Springy Beans with Marinated Artichokes and Sardines
A perfect pantry meal
My eating schedule recently has been awful. The number of times I forget to eat lunch or feel like I don’t have enough time to eat is countless. Then, 4 p.m. rolls around, and I have an inner battle: should I eat now or just wait for dinner?
This meal (and many recently) has been designed to be easily meal-prepped and simple to make so that I can start eating lunch at an appropriate time. Naturally, many of these meals revolve around my pantry, which has become my go-to shortcut for reducing cooking time and adding big flavor.
These spring-inspired beans have been one of my favorites so far. It starts with making a sauce from whatever I have lying around in my fridge. On this day, it was kale, spring onions, lamb’s quarters, and some herbs. Lamb’s quarters is one of my favorite spring greens. This wild spinach is technically a weed and can be found throughout Brooklyn, where I live. Despite this, it’s highly nutritious and delicious. Both the stems and leaves can be eaten raw, but I love it sautéed with garlic and lemon.
The pantry stars here are jarred artichokes, sardines, and some good canned beans. I’ve already written extensively about my love of a well-stocked pantry, so I won’t dive into it again. Just know that one of the greatest things you can do as a home cook is to stock your pantry with a variety of interesting and delicious shelf-stable products to use when you need a meal in a pinch.