Yellow Lemon Rice with Fried Cashews

Rice is a nutritious and versatile food that has been a staple around the world for millenia. It is easy and fast to prepare, depending on how creative the cook is feeling. The possibilities are endless and rice is tasty on its own with just a little butter or you can spice it up a bit like I did with this easy to prepare yellow rice with toasted cashews. For an especially satisfying meal, I suggest you serve this rice with spicy chickpea koftas and mushroom curry.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Miso and Lemon

Dinner planning can often be a chore in itself, and side dishes are sometimes the piece of the puzzle that can be rather elusive — strange as that sounds when a side can be something as easy as steamed or roasted vegetables with minimal seasonings, a simple salad, or an easy rice dish, to name just a few common approaches to fill out a meal. But depending on the meal you are planning, it can be enjoyable to dress up sides for something that's a bit more special. And when it is easy, such as this recipe for roasted Brussels sprouts, then all the better, especially if the seasonings complement the other components of the meal.

Tossed with white miso, lemon juice and just a few simple hot spices, the Brussels sprouts are roasted to a tender golden brown, just perfect for serving on the side with any meal that's looking for some bold, spicy and colorful flavors to add. If you like Brussels sprouts as much as I do, this will be a recipe you'll be turning to again and again.

Sun-Dried Tomato Penne with a Creamy Cashew Sauce

Pasta may not appear on my menu all that often, but because most pasta dishes are easy to put together and provide a creative template for flavors that suit one's tastes, I focused on some of my favorite flavors in this attractive penne dish. And accordingly, this one is bursting with strong and intense flavors. Tart sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and spinach, plenty of tangy lemon juice, and some heat from some hot chilies, all nicely balanced by a creamy and all vegan cashew sauce. This dish takes very little time to prepare, and if you are liberal with your choice of garnishes, then each mouthful is a veritable taste experience of intensity that you won't soon forget. This recipe just might end up on your monthly rotation of easy favorites.