Manteca adds depth of flavor and richness to this classic stew, but you can sub in vegetable oil if needed. (We save bacon fat from breakfast in a little jar in the refrigerator to use for this sort of thing.) Any combination of root vegetables works in this recipe: turnips, golden beets, parsnips, carrots.
Winter
Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
We are lazy and love no-boil lasagna noodles, but you can use regular lasagna noodles if you like extra work. Or to make it even easier, shred some rotisserie chicken instead of poaching your own.
Persian Lamb Meatballs with Tomato Rice
This dish is slow food magic! Use half of the spinach in the meatballs themselves, and reserve the other half for the sauce – same goes for the cilantro. You can buy Baharat spice or make your own blend like we do.
Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups
This dish is a Toad Hall favorite. For added zing, grate a little extra ginger and add it to the sauce in step 9.
Kale, Sweet Potato and Apple Salad
The key to this recipe is actually rubbing the dressing into the kale by hand to create a tender texture. You can use a peeler to shave thin strips off of a block of romano cheese. Kale, yeah!
Marcella’s Magic Sauce with Roasted Spaghetti Squash
This rich, simple comfort dish is so easy that the only way to mess it up is to change or complicate it. San Marzano canned tomatoes are readily available in Bloomington, so make no substitutions unless it’s to swap in fresh, garden tomatoes. Based on Italian foodie and cookbook author Marcella Hazan’s classic sauce recipe, this might inspire you to ditch pasta sauce from a jar forever. We’re never going back!
Stuffed Pumpkin
This delicious baked pumpkin is easy to prepare and makes an impressive holiday dish. Use one of our Long Island Cheese Pumpkins or a small pie pumpkin for best results.
Chickpea Flatbreads with Harissa Yogurt and Kale Salad
Chickpea flatbread (“socca” in French and “torta di ceci” in Italian) is a popular Mediterranean street food snack. Serve it with dollops of savory Harissa yogurt sauce and a kale salad for a hearty vegetarian meal.
Merguez Lamb Patties with Carrot & Raisin Salad
This aromatic, Middle Eastern-inspired dish incorporates two unique spice blends: Barahat and Merguez. You can buy both pre-mixed or blend your own at home.
Chicken Paillard with Cherry & Marcona Almond Salad
This is has been one of our favorite pantry dinners during quarantine. Tart dried cherries and creamy, savory Marcona almonds (check the Murray’s cheese area at Kroger or order them online) are the perfect complements to this dish, but you can substitute any dried fruits or nuts you find in your pantry.
Kale Chips
Even the pickiest of eaters will fall for these crispy, salty kale chips!