teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or other light vegetable oil (but not olive oil)

PREHEAT THE oven to 400F.

Place the sweet potatoes directly on an oven rack (no tray is needed and no need to poke holes in them). Depending on the size of the sweet potatoes, the cooking time will vary. An average-size sweet potato takes about 45 minutes but large ones can take longer, sometimes up to 75 minutes if they are the giant kind.

Once you can easily poke through the potatoes in the center, they are done. Remove from the oven and split them lengthwise; leave them opened to speed up cooling.

When still warm but not too hot to handle, scoop out the sweet potatoes with a spoon and place in a large bowl. Discard the skins.

Add the remaining ingredients and mash everything with a strong fork. Serve warm.

You can also bake the sweet potatoes on the top rack of the oven if you have other things baking at the same time. If the oven is at a lower temperature, that"s okay. Just bake a little longer.

Most ovens bake unevenly. Occasionally change the positions of the sweet potatoes so that they bake at the same rate.

ROASTED b.u.t.tERNUT SQUASH WITH CORIANDER SEEDS.

SERVES 6 TO 8 AS A SIDE DISH.

TIME: 50 MINUTES.

Here"s a very simple way to serve b.u.t.ternut squash. Feel free to try it with different spices or even without any spices at all; the b.u.t.ternut will be able to stand on its own. To smash the coriander seeds easily, place them in a small plastic sandwich bag. Place a few layers of newspaper on top of the seeds and then have at it with a hammer or a mallet. You can also place them in a coffee grinder and pulse a few times (use caution, you don"t want to reduce them to a powder).

2 medium-size b.u.t.ternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into -inch chunks

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons coriander seeds, smashed

teaspoon salt

PREHEAT the oven to 375F.

Combine all ingredients on a rimmed baking sheet (the "rimmed" part is essential, since you don"t want the oil dripping off into the oven and causing a fire. Or do you?). Make sure that all the squash pieces are coated in oil and seeds, and spread into a single layer. Cook for about 35 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the squash is tender and slightly caramelized.

ROASTED PORTOBELLOS.

SERVES 2 AS A MAIN, 4 AS A SIDE.

These multipurpose succulent mushrooms are perfect for salads, in sammiches, or just as a veggie side for pretty much any type of savory meal, even brunch. You get enough marinade for four small caps or two huge ones, but your mileage may vary depending on the size of your caps. You can marinate and roast these in a gla.s.s pie plate or use a small ca.s.serole dish. Any pan greater than eight inches across would spread the marinade too thinly. The ingredients are really simple, but you can add dried herbs, such as oregano, thyme, and basil, if you think it will go with whatever else you are eating. Using herbs is an especially good idea if you are going to make this into a portobello sammich.

Marinade: cup cooking wine

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large or up to 4 small portobello caps

COMBINE all ingredients for the marinade in a gla.s.s pie plate or small ca.s.serole. Place the mushrooms upside down in the marinade and spoon a lot of the marinade into each cap to form a small pool. Preheat the oven to 400F and marinate for about 20 minutes.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, use tongs to flip the caps over, and cook, uncovered, for another 10 minutes. If you"re using your portobello as a burger, just put that puppy between a bun with some lettuce, tomato, Vegenaise, and avocado, and call it a day. If using for a salad, let it cool a bit and then slice the mushrooms very thinly on the diagonal to make nice meaty slices.

EASY STIR-FRIED LEAFY GREENS.

SERVES 4 6.

TIME: 20 minutes Eating enough green, leafy vegetables through the week can be a challenge for even the most dedicated vegan or vegetarian. While we"re repeat customers when it comes to spinach, collards, and kale, there"s a whole world of Asian and other greens that pack nutrition and flavor yet all too often don"t get enough face-time on our dinner plates.

Spicy mustard greens, crisp Chinese broccoli, sweet chard, and others really cook up quickly and easily when stir-fried with a touch of ginger, garlic, and soy sauce. There"s no sticky, overly sweet sauce in this recipe, just clean flavors and bright, crunchy greens that cook in less time than it takes to steam rice or fry a main-dish protein.

1 pound dark, leafy greens, such as: mustard greens,

Chinese broccoli, large bok choy, chard, water spinach, dandelion greens (use 2 pounds), water-cress (use 2 pounds), green choy sum, etc.

2 tablespoons peanut oil

3 cloves garlic, minced finely

-inch cube ginger, grated

1 tablespoon rice cooking wine, cooking sherry, or mirin

2 teaspoons soy sauce

Pinch of sugar