In related news, I'm about to clear out my fridge and make a meal plan and shopping list

[conuly]

Fridge clearing has to come first, because over the past two weeks between the family drama and the heat (omg the heat) nobody has cooked and now we need to clean the fridge.

So, anybody have any cheap-but-tasty recipes they'd like to share? They should be pork-free or at least pork-optional - the friend who needed the plane ticket and a place to stay doesn't eat pork, so we need to be able to prepare her serving without no matter what.

Recipes that are fast to prepare or use the slow cooker are appreciated.

Comments

[cimorene]

This Goan cauliflower caldine & tomato rice can be made with frozen cauliflower, canned tomato, and canned coconut milk (plus spices and onions and lime juice) - it's not the fastest, though, because the tomato rice is a separate dish (although it's still good with plain rice).

My go-to big batch pantry-only dish is curried lentils, made with dry red lentils and served over white rice - it requires some simmering time so you have to hang around and keep stirring the pot, but it's pretty low-effort overall. I couldn't find a link to the source of it, but it's

Curried lentils

1 cup dry lentils
2 Tbsp olive oil
3½ cups water
2 cubes of chicken or vegetable bouillon or equivalent powder (2 tbsp)
1 Tbsp sugar
1-2 tsp yellow curry powder
1-2 tsp garam masala spice mix
½ tsp whole cumin seeds
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp ginger powder
½ tsp cinnamon
salt to taste
handful of raisins, if desired

Coat the inside of a soup pot with oil, heat to med, and add lentils. Stir to coat and roast 2 min.

Add about 2 cups of water and all the seasonings (including the bouillon - the curry spices according to how spicy you like it). Stir regularly to prevent sticking and add water whenever the lentils begin to dry until all the water is added. Repeat until fully cooked. Taste and salt if necessary. You can continue cooking down until the liquid evaporates. Remove from heat, then add raisins.

[conuly]

:)

That sounds great.

Do you soak the raisins first?

[cimorene]

I have only made it with them like twice because my wife hates raisins, actually. But I didn't soak them first - they absorbed liquid from the lentils pretty fast!