ON THIS WEEK’S episode of Dinner SOS, test kitchen director and host Chris Morocco is joined by test kitchen editor Kendra Vaculin to help caller Sarah find vegetarian recipes that she’s excited to cook.
Sarah is a doctor and is always telling her patients to follow the Mediterranean diet of healthy fats, whole grains, and lots of produce. Meanwhile, she admits that she and her husband eat a diet of almost exclusively pasta and butter. They’ve set a goal to eat more vegetables and are on a hunt for easy vegetable-forward recipes that don’t require a ton of time to make and are kid-friendly.
Chris calls in Kendra for an assist—Kendra also loves pasta but has a knack for veggie-filled recipes that are packed with flavor but are also simple enough for a weeknight dinner. Kendra suggests her recipe for Tomatoes and Feta with Chickpeas, a one sheet-pan meal with jammy roasted tomatoes, crispy chickpeas, and melty feta cheese. This recipe also ensures speedy post-dinner cleanup with just one pan used for cooking. Chris shares a recipe by test kitchen editor Rachel Gurjar for Crispy Tofu with Peanut Sauce and recommends serving the saucy, flavor-packed dish with rice for an especially filling meal. Chris also tries to tempt Sarah back to the pasta side by sneakily suggesting a pasta dish as well, Brothy Pasta with Chickpeas.
Listen now to see if Sarah can broaden her horizons and break out of the pasta zone (at least every once in a while).