Italian Sausage, Onions, and Red Peppers on a Sub Roll

Quick, easy, and tasty! Emulates the state fair staple but substitutes sweet red pepper for the unripe green pepper.

2 4-oz sweet Italian sausages

1 c yellow onion, sliced thinly through the poles

1 c red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, julienne sliced

2 T vegetable oil

1 t kosher salt, divided

1 t yellow mustard, divided

2 sub rolls, split from the top

Heat the oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet to 350 F. Add the peppers and a pinch of salt. Fry quickly for 2 minutes. Add the onions, season, and continue frying until the onions begin to soften. Add the sausages to the middle of the skillet and continue frying. Turn the sausages after they have browned on the first side. Continue until browned on the second. Warm the rolls in the microwave. Place a sausage in the middle of each, mound up the vegetables, and lightly decorate with mustard. Serves 2.

Vegetable Lo Mein

Developed Summer, 2022 from an earlier dry-noodle dish. This version utilizes fresh lo mein noodles purchased at a local pan-Asian grocery.

1 medium yellow onion, thinly cut through poles
1 T minced garlic
2 c baby bok choy, cut on the bias into 1-inch pieces
2 c napa cabbage, cut into shreds
1 7-oz can bamboo shoot strips, rinsed well, and drained
3 T vegetable oil, divided

16 oz fresh lo mein noodles

Sauce

1 c chicken stock

2 T soy sauce
2 t roasted sesame oil

1/2 t sugar
2 t fish sauce

1 T shao shin rice wine
2 T oyster sauce

2 t tapioca or corn starch

2 green onions, cut on bias

Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a gentle boil. Add the noodles, separating them as they boil. Boil gently for 3 minutes. Drain well, toss with 1 tablespoon of oil, cover and keep warm. Meanwhile combine the sauce ingredients in a cup. To make the topping, heat 1 T of oil sizzling hot in a large wok. Stir fry the onions until they begin to soften. Then stir fry, in turn, the bok choy, napa, onions, bamboo shoots, and garlic, adding oil as needed. When the vegetables are almost done, stir in the sauce and bring to a boil. Then, fold in the noodles, and heat through. Serve in a large bowl, garnished with the green onions. Serves 6. Variation: shreds of meat cooked separately can be added with the noodles.

Roasted Tiny Potatoes

This recipe yields a product that's crusty on the outside and creamy on the inside. Quartering the potatoes doubles the crisp surface area. This easy recipe with limited knife work is well suited for the beginning cook.

12 oz small white or red potatoes (about 1.5 inch across)
2 T olive oil
1 t kosher salt
2 t dry rosemary powder
1/2 t granulated garlic
1/2 t ground black pepper

Quarter the potatoes, place in a bowl, mist with water, cover, and steam in the microwave oven for 3 minutes on high power (1250 W). Preheat the toaster oven to 425 F. Drizzle on the oil, mix in the seasonings, transfer to an 8x8-inch metal pan, and roast for 10 minutes. Turn over the potatoes and roast another 10 to 15 minutes. Serves two to three.

Sub Salad

This salad represents the vegetable toppings from our hot sub sandwiches served as a side salad.

2 c finely-shredded iceburg lettuce
1 oz thinly-sliced red onion
1 oz sliced pepperoncini
4 oz ripe tomato, cut in large dice
1 oz sub sandwich vinaigrette

Combine the first four ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle on the dressing and toss gently to combine. Serve at once. Serves two.

Five-Minute Onion Jam

Onions Simmering in Oil

Developed Summer, 2021 as a topping for hamburger sandwiches. How the onions are cut and the addition of salt and baking soda are key to shrinking the cook time.

1 medium (about 5 oz or 150 g) yellow onion
1 T (15 ml) vegetable oil
1/8 t (0.5 ml) table salt
1/8 t (0.5 ml) sodium bicarbonate

Slice the onion in half through the poles, trim off ends and peel it. Cut across to yield 1/8th inch (3 mm) half-round slices. Heat the oil over medium to about 350 F in a non-stick skillet, add the onions, salt, and soda, and mix. The mixture should be bubbling actively as water and carbon dioxide is driven off. When brown, soft, and condensed, the onions are ready. Spoon them onto hamburgers or other sandwiches. Serves two. Variation: Scramble with eggs.

Beans and Greens Soup

Developed June, 2021. Makes a satisfying breakfast, brunch, or lunch dish.

