If you’re accustomed to serving your dinner protein with one vegetable and a starch (potato, noodles, rice)—or veg and a side salad—here’s a tip on “diversification.”

It was inspired by this dish from Bluewater Grill, with several locations in California and one in Phoenix.

Their chefs know that serving multiple items generates more excitement. That’s why buffets are so popular.
 
 
YOU CAN DO THE SAME

Just a bit of planning enables you to easily pair your protein with two cooked vegetables, a raw vegetable, and a grain or legume/pulse (the difference is below).

Put together your plate with:

 
No sauce is needed, but you can swirl balsamic glaze [photo #1], or dot the plate with pesto, flavored olive oil (basil oil in photo #2) or red bell pepper purée.

Voilá, a healthful, colorful dinner.

Serve with an optional salad:

 
 
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEGUMES & PULSES

Both legumes and pulses are the edible seeds of plants in the pea family (Leguminosae), a class of vegetables that includes beans, peas and lentils.

Pulses are a subcategory of legumes. The difference is that legumes are sold fresh, and pulses are grown and harvested to be sold dried. The same product can be sold fresh (legume) or dried (pulse).

[1]Salmon with red quinoa, Brussels sprouts and cipollini onions, topped with shaved fennel and dill.

[2] Salmon with a different set of garnishes: purple asparagus, spring peas, cipollini onions, topped with lightly dressed pea leaves and shoots, plus droplets of basil olive oil (photos #1 and #2 courtesy Bluewater Grill).

[3] Salmon on a bed of grains (here, red quinoa) with baby carrots, green peas and baby artichokes, topped with pea shoots (it’s fresh pea season) (photo courtesy Charlie Palmer Steak).

[1] A carbon dioxide cartridge in the back of the appliance carbonates creates a bottle of sparkling water. There are colors for every decor.

[2] A four-pack of the most popular flavors. First you carbonate the bottle of water (photo above; then you add your flavor.

[3] Fizzy cocktails, anyone? Make a sparkling Bellini, G&T, Margarita or wine spritzer (all photos courtesy SodaStream).

If you drink a fair amount of sparkling water or soda, there’s one item you should have in your kitchen: SodaStream.

We love SodaStream, the at-home sparkling water maker.

It’s the best way to reduce plastic and metal waste by eliminating the need to buy plastic bottles or cans of sparkling water and soda.

It also saves you gas and muscle fatigue from carrying heavy bags of soft drinks, not to mention disposing of the empties, if you do your best to recycle.

It encourages the family to drink more water: sparkling, plain or with flavors.

It requires no electricity, no battery. It’s lightweight and portable (bring it onto the patio, a boat, etc.).

The carbon dioxide cartridge that provides the fizz is returned for a credit when you purchase refills at SodaStream retailers.

In addition to the company website, SodaStream is sold at Bed Bath & Beyond, Staples, Williams-Sonoma and other retailers. Here’s a store locator.
 
 
DRINK WHATEVER YOU WANT

Many people use SodaStream to make sparkling water.

But just add flavor to the bottle, and it’s easy to offer everyone the soda of their choice.

We have six different flavors on in our pantry: cola, diet cola, ginger ale, lemon-lime, root beer and Diet Dr. Pete (like Dr. Pepper).

There are almost 50 flavor choices: something for everyone including cucumber water, energy drinks, coconut water, peach iced tea, cocktail makers (BYOB), even Welch’s grape juice.

We keep three ready-to-drink flavors in the fridge at any time, and can make something a guest requests in a minute.

Just keep extra bottles of cold water in the fridge, and you’re ready to insert one into the SodaStream maker, carbonate in seconds and add flavor.
 
 
SPECIAL SAVINGS

Every family making soft drinks in SodaStream’s reusable bottle can reduce more than 3,700 bottles and cans from the planet.

That’s an impressive statistic—and it’s Earth Month. How can you resist a purchase that helps you save our planet?

In addition to sitewide savings, you can take an EXTRA 15% discount with promo code EARTHDAY, through April 27th.

Head to SodaStream.com.

AND REMEMBER MOTHER’S DAY AND FATHER’S DAY: COMING SOON!

Passover macaroons are a traditional treat for Passover. But what if you don’t like coconut—or simply have a yen for chocolate?

Voilà: a Passover-friendly recipe for brownies, thanks to Melissa’s.

In order to “bulk up” the brownies in the absence of leavening, Melissa’s has added dried cranberries. They’re delicious paired with chocolate, but you can substitute nuts if you prefer.
 
 
RECIPE: PASSOVER BROWNIES

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Grease a 7-1/2 x 11 x 2-inch baking pan.

2. MELT the butter and 1/4 cup sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and set aside and cool to room temperature.

[1] Passover brownies studded with cranberries (photo courtesy Melissa’s).

[2] Dried cranberries (photo courtesy King Arthur Flour).

4. BEAT the remaining 2 eggs with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, slowly adding the salt and remaining sugar. Add the cranberries and fold into the chocolate batter. Mix thoroughly by hand.

5. POUR into the prepared pan and bake until top is crusty, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool, then cut into slices as desired.

[1] Enjoy hot cross buns for breakfast on Good Friday, and at tea time or coffee break all Easter weekend (photo courtesy King Arthur Flour).

Hot cross buns are sweet yeast buns made with raisins or currants, and decorated with a cross.

The cross, symbolizing the Crucifixion, was originally made with knife cuts in the dough. Today it’s piped or spooned on with icing.

The buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF HOT CROSS BUNS

The first recorded use of the term “hot cross bun” appears in 1733. However, the buns have much earlier roots.

As with some other Christian traditions, this one is believed to predate Christianity.

 
Hot cross buns are so tasty, we wish they were available year-round.

Here’s a great recipe from King Arthur Flour.

You can make the dough and the icing the day before, and bake them in time to serve them warm for breakfast on the morning of Good Friday.

Potato salad as first course?

Sure, when it’s as elegant and complex as this Stacked Purple Potato & Cucumber Salad recipe, from the Idaho Potato Commission.

The recipe is a fusion of American potato salad and Middle Eastern tabouli (tabbouleh).

Of course, you can still serve the potato salad, unstacked, as a side dish.
 
 
RECIPE: STACKED BLUE POTATO SALAD WITH TABBOULI

Ingredients

 
For The Side Salad

 
Preparation

1. BRING salted water to boil in a medium pan. Add the red wine vinegar and then the diced potatoes. Cook until just al dente, then shock the potatoes in ice bath. Drain well and pat dry.

2. COMBINE the potatoes, parsley, olive oil, sherry vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in large bowl.

3. PLACE a 4-inch ring mold in the center of each plate. Pack the potato mixture firmly into each ring mold. Reserve the extra vinaigrette in a bowl.

4. SPREAD the chopped cucumber on atop. Carefully remove the ring molds. Top the tabouli with mini cucumber (optional).
Garnish plate with feta cheese and Asian greens. Drizzle the greens with remaining vinaigrette.
 
 
CHECK OUT MORE POTATO RECIPES
FROM THE IDAHO POTATO COMMISSION.

[1] Purple Potato stacked potato salad (photo © Idaho Potato Commission).

[2] Purple Peruvian potatoes (photo © Mona Makela | Istock Photo).

[3] Blue potatoes (photo © Burpee).

*The miniature potatoes used as garnish in photo #1 have their blossoms attached. Unless you grow your own, you won’t find them in stores. Instead, you can substitute miniature gherkins.