While the Water Boils

We all have those days when time is tight, energy is less, and the lure of the drive-thru is almost irresistible. Honestly this is not as fast as a drive-thru, but it is faster than anything sit down. It does take anchovies, so if you hate those little fishes, the drive-thru it is.

Quick Pasta:

Ingredients:
1 clove garlic minced, shopped, or smashed
olive oil
3 medium tomatoes chopped
handful parsley chopped
handful basil chopped
1 flat can anchovies
pasta of choice
hard cheese to shred over top
pepper

Directions:
Set water to boil. The sauce will take about 5 minutes, so time this according to your chopping speed and the size of your pasta.

Coat skillet with olive oil.

Add garlic and brown slightly. Garlic burns easily, so watch closely and don't cook on high.

Add chopped tomatoes and cook until hot through, and they start to soften. You will need to have your pasta cooking.

Pepper heavily.

Add anchovies and oil from the can to taste. Stir to break up anchovies.

Add herbs and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Serve over pasta and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Note:
Anchovies and cheese are both salty. Unless you are a salt fiend or that monster from classic Star Trek, skip the salt.

What's for Dinner?

We've all heard and asked that question a million times, and for me tonight was one of those nights. The weather was warm, and with rain promised for tomorrow, I wanted to walk my dog rather than cook. This left me in the kitchen after eight with nothing on the table.

Tonight I was perhaps lucky, as I had some leftovers I could turn into dinner. Don't groan. I promise I didn't serve a mishmash that looked like it belonged in the much maligned Chinese buffet, and casseroles that involve emptying the refrigerator have never been my thing. Tonight's leftovers were the stuffed peppers and the coleslaw freshened with a cheese quesadilla.

The quesadilla is today's grilled cheese: quick, easy, and suitable for picky children. Who doesn't like melted cheese? Tonight mine was very simple, cheese and pico de gallo. As I had other items on my plate, I used a single flour tortilla and folded it over rather than two halves. Of course, it wasn't gourmet. I used shredded cheddar, instead of a Mexican melting cheese, and it is a rare day when I make my own tortillas. Even with most of the ingredients straight from the store, I recommend using a skillet on the stove and not the microwave to heat your quesadilla. The microwave is a cruel beast to tortillas turning them soggy and chewy. A skillet to wash is a chap price for the golden brown spots and slight crispness. I do mine in a dry skillet, but a thin sheen of oil can also be used. Low to medium heat works best; too hot and you'll burn the outside while the cheese is still cold.

Dinner Anyone

Tonight I had simple: turkey burger, slaw, and pico de gallo. I thawed green chiles last week, and I'm trying to use them. This took 30 minutes from start to finish.

Retro and Modern Slaw:
1/2 package shredded cabbage and carrots or do your own
1/2 lime
large handful cilantro chopped
large spoonful mayonaise

Pour the cabbage mixture into a bowl. Add the cilantro. Stir with mayonnaise to bind. Squeeze 1/2 lime over bowl and mix. Put in refrigerator until you finish everything else.


Pico de Gallo
Use proportions to suit the number being fed.

tomatoes finely chopped
onion minced
garlic minced--I forgot this tonight.
mild pepper chopped
cilantro minced--I'm lazy and chop this instead of mincing, but I'm a cilantro fan.
hot pepper finely minced to taste
squirt of lime juice
salt

Mix everything together and you're good to go. I usually make this mild, but that's your choice.

Turkey Burger Dressed with Chile and Pico de Gallo

Simple, cook the burger until done. Obviously you can substitute the burger meat of your choice. I throw the green chile into the pan when I flipped the burger. Tonight I added smoked mozzarella, not the best cheese for this but what I had.

Oatmeal and the Microwave

Horrors of horrors people I sometimes eat instant oatmeal. It only takes a single bowl which makes me happy. I hate washing dishes, so getting cooking pots and pans dirty at breakfast is not my favorite. Today I had apple and cinnamon flavored by Better Oats. It wasn't as sweet as some, but I can't vouch for the cinnamon or the apples. It also over ran when I was preparing it, which was my bowl selection not the cereal's fault. I'd give it a score of adequate.

