Oh boy. This is slightly modified Indian Dal recipe from Nigella Lawson of the NYT.  Wonderful with Jasmine rice on the side. "Dal" is an Indian word for a thick soup made with "pulses": lentils, peas or beans. (modified October 2020)

Ingredients:
One medium sweet potato, about 10 ounces, chopped
One medium yellow or red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 quarter sized pieces of fresh ginger, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup red lentils
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (or 8 oz. can tomato sauce)
1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, cumin seed, coriander seed, ground ginger, and 1 teaspoon salt.
1/4 teaspoon each black pepper and cayenne . Grind all the spices together in a mortar and pestle.
About one and a quarter cup water or vegetable stock ( adjust for proper consistency)
1 can coconut milk
For the rice: 1/2 cup jasmine rice, 1 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, some black pepper and a little curry powder. Bring to a boil in a small saucepan, cover, turn to lowest simmer, cook for 20 minutes without peeking, turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

Directions:
In your soup pot saute the sweet potato, onion, garlic and ginger in the olive oil for about ten minutes, or until the onions are transparent
Add the spices and the lentils and stir until coated with oil
Add the tomatoes, water and coconut milk
Heat until boiling, then reduce to a simmer
(Pause for a minute to get the rice going) 
Cook the dal mixture about 35 minutes, checking and stirring to prevent the dal sticking to bottom of pan. Turn off the heat, use a potato masher or stick blender to break up and mix the ingredients. The consistency should be like a very thick soup or a puree.
Serve the dal with the rice on the side, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt and some cilantro and cayenne pepper for color.

Another very simple and surprising meal. And it is so good for you that you will live into your 90's and die in your sleep after winning the charity dance marathon. This and recipe #30 really work well served on  toasted garlic rubbed sourdough or French bread (Revised September 2020)

Ingredients:
Two cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
One half of a 7oz. jar of sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
Half a 12oz. bag of chopped kale
Three cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
Half or more teaspoon salt, fresh ground black pepper, cayenne pepper

Directions:
In a large bowl add the beans, chopped tomatoes, two tablespoons of the oil from the tomatoes, the vinegar, salt, pepper and cayenne, and mix.
In your wok or deep sauce pan saute the garlic in two tablespoons olive oil, then add the kale and two tablespoons water. Saute the kale until wilted, just a minute or two. Stir in  the bean mixture and heat and sir until mixture is hot. Add a little water if needed. Serve over garlic rubbed toasted sourdough or other thick sliced bread.

A wonderful soup. You can experiment with toppings. (Revised September 2020)

Ingredients:
One 14 to 16 oz. package of frozen corn, yellow or white, or both
3/4 pound red potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
One medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 quarter size pieces fresh ginger, minced
Two serrano or jalapeno chilies, sliced thin, or red pepper flakes, or cayenne, all to taste. The soup should be a little spicy.
3 tablespoons olive oil
One can full fat coconut milk
2 cups vegetable stock or water
One teaspoon plus of salt
Lime wedges for squeezing, and chopped pickled jalapenos for garnish

Directions:
Saute the onions, garlic, ginger and peppers in the olive oil a few minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1/2 hour.
When you are ready, use your potato masher or an immersion blender to thicken the soup.
Garnish with the pickled jalapeno and squeeze some lime while you eat.

This is a once a week favorite. Try it with different beans and pastas. Always satisfying. Great with a poached egg on top. (Revised October 2020)

Ingredients:
One can (drained and rinsed) of cannelloni, red or black beans
One pint container of cherry tomatoes, halved (around 10 to 12 oz.)
One half large onion
Three cloves garlic, minced
2 cups dried pasta, medium shells, penne, cellentani or similar,
One half teaspoon salt, more to taste
Ground pepper
Optional ground hot pepper flakes or cayenne
Chunk of Parmesan for grating
One cup chopped cilantro.

Directions:
Saute the onions and garlic, add the tomatoes, salt and pepper (and pepper flakes) and cook covered on low until the tomatoes dissolve, about 10 minutes or a little more. Add the beans, and cook another ten minutes. Check and stir every 5 minutes or so to be sure the tomato mixture does not stick to the pan. Turn off the heat, and when you  are ready, start the pasta.
Cook the pasta al dente, add to the tomato and beans. cook, stir, turn off the heat and mix in most of the cilantro.

