Inspiration for this newsletter strikes in many places you’d expect, and some you may not: on a 100-degree subway platform, in the ice cream aisle, on a date, in a 42-year-old regional cookbook. I also look to readers for ideas, whether in my own inbox or in our ever-entertaining recipe comments. I particularly like to include thoughtful notes that suggest ingredient substitutions or ways to streamline — and we even feature comments like that alongside the recipes in our forthcoming cookbook, “Veg Everything,” which comes out on Tuesday.
But sometimes the comments are just plain funny. Below are a few that I’ve saved recently for my own delight, and now, yours. Let’s play a little game: Can you match them to the right recipe? Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer key, or dig around for the answers in the comment sections themselves.
1. “Delicious, but do not put these in your jacket pocket.”
A) Corn and Jalapeño Egg Bites
These sweet, spicy and salty egg bites from Ali Slagle are ideal for weekly meal prep and will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
B) Tofu Musubi
Kristina Felix resourcefully employs the tofu carton to make assembling this vegan take on the Hawaiian snack a cinch.
C) Vegan Banana Olive Oil Muffins
Grab four of your softest, spottiest bananas for this quick bake from Carolina Gelen.
2. “When I first saw the picture I thought the lentils were pine nuts, and I was like ‘What am I, a millionaire?’ This looks amazing — will make tonight!”
A) Grilled Eggplant, Herby Lentils and Turmeric Tahini
With only seven ingredients, this recipe from Hetty Lui McKinnon manages to pack a ton of texture, flavor and color into one hearty end-of-summer salad.
B) Cheesy Carrot and Lentil Loaf
Treat Hetty’s cheesier spin on this retro classic like a Sunday roast, and serve it with mashed potatoes and gravy, or tuck a thick slice into a burger bun.
C) Tomato-Lentil Salad With Spicy Tahini
You can go ahead and cross protein and fiber off the lunch to-do list with this bright no-cook salad from Ali.
3. “I would eat that sauce on anything. Cardboard. Anything.”
A) Tomato and Lentil Rice With Feta Yogurt
This one-pot rice from Ifrah F. Ahmed freezes well, and several readers swapped in fresh tomatoes for the jarred sauce to great success.
The herbaceous green sauce adds a little heat and plenty of brightness to this dense bean salad from Ali.
Crunchy raw vegetables, turmeric-tinged tofu and a zippy vegan nước chấm anchor Hetty’s meatless take on bún chả.
About The Author
