Travel Kitchen

September 9, 2008

Having been gone for 3 weeks, I came back to a severe case of what I will call travel kitchen. You know, when the fridge is empty and only a few dry ingredients remain in the pantry.

I was honestly ready to hop back into the kitchen after all the great foods I had while traveling, but there really wasn’t much to make. It also doesn’t help that we returned on a Sunday and we now live in a place where no grocery stores are open on Sundays.

Even yesterday, I was stuck in the apartment waiting for our delayed luggage to arrive so I had to come up with something.

Luckily I had an onion that managed to make it through the extended travel period so I pulled out what has become one of my favorite recipes.

I combined the lentils, some rice and onions to make Mujadarrah. I found the recipe at Allrecipes.com a last year. I absolutely love it. It is so quick and easy to make, filling and good for you.

I’ve come to discover lentils just recently. They make such a great addition to rice dishes and soups. And of course they are really entering the media as a valuable food when it comes to health. They contain lots of soluable fiber, B vitamins and protein.

For the recipe I use, I add a chicken bouillon cube and cumin to the lentils for flavor. Yesterday I sprinkled in some curry powder as well. Once in the bowl, I top it with some hot sauce. I love spicy food.


So there you have my make-do meal until I can get to the market. It is just a good thing that onion hung around.

Do you have any go-to meals that you turn to when the fridge and pantry are low?

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  • cathy September 9, 2008 at 7:02 am

    Good job using what you had on hand! Now get to the grocery store! 😉

  • Lori September 9, 2008 at 11:44 am

    Ha, ha! Gotta get there. The onion was my only option :(!

  • Striving Green September 10, 2008 at 6:10 am

    A Tortilla Española is a good thing if you have eggs/potatoes/onions. (Sometimes called a “Spanish Tortilla”). The Spanish Tortilla has nothing to do with a Mexican Tortilla. It’s more like an omelette. We often make this when the fridge is getting empty.

  • Lori September 10, 2008 at 9:09 am

    Sounds good. I think I’ve had something similar before.

  • Emily September 10, 2008 at 9:30 am

    I love lentils but have never cooked them. Maybe I should try them soon, before winter’s really over!

  • Lori September 10, 2008 at 9:39 am

    I’ve found they are much quicker and easier to cook than beans. I’m always looking for new recipes, but this has been my favorite for sure.

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