vegetables
Recipes with green vegetables, garden vegetables and mushrooms.
Lamb and cashew stir-fry
A good stir-fry is one of the fastest routes to a satisfying dinner, and this one rewards you in about half an hour. Strips of tender lamb are seared in a hot wok, then folded through sweet red pepper, oyster mushrooms, and a generous tumble of spinach in a glossy oyster-sauce glaze. Roasted cashews add crunch, and fresh basil lifts the whole dish with a fragrant, faintly aniseed note. It isn't tied to any one country, it borrows the wok and the sauce from China, the basil from Southeast Asia, and a love of lamb from cooks who reach for it the way others reach for beef.
Cashew chicken stir-fry
Cashew chicken is one of the great reliable pleasures of the wok: tender pieces of chicken seared fast over high heat, tossed with sweet red pepper and crisp celery, and bound in a glossy, savory glaze that clings to every bite. Roasted cashews go in at the very end so they keep their crunch. It's a takeout favorite the world over, but it's quicker and fresher made at home, on the table in about half an hour, and endlessly adaptable to whatever vegetables you have on hand.
Schaschlik, the German charcoal feast
Schaschlik-Rolle
This is not the small street-market skewer. Schaschlik-Rolle is the large-format version: thin pork slices wrapped around streaky bacon and finely shredded cabbage, rolled into a generous log, skewered, and cooked slowly over charcoal embers for a full hour, turning frequently until the outside is deeply caramelised and the inside is tender all the way through. Each roll is a meal in itself, a serious piece of meat for a serious outdoor occasion, best eaten with bread, cold potato salad, and a good German beer.
German raw cabbage salad
Light, sharp, and refreshing, this German raw cabbage salad (Weißkrautsalat) is white cabbage finely shredded and dressed with vinegar, oil, and a little sugar. It is often mistaken for coleslaw but is a different thing entirely — no mayonnaise, no cream, and a noticeably leaner, cleaner flavour. The cabbage is salted first and left to soften slightly before dressing, which takes the raw edge off while keeping the crunch. Thinly sliced cucumber folded in just before serving adds freshness.
Northern German potato salad
Creamy, cold, and made ahead, northern German potato salad is the style most people outside Germany picture when they hear the name. Bound with mayonnaise and enriched with hard-boiled eggs, gherkin, and onion, it is generous, satisfying, and best when it has had time, at least a few hours, ideally overnight, to let the flavours come together. It is the standard accompaniment at northern German barbecues, birthday parties, and Christmas Eve dinners, and it is the potato salad you want alongside a large piece of grilled meat.
Swabian potato salad
Light, tangy, and quite unlike the creamy potato salads most people know, Swabian potato salad is dressed with warm vinegar and broth while the potatoes are still hot, so they absorb the dressing as they cool to room temperature. No mayonnaise, no eggs, no bacon , just waxy potatoes, a sharp, clean dressing, and usually some finely diced onion. It is the classic side dish for grilled meats across the Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria region of southwestern Germany, and one of the most refreshing potato salads you can make.
Raisin walnut carrot cake
This raisin walnut carrot cake is a generous, old-fashioned cake with warm spices, sweet carrots, tender crumb, and plenty of texture from chopped walnuts and golden raisins. It is the kind of cake that feels right at home at family gatherings, holiday tables, or an afternoon coffee break. Finished with a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar or your favorite cream cheese frosting, it is simple, comforting, and sweet.
Shakshuka
Few dishes bring people together quite like a bubbling pan of shakshuka. Originating from North Africa and deeply loved across the Middle East, this vibrant one-pan meal is a celebration of simple, bold flavors.
Persian herb, bean, and noodle soup recipe (ash reshteh)
This recipe weaves together an incredible tapestry of textures and tastes. Hearty beans and lentils simmer alongside earthy dried herbs, while noodles bring a comforting substance to every bowl. The finishing touch is a drizzle of kashk, a fermented whey that tastes similar to a sharp, salted goat cheese, and crispy fried onions.