Recipes

The Recipes section of The Body Optimist serves up easy, delicious recipes for every day and every occasion: family meals, appetizers, desserts, snacks and holiday menus. The ingredients are easy to find, the steps stay simple, and many ideas come in vegetarian, no-cook or lactose-free versions, so you can cook around your cravings, your schedule and your budget.

What you’ll find in the Recipes section

• Everyday meals: casseroles, soups, bowls and quiches, in classic or plant-based versions.
• Appetizers and starters: bites, dips and no-cook skewers for stress-free entertaining.
• Desserts and snacks: cookies, clafoutis, cheesecakes, waffles and no-bake treats for every sweet craving.
• Vegetarian and allergen-friendly cooking: meat-free dishes, vegan ideas and lactose-free recipes.
• Seasons and holidays: summer grilling, winter squash and soups, holiday desserts, Valentine’s Day and Halloween menus.

How do you get a recipe right when you’re just starting out?

A successful dish starts before you turn on the stove. Read the whole recipe, take out and measure all your ingredients, then set out your equipment: chefs call this mise en place. In baking, stick to the quantities, because flour, sugar, eggs and leavening each play a specific role in texture. Savory dishes leave more room to improvise: taste and adjust the seasoning as you go. Preheat the oven and check for doneness a few minutes before the stated time, since every oven heats differently. Finally, jot your tweaks down on the recipe: next time will be even better.

Our approach

Our recipes are designed for real life: short ingredient lists, clear steps and reasonable budgets. We don’t publish “diet” recipes or put calories front and center: a dessert is a dessert, and it deserves its place at the table. We often suggest vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free variations so everyone can adapt a dish to their tastes, values or needs.

A few recipes to start with

• Three soups ready in under 30 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights.
• Our lactose-free recipes, for lactose-intolerant food lovers who don’t want to miss out.
• Three meatless holiday mains to put a vegetarian dish at the center of the table.

Frequently asked questions

What can you cook when you’re short on time?

One-step dishes are the quickest: a vegetable omelet or frittata, stir-fried noodles, a blended soup, a grain bowl with raw veggies or an oven-baked ham and cheese sandwich. Most come together in under half an hour. Keep frozen vegetables, eggs and canned beans on hand to pull together a complete meal anytime.

How do you replace eggs or milk in a recipe?

In baking, one egg can be replaced with applesauce, mashed banana or ground flaxseed mixed with a little water. Cow’s milk can be swapped for the same amount of plant-based milk, such as oat, soy or almond. The texture changes slightly, so try it first in simple bakes like loaf cakes, muffins or crepes.

What should you serve at an easy appetizer party?

Mix cold dishes you can make the day before with one or two warm bites. Vegetable dips, mini skewers, crudités, a savory loaf and homemade puff pastry bites please every palate. Plan vegetarian options and alcohol-free drinks so every guest can help themselves without a second thought.

Keep exploring: find all our food ideas in the Food section, learn more about what’s on your plate with our Nutrition articles, and learn to cook with leftovers in the Green section.