A Cheap & Satisfying Skillet Dinner, for December's Special Craving

This year's "treat yourself" meal is a little different than year's past

This is a favorite time of year for all sorts of reasons — the novelty of cold and snow, the decorations, the collective “let’s circle back in the new year” decision to put certain things off — but it’s also the best time for a most beloved category of meal: the “treat yourself” dinner.

I always romanticize it in December. It’s often a little bit rich, often a little bit carby… Last year we had Broiled Creamy Bean & Squash Toasts. In a previous one it was actually a salad, but stacked with craggy croutons fried in olive oil, plus kimchi, a good amount of sharp cheddar, and a fried egg. (You can find this salad on page 124 of Start Simple). Pasta fits the bill, of course — Hetty’s Grilled Red Cabbage Carbonara-ish, as well as my Miso-Butter Spaghetti with Kale.

Such a meal is guided by an immediate craving, and made lovingly if a little sloppily. The ideal setting is when you’re just getting home from a holiday party and desperately need something to eat, but really want it to be good. I don’t think I’m even going to any cocktail parties this year (when was the last time I went to a cocktail party? I can’t recall), yet the spirit of the dish has such a hold.

Well, I’m about to lose you when I tell you where the craving took me this December. Basically I arrived at delicious, brown, mushy sludge. But isn’t that sometimes just what you want?

It started as a chunky sauce made from mashed up caramelized onions and cauliflower, into which I simmered a bunch of lentils and rich vegetable stock. I first used black lentils, which turned everything a murky shade, but later switched to green ones, which were a little tamer, looks-wise. In the serving bowl I placed a perfectly poached egg on top, as well as a guzzle of olive oil, and the seasonal craving was satisfied.

In subsequent tests of the recipe I thought it might seem more appealing if the cauliflower had more of its structural integrity in tact, so I streamlined things and eliminated the step of mashing it up. This way it’s easier to get a sense of what you’re eating. But know that you have options, and I spell them out below.

Here’s to December cravings — may all of yours be satisfied!

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Cauliflower Lentil Skillet Dinner