For “when you’re dead tired, don’t want to chop a thing, and are about to open that delivery app,” she offers a section of creative “lap dinners,” meant to easily scale down to serve one, and eat on the sofa while bingeing a favorite TV show. While I personally prefer to eat at a table, the whole chapter speaks to me. This recipe from the book is just one example of how little effort it can take to turn the most ordinary ingredients into a truly enticing meal.
It involves elements I nearly always have on hand, so common they might induce a yawn at first glance — a can of beans, some crusty bread, arugula. But culinary magic happens here when the bread is torn into craggy, bite-size pieces and toasted in olive oil, giving it a golden, crisp luxuriousness.
Next, the beans join the bread in the pan, where they warm through, and get seasoned with salt and crushed red pepper flakes. That warm, soft-and-crunchy duo is then tossed with a dressing of olive oil, lemon and mustard, absorbing the punchy flavors. A couple of handfuls of arugula join the party, and, voilà — dinner is ready.
It’s a meal that provides all the satisfaction and nourishment you could wish for, with no chopping required, and you can have it on the table — or your lap — in about 15 minutes.
