Pretty much anytime I serve up a hearty bowl of borscht, I am again convinced it is one of the healthiest and most comforting soups to be enjoyed during the winter months. However, I enjoy it so much that I would never refuse a bowl, no matter the time of year.

I've prepared borscht on many occasions, but this recent vegetarian version of the Eastern European classic might just be a new favorite. The mighty beet is necessarily present, along with other earthy vegetables and some lentils and nutty quinoa to fill everything out. Dill was also a must for it's slightly sweet and bitter flavor, and included are also beet greens wilted in because I was fortunate to get a healthy bunch on top of the beets. To keep the theme vegan, I served up each bowl with a healthy dollop of cashew cream rather than sour cream. It's truly a meal in itself, but do serve with some chunks of crusty bread to fill things out even more if desired.

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Paring down the cookbook shelves has its advantages. As much as it pains me to let go of books, cookbooks or otherwise, so often the experience is one of renewal and discovery. I looked through books that I hadn't opened for a while, salvaged some recipes from those marked for the donation pile, and managed to make room for the ones that I truly cherish. My brain was buzzing with inspiration. I was discovering recipes I had nearly forgotten about, others just waiting to be enjoyed again, and new ideas to try.

These savoury pancakes I rediscovered in one of the first vegetarian cookbooks that ever occupied a space on my shelf. I have adapted the recipe over the years to make it my own, but as corn appears only occasionally on the menu, these moist, almost melt-in-your-mouth fritters hadn't been served up for a quite a long time. Usually they were paired with a zesty and chunky black bean and feta salsa. The corn kernels in these fritters provides a bit of a crunch, along with the grainy cornmeal, with some underlying tanginess from the sun-dried tomatoes and some heat from spices and hot chilies. Serve these up for dinner or enjoy for brunch.

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Teff is one of the smallest and oldest known grains on the planet, and it sure is one of the mightiest. Native to Ethiopia, teff is used in a wide variety of ways, enjoyable just cooked up as is into a porridge, shaped into savory cakes, incorporated into soups, or ground into a flour and made into spongy injera breads to be served up with a variety of legume and vegetable dishes — or, as in this case, as a feature of sweeter creations. Teff is also an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron, calcium and protein.

This is my first time baking with teff flour, and it surely won't be the last. Here teff flour is the star in these gluten-free vegan-friendly cookies that are now my new declared favorite peanut butter cookie. I know I've made this declaration before, but I've made a few batches of these teff and peanut butter cookies already, so until the next great idea comes along, I'm smitten. The rather mild but distinctly earthy and nutty flavor of teff combines perfectly with peanut butter in these delectably soft, moist, melt-in-your-mouth delights with chunks of divine dark chocolate. They also happen to be healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast with a fine cup of coffee. Peanut butter and chocolate are truly one of those desert-island-must combinations that would be hard to do without.

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I used to get confused about the difference between chana saag and chana palak. The common elements are chickpeas, split or whole, and leafy greens. As it turns out, palak means spinach, whereas saag can mean any leafy green, including spinach but also mustard greens, kale, fenugreek leaves or whatever suits your fancy.

No matter the greens you choose to include, this classic North Indian dish deserves to be served up often. The creaminess of silky spinach and coconut milk embraces the plump buttery chickpeas and the range of spices used to aromatically enhance the experience. It's a luxurious dish that is nonetheless not overly spicy nor too rich. Serve up with brown rice for a special earthy and nourishing meal, or with your favorite flat breads.

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