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For more than three decades, Mollie Katzen has been transforming the humble veggie into something extraordinary. Here's how she does it --and how you can, too

"Don't they look just delicious?"

Mollie Katzen is standing before a crowd of foodies, holding a plate of simply prepared green beans. Their vibrant color jumps off the plate, and the air is filled with the bold, spicy scent of fresh garlic. All the food lovers in attendance draw a little closer, hoping to catch a whiff and, if they're lucky, a free sample. They know: If anyone can make a plate of veggies worthy of such desire, it's Katzen.

She may not have a cooking show or a magazine bearing her name, but to many healthy cooks--not to mention some of the country's most esteemed dietitians and public health experts--she is nothing less than an icon. She first made a national name for herself as the Julia Child of vegetarian cuisine when Ten Speed Press published her first book, Moosewood Cookbook, in 1977 and Enchanted Broccoli Forest in 1982. But these days, she shuns the label. "Vegetarianism is perceived as being about restricting certain foods, and that's not what I'm all about," she says. "I want people to eat vegetables because they're some of the tastiest foods in the world."

It's her reputation for creating mouthwatering plant-based meals that has made her the go-to chef for such healthy eating experts as Walter Willett, MD, DrPH, chair of Harvard University's nutrition department. In 1998, Willett invited Katzen to join the Harvard Nutrition Roundtable--a think tank of sorts where researchers present their latest findings to a select group of food professionals. Back then, Willett's team was turning up groundbreaking science on the benefits of diets containing healthy fats and whole grains, but they needed someone to take the message public. Katzen was a natural choice. "She's not just interested in nutrition science, but highly skilled at translating research into recipes," says Willett.

Over the past decade, their collaboration has extended beyond the Roundtable to other projects, including the book Eat, Drink, and Weigh Less. "In Mollie's hands," he says, "a vegetable is a starting point that turns out to be infinitely variable and interesting. The journey can be spectacular." For Katzen, her role as the missing link between nutrition science and culinary art is a comfortable fit. "My goal is to completely erase the line in the sand between what's healthful and what's delicious," she says. By following these five strategies, inspired by the recipes in Katzen's latest book, The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without, you, too, can watch that line disappear.

1. Be Open
One of the simplest ways to eat healthy is to, as Katzen says, flip the plate paradigm: Think of vegetables as the main attraction with protein in the supporting role. Be open to the idea that vegetables really are appealing enough to take the lead. These meaty mushrooms, for instance, are hearty enough to satisfy even a meat lover.

2. Be Quick
Like most of us, Katzen has little time to think about dinner, so she often relies on quick-cooking techniques to coax the most flavor out of veggies in the shortest amount of time. In this recipe, for example, green beans are sautéed quickly over high heat, giving them a rich, savory flavor. This method works best when the beans are as fresh as possible--straight from the farmers' market if you can swing it. (Bonus: The fresher the bean, the more nutrients it packs.) You can use the same cooking method with virtually any vegetable that's cut into thin strips, so they heat through quickly. Try it with a mixture of fennel and bell peppers another time.

3. Be Creative
The artist in Katzen (she began her culinary career as a way to support her art studies) loves to play up the natural beauty of fresh fruits and vegetables--one reason her recipes have instant appeal to a wide audience. Think of vegetables as a palette of colors and textures that can be combined and composed artfully on the plate, such as this salad.

4. Be Bold
Part of what gives veggies such versatility in Katzen's hands is the way she uses techniques and ingredients from other cultures. If you've only known eggplant in eggplant Parmesan, for instance, you might not recognize it in this dish. Katzen takes advantage of the vegetable's absorptive qualities to soak up a sauce that captures the hot, spicy, salty, and sweet flavors of Thailand. It's literally a world away from eggplant parm.

5. Be playful
Katzen's sense of humor and joy plays a huge role in her approach to food. Her book Enchanted Broccoli Forest was named after the "broccoli trees" that poked out of an herbed rice pilaf recipe. The point? Don't be afraid to have fun with your food, as with these cucumber boats. And the next time you make a rice pilaf, go ahead, plant a few broccoli trees.

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