Chilaquiles
The great, traditional Mexican breakfast. A huge amount of flavor. A great balance between the sweet corn, the tart and spicy salsa verde and the rich, mellow scrambled eggs. A wonderfully satisfying breakfast for less than $1.50.
Cast Iron Cornbread
The cast iron pan puts a thin, crunchy finish on a warm, soft, light, crumbly bread. 30 minutes start to finish. 10 minutes or less of actual preparation. 20 minutes in the oven turns your home into the best-smelling bakery in town. Great bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Orangettes: Chocolate-Dipped Orange
I love dark chocolate. I hate to waste food. So I was delighted to see what happens when you give an orange peel a quick dip in melted chocolate. A very adult candy. And each orangette weighs in at 5 calories and costs less than 5 cents.
Chilly>Chile>Chili
Serious, real-deal chili. Deep, broad and complex flavors. There's much more going on here than just heat. With or without carne, you just need great chile powder to make a great chili when National Chili Day meets a Way-Too-Chilly day.
Hard, dry and fresh: Heirloom Beans
For dinner. During the winter, when the ground freezes and our CSA farm share goes dormant. These "new" beans are delicious. Some are meaty, some are kind of creamy. Some are dense, some are quite light. They all have a load of flavor.
Lasagna Bolognese: The Ecstatic Mouthful
Your tongue is dazzled. Your whole mouth is thrilled. So many flavors and textures. So deeply delicious and so completely satisfying. It's a project. The focus of a weekend afternoon that ends with the big bang of a spectacular dinner.
Pork Fried Rice. Hold the rice. Pork optional.
Pork optional. As crunchy and tasty as any greasy Chinese take-out. But Way Better. No grease. A cool way to prepare whole-grain, high-protein farro. And crisp, healthful broccoli and peppers. Four dollars for an intensely flavorful, fresh and satisfying meal.
The End of Egg Foo-ey. Let’s Celebrate
So now it's OK to eat eggs, dietary cholesterol and all. Let's celebrate that and Chinese New Year. With Egg Foo Yung. A perfect meal in a pan. A few minutes of chopping, stirring and tending. One suspenseful second of flipping.
Sushi. Hold the fish.
Quick and simple to make. About $4 per person; $2 if you skip the fish altogether. Every bite's a little party in your mouth. Light, fun, interesting, beautiful. Almost fat-free. Want to come back as this in your next life?
Last-Minute Love Bites
You forgot Valentine's Day? Here's a 10-minute fix. Right in your kitchen, where you probably have the ingredients. Everything you need to make PB & J Truffles. Really. Delicious. Love Bite Size. Who wouldn't want one placed gently in their mouth by ... you?