Serve with cilantro garnish and grated Parmesan. We like Parmigiano Reggiano. Adding a poached egg makes this dish super.

 This has been moving up the charts at our house. A fun change, and really easy. Really. (Edited September 7, 2020)

Ingredients:
The zest and juice of one lemon
1/2 small container of full fat Ricotta (about a cup)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 pound large shells or any pasta you are fond of.

Directions:
While you are boiling the salted water for your pasta, mix the cheeses, the lemon juice and the zest in your large sauce pan or wok. No heat required. I like to add a half teaspoon of salt, fresh pepper and a little cayenne too.
A few minutes before your pasta is done, take 1/3 cup of the pasta water and mix it with the cheese mixture.
When the pasta is done, drain it, then blend it into the cheese mixture. Done. Serve and garnish with black pepper and a few hot pepper flakes.

There may be better sandwiches, and perhaps faster to make sandwiches, but there is no better tasting, faster to make sandwich.  An unexpectedly rewarding texture. The ingredients are important.

Ingredients:
Arnold or Pepperidge Farm seeded rye
Skippy Chunky peanut butter
Claussen Kosher dill sandwich slice pickles

Directions:
There is debate whether to coat both or one slice. I like both.

Now my vice of choice. A coconut variation of the 666er. (Revised 6/9/20)

Ingredients:
Ghiradelli 60% dark chocolate baking chips
Baker's sweet coconut flakes,
Maybe a little coarse salt.

Directions:
Put about an ounce of chips in as many baking cups as you like, put the cups on a plate and microwave for two or three minutes, until just melted (All microwaves are different)
Take out and stir about a pinch of coconut flakes into each cup using  a toothpick. Add a pinch of coarse salt if you like. Cool. Freeze. Despair.

A tangy mostly yogurt dressing and almost total nutrition make this a very easy lunch or dinner. You have to chill it for best flavor and texture. A slaw for survivalists: if you keep these ingredients in the bunker you can probably make it to the End of Days.

Ingredients:
One small cabbage, enough to make about a pound sliced. Slice it thinly like cole slaw.
One can of red kidney beans drained and rinsed
One half pound of pasta
One half red onion sliced thinly and chopped once or twice
One carrot grated
1/2 cup Greek yogurt, whole milk works best
1/4 cup Hellman's Original mayonnaise (not low fat) 

Directions:
For the dressing combine 1/2 cup Greek yogurt with 1/4 cup Hellman's mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons cider vinegar, one tablespoon sugar, one teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper. Whisk together with a fork.
Cook the pasta in salted water until done, drain and rinse with cold water. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients with the dressing, and chill for at least a half an hour. It is even better the next day.

Spanish Brown lentils are available in some specialty stores, but you don't need them for this recipe. They just sound tastier. Use any color lentil but red, which get mushy. This is the only simple lentil salad recipe that I actually want to eat, not just take to the pot luck fund raiser. (Updated 6/4/20)

Ingredients:
One cup of brown or green lentils (You can buy Spanish Pardina brown lentils direct from the farm, Look up Palouse Brand)
2 1/2 cups water
Half a small red onion chopped
One small red bell pepper chopped
One cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, de-seeded with a spoon, the halves cut into 1/2"strips, then chopped 1/4" long.
2 cups parsley leaves.
Feta cheese for garnish
Romaine lettuce or other green as bed for serving optional

Directions:
Cook the lentils in the 2 1/2 cups water or stock with  1/2 teaspoon salt for 30-35 minutes, then put in a colander, rinse with cold water and let sit until you are ready.
Make the dressing: Combine 5 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, one clove of garlic finely minced or put through a press, 1 full teaspoon Dijon mustard, and a little more than a 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and sugar, and whisk to combine.
When you are all set, combine the lentils, the vegetables and the dressing, serve and garnish with some feta cheese.
A bed of greens for serving is a nice addition, Romaine, Iceberg, or baby spinach.

