Much like school, football and a certain squash-spiked beverage, Recipe Matchmaker is back. Below are a handful of readers’ hyper-specific recipe needs, paired with recommendations from the New York Times Cooking database. Let’s waste not a second (nor a character toward my word count) more.
Matchmaker bingo
“Winter squash — like Blue Hubbards — and greens that I can adapt into vegetarian or veggie-forward dinners that can be frozen. I cook for my partner and myself. He’s disabled, and I’m his full-time caregiver. I need a recipe that serves 4 to 6 so I can freeze half for later. I need to save time and money. We like Thai, Chinese, Indian flavors with lots of herbs and coconut.” — Mark
This has everything I like in a Matchmaker quest: a couple of ingredients to use up; appliance, time and budgetary constraints; and a bit about the letter-writer’s tastes. The flesh of a Blue Hubbard is sweet and nutty, but not as smooth as something like butternut or kabocha, so you’ll have the best luck using it in soups and stews — which are also a breeze to freeze.
Kay Chun’s 35-minute squash and chickpea stew with lemongrass is soothing, has a pretty straightforward and inexpensive ingredients list. It includes spinach (but you can toss in whatever greens you have!) as well as coconut milk and fresh basil for those fragrant notes you love. You might also like a simpler miso squash soup, from Florence Fabricant, which you can stir your greens into before serving or while reheating from frozen.
NO BEANS!
“How about a vegetarian supper dish that has protein, carbs and isn’t beans and rice or beans on pasta? Flavors that somewhat adventurous kids will eat. We’re so tired of Tex-Mex, beans and rice or chickpeas and pasta.” — Danielle
I’m hearing no rice and no beans. If tofu is fair game, I think Hetty Lui McKinnon’s crispy sheet-pan noodles (carbs!) with glazed tofu (protein!) could suit you. I’d be hard pressed to find a kid who wouldn’t delight in a sauce of hoisin, sesame, maple and garlic. Heed commenters’ advice: Double or even triple the marinade.
You may also consider Hetty’s kale, couscous (carbs!) and tofu (protein!) salad with carrot-ginger dressing, or her sheet-pan coconut curry with squash (carbs!) and tofu (protein!). That might also appeal to Mark with the Blue Hubbards, though I’d skip freezing this one.
If none of those catch your eye, try Melissa Clark’s corn polenta (carbs!) with baked eggs (protein!).
No kitchen, no problem
“Help me survive a lengthy kitchen renovation. I need low-prep recipes that can be prepared with minimal equipment. I have a grill, microwave and one (weak) burner.” — Karen
On the grill, you could make Kay Chun’s grilled tofu salad. The prep is minimal: Whisk together the simple lemon-miso vinaigrette in a bowl, and slice the tofu, zucchini and snap peas on a cutting board. Or try this remarkably low-effort grilled broccoli and halloumi salad from Ali Slagle. You need just five ingredients, in addition to salt, pepper and oil.
In the microwave, you must make Eric Kim’s silky microwave-steamed eggs for breakfast or lunch. “This has become my too-tired-to-cook girl dinner and I LOVE it,” wrote a reader.
And while I’m not necessarily saying you should eat a microwave baked potato — topped with sour cream, herbs and chiles — for dinner every night, I’m not exactly saying I wouldn’t do that if I found myself in your position. Let that poor burner rest.
One last hurrah
“I eat so much summer produce and still panic when I realize it’s fading from the farm stands. I’m ready to use the oven again but not ready to swap out tomatoes and peaches with squash and apples just yet! What are the can’t-miss summery, cool-evening recipes?” — Faith
This summer, when I went long on cherry tomatoes, I received an email from a reader who was disappointed that I did not give Melissa Clark’s caramelized tomato tarte Tatin some much-deserved airtime. “That recipe should see the light of day on a regular basis, as a public service.” She’s right! So here it is.
For any other last-gasp tomatoes, something warming yet bright — like David Tanis’s tomato risotto or Sarah DiGregorio’s slow cooker creamy tomato lentil soup — has the power to postpone your panic. You might also find respite combining tomatoes with other summer staples that stick around the fall markets a little longer, like eggplant. This is your moment for ratatouille — in a pasta, on a sheet pan with chickpeas or classic style.
Crispy Sheet-Pan Noodles With Glazed Tofu
Microwave Baked Potato
Sheet-Pan Ratatouille With Crispy Chickpeas
One More Thing!
Recipe Matchmaker lightning round
Q: “Vegan, maximum cucumber and for one, please.” — Jennifer
A: Halve this recipe for cucumber salad with roasted peanuts and chiles. Or just smash them — to eat with or without your favorite frozen vegan dumplings.
Q: “Any suggestions that allow a single avocado to shine but aren’t just a variant of avocado toast? I feel reluctant to waste a perfectly ripe one in a smoothie.” — Haley W.
A: Quarter this recipe for avocado salad with herbs and capers! Creamy avocado pesto pasta! Turn it into perfect salsa! Soup it!
Q: “I’m pregnant and have been craving a vegetarian Bolognese but haven’t been able to find one without mushrooms.” — Kalen
A: Congratulations! A cauliflower-based Bolognese, incoming.
Q: “Can you provide a recipe for korma? One that isn’t too complicated, please?” — Liza
A: Sure can! Eighteen-minute Kerala-style vegetable korma; 30-minute broccoli korma.
Q: “My husband and I eat a lot of complex salads, which means a lot of roasted broccoli and sweet potatoes. But we are in a rut. Can you provide some hearty fall salads that will jazz up our salad game?” — Kristan
A: Roasted brussels sprouts Caesar with tahini! Squash and spinach salad with sesame vinaigrette! Kale and brussels sprouts salad with pear and halloumi!
Thanks for reading! If I didn’t get to your question this week, fear not. There will be more Recipe Matchmaker soon.
Email us at [email protected]. Newsletters are archived here. Reach out to my colleagues at [email protected] if you have questions about your account.
Tanya Sichynsky is an editor for the Food and Cooking sections of The Times and the author of The Veggie, a weekly vegetarian newsletter.
The post ‘How About a Vegetarian Supper Dish That Has Protein, Carbs and Isn’t Beans and Rice or Beans on Pasta?’ appeared first on New York Times.
