Mexican turkey casserole layered with corn chips, green chiles, sour cream gravy, and melted cheddar. A Tex-Mex weeknight dinner using leftover turkey or chicken.
Shahi dal is a royal Indian lentil dish with pigeon peas simmered in whole spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves, then finished with a ghee-fried onion tadka. Vegetarian comfort food served over rice.
Great flavor with the basil and tomatoes. I needed to use up some fresh tomatoes and I was surprised how good they tasted in this.
Grilled chicken fajitas marinated overnight in Worcestershire, soy sauce, lime juice, cumin, and a shot of tequila. Served sizzling with sauteed peppers and all the fixings.
Italian bean and pasta salad with anasazi beans, spinach spaghetti, fresh vegetables, and a lemon-herb dressing. A no-cook, protein-packed side that improves as it chills.
Creole pork chops with white beans: bone-in pork chops braised low and slow with white beans, holy trinity vegetables, tomatoes, and Creole seasoning. Louisiana comfort food in a Dutch oven.
Garden potato and vegetable chowder simmered in vegetable stock and tomato juice with red potatoes, leeks, green beans, zucchini, and carrots. Naturally vegan, gluten-free, and low-calorie weeknight comfort.
Creamy linguine with sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, shallots, garlic, and white wine in a half-and-half sauce finished with Parmesan. Restaurant-style Italian pasta at home.
Homemade spaghetti marinara with garlic-infused olive oil, simmered tomatoes, basil, oregano, and a kick of red pepper. A from-scratch Italian classic in about an hour.
Baked eggplant halves stuffed with spiced couscous, tomatoes, scallions, garlic, and wheat germ, seasoned with cumin, chili powder, and turmeric. A satisfying vegetarian main ready in one hour.
Tender sirloin steak chunks, frozen mixed vegetables, and steak sauce create a steakhouse-inspired soup that turns leftover beef into a satisfying meal in 40 minutes.
Eggplant Italiano sauteed with mushrooms, peppers, and tomatoes, then baked under melted mozzarella until bubbly and golden. A hearty Italian vegetable casserole.
End of summer beef stew packed with fresh tomatoes, corn, green beans, peas, potatoes, squash, and carrots. A garden-clearing one-pot meal for the season's last harvest.
Kasseropites are Greek cheese-filled crescents with kasseri, fresh tomatoes, and basil wrapped in homemade olive oil pastry. A golden, hand-shaped vegetarian appetizer dusted with paprika.
Mexicali pasta pie with a spaghetti crust, cottage cheese layer, and spiced ground pork with green chiles and tomatoes, topped with cheddar and crushed corn chips. All microwave.
Texas-style cowpoke pinto beans cooked low and slow with smoked bacon, salt pork, jalapeños, cumin, and chili powder. Crockpot or stovetop, freezes well for refried beans later.