Light Pasta with Spinach

Fast and easy. A very light meal with fresh tomatoes, spinach and little Parmesan cheese.
I highly suggest making some quick garlic bread while this is simmering on your stove; simply use some of the garlic-butter from the first cooking step!



Serves 1.5
25 minutes
- medium pot
- large saucepan
[-cookie sheet or baking pan for garlic bread]
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
8 oz. cooked GF pasta
8 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. butter [3 Tbsp. butter if making garlic bread]
1 medium white onion
1 large bag/clump of spinach
2 large tomatoes
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese &/or mozzarella cheese*
[4 slices favorite GF bread, laid out on a cookie sheet]

*Kraft shredded moz. cheese is both gluten and lactose free!

DIRECTIONS
0. Cook up the pasta (per instructions on the package) in a medium pot 'till al dente.
1. Cut the ends off, peel and dice up the garlic. Remove onion ends, peel and slice onion into thin rounds (as if making onion rings). Remove stem and chop tomato into 1" cubes (don't bother peeling tomato).
2. Melt the butter in the saucepan with the garlic. Cook the garlic over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes; don't let the garlic burn!
[2.5. If you are making garlic bread, brush some of the garlic-butter on the GF bread slices laid out on a baking pan; place slices in 400 F oven for 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown, but not burnt.]
3. Turn butter up to medium and add in the onion slices; saute for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add in the spinach. Mix to un-clump the wilted greens, then saute for another 3 minutes.
5. Add in the tomato. Stir to heat-- cook for only about 60 seconds or so.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked pasta. Pour in an abundance of cheese. Stir to melt. Serve right away with the fresh garlic bread.

Penne with Zucchini and Black Eyed Peas

Another simple veggie dish. I used canned black-eyed peas to save time, but fresh soaked/boiled ones would be better. Using half of the onion with the garlic at the begining flavors the oil nicely.



Serves 1.5
25 minutes
- large saucepan or pot
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
6 oz. cooked GF penne pasta-- I used half of a bag of Tinkyada
5 cloves garlic
1 medium yellow onion
2 medium zucchini
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 of a 14 oz. can of black eyed peas
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese
Dash of dried oregano, dried parsley leaves, salt, and black pepper

DIRECTIONS
0. Cook up 6 oz. of pasta; actually, undercook it a bit, you don't want it mushy. Set pasta aside.
1. Wash and peel garlic and onion. Dice garlic and half of the yellow onion. Chop the remaining half of the onion into larger pieces. Cuts ends off of the zucchini and slice each into 3 large ~2" sections. Then half each section lengthwise and cut into 2" long 'strips' (not rounds).
2. Place diced garlic and diced onion into the saucepan. Saute with oil over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Don't let the garlic singe.
3. Add in the zucchini and remaining (larger pieces) of onion. Turn heat up to medium-high and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the black-eyed peas. Add in a little bit of dried oregano, parsley, salt and pepper.
4. When large zucchini slices are barely tender, stir in the drained black eyed peas and cooked penne pasta. Mix gently, try not to mush the peas up too much. Heat for 2 minutes. Can turn heat up to high (or add in a little more oil) if the pasta and veggies aren't browning enough on the bottom.
5. Remove from heat and stir in Mozzarella cheese. Eat warm.

Frito Chili Pie

Another quick almost-a-snack meal. Hooray for corn being gluten free!



Serves 2
25 minutes
- large saucepan
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
3 large green onions
6 large fresh tomatoes
1/2 lb ground beef
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 (14 oz.) can pinto beans*
A handful of corn chips*;enough for two people
Cheddar cheese to melt on top; sour cream (dairy or otherwise) would be a good decision

*Bush beans are GF, so are S&W and Eden Organics
*Fritos are gluten free

DIRECTIONS
1. Wash the green onions and remove the end roots. Dice up the white parts; chop the green stems into larger pieces. Separate the green and white parts. Cut the stem off of the tomatoes. Cut them into rather large 1.5 inch pieces, don't bother peeling them. Save as much tomato juice as you can.
2. Rise off the ground beef and place into the large saucepan. Throw in the diced white green onion bits. Begin cooking over medium heat. Once the meat starts to brown and releases some fat, remove the oil by dabbing it out with a paper towel or carefully pouring it into another container to toss. At the five minute mark, the meat should be nice and browned. Add in 1 Tbsp chili powder; stir well.
3. Add in the green green onion parts and tomatoes (+ juice). Cook for another 5 minutes. You want the tomatoes to somewhat break down, not not dissolve completely.
4. When the beef looks totally done, add in the another 1 Tbsp. of chili powder. Drain the pinto beans, then carefully stir the beans into the tomato/bean mixture. Add in some more spice if you think the sauce needs it. Heat for another 2 minutes or so, perhaps turn the heat up to med-high to boil off any excess water. The chili shouldn't look like soup, but it should be moist enough to slop over a big helping of corn chips. Top with cheese and sour cream. Eat warm, while the chips are still crunchy.

