I'm jumping right in with some favourite recipes because, well, who doesn't love good food?
Some of these are weekday go-to's, others are a little more labour-intensive, but well worth the effort. All of them happen to be vegetarian and all of them are GOOO-OOD!
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1. Spiced Red Lentil, Tomato, and Kale Soup
This is probably my favourite go-to soup. It's comfort in a bowl and perfect for icky, rainy or snowy days. Its spices blend into a flavourful whole that'll cure what ails you without overpowering. I often use chicken broth because that's what we have on hand (we're not vegetarian), and substitute spinach for the kale since I usually have some handy in the freezer.
2. Braised Coconut Spinach & Chickpeas with Lemon
This is a brand new recipe for us – like, a few weeks ago new – and oh. em. gee. The recipe suggests serving it over a baked sweet potato, but I didn't want to take the time to do that so I piled the chickpea/spinach/coconut milk mixture over rice. Rich and sweet with a soupçon of lemon to perk it all up at the end. Oh. Em. Gee.
3. Maple Baked Lentils with Sweet Potato
Think baked beans with a twist. It's a perfect Sunday dinner that, in our small household of two, leaves us with plenty of leftovers for weekday lunches. Hearty, comforting and simple to make, it's one of our colder weather go-to's. A tip: plan for more time than called for in the oven, just in case. No matter how tiny my sweet potatoes are they seem to take forever to cook.
4. Chunky Portabella Veggie Burgers
This recipe came with very high praise from a friend and it did NOT disappoint. It's by far the best veggie burger I've had. Because they're fried in oil and include a healthy dose of Parmesan cheese, the burgers are a perfect combo of crispy and gooey. The dark green bits from the minced broccoli add a delightful colour – not to mention texture – to the whole thing. We used button mushrooms instead of portabellas because it's what we had on hand, but I'm sure the portabellas would be just as good.
5. Black Beans and Rice
Nothing fancy, but a quick, reliable recipe that's easy peasy to get together on a weekday. That makes it a winner in my books. I've nothing more to say.
6. Spicy Tomato Chickpea Stew
Despite the fact that this is my second chickpea recipe on the list, I'm really not a huge chickpea fan. But when it's smothered in garlic, onions and tomatoes seasoned with cumin, coriander and paprika... how could I not be? Dish this stew over a bowlful of sweet smelling basmati rice and call it a meal to delight the senses – an easy, weekday meal to delight the senses. That’s the best kind, non?
7. Kahlua Pecan Brown Sugar Baked Brie
The title says it all: one cup of brown sugar simmered in one cup of Kahlua, enhanced with pecans and poured over a baked wheel of Brie. One of the sweetest, richest treats I've ever tasted. Like a butter tart, but with cheese and alcohol, it's the type of decadence that's probably best kept for special occasions. The recipe recommends serving it with crackers, but we enjoyed it with a thinly sliced baguette that soaked up the Kahlua syrup nicely. Invite friends to partake in this one, they will love you for it.
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Voilà, this birthday's collection of favourite recipes. Let me know if you try any!
Stay tuned for Birthday List Love Day 2, where I might be talking about books, or art, or something entirely different...
