You Don’t Have to Want to Cook

But here’s why cookbook author Gena Hamshaw thinks it's still worth doing.

I like to think about cooking as a creative act and a source of joy.

But sometimes your work life is demanding; the stresses of the world are unrelenting. Cooking just doesn’t feel inspiring—or even possible.

My conversation for this week’s show with cookbook author Gena Hamshaw fundamentally transformed how I’m thinking about those moments.

Gena—a registered dietician who works long hospital hours in addition to her private practice, and is also the author of Power Plates, The Vegan Week, and, most recently, A Grain, A Green, A Bean—says she actually felt a burst of freedom when she gave herself permission to not feel inspired: “I don’t have to enjoy cooking all the time. I don’t have to want to do it,” she says.

But, she emphasizes: “I really like the end result of it almost always, though.”

The structure and habit of meal prep, she says, supports her through difficult times. “Meal planning is actually the thing that helps me get through those phases,” she says. Gena walks us through the routine of weekend prep that keeps her fed—and how she avoids Thursday dinner boredom.

Gena also shares her hands-off method for baking whole grains in the oven, her advice advice for anyone who wants to eat more plant-based meals, and the store-bought shortcuts she appreciates most during busy weeks.

She also offers this reminder: “Time is also a really expensive ingredient and sometimes spending a little bit more on something that, yes, of course, you could make yourself from scratch will save you a lot of time. That can be time that you put toward work or toward your loved ones or toward rest. And that’s really important too.”

We chatted about Gena’s most comforting weeknight favorites, like spaghetti with red lentil pomodoro, and freezer-friendly, versatile sauces like the easy red pepper number reprinted from her new book below. Simmer some with a can of butter beans, wilt in some spinach, and get your pita for dunking.

Win a copy of A Grain, A Green, A Bean

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Gena mentioned:

Gardein meatballs
Franklin Farms Mediterranean Tofu
Freekeh
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield (Bookshop here)
The Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen (Bookshop here)
Angelica Home Kitchen by Leslie McEachern (Bookshop here; also on Abe Books here)
The Real Food Daily Cookbook by Anne Gentry (e-book on Bookshop here; Abe Books here)
Vegan With a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (Bookshop here; Abe Books here)
The New Laurel’s Kitchen by Laurel Robertson, Carol L. Flinders, and Brian Ruppenthal (Bookshop here; AbeBooks here)
Ina Garten’s Parker’s Split Pea Soup
Alexandra Stafford’s Bread Toast Crumbs (Bookshop here)
Alexandra Stafford’s Chickpea Taco Bowls (Alexandra’s Kitchen)
Alexandra Stafford’s Favorite Lentil Soup (Alexandra’s Kitchen)
Find Gena on her website and Instagram

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Photo: Ashley McLaughlin

Red Pepper Sauce

Excerpted from A Grain, A Green, A Bean, copyright © 2025 by Gena Hamshaw. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group.

I can’t think of a harder working pantry item than a jar of roasted red peppers. Simultaneously tangy, salty, briny, and sweet, marinated and roasted red peppers add concentrated flavor to pasta, salads, or pilafs in an instant. They also can be used to make this creamy sauce, which is ubiquitous in my home. Pour the sauce onto a plate of warm turmeric rice, use it to simmer some plump butter beans (see below), or mix it with pasta as a refreshing alternative to marinara sauce. The possibilities are endless!

Makes 2 cups / 480ml

1 (16-ounce / 450g) jar roasted red peppers, drained
¼ cup / 60ml olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons roughly chopped shallot or red onion
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce is smooth. The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 6 weeks.

Saucy Red Pepper Butter Beans and Spinach With Warm Pita

Excerpted from A Grain, A Green, A Bean, copyright © 2025 by Gena Hamshaw. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group.

