Lentils You’re Loving

One thing I miss from the pre-Covid era is eating at friends’ homes, which I do sparingly at this point, and only with the precautions that you’d imagine. I love seeing what my friends decide to make, a fascination that is surely related to the fact that I’m a professional recipe recommender. Trying their dishes, another joy, is an altogether different thing from eating off the menu at a restaurant — though I miss that, too.

Last weekend, a friend made these baked eggs in cream for lunch, which I wouldn’t have thought to do, along with a green salad that had a lightly sweet shallot vinaigrette. It was both simple and wonderful, and it made me want to shake up my repertoire. Other friends recently made us quiche, which I never, ever make, but which I completely devoured. As my editor Krysten Chambrot once said, “Quiche low-key rules.”

It’s not exactly the same thing, but tell me the recipes you’re cooking at [email protected]. I’ll share some of them next week. Here’s what I’m making, in addition to the weeknight dishes below: birthday cake for my younger kid (but with pink frosting and a metric ton of sprinkles), whole-grain pancakes, Bolognese sauce (Marcella Hazan’s is classic and cannot be beat, though I like this shortcut, too), black bean-chorizo stew, citrus salad, mapo tofu.

1. Red Curry Lentils With Sweet Potatoes and Spinach

Speaking of recommendations: This recipe by Lidey Heuck is something I’ve seen people making on Instagram or endorsing in one of the many food and parenting newsletters I read. It’s delicious and very dal-like, but with Thai elements added. It’s also on the longer side for a weeknight recipe, but I managed to put a kid to bed while the lentils simmered away. Or you can make it earlier in the day, then reheat it for dinner.

2. Quick-Braised Chicken With Greens

Ali Slagle’s fast method for braised chicken is cozy but still has a bit of bite from hot pickled peppers and their brine. I’d eat this with crusty bread or — even better — the olive oil-fried toast she recommends.

View this recipe.

3. Sheet-Pan Shrimp Gratin

Eric Kim bakes this creamy, cheesy gratin on a sheet pan, rather than in a baking dish. The resulting sprawl of the bread-crumb topping means more you get zippy crunch in each bite. I want this for dinner tonight.

View this recipe.

4. Vegetarian Skillet Chili With Eggs and Cheddar

This easy charmer from Ali Slagle comes together quickly with pantry ingredients like canned tomatoes and beans; the eggs cook directly in the sauce. Drag a warm, soft corn tortilla through it to make a perfect bite, or shower it with crushed tortilla chips for a little crunch.

View this recipe.