I discovered these recipes in a rather unusual way. There was a heavy rainstorm, and I was trapped in my house for a week. For the first several days, I survived on instant noodles. After the third day, I was completely tired of noodles and knew I needed something healthier and more satisfying. I wanted something wholesome and comfortable.
With the lights flickering on and off, I was hesitant to prepare anything too elaborate. But before the storm hit, I had stocked up on quality ingredients, and I was excited to use them.
I was stuck with the storm and the thunder, and I had to find new ways to cook. What began as a simple need to prepare a meal turned into something wonderful. I prepared the lentil soup because I was out of meat.
1. Lentil & Garden Vegetable Soup
The carrots add a pop of vibrant orange, and the deep green kale leaves bring a stunning contrast. The steam that rises when the soup is served carries a wonderful blend of spices and herbs that entices the senses.
Ingredients
- Red lentils, dried (2 cups)
- Large organic carrots (4)
- Fresh celery stalks (4)
- Large yellow cooking onion (1)
- Fresh curly kale (1 large bunch)
- Low-sodium vegetable broth (8 cups)
- Fresh Italian parsley (1 bunch)
- Fresh lemon (1 medium)
- Extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoons)
- Dried herbs & spices (2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon black pepper, sea salt to taste)
Instruction
Step 1
Begin by placing a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat.
Add your olive oil and let it warm until it moves easily across the pot’s surface.
While the pot heats, prepare your vegetables: dice the onion into small uniform pieces (about 1/4 inch),
Slice the celery into thin half-moons, and
Cut the carrots into small coins.
Add these prepared vegetables to your hot oil, stirring occasionally.
Let them cook until the onions become see-through and soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. They should release a sweet aroma.
At this time, use a light-colored plate to help sort through your lentils to check for any small stones and remove them.
Then rinse them through a fine mesh strainer, and repeat until the water is clear.
Add your cleaned lentils to the pot, along with your bay leaves, thyme, and broth.
Bring it to a gentle boil and then reduce it to a simmer and cover it with a lid slightly ajar.
Step 2
Cook it for about 20 minutes and stir it occasionally to ensure your lentils don’t stick to the bottom.
While your lentils are cooking, wash your kale and remove the tough inner stems.
Then, tear or cut the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
When the lentils are tender and still holding their shape, add the kale to the pot.
Cook for another 5 minutes to allow the kale to soften and turn bright green.
Taste the broth and add salt and pepper to taste until it is harmonized.
Just before serving, chop the parsley and cut the lemon into wedges.
Ladle the hot soup into bowls and sprinkle parsley on top.
Serve it with lemon wedges on the side for everyone to add their brightness.
2. Sheet Pan Maple-Glazed Salmon with Roasted Brussels Sprouts
(Serves 4) Salmon that glistens with a maple glaze and looks caramelized.
Accompanied with Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes that are roasted until nicely browned.
The roasted salmon brings the vegetables to a golden brown and caramelized level.
Herbs are green and add a lovely splash of color to the dish.
Ingredients
- Wild-caught salmon fillets (4 pieces, 6 oz each)
- Fresh Brussels sprouts (1 pound)
- Large sweet potato (2 medium)
- Pure maple syrup (1/4 cup)
- Whole grain Dijon mustard (2 tablespoons)
- Fresh garlic (4 cloves)
- Extra virgin olive oil (3 tablespoons)
- Fresh thyme (1 small bunch)
- Fresh black pepper & sea salt
- Fresh lemon (1)
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) with the oven rack in the center.
Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper to keep things clean and to prevent sticking.
For the Brussels sprouts, trim them and cut the larger ones in half.
They should be roughly the same size so that they cook evenly.
Peel and cube your sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces.
In a large bowl, toss your vegetables with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 3 minced garlic cloves.
Spread the vegetables seasoned as above evenly on your oiled sheet pan. Make sure they are not too crowded.
Place the pan in the oven to preheat and roast for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, whisk your glaze ingredients which are maple syrup, 1/4 teaspoon salt, the remaining minced garlic, and a pinch of black pepper mixed to a syrup.
After 15 minutes of the vegetables roasting, remove your pan and make room for your salmon.
Dry your salmon with paper towels and place them in the empty spots, skin-side down.
Use the glaze to coat the salmon on the top and brush the remaining glaze and roast for 7 minutes.
After 7 minutes, apply the remaining glaze and repeat for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. The salmon is ready once it is easily flaked with a fork.
The vegetables in your pan should be tender and caramelized, with the Brussels sprouts showing crispy edges.
Finish by squeezing fresh lemon juice and adding more fresh thyme leaves.
3. Mushroom and Spinach Quinoa Risotto
While fresh thyme adds delicate purple-green flecks.
