The thrifty ingredient I can’t stop cooking

I love you, lentils.

View in browser|nytimes.com October 12, 2024 Yasmin Fahr's one-pot chicken and lentils. David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. I simply love lentils By Mia Leimkuhler I had my first lentil as an adult, and I want to say it was somewhere in France. (My mom, a terrific Japanese home cook, didn't keep dried or canned lentils in the pantry; they didn't figure much into her cooking, nor mine when I moved out.) I think those first lentils came to me in a simple salad, pebbly little de Puys dressed in a mustardy vinaigrette, maybe with some carrot or onion in there. I can't remember the specifics, just the lentils: tender but not mushy, earthy but not too beany, and adorably small. Now I keep lentils of all kinds and colors in my pantry: skinned and split red lentils, whole brown lentils, onyx black belugas and those marbled French green ones. It doesn't feel like overkill, this lentil abundance. They're inexpensive, easy to come by and easy to prepare. I may not have grown up cooking or eating them, but I'd like to think I'm making up for lost lentil time. My friend and yours Ali Slagle has put together a guide to cooking and using lentils. "They're good to have around because their gentle flavor and creamy texture add body to many meals, from soups and dals to salads and pastas," she writes. Make a batch of basic green, brown or black lentils and use them all week, or — as I'm going to do — cook Yasmin Fahr's beautiful new one-pot chicken and lentils for your Saturday supper. It's a comforting dinner that's warm with turmeric and cumin and bright from a finishing squeeze of lime. Or do both! There's no lentil limit. Featured Recipe One-Pot Chicken and Lentils View Recipe → More legumes, this time a little plumper: Sarah DiGregorio's slow-cooker butter beans with pecorino and pancetta. Inspired by pasta alla gricia, her dish is creamy and luscious, the sort of rib-sticking meal you'd want to tuck into after a busy day. (I don't eat pork, so I just leave out the pancetta and up the olive oil and salt; one reader suggests stirring in a spoonful of miso, a brilliant idea.) I consider tofu to be the butterfly form of the grubby little soybean, so I'm looping this ginger-scallion tofu and greens into our legume discussion. The ginger-scallion oil in this Hetty Lui McKinnon recipe can be as potent as you want it to be; I often slice my ginger into matchsticks instead of mincing it to give the dish more bite and texture. Rice isn't a legume, but it is similarly small and inexpensive, and I would very much like to eat this riso al forno alla pizzaiola from Anna Francese Gass. "In Italian, pizzaiolo refers to a person who makes pizza," Anna explains. "When a dish is alla pizzaiola, it incorporates the flavors of a typical tomato sauce found on pizza." That makes this dish, essentially, pizza rice. Monday is Canadian Thanksgiving, and as I married a Canadian I feel inclined to make something special for our Sunday dinner. It's just the two of us, so there will be leftovers of Colu Henry's roast chicken with maple butter and rosemary, but leftover roast chicken is a treat in itself. (Hello, chicken-salad sandwiches.) For Monday morning: these easy blueberry cream scones, another whiz recipe from Genevieve Ko. There's no butter cutting or dough rolling involved here, just some gentle (lazy) stirring with a fork and scooping onto a sheet pan. You can prepare the batter ahead of time and let it rest in the fridge overnight, so all you need to do in the morning is preheat the oven, bake your scones and ready your scone accouterments (salted butter and berry jam, please). One last thing! If you're in D.C. or Richmond, Va., join Emily Weinstein for live events celebrating our new cookbook, "Easy Weeknight Dinners." She'll be in Washington, D.C., with Eric Kim on Monday, Oct. 14; and in Richmond on Tuesday, Oct. 15. IN THIS NEWSLETTER Kerri Brewer for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Slow-Cooker Butter Beans With Pecorino and Pancetta  By Sarah DiGregorio 7 hours and 15 minutes Makes 4 servings Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Ginger-Scallion Tofu and Greens By Hetty Lui McKinnon 20 minutes Makes 4 servings Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Riso al Forno alla Pizzaiola (Pizza Rice) By Anna Francese Gass 1 1/4 hours Makes 6 to 8 servings Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Roast Chicken With Maple Butter and Rosemary By Colu Henry 1 hour Makes 4 servings Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Easy Chicken Salad  By Lidey Heuck 20 minutes Makes 4 to 6 servings  Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Easy Blueberry Cream Scones By Genevieve Ko 1 hour, plus cooling Makes 10 scones Sign up for the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter Fresh dinner ideas for busy people who want something great to eat, with NYT Cooking recipes sent to you weekly. Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Cooking from The New York Times. To stop receiving Cooking, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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