One Pot Wonders that Look Like Hell but Taste Like Heaven

The fog has rolled in and the wind is whipping over Twin Peaks with vengeance. The Ridgebacks don't want to go outside it's so windy. It feels like the Mistral blasting down from the Alps, but it's just a typical spring evening in San Francisco. Light fare won't do tonight but my hot plate doesn't have the BTUs to make a bouef bourgignon and I left my tagine at Ridgeback Mountain. What's a studio-dwellling foodie to do? It's time for some One Pot Wonders. These are quick and easy meals that require a cutting board, a sauce pan and a heat source. They're all high in flavor, but admittedly low in presentation value.


Lentils & Sausages
I love those little green French lentils. They maintain their integrity in cooking and don't get mushy. They're easy to cook and lately have been easier to find.

Ingredients:

• Four links fresh sausage (I like to mix it up depending on what's available at the butcher: a merguez lamb, a spicy italian, an herbed turkey...)
• One medium onion, finely chopped
• Three cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• Touch of olive oil
• One package of french lentils (lentilles verts de puy)

Preparation:

1. Heat a touch of olive oil at the bottom of the sauce pan on Medium-High heat
2. Add the onion and cook until transluscent
3. Add the sausages and cook until done
4. Remove the sausages and set aside. Leave the onions and the cooking juices.
5. Add the garlic and sautee for a minute, just to soften, be careful not to burn it.
6. Add the lentils and cover with about 3X their volume in cold water and bring to a boil
7. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook the lentils about 20-25 minutes until water is absorbed
8. Slice the cooked sausages in 1/2 inch circles
9. When the lentils are done, add the sausages and allow to re-heat for a few minutes
10. Serve in a bowl

Moussaka in a Pot

This isn't really moussaka it's just something I made up when I came home from the market and realized that on impulse I had purchased fingerling potatoes, ground lamb, baby spinach and feta cheese without a real plan. The result was delicious.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 small potatoes
• One lb ground lamb
• One medium onion, chopped
• Two cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh mint (if you have it), chopped -- you can substitute italian parsely or do a little of both
• 1 package baby spinach
• 1/2 lb feta cheese, crumbled
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper, chili powder to taste

Preparation:

1. Bring a pot of water to boil
2. Add potatoes and cook til just fork-able done, about 10 minutes (be careful to avoid over-done mush)
3. Drain potatoes
4. Heat a touch of olive oil at the bottom of the pan, add onions and cook til transluscent
5. Add lamb, garlic, chili, and chopped mint. Sautee until lamb is done.
6. Add potatoes and feta and heat until cheese begins to soften (it won't really melt)
7. Add spinach, heating until spinach is wilted but not dissolving
8. Serve in bowls