There are plenty of cookbooks you could buy and spend hours learning to make beautiful creations. Problem is you don't have that kind of time and patience. So I have a few easy recipes anyone can cook and appear to be a self-sufficient person. I will not waste web space with salad creations. Why? Everyone has different tastes, some like tomatoes others don't. If you can't make a garden style salad, there is no hope for your sorry ass. I like easy meals, some may take over 30 minutes to prepare the first few times, but you will get faster as you learn.
One-pot meals are my favorite like soups, chili's, and stews. The one-pot solution allows me to cook for an hour and walk away with three or more days of prepared food. The ingredients are inexpensive too. For me it is cooking Nirvana; time saving, tasty, cheap, and healthy. What more could an ASM ask for?
ASM Chicken Soup
1.25 lb of chicken breast
2 -3 cloves of garlic
1 can green beans
1 can corn
5-8 oz of mushrooms
6 cups of chicken broth from bullion
1 green pepper
¼ oregano
¼ crushed red pepper
¼ black pepper
Salt to taste (no more than ¼ tsp)
3 med yellow onions
15 oz can of chopped tomatoes
1 cup of carrots
1 cup of celery
1 habenero or jalepeno pepper
1 cup of dried sea shell pasta or macaroni-you decide
Step One: Open and dump the green beans, corn, mushrooms, chopped tomatoes into a large pot (remember to drain everything except for the tomatoes). Place empty cans in trash (why am I telling you this? It allows for room for chopping in kitchens with small counter space)
Step Two: Add chicken broth, oregano, crushed red pepper, and black pepper. Stir and place on med heat.
Step Three: Chop and put in separate bowls; onions, celery, carrots, green pepper, habenero or jalepeno, and cube the chicken into 3/4 inch or smaller pieces.
Step Four: Spray none stick cooking oil in a skillet and heat to med/high heat.
Step Five: Add chicken and cook until meat is ALMOST completely white (Leave a little pink).
Step Five: Add onions, cook for 2-3 minutes (Stir occasionally).
Step Six: Add peppers, celery and cloves of garlic, cook for 1-2 more minutes (Stir occasionally).
Step Seven: After all the chicken is white and the vegetables are tender, drain any fat/grease from the pan and toss the contents into the large pot. Don't forget the raw carrots.
Step Eight: Add salt, cover, and bring the soup to an initial boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 35-45 minutes (Stir occasionally).
Step Nine: Taste and, if needed, toss in additional spices.
Hints and Options
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Be careful of over spicing. This soups' full flavor will come out after a day of refrigeration.
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If you are worried about salt/sodium, use lemon juice.
-
Throw in seashell pasta or elbow macaroni for kicks.
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Shake a ½ teaspoon of Crystal's Hot Sauce (per bowl) to raise the heat factor.
ASM Chili 
.75-1.5 lbs of ground meat (optional). Use ground beef or turkey.
2 bell peppers
1 habenero, chopped
1 can of dark red kidney beans, drained
2-4 tablespoons of chili powder
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp of Crystals hot sauce
¼ tsp or crushed red pepper
1 can of corn
2.5-4 ox of sliced or button mushrooms
2-4 cloves of fresh garlic
1-2 cans chopped tomatoes
2-16 oz of tomato sauce
2-3 medium yellow onions
¼ tsp salt
Step One: Open all the cans and dump them into a large pot (remember to drain kidney beans, mushrooms, and corn). Put empty cans in trash (This allows room for chopping in kitchens with small counter space).
Step Two: Add, crushed red pepper, ground black pepper, and chili powder. Stir and place on med heat.
Step Three: Chop peppers and onions and put in separate bowls.
Step Four: Spray nonstick cooking oil in a skillet and heat to med/high heat.
Step Five: Add meat and cook until meat is ALMOST brown (Leave a little pink).
Step Six: Add onions, cook for 2 minutes (Stir occasionally).
Step Seven: Add peppers and cloves of garlic, cook for 1-2 more minutes (Stir occasionally).
Step Eight: Drain the majority of the fat and dump into the large pot with remaining ingredients.
Step Eight: Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 40 minutes to an hour.
Hints and Options
-
Be careful of over spicing. The chili's full flavor will come out after a day of refrigeration.
-
If you want a vegetarian chili, then leave out the meat.
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You could make use half beef and half turkey to reduce the red meat issue.
