Direction Connection

From Simply Recipes

• 2 lb. boneless pork roast
• cooking oil
• 3 T. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 T. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. oregano
• 2 tsp. thyme
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. white pepper
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Rub surface of roast lightly with oil. Combine seasoning mixture and rub well over all surfaces of roast. Place roast in shallow pan and roast at 350 for about 1 and 1/2 hours, until internal temp is 155 degrees. Remove from oven, let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.

This is sort of an unusual dish that I must have found in some cookbook while in graduate school. I once prepared it really badly for a potluck because I started with dried fava beans and missed some critical step in the bean-preparation process. I’ve gotten much better at it since then, although I haven’t made it in a while.

• 4 cups black beans
• 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
• 2-3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1-1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped parsley (I’m pretty sure I skip this)
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• several hard boiled eggs, sliced or wedged (optional, but I always include them)
• salt and pepper to taste

Drain the cooked beans while they’re still hot and toss with olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice. The warm beans will readily absorb the flavors. Add plenty of salt and pepper to taste. Stir in half the tomatoes and parsley.

Turn the ful into a warm serving bowl and top it with the rest of the tomatoes and parsley and garnish it with lemon wedges and hard-boiled eggs if you like.

Serve as a main meal over brown rice (serves 2), or as a side dish (serves 6).

My friend Trystyn once told me that this dish is sort of over-the-top nutritionally in some way, but I don’t know enough about nutritional stuff to understand why. I stole the concept from a place I used to frequent in Raleigh in the late 90s called the Rathskellar, which is no longer open. They used to have pretty unusual dishes, but the service was fairly mediocre. A former coworker of mine (who I think once worked there) used to tell me it was because ”the waitstaff are one step above street urchins,” which I thought was sort of amusing.

• 1 lb chicken breast tenders
• 2 16-oz cans of black beans, drained
• 2 large or 4 roma tomatoes
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 8-oz container of sour cream
• 1 avocado (optional)

Drain the black beans cook in medium-sized saucepan on medium. Season chicken and cook in medium sized nonstick frying pan. Wash and cut tomatoes and avocado. Set aside. When chicken is done and beans are hot, spoon beans onto dinner plates, and top with the chicken, cheese, tomatoes, and avocado. Serve with sour cream on the side.

I absolutely have never actually used parchment to prepare this meal. Foil works just fine in my experience. I recall really liking this when I was single, but I haven’t been able to get Rebecca to try it yet.

• 2 cups frozen baby peas, thawed
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced (I leave this out)
• 1/4 cups chopped fresh mint (yep, I leave this out too)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 4 salmon fillets, skinned (6 oz each)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss together peas, scallions, mint, lemon juice, oil, and 1/4 tsp salt. Spray four 15-inch lengths of parchment paper (or foil) with nonstick cooking spray. Place the salmon fillets, rounded side up, on one half of each piece of parchment paper (or foil). Sprinkle the salmon with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and top with the pea mixture. Fold and seal packets. Place the packets on a baking sheet and bake for about 12-15 minutes. Serves four.

This is from my friend Kelly and her late stepmom Barbara. It’s great if you’re trying to get breakfast ready early for a large-ish group of people. You can prepare it the night before and just put it in the oven in the morning.

• 1 lb. hot bulk sausage or soy/veggie sausage (I’ve done it both ways)
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 4 slices white bread, cubed
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp ground mustard

Crumble and cook sausage until brown. Drain on paper towels. Beat eggs thoroughly; add cheese and balance of ingredients. Add sausage and stir until well-mixed. Pour into an ungreased 3-quart casserole (I’ve used a 9X12 glass pan and it works just fine) and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before baking. Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until top is golden brown. You can also sprinkle some additional cheddar cheese on top and put it back in the oven for just a few minutes to melt it prior to serving.

• 1 can chick peas
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1-1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp powdered ginger
• 1/4 tsp dried powdered mint (optional)
• 1/2 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 can chicken or vegetable broth

In a skillet, heat the oil, add the onion, and cook until transparent. Add the seasonings and tomatoes and cook 10 minutes. Add the chick peas. Add the broth to cover. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Serve over rice. Makes 3 to 4 servings.

From the Whole Foods Market cookbook.

• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 lb. orzo
• 1/2 c olive oil
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 c finey minced parsley
• 1/8 c lemon juice
• 1 tbsp capers, drained
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 c julienned sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/2 c kalamata olives, pitted & chopped
• 1 c crumbled feta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the turmeric, and then add teh orzo; cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until it is al dente. Drain the orzo, and rinse it in cold water. Set aside.

In a bowl large enough to hold the orzo, make a dressing by blending the oil, white pepper, salt, parsley, lemon juice, capers and sugar. Add the orzo to the dressing and combine. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and olives. Toss in feta and mix lightly.

From Jan Murphey

• 16 oz. macaroni
• 6 T butter
• 1/3 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 3/4 tsp. worcestershire
• 2 c. milk
• 3/4 lb. sharp cheddar (12 oz) (Note: In Rebecca’s world, this must be white cheddar)
• 3/4 c. bread crumbs

Cook macaroni in boiling water. Put in 3 qt. casserole dish. Melt 4 T butter. Blend in flour and seasonings. Add milk. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add cheese. Stir until melted. Pour over macaroni. Mix lightly. Top with crumbs mixed with 2 T. butter. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

We had ambitions to go to the grocery store today, but a birthday brunch for Melissa’s friend Denise lasted pleasantly longer than expected, so by the time we were done buying curtains, canisters, shoe racks, and a couple hundred dollars of other stuff, it was late and we abandoned our shopping plans. I’d wanted to cook a nice dinner now that my pots and pans and utensils were all back with me, so I did what I could with what we had left around the house: chicken breasts, old white wine, kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, chick peas, angel hair pasta, and some fresh rosemary, basil and thyme. Here’s what I did:

• Cube the chicken breasts and put them in a bowl with about half a cup of white wine.
• Add some olive oil and finely chopped garlic, rosemary and thyme. Add salt and pepper to taste. Make sure everything is well distributed, then marinate for at least half an hour, though longer is probably better.
• Re-hydrate some sun-dried tomatoes (maybe half a cup?) in warm water and chop them up into little pieces.
• Pit the olives and cut them in half.
• Drain and rinse a can of chick peas.
• Add a little bit of olive oil to a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken with the marinade. Cook for a few minutes til the chicken looks cooked on the outside, then cook for a few minutes more.
• Add the sun-dried tomatoes, olives and chick peas. Stir for a couple of minutes and then cover over medium-low heat.
• Boil the water for the pasta.
• When you put the pasta in, uncover the chicken and add another half cup of wine. Simmer uncovered while the pasta cooks.
• Drain the pasta and put it into bowls.
• Ladle the liquid over the pasta, and top with the chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, chick peas and kalamata olives.