MORE DINING DIMING...

More about food and meals and using resources.....

I LOVE eggs, flan, custard, omelettes, egg salad...and I often work on ways to use them effectively..

PASTA AND WHATEAVER FRITATTA

1. Using leftover pasta of any sort.....

2, Heat olive oil in large ovenproof skillet....add cooked pasta, sauce and whataever protein you have or like, I did this with the thick spaghetti and turkey sausage and peppers from the other night.

3. Saute gently, til pasta and other stuff is warmed and the pasta edges get a bit crunchy, meanwhile take eggs out of the fridge and let them get to rooom temp.

4. scramble a few eggs in a bowl, I add a touch of milk or water....make them frothy

5. scramble eggs over the pasta in skillet, mix it all gently, but do not keep moving it all around, let it set up.

6. Grate some fresh parmesan over the top and put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes to crown and the eggs to set.

My ten year old loves this....we cut it in wedges and eat cold all the time....I have used every kind of pasta including ravioli and other stuffed pastas!

AS FOR WORK.....I am still spinning the bottle and carry the flame all around town. It is a year since I wrote the first blog about loving and losing our house, and we are still here. I still wake up in a panic many mornings....I fear that stress fatigue is setting in, but we carry on.

It is a very challenging season...between finding a middle school, feeling a bit isolated from the school community as everybody is moving on, looking for work, keeping tight rein on our expenses...seems so little time for restorative work.....

DINNER ON A DIME....

I am a freelancer, my husband is also a freelancer.

In this world, this economy, that is like living in a family of circus performers...we are always walking the tightrope financially.

I am always thinking of ways to make our little puddle of resources go further...and so, this includes how and what we do about eating. Like many others, we have cut back dramatically on our eating our habits....and I am trying to make the most of what I find in the fridge. To this end, I offer a little ongoing feature...DINNER ON A DIME...a few real tips and recipes and sure fire things I have learned (as a self taught and ongoing learning) cook.

As we all know, the most asked question in history is, "What's for dinner?' and, this nearly always falls to me....unless I am out of town, I find that I think of this most afternoons....so, I offer a few options.....these see geared to the mornings...but I have made delightful evening dining on both....

TOMATO TOAST-I extolled the delights of this on FB recently, but seriously I am hooked and obsess about this. equally good with with bread that is going stale and overripe toms..

1. Slice baguette or other well textured bread into slices and toast (wh grain does not work as well, I prefer baguette or artisan bread)

2. While it is toasting, cut tomato in half and grate it, using the biggest holes on the box grater...you should have nothing left in your hand except the skin.....

3. When bread is toasty, drizzle with best quality olive oil that you have, and rub with a cut side of garlic clove.

4. Top with tomato goop , sea salt and freshly grind some pepper.

My ten year old loves this...and prefers it when the bread gets slightly soggy. I find something primal and utterly satisfying in this....it goes incredibly well with a double espresso at 6am while scanning email and FB.

PASTA AND EGGS...

A well loved dish from a local restaurant here in LA, I make it with leftover pasta...eggs, garlic and grated parmesan cheese....today I added the left over chicken from dinner two nights ago.

1. Heat small amount of olive oil in skillet, add crushed garlic and saute til fragrant

2. Add leftover pasta, toss in oil til it is shiney and warms through.

3, Meanwhile, scramble two eggs in a bowl and let sit for a few moments, warming to room temp.

4 If you have left over protein, add to pan, I use chicken, turkey or sausage....

5, Add eggs, and scramble in pan with pasta and protein..btw, protein is not necessary, this is really good with just the eggs!!!

6. Turn off heat when eggs are still a bit wet, the heat of the pan will finish off the job. I like to grate in some parmesan at this point...also some chopped parsley or chives.

Simple and tasty and great way to use up last nights dinner. Tested on husband, ten year old and her friends...both are winners...

More of DINNER ON A DIME to come....