My Favourite Grub

My Favorite Grub

For when you are on your lonesome

Warm Egg Salad Sandwich

This is an interesting way to enjoy an egg salad sandwich. I much prefer it to cold.

2 eggs
1 tbs mayonnaise
salt
Pepper from the mill
1 tsp chopped onion (optional)
Your choice of bread

Bring the eggs to a boil in a small saucepan. Turn off heat. Let sit for 10 minutes. Drain water and immediately return the eggs to the pan in ice water. Peel eggs. Chop in an egg slicer, first crosswise, then lengthwise. Put in a small bowl. Carefully stir in the eggs, so as not to break them more than they already are, you want relatively chunky pieces, mayonnaise, onions if using, and a pinch of salt.

Put mixture on one slice of the bread. Grind some pepper on top. Cover with remaining slice.

I personally like the onion if I am toasting my bread. If plain, none. So call me particular.

It is important that the egg salad be still warm, however. Otherwise, there is no point to this recipe.
Cheapo Carbonara

I call this cheapo because I use cheddar. Both Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano are so costly. Please do not use the “sawdust” that comes in a can. It is tasteless and you are wasting your money.

? your favorite pasta. I like linguine. I left the left column blank because I figure you will know how much.
2/3 strips bacon
1 tsp olive oil
1 large clove garlic, crushed and chopped
Some crushed red pepper flakes
1 egg, beaten
lots old or extra old cheddar cheese, in a block, grated fresh by you on a box cheese grater

Fill a medium saucepan with water and add about a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil.
For one person, a medium saucepan is plenty. I do not agree that pasta needs buckets of water to cook in. If you are using long pasta, just bend it down with a long two pronged fork as soon as it gets soft, then stir it around a little. Cover the pot partially. As you get to know your favorite pasta, you will know how long it takes to cook. Angel hair, for example, will cook in exactly one minute. My choice, linguine, takes about ten. Do not trust what the packaging directions say. Test often for doneness. Besides, one person’s al dente is not another’s. Also remember that pasta keeps cooking after it is the strainer.

Meanwhile, put your chopped bacon (well, not yours, you understand) in a small skillet and heat to medium. You may want to add either kept bacon fat or olive oil during the cooking process. The pieces will need to be separated as they cook. Cook until just the fat has melted. You don’t want it crisp. Drain on paper towels and reserve the fat for the next time.

Return the skillet to the element and reduce to low. Add the olive oil, chopped garlic and pepper flakes. By this time, your pasta should be ready.

Drain the pasta well. No water should remain on it. DO NOT RINSE. This is blasphemy.

Put the pot back on the stove and reduce the heat to low. Add the bacon mixture. Add pasta and egg. Stir carefully for a nanosecond, so that the egg scrambles a little bit but is still creamy. Plate immediately. Add grated cheddar and stir.

You may want to nuke this for thirty seconds or so afterwards to warm it up further and make sure the cheese has melted.
Pasta Fazool

You pronounce it this way if you are Sicilian, of course. This is my version of pasta e fagioli. This is good for two meals.

1 big pig’s knuckle
1 large clove garlic, peeled and crushed (i.e. wounded, but not dead)
1 bay leaf
1 can Romano beans, drained
? egg noodles
lots old or extra old cheddar cheese, in a block, grated fresh by you on a box cheese grater (where have you read this before?)
salt and pepper from the mill

Put the pig’s knuckle in water in a medium sized pot with the garlic and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for at least 4 hours.

Drain everything through a colander into a bowl that fits under it.

Remove the meat and put in a safe place, so the cats can’t get to it.

Pour broth into two separate containers. 750 mg yogurt containers are good for this. The broth should just about fill them both.

Now go to town on separating the meat from the bone. Put half the meat in one container and half in the other.

Now, put half the beans in one container and half in the other.

Cover one of the containers and freeze.

Pour the contents of the other container in a smaller pot than the one you cooked the sucker in. Why? Because you don’t need all that room anymore.

Bring to a boil. Add the noodles. Lower heat for about 10 minutes.

