Confession: We at BIK are former vegetarians. Actually one of us still is kind of vegetarian (don’t ask – existential crisis in progress). So, although we’re working on a chicken post, smoked pork, etc., many of the recipes we try will probably lean toward the veggie-centric. We love lentils, white beans, tofu and other vegetarian staples.

But don’t leave us yet, bacon-lovers. The best thing about cooking vegetarian is it forces you to rethink the composition of the plate (meat-potatoes-veggies), which opens up a whole new world of cooking. Deborah Madison is a master at this. She was also one of the early advocates of seasonal and local cooking, yet another way of thinking that pushes cooks of all stripes to be more creative.

Hence, this tasty dish from Madison: It’s basically cheese toast topped with a sauté of onions and Brussels sprouts. Wait!! Don’t close the window yet, this is really special! Here’s why: smoked paprika. If you’ve never cooked with it, wow, you should start, like, now. It adds a lush warmth to pretty much anything: scrambled eggs, quesadillas, a sauté of peppers and onions, simple beans and rice In fact, I find it can stand in for bacon in some dishes, adding a similar smoky richness without the fat.

I made the recipe exactly as it was printed in Food & Wine and wouldn’t change a thing. It’s a great lunch or would make a nice dinner with a salad alongside. The topping reheats well for a second go-round. Good thing, because I am in love with this recipe. I used a pretty burly whole-grain bread and it was a good fit, but you could go for something else if you like. Smoked paprika used to be hard to find, but now is available in many well-stocked grocery stores or online, such as here.

I would avoid substituting with a regular sweet or hot paprika, as the smokiness is really what makes this special. The other key is ensuring you salt the sauté – just keep tasting it until you get it right. It really brings out the sweetness of the veggies. Enjoy!

With all this croissant and poached pear talk, it’s time for a little dose of reality. Most nights, the BIK gals are not ensconced in culinary bliss and sporting cute aprons. Rather, we are stumbling home in sweaty workout clothes after a long day, dumping bags and mail onto the counter, feeding dogs and immediately getting sucked into the [insert cozy furniture object here] for a little bleary-eyed staring at Facebook or People.com. Perhaps that sounds like someone you know?

So, on days like that (basically every day) my go-to food is grilled cheese. Actually sort of a healthy grilled cheese that I eat sans guilt while tallying up all the good things I am doing for my body. Now, it’s not remotely low-fat, and I use a lot of cheddar because I require that all virtuous things in my life be balanced with a portion of cheese (or ice cream). But with spinach, avocado and tomato on whole-grain bread, this hearty sandwich is packed with stuff you can feel good about. And, bonus: It’s damn tasty. It’s also good with Colby-Jack cheese.

Go-to grilled cheese

2 slices whole-grain seeded bread

Cheddar cheese, enough to cover a slice of bread generously

Half an avocado, very thinly sliced (this amount is for avocado lovers. Go light if you are not a huge fan)

4 slices large Roma tomato (or 2-3 from medium slicing tomato such as Beefsteak)*

3 large spinach leaves or handful of baby spinach

2 small pats butter or cooking spray

*Any tomato is fine, but Romas are less juicy and help avert soggy bread.

Place skillet over medium heat. Butter or spray one side each of both slices of bread. Place one slice butter side down in pan, and top with cheese. Place last bread slice butter side up on cheese and let cook until golden and sizzling. Melting should be under way before you flip the sandwich.

Turn sandwich using spatula and cook the second side. When the second side is golden, move sandwich off heat and open bread to layer on veggies. Spread the avocado slices across melted cheese, top with tomato and finally spinach (putting the tomato in the middle helps stave off sogginess, although I only remember this about half the time – see photo evidence above). Top with the other slice and smoosh it a bit so the avocado doesn’t come shooting out when you take your first bite.