-
If you are worried about salt/sodium, use lemon juice.
-
Shake a ½ teaspoon of Crystal's hot sauce (per bowl) to raise the heat factor.
- Serve with cheese, crackers, pita bread, extra onions, tomatoes, or whatever else your heart desires.
Minestrone
½-3/4 lb of chicken breast
15 oz. can corn
5-8 oz of mushrooms
15 oz Kidney beans
23 oz of tomato sauce
15 oz. can green beans
15 oz can of chopped tomatoes
2 cups of chicken broth from bullion
½ tbs oregano
1/2 tsp basil
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
¼ tsp black pepper
2 -3 cloves of garlic (1/4 tsp minced)
3 med yellow onions (2 cups)
1 cup of carrots
2 cup of celery
Salt to taste (no more than ¼-1/2 tsp)
Step One: Open, drain, and dump the kidney beans, green beans, corn, and mushrooms into a large pot. Put empty cans in trash (This allows room for chopping in kitchens with small counter space).
Step Two: Add chicken broth, basil, oregano, crushed red pepper, and black pepper. Stir and place on med heat.
Step Three: Chop and put into separate bowls; onions, celery, carrots, green pepper, habenero or jalepeno, and cube the chicken into 3/4 inch or smaller pieces.
Step Four: Spray none stick cooking oil in a skillet and heat to med/high heat.
Step Five: Add chicken and cook until meat is ALMOST completely white (Leave a little pink).
Step Five: Add onions, cook for 2-3 minutes (Stir occasionally).
Step Six: Add celery, carrots, and garlic, cook for 1-2 more minutes (Stir occasionally).
Step Seven: After all the chicken is white and the vegetables are tender, drain any fat/grease from the pan and toss the contents into the large pot.
Step Eight: Add salt, cover, bring the soup to an initial boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 35-45 minutes (Stir occasionally).
Step Nine: Taste and, if needed, toss in additional spices.
Hints and Options
-
Be careful of over spicing. This soups' full flavor will come out after a day of refrigeration.
-
If you are worried about salt/sodium, use lemon juice.
-
Throw in seashell pasta or elbow macaroni for kicks.
-
Shake a ½ teaspoon of Crystal's hot sauce (per bowl) to raise the heat factor.
Lasagna
I have yet to find a better recipe than the one on the cover of the Mueller's lasagna pasta box. It is easy, flexible, and damn good. Buy a box and follow the instructions.
Hints and Options
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Substitute 24 ounces of tomato sauce and a can of chopped tomatoes instead of the 30 ounces of tomato sauce.
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Use more cheese.
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Use ¼ pound more meat.
Cabbage Soup
1-2 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes
8 oz of mushrooms
15 oz can of green beans or dark kidney beans
15 oz can of corn
1 package of Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2 beef bullion cubes (or chicken)
48 oz of tomato juice or vegetable juice
1/4 cup of green onions
2 med yellow onions 1-2 cups
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 cup of carrots
1 green pepper
1 yellow or red pepper
2 cups of celery
½ head of cabbage
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
¼ tsp black pepper
Salt to taste
Step One: Place broth, cabbage, onion soup mix, tomato (vegetable) juice, crushed red pepper, and black pepper into a large pot. Add enough water to just about cover cabbage. Bring contents to a boil, reduce heat and simmer.
Step Two: Chop and put into separate bowls; green onions, onions, celery, carrots, pepper.
Step Three: Open, drain, and dump the kidney beans, green beans, corn, and mushrooms into the large pot. Put empty cans in trash (This allows room for chopping in kitchens with small counter space).
Step Four: Spray none stick cooking oil in a skillet and heat to med/high heat.
Step Five: Add onions, cook for 2-3 minutes (Stir occasionally).
Step Six: Add celery, carrots, peppers, and garlic, cook for 1-2 more minutes (Stir occasionally).
Step Seven: After all the vegetables are tender, drain any liquid from the pan and toss the contents into the large pot.
Step Eight: Add salt, cover, bring the soup to an initial boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 35-45 minutes (Stir occasionally).
Step Nine: Taste and, if needed, toss in additional spices.
Hints and Options
-
Be careful of over spicing. This soups' full flavor will come out after a day of refrigeration.
-
If you are worried about salt/sodium, use lemon juice.
-
Shake a ½ teaspoon of Crystal's hot sauce (per bowl) to raise the heat factor.
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