When stirred, it has the same luxurious, flowing texture as traditional risotto. (Serves 4)
Ingredients
- Organic white quinoa (2 cups)
- Mixed wild mushrooms (1 pound)
- Fresh baby spinach (8 ounces)
- Shallots (3 medium)
- Vegetable broth (6 cups)
- Aged Parmesan cheese (1 cup, freshly grated)
- White wine (1/2 cup, cooking quality)
- Fresh thyme (1 bunch)
- Truffle oil (1 tablespoon)
- Unsalted butter (4 tablespoons)
- Extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoons)
- Garlic (4 cloves)
- Black pepper & sea salt
Instructions
Begin by rinsing your quinoa thoroughly under cold water until the water runs clear, then drain well.
Heat your broth in a separate pot until it is simmering, and then keep it at that temperature.
Finely dice your shallots and mince the garlic until it forms a paste.
To clean your mushrooms, use a damp paper towel, and slice them into even and manageable pieces.
Heat a large and heavy-bottomed pan and pour in a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil. Heat over medium-high.
Place the mushrooms in a single layer in the pan. If necessary, do this in batches. For the first 3-4 minutes, do not stir.
After that, season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and continue cooking until browned, stirring occasionally. This should take about 5 minutes.
Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and set them aside.
Add the remaining butter and oil to the same pan, over medium heat.
For about 4 minutes, sauté the shallots, then add the garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
To the pan, add the quinoa and stir continuously for about 2 minutes until lightly toasted.
Add the wine and stir until it is almost completely absorbed.
Add the hot broth, one ladle at a time. Stir continuously until the broth is absorbed before adding the next ladle.
Repeat this until the quinoa is tender but still has a slight bite, which should take about 20 minutes.
Add the reserved cooked mushrooms and fresh spinach, stirring just enough to collapse the spinach.
Add the grated parmesan, stirring until it has melted, and the mixture is creamy.
Season with salt and black pepper. Add a final touch with a drizzle of truffle oil and some leaves of fresh thyme.
To achieve the best possible consistency, allow it to rest for 2 minutes before serving.
4. Thai-Inspired Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry
Ingredients
- Boneless chicken thighs (2 pounds)
- Sweet potatoes (2 large)
- Bell peppers (3 different colors)
- Full-fat coconut milk (2 cans)
- Fresh lemongrass (2 stalks)
- Fresh ginger root (3-inch piece)
- Garlic (6 cloves)
- Red curry paste (3 tablespoons)
- Fish sauce (2 tablespoons)
- Brown sugar (1 tablespoon)
- Lime leaves (4)
- Fresh basil (1 bunch)
- Fresh cilantro (1 bunch)
- Jasmine rice (2 cups)
- Cooking oil (2 tablespoons)
Instructions
Don’t skip any line
Wash and cut chicken thighs into 1.5-inch chunks. Pat them dry.
Peel and cube sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Slice bell peppers into long, thin strips.
Prepare your aromatics: mince ginger and garlic, bruise and finely chop lemongrass.
Heat your largest heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add oil and brown chicken pieces in batches until golden (about 4 minutes per batch)
Remove chicken and set aside, leaving oil in the pot.
Lower the heat to medium, add seasonings and curry paste, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
Pour in one can of coconut milk, stirring to dissolve the curry paste completely.
Add sweet potatoes, remaining coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar, and lime leaves.
Bring to a gentle simmer, then return chicken to the pot.
Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add bell peppers and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes.
Check sweet potatoes and chicken for doneness. Sweet potatoes should be tender but hold their shape.
Taste and adjust seasoning with additional fish sauce or brown sugar if needed.
Remove lime leaves.
Turn off the heat and stir in half the fresh herbs.
Serve hot over jasmine rice, garnished with remaining herbs.
Offer lime wedges on the side for extra brightness.
5. Mediterranean Baked White Fish with Tomatoes and Olives
Tender white fish fillets in a vibrant sea of red cherry tomatoes and purple-black olives.
The fish has a pearly sheen, flaking at the slightest touch.
Roasted broccoli florets offer a dash of color to the dish.
The dish is topped with olive oil and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
- Sustainable whitefish fillets (4 pieces; 6oz each)
- Cherry Tomatoes (2 pints)
- Kalamata Olives (1 cup pitted)
- Capers (3 tablespoons)
- Fresh Broccoli (2 large heads)
- Fresh Garlic (6 cloves)
- Lemons (2 whole)
- Fresh Oregano (1 bunch)
- Fresh Parsley (1 bunch)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (1/4 cup)
- White Wine (1/2 cup)
- Quinoa (1.5 cups)
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
Instructions
The oven is to be set at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius)
Quinoa is to be washed with cold water and cooked according to the package instructions with a bit of salt.
Broccoli is to be cut into equal portions of florets.
Broccoli is to be tossed with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 cloves of minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
Broccoli is to be spread on a baking sheet. Broccoli is to be roasted for 20 minutes until the edges are crispy.
