Boil enough spaghetti (but you can replace them with any kind of pasta).
While waiting, cut up 3 cloves of garlic per person (or more if desired) in small pieces and fry them in plenty (and I mean PLENTY) of olive oil. For added taste, add fresh cut-up chili to the garlic.
Take garlic off the fire when it starts to become brown. Add to drained pasta (including all the oil), toss and enjoy!
Buy whole fresh squid if you can, get the fishmonger to clean them for you unless you are confident. Good quality fresh ingredients are needed for this - don’t skimp…
Good olive oil, a good slug
Calamari/Squid, a couple each unless huge
Zuchini/Corgettes, same weight as the squid
Fresh tomatoes, a couple each
Fresh red chilli, to taste but go easy it is about more than just chilli
Fresh Parsley - a good handful
Prepare everything in advance as it takes about 3 or 4 minutes cooking. Get a big deep iron frying pan, add the oil and heat it up good and hot.
Roughly chop the zuchini into sort-of-cubes (not sliced) around 1/2" (15 mm) a side. Throw into pan and keep it moving for 1 min.
Add sliced squid, and all the tenticles and wings and stuff chopped as necessary, turning the heat up to get it back up to cooking temperature quick - keep it moving - for 1 min.
Add similarly sized chopped tomatoes (skinned and deseeded - boil some water pop the toms into the water for 30 secs, remove and the skins come off. Now quarter them and push out the seeds with your thumb, now chop around 1/2" as before) and the thinly slliced chilli (deseeded if wished).
Cook for another minute, remove from heat.
Throw in the finely chopped parsely, mix together and serve in a warmed bowl with good crispy (French/Freedom ) bread to mop up all those fantastic juices.
Here’s my version…a little more complicated, but still simple:
While bringing the pasta pot to a boil, saute 6-8 roughly chopped garlic cloves SLOWLY SLOWLY with a quarter cup of extra-virgin olive oil, in a pan large enough to hold a pound of cooked pasta.
Start a pound of good spaghetti boiling, then add 3-4 anchovies, or 3-4 squirts of good anchovy paste, to the skillet. Moosh 'em around. The garlic should be beginning to turn gold by this point.
Put a ladelful of pasta cooking water into the pan, along with a half cup of chopped Italian parsley, and let it bubble away while the spaghetti finishes cooking. You’ll want the pasta a shade tougher than al dente, so don’t simmer it longer than 8 or 9 minutes.
Drain the pasta and add it to the pan, tossing to coat with the garlic/oil/anchovy/parsley combination. Keep tossing over low heat until the spaghetti absorbs the liquid, a minute or three.
Turn out into a serving bowl, sprinkle a little more parsley on top and serve with your favorite grating cheese alongside.
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can tomato soup
1 cup (or so) of frozen peas
1 package of garlic mashed potatoes (just follow the directions on the back)
Kraft cheese slices
Brown the ground beef and combine with both soups and the peas. Pour into casserole dish. Spread the mashed potatoes over the mix. Arrange cheese slices over all. Bake in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until cheese is brown and bubbly. Serve. My kids BEG me to make it. It’s one of the very few foods they both agree on.
Here are a couple. I’ve posted the first one before, and I think I got the second one here.
Filipino Pork Adobo
Cut up 1-1/2 pounds of lean pork so the pieces are longer in the direction of the grain and thinner the other directions. Sear in a little oil in a pot just until the surface doesn’t show any pink, then add an onion (big chunks are fine) and half a dozen chopped cloves of garlic. Fry until onion is transparent. Add half a cup of soya sauce and simmer, stirring once in a while and adding a little water as necessary. After an hour or so, the onions will disappear into the gravy and the meat will start to fall apart into shreds. Keep cooking until the meat is well broken down, maybe another hour. It’s traditionally served without much liquid, but you can use more if you like. (Optionally, put in some chopped ginger or some chili paste/Asian hot sauce/chopped peppers when you add the onion.) Serve over rice.
Pepper Potatoes
Mix soya sauce and oil in a bowl, and grind in some black pepper. Scrub russet potatoes and cut into wedges. (I usually cut the potatoes in half crossways and then wedge them.) Marinate in the soy/oil mixture up to an hour or so, stirring when you remember and grinding in more pepper. Cook on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven just like CrazyCatLady’s Garlic Steak Fries. (I generally turn them an extra time early on, as soon as the top is dry, so they don’t have a chance to stick.)
I usually say I can’t cook, but there are exceptions. Here’s my favorite recipe for other people who can’t cook.
CJ’s Nuki-tori for One
(It was inspired by Japanese yakitori (grilled chicken) which I got to love, but instead of being grilled it’s microwaved. Sacrilege maybe, but fast and easy.)
