Vegetables Don't Have to Be Boring

About this episode

We all know we should eat more veggies, but sometimes life gets in the way. Maybe you're too busy for endless chopping, stumped by an unfamiliar root vegetable, or juggling guests or family members with conflicting dietary restrictions. This episode, Tanya Sichynsky, editor for the Food and Cooking sections at The New York Times, and author of The Veggie newsletter and YouTube show, discusses her new cookbook, Veg Everything. She shares her approachable, plant-forward philosophy on cooking vegetables—not as a punishment or boring side dish, but as a versatile, flavor-packed centerpiece. Tanya walks us through the essential pantry staples that make veggie-centric meals fast and effortless, how to make seasonal swaps in recipes, and clever ways to reinvent leftover veggies into frittatas, pasta sauces, or savory pancakes. This episode covers: • Stocking a flavor-boosting pantry: Certain ingredients can instantly transform a single fresh vegetable into a complete, satisfying meal. Tanya keeps canned lentils, beans, tahini, dates, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, and pre-crisped garlic or shallots in her pantry. • Veggies for breakfast: It’s easier to get enough vegetabl