Lilly’s Table

The Food

Week of February 28, 2016

This week let’s pair up some food buddies. Sometimes the best way to make meals repeat without feeling like you are eating the exact same thing every night is to have batches of your favorites on hand.

One of my favorite combos are sweet potatoes and black beans. There are several possibilities for this match, but this week try the Black Bean + Sweet Potato Enchiladas for dinner then save some of the ingredients to make the Sweet Potato + Black Bean Quesadilla for lunch (or even another simple dinner).

This partnership enjoys an unusual third wheel, too. And it is not cheesy— although dairy isn’t a bad idea for this duo— rather the trio is complete with bananas! The tropical fruit gives a caribbean flare to Sweet Potato + Banana Black Beans that play so nicely with Coconut Fried Shrimp and Avocado Cream.

Speaking of bananas, let’s also match the fruit with it’s little buddy: peanut butter. Peanut Butter-Banana Scones or Banana-Raisin-Nut-Butter Sandwiches make week day eating that much easier.

With the winter months teasing us off and on with cold, sunny and every other type of weather in between, play with the availability of broccoli, beets and greens. The Beet Pasta with Mascarpone Creamed Greens combines merely 8 ingredients for the entire weeknight meal. Easy. You can even use the beet greens, making this only 7 ingredients total.

Comfort yourself with a bowl of Squash Tortilla Soup to use up some of the tortillas from the Mexican fare this week.

Also, the Broccoli, Chicken and Rice Casserole is a toss it together and let the oven do all the work dish as well.

If you have extra broccoli, use it in the Broccoli, Brie + Apricot Jam Scramble for breakfast the next day.

Let the final few weeks of winter inspire you… no matter what your weather may be.

Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well,