the most versatile dish. ever.

protein. complex carbohydrates. unsaturated fat. vitamins. minerals. we know we need them, but it's an on-going struggle to eat enough of them every day and in the right proportions. i have a loose formula for a meal in which every ingredient can be traded out for another of similar nutritional content, ensuring you can get a wide range of all the aforementioned nutrients. roughly, it's: grain/starch, bean, green veggie, at least another veggie (usually 3).

i'll give a few examples; compare them to see what i mean by substituting ingredients. then i'll discuss when to add many of the common veggies to the fry pan so you can make your favorite combinations without under- or over-cooking anything.

1. cous cous, lentils, onion, garlic, hot peppers, bell peppers, carrot, tomato, kale
2. potatoes, chick peas, garlic, mushrooms, peppers, spinach
3. rice, black beans, corn, onion, tomato, mushroom, peppers, kale
4. cous cous, chick peas, toasted nuts, tomato, spinach, carrot

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1. cook cous cous and lentils separately, and separately from veggies.
-to make cous: in a small pot with a lid, boil 2/3 cup water. when it comes to a rolling boil, take it off the burner and turn it off, add 1/2 cup dry cous cous, shake the pot a bit so that it makes a smooth layer, and (quickly) replace the top for 2-5 minutes.
-to make lentils: i recommend red lentils for this because they cook fast. combine 1/2 cup red lentils in a small pot with 1 cup water. cook on medium heat until soft and creamy, stirring every so often so they don't stick. add more water if they do start to stick.
-order of the veggies mentioned above: in a pan with 1 Tb oil, before starting cous cous (so that you can throw the partially cooked veggies in with the cous cous while it's steaming-- saves energy), sautee on medium-high heat, starting with carrots and onions, peppers and mushrooms after about a minute or 2, then leafies like kale or spinach after another minute or 2.

2. cook potatoes & rest of veggies together, but potatoes a full 2 minutes or more before the rest. i haven't decided if steaming potatoes is faster than sauteeing, but you're welcome to try it either way. potatoes take a pretty long time to cook, so start them at least 2 minutes before the rest.

3. this is my broke ass attempt at something resembling a central american-themed dish if you're into that kind of food like i am.
-i'm assuming you're using canned beans, but if not, soak them in water in a large bowl on the counter in the morning or no earlier than the night before. cook them on medium/med-high heat with lid until soft, usually about 45 minutes? it really depends.
-combine twice as much water as rice in a pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook on low or simmer for about 25-30 minutes. i usually put the heat on high for a minute or 2 and then turn it down. don't stir or check it more than once, you have to keep in the steam.
-in a fry pan, add 1 T. oil and 1/2 an onion, chopped. turn the heat to medium-high (if you want more protein, this is where you could add 1/4 inch cubes of tofu) and sautee for about a minute before adding peppers and mushrooms.
-when veggies are cooked, turn off the heat and while it's still hot, add the beans and corn if you're using the canned versions. if you're cooking them yourself, you don't have to add them while the pan's hot, this is just to use residual heat for things that don't have to be cooked.
-add condiments like cilantro, salsa, citrus juice, nutritional yeast, cheese, vinegar, hot sauce, whatever...
4. i hope by now you get the idea. it won't take long to get a fair idea of the timing of each vegetable and gain and bean.