Apples, Walnuts, Lentils, Prunes: Who knew? Derived from a great dish at "Panjshir" in Falls Church, Virginia. Nice idea for a Holiday. You could serve it with Curried Rice and Raita.   (Updated 12/2/23)

Ingredients:
One large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Three tablespoons olive oil
One 8 oz. can tomato sauce
One third cup red lentils
Half dozen pitted prunes chopped bite size (3/4 cup halved red grapes will work too. Add them at the end.)
One third cup of chopped walnuts.
2 teaspoons Garam Masala ( most supermarkets have it). You can substitute the same amount of curry powder.
3/4 teaspoon salt, ground black pepper
One tablespoon brown sugar, (Plain sugar will do).
One and one half cups water
One pound cored and chopped McIntosh apples. I leave the skins on.

Directions:
Saute the onion in the olive oil until  light brown. This is important.
Add the rest of the ingredients: Garlic, Masala, water, tomatoes, lentils, prunes, walnuts, salt, pepper, brown sugar and apples. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes.
Serve with cilantro or parsley.

I make this a lot when I am on my own. I used to cook the eggs separately, but this is simpler. (Updated October 2023)

Ingredients:
5 eggs
One cup of uncooked white rice (you can use brown rice too)
Scallions, about one cup chopped (* or half an onion) Save some scallions for garnish
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Hot chili paste (optional)
 
Directions:
Cook the rice.
When the rice is done, in you large pan or wok saute the scallions in the olive oil, add the eggs, break them up and stir until almost done, add the rice, stir to combine. (I add hot chili paste to the oil before starting to cook)
Top with scallions and serve with real soy sauce. Kikkoman is very good.
Halve the recipe for a single portion, use two or three eggs, same amount of olive oil.

Canned white beans and fried eggs. Delicious. You could just poach the eggs, but the chewy edges of the fried eggs are tasty. And just enough hocus pocus to make you feel like a real cook.

Ingredients:
2 cans white beans, undrained
4 eggs
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Olive oil
Fresh lime
Hot pepper flakes, salt and pepper

Directions:
In your skillet cook the onions in 3 tablespoons olive oil until slightly browned, several minutes. Add the beans and cook until the liquid is thickened. Turn off the heat, and use a potato masher or large spoon to mash the beans. Add fresh pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover to keep warm.
In a large saucepan heat 4 tablespoons olive oil until glistening, then slide the pre-cracked eggs onto the oil. When the egg whites start to brown, turn off the heat, add pepper flakes, then tilt the pan so you can use a large spoon to ladle hot oil over the egg whites to finish cooking.
Serve the eggs over the beans with a squeeze of lime on each. (You can use lemon or vinegar too.)

Mushroom soy is thicker and more flavored, and Roasted Chili Peppers in Oil have a beguiling heat. You can make this as densely flavored as you like, but this Full Monte version is a winner.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice
1 small bunch of scallions
5 eggs
3 or 4 ears of fresh corn
Roasted Chili Pepper in oil,  Cayenne, or other preferred heat.
Mushroom flavored soy sauce

Directions:
Prepare the rice and eggs per FGE recipe.
Cut corn off the cobs, and when the rice and eggs are done, add the corn an heat. Serve with scallion garnish, Chili, and Mushroom soy. Use the Mushroom soy sparingly until you get used to the intensity.

 A street food from Shaanxi province in China. In the authentic version hot oil is poured over the spices, but here I made it easier and with less oil.
This is something you would want after the bar closes. A new favorite. (Revised July 2023)

Ingredients:
12oz. wide pasta. Fettuccine or linguine work well. I break them into quarters. Also egg noodles. Pictured above are Chinese "hand cut noodles".
6 to 10 oz. baby spinach or Bok Choy
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1/2 teaspoon fiery "roasted chili pepper paste".
4 to 6 cloves minced garlic, or more. (Don't crush them)
4 small or 2 large scallions sliced thinly
1/4 cup minced cilantro or parsley
1 tablespoon full strength soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark or mushroom soy sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (Chinese black vinegar if you have it)
4 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Mix the soy sauces and vinegar in a small bowl. Put the pepper flakes, scallions, garlic and cilantro on a small plate.
Cut the greens into preferred shape and size. Spinach is OK uncut.
Have your wok ready with the oil.  While you are boiling the pasta (in salted water), heat the oil to just about smoking, then quickly dump the scallions etc. into the oil, and stir the sizzling pieces for 10 seconds. Add the soy mixture and stir for another 10 seconds. Turn off heat.
When the noodles are just about done, add the greens and submerge them in the cooking water with the noodles until they wilt, 30 seconds or less.
Drain the noodles and greens, pour them into your wok, and mix.