Ingredients:
1 chicken breast, thawed or frozen (I keep a stash of Schwans on hand for this).
Low Sodium Soy sauce
Ground Ginger
Pepper
Directions:
[ol][li]Coat the chicken breast in soy sauce and add put lots of black pepper and ginger on it.[/li][li]Microwave it until it’s done[/ol][/li]
It’s important to use low sodium soy sauce. The soy sauce cooks off while you’re microwaving the chicken breast, and regular will be too salty. You can add other spices if you like, including garlic. If you have fresh ginger on hand, put a couple of slices under the chicken.
If you’ve managed to plan ahead, you can let the chicken thaw in a mixture of soy sauce, ginger, pepper, onion, rice wine vinegar and anything else that looks interesting. I’d say garlic, but I’m afraid I’ve never learned to like the stuff.
Mix together olive oil, garlic and the juice of the two lemons. Marinade chicken for one hour room temperature or overnight in the fridge. Take chicken out of marinade and brush off any garlic pieces or lemon seeds. Grill.
What a great thread! And really needed in my house, too. My mother has a number of food allergies, and it’s hard to come up with a cheap, varied menu. As a result, we have the same old dishes any week. I’m hoping y’all can help with this. We are under a tight food budget, and my mother is allergic to the following foods:
Beef
Milk
Chicken
Eggs
Peanuts
Celery
Butter
Cooked milk and butter are okay. As are eggs, as long as it’s not more than one.
250g margarine / butter (I use good quality baking margarine, and it works just the same as butter).
2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup flour
4 eggs.
Melt the margarine, and mix it in with the sugar until thoroughly blended. Add in the cococa, mixing as you go, followed by eggs and then flour. Pour into a medium sized baking tray, bake for 40 minutes on 150 c. Stick a knife in to test if they’re ready - if anything comes off on the knife they’re not quite ready yet. Unless you like hot brownies it’s better to let the brownies cool a bit before cutting them, else they fall to pieces slightly.
Butternut squash and coconut soup:
The only downside of this is that it requires a little advance preperation, so can’t just be thrown together. This isn’t quite as simple as the last one, but is really damned good for the amount of effort involved so I’ll include it anyway.
Ingredients:
3 butternut squash,
2 shallots
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/3 can coconut milk.
Lots of olive oil
Vegetable stock (I use about half a cube of a light stock)
Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise. Place them face down on a baking tray with a thin layer of olive oil. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until soft at 200c.
Scoop out the meat of the squash. Chop the shallots and fry them in about 2 tbsp olive oil, adding the spices after 5 or so minutes. Fry for a bit longer until the shallots are golden, and add the squash. Fry for another 5-10 minutes, then cover in boiling water and add the stock. Simmer for about 20 minutes, then add the coconut milk and simmer for an additional 10. Put everything in a blender and blend 'till smooth. It’s now ready to serve.
Ingredients:
1 can cooked chicken
Mashed potato flakes
Spices and stuff. (I usually use soy sauce and garlic pepper)
Saute chicken in the spices for a bit to make it warm and yummy. Put aside. In the same pan (who wants to do more dishes?) make the mashed fauxtatoes according to the directions. When they’re done, mix in the chicken, throw it in a bowl, and eat. You could prolly throw in veggies if you like, but I don’t.
KCSuze, here’s one for your mom:
Deviled Pork Chops
5 thick cut boneless pork chops
6 TBSP butter
6 TBSP brown mustard
12 packets Splenda
1/4 tsp. each crushed red pepper flakes and nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in casserole dish. Mix in mustard, Splenda, nutmeg and red pepper. Dredge pork chops in mixture, and put in the same casserole dish. Bake for one hour. Side benefit of this recipe is that it is low-carb, for those who care.
Fake Rotisserie Chicken
This chicken tastes like the rotisserie chicken in the deli section of your supermarket, but it’s even easier than running to the store!
6 Chicken quarters
Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper seasoning or Lawry’s Lemon Pepper seasoning
Sprinkle chicken liberally with lemon pepper seasoning, put in crock pot, cook on low for 7 hours. Do not add liquid, the chicken itself will render plenty. It will be falling off the bone when you’re done.
Oh, BTW, the deviled pork chops recipe is a chicken recipe that I adapted. It’s also excellent if you use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of pork chops. I just posted the pork chop ones because KCSuze’s mom is allergic to chicken.
Not too bad, my father likes it better with anchovies as well. I don’t… Another possibility is to fry the garlic together with plenty of chopped onion.
But cheese on spaghetti aglio e olio??? :eek: Heresy!