Serve yourself in a nice bowl with the aforesaid mountain of cheddar on top.

This goes nicely with baguette and commercial garlic butter.

Speaking of which:
Baguette and garlic butter

1 baguette, cut into diagonal slices.
garlic butter (Lactantia makes a good one if you don’t feel like making your own)

Heat the broiler.

Slather butter on however many slices you want. Trust me. You will want lots. This is addictive Six slices is minimum for me. Put under broiler until slightly brown and sizzly. Put the rest of the sliced baguette, unbuttered, in a bag and put in the freezer for the next time. It defrosts in no time flat.


Goyishe chicken soup

I call this goyishe chicken soup because it is far from kosher. I am sure my Jewish friends would do me one better, though. Far more schmaltzy.

I like to do this on a chilly Saturday afternoon.

6 chicken thighs
1 or 2 bay leaves
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
½ minced onion
½ cup regular long grained rice
Water to cover
Salt
Pepper flakes


Put everything but the onions and rice in a medium sized pot. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and let simmer for half a day.

Check periodically and top the pot off with water as you go along. Adjust the heat accordingly.

After about four or five hours, dump everything in a colander over a bigger bowl that goes under it. Let the stuff cool. You can put in the fridge for a bit if you want.

Now, the fun starts.
1) Remove the chicken parts to a cutting board.
2) Take off and out all skin, bone and sinew
3) Put chicken back in the pot
4) Add reserved stock, onion, salt, pepper flakes and rice.

Simmer for about twenty minutes or until rice just splits. No longer.

The aforementioned baguette with garlic butter goes well with this.
Corned beef hash and eggs


1 can corned beef (the Hallal brand is at least $1 cheaper than the well known brand and just as good)
2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into 2” pieces
2 eggs

Heat oven to 350O


Put the can of corned beef in the freezer while you take your shower or have your happy hour. This will make it firm up.somewhat. Not refrigerating it beforehand will just make it fall into mush when you slice it.

Meanwhile, put the potatoes in cold salted water and boil until a paring knife slides easily into one of the pieces, usually about 15-20 minutes. Drain and put in the freezer.

Remove the corned beef from the can and put it broad side down on your slicing board. Slice it in two from the thin side down. Put half in a container and freeze for your next one person feast.

Mince remaining corned beef as finely as possible. Remove potatoes from the freezer and chop those finely, as well.

Put everything into a greased ovenproof pan, big enough for one person. I put mine in my 9” cast iron skillet. Anything bigger may not turn out well. Small Corning Ware pans would work well.

With a big spoon, make two indentations in the mixture.

Put in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Carefully break the eggs on top of the indentation. Bake for 10 or so minutes more. Check occasionally. Your mileage may vary. You want your yolks to ooze, not run.
California Niçoise

I call this California Niçoise because I use avocadoes instead of green beans.

1 small ripe avocado
1 small can tuna
6 small new potatoes, cooked to just tender
6 olives of your choice
2 hard cooked eggs, peeled and sliced in an egg slicer
olive oil
juice from one lemon or lime
pepper flakes

Cut the avocado lengthwise. Remove the pit with a soup spoon. Remove the peel with same spoon. Cut the avocado widthwise in slices. Put in a mixing bowl. Drain tuna and add. When potatoes are done, halve lengthwise and add. Add all other ingredients except for last three.

In a small mixing bowl, whip together oil, juice and pepper flakes and mix in with your salad.

This salad should be served with the potatoes still warm.
The Perfect Burger

Okay. We all think ours are the best, but this recipe is so simple, it’s ludicrous. No filler. No fruity ideas about putting an ice cube in the middle. Just a great burger.

1 lb. medium ground beef
1 tbs butter
1 dollop Matouk’s original sauce
salt and pepper
1 slice Swiss cheese
1 hamburger bun

It is important to buy medium ground beef for this. Lean will not give you a juicy burger. Save the lean for your meatloaf. As for the Matouk’s: Trust me. A pea sized dollop is more than enough. I have cast iron tastebuds and I speak from experience when I say this stuff is lethal. Moreover, I never understood the habit of adulterating a good burger with multiple condiments. A slice of good cheese is all you need on this.