Saucepan Bratwurst

For those of you who don't own grills but want crispy, juicy bratwurst: a bare-bone recipe for sausage with some caramelized veggies. Probably also a good recipe to try while traveling (Oscar Meyer franks are GF). If I'd planned ahead better I would have made fresh hotdog buns. Next time, maybe.



Serves 2
25 minutes
- medium saucepan
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
4 bratwurst sausages-- Niman Ranch has really good sausage links that are GF
1 large yellow onion
1 large red bell pepper
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Wash and peel the onion. Slice into thin rounds, as if making onion rings. Half each disk, getting semi-circles. Slice the bell pepper into long, thin pieces.
2. Rinse off the bratwurst and place in frying pan alongside the onion and bell pepper. Begin cooking over medium heat. You want the onions to slowly caramelize-- so make sure the burner isn't hot enough to singe the veggies straight out.
3. Slowly cook the bratwurst, onion and pepper, tossing and turning pieces as needed. Once meat heats up enough, poke holes in the bratwurst with a fork to let the juices out. Stir. If things look to be burning, turn stove down to medium-low. Tend often or things will stick and char. Heat until the sausage is browned and sizzling and the onions are dark and caramelized. Mine took about 15 minutes to get nice and 'grilled'.
Enjoy alone or with buns.

Zucchini and Kidney Bean Cheesy Rice Bowl

Definitely made in one small pan with minimum kitchen supplies. Very celiac travel-friendly. The jalapeño bite and zucchini pairs well.



Serves 1.5
25 minutes
- small/medium saucepan
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
1 large zucchini
1/2 c. long grain white rice
Half of a 15 oz. can kidney beans*
Shake of onion powder
1/2 c. cheddar and pepper jack shredded cheese *; you want spicy jalapeno cheese!

*Bush beans and S&W beans are GF, Kraft cheese is GF and their shredded cheese is basically lactose free!!

DIRECTIONS
1. Wash and remove ends from the zucchini;cut it into 1/2" slices.
2. Cook rice in the medium saucepan with 3/4 c. water for 15 minutes over high heat (Once it begins boiling, reduce heat to medium, but don't 'reset' the time).
3. At the 15 minute mark, add in the zucchini slices. Simmer everything for another 3 to 5 minutes., stirring occasionally. By the end of 20 minutes, you want all of the excess water to be almost gone.
4. Add in onion powder and half a can of kidney beans. Mix to heat through.
5. Remove from heat and pour in cheese. Mix to evenly melt the cheese and coat the beans and zucchini.

Green Beans and Yellow Squash with Sausage

Crisp-tender green beans with yellow summer squash, onions and juicy chunks of sausage. Fast and good. Probably a side dish, but it's also a quick, filling dinner for one.



25 minutes
- large saucepan with deep sides -or- a wok
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. green beans
2 large yellow summer squash
1 large white onion
1/2 lb. sausage (I used Hillshire Farms Polska Kielbasa sausage link)
[1 tsp. peanut oil-- optional]

DIRECTIONS
1. Wash and remove ends from the green beans and summer squash. Leave the green beans nice and long, but cut the squash into 1/2" thick slices. Halve (or even quarter) the slices if the circles are not bite-sized. Wash and peel onion. Slice the onion into this circles (as if you were making onion rings), then half each 'disk' into semicircles. Rise the sausage and cut it into 1.5" pieces. Quarter each piece lengthwise, so you have bite-sized 'links' of meat.
2. Place the green beans into the large saucepan with about 2 Tbsp. water. Boil the green beans over medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to uniformly cook the beans.
3. Once the water has almost all boiled off, add in the sausage and yellow squash. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring well. You don't need any more water.. the squash will give some up.
4. Add in the onion slices and, if needed, the peanut oil. Turn the heat up to high and stir-fry the veggies+meat for 2 to 3 more minutes. Stir often, scraping the bottom of the saucepan-- you want the veggies to sizzle and brown, but not get burnt. Serve when the beans and zucchini are crisp-tender, the onions are wilted and sausage browned.

