Good, simple recipes

Cafe Society
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Inspired by this thread, I wanted to pick the brains of all the Doper chefs out there to give cooking suggestions for us cooking-impaired folks.

So here’s the basic ground rules:

  1. Can go from start to ready-to-eat in 30 minutes or less
  2. Involves basic ingredients that are likely to be found in most any kitchen (bonus points if most of the recipe uses non-perishable stuff)
  3. Can easily be made in single-serving portions, for those of us cooking for just ourselves

I don’t really cook all that much just because of the time and hassle of collecting all the ingredients, not because I don’t like to do it. So let’s see some good recipes to get started with. :slight_smile:

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  1. Open box of Lucky Charms.
  2. Pour into bowl.
  3. Open gallon of milk.
  4. Pour into SAME bowl. (Note: The milk should be going into the bowl which was previously used for step 2. You can tell you did this properly if the cereal is wet. If you poured milk into a bowl not used in step 2, you may then pour the milk in the bowl used in step 4, into the bowl used in step 2.)
  5. Eat with spoon.

If you have no Lucky Charms, you may substitute another sugar-laden cereal.

Join us next week for Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (It’s the cheesiest!) and Jello brand Instant Pudding!

3

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can water
1 can veg-all, drained (or, 1-2 cups of frozen mixed veggies)
1 cup flour (approx)
1 egg

In a small saucepan, heat soup according to directions, add vegetables. In a small bowl, beat egg, add flour slowly until a moist dough forms. It should be sticky, but not runny. Drop spoons of the dough into the boiling soup. Chicken-n-dumplin’s is done when the dough lumps are no longer moist in the center (about 10 minutes)

This recipe is my family’s favourite comfort food. It’s a one-dish meal with all your veggies and protein and takes less than 20 minutes fom start to finish. The only thing a bachelor might not have on hand is the flour. This recipe serves 2 – or one REALLY hungry person.

How’s that for meeting all 3 rules?

4

Moved from IMHO to CS.

5

Maryland Flag Chili

This vegetarian chili (can be vegan) can be made entirely with stuff that keeps for a long time (the only thing in it at all perishable is the onion, and those keep a long time), so it’s a good one to do when you really should go to the grocery store but you’re too tired or don’t want to bother. It also uses only one pot (I use a Dutch oven or big saucepan- nonstick is best, just because it’s easier to clean even if you’re a lazy procrastinator like me and don’t clean up right away) and one spoon. It doesn’t require precise measurement of anything. It requires no advance preparation, though it does get a little better if it sits on the stove a while (but it’s certainly edible if it doesn’t).

It’s not a single serving, but it keeps well in the fridge for a few days, and tends to be even better when reheated (the flavors have more time to meld).

It’s Maryland Flag Chili because it contains things that are red (the tomatoes), white (the white beans), gold (the corn), and black (the black beans), which are the colors of the Maryland flag.

It was partly inspired by the Chili Con Corny served at an on-campus cafe at UC Santa Cruz.

Slice an onion and saute it in a little olive oil in the pot you’re going to use for the chili.
Add a big can of tomatoes, a can of white beans, a can of black beans, and a can of kidney beans.
Add a can of corn (you could also use frozen corn).
Add as much stock (I use vegetarian beef-flavored stock, which you can find in the kosher section of the supermarket) or water as you want to make the chili the right consistency (some people like it really chunky, some like it soupier).
Heat up the chili until it is simmering.
Add salt, chili powder, and cumin to taste. If your chili powder isn’t spicy enough, you could add some cayenne, too. I like to put in a splash of tequila as well, but you don’t have to.
Leave it sit on the burner until you’re ready to eat.

This recipe makes enough for a one-dish meal for at least three people.

Serving suggestions:

It’s good with crumbled-up tortilla chips in it, and that’s a good way to use up the little tortilla crumbs that you always get at the bottom of the bag.

It’s also good with sour cream and/or shredded cheese.

6

Two eggs
A splash of milk
Thyme
Grated cheese

Beat together eggs and milk until completely homogeneous, then beat in thyme. Grease and heat frying pan; turn to medium heat. Pour egg mixture into pan and sprinkle with cheese. Cook until it is solid enough that edges are easily scraped up from pan using a spatula, then fold up either side onto the middle. Cook a few more seconds, then flip over and cook until done to taste. Serve with coffee and toast.

For variety, you can add pretty much anything to the cheese, such as chopped vegetables, little chopped pieces of meat, etc.