4 c bok choy, Swiss chard, or escarole, leaves separated from stems
1 T olive oil
1 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1 t minced garlic
2 T dry onion
1 14.5 oz can southern-style pinto beans (Bush™ is good)
2 cans of water
1 t salt
1 t sugar
freshly-ground pepper to taste.
2 oz deli or home-cooked chicken meat, diced (optional)

Cut the rinsed stems into bite-size pieces and the leaves into 1-inch squares. Heat oil over medium-high in a three-quart saucepan until it's 325 F. Add the spices and garlic, and stir for 30 seconds. Immediately add the stems and stir well. Keep frying the stems with occasional stirring until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved leaves, cook for a minute and stir in the beans, water, dry onion, salt, and sugar. Cook gently with occasional stirring for another 10 minutes. Serves 3 or 4.

Potato Puff Tuneup

Coarse semolina and oil add extra crispness.

7 oz (200 g) frozen potato puffs (Alexia™ is good)
1 T vegetable oil
1 t onion powder
1 T coarse semolina

Preheat toaster oven to 425 F. Place puffs in toaster-oven pan and thaw 30 minutes at room temperature. Drizzle on the oil and spread by causing the potato puffs to roll around. Next, dust with the onion powder and repeat the rolling motion. Finally, sprinkle on the semolina and roll the potatoes to coat evenly. Roast 15 minutes. Shake the puffs and roast another 5 minutes. Serves two. May be doubled but don't crowd pan.

Creamed Spinach

Developed April, 2021. A simple side dish from pantry ingredients. Sour cream confers a subtle tang.

12 oz (350 g) frozen leaf spinach
1/2 c chopped onions
1 T olive oil
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 t ground nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste

Thaw the spinach in a mesh strainer. With the back of a large spoon press out excess moisture until the spinach is dry. In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium, add the onion and salt lightly. Fry until softened and clear. Mix in the spinach and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and the seasonings and warm through. Variation: Replace half the sour cream with cream cheese for a richer product. Serves two or three.

Sauteéd Spinach with Garlic

First made decades ago. This is a classic Mediterranean dish. Recorded January, 2021. A Family Favorite. Simple, fast, and easy. Only four ingredients.

1 large bunch of fresh spinach
2 T olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp salt

Rinse the spinach to remove any loose grit. Let drain in the sink. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet until very hot, add the garlic and salt, and almost immediately start adding the spinach. Use tongs to mix as you add in the spinach. When all has been added, keep moving with tongs. Cook until wilted and tender, about three minutes. Serves two. Makes a good side dish for rich meats, creamed dishes, fish.

Tiny Peas and Pearl Onions Steamed in Butter Sauce

Quickly prepare a versatile side dish from pantry ingredients.

4 oz frozen tiny peas
4 oz frozen pearl onions
1 T chicken or vegetable stock concentrate
1 t butter, cut into small dice
1 T water
1/2 t salt
1 t sugar
1 t tapioca starch

Thaw the peas in cold water and drain. Thaw the onions on a paper towel. Combine the vegetables in a shallow bowl, top with the seasonings, and sprinkle the starch over all. Steam for 4 minutes, mix with tongs and steam another 2 minutes, mix and serve. Serves two. Can be doubled.

Beef Vegetable Soup

Developed February, 2020 as a blending of familiar ingredients enriched with beef left over from an earlier meal or purchased at the deli.

2 T vegetable oil
1 c coarsely chopped green cabbage
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 c diced celery
1/2 c diced carrots
1 c diced potato
2 T tomato paste
1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped
4 oz white or brown mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 t minced garlic
2 c hot water
2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 c beef stock (Better than Bouillon™ is good)
1 14.5 oz can seasoned black beans (Bush's Cuban™ is good)
2 green onions, sliced
1 T porcini powder
1/2 t fish sauce
4 oz cooked lean beef

Spread potato, carrots, cabbage, celery, and onion on a large plate. Salt lightly, cover and microwave on high for 5 minutes or until noticeably softened. Vent carefully. Heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium high and add the tomato paste. When darkened, stir in the garlic and, after 30 seconds, add the blanched vegetables, the tomato, and the mushrooms. Cook until reduced and colored. Stir in the beans, stock, and the water. Heat to a fast simmer for 20 minutes, with occasional stirring. Stir in the beef and heat through. Serves four. Ripped and torn croutons make a nice side.