Fish fillets are to be patted dry while seasoning both sides with salt and pepper.
In a big baking dish, toss in halved cherry tomatoes, whole olives, and capers with the rest of the minced garlic.
Mix in some white wine, the rest of the olive oil, half of the herbs, and a bit of red pepper flakes.
Place the seasoned fish fillets over the tomatoes.
Thinly slice one lemon and place the slices on the fish.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, take off the foil and bake for a further 5-7 minutes, or until the fish flakes with a fork.
Squeeze the remaining lemon over the dish to add some freshness.
Finely chop the rest of the fresh herbs to add some flavor.
Quinoa should be fluffed with a fork and mixed with a little drizzle of olive oil.
To plate, create a bed of quinoa, with fish and vegetables on top.
Each serving should have the pan juices poured on and spooned over.
Finish with the fresh herbs for garnish, and serve right away.
6. Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili
A deep burgundy chili with a thick consistency, with sweet potatoes peeking out in golden orange like a sunset.
Black beans form the rich, dark base, and golden corn adds the finishing touches.
Ingredients
- Dried black beans (2 cups)
- Sweet Potatoes (3 large) – $4.50
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes (2 28 oz. cans) – $6.00
- Sweet Corn (2 cups frozen) – $2.00
- Yellow Onion (2 large) – $1.50
- Red Bell Peppers (2) – $3.00
- Chipotle Peppers in adobo (3-4) – $2.00
- Fresh Garlic (6 cloves) – $0.50
- Ground Cumin (2 tablespoons) – $0.75
- Smoked Paprika (1 tablespoon) – $0.75
- Vegetable Broth (4 cups)
- Olive Oil (3 tablespoons)
- Fresh Cilantro (1 bunch)
- Fresh Limes (2)
- Optional toppings (Avocado, Sour Cream)
Instructions
Soak the black beans overnight in cold water.
The next morning, drain and rinse the beans.
Peel and cube the sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces.
Dice the onion and bell peppers into medium-sized pieces.
Chop the garlic and chipotle peppers, saving some adobo sauce.
Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Sauté the onion until translucent (about 5 min).
Add the garlic, cumin, and paprika and cook until fragrant (1 min).
Transfer to your slow cooker.
Add sweet potatoes, drained beans, and fire-roasted tomatoes along with their juice.
Add the vegetable broth and chopped chipotle peppers, and 1 tablespoon adobo sauce and stir.
Add one teaspoon of salt, black pepper, and more spices.
Adjust the season and add more salt and adobo sauce to your preference.
Finally, add the corn and let it cook for 30 more minutes.
Just before serving, add the juice of one lime.
Serve hot, with fresh cilantro and lime wedges, and other toppings.
Add diced avocado or sour cream for more creaminess.
7. One-Pot Herbed Chicken and Wild Rice
A beautifully rustic pot featuring wild rice and chicken
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs (2.5 pounds, bone-in)
- Wild rice blend (2 cups)
- Mixed mushrooms (1 pound)
- Carrots (6 medium)
- Yellow onion (1 large)
- Celery stalks (4)
- Fresh garlic (6 cloves)
- White wine (1 cup)
- Chicken broth (6 cups)
- Fresh thyme (1 bunch)
- Fresh rosemary (2 sprigs)
- Fresh parsley (1 bunch)
- Butter (4 tablespoons)
- Olive oil (2 tablespoons)
- Bay leaves (2)
Instructions
Chicken thighs, patted dry, are generously coated with salt and pepper for seasoning.
A large Dutch oven is prepared with 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil for 5 minutes prior to laying the chicken.
Remove chicken to a plate, leaving behind the tasty drippings. Brown chicken on each side for 5 minutes.
Dice an onion, and cut celery, carrots into half-moons, and mushrooms into quarters.
Add everything to the pot; cook until the onion is translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the wine, scraping the bottom to lift the brown bits.
Add the wild rice, and stir to coat it with the vegetables and wine.
Return the chicken to the pot, and nestle the pieces into the rice.
Add the broth and fresh herbs, tied together for easy removal, into the pot.
Add the bay leaves, and bring to a gentle boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes.
Once the chicken is cooked to 165°F, remove the lid, stir, and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed.
Remove the herb bundle and bay leaves, and let rest for 10 minutes.
Serve with a garnish of fresh chopped parsley.
Conclusion
Those rainy days showed me something new.
Delicious and nutritious food is possible, and I learned this firsthand. I’ve tried multiple times, and although I’ve had some miserable failures in the kitchen, I learned that food need not be complicated to be satisfying.
These recipes are more than food.
They demonstrate the transformation I’ve undergone. I used to be the person who exclusively consumed cold, quick, and easy food.
Now, I take pleasure in the preparation of wholesome, nutritious meals.