Cooking - Simple Recipes
As an alternative to rice, I've started using oatmeal in "dinner" recipes. This may sound crazy, but I highly recommend:
3 parts oats
3 parts water (or broth)
2 parts celery
2 parts carrots
2 parts onions
salt
pepper
The uniform celery, carrots, and onions combination is a base item to soups; sometimes these are generically referred to as a mirepoix. They are good combined in anything salty, in my opinion.
The key here is that oats are just as good in a salty or spicy environment. I eat my oats in much weirder combinations, but I offer this more normal looking recipe for starters .
3 parts oats
3 parts water (or broth)
2 parts celery
2 parts carrots
2 parts onions
salt
pepper
The uniform celery, carrots, and onions combination is a base item to soups; sometimes these are generically referred to as a mirepoix. They are good combined in anything salty, in my opinion.
The key here is that oats are just as good in a salty or spicy environment. I eat my oats in much weirder combinations, but I offer this more normal looking recipe for starters .
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@Q ahh, laziness is the mother of all things simplistic...just ask any computer programmer, we're all pretty lazy.
My most recent simple recipe:
Cook up a pound of lentils with the full intentions of making some lovely recipe involving rice and numerous spices in your cabinet. While lentils are cooking, watch TV or read your favorite blogs. When timer dings, decide you don't want lentils for dinner, put them in refrigerator and throw together a PB&J sandwich instead. While rushing to get to work the next morning, throw a cup of lentils in a container and sprinkle with a good dose of 'Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning'. In the middle to the day, at some point between back to back meetings, heat lentils for 1:20 minutes in crazy industrial strength microwave. YUUUUUUMMMMM.
My most recent simple recipe:
Cook up a pound of lentils with the full intentions of making some lovely recipe involving rice and numerous spices in your cabinet. While lentils are cooking, watch TV or read your favorite blogs. When timer dings, decide you don't want lentils for dinner, put them in refrigerator and throw together a PB&J sandwich instead. While rushing to get to work the next morning, throw a cup of lentils in a container and sprinkle with a good dose of 'Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning'. In the middle to the day, at some point between back to back meetings, heat lentils for 1:20 minutes in crazy industrial strength microwave. YUUUUUUMMMMM.
I really like to make Alton Brown's pancake recipe. There's a couple extra steps, so it wouldn't fall under 'simple recipes', but MMMMMMMMM.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alto ... index.html
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alto ... index.html
Another regular breakfast for me -
oatmeal
frozen blueberries
couple spoonfuls of strawberry yogurt
spoonful of natural peanut butter
Can be made in a couple minutes in the microwave or 5 or so on the stove. I like the yogurt for a little extra sugar/sweetness, and the peanut butter provides a little protein and helps keep me from feeling too hungry until my next meal. Hardest part for me is finding inexpensive blueberries.
oatmeal
frozen blueberries
couple spoonfuls of strawberry yogurt
spoonful of natural peanut butter
Can be made in a couple minutes in the microwave or 5 or so on the stove. I like the yogurt for a little extra sugar/sweetness, and the peanut butter provides a little protein and helps keep me from feeling too hungry until my next meal. Hardest part for me is finding inexpensive blueberries.
Courgette & Lemon pasta
Quick, cheap (especially if you grow your own) & tastes great. Quantities below serve 2 but I'm told I eat a lot.
200g pasta
1 small onion
1 garlic clove
3 courgettes
1 lemon
a handful of cherry tomatoes
Crush the garlic, thinly slice the onion & courgettes, quarter the tomatoes, juice & zest the lemon.
Boil the pasta (obviously).
Fry the onion & garlic in olive oil until soft.
Add courgettes to the pan until they start to go golden
Add the tomatoes, lemon juice & zest.
Toss with the pasta
Optional add parmesan to serve
Quick, cheap (especially if you grow your own) & tastes great. Quantities below serve 2 but I'm told I eat a lot.
200g pasta
1 small onion
1 garlic clove
3 courgettes
1 lemon
a handful of cherry tomatoes
Crush the garlic, thinly slice the onion & courgettes, quarter the tomatoes, juice & zest the lemon.
Boil the pasta (obviously).
Fry the onion & garlic in olive oil until soft.
Add courgettes to the pan until they start to go golden
Add the tomatoes, lemon juice & zest.
Toss with the pasta
Optional add parmesan to serve
My favorite easy recipes are stir fry and burritos. These are the easiest things to make if you don't know how to cook and ready in 5-10 minutes if you do. I'm vegetarian, but you could add meat to the stir fry and burritos as you like.
