I grew up with an odd lunch box. No bologna sandwiches for me, instead, a thermos filled with lentil soup or cabbage and rice. Bottomless bowls of cabbage and rice were served in our house, weekly, and my mother snagged that meal from my grandma. The showstopper in her cabbage and rice were the delicious bits of bacon. Beans and rice are peasant food, I’m glad that I grew up eating like a peasant because eating poor never tasted so rich. American kids rarely grow up with a fondness for lentils and cabbage, but I did. Sure, I was chubby and was made fun of, relentlessly, because of my stinky lunch box – but the truth remains that I wouldn’t change a thing.
Read MoreWith so many nights of dinner to prepare a week, I’m always trying to think of new sides and pairings to balance our plates. Most of the meals I’ve been making have been very veggie forward, with protein and some sort of starch. To be honest, I got a wee bit reliant on the good old potato in its golden and sweet form — which really isn’t a problem — but we were all growing tired of them even if we’d eaten them roasted, boiled and as an air fried french fry.
Read MoreLast week, as I contemplated what to prepare for dinner, I stared down bell peppers, tomatoes and a package of meat that was in the refrigerator. The weather was cool, alarmingly cold, really, for April, and called for a warming meal. I recalled Susana’s meal, Stamatis stuffed peppers and tomatoes and swiftly got to work on recalling the flavors. I moved slowly, stopping to think about the taste, gathering all of the ingredients, and got to work. This recipe and process is not for the impatient or faint of heart in the kitchen.
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