 Served at room temperature or chilled, this is a great meal year round. The dressing  mixes with the Romaine/celery while you eat. (Revised 5/23/20)

Ingredients:
One cup dried small pasta
Two cans (drained and rinsed) or 3 cups cooked white (Cannellini) beans
One bunch of scallions, green parts, sliced half inch long
1/2 cup or more Kalamata olives, roughly chopped (you can get a cool little barrel of them from Amazon.)
Handful cherry tomatoes, halved
One head of packaged Romaine hearts, cut crosswise into 1/2" strips, then halved lengthwise
2" of a celery bunch cut crosswise into quarter inch slices.

For the dressing: Add 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon each of sugar and salt, black pepper to taste and a tablespoon of Dijon or Spicy Brown mustard to 5 tablespoons of olive oil and  2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or vinegar. Whisk with a fork.

Directions:
Cook the pasta, rinse and add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, (except the lettuce and celery),
and mix with the dressing.
Divide the Romaine and celery mixture into two large serving bowls. Push the lettuce to the edges of the bowl. Heap the Provencal mixture in the centers of the bowls and serve.
Hint: In the summer you can slice off kernels of fresh corn and then add them into the pasta pot for the last minute of cooking,  rinse both the pasta and corn in a colander and add to the dish.

If you can find ripe tomatoes, this is great. No cooking except for the pasta. Thanks to Rose Shulman for the inspiration.

Ingredients:
3/4 pound ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 can of small red beans or your bean of choice, rinsed and drained
1 cup of Ditalini pasta. You can use any small pasta or pearl couscous. I liked the sound of Ditalini.
One large garlic clove, finely minced or put through a press.
1/3 cup chopped basil
1/2 cup chopped red onion
A couple scallions, white parts chopped, green parts 1/2"
Romaine, Spinach or Iceberg to make a bed of greens in your bowl.
A sprinkling of feta cheese

Directions:
In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil and scallions with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of salt and some fresh black pepper. Let it sit at least 15 minutes while you make your pasta. Stir a few times.
When you are ready put the beans in a colander, dump the cooked pasta on top, rinse both with cold water. Then add the pasta and beans to the tomato mixture, and mix well. Make a bed of  greens in your bowl, add the mixture, and crumble some feta on top.

Partially mashed white beans make a sauce for this perfect combination of tastes and textures. (Updated April 2021). We have this a lot.

Ingredients:
8 oz. small pasta, your choice
One can Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup grated Parmesan. Grate it fine enough so it will mix and melt easily on the pasta and beans.
One small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
One small lemon (juice and zest)
One large or two small bunches of parsley, about 3+ cups of leaves chopped.
1/2 teaspoon salt, pinch of hot pepper flakes, ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 cups water or vegetable stock

Directions:
Combine the parsley, Parmesan and lemon juice and zest in a bowl
Saute the onion, garlic, pepper flakes salt and pepper until the onion is soft, a few minutes.
Add the beans and stock, bring to a boil, and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, and mash about half the beans to thicken the sauce. Then cook the pasta until almost done, drain and add to the sauce. Bring heat up to just a boil, stir, turn off the heat, cover, and let the pasta and bean liquid sit for 3 or 4 minutes while the pasta finishes cooking and absorbs the extra liquid.
Add the bowl of parsley, cheese and lemon, stir, and serve with additional Parmesan if it suits you.

 The highway to diet hell is paved with these dark chocolate treats. Three and a half minutes from start to perdition.

Ingredients:
Ghiradelli 60% dark chocolate baking chips
Crumbled nuts (peanuts, almonds, whatever)
Salt

Directions: (Revised)
Put about an ounce of chocolate chips in a small paper muffin cup (Betty Crocker, 50 to a package).. Put cups on a plate, put plate in microwave for two to three minutes. You want the chips to just melt. Take out, add some nuts, mix with a toothpick, sprinkle a little coarse salt on top, cool and freeze.
The first one is free. Don't eat the paper.
(Actually, we have found the silicone baking cups work very well)

Almost worthwhile getting a cold so you can have this. Use any noodle or mushroom you like. Don't make it if you are horrified of salt.