Makes 4 servings

This bean, green, and bread meal is one of the best recipes you can make with my Red Pepper Sauce. I love that this recipe requires no chopping or sautéing of vegetables. You simply combine the sauce and two cans of butter beans in a skillet, bring the sauce to a simmer, and wilt in some baby spinach. While you do that, you can heat some fluffy pita bread in the oven. Cut the warm pita into soft wedges and use those pieces to scoop up the saucy bean mixture. I recommend serving this dish with a big green salad for a relaxed summer supper, or you can enjoy it as is for a quick and easy lunch.

4 white or whole-wheat pita breads or pocketless pitas (such as Angel brand pocketless)
1 batch (2 cups / 480ml) Red Pepper Sauce (see above)
3 cups / 480g cooked butter beans, or 2 (15-ounce / 425g) cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
5 ounces / 150g fresh baby spinach
1 to 2 tablespoons harissa paste (or generous pinch of red pepper flakes)

Preheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C. Wrap the pitas in foil and let them warm in the oven while you proceed with the recipe.

Combine the sauce and beans in a large skillet. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then turn the heat to low. Simmer the beans, uncovered, for 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a little. Add the spinach, stirring as you go, until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes, then allow the greens to simmer with the beans for another 2 minutes, until the spinach is tender. Add some harissa paste to taste.

Divide the saucy beans and greens among four bowls. Cut the pitas into quarters and serve four quarters with each bowl, for scooping. The saucy beans and greens will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Photo: Ashley McLaughlin

Spaghetti, Red Lentil Pomodoro, and a Greek Salad

Excerpted from A Grain, A Green, A Bean, copyright © 2025 by Gena Hamshaw. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group.

Makes 4 servings

If I could have one meal for the rest of my life, I’d choose to eat a big green salad and a bowl of hot spaghetti pomodoro, along with a glass of wine and a slice of chocolate cake for dessert. Pasta with some kind of tomato sauce and a seasonal salad is the meal I order most often in restaurants, and I never get sick of it. When I make this meal at home, I add red lentils to the pomodoro sauce for a boost. The lentils give the dish more texture and more protein, and they make it a little more filling than it would otherwise be.

SPAGHETTI
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small or ½ large white or yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-ounce / 800g) can whole peeled tomatoes, with juices
½ teaspoon cane sugar, agave nectar, or pure maple syrup (optional)
½ cup / 90g dried red lentils
½ teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1 cup / 240ml water
½ cup / 10g tightly packed chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
Freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces / 340g spaghetti (or other pasta)

GREEN SALAD
8 cups / 280g Little Gem or baby butter lettuce leaves
2 tablespoons finely snipped fresh chives
3 tablespoons olive oil, or more as needed
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon champagne vinegar, or more as needed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, or more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Prepare the spaghetti: Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed medium pot over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion. Sauté, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, until the onion is tender and cooked down. Add the garlic to the pot and cook for 1 minute, until very fragrant, stirring constantly.

2. Add the tomatoes to the pot. Use a wooden spoon to gently crush the tomatoes. Add the sweetener (if using), lentils, ½ teaspoon salt, and the water to the pot. (The sweetener helps temper the acidity of the tomatoes.) Bring the mixture to a simmer, then turn the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the lentils are tender. Every 5 minutes or so, uncover the pot, give the sauce a stir, and re-cover; red lentils tend to stick to cookware and burn easily, so watch carefully. When the sauce is ready, stir the basil into the sauce. Taste the sauce and add pepper and any additional salt to taste.

3. While the sauce is cooking, fill a heavy-bottomed large pot with salted water. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package instructions, or to your desired texture. Drain the spaghetti.

4. Prepare the salad: Add the lettuces and chives to a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, and salt. Pour the dressing over the salad greens and toss well. Taste and add pepper and additional salt, oil, or vinegar to your liking.

5. Divide the cooked spaghetti among four shallow bowls, then top each portion with one-fourth of the sauce and some basil leaves. Serve each bowl with one-fourth of the lettuce salad. The sauce can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge and frozen for up to 6 weeks. The pasta can be cooked and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend making the salad just before serving it.

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