Eat Like a Rabbit

Baked potatoes are good for you and have so many options for changing the style and taste. Our microwave even has a "Baked Potato" setting on it so I can turn it on and forget about them until it beeps telling me they are perfectly done. Granted, most people say microwaved baked potatoes are technically steamed, but they still taste soft and rarely mushy. Real ovens take around an hour to bake completely and risk overcooking. I have been told loading a crockpot down with potatoes yields very nice baked spuds. Note, that when there is a big crowd and spuds are small, the more toppings, the farther the dish goes.

I must have mentioned my desire for one of these contraptions one day because my mother-in-law mentioned to my aunt-in-law that she was looking for one for me. The aunt-in-law sent us one not long after that conversation. Paul's aunt comes from California, which means she has access to pretty much anything you could ever want. She also has a graduate degree in home economics; so, has much insight on cool kitchen products. Many of our favorite items were gifts from her.

Paul likes his Asian food the way he likes it. Sometimes, I have items that must be used and a stir-fry is about the best place to do it. So, there have been times I tell him he must eat what is served. I can't threaten him with cereal cause he'd be happy to eat cereal for dinner any night (and we have!)

I created this lasagna from "The Vegetarian 5-ingredient Gourmet". The problem was that I accidently picked up the cook-first kind of noodles at the store. I have decided this was a good thing because I didn't want to have to add water to my dish to help cook the noodles. Still, it may be worth it to save time with the no-cook noodles.

Sorry, we were too excited and hungry to take a picture of this one.

I chose the easiest recipe I could find for Tempura on foodnetwork.tv. I battered frozen green beans, fresh julienned carrots, fresh eggplant, and frozen broccoli. Obviously, I defrosted the frozen veggies slightly. I used the sauce from Moosewood Restaurant's Pad Thai recipe and served it with brown rice.

The result of the first concoction was so delicious, I was afraid it was a mistake. For my parents, I made the recipe again replacing the green beans and eggplant with zucchini and onion rings. The result was the same. However, my mother did turn up her nose when she saw me mixing the sauce. Upon trying it with the meal, she decided it was good.

From "Easy Weeknight Favorites" by Southern Living. Tonight I had too many eggs and looked for a recipe to use them. Egg Foo Young came to mind. To cook Ramen noodles without the non-vegetarian flavor packet, I mixed McKay's Chicken Style Seasoning and onion powder into the water before it boiled. I added white onions, carrots, broccoli, and orange bell peppers for additional food value. I also substituted Fri-chik for the chicken. I was greatly disappointed in the flavor of the sauce. Also, I think the recipe should have recommended the Ramen noodles be slightly undercooked due to the fact that they would be cooked more in the skillet. Plus, I had to use three pots and a large mixing bowl to complete the task. I'd say that's too many dishes to be easy.