Spinach, Sausage and Potatoes

Another easy hearty side-dish. Spuds with garlic, sausage and spinach. Spice it up some with more black pepper or red pepper flakes.

Serves 2
40 minutes
- large saucepan or wok
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
10 to 15 small red boiler potatoes
1/2 lb. beef or pork sausage (I used half of a Hillshire Farm Polska Kielbasa Sausage link)
1 large shallot
5 cloves garlic
[1 Tbsp. fresh parsley- optional]
[1/2. Tbsp butter- optional]
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
dash black pepper &/or crushed red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS
1. Scrub and half the red potatoes. Place potato halves into the large saucepan. Peel and dice the shallot and garlic cloves. [Chop up parsley.] Wash the spinach and set it aside.
2. Rinse and slice the sausage into half inch slices. Half each slice.
3. Begin boiling potatoes in a quarter inch of water over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Let it boil for about 10 minutes (over medium heat), then add in the sausage. Continue boiling/simmering for another 5 minutes. Test a spud. If they are still hard and starchy, then add in a bit more water and boil for another 3 to 5 minutes. Don't let the potatoes get too soggy (so no more than 20 minutes, tops).
4. When water is about to evaporate, add in the diced shallot, garlic, [and parsley]. Stir to coat.
5. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Let the potatoes sizzle and brown a bit. If the sausage you use isn't greasy enough, add in .5 Tbsp butter. Flip the spuds every minute or so-- you don't want them to burn badly.
6. Once they've sauteed for about 5 minutes, add in the spinach leaves. Stir till wilted. Let the dish saute for an additional minute or two then remove from heat and serve.

Rocky Road Fudge

The EASIEST gluten-free dessert ever. Seriously, it has 3 ingredients and all are 'naturally' GF.
Plus, it also tastes good; rich chocolate and crunchy peanut butter alongside puffy marshmallows. I whip this up if I suddenly need a hassle-free GF treat.



9 x 9 inch pan of fudge (so about 20 squares worth)
15 minutes mixing + 45 minutes solidifying
- medium saucepan
- 9 x 9 " baking pan, lined with Al foil
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
1 (10 or 12 oz.) bag of semisweet chocolate morsels* (find some DF chocolate chips for all those with lactose problems)
Half of a 14 oz. container of extra crunchy peanut butter*
Half of a 10 oz bag of miniature marshmallows*
*Toll House (nestle) chocolate morsels are GF (so are Enjoy Life and Tropical Source GF, DF choc chips), Jiff PB is GF, Kraft mini marshmallows are GF

DIRECTIONS
0. Line 9 x 9 pan with aluminum foil.
1. Pour the bag of chocolate chips into the dry medium saucepan. Begin heating over medium heat, stirring constantly as they start melting. Stir until the chips are nice and creamy.
2. Remove from the heat and spoon in half of the 18 oz. container of peanut butter (I just eyeball it, accurate measurements aren't important here-- go ahead and add in more if you really like PB). Mix well, until the chocolate/peanut butter is fully smooth and melty.
3. Let the saucepan cool further for about another 2-3 minutes-- you DON'T want the marshmallows to melt once you stir them in.
4. Add in a bunch of marshmallows (a little more than half of the 10 oz bag). Mix marshmallows in carefully, being sure to coat each one. Don't overstir, though, and make them shapeless and gooey.
5. Spoon the fudge into the waiting pan, spreading evenly. Cover lightly with foil and place fudge into the fridge or freezer to cool and harden, no shorter then 45 minutes. Once they've solidified, take out and cut into 2 x 1 " pieces (these babies are rich). Serve chilled, they will become rather messy once they warm up a bit.

Steamed Broccoli with Carrots and Parsnips

Simple simple steamed veggies. Enjoy as a side dish or splash with balsamic vinegar and stir into some fluffy white rice.