Ingredients:
One pound of mushrooms chopped very coarsely
Half a pound of noodles, your choice
One medium onion, chopped fine
4 cloves of garlic, minced
One small bunch of scallions, chopped fine. Leave 4" of green parts and cut them 1/2" for garnish
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup good soy sauce. Low sodium soy sauce is not good soy sauce, OK?
1/4 cup rice or red wine vinegar
3 cups vegetable stock or water. Add more if you want a weaker broth

Directions:
In your wok or deep pan saute the garlic, onions, scallions and pepper flakes on medium-high heat, then add the chopped mushrooms. Cook and stir the mushrooms until they lose most of their water and are browned, about ten minutes.
Add the soy sauce, vinegar, water or vegetable stock and sesame oil, and cook at a simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and relax. When you have finished your drink, put your noodles in boiling salted water and cook until almost done. Drain and add them to the broth, and cook for a minute or two.
Put the noodles into your bowls with tongs, then ladle the mushroom broth on top, and add the scallion slices.

'
Fast and fun, and close enough to the real thing.  It's good with the eggs, but you can do without. (Edited February 2020)

Ingredients:
Half pound of angel hair pasta ( I break the package in half to make the pieces manageable)
1 lime. Use half for sauce and cut other half into thin wedges for squeezing.
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1/3 cup peanuts, crushed in your mortar and pestle
3 scallions, white parts sliced fine, green parts 1" long.
One carrot,  grated
2 Cups or more of Mung Bean sprouts. If they are packaged, make sure they should be white and crisp. (We just started sprouting our own from seed so we could be sure of freshness.)

Sauce: Mix together the juice of half the lime, one tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, 3 tablespoons good soy sauce, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or a squirt of Sriracha sauce.

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in your wok or deep saucepan, crack the eggs on the oil, turn off the heat, and just let them sit there. They should partially cook with nice white edges. Relax.
When you are ready, cook the pasta. Drain and put directly on the eggs. Then turn on the heat,  medium high, and stir and cook just a minute or two until the eggs are done. Then turn off the heat, add the vegetables and the sauce, combine everything well, and serve with the crushed peanuts and lime wedges, which are important.

Mac&Cheese for Italian Nobility. This is what it looks like before firing up this really easy Sunday night treat. Butter, whole milk, Parmesan: What's a matta? You scared? Mmmmm.

Ingredients:  (Pay attention to pasta and liquid measurements.)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces Linguini pasta
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper is a nice optional addition)
3 cups water
On cup grated Parmesan. Use the 1/4" holes on your box grater.

Directions:
Use your deep skillet to saute the garlic in the olive oil a minute or two.
Add the rest of the ingredients except the grated Parmesan. Heat to boiling, then turn heat down to a strong simmer. Poke, prod and mix (to keep the pasta from sticking together) until the pasta absorbs the liquid and is creamy, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Turn off heat, add the grated cheese while stirring so the cheese coats the pasta.
Serve hot with a garnish of cilantro or parsley. Add plenty of fresh ground pepper at the table.

Psst. Looking for a good time, sailor? White chocolate company on the road to diet ruin.
(Like 666ers but without the consolation that they might be good for you.)

Ingredients:
Ghiradelli White Chocolate Chips
Ground Cinnamon

Directions:
Put around 3/4 oz. of chips in a paper baking cup, put on a plate, put in microwave. White chocolate melts at a lower temperature, so set your microwave to 'Soften/Melt" select "Chocolate" select "08 oz." and press enter. It should display 3 minutes.
Take out, sprinkle a little ground cinnamon on top, swirl with a toothpick if you want, cool, freeze. Abandon hope.

   This slightly modified David Tanis recipe is a  fun, fast summery meal. with a similar easy preparation to the the Arugula/Pasta recipe. The only cooking is the quickly boiled pasta. The angel hair pasta is thin enough to soak up the tomato, garlic, pepper marinade. A great recipe for ripe cherry tomatoes.
You can serve it hot, but it is just as good at room temperature. "Pasta Fredda"

Ingredients:
3/4 lb. Angel Hair or thin spaghetti pasta
3/4 lb. of your best cherry tomatoes  (you can use any ripe tomato)  cut it into small pieces.
One red or yellow bell pepper, or half of each, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes or sprinkle of cayenne
2 oz. feta cheese


Directions:
In a large pasta bowl put two tablespoons red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper, the minced garlic, the pepper flakes or cayenne, the diced bell pepper and the cherry tomatoes.  Stir several times while marinating for at least a half hour.
When ready, cook and drain the pasta, add it to the bowl, and do your best to mix the pasta and tomatoes. You can let it sit the sauce to soak up the liquid. Serve with crumbled feta, and decorate with some basil leaves or whatever you have on hand.

