Do you happen to have some stale old corn tortillas (or corn chips), some leftover roasted peppers and onions, and someone demanding a "different" meal from last night? Throw this in the oven!
one-pot meals
Sweet Potato Soup with Beans, Kale, and Garlic
This wasn't my recipe originally, but it's been one of my favorite soup recipes for more than a decade! Now that the "365 Days of Kale" blog where I found it is gone, I'm sharing the recipe here, with a few tweaks I've made over the years. This hearty soup makes a full meal--maybe you'll … Continue reading Sweet Potato Soup with Beans, Kale, and Garlic
Improved Corn Chowder
I've made corn chowder several times from various recipes. I was never very happy with it because it turned out so bland, high-carb (both corn and potatoes!), and high-dairy; it just made me feel drowsy without seeming like a fully satisfying meal. When I go to the trouble of making soup from scratch, I want … Continue reading Improved Corn Chowder
Quick Coconut Curry from Leftovers
Here is another easy way to make a delicious, creamy curry! Say it's lunchtime, and your refrigerator isn't offering you a full portion of anything, but you have a bunch of odd bits of vegetables and some coconut milk, all of which really need to be used before they go bad. In less than 10 … Continue reading Quick Coconut Curry from Leftovers
14-minute Homemade Lunch!
This is what I made for lunch today for myself--and there was a small portion left over from this meal made of leftovers, and my 15-year-old ate that and liked it! I'll explain how I made this particular meal, but the larger point is that it's often possible to make something delicious out of the … Continue reading 14-minute Homemade Lunch!
Brown Rice Salad
Looking for something gluten-free to bring to a potluck? My family recently tested 4 varieties of gluten-free pasta and two pasta alternatives in my Sunflower Pasta Salad recipe. One of the alternatives that didn't work well was brown rice--the size and texture just aren't right for that recipe. But we had a recipe for a … Continue reading Brown Rice Salad
Split Pea Curry Soup for Slow Cooker (vegan) (GF)
Split pea soup is one of the first things we tried making when we got a slow cooker 5 years ago. We made a basic recipe with carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, and thyme, and it was okay, but only Daniel really liked it. I thought it was boring. Then I spotted a recipe for split … Continue reading Split Pea Curry Soup for Slow Cooker (vegan) (GF)
Vegetarian Yuletide Stew
Food styling and photography by Nicholas Efran. My brother Ben Stallings invented this meal last night, and all 8 assembled relatives liked it! The red and green colors are appropriate to the season. It's healthy, inexpensive, and quick to make. To make about 10 main-dish servings, you will need 1 small onion 2 Tbsp. olive … Continue reading Vegetarian Yuletide Stew
5 Fish-Free Family-Friendly Meals for Lent
UPDATE: Just before the beginning of Lent 2020, I'm linking up to Meatless Monday--because these are great meals for Mondays as well as Fridays or any other day! I've added some links to more recent articles. It's the third week of Lent, and if you observe the custom of fasting from land-animal meat on Fridays … Continue reading 5 Fish-Free Family-Friendly Meals for Lent
Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
This recipe came about when my ten-year-old Nicholas rejected the first two ideas I proposed for using the enormous zucchini we got in our farm share: (1) "Nooo! We still have zucchini bread from last time!" and (2) "Nothing with tomato sauce unless it is a pizza." Hmmm... I remembered a casserole recipe from some … Continue reading Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
Ginger Black Bean Soup (slow cooker)
We got a slow cooker a little over a year ago, and we like it a lot! It's a great way to make a lot of food without having to stand over it stirring, which is a relief in hot weather and convenient anytime. So far, we've only made other people's recipes, as we develop … Continue reading Ginger Black Bean Soup (slow cooker)
Green Ribbon Lentils
Almost two years ago, I saw this recipe for Garlicky Lentils and Tomatoes, which is very flexible. We have tried it several different ways, and this variation has become a favorite. This recipe is easy, cheap, and pretty quick! It is vegan and gluten-free. It has lots of fiber, vitamins, protein, and iron. It can … Continue reading Green Ribbon Lentils
Bean Wraps with Smoked Gouda and Pineapple
UPDATE: Eight months later, I'm sharing this recipe at Meatless Monday. It's a great quick meal at any time of year because all the ingredients are shelf-stable except for the cheese and wrapper; it doesn't use fresh foods that are in season at a particular time of year--unless you live in pineapple country! Don't eat … Continue reading Bean Wraps with Smoked Gouda and Pineapple
No-Bake Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie for Summer
This is not so much a recipe as an example of how to work with the food, and the weather, that you happen to have. Last weekend was very hot and humid, and we had some ingredients that needed to be used, including just two potatoes from our farm share--not enough to make a baked … Continue reading No-Bake Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie for Summer
Mexican Pizza
I mentioned in my most recent multi-week menu post making Mexican Pizza, an easy and versatile meal that my mom makes frequently. As I wrote that, it occurred to me to ask Mom if there is a recipe for Mexican Pizza or she's just been winging it all along! She has no written recipe, but … Continue reading Mexican Pizza
How to Get a Kid to Like Mushrooms
We strive to be the kind of family that shares meals--not the kind that "has to" fix nuggets and fries for the kid every night! The reality is somewhere in between. Many of my multi-week menus indicate adaptations for Nicholas: We prepared meal components separately and served his in separate dishes not touching, while we … Continue reading How to Get a Kid to Like Mushrooms
What to Do with Bread Heels
Some people consider the ends of a loaf of bread to be the best parts. My family, though, prefers the middle slices. Daniel often will eat the heel that is at the top of the bag, but by the time we get to the bottom of the bag, the other heel is less appealing. (This … Continue reading What to Do with Bread Heels
7 Delicious Meatless Recipes from Other Sites
We enjoy plenty of our own recipes, but I also have fun browsing recipes online and copying down recipes we might like. Here are 7 that have earned pages in our recipe binder. If you are vegetarian or vegan or have given up meat for Lent or are observing Meatless Mondays or meatless Lenten Fridays, … Continue reading 7 Delicious Meatless Recipes from Other Sites
Spring Sale Vegetables for Supper…and Breakfast!
The sale items in the produce departments of our local supermarkets for the last few weeks have included kale, Vidalia onions (at half the typical onion price--must be a bumper crop!), mushrooms, and sweet potatoes. We have favorite recipes using all of these ingredients, but I came up with a new one on the spur … Continue reading Spring Sale Vegetables for Supper…and Breakfast!
Electric Kettle
I love hot drinks. In addition to my dependence on coffee or caffeinated tea, I drink hot chocolate or herbal tea regularly in cold weather to warm me up--and I sometimes need that even in the hottest weather when my office building's management chooses absurd air-conditioner settings! I'm also a big fan of quick oats … Continue reading Electric Kettle
The Earthling's Handbook 