This dish is about as close to fusion, to “made-up,” as I will allow. It’s not traditional, it’s not regional. Though it has an Asian flavor, it’s not even that. What it is: a tasty, fast, cheap, infinitely variable broth-and-noodle combination. Its preparation is slowed down only by waiting for the water to boil.
Risotto is hardly effortless fare, what with all that stirring over a hot stove. But instant brown rice and creamy Neufchatel cheese can make a nutty, rich, stand-in version that's sure to be a family favorite. Substitute any vegetables you wish for the asparagus and bell pepper. Make it a Meal: Paired with a salad, this is a perfect vegetarian main course, or serve as a side dish with grilled chicken or steak.
Prep Time: 40 min
Huevos rancheros or “ranch eggs” is a classic Mexican dish that is great for a quick dinner. Traditionally, it’s made with a red tomato-based sauce. Here we use tart and tangy green salsa instead. Serve with: brown rice and slices of avocado.
Mino Giliberti usually makes this soup with water, but for a richer flavor, you can use chicken stock. Start a day ahead by soaking the lentils in 3 cups of water in the refrigerator. Before serving, spoon shaved Parmesan in the bottom of the bowls so the cheese disperses in the hot soup rather than sticking to the diner’s spoon.
This hearty combination of whole-wheat couscous and lentils perched atop a lightly dressed bed of arugula makes a tasty vegetarian main-course salad. The lemony vinaigrette is especially good for bringing out the spicy notes of the arugula.
Clover Food Lab, a truck at MIT, offers this soup made with its own homemade vegetable stock.
Diane Hyman, co-owner of The Trolley Stop, created this recipe with family friend Dotty Baker. Hyman adds seasoned salt and onion salt to her dish.
Fast food doesn't have to mean bad food. This quick pasta dish combines a can of chickpeas, sometimes called ceci beans, with tiny pasta to create a hearty and satisfying meal. It's one of many regional variations of the Italian comfort food pasta e fagioli (known as pasta fazool). This particular recipe traveled from the Basilicata region of Italy to America with my maternal grandfather, George Fanelli. My grandmother, an Irish woman with the moniker Nelly Kelly Fanelli, mastered the dish that my mother, thankfully, recorded for posterity.
This rich, satisfying vegetable stew celebrates the first vegetables of spring—artichokes, leeks, carrots and peas. For a truly indulgent flair, omit the butter at the end and drizzle each serving with a little truffle oil.