Potato, Squash, goat cheese gratin

Next time Eva and Kevin are over

Healthy? Stuffed Potatoes

Bake potatoes. For this recipe lets say 2. (This can be done ahead of time for convenience.)
Saute about 2 cups vegetables. (I've done onions and mushrooms or broccoli and carrots so far.)
Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out insides leaving a 1/4 of a inch so they don't fall apart.
Mix together diced sauteed veggies and potatoes with a splash of milk and 2 tbsp cheddar or 1 tbsp Parmesan. This should be the consistency of chunky mash potatoes.
Stuff this back into the potato skins. Should be heaping.
Pop back in oven for about 20 minutes at 350 (or in the microwave for 2).

Serves 4 as filling side. 2 as full meal.

Biscuits

Made with the help of Julia's blog I plonked the following in a bowl:

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 tsp. salt
(feel free to add a cup of cheese and herbs)

Mix together and then slowly stir in:

about 3/4 cup milk (keep adding till all the flour sticks together)

Form into shapes about the size you want the final product to be. Heat at 400 for apx. 20 minutes.

Yummy cheap and apparently hard to bungle.

Roasted Fennel

Super easy veggie side to chuck in when you've already got the oven on.

Quarter bulb of fennel and separate leave.
Brush with olive oil.
Salt and pepper.
Roast for 15 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.

Dress with lemon.
Serve hot or at room temperature.

(Imagine it would be good with gorg or like if chilled.)

Baked Eggs

Brunch at mine. Image courtesy of Naomi Zeichner

Super easy.

1 egg (or two)
splash 1/2 & 1/2
chopped mushroom, bacon or the like
tomato
dash of cheese
spices

place in ramekin with egg on top. Bake at 375 for about 12min

Tomato Soup

This should be far more advanced and if you want something spiffy I'd suggest searching elsewhere. This recipe is made for being broke.

1/2 cup sauteed onion minced as finely as possible (I don't have a blender.)
1 stock cube dissolved in 3 cups water
1 clove garlic minced as finely as possible
1 large can crushed tomatoes
salt pepper herbs to taste

bung it all in a pot and let sit on low for 20 min.

add
1/2 cup gin or vodka
continue on low for 10 min.
dash of 1/2 & 1/2 and sprinkle of parm always makes things yummier.

Soggy bread plus veggies and cheese

This seems like an excellent idea for finishing off old bread and serving vegetarians. (Obviously substitute veggie broth.)

Zucchini Latkes

Dinner at my old place. Photo by Julia. Pancakes and tomatoes in the center.
I find 3 regular sized zucchini make enough for 6 as a side. I like them both hot and cold so they make for easy leftovers.

Coarsely grate 3 zucchini (skins on) and half an onion. By the fistful squeeze as much water out as you can. It's important to get as much liquid out as possible otherwise the pancakes won't stay together (and you'll need to add more egg and flour to compensate).

Mix zucchini, onion, 3 eggs (or whites), and 1/4 cup flour in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. I sometimes add basil or mustard depending on my mood.

Oil the pan (I like to use a non-stick so I only add oil once. I find the pancakes have a better color when the oil is low.) Add one heaping tablespoon of zucchini mixture to the pan per pancake. Treat them like regular pancakes and flip when done. Repeat etc. As you go through the batches be sure to keep stirring the mixture or all the egg will end up in one pancake.

That's it! 

I am gross and like everything with ketchup but if I'm feeling fancy I dice tomatoes and basil and serve on the side.

Onion Tart with Mustard

I haven't made this yet.

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (a 1/4-ounce package)
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115°F)
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
3 pound yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I use a bit more)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (I like it coarsely grated for this)

or this variety.

Pita Bread

The recipe can be found here.

3 cups plus a scant 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (16 oz./454 grams)
2 teaspoons salt (1/2 oz./13.2 grams)
2 teaspoons instant yeast (6.4 grams)
2 tablespoons olive oil (1 oz./27 grams)
1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature (10.4 oz./295 grams)

Roasted Chestnut Soup

Haven't made this yet.