A messy delight. If you've never tried Banh Mi, you are in for a treat. This is an easy version made with eggs or hummus. Make sure you have a really fresh bread. (Updated July 2019)

Ingredients:
1 sourdough baguette, cut in half, and slit sideways to open like a book. Pull some of the bread out to make room for the ingredients. (Update: We have had better luck recently with a loaf shape sourdough. Cut it in half lengthwise, slit the halves, open like a book, and pull out most of the dough.)
4 eggs or plain hummus about 6 oz.
2 medium jalapeno peppers, de-seeded and cut into matchstick strips
1/2 large cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, de-seeded, and cut into @ half inch strips
1 cup or more cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, grated into a small bowl, and mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3 tablespoons cider vinegar. (If you get rabid about Banh Mi, you can make the slaw with half carrot and half Daikon radish)
Hellman's real mayonnaise
Sriracha hot sauce

Directions:
Start by making the carrot mixture. Stir well, cover with with a dish, and marinate for at least 15 minutes while you make the sandwiches. Stir a few times while you are underway.
If using eggs, crack the eggs into a bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and fresh pepper and beat lightly
Get the peppers, cucumber and cilantro ready,  Relax, maybe have a drink.
When you are ready to go, prepare the bread, and put a good schmear of mayo and a line of hot sauce on one or both sides.
Drain the liquid from the carrot mixture.
If using eggs, cook the eggs lightly scrambled. When the eggs are done, ladle the eggs into the bottom half of each sandwich.
If using hummus, spread on bottom halves of sandwiches.
Add the jalapeno, cucumber, the marinated carrots and cilantro.
Close the sandwich, and cut each sandwich in half.

 This simple and satisfying pasta can be made with or without eggs. You probably would want one of the long, thin pastas for the no egg version.

Ingredients:
3/4 pound dry pasta, Rotini is good. Linguine is too. So is Angel Hair.
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 to 4 cloves minced garlic
4 large eggs
Crushed red pepper flakes optional, about a quarter teaspoon
Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:
Heat 3 or 4 cloves of minced garlic (and the pepper flakes) in 4 tablespoons of olive oil, and set aside. Cook pasta al dente in salted water.
About 2 minutes before the pasta is done, reheat the pan and slide in four large eggs. Let the eggs cook until the edges just turn white. Turn off the heat, drain the pasta and add to the eggs and oil. Turn the heat back on and mix the pasta with the eggs a few moments until the eggs finish cooking.
Serve with fresh grated Parmesan and plenty of ground pepper.

 We are having this a lot this winter.  Brown lentils are easy to find, and inherently tasty. The rice in this soup version adds some chewiness. Preposterously satisfying meal from simple ingredients.

Ingredients:
One cup brown lentils
One third cup brown rice (If you prefer, omit the rice and add 1/2 cup dried pasta at the end until cooked)
One medium carrot, grated
One medium yellow or red onion, chopped
Three cloves garlic, minced
Three tablespoons olive oil
Two teaspoons salt, one teaspoon fresh black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
One 8 oz can of tomato sauce
One cup chopped cilantro
5 cups water (best with Vegetable Stock)
Grated Parmesan and cilantro for garnish, with an olive oil drizzle.

Directions:
In your soup pot saute the onions, carrots and garlic in the olive oil until soft, Add the water, lentils, rice, tomato sauce, salt and pepper and cayenne, and bring to a boil. (You can mix all the dry ingredients  in one of your serving bowls while the vegetables are cooking, to save time.)
Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook at least 45 minutes. You want the lentils to be mushy and the soup thick. Add most of the cilantro for the last 10 minutes.
Serve with Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, and cilantro.

Al dente Rigatoni pasta combined with the tomato and arugula makes for both great taste and texture.