 Corn cut from the cob, and a lime/yogurt dressing make this a great summer dinner salad. Find your freshest corn and ripest cherry tomatoes. This makes a lot of salad, so maybe a lunch too. (Updated June 2023 to simplify ingredients)

Ingredients:
3 pieces corn on cob,  Slice the kernels off the cobs.
One can black or red beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 pound chunky pasta, shells or similar
Handful cherry tomatoes, halved
Small head or four or five leaves of Romaine lettuce, chopped, or a couple handfuls of baby spinach
(You can add sliced celery, red bell pepper, sliced cucumber etc. if you want more vegetables)
One lime for the dressing, and plain Greek whole milk or 2% Greek yogurt. We like Fage because of the consistency.

Dressing:
To half a cup of plain Greek yogurt add one clove finely chopped garlic, the juice of one lime, 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, three tablespoons olive oil, fresh ground pepper and a half teaspoon salt. Add a little cayenne if you are feeling frisky.
Whisk with a fork.

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients is a large bowl. Serve in separate bowls and garnish with a dollop of dressing, with extra dressing on the side. Sprinkle with ground pepper or cayenne for color.

Cold pasta for hot days. You can use most any vegetable you like. If you have a dinner party, serve the vegetables and sauce on the side in separate bowls so your guests can build their own meals. The recipe is easy to scale up. (Revised May 2023)

Ingredients:
12 oz. pasta. I like Linguini or Fettuccine. (To make the pasta easier to cook and eat, you can break the pieces in half by bending the box over the counter. Be sure to stir the pasta when you first put it in the boiling water to stop the pieces from sticking together).
5 or 6 leaves or small heart of Romaine lettuce, cut into bite size pieces
4 stalks of celery, sliced
Handful of pea pods, bite size
Cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, de-seeded and sliced 1/4 inch
One tablespoon toasted sesame oil to mix with cold cooked pasta

Directions:
Cook the pasta in salted water per directions, drain and rinse in cold water, put in your serving bowl and mix with the tablespoon of sesame oil. Refrigerate until well chilled.
When ready, mix the vegetables with the pasta and serve with the sauce on the side.

Peanut Butter Sauce:
Beat together three large spoonfuls of creamy peanut butter (around 1/3 to 1/2 cup) with one tablespoon sugar, two tablespoons real soy sauce, two tablespoons lime juice, two tablespoons rice vinegar , 2 cloves finely minced garlic and a sprinkle or more of cayenne pepper. Add water to blend to the consistency of heavy cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.
If you have an easy to clean jar with a lid, use that to get the peanut butter to mix easily. Just shake it until you have a good consistency.

 '
Fast and fun, and close enough to the real thing.  It's good with the eggs, but you can do without. Only try it if you have really fresh sprouts. (Edited May, 2023)

Ingredients:
Half pound of angel hair pasta ( I break the package in half to make the pieces manageable)
2 small limes. Use one or the sauce and cut other into 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 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.

Fun and fast to put together, and a family favorite. You can use any short pasta. (Revised 4/13/23)

Ingredients:
1 medium cucumber
1/2 pound small pasta
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
1/2 of 9 oz bag of baby spinach
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin, optional (sometimes the onion can be harsh)
1/2 cup of Kalamata olives (bulk baby olives from Amazon save you a ton)
1/2 of a 6 oz block of feta cheese, approx. 3 oz, crumbled. (It is still good without the cheese.)

Directions:
Make the dressing first: Combine 4 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or  red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon each of salt, sugar, Dijon mustard and 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper. Whisk together with a fork. Let it sit while you make the salad.

Cook the pasta al dente, drain and rinse with cold water
Cut off ends of cucumber, peel and slice it lengthwise.Use a spoon to remove the seeds. Stack the halves and cut into 1/4" slices.
Cut cherry tomatoes in half
Cut red onion into thin slices
Roughly chop the Kalamata olives
Put all the above in a large bowl with the spinach, crumble the feta on top, add the dressing and toss well.

