Greetings, summer-bound students and staff alike. With an influx of freedom, one of my favorite ways to occupy my time is to learn new recipes. As a self-serving (pun intended) exercise, I reached out to my colleagues for their submissions of summer comfort food. What do you crave every day of the year, but only have time to make when you’re not bogged down by academics, emails, and quick fixes of Korean take-out? Without further ado, here are some culinary curiosities from your dear educators, alphabetized by last name.

Please await our physical publication with bated breath, but in the meantime ctrl+F is your friend.

1. Baldwin Miller Beans & Greens
2. Ms. Buehler’s Borek
3. Mr. Bell’s Totally-Not-Genuine-Nawlins-Beans-and-Rice
4. Mr. Davidson’s Beyond Burger-ito
5. Ms. Emmerson’s Pizza Dough
6. Ms. Kooista’s Soba Noodle Salad with Miso Ginger Dressing
7. Ms. Kooistra’s Instant Pot Bo Ssam Bowls
8. Mr. Krause’s Filipino Chicken Adobo
9. Mr. Krause’s Apple (or whatever!) Galette
10. Ms. Martin’s Vegetarian Lentil Soup
11. Mr. S. Miller’s Briam
12. Dr. O’s Cheese Toast
13. Ms. Oglesby’s Buffalo Chicken Dip
14. Ms. Presnar’s Mac-N-Cheese
15. Ms. Shannon’s Meatloaf
16. Dr. VandenBosche’s Iraqi Lentil Stew

Baldwin Miller Beans & Greens

• olive oil
• 1 lb hot sausage (remove casing)
• 1 medium onion diced
• 3 cans cannellini beans (drained)
• 1 cup marinara (great use of leftover sauce!)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 bag baby spinach
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• Garlic
• Salt & pepper
• Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp hot pepper flake

1. brown sausage in olive oil, when finished remove from heat
2. add onion and cook until soft
3. add garlic and pepper flake and cook one minute
4. return sausage to pot
5. add beans, sauce, broth, and seasoning
6. Bring to a boil, then add spinach
7. After spinach wilts, you’re ready to eat.
8. Add basil & shredded cheese if that’s your thing
9. Add more sauce or broth depending on your taste, grab some crusty bread and enjoy

Ms. Buehler’s Borek

A savory Croatian deep-dish pastry made with phyllo dough, this meal remains a staple at family reunions, friendsgivings, birthday parties, and Sunday dinners. There has never been a recipe, but I am not a natural chef, so I like structure. I will explain it as best I can here.

You will need:

• 9×13 baking dish (we use an ancient aluminum one)
• 1 roll of phyllo dough, thawed
• 1 stick of butter, melted in ceramic bowl (that can be put back into the microwave for reheating)
• 1 lb. ground beef, 
• 1 largish onion, diced
• 4 large/ 6 small russet potatoes
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Croatian folk music (optional, but why wouldn’t you??)

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add potatoes whole and cook fully (approx. 15 minutes but use judgment). Remove potatoes from water, break/cut in half to release steam quickly, and allow to cool enough that you can safely handle them.
2. Preheat oven to 375 F. 
3. Using your hands, remove skin from potatoes and dice. In a bowl, combine raw ground beef, onions, salt, and pepper.
4. Brush bottom of pan with butter and lay down 1 sheet of phyllo dough. Brush that layer lightly with butter, then lay down 3 more sheets of dough, brushing a little butter between every sheet. (Now you have a base layer of 4 sheets.)
5. Crumble about ⅙ of the meat mixture and ⅙ of the potatoes on top of the base layer. Add 2 sheets of phyllo dough (buttering each one), then ⅙ of the meat mixture and ⅙ of the potatoes. Add 2 more sheets of phyllo…and continue on this way. Reheat butter as needed. (There will be 6 layers of meat and potatoes and 7 layers of dough.

