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I moved into a new apartment a little over two weeks ago, and as anyone who\u2019s ever moved knows, the process involves eating a lot<\/em> of takeout\u2014all your knives are in boxes, you don\u2019t have any groceries, and you\u2019re working in an unfamiliar, not-yet-home kitchen. It\u2019s a solid excuse for the first week or so post-move, but by now, I\u2019m more or less settled into my new place. However, I\u2019m still finding it hard to break the ol\u2019 Doordash habit.<\/p>\n So, this week, I wanted to pick recipes<\/a> that would get me cooking again. The main objective? Keep the stakes as low as possible: The recipes will be easy. The ingredients will be (relatively) few. Almost everything will be cheap, vegetarian, and rely on lots of pantry staples. I know these descriptors don\u2019t sound exciting\u2014that\u2019s because they\u2019re not\u2014but they\u2019re the kind of recipes that are ultimately the most reliable and comforting. Here\u2019s what I’m making.<\/p>\n It\u2019s supposedly going to be rainy and 70 degrees out on Monday, which is cold enough for me to start LARP-ing autumn. And the best way to do that is, obviously, with a grilled cheese and tomato soup<\/a>. Here\u2019s my dilemma, though: Every can of tomato soup I\u2019ve tried sucks. (Is there one that doesn\u2019t suck? Please tell me what it is in the comments!) I guess that\u2019s the price of ease, and if I want a really good tomato soup, I\u2019ll have to work for it. This version looks as simple as homemade can be, and while I resent that I will have to take out my blender, I suspect it will be worth it.<\/p>\n As a \u201czillennial\u201d whose student loan repayments are restarting next month, I can\u2019t afford to luxuriate in fancy proteins like \u201cfish\u201d and \u201cbeef\u201d on a daily basis. Instead, I make variations of what I refer to as vegetarian slop\u2014usually some combination of alliums + legumes + vegetables, plus whatever else is floating around my kitchen. A can of crushed tomatoes? Sure. The last bit of soy chorizo from the back of my fridge? Why not. This recipe from Rebecca Firkser<\/a> is like the most evolved, polished version of this formula, and I\u2019m excited to try it with the half-full bag of Rancho Gordo beans sitting in my pantry.<\/p>\n Wednesday is a good night for pizza, but I never have the foresight to start my dough the day ahead (which, IMO, always yields the tastiest result). I usually just keep Trader Joe\u2019s dough in my freezer and use that, but this recipe from Ella Quittner<\/a> seems to offer a good middle ground. For toppings, I\u2019ll probably keep it simple with tomato sauce, fresh mozz, chopped Calabrian chiles, and maybe a drizzle of honey.<\/p>\n I\u2019m intrigued by this braised cabbage situation from Sohla El-Waylly<\/a>, and it seems like an especially good choice for when I\u2019m having a friend or two over for dinner. I like that the cabbage is cut into large wedges and seared like a cut of meat\u2014it makes the meal feel like more of an occasion. If I\u2019m feeling really ambitious, I might make a simple cake<\/a> for dessert (like this lime-and-sumac olive oil cake<\/a> that\u2019s always a hit).<\/p>\n It\u2019s Friday, which means my willpower is low, and whatever I make needs to be really, really<\/em> easy. This dish from Ali Slagle<\/a> should do the trick. It\u2019s a true one-pot meal (you don\u2019t even need to boil the water for the tortellini\u2014you just sear it directly in olive oil) and comes together in 10 minutes. My one caveat is that I do not like peas (sue me), so I will be replacing them with another healthful, green ingredient. Broccoli, maybe? Kale? Who knows.<\/p>\n 1. Tomato Soup With a Whole Head of Garlic<\/a>
\n<\/h3>\n2. A Pot of Beans & Greens<\/a>
\n<\/h3>\n3. Lazy Weeknight Pizza Dough<\/a>
\n<\/h3>\n4. Cashew Milk\u2013Braised Cabbage With Crunchy Chile Oil<\/a>
\n<\/h3>\n5. Tortellini With Mortadella & Peas<\/a>
\n<\/h3>\nMore from Food52<\/h4>\n
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\nWhat\u2019s your go-to weeknight meal? Share it below!<\/em>
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