 Here's a fun quick one. Black beans with spices, soy sauce and vinegar topped with cheese, cabbage and salsa. We are having this a lot.
I am using 9 1/2" "Burrito Grande" now. The recipe makes 2 of these, and I eat it like a pizza, but with a fork.

Ingredients:
2 cans of black beans, drained but not rinsed
8" soft flour or corn tortillas,  (This recipe made three tacos, one each and one we split. Plenty.)
1 Teaspoon smoked Paprika
1 Teaspoon chili powder
1 small bunch of scallions, chopped, bulb ends discarded.
2 Tablespoons real soy sauce
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup water

Toppings:
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Shredded cabbage (bagged cole slaw works) or chopped spinach or romaine
Salsa of choice, we like green for this
Chopped hot cherry peppers


Directions:
Add the soy sauce and vinegar to the half cup water, set aside.
Put the scallions, Paprika and chili powder on a small plate, set aside.
Heat the oil until hot, add the dish of scallions and spices, stir ten seconds, add the beans and water mixture, cook while using your potato masher to mush the beans and flavorings. Cook until hot, turn off the heat.
When ready, put a tortilla on a plate, top with beans and cheese, put in microwave for 30 seconds to a minute (until cheese melts and taco is hot), take out and top with cabbage and salsa, and some hot peppers if you feel feisty.

 Black beans, a few spices, raw onion and vinegar.  Hard to beat. Serve it with Cuban Bread and you have greatness.

Ingredients:
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
One 8 oz, can tomato sauce
One small yellow onion, chopped
One small green pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon each cumin seed, oregano, cayenne pepper and one teaspoon salt ground together in a mortar and pestle
1 1/4 cups water or vegetable stock, maybe a little more
Toppings: Chopped red onion, sour cream/Greek yogurt mixture, red wine vinegar

Directions:
In your soup pot saute the onion, garlic and green pepper in the olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beans and water, ground spices, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the beans begin to fall apart, 30 to 45 minutes.
Turn heat off and use a potato masher to thicken the soup into almost a puree.
Serve with the sour cream and red onions, and sprinkle liberally with red wine vinegar as you eat. It is hard to overdo it.

 From James Beard to Craig Claiborne to here. No offense, but you have not lived until this bread comes out of the oven and settles down next to your Black Bean soup. A little under ten minutes of actual work to go from plain flour to greatness. Try it with Cuban Black Bean Soup. Heaven.
(Revised February 20223)

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons packaged dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
3 to 4 cups all purpose flour (buy a small 2 pound bag)

Directions:
Use hot tap water to warm a mixing bowl ( I use a 9" Pyrex) for a few minutes.
When you are ready to start, turn the oven on "Keep Warm" and set the timer for 10 minutes.
Put one cup warm water in the warmed mixing bowl, add the sugar and salt, stir, add the yeast, stir,
then start adding flour straight from the bag, mixing with a wooden spoon.
Add flour and stir until the dough starts to form a ball and pulls away from the bowl. Use your floured hands to pull the dough off the spoon and start forming the dough into a ball, adding more flour as you need it.
Add a layer of flour to your cutting board/countertop, drop the ball of flour on it  and start to push and pull the dough until you have a kind springy ball about the size of a small grapefruit. You will be adding sprinklings of flour while you knead.
Leave the ball of flour on the counter while you clean the bowl. Dry the bowl out, put a little olive oil in the bowl, spread it around with your fingers, put the dough in the bowl and turn it to coat with the olive oil.
Put a damp towel over the bowl.
The oven timer should go off about now. The oven needs to be warm , but not hot. You need a warm place (optimum temp is 80 to 85 degrees) to let the yeast work.  Open the oven the whole way to let the hottest air out, put the bowl in the oven, shut the door, and wait one hour.
OK. When you open the oven an hour later, the dough should have about doubled in size. If so, dump it onto your floured surface,  mold it a little, cut it in two, and shape the dough into round loaves or longish rolls, like French bread.
Put them on a parchment lined or cornmeal dusted baking sheet, and let them rise for five minutes. Then slash the tops crosswise two or three times, and using a brush or paper towel, gently coat the tops with water.
Slip the baking pan into the cold oven, turn to 400 degrees, and wait 40 to 45 minute until the bread is crusty and brown. Take it out and serve it as soon as you can handle the loaves, only a few minutes.
If ever butter was put to better use, I'd like to know.