Layering visualization:

Top: Phyllo dough (4 sheets or more if you have it leftover)
Meat & potatoes
Phyllo dough (2 sheets)
Meat & potatoes
Phyllo dough (2 sheets)
Meat & potatoes
Phyllo dough (2 sheets)
Meat & potatoes
Phyllo dough (2 sheets)
Meat & potatoes
Phyllo dough (2 sheets)
Meat & potatoes
Bottom: Phyllo dough (4 sheets) 

1. There should be at least 4 sheets of phyllo dough left at the end: use the rest of the dough for the top of the borek (remembering to lightly butter each individual sheet).
2. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, until golden brown.

Mr. Bell’s Totally-Not-Genuine-Nawlins-Beans-and-Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 – 1.5 lb Sausage, cut into coins/half circles, “all diagonal and fancy” if ya nasty – Andouille is my favorite, but some kind of smoked sausage or kielbasa will work well too.  Really anything that is flavorful and doesn’t taste like breakfast is good. I guess you could do Tofu if you want this to be vegetarian?  I’ve never tried that but I bet it would be good!
• 1-2 Onions, diced – I wind up using yellow onions most of the time but white onions are badass if you have them lying around
• 4-6 stalks of celery, chopped – chop up those leaves too, while you’re dicing!
• 2-3 cans of beans, removed from cans – seriously, don’t just throw the cans in the skillet, it doesn’t work well.  I like Sylvia’s seasoned black-eyed peas, plus some red kidney and some black beans.  Honestly, mix in whatever kind you like best. Drain off most of the bean goop if you don’t want everyone to be gassy in an hour. 
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced. Use a couple tablespoons of the pre-chopped kind from a jar if you’re like me, and live a life of compromise for convenience.  
• A slice of bacon, chopped up into bits – if you have it, and like bacon.  And if you don’t like bacon, WTF?
• Various Spices – If you have some prefab “Cajun” seasoning mix, give that a go.  If not, bust out some Cayenne, paprika (smoked if you got em), parsley, oregano, thyme, onion & garlic pow, etc.  Seriously, it’s a jazz-town-inspired food.  Live it up. 
• Some Olive Oil, Extra Virgin is great, if no regular virgins are around to squeeze the olives. 
• Salt & Pepper
• Hot Sauce – Franks is good.  Cholula is great.  Remember your audience, and leave this out if you have any sensitive tongues in the house. 
• Sliced green onions (Scallions if you’re fancy.  Wait, are those actually any different? What even IS a “scallion” anyway??)  for garnish.

