and cilantro. A colorful, crowd-friendly Tex-Mex platter ready in 45 minutes.

Chez Melange gazpacho is a chilled tomato and tri-color pepper soup brightened with cucumber, dill, cilantro and a touch of beef stock for savory depth. No-cook summer starter.

Southwest baked beans with three types of beans, Roma tomatoes, molasses, honey, cumin, and apple cider vinegar. A smoky-sweet, slow-baked side dish that feeds a crowd.

Spinach spaghetti tossed in a creamy white bean and roasted red pepper sauce with steamed broccoli, asparagus, and sun-dried tomato garnish. Vegetarian, vibrant, and satisfying.

Layered confetti macaroni casserole with whole wheat pasta, cottage cheese, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, and tomatoes. No-boil casserole, healthy weeknight dinner.

Tri-pasta salad combines ziti, bow-tie, and spinach rotini with tri-color peppers, olives, and capers in a no-oil herbed red wine vinaigrette. Colorful, tangy, and low-fat for picnics and potlucks.

Wild rice with a four-mushroom medley (button, shiitake, oyster, enoki) plus snow peas and red pepper, simmered in soy-scented broth. A high-fiber, low-fat vegetarian dish with real depth.