Yellow split peas have a delicious distinct flavor. They just take a long time to cook. This is easy and nutritious, but not fast. Have it with a salad and it is all you need.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup yellow split peas
1/2 pound potatoes, cut into bite size pieces. I like Russet
1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, fresh ground black pepper
5 cups water
1 cup or so chopped parsley
Sour cream or whole Greek yogurt

Directions:
In your deep pot saute the onion, bell pepper and carrot in 3 tablespoons of olive oil until soft, add the split peas, potatoes, cumin, salt and pepper and water. Bring to a boil, turn down to simmer and cook for 50 minutes to an hour.
The peas should not be crunchy. Use your stick blender to smooth everything out.
Add the parsley, stir, and serve with the sour cream or yogurt. Maybe some cayenne on top for looks.

A very good lunch. Could be a dinner too. Farro is one of the ancient "super" grains with a wonderful texture.

Ingredients:
One cup of pearled farro, plus water per directions, usually 2 cups
One or two eggs per serving
Pat of butter optional
Good soy sauce
Black pepper

Directions:
Cook the farro until just chewy, drain excess water by tilting the pot while holding the lid on. Cook the eggs. Put the hot farro in bowls, add a pat of butter, add the egg(s), grind some pepper and add good soy sauce

Partially mashed white beans make a sauce for this perfect combination of tastes and textures. (Updated Dec.2022). We have this a lot. Fast and nutritious.

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 2 to 3 cups of leaves chopped.
1/2 teaspoon salt, pinch of hot pepper flakes, ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 and 1/8 cup 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 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Use a potato masher to break up the beans and thicken the sauce. Relax if you want. Then cook the pasta until 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 a minute while the pasta absorbs some of the liquid.
Add the bowl of parsley, cheese and lemon, stir, and serve with additional Parmesan if it suits you.

Sauteing the vegetables first makes this one pan pasta even better. The linguini absorbs the dense flavors as it cooks.  You will need to pay attention to the ingredient amounts to make this work. The egg is a tasty option.

Ingredients:
12 oz. linguine
12 oz. ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
One medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
One sprig or 4 to 5 large leaves basil, chopped (optional)
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional)
1 1/2 Teaspoons of salt
Ground black pepper
4 cups water
Fresh Parmesan for serving

Directions:
Saute the chopped onion and minced garlic in the 4 tablespoons olive oil, then add the halved or quartered cherry tomatoes, chopped basil, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for ten to fifteen minutes or until the tomatoes dissolve, checking every 5 minutes or so to be sure the tomatoes are not sticking to the pan.
Turn the heat off, add the 4 cups water, and relax, maybe have that glass of wine.
When you are ready to go, break the linguini in half by bending the package over the edge of the counter top. Take 12 oz of the linguine, spread it in the pot and turn heat on high. Poke and prod the pasta while cooking to keep the strands separated.
Turn off the heat quickly when there is no more liquid bubbling in the pan, which should take 10 to 12 minutes. It will look as if there is too much liquid, but the water will be absorbed quickly at the end.
Top with a poached egg and serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

This is spicy, and fun to eat: Requires deft spoonwork. A little sour cream, a little tortilla, a bit of cilantro and a lot of good taste. Even better the next day. (Revised October 2020)
 
Ingredients:
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups red lentils
4 1/4 cups water or vegetable stock
2  Chipotle peppers, chopped, (or 1 for less heat) and a little sauce from canned Chipolte peppers, ("Embasa", or "Goya" for example). You can freeze the extra peppers in individual snack bags.
1  14 oz.can of diced  tomatoes, undrained. I like "Fire Roasted"
1 teaspoon of cumin seed, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon fresh pepper (ground together in a  mortar and pestle)
Garnish: sour cream/ Greek yogurt mixture, cilantro and toasted tortilla chips (there are a lot of fun flavored snack packs to choose from).

Directions:
Saute the onion, garlic and bell peppers in the olive oil until the onions are translucent, a few minutes. Add the spices, lentils, tomatoes, chipotle pepper and water, bring to a simmer, and cook at least 30 minutes. Use your stick blender to consolidate the ingredients.
The soup should be thick, but add a little more water if needed for the right consistency.
When done, garnish with broken tortilla chips, chopped cilantro, and the sour cream/Greek yogurt mix. Sprinkle a little cayenne pepper for color.