***

1. (If you don’t have a toddler) Put on the album “All I Ever Wanted: The Airborne Toxic Event Love From Walt Disney Concert Hall” and enjoy the greatest recorded live music event in human history.  
   1. (If you DO have a toddler) Put on ‘Moana’ because honestly, your kid hasn’t watched that much TV today, and you could really use a minute to just cook in peace.
2. Chop all your ingredients (except the cans) into similar-sized bits (probably don’t chop the ground spices either, that would require a really sharp knife).  Get as fancy as you want, but try to keep your knife and your fingers from getting co-spatial.
3. Chop up the slice of bacon and cook it in your large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat.  If you don’t have a large cast iron skillet, cook it in your regular-sized cast iron skillet.  If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, come over to us, we love you.  Everyone is happy and joyful and rich and beautiful in our Skillet-Cult.  
4. When the bacon is mostly cooked (but not crispy), fish out the bacon and set it on a paper towel to drain.  If you don’t want to use bacon, reconsider your life choices, and just shoot a big glug of nice EVOO into your skillet and skip this step.  
5. Throw in your sausage/tofu/protein and let it sit over medium or medium-low heat for a while.  Get one side nicely crisped up, which usually takes about 5-7 minutes.  Don’t let it burn!  Once one side is nicely browned, stir those jobbers around for a while and let the other bits get crispy.  Maillard, baby!  To save time, I usually start these guys cooking while I finish chopping my veg.  
6. Throw the cooked bacon in at this point. If things are looking a little dry, glug in some more EVOO.  If you don’t need it, don’t sweat it.  
7. Throw in the onions and celery.  Stir everything around and let it cook for a few minutes.  Like 5 maybe.  Just want to get the veggies softened up a bit.  Don’t go too crazy.  I like to hit them with a little S&P here.  Go easy on the salt though, you can always add more later. 
8. Once the onions soften up a bit, clear out a space in the middle of the skillet, and add a dash of oil if you need it.  Throw in the minced garlic and stir.  Let it frazzle for like 30 seconds or so, or until it starts to smell real nice.  At that point stir it all in together so as to avoid burning the garlic.  It can happen fast, and once you have burnt garlic in your business there’s no saving it.  
9. Open your cans of beans, and then run upstairs really fast to get band-aids to put on the cuts you now have on your fingers from the razor-sharp lids.  Curse loudly, which your toddler in the next room will immediately repeat, and then work into his vocabulary for daycare tomorrow. 
10. With your heavily-bandaged fingers, gingerly drain as much goop from the beans as you want.  You don’t need all that liquid, but I do like to leave a little bit in there.  If you really hate bean goop, go crazy and drain, rinse, and drain again.  But honestly, ain’t nobody got time for that in my house. 
11. Season it up.  I like to throw in whatever seasoning I can here, before the beans and liquid, so you can toast them up a bit which I think really enhances the flavor.  Cajun seasoning, herbs, cayenne, etc.  Be bold, but don’t overdo it.  Taste as you go!   
12. Throw in the beans.  I usually use 2 or 3 cans, and it can kinda depend on the ratio of your other ingredients.  Don’t sleep on the Sylvia’s Seasoned black-eyed peas.  Those things are dope.  
13. Stir everything around and lower the heat to a nice reasonable low simmer.  
14. Realize you haven’t even started the rice, and curse loudly, which will further enrich your toddler’s vocabulary.  Daycare is gonna LOVE him tomorrow.  “Finn!  It’s time for story-hour!”  “@#$%!  $%^*$! The g****** rice, Ms. Alyssa!!”
15. Make the rice.  Plain white rice will do just fine, or spice it up and make dirty rice, or a nice pilaf, or season it up somehow.  Whatever you got on hand is cool. 
16. Douse the Bean-Veggie-Sausage gloop seriously with your favorite hot sauce.  Stir it in, taste for heat levels, and adjust as needed.  Remember that with great heat comes great flavor, and your kid can always just eat a banana. 
17. Check your liquid levels.  You’re aiming for a fairly thick gloop, but not soupy glop.  Vital that you get that 2nd ‘O’ in there.  If it’s too runny, just let it simmer for long enough to thicken up a bit.  If it’s dry to the point of being practical for tuckpointing or masonry mortar, throw in a little water, or better yet, some nice chicken stock if you have it.  
18. Let the gloop cook to the proper consistency, and hopefully the rice finishes at about the same time.  Check for heat/salt/spice levels and adjust if needed.  
19. Kill the heat and let it cool for 5.  
20. Whack a big chunk of rice into a bowl, and ladle your bean/sausage gloop onto the top.  Garnish with green onions or scallions or whatever the hell they’re called. 
21. Turn off ‘Moana’ and deal with the 5 minute tantrum before your kid will settle down and refuse to eat the nice meal you just made. 

Mr. Davidson’s Beyond Burger-ito

1. Cook a “Beyond Burger” and cut it up into crumbles 
2. Prepare some white rice
3. Shred some romaine or iceberg lettuce 
4. Mash some ripe avocado 
5. Get some Daiya shredded cheddar
6. In a large flour tortilla wrap some rice, beyond burger crumbles, lettuce, salsa of your choice, avocado, and shredded cheddar. 
7. Let it sit in a hot pan to get the wrap crispy on both sides.
8. Cut diagonally and enjoy

Ms. Emmerson’s Pizza Dough

Makes: six 6 inch individual pizzas, or two 12-14 inch thin crust pizzas, or one 12-14 inch stuffed double crust pizza. For one 12-14 inch pizza, use half the amounts listed. 

