A Little Peasant Dinner

This doesn't count as pumpkin because it's squash. Don't get me wrong, I love autumnal cuisine, but there are other ways to cook seasonally without allspice and nutmeg. If you're like me, you're probably really lazy. Lately I've been entirely too lazy to go on a full-scale grocery run but as a person of limited means, I don't do much take out. Occasionally this means scraping the bottoms of my cabinets and figuring out which one or two things I need in order to justify a stop at Jewel for Halloween candy. In this week's episode I remembered that I had a dusty box of spaghetti in the back of my pantry, and a week-old roasted butternut squash decomposing in my fridge. It's a good day when I have an egg. The result was very elegant. All I had to add was fresh sage, bacon and cheese. A trip to Jewel under $5, well $8 if you account for the well-deserved pint of Ben & Jerry's. It takes a lot of money to eat this cheap. 

Butternut Squash Carbonara

Yes, I know it's not a true carbonara, but I don't really give a shit. Prosciutto tastes like human skin. Instead a used slightly crisped chopped bacon because this here is America damnit. I took a note from a Martha Stewart recipe I once screwed up and I started by frying the fresh sage in butter first. This resulted in more little crispy bits incorporated throughout. As you can tell I like any dish with crispy little pieces of fried things. Stay crispy this fall with butternut squash, arguably the tastiest squash. And cheap! I've got a family to feed. 

you will need the following: 

1 half roasted decomposing butternut squash

1 dusty half-box of spaghetti

1 where-did-this-come-from? egg

1 c when-did-I-buy parmesan cheese

3 tbsp chopped sage

2 strips crisped chopped bacon 

1/2 chopped onion

2 cloves minced garlic

2-3 tbsp butter

salt & pepper

1.) Boil spaghetti. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.

2.) Fry chopped sage in butter until crispy. Then add squash, onion, bacon and garlic and cook until warm.

3.) Slowly add in spaghetti and mix with squash and bacon. Add slashes of hot pasta water to keep the pasta moving.

4.) Shake in cheese while stirring in 1 egg. Keep stirring over heat until egg is mixed with cheese and pasta.

Serve Immediately. 

A Little Summer Dinner Party

Poor bachelors eat a lot of chicken because it's cheap and lean. There are some recipes and methods of cooking that simply need not be written down on index cards and filed in a box, like baked chicken. I've experimented with various seasonings and flavors for chicken breasts, some work and some absolutely do not, mint and lime for example, gross. The worst part about screwing up the spices is that you're stuck eating it for a few days. A pack of chicken breasts is moderately priced and can feed me for a week, or come in handy for an impromptu dinner party. I like to keep them marinating in the fridge and cook them as I need them. This little combo was probably my best experiment yet. I love fennel for its slight licorice-y taste, but have no fear haters, it's not overpowering. Gives the impression of Italian sausage more than anything. 

Orange-Fennel Baked Chicken Breasts

You will need the following: 

Chicken breasts (tenderized)

1 orange

1 bulb fennel

1 large clove garlic

Italian herb blend

crushed red pepper

salt & pepper

Step 1: Pound chicken until it's tender. Once pounded, cut each breast on it's thickest side to form a pocket. Push fennel slices, orange slices and garlic slivers into pocket. 

Step 2: Store stuffed breasts in a tupperware. Dowse each breast in Italian herb blend, crushed red pepper and salt & pepper. Squeeze remaining orange slices over chicken and let marinate overnight (or a few hours if in a pinch).  

Step 3: Bake chickens in a shallow dish at 375 for 45 minutes. Covering half of the time. These can also be grilled or pan fried, but baking is better for you (and easier). 

*** While chicken bakes, sautee summer veggies (like squash or zucchini) in olive oil with remaining fennel and chopped onions. Basil, salt and pepper make a nice flavor trio for veggies. This is also an incredibly cheap and healthy side dish.