These past few weeks I’ve not done lots of cooking. Constant Companion and I once again enrolled in the periodic seminar at the local Institute of Contemporary Art; this time Jamaican art, a topic of great interest to me. For three weeks our lives are put totally out-of-joint as we attended seminars on three successive evenings from 6:00 to 8:00, followed by a public lecture on the fourth evening. Not to say anything of the reading, too. And so, no cooking, and no eating right. Yes, I dropped out of the third week. It was too much.

So last week, I tried two dishes I’d saved that looked like they went well together, glazed sweet potatoes with lentils and cod with soy-caramelized onions and potatoes, both from Bon Appetite. Actually, I prepared them for two different meals. But they still seem to be a good pair.

Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Lentils (see 4/19/32 post for another sweet potato/lentil recipe). For this dish you need 2 large or 3 medium peeled sweet potatoes. Preheat the oven to 425, roast the potatoes on a rimmed sheet for about 45-55 minutes, cool.

In the meantime, cook 1 cup of black beluga lentils in boiling salted water, about 23-30 minutes. When cooled, toss lentils with 4 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar and some salt.

Cut 4 scallions crosswise into 3” lengths. Slice them thinly into matchsticks. Place in a bowl of cold water and set aside.

For the glaze, whisk together 2 tbsp of maple syrup (I used date syrup), 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp white miso, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp red pepper flakes (I omitted), 2 tbsp rice vinegar, and ¼ cup water.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Slice sweet potatoes into 2” pieces; cook, turning until deeply browned on all sides, 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat, add the glaze. Set over medium heat, cook, spooning the glaze over. Scrape onto a platter. Pat scallions dry and toss two thirds into the lentils, spoon around potatoes. Top with the rest of the scallions.

Cod with Soy-Caramelized Onions and Potatoes. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Add 2 medium sliced onions, season with salt and cover. Cook until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover, add ginger (1” piece, peeled and sliced into matchsticks or finely chopped), cook stirring occasionally until onions are golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Add 1 tsp soy sauce. Transfer onions to a plate, wipe skillet.

Pour 1 tbsp oil into skillet, add 1 russet potato, slided in ¼” rounds in a single layer, season with salt. Turn after about 5-6 minutes, they should be browned. Cook total of 10-12 minutes. Spread onions over potatoes. Season two 5-6 oz flaky white fish (I used cod) or salmon fillets with salt and place on top of onion mixture. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low. Cook til fish in opaque and flakes, 10-12 minutes. Serve topped with thinly sliced scallions and furikake.