Serves 2
20 minutes
- medium pot
- veggie steamer 'basket'
- lid or some Aluminum foil to use as a lid
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
1 large head of broccoli
2 large carrots
2 large parsnips
dash of salt and pepper
splash of balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS
1. Wash and cut broccoli into large-ish bite size pieces; leave some of the stem on if you can. Peel and julienne both the carrots and parsnips (cut root 'sideways' into ovals about 1/4 inch thick, then slice each oval into 2 or 3 long pieces) .
2. Place steamer 'basket' into the pot. Fill pot with water until it barely brushes up against the bottom holes of the steamer. Add in broccoli florets and carrots. Cover the pot with a lid (or a piece of foil). Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Steam for 3 minutes.
3. Carefully uncover the pot (watch out for hot steam) and throw in the parsnips. Replace the lid and steam for another 2 to 3 minutes. Check on the broccoli at the 3 minute mark. If it's still too tough, then let it go a minute more-- however, don't let the veggies go mushy. If you boil away all of the water, add in some more.
4. Remove veggies from heat once crisp-tender. Season with salt and pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Sticky Rice with Bok Choy

A simple, refreshing dish to make on a busy day. Good as a light side dish, or as a veggie main dish for one. Really easy to make.



Serves 1-2
35 minutes
- large saucepan or pot
Quick & Simple

INGREDIENTS
5 cloves fresh garlic
1 inch piece fresh ginger
1 large carrot
1 large white onion
2 to 3 heads baby bok choy
3/4 c. dry rice-- use sushi rice or jasmine rice
[dash of GF soy sauce; optional, I liked the taste of the veggies and ginger]

DIRECTIONS
1. Peel ginger and finely dice. Remove flakey, outer skin from the ginger to reveal the yellow root. Finely dice the ginger. Peel the carrot and cut into oblique pieces (as if you were cutting circular pieces, but do it at an angle). Slice each carrot oval into thirds to create matchsticks. Peel and chop the onion. Separate the individual leaves from the bok choy 'stalk'. Keep both the green and white parts intact, but you can cut off the tough white part at the very bottom. Wash the leaves well.
2. Place rice into a large saucepan or pot cover with about 1/2 inch of water. Bring rice to a rolling boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and simmer for around 5 minutes.
3. Add in the diced garlic and giner. Stir well and simmer another 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add in the carrot matchsticks. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, adding more water in if necessary (like if the rice starts sticking to the bottom of the pan).
5. Add the whole bok choy leaves and the chopped onion to the pot. Cook until green part of bok choy leaves are wilted and white parts are crips-tender (shouldn't take longer than 5 minutes). Rice should be a little overcooked-- but nice and sticky. Add some salt, or a dash of soy sauce, if you so wish.

Zesty Quinoa

More quinoa, this time with a slightly tex-mex taste. Creamy tomatoes with hearty zucchini and a hint of jalapeño heat. Cooks up fast, tastes good.



Serves 2
35 minutes
-large saucepan
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 (14 oz) can Swanson Natural Goodness Chicken broth
2 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow or white onion
2 medium jalapeño chilies
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 medium tomatoes

DIRECTIONS
1. Chop zucchini up into 1/2 inch thick slices. Quarter each slice and set zucchini aside. Wash and finely chop up the onion. Remove top and seeds from jalapeno, then dice up the chilies.
Remove skins from tomatoes, either with your fingernails or carefully with a paring knife.
Chop tomatoes up into bite-sized chunks. Set tomatoes aside from rest of veggies, retaining as much juice as possible.
2. Pour quinoa into saucepan. Add in 3/4 can of Swanson chicken broth. Begin boiling quinoa over high heat.
3. Once broth comes to a rolling boil, decrease heat to medium high and add in zucchini quarters.
Boil for an additional 5 minutes.
4. At the 5 minutes mark, add in chopped onion and diced jalapeños. Season with ground cumin and sea salt. Also add in the olive oil; stir. Continue simmering for another 5 to 10 minutes. Pour in remaining chicken broth when necessary (will eventually use the entire can of broth).
5. Taste quinoa. When the grain is swollen and tender and liquid almost all absorbed,
turn off heat, but don't remove from the stove.
6. Stir in the tomato pieces. Continue stirring until the tomatoes are heated through.
You want them slightly cooked by the still-hot quinoa, but not falling apart.
Serve warm, in bowls.

Navy Bean and Asparagus Hash

More asparagus with potatoes. I'm a fan, if you haven't noticed. Be sure to add lots of garlic powder, it tastes great with the white navy beans. Also, let the large potato slices saute long enough in the oil (on the bottom of the pan) such that they become golden brown.



