Curried Lentils with Poached Eggs and Cumin Carrots

If you've never had lentils before, now is the time to dive right in. Although I'd enjoyed them at restaurants, I'd never made them before this foray. However, they came out absolutely deliciously and my husband and I were both eagerly going back for more. These legumes are also stuffed full of folate, fiber, iron, protein, potassium, and many other vitamins and minerals. They're also fat free with just 230 calories in an entire cooked cup. Who could ask for more?

To complement the curry spices in the lentils I also made some carrots with cumin. Normally carrots only rank in the "so-so" category for me, but these were amazing. Whether you normally make them or not, I encourage you to go for it. Let me know in the comments how it goes!

Time: 1 hr
Difficulty: medium (poaching eggs is slightly tricky!)
Cost: $9.51

Mango-Papaya Salad

This salad is light, refreshing, and full of flavor. It also comes together extremely quickly, making it a wonderful appetizer or side for any meal. It will be best in the summer months when fruits are fresh and tomatoes are just off the vine, but after you taste it once you'll be craving it year around.

I made this alongside one of my favorites, homemade tofu pad thai, but the flavors are versatile and light enough that you should be able to make it with nearly anything. Perhaps whip it out at your next summer pool party or barbecue!

Difficulty: easy
Time: 20 minutes
Cost: $7.50

Shrimp-Corn Cakes with Fresh Heirloom Tomato Salsa and Persian Stuffed Zucchini

Heirloom tomatoes, you may ask? Well, let's just say I'm a little behind on my blogging. And by a little, I mean I made this in June when the heirloom tomatoes were ripe and juicy at my local farmer's market - along with corn on the cob and zucchini! So perhaps this isn't quite seasonal, but it's delicious enough to make up for it. This meal takes a bit of planning and effort, but in the end you will be very glad you went for it.

The cakes are delicious, full of fresh corn and luscious shrimp, but it's the tangy yet sweet heirloom tomato salsa that truly makes the meal. As for the zucchini, they're naturally delicious but the unique blend of rice, dried fruit and nuts, and Persian spices will leave you wanting more. Head to your local Whole Foods or wait until the summer - but make sure you make these recipes at some point!

Difficulty: medium-hard
Time: 1 hr 30 min
Cost: $22.24

Tomatoes Stuffed with Corn and Quinoa

I'm getting hungry just looking at this picture. The memory of these delicious stuffed tomatoes comes roaring back and I can practically taste the sweet, fresh farmer's market corn, fluffy quinoa, and warm, gooey cheese. Amazing.

Of course, before getting to the recipe, I must apologize for the long absence. The last few months have included moving cities, leaving my job, starting grad school, getting married, and enjoying a 4 week honeymoon. It's been exciting and exhausting. Unfortunately this has means very little cooking and, therefore, very little blogging. I do hope to start getting back on track but with grad school as opposed to a 40-hour a week job, I'm afraid there will be far less gourmet and a lot more quick meals not worthy of the blog. Hang in there, though, and I'll make sure to toss a few fun ones your way.

I made the stuffed tomatoes alongside some freshly grilled mahimahi lightly seasoned with black pepper and oregano.

Difficulty: medium
Time: 1 hr 25 min
Cost: $24.79

Lemony Strawberry Shortcakes

Who doesn't love strawberry shortcakes? Cake. Strawberries. Cream. This sounds like a fantastic idea. Of course, the drawback comes in the fat and calorie content. Luckily, this favorite dessert can be made much healthier (I won't claim that it's actually healthy) so that you can snack away with far less guilt without having to sacrifice the flavor.

I actually whipped these up after dinner when some friends came over but you can even make them for an afternoon snack on their own or if you are having people over for just dessert. Or who needs an excuse? Just make them for breakfast - it has fruit in it so it must be good for breakfast, right?

Difficulty: medium
Cost: $4.99
Time: 1 hr

Peanut-Crusted Tofu and Crisp Slaw Corn Tacos

Amazing. I thought these would be good, but was pleasantly surprised to find that they exceeded all expectations. These fairly simple-sounding tacos came out tantalizingly delicious and kept us racing back for seconds and thirds. The peanut-crusted tofu came out crunchy and flavorful and the slaw added a delicious tangy and fresh burst.

Of course, I would be remiss without addressing the tortillas themselves. After receiving a tortilla press from my dad I made some homemade corn tortillas as part of this recipe. They were salt-free (!!!) which is nearly impossible to find in real-life yet chock full of flavor. They also had a wonderfully soft and pliable texture that is impossible to obtain with store-bought tortillas. They do take some extra time and effort, but are far simpler to make than one would expect and are fully worth it.

Difficulty: medium-hard
Time: 1 hr 15 min
Cost: $14.45

Broccoli Rice Bowl

This hearty, delicious meal will please even the pickiest eaters - and it also comes together in under half an hour. The brown rice is nearly fully cooked already so it just takes a couple more minutes but still provides the health of the real thing. It provides a great base for some crisp-tender broccoli, succulent onions, crunchy almonds, and creamy American cheese.

This dish is also quite flexible in its place in the meal. This can easily serve as a vegetarian main entree, a side for a protein, or lunch to be taken in pieces over several days. In fact, make more of it and use it for an entree and lunch! In my case I made it along with some mustard-crusted trout for a very fast, healthy meal.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 25 minutes
Cost: $13.75