Two lazy entrees for 1 or 2

[vaneramos]

Manitoba maple: a beaver's dinner


When I was married, a series of products came out called More Time Cooks. It was a six-week meal planning guide in a box, complete with lunch and dinner menus plus breakfast ideas, grocery lists and extra recipes for muffins and dressings. It emphasized nutrition, economy and efficiency. All meals could be prepared in 20 minutes or less. I originally used a family edition. After moving out, I bought the version for singles and couples. While adjusting to living alone for the first time, I relied on it heavily to keep me eating well.

Obviously it gets tiresome eating the same things every six weeks and cooking every night, even if only 20 minutes.Recently I've become more interested in trying new foods and recipes. At the same time I'm more inclined to make a big pot of something hearty to last several days. I hardly use More Time Cooks anymore.

But I still have a few favourite recipes, especially on a night like this when I feel tired and unimaginative, and there's no pot of leftovers in the fridge. Here I'm offering two of them: lentil sausage soup, which is easily multiplied, and my favourite meat loaf, classy turkey loaf.


Lentil sausage soup

1 Italian sausage
½ onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 celery stalk, chopped
¼ cup dry lentils
19 oz can tomatoes in juice
2 Tbs rice, uncooked
salt and pepper to taste
1 green onion, sliced thinly

Remove sausage casing, cut into pieces. Cook in skillet over medium heat. Drain fat. Add remaining ingredient, except green onion, to skillet. Bring to boil over high heat, stiring often. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently until lentils are tender. Serve garnished with green onion.

Serves 2.


Classy turkey loaf

1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 egg white
2 Tbs light sour cream
1½ tsp Dijon mustard
pinches of tarragon, pepper and nutmeg
½ lb ground turkey
¼ cup dry bread crumbs
4 Tbs grated cheddar cheese

Combine onion, garlic, egg white, sour cream, mustard and seasonings in a large bowl and stir. Crumble ground turkey into bowl. Sprinkle bread crumbs. Combine and shape into an oblong loaf. Microwave on high 5 minutes, turning once. Sprinkle with cheese. Let stand five minutes.

Serves 2.

Comments

[tim-e-bear.livejournal.com]

They sound like nice recipes, actually. I wish I felt more inventive about these things, myself. I tend, because of when I work, to have had a late lunch, which I either pack or occasionally dare the cafeteria, so supper isn't much.

Oh, and sorry you're feeling tired...unless it's a good 'tired'...mine is a 'end of the week and nothing much to do with the weekend' kind of tired...think I'll return books to the library I'll never finish and catch a movie tomorrow...

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I finished printing chapbooks this evening, so it's an end-of-project drained but satisfied kind of feeling. I hope to make this a work weekend though. It's nice to feel productive for a change, so I want to move onto something else to avoid a slump.

I would like to read some of your poetry.

[tim-e-bear.livejournal.com]

I'll have to dig some up and present it, then. :)

[missprune.livejournal.com]

The turkey loaf sounds excellent for husband and me, now that I am not usually cooking for more than two. Thanks!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome. It's yummy, and I hoped someone would find it useful!