Midwest Living January/February 2015 Recipes

We're convinced that colorful food tastes better-and nutritionists will tell you it's better for you, too. Proof: Our innovative recipe. While the egg-and-cheddar batter puffs in a skillet, a crazy-quilt of veggies roasts separately. When the timer beeps, put them together for a savory twist on a fruit-filled Dutch baby pancake.Cheesy Dutch Baby with Pesto-Dressed Vegetables

Dessert or coffee cake? It's up to you. A hint of orange rounds out the flavors.Chocolanutty Banana Cake

Our hearty salad tastes equally good warm from the pan, cold from the fridge or even at room temperature, so it's perfect for make-ahead meals and leftover lunches. Other grains, such as barley, faro or wild rice, also work well in this salad.Roasted Kale, Tomato and Chickpea Salad with Wheat Berries

Pillowy Morning Burns, inspired by the original Brittany Buns from Madison, Wisconsin, need no caramel or pecans. They're perfect in their buttery, sugar-crusted simplicity. The recipe is from The New Midwestern Table (clarksonpotter.com) by Minnesota chef Amy Thielen.Morning Buns

Sliced bananas hide under a rich filling of peanut butter, cream cheese and honey. Chopped peanuts and a graham cracker crust lend the perfect crunch.Banana and Peanut Butter Pie

Because canned beans can be mushy, pair them with crunchy ingredients. Our sweet potato, quinoa and pinto bean patties had plenty of smoky, garlicky flavor. But when we added walnuts and served them over crisp romaine, they soared.Bean and Sweet Potato Patties with Lime-Jalapeno Cream

Rich cream sauce stands in for canned soup in Minnesota chef Amy Thielen's spin on classic chicken and wild rice hotdish. The recipe comes from Amy's book The New Midwestern Table (clarksonpotter.com).Classic Chicken and Wild Rice Hotdish

Toast oats, coconut and macadamia nuts, set them aside, then warm bananas and dried figs in brown sugar and rum. Put the two together and you've got crisp, no oven required!Banana-Fig Skillet Crisp

Plain old spaghetti? Look closer. Grated cauliflower uncannily mimics the texture of ground beef in chilies and sauces like our stove-top marinara. (We added shredded carrot, too, for sweetness and extra nutrients.)Hidden-Veggie Spaghetti with Ricotta

The math on these homey bars couldn't be simpler: one pan, one ripe banana and less than one hour from start to finish.Maple-Walnut Banana Bars

This roasted veggie dish is a lunch favorite for Minnesota chef Amy Thielen. It's from her cookbook The New Midwestern Table (clarksonpotter.com).Pan-Roasted Cauliflower with Salt Pork and Capers

Amy Thielen's nutmeggy Old-Fashioned Potato Doughnuts follow her grandmother's farmhouse recipe, but instead of powdered sugar, she tops them with vanilla-coffee icing. The recipe comes from Amy's book The New Midwestern Table (clarksonpotter.com).Old-Fashioned Potato Doughnuts with Coffee Glaze

Bulgur wheat lends meaty texture, fiber and protein to soups and stews, where it can cook in the broth. In our sweet and savory chili, we match the grain with salsa verde, peppers and edamame-a weeknight meal that makes it oh-so-easy to be green.Chili Verde with Corn Bread Croutons

Rosemary and slow-cooked onion yield a savory-sweet base for Chicken Paprikash. For a tangy finish, Minnesota chef Amy Thielen stirs a shot of fermented-pickle brine into the sauce. The recipe comes from Amy's book The New Midwestern Table (clarksonpotter.com).Chicken Paprikash

Cheap, soy-based tofu has a bad rap for being bland. But so is chicken breast! The trick is getting it crispy, then piling on flavor. For our one-pan meal, we dry the tofu first in the microwave, roast it with vegetables, then go heavy on zingy Sriracha-peanut sauce.Asian Roasted Vegetables with Tofu

Canned beans supply fill-you-up protein at a fraction of the cost, fat and calories of ground beef or turkey. In our sloppy joes, we dress navy beans in mustardy tomato sauce that has all the familiar flavor of the meaty original.Bean-Mushroom Sloppy Joes

For a hearty breakfast, serve steaming wild rice topped with toasted pecans, maple syrup, milk or half-and-half, and a pat of melty butter. The recipe comes from The New Midwestern Table (clarksonpotter.com) by Minnesota chef Amy Thielen.Breakfast Wild Rice

Worcestershire sauce and mushrooms are rich in umami-the savory flavor our brains associate with meat. We used both in our shepherd's pie, a low-fat, high-fiber, 'tater-topped casserole that delivers 100 percent of your daily comfort.Mushroom-Lentil Shepherd's Pie

Tired of bagged salads and plain green beans? You can turn standard frozen veggies into tasty (and super speedy) sides with just a couple of easy add-ins. Mustard-Cranberry Green BeansSee more easy recipes for frozen vegetables