Try it. A real surprise combination of pasta and potatoes. This Southwest breakfast favorite is an excellent casual dinner. Just substitute a glass of red wine for the cup of coffee. (Revised 9/29/2022)

Ingredients:
One pound Russet potatoes, cut into 3/4 " chunks
One cup or a little more dry small pasta. I like Mezzi Rigatoni, about 3.5 oz.
One large red onion, chopped
One medium green bell pepper, chopped
One medium red bell pepper, chopped
One Jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped fine, or chopped pickled hot jalapeno (optional)
One teaspoon salt, fresh black pepper
Four Tablespoons olive oil
Four eggs
Cilantro or parsley to garnish

Directions:
This is very much a no panic meal. You can take your time, It just needs to be heated right before the poached eggs go on.

Saute/cook the onion, peppers, jalapeno, salt and pepper in the olive oil until the onion is transparent,  about five to ten minutes. Cover, turn off the heat.
*Simmer  the potatoes in a small covered pot about 35 minutes in two cups of water. You want them soft enough to mash, but don't mash them.
Cook the pasta. Coordinate the pasta and potato cooking time so you can just dump them both in a colander in the sink, drain them for a second, and add them to the onion pepper mixture.
Poke, push and prod the mixture until the potatoes lose a little of themselves to the other ingredients.
When you are ready to go, get the eggs poaching and reheat and remix the potato/pepper/pasta.
Divide into two bowls, slide the eggs on, and sprinkle on a little cayenne and black pepper.
Garnish with cilantro or parsley.
*You can cook the potatoes and pasta in the same pot. Boil the potatoes in large pot with extra water for 20 minutes, then add the pasta and cook until done. Then drain and add as above.

No, there is no better dessert, anywhere in the universe.


Ingredients:
Something Natural Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Tillamook Vanilla Bean Vanilla Ice Cream

Directions:
Cut big enough chunks of the cookie dough to make 5" to 6" inch cookies. Bake to done, cool and freeze.
When ready to go, invert the cookie, and use an ice cream scoop to top with about an inch of ice cream.
Go ahead and eat it just like that, with your hand.

Another sturdy combination of pasta and beans. A delicious cold weather choice. One pot too. (Revised Jan.2022)

Ingredients:
One can chickpeas, drained
One cup ditalini or other small pasta, about 4 to 5 oz. Ditalini seems to work best.
8 oz. fresh tomatoes
One medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Sprinkle of hot pepper flakes
6 oz of chopped spinach or kale, more if it suits you
2 1/2 cups water. Adjust as needed for stew-like consistency
Teaspoon or more salt, fresh ground pepper
Olive oil, grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Saute the onion, garlic and pepper flakes a few minutes. Cut the tomatoes up a little, add them to the pot with the salt and pepper,  lower the heat and cook covered until dissolved, about ten minutes. Add a little of the water and the chickpeas, and use your potato masher to squash about half the chickpeas. Add the rest of the water. Turn off the heat until you are ready to go.
Then heat to a boil, add the pasta, cook until al dente. You might have to stir a little if the stew is thick.
Add the spinach and cook just until wilted, a few seconds. If using kale, cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
Serve with Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

This is a kind of wonderful alchemy from Rose Shulman of the NYT. The marinade is cold, the pasta is hot, and the result is startling. A little hard to believe something so simple and so easy to make, is so good. You can serve it hot or room temperature. (Revised June 2021)

Ingredients:
3/4 pound fusille, orecchiette, or other pasta.
One pint of ripe cherry tomatoes, or about 10 oz Compari tomatoes. They should be ripe and juicy for this recipe.
2 small or one large garlic clove, minced fine
1 cup firmly packed arugula
3 or 4 basil leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper
Parmesan for grating.

Direction
Quarter the tomatoes, chop the arugula, "sliver" or finely chop the basil, mince the garlic, and put in a large bowl with the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix and let marinate for 20 minutes or more. Stir the mixture a few times while it sits.
There is no hurry. When you are ready, cook the pasta and add it to the bowl, mix together and serve with the Parmesan. It is good hot, warm or room temperature.