Stir fry:
wok oil or flavorless vegetable oil
vegetables: broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, snow peas, bell pepper (best if fresh, not frozen)
sauce: vegetable broth, cornstarch
bonus: seitan, tofu, or meat
Cooked rice
Chop the broccoli, snowpeas, and bell pepper (and optional protein) into bite-size pieces. Slice the carrots and mushroom thinly. Lightly oil your wok or frying pan and heat over high. Add vegetables. Stir frequently until lightly cooked but still crisp. If cooking protein, remove the vegetables from the pan, add protein, and stir fry until done. Turn heat to medium. Return veggies to the pan. Hollow out the middle and add broth with a little cornstarch to thicken (or bottled sauce if you prefer). Cook until hot again. Serve over rice. Variations: you can use a lot of different vegetables here depending on your preference or what's on sale.
Burritos:
Warm cooked rice (seasoned is best, but plain is fine too)
Warm black beans (cooked or canned)
Salsa
Avocado
Shredded cheese
Flour tortilla
Bonus: sour cream, hot sauce, bell peppers, jalepenos, seitan, meat
Slice avocado. Sprinkle cheese over the tortilla. Microwave for 30 seconds. Add rice and beans. Spoon over salsa. Add slices of avocado. Fold tortilla. Enjoy. I eat burritos all the time. Mix it up with the bonus ingredients, different kinds of rice, refried beans instead of black - they're very forgiving.
Stir fry:
wok oil or flavorless vegetable oil
vegetables: broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, snow peas, bell pepper (best if fresh, not frozen)
sauce: vegetable broth, cornstarch
bonus: seitan, tofu, or meat
Cooked rice
Chop the broccoli, snowpeas, and bell pepper (and optional protein) into bite-size pieces. Slice the carrots and mushroom thinly. Lightly oil your wok or frying pan and heat over high. Add vegetables. Stir frequently until lightly cooked but still crisp. If cooking protein, remove the vegetables from the pan, add protein, and stir fry until done. Turn heat to medium. Return veggies to the pan. Hollow out the middle and add broth with a little cornstarch to thicken (or bottled sauce if you prefer). Cook until hot again. Serve over rice. Variations: you can use a lot of different vegetables here depending on your preference or what's on sale.
Burritos:
Warm cooked rice (seasoned is best, but plain is fine too)
Warm black beans (cooked or canned)
Salsa
Avocado
Shredded cheese
Flour tortilla
Bonus: sour cream, hot sauce, bell peppers, jalepenos, seitan, meat
Slice avocado. Sprinkle cheese over the tortilla. Microwave for 30 seconds. Add rice and beans. Spoon over salsa. Add slices of avocado. Fold tortilla. Enjoy. I eat burritos all the time. Mix it up with the bonus ingredients, different kinds of rice, refried beans instead of black - they're very forgiving.
Just made Zucchini Carbonara the other night from a recipe in Men's Health.
Basic recipe for 3-4 servings:
1) dice and fry a few slices of bacon until almost done
2) dice up 1 or 2 zucchini, saute with bacon until slightly brown
3) meanwhile, mix about 1/4 cup little cream (I used half and half) with an egg and some parmesan cheese until saucy
4) toss cooked pasta (fettucine or linguini work best) with sauce and bacon/zucchini mix
Very tasty.
Basic recipe for 3-4 servings:
1) dice and fry a few slices of bacon until almost done
2) dice up 1 or 2 zucchini, saute with bacon until slightly brown
3) meanwhile, mix about 1/4 cup little cream (I used half and half) with an egg and some parmesan cheese until saucy
4) toss cooked pasta (fettucine or linguini work best) with sauce and bacon/zucchini mix
Very tasty.
chicken adobo (filipino version)
chicken (drumsticks or cut up breast)
1 part soy sauce
1 part vinegar
1 part water
recommended seasoning: bay leaves, garlic, peppercorn, paprika
Throw everything into a pot, bring to a boil then simmer for about 45 minutes. Serve over rice.
269 characters, so 2 tweets. If the sauce ends up too strong for your taste, add more water or vary the ratios (I've seen anywhere from 1:2 to 2:1 soy sauce:vinegar). Also you can add some cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
chicken (drumsticks or cut up breast)
1 part soy sauce
1 part vinegar
1 part water
recommended seasoning: bay leaves, garlic, peppercorn, paprika
Throw everything into a pot, bring to a boil then simmer for about 45 minutes. Serve over rice.
269 characters, so 2 tweets. If the sauce ends up too strong for your taste, add more water or vary the ratios (I've seen anywhere from 1:2 to 2:1 soy sauce:vinegar). Also you can add some cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
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