Chili Pie: Fits the bill.
Requirement: Must be easy to make, and involve at least two cans from my overstuffed pantry.
Result: Delicious Chili Pie, ready in less than an hour.
Next time, I'll serve this with a dollop of Chipotle Remoulade. And maybe some red enchilada sauce. But for now, this fit the requirements perfectly.
And there's plenty left over for tomorrow, when I'll be busy packing for my trip.
Risotto, this time with arugula
Here's the thing: If you know how to make basic risotto, your repertoire is virtually endless. Think of risotto as a template, to which you can add any content you wish. This time around I had some arugula, and frozen peas always live in my freezer—way back in the back, near the frozen pumpkin I saved since October.
You could also toss in some spinach, or asparagus, or tomatoes instead of the red peppers. I used Vialone Nano risotto rice, but you can use whichever you can find. (Most supermarkets carry arborio risotto rice, but there are other varieties out there.) I also, I am ashamed to say, used a sweet German wine. But as my husband commented, you really couldn't taste the sweetness. Or maybe the peas were sweet enough to overpower the wine.
For instructions, peek below.
Mixing cultures
This colorful riff off moussaka is actually more like a shepherd's pie, that ubiquitous British dish with mashed potatoes and sadly, a filling made with my friends. Red lentils and aubergine (eggplant), a typical moussakan filling, give an exotic twist to to the humble casserole.
But if humble's your thing, you could always stick with brown lentils. Or add a Continental flair with French le Puy lentils.
This made enough for four generous servings, and was even better the next day. I served it with crisp green beans, blanched and sautéd briefly with pine nuts.
Tandoori Tofu: What to do with tofu.
You know how it is when you have a block of tofu in the fridge and you need to do something with it and you're tired of stir-fry? Yeah, welcome to my world. When I discovered the local grocer had started carrying tofu, I was so pleased I bought a package, even though the expiration date was coming up. I wanted to encourage them, you know what I mean?
Anyway, the day came sooner than I thought, and there I was, wanting dinner in a hurry. In less than 10 minutes I'd prepared the spice mixture, coated the tofu, and started some brown rice. (I also served some pakora vegetables alongside.) The mint raita took five minutes to mix up (the same grocer sells soy yogurt!) and while the rice cooked and the tofu baked, I surfed the web.
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