Serves 2
35 minutes
-large saucepan, with tall sides
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
10 asparagus stalks
3 medium-sized red potatoes
1 medium white onion
1 small red bell pepper
1 (15 oz.) can white navy beans*, drained
2-3 Tbsp. peanut oil
1/2 tsp. thyme leaves
2 tsp. garlic powder
sea salt

*Bush navy beans are GF; S&W navy beans are GF

DIRECTIONS
1. Cut asparagus into 2 inch long pieces (chop stalk into thirds). Cut potatoes into larger, 1 inch cubes, don't bother peeling. You want the potato pieces large, since they'll boil for awhile. Place asparagus and potato aside. Coarsely chop white onion into large-ish pieces. Wash and remove core/seeds from the bell pepper. Chop red bell pepper likewise into larger pieces (about 1.5 inches long).
2. Place spuds and asparagus into large saucepan. Bring potatoes and asparagus to boil in 3/4 cup water over high heat. Continue to boil spuds and aspargus for 12 - 15 minutes, or until water just about boiled away.
3. Add in onion and red bell pepper. Stir in 3 Tbsp. peanut oil. Saute over medium-high heat for an additional 5 minutes. Stir only intermittently, let the potatoes and asparagus on the bottom of the pan toast and become golden.
4. Once the onions have turned translucent, drain the can of navy beans and add beans to the pan. Season with thyme leaves and lots of garlic powder. Add in ample amound of sea salt (it tastes so good with the beans).
5. Heat for another 2-3 minutes, or until the beans are heated all the way through.
Serve hot.

Zucchini Boy-R-De

It's been a long time since I ate pasta out of a can, but this vaguely reminded me of those spaghetti-O's-- only better, due to the fresh zucchini and garlic.
Another fast fast (although far-from-gourmet) dinner that actually tasted good!



Serves 2
25 minutes
-large pot
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
6 oz. uncooked GF pasta spirals (I use half of a 12 oz bag of Tinkyada brown rice spirals)
2 to 3 large zucchini
1 large white onion
8 to 10 lobes of fresh garlic
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 (14 oz.) can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes
2 Tbsp. dried (or fresh) basil leaves
1 Tbsp. dried (or fresh) oregano leaves
sea salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Place spirals into the large pot. Add in water until the water level rises 1/2 inch above the pasta sitting in the pot. Place over high heat and chop up the veggies while waiting on the water to boil.
2. Veggies: Wash the cut the zucchini into 1/2 inch thick slices. Don't half the circles, leave them big. Place zucchini near the range (aside from the garlic and onion). Peel and chop up the white onion. Peel, remove ends, then and dice up the garlic.
3. Once the pasta comes to a rolling boil, begin timing, stir, then reduce heat down to medium-high. Cook spirals for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Taste a spiral, it should be very al dente (slightly soft on the outside, yet still firm and chewy on the inside). Add in the zucchini slices. Stir. Cook for another 5 minutes.
5. By this time, almost all of the water should have boiled away. Just before the pasta starts to stick on the bottom of the pot, add in the onions, garlic, olive oil and full can of Muir Glen Crushed tomatoes, liquid and all (do NOT drain tomatoes!!). Stir well to mix. Add in a fair amount of seasonings: basil, oregano, sea salt and pepper.
6. Turn the heat down to medium. Let the 'soup' simmer, uncovered, until the onions become translucent and the tomato sauce becomes thick, coating the spirals (around 3-5 minutes). The pasta and zucchini will be tender by this point.
7. Remove from the stove; let sit 5 minutes, but serve warm.

Christmas Quinoa

This was my first taste of Quinoa (keen-wah), despite the GF community raving about this wonder grain for months now. Now I understand what all the 'raving' was about. Light and textured, with a hint of chewiness-- a perfect break from rice. I'm so happy!!
Of course this dish has nothing to do with Christmas. The color scheme just reminded me of such.



Serves 1.5
25 minutes
-large saucepan
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1.5 cups water (or GF chicken broth)
5 asparagus stalks
1/2 of a head of cauliflower
1/2 of a large red bell pepper
1 medium white onion
1 to 2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Place rinsed quinoa into the large saucepan. Cover grains with water and begin cooking over high heat. Keep an eye on the stove, but start cutting up veggies:
2. Wash and cut asparagus stalks into 1 inch pieces. Wash and cut cauliflower into bite-sized chunks. Set asparagus and cauliflower aside near range. Wash and slice red bell pepper into 1 inch pieces. Also evenly chop white onion into 1/2 inch squares.
3. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, turn heat down to medium-high and continue cooking (start timing from onset of rapid boiling). Stir occasionally.
4. At the 5 minute mark, add in the asparagus and cauliflower pieces. Stir, continue cooking.
5. At the 10 minutes mark, add in the red bell pepper and onion. Stir, then season with salt and pepper. Also stir in a bit of olive oil.
6. Continue cooking (stirring occasionally) until the outside of the quinoa grain becomes translucent and the grain itself (and accompanig veggies) are tender, but not soggy. All water should have boiled away by this point.
7. Let the veggies and cooked quinoa sit undisturbed in the pan for 2-3 minutes right before removing from the heat. This will slightly toast the bottom grains if you added enough olive oil. Serve warm.

