We have encountered yet another Sunday at the senior center which means it’s macaroni time. Today’s meal of choice was the good old Neapolitan and childhood staple of pasta e patate, aka, pasta and potatoes. Yes, I spent the majority of my childhood eating double carbs because my grandmother made this weekly and, if I had it my way, I would have eaten it daily. Making this dish always brings up fond memories for my father, mother and brother — reminded of my grandmother’s overuse of red pepper and the way she would save the tiniest dish of leftovers and send it upstairs to our apartment for one of us kids to have as a leftover snack the following day.

dinner, mediterranean, vegan, vegetariantina corradoAugust 25, 2025pasta, potatoes

Zucchini Rollatini

At every catered event in the scope of my childhood — First Holy Communions, Confirmation parties, baby showers, bridal showers and, yes, even cocktail hours at weddings — there were trays, stacked on trays, of eggplant rollatini. Why? I don’t really know, but we’re Italian and I can only surmise that our love for cheesy dishes slathered in sauce runs deep, deep like a bottomless aluminum tray filled to the brim with hot food. I can recall my brother Louis and I having in depth conversations, as kids, about whether or not there would be eggplant rollatini at a family party or on a menu — and doing the same as adults. We don’t talk much, but we do talk about food and, I guess, that’s something.

dinner, mediterranean, vegetariantina corradoAugust 19, 2025zucchini, ricotta, red sauce, marinara sauce, cheese, vegetables

Chia Pudding + How I Came to Love it 9 Years Late

Chia Pudding had its day in 2016 — well — from what I remember. I was getting my certification in Integrative Health Coaching and not only were these power seeds talked about in my health education courses, but every where I looked on health blogs and the internet — there they were. Some folks were putting them in water and drinking them, with an aim to promote better digestion and weight loss — while other bloggers were turning them into a sweet treat like pudding.

dessert, breakfast, vegetariantina corradoAugust 9, 2025chia pudding, chia seeds

Pan Seared Zucchini with Feta and Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

Zucchini are plentiful and in season late May through August. We’ve been getting our fill of them in our home — AKA “The Senior Center” — because they’re readily available at the market and they make a quick and easy side to prepare at meal time. Last summer I loved pan searing zucchini whole and serving them with whipped lemon ricotta and feta, but this season I’m finding myself drawn to combinations of sweet and savory flavors, the use of a lot more herbs and a lot of garlic — of course.

dinner, mediterranean, sides, vegetariantina corradoAugust 9, 2025zucchini, feta, herbs, lemon, honey

Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

When I was working at Lifetime Television, my first real job in the big city, the office building was across the street from a Food Emporium. As a kid from Brooklyn the Food Emporium was FANCYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. I only knew Waldbaums, Key Food and Shop Rite — and every fruit and vegetable stand in Bay Ridge and on Avenue U. But I loved to go into Food Emporium on my lunch break (it was 2003, mind you) and scope out the sushi section, among many other delights that were beautifully stacked and color coded in the refrigerated “to go” section. Everything was priced way above my pay grade, every thing but one item.

dinner, vegan, vegetarian, snack, lunchtina corradoAugust 7, 2025summer rolls, vegetables, peanut sauce, Asian

Caramelized Red Cabbage

Cabbage gets a bad wrap for being gassy and it’s often relegated to use only for coleslaw and St. Patrick’s Day. But the red cabbage is a powerhouse of a vegetable, loaded with so many health benefits and nutrients. It packs loads of Vitamin C (great for immunity and collagen production) and Vitamin K (oh, hey, strong bones), aids in decreasing inflammation, is heart healthy and it’s also high in fiber — which is not only a benefit for our hearts but for digestion. While at my aunt and uncle’s house we’ve been preparing and eating red cabbage at least once a week alongside braised kale and collard greens.

dinner, sides, vegetariantina corradoApril 28, 2025cabbage, red cabbage, caramelized cabbage, caramelized red cabbage

Pecorino + Lemon Oven Roasted Asparagus

If you’re looking for a way to add a little more green to your dinner table, look no further than the asparagus! And I’m not talking about steamed asparagus (although, I personally LOVE steamed asparagus with lots of salt, lemon and oil), but oven roasted asparagus takes about 10 minutes to prepare and really enhances the flavor profile of this lean green veggie — especially once you add a pop of lemon, garlic and pecorino romano to them.

dinner, sides, mediterranean, vegetariantina corradoApril 22, 2025vegetables, roasted vegetables, asparagus, oven roasted

Roasted Eggplant Farro Salad

When I was preparing salmon for dinner last week, I wanted to make a side that would have veggies and fiber but wasn’t a typical salad with a lettuce base. I love making creative salads, but I hadn’t made a grain salad in quite some time. I think grain salads are the perfect hearty but light offering to spring eating and, so, my aunt and I agreed on farro. Farro is a wheat based grain that has a nutty texture. It can be substituted with barley in many recipes,

dinner, mediterranean, sides, vegan, vegetariantina corradoApril 21, 2025farro, grain salad, beans, chickpeas, herbs, eggplant

Pasta e Fagioli

Few things remind me of childhood, my grandmother’s cooking and when my father used to cook, then a big, piping hot pot of fagioli. Growing up, beans were a staple in our home and they still are. Beans are a hearty, inexpensive, healthy and warming food — a food we ate 1 to 2 times a week no matter the season. I was that kid who looked forward to opening a lunch thermos full of beans and pasta, a bit odd, sure, maybe, but my love of cooking and eating, was born from watching the people I love cook their hearts out in the kitchen.

dinner, vegetarian, lunch, mediterraneantina corradoApril 13, 2025beans, pasta, soup, vegetables, vegetarian, vegetarian recipes

Imam Bayildi, Turkish Stuffed Eggplant

At a local Greek restaurant in Astoria, Queens, sitting in their hot steam table, prepared and ready to order, they had an eggplant dish called “Imam.” I would often order the stuffed eggplant when I went to the restaurant and on days where I was too tired to cook and, so, I’d pick it up as take-out fare. Imam is bathed in onions, tomatoes and herbs and, best of all, slick with oil. I’d often approach the steam table at the restaurant intent on ordering something different

dinner, lunch, vegetarian, vegan, mediterraneantina corradoApril 11, 2025eggplant, tomatoes, meatless, roasted vegetables

Tina To Table