 Served at room temperature or chilled, this is a great meal year round. The dressing  mixes with the Romaine while you eat. (Revised 5/18/22)

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, white parts minced
1/2 cup or more Kalamata olives, roughly chopped (buy them in bulk, save yourself some money)
Handful cherry tomatoes, halved
One head of packaged Romaine hearts, cut crosswise into 1/2" strips, then halved lengthwise

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 other ingredients, (except the lettuce),
and mix with the dressing.
Divide the Romaine 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.

Mac&Cheese for Italian nobility. This is what it looks like before firing up this really easy Sunday night treat.
(Update: if you are really generous with fresh ground black pepper, this comes near "Cacio y Pepe" for deep zing.)

Ingredients:  (Pay attention to pasta and liquid measurements.)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces Linguini or thick Spaghetti pasta
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, much more if you want deep heat. (1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper is a nice optional addition)
3 cups water
On cup finely grated Parmesan.

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.

Cabbage and fresh corn are the stars of this zany meal. It is a blast to make too. Requires mastery of the "Flip and Slide" to prevent visits to the E.R. It is worth the trouble. A new favorite.

Ingredients:
3/4 pound cabbage cut like coleslaw
2 pieces of fresh corn with kernels sliced off (around 6 oz.) Or use frozen corn at room temp.
One small red onion, chopped
5 eggs beaten lightly. (Find fresh eggs if you can. Older eggs can make the blend of ingredients watery 3/4  teaspoon salt
Plenty of fresh black pepper
Topping:
Cheddar cheese, 4 oz. or more, and pickled hot cherry or jalapeno peppers to taste. We use 1/4 cup Pastene Hot Cherry Peppers.

Directions:
Let the ingredients come to room temperature. When you are ready, mix the cabbage, corn, onion, eggs, salt and pepper thoroughly in a large bowl. Mix until everything is coated with the eggs.
Heat a 10" cast iron skillet or large pan over medium low heat until heated through, several minutes.
Add some oil and swirl to coat the bottom and sides, add the cabbage mixture and spread evenly.
Cover and cook for 6 to 7 minutes (until you can free the frittata from the sides and bottom).
Put a plate or pan cover over the frittata, and using both hands flip the frittata over onto the plate, then slide it back into the pan. You can leave the heat on while you quickly add as much cheddar and hot peppers as you like. Put the top back on, and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Done.
Use the edge of your spatula to cut the frittata into four triangles, and serve hot.
Watch this video to see the inspiration for this recipe, and the flipping method. It is from a Filipino recipe site.
Watch this video to see us making it. Good "flip and slide".
(Confession: I bought a Cuisinart Frittata pan. It makes a great meal, but takes the drama out. Cook 7 minutes on the first side, 6 minutes on the other.)

I am crazy about this dish. Great tasting and easy, a real surprise. Chinese comfort food. My brother Brian found out about this when he was searching for ways to use his tomato harvest. (Updated 7/21)

Ingredients:
One cup of rice, two cups of water, pinch of salt. Make like this.
5 eggs, mush cooked, like this.
One pound ripe tomatoes, quartered. Compari brand is dependable if you don't have a garden. Cherry tomatoes work too.
One small bunch of scallions, white parts chopped, green parts sliced 1/2" long
One tablespoon sugar
One teaspoon salt
Some pepper flakes if you feel like it
Olive oil

Directions:
Put the quartered tomatoes, the scallions, the hot pepper flakes and the sugar and salt in a bowl, mix and let marinate a little.
Cook the rice first, so it will be ready.
Cook the eggs as above, slide into a bowl, rough chop them into largish pieces.
When you are ready, slide the tomato mixture into your hot pan, cook over high heat for a few minutes until the tomatoes start to loose liquid, turn the heat down a little, cover and cook a few minutes more.
You are trying for a lot of tomato liquid plus barely identifiable tomatoes.
Add the eggs to the tomatoes, combine well, and serve over rice.
This dish tastes great with brown rice made with vegetable stock. (Make like white rice but cook 40 minutes)

(If your baby leaves you lone and lorn, make this a great, fast meal for one. Use 1/2 lb. tomatoes, three eggs, 2 teaspoons sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, pepper flakes, and put the tomatoes, sugar, salt, scallions and pepper flakes together in a bowl while you cook the rice. When the rice is done, cook the eggs, set aside, then the tomato mixture as above. Combine the eggs and tomato mixture and serve on rice. Brown rice also works well in this.)