So I guess pork’s okay. So I’ll give you my absolute favorite pork recipe: Fennel-crusted pork. Take a pound or two of your favorite roasting cut of pork (loin will be fine; or you could try something a bit fattier for more flavor). Crush a couple tablespoons of fennels seeds, add a teaspoon or so of salt, and some freshly ground black pepper. Coat the roast in this & roast in a 350 degree oven until the center is 160F. The meat should be ever-so-slightly pinkish in the middle. Let rest for 10-15 minutes and serve.
Use the pan drippings to make some gravy with a cup or two of chicken broth, a couple tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, and flour/cornstarch. You can finish it off by stirring in a big chunk of butter before serving, but since your mother is alergic to it, you could leave it out.
Serve with roasted potatoes & veggies.
This dish is awesome. The subtle anise flavor of fennel marries perfectly with pork.
1 Egg
1 cup Milk
1 cup Flour
2-1/2 Teaspoons Powdered sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Salt
2 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
Seasoned Salt, garlic powder, Paprika to taste
Combine egg and milk in bowl. Place chicken strips in mixture and let soak for at least one hour.
Combine flour and seasonings in ziploc bag or bowl. Dredge strips in coating. Shake to remove excess.
Fry for 3-6 minutes in 375 degree oil (preferably peanut or canola) or until golden brown. Remove, let drain and serve.
Bacon Cheese Fries
Frozen french fries
Shredded Colby Jack cheese
2 strips bacon, in pieces
Bake enough fries to cover the bottom of a 9x9 square baking pan at 425 for 10-13 minutes or until they begin to brown. Remove from oven.
Put fries in layer at bottom of baking pan. Cover liberally with cheese and bacon pieces. Put back in oven under broiler until cheese begins to bubble. Remove and serve.
Chili
1 lb. hamburger meat, browned and drained
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz.)
1 can chili beans (15 oz.)
2 tsp. chili powder
onion flakes to taste
Small handful spaghetti noodles
Crumble meat into skillet and brown completely. Drain fat.
In large saucepan or stock pot, combine tomato sauce, beans, onion flakes, chili powder and spaghetti. Add meat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Ladle into bowls. Top with shredded cheese, saltine crackers.
Thanks for the recipes, norinew and pulykamell, it’s much appreciated. I’ll print out your recipes, plus the non-chicken or beef recipes posted earlier, and maybe my folks can break out of the “pork chops, spaghetti, and fried fish” routine.
One roast
Two cans of Campbell’s Golden Mushroom or Beefy Mushroom soup, undiluted
One package Lipton Dry Onion Soup Mix
Put the roast in a crock pot on low in the morning. Tenderize if you like with a meat mallet.
Pour in the soup and the dry soup mix.
Put crock pot on low and walk away.
After work, you have a savory roast that’s falling apart, with its own gravy.
You can add veggies if you like, to the last hour of cooking, or mix and match the soups. Sometimes I throw in fresh herbs.
½ pound uncooked ground turkey breast
16 oz fat-free canned refried beans
8 oz salsa
4 ½ oz canned green chili peppers, mild, drained and diced
1 tsp chili powder
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
8 large burrito-size wheat flour tortilla(s)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 13 X 9 X 2-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Wrap tortillas in foil; warm in oven for 10 minutes.
Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Add turkey to skillet and cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain any excess liquid from pan and then add beans, 8 ounces of salsa, chili peppers, chili powder and scallions.
Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes; stir in cheese.
Assemble chimichangas by spooning about 1/2 cup of turkey mixture onto each tortilla; fold in sides and roll up. Place chimichangas in prepared baking dish. Bake uncovered until tortillas are crisp and brown, about 20 minutes.
If you use fat free and low fat ingredients this is also very good for you. You can always add hot sauce as desired.
An improvement upon my original “chili dogs in a bowl” recipe. The Fritos were ladybug’s idea. They just kick it up a notch, making it a perfect Anglified pseudo-Mexican dish.
4 frankfurters (kosher dinner franks are best)
1 pkg XLNT chili, or 12 oz of your favorite canned hot dog chili
1 cup grated sharp cheddar
2 cups Fritos corn chips.
Slice franks into thin rounds, about 1/8" thick. Brown over high heat
in the bottom of a saucepan. When frank slices are evenly browned,
add chili, reduce to medium heat and bring to a steady simmer, stirring
frequently to keep from sticking. (If it stops simmering for more than a
few seconds after you stir it, then it's not hot enough yet.)
In the bottom of each of 4 serving bowls, place 1/2 cup Fritos. Sprinkle
with 1/4 cup grated cheese, reserving a pinch for garnish. Cover with
1/4th the chili mixture. Top with garnish cheese just before serving.
Makes 4 side dishes, or serve in two bowls as an entree for 2.
(You can dress this up with a dollop of sour cream, some sliced green olive, or diced ortega chilis, or whatever, but it isn’t necessary. You can add hot sauce, too, or even spice up the chili while it’s cooking.)