Potato cubes with Garlic and herbs

Could be a side, could be a meal

1 potato, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 TBS Butter
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed and left whole
Salt
Fresh chopped herbs (parsley or sage or oregano)

Rinse potato and dry on paper towels

Melt butter in pan at medium heat, add potato, stir to coat and cover. Stir every three minutes for 9 minutes. Add Garlic, turn heat to low and stir every three minutes for 9 minutes

Add liberal amount of salt and herbs and serve


1 serving

20 minutes

Roasted Cauliflower with Pork and Black bean sauce

Cauliflower is kind of a blah vegetable but roasting it keeps its flavor and gives a nice texture. Cauliflower better a little underdone than over done

1 small head of cauliflower, stemmed and broken into flowerets
½ pound ground pork
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp fermented Chinese black beans, rinsed and chopped
1 TBS corn starch dissolved in ½ cup chicken broth
Red pepper flakes
Oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In oven proof pan, swill oil, add flowerets and stir to coat with oil.
Place in oven and roast 20- 30 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, until cauliflower begins to browns and become tender. When cauliflower is done, remove from oven.
While Cauliflower is roasting, heat oil in skillet and brown pork well, breaking up into small pieces. You want pork to be well browned and crunchy. Drain, leaving fat in pan and set aside.
When Cauliflower is out of oven, Heat oil in pan and add garlic, black beans and red pepper flakes. Stir for one minute.
Add corn starch mix and stir as it thickens. Add Cauliflower and pork to pan to warm and coat.

Serve with rice.
Serve with Asian chili garlic sauce like Sambal

2-4 servings

30-40 minutes

Ranch beans

Great for breakfast with eggs or for cheap dinner

Not good for vegetarians as the Bacon is critical

1 14 oz. can kidney beans
Onion, chopped
1-2 strips thick bacon, chopped (buy at deli counter or buy a pound and wrap and freeze the rest)
Water
Pepper

Chop bacon into ¼" strips

Heat pan over medium and saute bacon until well browned. Leave fat in pan. Add onions, stir to coat and cover. Cook for 3-5 minutes until softened and starting to brown. Add undrained beans and 1 can water. Add LOTS of black pepper.

Bring to boil and then simmer for 15 minutes until beans are soft.


1-2 servings

Can serve over toast to stretch it further.
OK to use hot sauce.
NOT good left over

1-2 servings

Frittata for Breakfast or Dinner

This basic recipe can be used with many variations. Buy eggs by the half dozen. you can chp leftover and serve on a salad.

2-6 eggs
2 TBS Butter
I cup chopped onion
2 TBS Parmesan

Break eggs into bowl and set aside

Preheat Broiler with shelf on highest rung.

Melt butter in pan over high heat.

When it starts to brown, stir in onions and cook, stirring occasionally 3 minutes.

Beat eggs in bowl and pour over onions.

If using gas stove, turn heat down to lowest. If using electric, turn heat to lowest and remove pan from burner for one minute, then return for 4 minutes. Let sit in pan for at least 5 minutes, until bottom of eggs set. If you do not have a broiler, put lid on pan now and wait for egg mix to set on top.

Place pan under broiler for one minute until top sets. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

2-4 servings
15 min

Variations:
With onions, you can add:
Chopped tomatoes
Jalapeños
Basil
chopped ham from deli

Good with Mexican bottled green sauce

Microwave risotto

Not the real thing, but way easier!

Olive oil
Byutter
1 onion chopped
1 cup Abrorio rice (you can use regular rice in a pinch)
2 14 oz cans broth

1. Put two TBS oil and 2 TBS butter in flat bottom casserole and Nuke for 2 minutes.
2. Chop one onion and stir in oil/butter and nuke for 4 minutes.
3. Put one cup Arborio rice into casserole, stir to coat and Nuke for 4 minutes
4. Add two 14 oz. cans of Chicken broth to casserole and nuke for 5 minutes. Stir and repeat. Stir and repeat again.
5. Now timing gets a little tricky. Should only need another 2-8 minutes. You judge by amount of liquid and consistency.
6. Added ¼ cup grated Parmesan and any other flavor ingredient (sautéed mushrooms, sautéed tomatoes, shrimp, radicchio, etc.)
7. Let sit for 3-5 minutes to settle and cool.

Peanut Butter Tofu

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Chinese chili-garlic sauce
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
• 1 package tofu, cubed
• 4 scallions, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup basil, use Thai basil if possible
• chili oil for drizzling

1. Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and sizzle briefly. Turn down heat. Carefully add chili-garlic sauce and fry until fragrant. Add fish sauce and simmer. Stir in peanut butter, so mixture forms a rough paste. Stir in hot water and sugar. Turn up heat and simmer
2. Stir in the tofu. Stir in green onions, cilantro, and basil and heat through. Drizzle with chili oil and serve with rice.

Ketchup Noodles

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup water
Minced Garlic
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Chile Garlic sauce
1 pound spaghetti
Chopped Cucumber
Sesame oil
Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Meanwhile, soften garlic in a little hot oil then add remaining ingredients except cucumber and sesame oil. Bring to boil, and then simmer. When spaghetti cooked, drain and add to sauce. Stir to coat.
Serve with cucumber, sesame oil and extra ketchup and Chile garlic sauce.
This is good cold for breakfast