Fusilli with Kidney Beans

Don't be fooled by the fancy name. This is just one above plain old Mac & Cheese.
I thought spirals were my favorite Tinkyada pasta until I discovered their Fusilli. Undercook it slightly and you will retain the hollow center of the long, loopy 'curls'. For some reason I think the Kidney beans go best with this type of pasta.
Super super quick. I whip this up all the time on 'crunch' days right before problem sets are due.

I'm trying to post more often, despite not having time to cook up anything better than rice or potatoes with _(insert random vegetable)_.




Serves 1
15 minutes
-medium pot
-can opener
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
8 oz. Tinkyada brown rice Fusilli pasta (1/2 of a regular bag)
1 (8 oz.) can Kidney beans (S&W and Bush are GF)-- could use full 15 oz can if you want tons o protein
1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese (or good dairy substitute; I use Galaxy Nutritional Foods Rice shreds)
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese (Galaxy N.F. also has good Parmesan substitutes)

DIRECTIONS
1. Bring Fusilli pasta to a rolling boil in 2 cups water. Cook until Al dente (tender, but not mushy; around 8 to 10 minutes).
2. Pour out most of the excess water, reserving about 2 Tbsp (roughly) in the bottom of the pot. Turn heat down to medium low.
3. Open and thoroughly rinse kidney beans. Add to the pasta and gently mix. Heat through (just place back on the burner for an additional 1 to 2 minutes)
4. Once heated, add in the cheddar and Parmesean cheese. Stir well to mix and melt the cheese, fully coating the Fusilli. (Don't break up the pasta!) Eat warm right out of the pot.

Asparagus Fried Rice

More fried rice, this one with an Italian twist; not Asian. A nice change from my normal egg-and-soy-sauce fried rice. I think refrigerating the pre-steamed rice overnight helped make this super not soggy. Very easy.



Serves 1-2
25 minutes
-large saucepan
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups pre-cooked long grain white rice (I used a rice-cooker and placed the rice in the fridge to chill)
10 asparagus stalks
1/4 c. water
1/2 of a large red onion
1 large red bell pepper
1 + 1 Tbsp olive oil
Oregano and basil.

DIRECTIONS
0. Precook the white rice in another pot (or rice cooker), use a little less water than normal. Place cooked rice into the fridge to chill (overnight works best, but a few hours is fine).
1. Break off tough bottoms of each asparagus stalk, then cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
2. Place cut asparagus into large saucepan. Add in 1/4 cup water (just enough to wet the asparagus pieces). Bring asparagus to a boil for 5 minutes (start-up included).
3. Peel and coarsely dice the red onion. Rinse and deseed the red bell pepper, then cut into small-ish 1/2 inch squares.
4. Once the water in the saucepan has diminished significantly (around the 5 minute mark), add the onion and red bell pepper to the asparagus. Stir and reduce the heat to medium-high.
5. Let the remaining water boil off completely, then add in 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Stir. Sprinkle generously with dried oregano and basil leaves, to taste. [Use fresh leaves if you have them!].
6. Saute the asparagus, bell pepper and onion for 5 more minutes, browning the veggies.
7. Once they are nice and browned, add in the chilled, cooked white rice. Break up any rice clumps and add in another Tbsp. of olive oil. Stir-fry the rice (with veggies) for an additional 3-5 minutes, tanning it, too.
Serve warm.

Pan-Roasted Baby Red Potatoes

Tender spuds, covered in garlic butter, pan-roasted with pearl onions.
I've always wanted to make these. Over winter break, I found time to experiment. I really liked the garlic-infused butter, but you can tune down both (garlic or butter) if you see fit.