The dough can be made immediately or placed in a greased, covered bowl or bag and refrigerated for up to 3 days. If you plan to use it immediately, use warm water. If using later, use cold water which allows the dough to ferment and rise slowly over time.

• 1 1/3 cups water
• 4 1/4 cups unbleached flour
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• King Arthur flour pizza dough flavor (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix until the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer to a lightly greased or floured surface and knead for 6-8 minutes, or until it’s smooth, shiny, and slightly sticky. Your dough is now ready to either refrigerate or roll out into pizzas. If desired, let dough rest for an hour in a covered greased bowl before using it. This will improve the crust’s flavor.

When making in a stand mixer, mix ingredients until dough sticks together, then mix for 6-8 minutes.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes on a pizza stone. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes if not on a pizza stone.

*Can add a heaping T of peanut butter as well, if that’s your vibe

Mr. Krause’s Filipino Chicken Adobo

Ingredients (in order of use):

• Veggie oil (4~ tablespoons)
• Lots of garlic (minced)
• One big onion (half diced real fine and the other half in strips)
• Bay leaves (several)
• Peppercorns (ground or whole)
• Rice (3 cups worth)
• Soy sauce (at least two cups)
• White cooking vinegar (at least two cups)
• Rice water (from rinsing rice, at least two cups)
• Chicken (thighs with skin preferable)
• Anything else you wanna add! I like broccoli, potatoes (regular and sweet), carrots, etc.

Recipe:

PART 1

1. Put some vegetable oil in a dutch oven and keep the heat on medium-low. Make sure it’s enough to fry the next ingredients, not just line the bottom.
2. Throw in the garlic and let it begin to brown, slowly flavoring the oil.
3. Before the garlic can fully brown, add your finely diced onion half to flavor the oil some more.
4. Throw in the bay leaves. I usually go one per person (remember, don’t eat them).
5. Add a handful of peppercorn, either whole or ground up depending on preference (I usually grind mine up and add quite a bit).
6. Wait for the garlic to brown. The slower-and-lower you cook this portion the better. Remember, your goal is to flavor the oil, not just brown the garlic.

PART 2

1. Once garlic is browned to preference, add the wet ingredients and get them to a boil (soy sauce, vinegar, and the rinsed rice water). Typically these three are equal parts, but occasionally I’ll add some miso paste.
2. Stir here and there to synergize flavors until they boil.
3. Don’t forget to start cooking the rice while the wet ingredients get to a boil! I always forget.
4. Throw in the chicken and make sure it’s submerged. If this is impossible add more wet ingredients, equal parts.
5. Throw in the other add-ons when preferred, including the other half of the onion
6. Cook down liquid for about an hour (if you can wait that long). The slower-and-lower the better. Get that dutch oven lookin’ like a hot tub. Stir occasionally and make sure the chicken is fully submerged.
7. (Optional, but we all know what that word means in Teacher Talk) If you really want to plus things up, remove the chicken thighs from the dutch oven and place them on a sheet pan, skin side up. Try not to get much liquid on the pan. Shift an oven rack to one of the upper tiers and fire up your broiler. Broil the chicken for a few minutes to get the skin crispy, but keep your eye on them so they’re not overdone.
8. Check on the adobo every 10 minutes or so to prevent too much liquid cook-down, and about an hour after boil, serve over rice and enjoy!

