Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
¹/³ cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2½ cups low-fat (1%) milk
½ cup fat-free egg substitute
1 tablespoon canola oil

Directions:

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Whisk together milk, egg substitute, and oil in small bowl.

Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until flour mixture is moistened (batter will be lumpy).

Generously spray nonstick griddle with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Pour scant ¼ cupfuls of batter onto griddle. Cook until bubbles appear and edges of pancakes look dry, about 3 minutes. Turn pancakes over and cook until golden brown on second side, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to platter and keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter, making a total of 24 pancakes.

Whole Wheat Pancakes:

Substitute ½ cup whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour for ½ cup of all-purpose flour, if you like.

Blueberry Pancakes:

Stir 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries into batter just until combined.

Buckwheat Pancakes:

Substitute ½ cup buckwheat flour for ½ cup all-purpose flour.

Ingredients:

²/³ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
¼ cup fat-free egg substitute
2 teaspoons canola oil
¼ cup pure maple syrup

Directions:

Spray waffle baker with nonstick spray. Preheat according to manufacturer’s directions.

Whisk together whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Whisk together buttermilk, egg substitute, and oil in small bowl. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until batter is smooth.

When waffle baker is ready, ladle in ½ cup of batter. Close lid and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer waffle to plate and keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter, making a total of 4 waffles. Serve with maple syrup.

Ingredients:

¹/³ cup dried cherries, chopped
1 tablespoon dark rum
8 slices challah or other egg bread
1 tablespoon fi nely chopped almonds
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
¼ cup low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

Combine cherries and rum in cup; let soak about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Meanwhile, spray nonstick baking sheet with nonstick spray and place in oven. Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place 4 slices of bread in shallow baking pan in single layer. Stir almonds into cherry mixture; sprinkle evenly over bread. Top each slice of bread with second slice of bread. Beat together egg, egg whites, and buttermilk in 2-cup glass measure. Pour evenly over stuffed bread, then turn bread over to coat evenly. Let stand 10 minutes, pressing edges of bread together to seal.

With wide spatula, transfer stuffed bread to preheated prepared baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes; turn over and bake until French toast is well browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Ingredients:

1 cup reduced-fat (2%) milk
¾ cup fat-free egg substitute
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
8 slices whole grain bread

Directions:

Whisk together milk, egg substitute, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in shallow bowl or pie plate.

Generously spray large nonstick griddle or skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat.

Dip bread, 1 slice at a time, into milk mixture, turning to coat well on each side. Cook dipped bread, in batches if needed, until well browned, about 4 minutes per side, spraying griddle with nonstick spray between batches.

This salad chapter would not be complete without a salad with hearts of palm—one of my favorite foods. Hearts of palm grow mostly in Brazil and Costa Rica, but can also be found in Florida, where they have the far less appealing name of swamp cabbage. Outside of the tropics, they are usually sold in jars or cans. Each pale green stalk is 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter and resembles a cheese stick. They taste like a cross between artichoke hearts and asparagus, with a slightly crunchy, delicate texture. The tropical ingredients in this salad—avocado, macadamia nuts, and lime marinade for the shrimp—complement the hearts of palm well.

Beet salads have become popular at Boston restaurants—even among diners who hated eating beets as children. The secret is oven-roasting the beets to bring out their natural, earthy sweetness. An assertive blue cheese or goat cheese stands up well to them. My version of beet salad uses two colors of beets for eye appeal and adds Granny Smith apple slices for a hint of sweetness. Honeylaced dressing made with fruit-flavored vinegar ties everything together.

The deep, fruity flavor of black fig vinegar is worth seeking out at a gourmet store or from a mail order source. The vinegar is sweetened with black fig juice. My favorite brand is Cuisine Perel fig vinegar. In a pinch, raspberry vinegar may be substituted.

Even though most salads are considered light fare, a Cobb salad is substantial enough to make a one-dish meal. Created by Bob Cobb in the 1920s at the Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles, it has become a classic that New Englanders enjoy, too. Its combination of salad greens, tomatoes, avocados, chicken, bacon, blue cheese, and hard-boiled eggs supplies you with plenty of vegetables and protein.

I am partial to chicken salads that contain some fruit.With each bite, you get the savory taste of the chicken with a burst of juicy, cool fruit. Toasted nuts add crunch as well as a savory punch.

You can’t go wrong by serving this classic French salad when you are trying to impress someone. It’s hearty enough for an entrée, with an array of colorful, filling, and decadent ingredients.

