A reminder of just how good simple, steamed vegetables can be.

I posted a picture of my lunch the other day, and a few of you requested specifics - it was a spring soup made with a ginger & shallot coconut milk broth, spring vegetables, served over egg noodles.

A simple one-pan broccoli recipe I've made no less than three times in the past ten days - Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, orange juice, and oregano.

A shredded green salad bulked out with blanched broccoli, avocado, pistachios, a bit of feta, and tossed with a tarragon balsamic vinaigrette & pics from a special visit to Anokhi cafe and HQ in Jaipur.

While in London my friend Anna Jones gave me a copy of the terrific new book she worked on - this broccoli-basil crusted mac and cheese immediately caught my attention.

An off-beat pasta salad made with stuffed pasta, seasonal vegetables, and a spice-forward, golden sesame yogurt sauce.

A one-dish meal, inspired by a recipe in Harumi Kurihara's Everyday Harumi - asparagus, broccoli, and tofu tossed with a salty-sweet miso dressing.

This is simply heirloom beans and roasted broccoli with shallots and pan-fried seitan. Something I threw together one night after getting home from the airport. It's filling and hearty, and quick to make - particularly if you have cooked beans stashed in the freezer...but canned beans will work too.

A simple, everyday broccoli soup made special with crusty, mustardy croutons. Perfect for those days when I need some extra nutritional punch.

This is another favorite - I cook up lots of broccoli, then puree half of it into a pesto. The other half is cut into little florets. Toss the broccoli with some quinoa, sliced avocado and a drizzle of feisty chile pepper oil, and you've got a nice meal on your hands.

And orzo salad packed with nutritious ingredients - asparagus, almonds, feta, sprouts, broccoli, cucumber, and a zesty lemon dressing.

Inspired by the new farmers market up the street from my house, I made this sauteed asparagus and broccolini salad. Finished with slivered radishes, a chunky lemon-pinenut dressing, and a bit of shaved Parmesan it works alongside pasta, topped with poached eggs, or, on its own.

Poached spinach noodles, tofu, and baby broccoli in ginger broth. Finished with a splash of soy sauce, mint, basil, lime juice and red pepper flakes. Quick, simple, and invigorating.

a pot of quick-cooking, beautiful, brothy couscous soup topped with a bit of melted goat cheese and bright broccoli and cauliflower florets. It is all punctuated with a spoonful of finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

A great broccoli recipe, one of my favorites! Tiny green florets, crisp apples, crunchy shallots, candied nuts and slivered red onions are tossed in a barely sweet, creamy almond vinaigrette. Add baked tofu or pan-fried tempeh and you can easily turn this side into a main course.

A simple pasta bowl made by tossing a whole wheat fusilli pasta, shredded spinach, and with a delicious walnut & broccoli pesto sauce.

This healthy, colorful Sicilian broccoli and cauliflower pasta recipe comes from chef Tracy Bates at The Oxbow School in Napa - the students there love it.