Mr. Krause’s Apple (or whatever!) Galette

Part One: Dough

• 1.5 cups all purpose flour 
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• Mix in a bowl
• Add 4 Oz (usually a stick) of cold butter slices into centimeter cubes
• 4 tablespoons of ice cold water

1. Mix with your hands (you don’t need a processor) making sure to mush all the butter bits until dough comes together. Don’t overwork it. 
2. Make into a disc and wrap in plastic. Then refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer
3. Afterwards, toss a little flour on the counter and unwrapped dough. 
4. Roll out the dough into a big circle – it doesn’t have to be perfect. Lay it across a sheet tray. 
5. Spread a jam or jelly of choice (I like mango) in the middle, and leave a two inch border with no jelly. Pretend you’re preparing a dessert pizza.
6. Use a mandoline (if you have one/like to live on the edge) to slice the fruit very thin. I usually use a bunch of apples, but get inventive! Figs with goat cheese is one of my favorite combos.
7. Fan your sliced fruit across the jelly in a spiral like rose petals. Fold the edges toward the center. 
8. Brush the edges with oat milk and raw sugar. 
9. Bake at 400 for 12 minutes then check it. It will need at least another 10-15 or so before the crust turns golden brown and crispy. 

Ms. Martin’s Vegetarian Lentil Soup

PREP – 5 minutes
COOK – 30 minutes
SERVES – 6 people (up to)

• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• kosher salt and cayenne pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoon sumac
• 1 ½ teaspoon crushed red peppers
• 2 teaspoon dried mint
• 2 bay leaves (crushed)
• Pinch of sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 3 cups water, more if needed
• 12 ounces frozen cut leaf spinach,no need to thaw (or fresh spinach)
• 1 ½ cups green lentils or small brown lentils, (rinse five times)
• 1 lime, juice of
• 2 cups chopped flat leaf parsley

1) In a large ceramic or cast iron pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chopped onions and sautee until golden brown. Add the garlic, all the spices, dried mint, sugar and flour. Cook for about 2 minutes on medium heat stirring regularly.
2) Now add the vegetable broth and water. Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a rolling boil; add the chopped spinach and the rinsed lentils. Cook for 5 minutes on high heat then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the lentils are fully cooked to tender. (Partway through cooking, check the liquid levels, and if you need to add a little bit of hot water.
3) Once the lentils are fully cooked, stir in the lime juice, two crushed bay leaves, and some basil. Remove from the heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes or so. Serve hot with pita bread or your favorite rustic Italian bread.

Source: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/mediterranean-spicy-spinach-lentil-soup/#wprm-recipe-container-10551

Mr. S. Miller’s Briam

(serves 6 as a main course or 8 as a side dish, recipe from America’s Test Kitchen)

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Here’s the magic of Greek briam: A rainbow of summer produce – tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, onions, and potatoes – enters the oven simply sliced, seasoned, and bathed in garlic-infused olive oil and emerges as a meltingly soft and velvety mélange in which each vegetable is an amplified version of itself. We sliced our vegetables ¼ inch thick and strategically layered them in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, with the potatoes serving as a sturdy base and the tomatoes an attractive, browned top. Loosely covering the dish with aluminum foil for the first 30 minutes of cooking allowed just the right amount of moisture to evaporate, hyperconcentrating the vegetables’ flavor. We then removed the foil to encourage browning. Warm, room temperature, or chilled, briam made for a hearty vegetarian meal, especially when accompanied by crusty bread and a slice of feta cheese.

Use small or medium zucchini, which contain more flesh and fewer seeds, for this recipe. We prefer local seasonal tomatoes here, but supermarket tomatoes will work; plum tomatoes are too dry for this dish. High-quality olive oil is vital. Some oil will pool in the bottom of the baking dish; spoon it over the portioned briam or sop it up with bread. Briam is usually served with crusty bread and feta cheese, but it can also be served over pasta or rice or alongside meat or fish. Serve this dish warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

• 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick
• ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 6 garlic cloves (3 minced, 3 sliced thin)
• 1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
• 1 onion, halved and sliced through root end ¼ inch thick, divided
• 1 teaspoon pepper, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, divided
• 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks
• 12 ounces zucchini (2 small), sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick
  
• 1½ pounds tomatoes (3 large), cored and sliced ¼ inch thick
  
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Place potatoes, ⅓ cup oil, minced garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt in 13 by 9-inch baking dish and toss to combine thoroughly. Spread into even layer. Scatter half of onion slices over potatoes. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon pepper and ½ teaspoon oregano.