There is nothing quite like the taste of a large, green salad with fresh, locally-grown vegetables. This one takes advantage of tender, buttery lettuce, bracingly crisp cucumbers, and juicy tomatoes that taste like distilled sunshine. There are not many rules when it comes to making this salad, but it is essential to thoroughly wash and dry all of the vegetables to remove dirt and other impurities. You may substitute or add a few of your own selections to the list of vegetables. Make sure to serve the salad well chilled to keep it crisp and refreshing.

Heirloom tomatoes are so special and delicious that it is worth the wait until their arrival at the market in late August. A seller at my local Farmers’ Market has won all kinds of awards for her heirloom tomatoes. She describes each one like one of her children. I always visit her booth first because I want to get the first pick. She never lets me in early, even when I am wearing my chef ’s uniform. The minute the market opens, I rush up and fill my basket. This simple salad dresses the tomatoes up to their best advantage. It would go well with grilled steak, especially rib eye.

I gave this recipe an ambitious name because I’ve eaten too many potato salads that are far from perfect—ruined by mushy potatoes, goopy dressing, and mayonnaise that dull the flavors. I start this salad with Yukon Gold potatoes, which have a built-in buttery flavor and don’t fall apart easily when cooked. Just after they finish cooking, I pour vinaigrette over them so they can absorb the flavor as they cool. The mayonnaise is just enough to hold the salad together. Chopped bell pepper, onion, and pickles add color and crunch. Eggs keep everything fluffy. You can feel proud to bring this salad to any picnic or barbecue.

When our kitchen is filled with the aromas of squash, cranberries, and other seasonal ingredients that we use in our soups, we can’t help but raid the pantry for sandwich fillings, too.Why not top freshly roasted turkey with chunks of sweet potatoes? Honey-roasted cashews add crunch and sweetness, and cranberry sauce livens up plain mayonnaise. Everyone likes this sandwich because it’s like an entire Thanksgiving dinner between two slices of bread.

This sandwich is similar to the famous New Orleans muffaletta. Starting with a large, hollowed loaf of bread, the filling is built from layers of cold cuts, cheese, and vegetables. I then wrap everything tightly so the filling gets compressed and the flavors soak into the bread. Each wedge is packed with colorful ingredients that are substantial enough for a complete meal.

If you’re patient, you can buy a whole salami and let it harden by hanging it to dry for a couple of weeks. Or walk into a deli and order it at the counter. Whatever method you choose, the salami comes out chewy and garlicky, with just the right amount of flavor and fat to make it irresistible. If you do opt for the deli, ask for some extra slices just for snacking while you prepare the sandwiches. The deli is also a good place to find onion rolls. Homemade honey mustard offsets the salty salami with a sharp bite. The recipe is easy, and people are impressed when you tell them that you made your own mustard from scratch.

You can really get down and dirty with this sandwich. It’s so very delicious that I never recommend sharing it. Many times I have witnessed a customer hiding in a corner to gobble up this sandwich, hoping not to be recognized while enjoying a messy feast. Big, soft onion rolls hold everything together, but there is always something yummy slipping out. For the maximum amount of crunch and zing, make the coleslaw the same day you assemble the sandwiches.

You can’t drive far in New England without coming across a sign advertising lobster rolls. They are sold at beachside shacks as well as white tablecloth restaurants. To call this specialty a sandwich gives the wrong impression. It’s really a toasted hot dog roll that all but disappears under a mound of chunky lobster salad, made with just a little mayonnaise and seasonings. A leaf or two of lettuce usually lines the bun. This version is easy to prepare at home for your friends as a kickoff to the summer.

These sandwiches are great for those cold and snowy days when you need a little more comfort than just hot soup. Toasted in a pan, they come out warm and crisp, filled with smoky ham and the sharp bite of cheddar cheese. I like to use Black Forest ham, a German variety, because it has a perfect balance of smoky, salty, and sweet flavors. Into the mustard, I mix cranberry sauce to add a tart, colorful twist. Dark brown pumpernickel bread matches the German theme of the ham. The sandwich goes really well with Cauliflower, Potato, and Cheese soup.

These café-style sandwiches, a variation on roast beef and Boursin, are easy to make at home, and travel well in lunchboxes or picnic baskets. Just don’t skimp on the ingredients. Find a good quality baguette with some crust; the bad ones are so flimsy that they flop back and forth when you pick them up! Purchase tender roast beef from a deli and ask that it be thinly sliced.