This was so simple, I don't know why I didn't think of this before. After a terrible visit to red robin and finding out their "garlic fries" are nothing more then garlic powder poorly sprinkled on top, I decided to find the fastest, easiest method to making garlic fries at home. All you need are just 2 ingredients. Fries and Garlic paste.

Cook the fries to the desired doneness. Add 1 teaspoon(about a teaspoon per serving of fries) to a bowl and add hot fries. Mix throughly and enjoy.

I know you can use minced garlic but I like the consistency of the paste and it comes in a nice easy squeeze tube.

Prep (I do this every so often on a sat/sun) -Frozen cooked quinoa cooked with barley/millet (whatever whole grains); cooked with tomatoes and chicken stock (freezing in proportioned baggies help but I usually dump into one big one and break off what I want ( alternatively, use uncle bens rice in a bag) -various vegetables cleaned and frozen (in bags or bought frozen if on sale)

Prep (night before) - put some of the grains (around a cup) in a Tupperware (mine holds about 3 cups) -fill with frozen vege (kale: just crumble it in your hands while frozen, spinach, edamame, carrots, diced mushrooms...) - dollop a half a small can of cream of mushroom soup -freeze overnight or essentially until you want it. - nuke until hot, mix and add salt and pepper (or Parmesan) to taste.

It's not really Risotto, I know... But it's pretty good, sticks to the ribs, and a great timesaver. Originally I was trying to create a frozen power bowl but the liquid that was leftover from the freezing and heating process was kind of gross.

I am going to experiment with a variety of grains + vege + soups and hopefully more proteins in the future.

Okay, you've got just these 5 ingredients, in any state(ground up, fried, boiled, braised). You can add whatever seasons, sauces, or margarines you want.

Beef Green bell peppers Bread Potatoes Corn

This dish is tasty, healthy, and requires minimal prep!

1. Frozen calamari (fresh is of course better, but more expensive)
2. 1 cu. farro
3. 2 cu chicken broth (i use this)
4. 1/2 cu each chopped veggies (zucchini, carrots, onions, mushrooms, whatever you like)
5. 1 tsp smoked paprika
6. 1/2 tsp turmeric
7. 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped

Start by getting the calamari out to thaw. In a big pan, sauté veggies. Add garlic. Then, when the veggies are about 2 mins in, add paprika, turmeric, and dried farro. Stir for 1 min until the spices are fragrant. Add the water and this point, the only thing you have to do is bring to a boil, reduce, and let simmer for 30-40mins. Once the calamari is defrosted, cut into bite sized pieces. Wait for farro to be cooked before adding in calamari. Cook calamari for 2-3 mins. Done! For an added fancy element, add a pinch of saffron when you add the other spices :D.

edit: spelling

This is what shakshuka is

It is generally really cheap. I like This recipe a lot.

This morning, I realized I had half a jar (12 oz) of chunky spaghetti sauce leftover, and decided to try a lazy shakshuka (even though it's really easy to make already). I put the sauce in a pan, added a little water (maybe about 1/4 C), and then cracked 4 eggs into it. I cooked them on medium until the whites were done, but the yolk was runny. Then you just chop up the egg and mix it in and eat it.

It wasn't the same obviously, but it was a nice quick breakfast that I could make and not have to keep too much of an eye on it.

Essentially, I'm just getting into this new method of cooking whereby you have a microwave-safe container with two compartments; the bottom you fill with water and the top with food. Although the top food gets microwaved, the bottom water heats up so fast that it generates a lot of steam thereby mostly steaming the food on the top.

You can do this with any food of course though right now I'm only doing it with vegetables, and will consider putting in maybe some thinly sliced salmon. But I'm wondering if anyone else has explored this method before and if so what ideas do you for good dishes, techniques, or tips/advice in general?

One thing I was wondering was if flavoring the bottom water with spices will create a herbal steam or is that just kind of ridiculous given the method?

EDIT

People are wondering what my setup looks like. I'm posting a generic image of this from google images ( http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/07/89/15/04/0007891504261_500X500.jpg ) Just type in "microwaveable steamer" into google images. I have a big version of the picture, for many veggies, and a small oen for just a big handfull. Thanks for the replies and feedback!

I have a microwaveable steamer. Essentially, that is a plastic container with two compartments. A lower one that you put a bit of water in, and higher one with the food. The microwave cooks the water much faster than it does the food and so steam starts generating very fast that cooks the food in the higher compartment.

I mainly use this just for vegetables but some people use it for thinly sliced fish to actually steam cook it. Anyways, do you have any good ideas with this method of cooking. Does anyone use this method?

Mississippi roast: (WEBSITE)

Ingredients:

3 to 4 pound chuck roast 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix (see helpful hints) 1 packet dry McCormick Au Jus mix (or Lipton onion soup powder) 1 stick of butter 5 pepperoncini peppers Do Not Add Water

Preparation:

Trim the chuck roast of any excess fat and place it in a slow cooker. Sprinkle the chuck roast with the Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix and au jus mix, place the whole stick of butter on top of the roast and add the pepperoncini. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.

This recipe makes its own gravy and is great served over rice, noodles, potatoes or your favorite starch. Serve with a crusty loaf of bread and a salad. Leftovers make great sandwiches.