Beef Shank Braised in Red Wine with Root Vegetables

Developed March, 2020. This hard-to-find, economical cut was purchased at La Superior Carniceria, a Mexican supermarket in Durham during an OLLI 'Foodie Field Trip, an activity now on hold until the pandemic is brought under control.

Beef Shank Braised in Red Wine with Root Vegetables

4 cross-cut beef shanks
1 large onion sliced through the root into eighths
2 ribs celery, cut obliquely into large pieces
4 carrots, roll-cut into large pieces
1 T minced garlic
3/4 c red wine
1/4 c ketchup
2 T tomato paste
2 c hot beef stock
2 bay leaves
8 peppercorns
3 allspice berries
2 T paprika, divided
1 lb thin-skinned potatoes, quartered lengthwise

Preheat oven to 340 F. Salt shanks well, dust both sides with flour, and snip the outside fascia to prevent curling. Arrange meat in the bottom of a covered roaster and top with vegetables, wine, ketchup, spices, and stock. Dust generously with paprika. Roast 25 minutes. Turn meat and vegetables, cover, lower heat to 315 F, and roast for 30 minutes.  Turn, add the potatoes, dust with paprika, and continue roasting covered until the meat is fork tender, about another hour. Replace water as it's lost. Variations: Omit potatoes and serve over egg noodles, or substitute beef cheek or shoulder for shank.

Broccoli Steamed in Soy-Sesame Sauce

This dish is an adaptation of the same technique first applied with tender vegetables. Simply put, freshly-cut vegetables are seasoned, sauced, and steamed in a one-dish process. From improvised steamer to the table in a few minutes.

8 oz (250 g) broccoli crowns, cut into large florets
2 green onions, cut into 2 inch lengths
1 T soy sauce
1/2 t dark sesame oil
1 t chicken stock concentrate
1 T water
1 t tapioca (or corn) starch

Arrange the vegetables in a flat bowl. top with seasonings, add water, and sprinkle on the starch. Hint: tapioca or corn starch in a shaker jar facilitates this step. Place into an active steamer. After 4 minutes, with tongs, cautiously toss the ingredients together. Continue steaming another 5 minutes or until tender. Toss again and serve. Optional: Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
 

Steamed Vegetable Combo

Developed February, 2020, the method quickly produces a side dish in a savory Asian-style sauce. Vegan or not.

8 oz assorted tender raw vegetables, cut into serving size pieces
1 t soy sauce
1 t roasted sesame oil
1/4 t fish sauce (omit for vegan)
1 t chicken or vegetable stock concentrate 
4 T water
1 t corn or tapioca starch

Pile the vegetables into a shallow bowl. For example, bok choy, spinach; bean sprouts, green onions, shallots, snow peas, sweet peppers, sweet onions, summer squash, enoki mushrooms, and the like work well. Drizzle on the seasonings and sprinkle on the starch. Place into an "improvised steamer". After four minutes of active steaming, cautiously lift the lid and, with tongs, toss the vegetables to coat with sauce. Cover and steam another four minutes. Remove from steamer, toss again, and serve. Serves two.

Fresh Vegetable Noodle Soup

Quick first course in a soup and sandwich supper. Four fresh vegetables come together quickly to make a satisfying and nourishing soup.

1 T vegetable oil
6 oz napa cabbage, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 c green onions, sliced into half-inch lengths
1/2 c sliced mushrooms
1/2 c coarsely chopped tomato
1 t minced garlic
1 qt water
1 packet tomato-noodle soup mix (Knorr™ is good)
1 t salt
1 t sugar
1/4 t freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 t fish sauce (use soy sauce for vegan)

Heat the oil to shimmering in a three-quart saucepan. Add the cabbage and sauté over medium-high for a few minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and green onions, cook a few minutes more, and add the tomato and garlic. When heated through, add the water, bring to a gentle boil and stir in the soup mix. Cook gently 10 minutes, add the seasonings, and adjust by tasting. Serves four.

Rant: Supermarkets Must Stop Drowning Our Veggies. How to Fight Back.

Supermarkets these days commonly display fresh vegetables such as parsley, lettuce, spinach, and the like moistened by overhead sprayers triggered by timers. Customers who see that think unwittingly that it is done to maximize the 'freshness' of the veggies. Oh no. Their purpose is perverse. Their true purpose, as we know it from its inevitable effects, is to shorten shelf life after purchase by maximizing spoilage due to bacterial and fungal growth. Water is life. Without 'free' water microorganisms, can't grow.