Serves 3 (as a side dish)
40 minutes
-large saucepan
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
10 to 15 small baby red (boiler) potatoes ; no bigger than 2 inches in diameter
10 to 15 small white pearl onions
1 whole garlic (more than 8 cloves, at least)
4 Tbsp. butter or non-dairy alternative (I used Buttery Sticks)
5 green onions
sea salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Half each baby red potato; don't bother peeling them. If still too big, quarter each potato. Place in bowl of cold water to sit while peeling the onions.
2. Carefully cut the ends off of the pearl onions. Remove the outer cover by slicing into the side. However, keep the onions whole-- don't half them (they'll fall apart).
3. Remove the spuds from the water-bath and place in large saucepan. Add in the peeled pearl onions. Pour in enough water such that the potatoes and onions are halfway covered (not too much).
4. Start the pan boiling over high heat. You want the potatoes and onions to boil rapidly for at least 10 minutes. Turn to the garlic and green onions while waiting.
5. Peel entire garlic, removing the hard bottom parts from each clove (this, like the onions, takes awhile). Coarsely dice. Keep watch on the potatoes.
6. Once the potatoes are pierced easily with a knife, carefully pour out most of the extra water; leave about a tablespoon of water in the bottom of the pan. Add in handful the diced garlic. Stir.
7. Place saucepan back on the hot range. Boil off the rest of the water-- should take less than 3 minutes. When the water has completely boiled away, turn the heat down to medium-high and add in the butter. Stir to melt and coat.
8. Let the potatoes, garlic, and onions saute in the butter for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the potatoes to brown a little.
9. Coarsely cut up the green leaves of the green onion. Add to the saucepan. Mix well.
10. Saute for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until the potatoes and white onions are tender, but before they get too mushy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve generously with ham.

Pepper, Chili and Potato

Pretty good for spuds and lunch meat. Use 'real' ham slices (or bacon) if you have the money; thin ham slices are better than thick. I envisioned this to have a little bit of a 'kick' to it, but the anaheim peppers were more sweet than spicy. Oh well.



Serves 2
30 minutes
-large saucepan
-mandolin slicer (or a good, sharp knife)
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
2 to 3 medium red potatoes
1 small green bell pepper
1 large anaheim pepper (or spicy-er variety)
2 to 3 green onions
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
3 to 4 slices of ham (I used lunch meat*)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. parsley flakes --- or Tbsp. of chopped fresh parsley!
sea salt
*Oscar Mayer cold cut lunch meat is gluten free

DIRECTIONS
1. Wash the potatoes, don't bother peeling. Cut them into 1/4th inch thick slices-- about as thin as you can get them.. I used a mandolin slicer. Half the wide slices to make them a little more manageable (length-wise, not widthwise; see picture).
2. Wash and core both peppers. Slice green bell pepper into 1/2 inch strips. Cut each strip into thirds. Dice up the anaheim pepper (some say you must remove the thick skin beforehand, but I didn't have a problem with it). Place pepper pieces together, but not with the potatoes.
3. Remove the roots from the onions. Slice the green onions into 1/2 inch pieces (both the green and remaining white part). Set onion pieces aside apart from peppers.
4. Place potato slices into the large saucepan. Begin cooking potatoes over medium-high heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until all water is removed from the outside of the spuds (don't want the oil to splatter).
5. Drizzle with peanut oil just before potatoes begin to stick to the bottom of the pan; mix to evenly coat slices. Take out the ham slices and tear into medium, bite-sized pieces with your fingers. Add directly to the pan. Mix with spuds and oil.
6. Cook ham and potatoes for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, just often enough to brown the spuds and meat, but not burn it.
7. Turn the heat down to medium and add in the bell and anaheim pepper. Season liberally with garlic powder, sea salt and parsley flakes (fresh parsley would rock!). Stir well. Cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until the peppers are crisp-tender.
8. Add in the green onion pieces. Stir to distribute. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the green onion wilts and potatoes are tender-- if you have thick slices or used Russet potatoes, you might want to make sure the potatoes are done. Serve warm alongside something else yummy.

Italian Asparagus Rice Bowl

Asparagus with crisp red bell pepper, sauteed with chicken and tossed with toasted white rice. This actually made quite a bit. I'll stuff this in rice tortillas for lunch tomorrow.



Serves 2
20 (for rice) + 35 minutes
-large saucepan
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
1 cup pre-cooked long grain white rice

10 to 15 asparagus stalks? spears?
1 small to medium red bell pepper
1 medium white onion
6 cloves garlic
1 to 2 chicken thighs (or breasts-- but I think the darker meat is better with the beans)
1 + 1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. dried basil leaves
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 (14 oz.?) can dark red kidney beans*
salt and pepper to taste
*Bush's kidney beans are GF; so are S&F fine foods kidney beans.