I go through tea drinking spells. I'm back on drinking tea after being on vacation in tea drinking countries. I have to say I found a teapot I just love. (Could I be more over the top.?) I first saw my little beauty at the Tate Modern cafeteria--small, clean lines, and bold colors. Amazon was my savior, and I could buy one here at a good price and no VAT. I finally have a teapot that lets me have loose leaf tea without drinking the leaves. It also makes just over two cups which is the perfect amount. I'll let you know how my tea drinking adventure goes.

Neglected

I'm back on a food kick, so I thought I'd pop in. If you haven't noticed, The New York Time has been on a slow food kick and practically berating its readers for not cooking at home. While I am single which perhaps lessens the homemaking burden I am curious at the feasibility of all home cooked meals. My tally for the last week was mostly at home with one dinner at a Frisch's and three lunches out during the work day. My at home dinners were simple, my most elaborate a weekend preparation of roasted turkey legs and vegetables, and my simplest smoke salmon, cheese, crackers, and a lettuce salad. Twice I resorted to old standbys, a quesadilla and a pizza made on a tortilla. Tonight I made stuffed peppers, fruit salad, and cheating rice using the sort that goes in the microwave.

Rice is super easy and microwaving it seems insane, but I'm trying to clear my pantry of less used items. I replaced my stove last winter and for several weeks I was microwave only and seemed to have collected numerous packets. My microwave then gave up the ghost, and I didn't replace it for months. Now I have both appliances working, and, well, ninety second rice is fast.

Stuffed peppers are not in my regular repertoire, but they came out OK. The rough recipe follows. I'm not a measurer.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly blister the poblano chiles over the gas flame. Assume you will need one per person. I short changed this and only slightly softened mine. I think this step could be skipped if you don't have gas.
Cut chiles in half and remove seeds.  Lay in backing dish.

Filling:
splash olive oil or other cooking oil
1/4 large onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
roasted green chiles chopped 3 or to taste
several tomatoes chopped
1 can beans rinsed and drained
cumin to taste
Mexican oregano or Mexican spice mix heavy on oregano to taste
handful of cilantro minced

Brown the onions in the oil.
Add the garlic and the spices. Toast lightly.
Add tomatoes and roasted green chiles before you burn the cumin.
Add beans.
Salt if needed. My beans were heavy on the salt, so no salt added.
Heat to a simmer and allow to blend for 5 plus minutes.
Stir in cilantro. Cook an additional minute and turn off heat.

Assembling:
Fill the pepper shells with the bean, chile, and tomato mixture.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and pepper is tender. If you're more successful with the flames than I was and blister the skin, less cooking time may be needed.

Serving:
I served mine with rice and yoghurt. I'm not a sour cream fan, but that is an option. My green chiles were medium, but if you have mild chiles, you could top with salsa for more spice.

Pizza Pizza

This is a quick and easy meal. I use one tortilla per person. The meal can be finished with a simple garden salad.

Ingredients:
Prepared tortilla
Splash of olive oil
Chopped garlic
Basil to taste
Tomato chopped--quantity to taste
Cheese--mozzarella is traditional
Toppings as desired

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Lightly oil both side of tortilla.
Add the garlic and the basil.
Cover with cheese. I cut mine in thin slices.
Top with tomatoes.
Tip: By putting the tomatoes on last, it prevents the pizza from getting soggy.
Cook no more than five minutes.

The Last of the Fall Harvest

There is a freeze warning for tonight; soon the outdoor basil will be no more, as well as the eggplants, peppers, and squash. I won't mourn the tomatoes until a month of eating the insipid fruit from the grocery as I have been inundated with them. This is a simple meal from my harvest.

Ingredients:
1 medium tomato chopped
1 baby squash chopped
1 baby eggplant chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 large red pepper chopped
1 small garden green pepper chopped
1 handful fresh basil chopped
Not Shown:
1 sprig rosemary
1 cup whole wheat orzo cooked as directed on box
olive oil
1/4 already cooked boneless chicken breast--optional
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Heat a small amount of oil in a medium skillet at low medium heat.
2. Saute the firm vegetables including the garlic about 3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add tomato and already cooked chicken if using it. Cook until tomato softens.
4. Remove from heat stir in orzo and chopped basil.

I served it with a green salad from my fall lettuces and a hand full of grapes.