At its best, a jam-packed burrito can truly satisfy without weighing you down. The key is to focus on beans and vegetables—and be willing to eat whatever falls out of the tortilla with a fork (or, of course, your fingers).
Pasta With Sardines, Bread Crumbs, and Capers
Really doesn’t get better than this. I haven’t been buying bread crumbs lately; I have just been pulsing whatever bread I have lying around in the food processor and using that, and I highly recommend.
Kayla’s Red Beans and Rice
As a child growing up in a sweltering, quiet Southwest Houston neighborhood with parents from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a meal like red beans and rice was fundamental. It was a substantive meal that could last for days, and it bridged the ties between Black culture in Louisiana and Texas.
Masa and Rajas
Tamale flavors without fuss: Make a masa dough and cook it as one big cake in a covered skillet; this way it gets golden and crisp on the bottom but remains puffy and tender on top. Finish with a stir-fry of poblanos (rajas means “slices” and refers to the small pieces of poblano), onions, and a touch of cream. (The dish in the photo uses roasted green chiles because they were in the freezer.)
Okonomiyaki
These large cabbage pancakes make a spectacular entrée. I like to serve them with a simple chile mayo, but other classic toppings include bonito flakes, shredded nori, and pickled ginger; if you have any or all of those kicking around your kitchen, go for it.
Chicken With Citrus Sauce
Here’s a pan-cooked version of this delicious sweet-and-sour dish, which is prepared (often grilled) at roadside stands and restaurants on many Caribbean islands. Serve this with rice. (The rice pictured above is just long-grain white rice cooked with half coconut milk, half water; really a treat.)
Chard With Orange And Shallots
A perfect winter dish with vibrant color and tangy sweet-sour flavor. The skin of the orange or tangerine becomes almost candied and provides a nice chew, but if you’d rather not eat it, simply peel before chopping. To make this dinner, serve with some crusty bread, or toss with a little pasta (if you’ve never had pasta with citrus before, you’re in for a treat; some grated Parmesan wouldn’t be a terrible idea, either).
One-Pot Pasta with Butter and Parmesan
Instead of boiling pasta and making the sauce separately, you add liquid incrementally to toasted pasta until it’s tender—yes, like risotto, which in fact can be mimicked quite effectively if you use orzo.
Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Cutlets with Chickpeas and Dried Fruit
It takes forever to make a tagine, but you can infuse all the same warm Moroccan flavors into this simple two-step sauté and get it done in a flash.
Quick-Braised Fish Fillets in Black Bean Sauce
When you don’t have the time, energy, or inclination to braise a whole fish, try this simpler, faster version; the flavors are much the same. Serve this over rice.
Bean Griddlecakes
These are delicious and wildly inexpensive. As is true for any bean dish, starting with dried beans that you cook yourself is more flavorful and cheaper, but canned are completely fine, and you can use any kind you like. Cooked in a skillet (just like pancakes), the cakes get golden and crisp on the outside while staying slightly creamy in the middle. I eat these with a handful of dressed greens, raw or cooked, on the side. Easy, rustic, good.
Garlic Fideo Soup
You can’t go wrong with a soup made of lots of fried garlic and noodles topped with fried bread crumbs. Chicken stock would work well if you have some handy.
Skillet Pork Chops
A basic sear-and-simmer technique that provides the foundation for all sorts of experimentation. For instance, replace the garlic with ginger, chopped fresh rosemary, or curry powder; replace the water with chicken stock, canned tomatoes, orange juice, or coconut milk; or replace the vinegar with Dijon or soy sauce. The possible flavor combinations are endless.
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