DIRECTIONS
0. Cook up enough white rice to make 1 cup prepared rice. Decrease the cooking time by about 2 minutes to avoid the rice getting soft in the final dish. Set rice aside.
1. Remove the tough end of each asparagus stalk. Cut up the asparagus into 2 inch long pieces. Set asparagus aside.
2. Wash and remove the seeds and core of the red bell pepper. Slice into thin strips, then half (the pepper strips should be about the same length as the asparagus pieces). Coarsely cut up the white onion-- these pieces don't have to be uniform or small. Finely dice up the peeled garlic.
3. Wash off the chicken thighs. Cut or tear the meat into bite-sized pieces. Place chicken into large saucepan. Add a tsp. of water (just a very little bit). Begin cooking the chicken over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, until all the water boils off (should happen under 5 minutes).
4. Once water is gone, before the chicken starts to stick to the pan, add in 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. Mix to coat. Saute chicken for an additional 2-3 minutes, turning frequently. The pieces should be about fully cooked.
5. Add in the asparagus pieces to the saucepan (might spit a little, be careful). Turn the heat down to medium. Mix. Cook asparagus pieces for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so that neither the asparagus or chicken start to brown too much on one side.
6. Add in the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the saucepan. Season liberally with basil, oregano, black pepper and sea salt. Stir. Cook over medium heat for an additional 5 minutes, on until the onion becomes translucent.
7. Open the can of dark red kidney beans. Drain and wash the beans thoroughly. Once the bell pepper and asparagus pieces are tender (not soggy!), add in the kidney beans. Stir well, then add in the prepared, cooked white rice. Add in the other 1 Tbsp. olive oil (and more spices, as you see fit). Stir well, making sure everything is mixed.
8. Heat rice, beans and veggies for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning the rice (it should be browned a little, though). Turn down the heat to medium-low if the rice is sticking too badly instead of adding any more oil. Heat until the beans are warm and the rice is toasted. Serve warm by itself or wrap inside a big rice tortilla.

Eggplant-Zucchini Toss

So damn good! I absolutely love eggplant (zucchini isn't half bad, either). I wanted to try a saucepan dish with eggplant, so I sliced it up into wide, pseudo-thin pieces. The slices turned into wide egg-like noodles. I was very happy.



Serves 2 (as a side dish)
35 minutes
-large saucepan
-spatula for tossing
Quick and simple

INGREDIENTS
1/2 to 1 whole eggplant, peeled
1 to 2 medium zucchini
1 Tbsp. olive oil
5 cloves garlic
1 medium white onion
1 Tbsp. dried basil leaves (or fresh, if you have them)
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Wash and peel the eggplant. I cut off the very top portion first, that seems to make it easier to 'catch' the skin. Cut off the bottom, then slice vegetable in half (perpendicular to the length). You should now have two 'cylindrical' sections, each about 3-4 inches long. Stand a section upright, and slice into the eggplant, creating wide sheets about 1/2 of an inch thick (they will shrink alot, don't worry). Cut the sheets in half length-wise to form rectangular eggplant-noodles. Repeat with the second half of the eggplant if you wish.
2. Do the same with the zucchini (but don't peel it). Chop off the ends, slice into two cylinders, then cut into strips, these are about 1/4th of an inch thick-- it's easier to cut the zucchini when it's lying on it's side instead up upright (duh). Don't half the zucchini strips, each should be the full width of the vegetable.
3. Slice the white onion into 1/4th inch disks, as if you were making thin onion rings. Leave the onion pieces as O's. Wash, peel and dice up the garlic cloves-- lots of garlic!
4. Place the zucchini strips into a large saucepan. Begin cooking over medium heat. When they start to sizzle, right before they begin to stick to the pan, add in the olive oil. Toss to evenly distribute the oil. Cook eggplant for 2-3 minutes more-- the vegetable will begin to wilt and turn a wonderful greenish-grey, don't be alarmed.
5. Add in the zucchini strips and garlic pieces. Mix. Cook for 5 more minutes, making sure to flip and rotate the pieces so they cook evenly.
6. Add the onion rings, breaking the layers apart a little. Sprinkle generously with basil and oregano. Season with sea salt and pepper. Mix well to coat. Add in a little more oil if you see fit.
7. Cook the entire dish for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the onion, zucchini and eggplant are wilted, tossing frequently. Stop cooking before they fall apart, however. Serve warm alongside meat, or with a generous helping of rice.