Low… and behold!’s Blog Finding the “high” road.

How much do you guys love MyRecipes.com?!  I think I’ve mentioned before that I rarely make a meal without some sort of recipe.  Even if I don’t want to follow a specific recipe for something I’m making, I think it’s so helpful to look over recipes that include the ingredients I’m wanting to use so I can be sure I’m using all the proper techniques.  I think MyRecipes.com is such a good resource for that!  Plus, they have so many great articles and sections about healthy eating, and something that I’ve recently become interested in – vegetarian cooking!

When I was given the opportunity to interview a MyRecipes.com food editor, I knew I had to ask some of the burning questions I have about meatless cooking. 

So, without further ado, please enjoy this interview with Dawn R. Williams, food editor at MyRecipes.com!

First, I’m sure all of my readers would love to know what your background is and what you currently do at MyRecipes.com?

I have loved to write since I can remember. Mix that passion with an insatiable interest in food and home decorating, and you can easily see how I got to where I am today. After graduating from Auburn University with a degree in Corporate Journalism, I took an internship and later my first job as editorial assistant at Oxmoor House (www.oxmoorhouse.com), where I mainly worked on Cooking Light, Southern Living, and Weight Watchers cookbooks. After that, I moved on to a position working on custom publications, and then to MyHomeIdeas (www.myhomeideas.com) – sister site to MyRecipes – where I focused on home decorating and entertaining. Most recently I am thrilled to have joined the MyRecipes team. At MyRecipes, I will be packaging content for our audience, developing new ideas for features, and hosting demo videos. At the moment, I am putting together a new section on the site about kid-friendly cooking, set to debut this August.

Awesome! With all that experience, you must have a really broad range of knowedge. I just started eating a vegetarian diet, and have found myself in a bit of a food rut. Now that summer is here and fresh fruits and veggies are super abundant, what are some of your favorite meatless recipes or quick meal ideas?

If you’re cooking for a family or have a meat-and-potatoes-eating husband like I do, you may need a little flexibility in your menu. I’d suggest creating pasta dishes with fresh summer vegetables (and don’t forget about fresh herbs). That way, you’re getting the nutrients you need, plus you can add grilled fish or chicken to the plate for any non-vegetarians. Here are some of my favorite meatless pasta dishes.

Herbed Penne with Simple Grilled Vegetables

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1823348

Garlicky Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=604781

Pasta Primavera

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1611725 

 And as far as fruits go, nothing’s better to me than a fresh fruit salad to cool down on a hot summer day. Best of all, you can prepare it at the beginning of the week and enjoy for days! Or, it’s perfect to serve at a summer brunch or shower.

Summer Fruit Salad with Lemon-and-Honey Syrup

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=320083

Stone Fruit Salad with Toasted Almonds

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1072206  

I love fruit salads!  So many different flavors and textures to keep your taste buds guessing! I find that a lot of people, vegetarians and meat eaters alike, tend to stick to certain fruits and vegetables that they know they like, and are hesitant to try new ones. Are there any unusual fruits and/or veggies that you love? How do you prefer to prepare them?

I’m not sure how usual it is to some, but I have recently fallen for fresh mango! Hands down, my favorite way to prepare it is as a salsa because it can be served with chips, over grilled meat, or as a side dish. Also, you can add vegetables (think fresh avocado slices or black beans) for an extra punch of flavor.

Say someone is just going to eat one fruit or vegetable all day? Which ones would give them the most nutritional bang for their buck?

At MyRecipes, we have a list of delicious “Superfoods” – chosen by our registered dieticians on staff – which have multiple health and nutrition benefits. For example, zucchini “is packed with beneficial nutrients including Vitamins C and A, potassium, folate, and fiber. All contribute to a healthy heart by decreasing the risk of stroke, reducing high blood pressure, and lowering cholesterol.” Here are some of my other favorite Superfoods:

Dark Chocolate

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipes/gallery/0,28548,1711950,00.html

Salmon

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipes/gallery/0,28548,1879504,00.html

Strawberries

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipes/gallery/0,28548,1893154,00.html

 Are there any specific MyRecipes.com links or stories that would give further information about the things we’ve discussed?

Of course! MyRecipes has over 33,000 recipes, and over 7,000 of those are meatless, so you’ll never run out of options. Here are some must-see links for what we chatted about today.

Cooking Vegetarian

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipes/vegetarian

Grilling: The Ultimate Guide to Summer Entertaining

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipes/package/0,31029,1893642,00.html

The Scoop on Salsa

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipes/article/0,28747,1873332,00.html

Thanks so much Dawn and everyone at MyRecipes.com!  I hope everyone enjoyed the interview, and please check out all the links, you just can’t go wrong with these tips and recipes!