I moved into a brand new condominium slightly over two weeks in the past, and as anybody who’s ever moved is aware of, the method entails consuming lots of takeout—all of your knives are in containers, you don’t have any groceries, and also you’re working in an unfamiliar, not-yet-home kitchen. It’s a strong excuse for the primary week or so post-move, however by now, I’m roughly settled into my new place. Nonetheless, I’m nonetheless discovering it laborious to interrupt the ol’ Doordash behavior.
So, this week, I wished to choose recipes that may get me cooking once more. The principle goal? Hold the stakes as little as doable: The recipes shall be simple. The elements shall be (comparatively) few. Nearly every little thing shall be low cost, vegetarian, and depend on a lot of pantry staples. I do know these descriptors don’t sound thrilling—that’s as a result of they’re not—however they’re the sort of recipes which might be finally essentially the most dependable and comforting. Right here’s what I am making.
1. Tomato Soup With a Entire Head of Garlic
It’s supposedly going to be wet and 70 levels out on Monday, which is chilly sufficient for me to start out LARP-ing autumn. And one of the simplest ways to try this is, clearly, with a grilled cheese and tomato soup. Right here’s my dilemma, although: Each can of tomato soup I’ve tried sucks. (Is there one which doesn’t suck? Please inform me what it’s within the feedback!) I assume that’s the value of ease, and if I desire a actually good tomato soup, I’ll must work for it. This model appears to be like so simple as home made could be, and whereas I resent that I should take out my blender, I believe it will likely be value it.
2. A Pot of Beans & Greens
As a “zillennial” whose pupil mortgage repayments are restarting subsequent month, I can’t afford to luxuriate in fancy proteins like “fish” and “beef” every day. As a substitute, I make variations of what I consult with as vegetarian slop—often some mixture of alliums + legumes + greens, plus no matter else is floating round my kitchen. A can of crushed tomatoes? Certain. The final little bit of soy chorizo from the again of my fridge? Why not. This recipe from Rebecca Firkser is like essentially the most developed, polished model of this formulation, and I’m excited to attempt it with the half-full bag of Rancho Gordo beans sitting in my pantry.
3. Lazy Weeknight Pizza Dough
Wednesday is an efficient evening for pizza, however I by no means have the foresight to start out my dough the day forward (which, IMO, at all times yields the tastiest end result). I often simply preserve Dealer Joe’s dough in my freezer and use that, however this recipe from Ella Quittner appears to supply a very good center floor. For toppings, I’ll in all probability preserve it easy with tomato sauce, contemporary mozz, chopped Calabrian chiles, and perhaps a drizzle of honey.
4. Cashew Milk–Braised Cabbage With Crunchy Chile Oil
I’m intrigued by this braised cabbage state of affairs from Sohla El-Waylly, and it looks as if an particularly sensible choice for once I’m having a good friend or two over for dinner. I like that the cabbage is lower into massive wedges and seared like a lower of meat—it makes the meal really feel like extra of an event. If I’m feeling actually formidable, I’d make a easy cake for dessert (like this lime-and-sumac olive oil cake that’s at all times a success).
5. Tortellini With Mortadella & Peas
It’s Friday, which suggests my willpower is low, and no matter I make must be actually, actually simple. This dish from Ali Slagle ought to do the trick. It’s a real one-pot meal (you don’t even have to boil the water for the tortellini—you simply sear it straight in olive oil) and comes collectively in 10 minutes. My one caveat is that I don’t like peas (sue me), so I shall be changing them with one other healthful, inexperienced ingredient. Broccoli, perhaps? Kale? Who is aware of.
Extra from Food52
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