And so, water can be the great destroyer. What to do? When you get a bunch of parsley or a head of celery home, remove the rubber bands that kill cells by reverse osmosis and stand them up to dry in your dish drainer. When dry, wrap loosely in dry paper towels (paper is sterile) and then in a loose plastic bag. Check every few days. Replace wet paper with fresh. Let the veggies breath. They are alive. Because plants are loaded with water (up to 90%) and because of gravity pushing reverse osmosis, the paper will need replacement from time to time. Manage your foodstuffs and minimize spoilage!

Quick Gravy

Developed November, 2019. A rapid microwave recipe for a gravy that is suitable for many purposes. It can top chicken, beef, pork, vegetables, or seafood dishes depending on which stock concentrate is used. We recommend the Better Than Bouillon™ product line.

1 c tap water
2 t stock concentrate
pinch of GP Seasoning
1 T tapioca (or corn) starch

Whisk the ingredients together thoroughly in a microwavable container. One that doubles for storage is handy. Heat on high, stirring every 30 seconds, until the mixture boils and thickens, taking care that it not boil over. Yields about a cup. Easily doubled.

Line-Cook Seafood Chowder

Developed November, 2019.This delicious chowder is adapted from a recipe posted to Reddit by a line cook who described it as a “signature soup at my restaurant Patrons love it, and I think you will too.” I agree. Well-balanced, creamy, and economical.

1 oz vegetable or olive oil
½ c (125 ml) chopped red onion
1 c (250 ml) diced celery
½ c (125 ml) diced carrot
3 c (650 g) diced yellow potatoes, skins on
1 T minced garlic
1 T salt
1 10-oz can baby clams with juice + 1.5 cans of water
1 T chicken stock concentrate
250 g cod fillet, or other firm white fish, cut into half-inch cubes
½ T ground black pepper
1 c (250 ml) half and half
2 c (500 ml) milk
1 T dry dill weed
1 T Old Bay seasoning

For the roux:

½ c (one stick) butter
½ c all-purpose flour

In a 6-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the vegetables, garlic, and salt. Heat thoroughly with stirring, cover, and turn off heat. Let the vegetables sweat for 10 minutes to soften the vegetables. Add the clams, clam juice, water, salt, pepper, and the stock concentrate. Cook over medium heat for 10 more minutes. Add the cod to the pot, and simmer for 5 more minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a small non-stick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. When the bubbling stops, slowly stir in the flour. Cook about 4 minutes with constant stirring until the roux turns a light tan and is smooth. Combine the cream and the milk in a large measuring cup, and off heat, slowly pour half the cold dairy into the roux with continuous whisking. When smooth, mix with rest of the dairy remaining in the cup. Stir the roux mixture into the chowder, add the dill weed and Old Bay, and heat to a fast simmer with stirring until the chowder thickens into a smooth creamy texture. Yields about 2-1/2 quarts (liters). Serve with oyster crackers or hot biscuits.

Cabbage and Tomato Soup

A light, flavorsome soup makes an appealing breakfast. Add flour tortillas for a more substantial meal.

1 qt water
2 T tomato paste
6 oz Napa cabbage, cut into bitesize pieces
1 small ripe tomato, diced
1 t minced garlic
1 T vegetable oil
1/4 t crushed red pepper
1 t fish sauce (optional)
1 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
3 green onions, cut on bias
1 t vinegar

Combine all ingredients except green onions and vinegar in three-quart saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Cook 15 minutes with occasional stirring. Add the green onions and continue cooking for 10 more minutes. Add vinegar and adjust seasoning to taste. Serves four.

Quick Vegetable Soup

This soup comes together quickly but delivers solid nourishment, savory taste, and appetizing aroma.

4 c water
1 oz tomato paste
2 c cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 medium tomato, diced

Seasonings

1 t ground cumin
1/2 t ground coriander
2 T chicken or vegetable stock concentrate
2 t salt
1 t sugar
1 t fish sauce
1 t vinegar

1 envelope prepared lentils (Madras brand)
1 medium russet potato

Microwave the potato 3 minutes. When cool, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, and set aside. Meanwhile, in a three-quart saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the cabbage and tomato and boil slowly 20 minutes. Stir in the seasonings, the lentils, and the potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Serves four.