Yogurt

Starring role for veggies The federal government's new dietary guidelines recently raised the number of recommended servings of vegetables adults should have each day. While it may seem difficult to fit five to 13 servings a day into your meals, one trick is to plan meals around vegetables as well as meats, chicken and fish. Here's a pasta dish from Green Giant where vegetables take center stage: In a 2-quart saucepan, heat one 14.5-ounce can of low-sodium chicken broth until boiling.

These dinner cakes came about as a natural way of combining flavors from one of my favorite dishes, red beans and rice. But here I've used black beans instead and added a tangy yogurt sauce. Preparing the cakes means getting your hands a bit messy. Then, it's going to feel as if the cakes will fall apart. But during their final dredge through flour, everything comes together. Tips: Buy small cucumbers from the farmers' market. Rice can be a snap with microwaveable products that cook in less than 2 minutes.

Milky, Dairy, Spots and Blackie are bringing the sound of "Moo Wop" to the Carroll County 4-H/FFA Fair this week, serenading the crowd with nostalgia while promoting the benefits of dairy. Four young men in jeans, jean jackets with a logo on the back, black gloves and cow masks make up the a cappella group the Moo Beams. About 50 people watched the performance yesterday, as the singers entertained the crowd of mostly children with attitudes reminiscent of diner-hopping young men of the 1950s.

IF YOU ARE going to Greece for the Summer Olympics, Aug. 13-29, be sure to try the yogurt and the gyro sandwich. They taste much better than the versions we get here. If the closest you are getting to the action in Athens is sitting in front of the television set at home, then you can whip up some Greek dishes to eat while you're watching. One is shrimp cooked in wine and oregano, then plunged in a salty lemon dip. That is some of the advice that Susanna Hoffman, an anthropologist and author of a new book on Greek food, The Olive and the Caper (Workman, $29.95)

These days nuts are no longer a dietary no-no. Walnuts, for example, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that are good for the heart. They also contain fiber and a form of vitamin E. Here's an easy and healthful recipe from the Walnut Marketing Board to begin your day: Spray an ovenproof skillet with nonstick cooking spray, then saute 1/3 cup each of julienne yellow, red and green peppers; 1/3 cup chopped onions; and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. In a separate bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups egg substitute and add 2 tablespoons of nonfat yogurt.

Cold and creamy, a lassi is a perfect treat for a summer day, especially when it's flavored with fresh, ripe fruit. Lassis, as fans of Indian food will know, are similar to milkshakes, except they're made with yogurt rather than ice cream. And like a good milkshake, a lassi is versatile enough to carry a wide variety of flavors. If you're like me, you tasted your first lassi in an adventurous moment at an Indian restaurant. Chances are the flavor was mango, which is always a good choice but especially now when fresh mangoes are abundant.

As Mediterranean cuisine becomes more mainstream, Americans are realizing that there is more to Greek food than the gyro. With Greek restaurants and markets thriving, terms like moussaka, tzatziki and dolmas are slowly becoming part of our food vocabulary. In his colorful cookbook, Modern Greek (Chronicle, 2002, $22.95), Andy Harris fully demystifies Greek cuisine and makes it easy to whip up culinary delights that would make anyone throw up his hands and say, "Opa!" With mouthwatering photographs decorating virtually every page, Modern Greek offers a wide variety of recipes for every course.

For area restaurant listings and more reviews or to search for recipes, go to www.SunSpot.net/eatsThe evening we went to X Cafe, a raucous block party was taking place outside the front door. Streets were cordoned off, and a beer tent was doing brisk business. The Federal Hill neighborhood was crowded with people who were sipping from plastic cups, smoking cigarettes and generally checking each other out. It was clear that Dagnaehew Bekele, an owner of X Cafe, had found the right place to open his new coffee shop and Ethiopian eatery.

Maiwand Kabob isn't fancy, but it is good. The menu is almost all kebabs, plus a few Afghani appetizers and drinks. The plates are foam, the napkins are paper, and the forks are plastic. Customers order at the counter and either take their food home or eat at the restaurant, perhaps watching the television in the corner, which is on mute, with closed captioning, so it doesn't compete with the gentle music wafting through the small restaurant. The real action at Maiwand Kabob takes place behind the counter.

ATLANTA - Troubled hamburger giant McDonald's is getting ready to serve up a novel order: healthy food for kids. The company is considering adding sliced apples and perhaps other fruits, vegetables and low-fat yogurt as options in children's Happy Meals. It also rolled out a new line of premium salads this month and is testing an all-white-meat chicken nugget. The changes come at a crucial period for McDonald's, which recently posted its first-ever quarterly loss. Fast-casual chains have been nibbling away at its customer base.