Curried Red Lentils with Caramelized Onions

Could this be the most delicious recipe in the book? Yes. I believe it is. And, it's very easy to make. However, there's a lot of clean up afterward, which is why I don't make this all that often. My ideal dinner is made in one pot. This one takes two pots and a saute pan. But, seriously, it's fracking delicious.

Let me talk through the layers. Underneath the lentils in the picture lies a bed of rice infused with cinnamon. It's hard not to just chow down on the rice alone. Next, we have the red lentils which are cooked with garlic, fresh ginger, and curry powder. And then finally, on top you have caramelized onions. Yum. Yum. Yum.... Yum.

I don't care about the clean up. This dish falls under the six out of five stars category. The rewards also include getting to nosh on some rice when you put the leftovers in a dish, and for the two of us we'll each get at least one more lunch out of this. Maybe more than that.

Did I say "yum?"

Caribbean Black Beans with Sauteed Plantains

I feel somewhat cruel posting this while Tommie is stuck at work in Chicago. It's a sin how tasty this dish is. I purposefully don't make it that often, because I love it so much that I don't want to overdo it.

The beans are sauteed with orange juice, lime juice, garlic, and jalapeños. Then you add sauteed plantains and rice to the scrummy beans, y tienes una fiesta fabulosa!

Make this dish. You'll thank me. Needless to say: 6 out of 5 stars. No pregunta.

Black Bean Soup with Cumin, Chiles, and Lime

Best. Black. Bean. Soup. Ever.

No wait.

Best. Soup. Ever.

I've made this soup a few times, but I feel very strongly that the wrong beer (one of the ingredients) can destroy the dish. And, since I haven't had a beer in easily a decade, I have not been very good at picking beers. But today, I went to the old faithful Heineken, my beer of choice in the '90s. Complete fracking success.

Couple things if you make this: instead of removing 2 cups of soup and blending them, I just blended the soup in the pot a bit with my immersion blender. Not the whole thing, just enough so that when you stir it around you get that fabulous, thick texture that all black bean soups must have (IMHO).

Also, I opted for plain yogurt instead of sour cream, and I went with a fat-free one. Tasted fabulous. Why add the fat and calories if you don't need them?

So, for the first time EVER, I am awarding this dish 6 out of 5 stars. Best. Soup. Ever.