My Comments: This week I’ve been down and out with yet another virus, one of the hazards of working in an elementary school. So what do we do when no one is in the mood — or otherwise able — to cook? We eat leftovers that we’ve frozen from past meals. At Adrien’s suggestion then, are the “Fab Five” – with apologies to the Beatles (you know, Paul McCartney BEFORE Wings and BEFORE that hideous Superbowl performance).  These are our favorites from January:

 

 

Senegalese Peanut Stew with Spinach and Sweet Potatoes

I had a lot of feedback on this recipe. It’s just as good as a leftover as it was on the first night.

No creamy peanut butter – use crunchy. Don’t use or like ginger, try something else.

 

 

 

 

 

Vadouvan Spiced Red Lentil Soup

When I originally found this recipe, I had no idea how hip it was to cook something with Vadouvan spicing.  In fact, I used Garam Masala curry in place of the Vadouvan – which I was unable to find pre-made. Duh.  Here’s a link to a couple of recipes for making the mixture yourself.

 

 

Quinoa with Balsamic Roasted Mushrooms

When is a grain a protein? When it’s Quinoa — and it’s a complete protein. How cool is that?

The dressing, made with pear and balsamic vinegar provides a nice contrast to the nuttiness of the quinoa.

 

 

 

Kale Lasagna Diavolo

I love kale for two reasons – number one it’s inexpensive (currently $1.56 for a very large bunch) and number two it’s tasty… in all of the varieties I’ve seen around here. Even quicker, it’s available frozen, which makes this a quick fix meal on a weeknight.

While I favor Muir Glen tomato products, my mother also mentioned that Pomi makes a good diced tomato – available in a cardboard carton. Whatever your preference, this is an excellent twist on lasagna.

 

 

 

Home baked pizza

Sometimes you just need to have pizza – and this is definitely worth the wait. There’s not much effort to it, especially when mixing the dough in a stand mixer with a dough hook.

Are there fancier dough recipes? Sure. But this one can be on the table in 90 minutes to 2 hours…. mostly spent waiting for the dough. A glass of your favorite beverage makes the time fly.