But that’s just me.

Divide the beef into four parts. Shape each part into a patty. Put three of the patties into tin foil and freeze.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, season patty with salt and pepper on one side only. Drop the butter in the pan. As soon as butter melts, put in your patty. Upon never let the butter burn. Fry for three minutes for medium. Flip and fry three minutes more. Anything longer than this will give you a dry, tasteless burger.

While the burger is frying, split the bun and put under your oven’s broiler. Check often. This should not take more than a minute or two.

Put the burger on the bun and top with cheese.
Chicken Livers à la grècque

What makes this Greek is the olive oil, citrus fruit, garlic and oregano.

1 small pkge chicken livers
drizzle olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed and minced
salt and pepper
1 lemon or lime
pinch oregano

On a kitchen board, halve chicken livers and remove sinew. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Carefully put in livers one at a time. It is important to do this because they will spit at you. Brown on one side, about five minutes. With a spatula, flip and brown on other side. The livers should be pink inside. You may have to do this in two batches.

Remove the livers to a bowl, reduce heat and cook garlic until soft. Do not brown. Return livers to skillet and season with salt, pepper and oregano. Halve lemon or lime and squeeze juice over livers.

This is good with avocado slices drizzled with a vinaigrette made of olive oil, lemon or lime juice and red pepper flakes, and the aforementioned baguette with garlic butter.
Chicken and rice

A comforting, simple and calorie friendly dish for a chilly day.

1 chicken breast, bone in, skin on
1 handful of baby carrots
OR
1 whole carrot, peeled and sliced diagonally in one inch chunks
1 or 2 onions, peeled and quartered
½ cup rice
salt
1 dollop Matouk’s

Put your breast (well, not yours, you understand) in a saucepan just large enough to hold it and cover with water. Add vegetables and salt. Lower heat and simmer 2 hours or longer. You can’t overcook this. Babysit occasionally to make sure chicken is constantly covered with water.

When tested with a sharp knife for doneness, remove chicken and place on a cutting board. Allow to cool enough to handle. Remove skin and bones and discard. Place the chicken breast back in the saucepan. Add rice and the Matouk’s and cook until rice just starts to split.
Spaghettini with fresh tomatoes

This makes a nice lunch or evening snack.

Spaghettini (again, you will know how much you want)
4 or 5 fresh plum tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled and diced
Some pepper flakes
1 tsp dried basil

See my instructions for my cheapo carbonara as to boiling.

Meanwhile, on a cutting board, dice the tomatoes. There is no need to peel them. This is a quickie dish. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and pepper flakes and reduce heat until garlic is just tender. Add diced tomatoes and barely heat, maybe a minute or two.

Drain pasta. Pour sauce on top.

This is one of the rare pasta recipes that I do not adulterate with cheese. The taste of the tomatoes, plus the basil, is bright enough to pull this dish off.
Chicken Legs Matouk’s

No, this is not a story about a hot-to-trot skinny person. The results are sure to put a smile on your face, though.

2 chicken legs, thighs attached, bone in, skin on
salt
Lots Matouk’s hot sauce
2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

Preheat oven to 350.

Put chicken legs in a heatproof glass dish. Sprinkle with salt and enough Matouk’s to cover entirely. Don’t worry. Most of it will stay on the skin, which you will discard. Bake for 1 ½ hours. During the last ½ hour, place potato quarters around chicken and salt. Turn occasionally.

Remove chicken to cutting board, let cool enough to handle and remove skin.
Gambas al ajillo

Garlic shrimp to you. Pure decadence when you have a couple of nickels to rub together.

1 bag frozen shrimp
2 – 3 cloves chopped garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
pinch pepper flakes

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add garlic and lower heat. Garlic should never brown, just soften. Add pepper flakes and shrimp. Frozen is fine, they will cook fast. Turn shrimp occasionally. They should be done in a few minutes.

Serve with baguette to mop up the oil.

I guarantee there will be no leftovers.