Why Not a Recipe? (Garlic Marinara Turkey Burger over Polenta)

1 Cup Polenta
4 Turkey Burger Patties (Turkey Meatballs could work too)
1 Tomato
1/2 Onion
A lovin' spoonful of olive oil*
1 Garlic Clove
Marinara Sauce

*While not officially recognized by most measurement standards, the "lovin' spoonful" is one of my scales of guesstimation. In this case it refers to just enough to coat the pan that's being used.  

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the polenta and turn the heat down low. Dice up the tomato and onion and add them. Let that cornmeal goodness simmer away for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   
2. Put your favorite fry pan on medium heat with the olive oil. Dice up the garlic and toss it in there to get brown and fragrant. You can save some of the onion and add it here as well. Then toss in your turkey of choice to soak up a lot of the oily flavor. Let that stuff get a good simmer on, stirring/turning so nothing gets burned.
   
3. You can either add the marinara sauce to the pan with the turkey or cook it in a separate saucepan.
   
4. Stack up that goodness. 1. Polenta 2. Meat 3. Sauce
   
5. Chow down on that savory feast that's gonna stick to your bones (and your breath) for a good long time.

Why Not a Recipe? (Lentil Curry)

Ingredients:
1  medium onion
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 garlic cloves (or more if you're sassy like that)
1 Tablespoon of curry powder
4 Cups of vegetable stock
3 Cups of potato (cut into cubes)
1 1/2 Cups of lentils
4 tomatoes (cut into cubes)
1 can of tomato soup
Salt and Pepper

Making the Magic:
Put a big pot on the stove on low to medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion (chopped into small chunks). Let that simmer for a little bit (not long enough to get brown) then add the garlic and curry powder.

After a minute or so add everything else. Turn the heat up to get it simmering, then turn it down and let it go for 20-30 minutes, or however long it takes to get the lentils nice and soft.

Bask in the delicious smells wafting through your kitchen.

Make up some rice to serve this spicy and complex goodness over.

You could probably add some carrots and other veggies as well. Maybe I'll try that next time.

Feast the Winter Away

Why not a Recipe?

Potato Leek Soup:
(Serves 1 bachelor for approximately 1 week's worth of dinners)

Ingredients
3-4 Large Leeks
2 lbs. potatoes (peeled, or leave the skins on if you're rugged and manly)
4 cups chicken (or vegetable stock)
2 Tbsp. butter
Marjoram
Thyme
Parsley
1 cup lentils
1 clove of garlic
Salt and Pepper
Your favorite hot sauce (optional)
Cheese (optional)

Making the Magic Happen:

1. Wash your leeks and cut off all but the white and light green parts. Cut this up into small-ish pieces (I just chop my way down the stock, making little leek discs)
2. Toss these, along with the butter) in a big pot on low heat and let them simmer for 10 minutes. 
3. While that's going on wash and cut up your potatoes. Big chunks or small are fine, they'll get more attention later. 
4. Once everything is smelling super yummy add your stock and potatoes, bring everything to a boil and then let it simmer for 20 minutes.
5. I suppose you could probably cook the lentils in the same pot, but I choose to use my rice cooker. You can either cook them in two cups of water or stock. The garlic clove goes in there too, chopped up. 
6. Once your soup is nice a simmery you gotta blend up them 'tatoes a bit. I have an awesome immersion blender for this. If you don't have one you can scoop out about half the soup into your regular blender and give it a whirl. This is probably a good reason to cook the lentils separately and add them to the post-blending mix.
7. Add a couple teaspoons of parsley and a zesty pinch of Marjoram and Thyme. Salt and pepper to your liking as well.
8. My move is to add the hot sauce, lentils and cheese to my bowl when I serve it up, but you can experiment and find the way that works best for you.
9. Feast on this spectacular soup (ideally in flannel) and feel extra manly.