Ingredients:
12 oz. rigatoni pasta
10 oz. or a pint container of ripe cherry tomatoes
2 cups packed arugula, (about half of a 5 oz, bag), chopped coarsely
3 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh Parmesan for serving

Directions:
Saute the minced garlic in the olive oil, halve the tomatoes and add them with the salt and pepper, cover and cook on low for 10 to 20 minutes until the tomatoes have dissolved. Check and stir every 5 minutes or so to be sure the tomatoes don't stick to the pan. Turn off the heat until you are ready to go with the pasta.
Cook the pasta in salted water "al dente", add it to the pan, turn heat on and stir to coat with the tomato mixture, then add the arugula. Cook a few seconds, just until the arugula wilts. Serve hot with Parmesan cheese on the side.

This is lifted almost entirely from a Betty Crocker recipe. Wonderful tastes, and unfussy preparation.  Make sure you cook the peas long enough to dissolve, 45 minutes plus. (See note below about soaking peas)

Ingredients:
One cup yellow split peas
Half pound red potatoes, cubed
Three tablespoons olive oil
One medium onion, chopped
One medium carrot, grated
One medium red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 quarter size pieces of fresh ginger, minced
Tablespoon of curry powder (choose your best)
One can of coconut milk
One half teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper
2 1/2 cups water, or more for proper consistency
Topping: One cup Greek yogurt mixed with three tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro.

Directions:
Cook the onion, garlic, bell pepper, carrot, ginger and salt and pepper with the olive oil until the onion is soft. Add the curry powder and cayenne and stir until things start to smell great. Add 2 1?2 cups water, the can of coconut milk, the split peas and the potatoes.
Bring to a boil, then cook at a simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. You want the split peas to disintegrate. Stir every once in a while while it cooks. (Note: If you can plan ahead, boil 2 1/2 cups water,  then use a heat proof bowl to soak the peas in the boiling water, and let sit for a few hours. The soup will only take 30 minutes or so this way.)
Serve with dollops of the yogurt/cilantro mixture. Sprinkle some ground hot red pepper on top for color and hits of heat.

 Red beans with intense flavors. Easy to make, and inexpensive. Try to find fresh spices, it will pay off.
You could serve this with Raita as a side or as a topping. You could try it with Curried Rice too.

Ingredients:
Rice:
3/4 cup rice with 1 1/2 cups water and pinch of salt
Masala:
Two cans red kidney beans or red beans, drained
3 Tablespoons olive oil
One large red onion, chopped
Three cloves garlic, minced
Two quarter sized pieces of fresh ginger, minced
One half pint cherry tomatoes, halved, or 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
3/4 cup coconut milk (more if needed. You want just enough liquid to maintain a simmer.)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed, 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne and one teaspoon  salt, all ground together in your mortar and pestle. (For even more of a thrill, add a teaspoon of curry powder.)
Cilantro and Sour Cream/Yogurt mixture for garnish

Directions:
In your soup pot, add the olive oil and saute the onions well, almost to browning, then the garlic and ginger for a few more minutes.
Add the tomatoes, spices, beans and the coconut milk and simmer for at least a half hour, stirring occasionally  to stop sticking.
Cook the rice like this:
When you are all set, use a potato masher to thicken the beans to a porridge like consistency.
Garnish with cilantro, add a dollop of sour cream/yogurt mixture, and a sprinkle of cayenne.
Serve with the rice on the side.

Once you learn how to cook the eggs, this is a fine meal, and you will feel virtuous.

Ingredients:
5 eggs
Most of a bunch of scallions, enough to make one cup
One cup of uncooked white rice
4 Tablespoons olive or peanut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
 
Directions:
Get the rice going first. In small pot add 2 cups of water to one cup of rice and a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to barely simmer, cover, and cook 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for at least ten minutes. Don't peek at the rice, the steam is important.
Cut the scallions into thin slices for the white parts, and into half inch long slices for the dark green parts. Set aside.
Beat the eggs with 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a large saute pan or wok heat three tablespoons oil until very hot but not smoking. Pour the eggs into the pan. As they puff around the edges, tilt the pan towards you and push the eggs back with a spatula. Continue pushing and tilting until the eggs are just done, the slide them onto a dish and set aside. This method, from Irene Kuo, adds a nice texture to the cooked eggs.
When you are ready, add a tablespoon of oil to the pan, turn heat to medium high, add the scallions, stir a few times, then add the cooked rice. Use your spatula to break the rice up, add the eggs, poke and prod until everything is heated and mixed.
Serve with soy sauce if you like. Kikkoman is very good.