Recipe: Masoor Dal

Quick, delicious and filling red lentils made from pantry staples and things you probably have lying around the house. You can serve this with almost any carb you can think of: rice, roti, naan, paratha, even sourdough bread or biscuits if you want to go crazy and it comes together in 30 minutes without much supervision so it’s great for a weeknight or when you just can’t babysit dinner.

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Recipe: Grilled Nectarine and Bean Salad

This bright bean filled salad is filled with all sorts of things that it actually has a fun texture and the taste works pretty well. Since there are beans and chickpeas it kind of acts as a reverse bean bowl but also that means it is actually quite filling as a main dish. The dressing is just a nice acidic lemon vinaigrette but a creamy sour cream based dressing wouldn’t be amiss either, if you skip the acid in the dressing though maybe add some tart tomatoes or spinach to off-set the sweetness of the grilled nectarines.

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Recipe: Moqueca (Fish Stew)

This is a really quick and easy fish stew that leans on the flavors of coconut milk, tomatoes, and lime to create a wonderfully creamy sauce that pairs well with most white fish. This is made in one pan, it’s gluten free, and you can easily use any type of mild white fish or shell fish you have available making it a great week night meal. I’d actually like to try this again with some shrimp because I think it would be even better. You can eat this alone like a soup or with rice for a more of a hearty meal.

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Recipe: White Chicken Chili

If you have shredded chicken on hand and you don’t have a plan for what to do with it this recipe is a very way to use it up. This is a pretty flexible recipe where you can add whatever beans, vegetables, and cheese you have on hand to dress it up anyway you like. Personally I’m a big fan of adding those last bits of crushed chips to the top of the bowl but anything from jalapenos to olives could conceivably be put on top.

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Recipe: Efro Riro

This is an absolutely delicious Nigerian stew made usually with beef or tripe and a kind of green called ẹ̀fọ́ tẹ̀tẹ̀ (hence the name) but unfortunately we made do with what we have so mine is made in the same spirit but with spinach and kale and some chicken thighs. This is a great week night meal because it comes together very quickly and is delicious and filling. Do not skip the scotch bonnets they give this stew a really distinct and lovely flavor and heat. They are hot but you can adjust how much you use to taste.

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Recipe: Chicken with Lentils (Poulet aux Lentilles)

This is one of those recipes I really hesitate to post because it seems so simple that no one really need a recipe for it but it was just so delicious that it’s worth sharing. I always think of French food as this completely over the top cooking experience that is frustrating to make and challenging to eat but this French inspired food is so simple and so delicious. I served this with a crusty homemade loaf of bread and it made a wonderful date night meal but this is actually easy enough that it could be made on a weeknight if you were feeling a little adventurous.

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Recipe: Chickpea-Potato Curry

I’ve tried a couple of chickpea curries and a few potato curries before but they never really hit the spot and I guess the missing piece was to make them at the same time because this curry is really delicious, super filling, and nicely spiced. I served this with some nice fluffy rice but it would also be great with naan or rotis instead. This is a great meal to throw together on a week night and can easily be doubled for leftovers for the rest of the week.

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Recipe: Tex Mex Casserole

This is a really great and easy meal that is very customizable. What really took this casserole over the top was adding some crushed nachos on top for a great texture difference and a nice little pop of salt but you could put anything on top to change the texture and taste. This is also surprisingly good the next day so it might be better as a make ahead meal where you just heat it up and place extra toppings on it before serving.

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