2. Scatter bell pepper over surface, followed by remaining onion, sliced garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon oregano. Arrange zucchini in single layer. Top with tomato slices, overlapping pieces slightly so they cover entire surface (it should be snug). Pour remaining ⅓ cup oil evenly over tomatoes and sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper.

3. Cover dish loosely with aluminum foil, leaving side open so moisture can escape. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until potatoes can be easily pierced with tip of paring knife and tomatoes have collapsed slightly and started to brown at edges, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool for at least 20 minutes. Sprinkle parsley over top and serve.

Dr. O’s Cheese Toast

1. Take a slice of white bread and throw on a slice of Kraft cheese
2. Dust a bit of garlic powder on top
3. Place on the top shelf of the oven and fire up the broiler until cheese creates a large dome
4. Serve and enjoy as you watch an episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

Ms. Oglesby’s Buffalo Chicken Dip

Slow-cooked seasoned chicken breast (black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika)

[Then shred the chicken with forks or however you shred it]

Ranch dip seasoning

Philadelphia Cream Cheese

Franks Buffalo Sauce

Chopped green scallions to garnish

It can all go in the slow-cooker after the chicken cooks. Enjoy!

Ms. Presnar’s Mac-N-Cheese

• 8 oz. pasta (elbow, penne, etc.) 
• 1/4 cup butter 
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour 
• 1 tsp. salt 
• 1/8 tsp. pepper 
• 2 cups milk 
• 2 cups Parmesan cheese 

1. Cook pasta, drain, set aside. 
2. Melt butter on medium heat. Add flour, salt, and pepper. Stir until paste-like. Set aside. 
3. Bring milk to a boil. (I use the microwave for about 6-7 minutes. It goes from frothy to boiling over QUICKLY though.) 
4. Put the paste mixture back onto heat and whisk in boiling milk. 
5. Cook until it thickens on medium or medium-high heat. Stir often with whisk. 
6. Let sit for one minute once it’s thick and rising. 
7. Add cheese and remove from heat. 8. Add pasta and mix. 
8. Put in a casserole dish and bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. 

Ms. Shannon’s Meatloaf

What you’ll need:

• 1 lb. 90% lean ground beef
• 1 cup dried bread crumbs (I like to use Ritz Crackers)
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup green bell peppers
• 1 large egg beaten
• 2 tbsp. ketchup
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. dried parsley leaves
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

For the glaze:

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp. white vinegar

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a large bowl, add the beef, bread crumbs, onion, bell peppers, egg, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, parsley, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Use your hands to mix these ingredients together until well combined. Form into a loaf.
• Add the meat mixture to a loaf pan or any oven safe dish.
• Transfer loaf to oven and bake for about 50 minutes.
• Make the glaze: In a small bowl, add ketchup, the brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder and vinegar. Stir to combine. Pour the sauce on top of the meatloaf and spread it into an even layer.
• Transfer loaf back to oven and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
• Allow the meatloaf rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Dr. VandenBosche’s Iraqi Lentil Stew

1) sauté some potatoes, carrots and onions in a pot until soft 

2) dump in a bunch of water and vegetable bullion and a whole bag of red lentils (or split peas). 

3) simmer the crap out of it (technical culinary term – I should know, my wife was a chef) until soft

4) season with salt and pepper and a little lemon juice 

5) drizzle balsamic vinegar to serve (and fresh chopped basil and/or chives if you feel fancy)

(best with a loaf of hearty bread)