From June to August, everywhere in Japan soba or somen noodles are eaten cold. So pervasive is the custom, the dish is simply called Summer Noodles. At the Japanese table, the noodles, condiments, and flavoring sauces are served separately so that each person may dollop and mix according to personal preference.

Hints: Rice vinegar and chili garlic sauce may be found in most supermarkets in the oriental section. One brand of chili-garlic sauce is made by Huy Fong Foods. It is quite spicy, so you may need to adjust the amount used according to your tastes. I use a small amount of sesame oil in this recipe for the unique taste it adds to foods. It may be omitted, if desired. This dish keeps well in the refrigerator and may also be served cold. This is great to fix on those busy evenings when everyone is eating at different times because it tastes best at room temperature.

Hints: Rice noodles are available in most markets and natural food stores. They usually take very little time to cook and most packages will have detailed directions on the labels.

1 15-ounce can black beans — drained, rinsed, and slightly mashed
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes — with liquid …

I tried this recipe last night. It wasn’t the absolute best lo mien recipe I’ve ever made but it was very good and QUICK (very important part of the dinner prep equation for me! LOL). Anyway, I thought I’d pass this on for anyone who wanted to try it.

Half a red pepper
5 cloves of garlic …

This recipe adapts and modifies the ingredients and techniques in Susan Voisin’s “My Favorite Lasagna” recipe (on this website) and Neal Pinckney’s “Lasagna Romana” recipe from his Healthy Heart Handbook. My wife Anne came up with the garbanzo substitution for tofu. For the adventurous, consider substituting other beans such as pinto, black or white. Alternatively, skip the beans entirely and get a great result using a pound of cooked winter squash such as butternut or acorn instead.

1lb pasta shells
1 lb spinach, chopped and steamed until tender …

To keep this McDougall-legal I use whole wheat pasta. It can also be made MWLP legal by eliminating the raisins and pasta and serving with brown rice or barley.

NOTE: The first time I made this, I grilled some tofu and added tofu cubes at the same time as the mushrooms and onion, which was nice, but this adds fat.

To serve, place a watermelon cube, cavity-side up, on each of 6 small plates and squeeze a little lime juice over them. Fill each cavity with balsamic vinegar.

NOTE : To section grapefruit, hold peeled fruit in one hand. Starting at the top of the fruit, slip a paring knife into the section, keeping close to the membrane. Cut section out by running knife down the length of section and into the fruit, cutting as close to membrane as possible.

I love the texture and buttery flavor of poached pears. This microwave poaching method is so simple that sometimes I buy a big bag of pears and poach them all at once. They can then be refrigerated and covered and eaten as snacks throughout the next week. Bosc and Bartlett pears are the best varieties for poaching.

Another tip, not really a smoothie but… If you ever have too much watermelon (Seedless. Or any other melon, without the seeds.) and are afraid you won’t use it all in time take a bunch and blend it! It makes a refreshing drink and somehow is easy to eat lots of it this way.

I have a recipe for a great sweet side dish my Norwegian Grandma makes frequently called Frukt Suppe (fruit soup). It is perfect for holidays and cold evenings.