15 minute pasta with no leftovers,

Start with enough water for the amount of pasta you're cooking. Since this is a blog about cooking for one, I use 3-4 ounces of pasta and 3 cups of water. a teaspoon of salt makes it boil hotter.

1 Tomato cut into chunks. Broccoli crowns, wash and cut one or two handfuls, while waiting for the water to boil. Check the pasta package & the cooking time. Drop the pasta into the boiling water, and about 4 minutes before you finish cooking it, drop in the broccoli. Warm your plate by placing some water in it and microwave for 1 minute. Drain the pasta and broccoli together then place on your plate
Olive oil, 2-3 tablespoons. add to the pasta & broccoli, mix. add 1 tablespoon basil & 1/2 teaspoon oregano, several shakes of white pepper. mix. add grated Parmesan cheese or any cheese you have handy. Chunks of tomato go around the edge of the pasta. eat.

Double everything if you have company and add a sprig of parsley (if you have it) as a garnish.

surprising chili

I started this as a pasta sauce, thinking to use a bunch of mushrooms that sprouted from the mushroom kit I got at the Junior League Gift/Garden Show in Lacey, WA a week ago.

Parts list:

• olive oil
• an onion, chopped
• a clove garlic, chopped
• 2 sweet peppers (any color)
• two cans of S&W Santa Fe recipe cooked beans w/corn, peppers, spices. substitute cooked kidney, white beans, garbanzos, Pinto beans or anything you have handy
• one can of diced tomatoes
• ground or chunk turkey, chicken or any meat you want. Or no meat at all. I saw 1/2 pound of some kind of poultry in the freezer, that went in next--twasTurkey
• 3 tsp of Chili powder
• bunch of mushrooms, sliced.
• Carrots, any quantity, for color and if you have them.
  

Do this:
1-2 T. olive oil into a saucepan.
saute onion & garlic 'til onions are nicely heated.
adding a couple peppers (any color), sliced,
The turkey went in next.
cook them a bit then add the two cans of beans.

one can of diced tomatoes. heat up
add optional carrots.
3 tsp of Chili powder.
add mushrooms. heat up 5-10 min.

Eat up.


It is hard to overcook this mixture. You can serve over a bed of chopped spinach to round out your meal.

If you're from Cincinnati, you'll cook up some spaghetti pasta, drain it and top it with the chili, fresh diced white or yellow onion, some cheddar cheese and call it a four way. see http://www.skylinechili.com/menu.pdf Frankly, this dish stands on its own--who needs the spaghetti?

Spiced Peanut Butter

Most people just eat their peanut butter as is.  Not me.  I remember way back when somebody made a peanut butter with cinnamon swirls.  It never really caught on.  Here's what I do:

To an 18 oz jar of that runny natural smooth peanut butter (Adam's) I add:

Cayenne red pepper 1/4 t.

turmeric 2 t.

cumin 1 t.

coriander 1/4 t.

cardamom 1/4 t.

You could just add 3 t. of curry from the curry tin, but you don't know what you're getting and every brand has a different mix of spices in their curry.  I suggest halving the red pepper unless you already know how much heat (Scoville units?) you want in your peanut butter.

Today's veggie stew

approx. 1 # sliced potatoes.
4 oz sliced carrots
pressure cook these for 5 minutes in 10 oz (or so) of water. dump most of the water or start with 5 oz. I haven't worked this out yet.

add 2 cans of cooked black beans
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 T of cinnamon
2 T of paprika
1 tsp of white pepper.

stir and heat til it just begins to boil. Add a cup  or more of sliced celery, but don't cook it. you're done.

Eat as is or with grated cheese. With sourdough bread if you have it.

Bread machine variations

anything goes. today: just a handfull of poppy seeds to the half wheat-half white loaf.
Last week:
2 Tablesp of caraway seeds
1 T turmeric
4 T slivered almonds

Last month:
a HOT spicy loaf with
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin

The last two produce a yellow loaf. both toast and go down well with butter or olive oil.  If you're open-minded, you'll try slices of the last loaf with peanut butter.  Of course, those who know me have seen me with spiced peanut butter and Whole Wheat bread sandwiches.