Adis is a traditional lentil stew made with just a few simple ingredients: lentils, onions, tomatoes, and spices. My mom used to prepare it for me when we lived in Brussels. (I was often anemic, and this dish has always been one of my favorite iron-rich meals.) Sometimes she would enhance it with some khlii (see Preserved Beef, page 73), or add leafy greens and carrots for a nutritional boost. In this version, I’ve opted for sun-dried tomatoes for their sweet, intense flavor and kale for its earthy notes as well as its nutritional value. The vinegary red onion topping is optional, but it brings an appealing sweet-tart punch to the dish. I usually serve this comforting stew with crusty bread, but rice and quinoa are also good options.
This soup of pasta and clams is a Sardinian classic that’s all about simplicity. It relies chiefly on the flavor inherent in the soup’s two main ingredients: chewy, toasty spherical fregula, and arselle, the small, briny, succulent hard-shell clams found along the coast.
For a bold take on roast cod, this one-dish meal is inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean.
Years ago, my friends and I visited a regional business called Let’s Dish, where we would pay to prepare individually portioned freezer meals. They would set out recipes and raw ingredients, and we’d prep and label enough meals to last for weeks. It was a great concept, and it opened my eyes to how easy it was to cook meals from scratch. After we paid for the service a few times, I began to do the same in my home. Storing individual portions of uncooked mushrooms and buttery rolls in the freezer makes for a delicious, time-saving meal later. The mushrooms can be marinated up to 48 hours in advance.
Grilling a salad might sound counterintuitive, but it adds a whole new flavor experience.
Ingredients
Ingredients