Simple lentil and roasted vegetable dinners
The Weeknight Dinner I Keep Repeating
When the workday runs long, I have been making the same basic dinner: roasted vegetables, lentils, and something bright on top. This week it was cauliflower and carrots with green lentils, parsley, lemon juice, and a spoonful of yogurt.
It is not really a recipe so much as a dependable format. The vegetables can come from the farmers market or the back of the refrigerator, and the lentils do not need much attention while they cook. I usually make extra grains or lentils at the same time, which gives me a nearly assembled lunch for the next day.
The useful part is that it feels like actual cooking without requiring a completely empty evening. A little smoked paprika or toasted seeds changes the direction, but the basic combination stays inexpensive, filling, and vegetarian. I am trying to keep more meals at this level of simplicity instead of waiting for the motivation to make something elaborate.