The Oh-Shit-I-Forgot-To-Go-To-The-Grocery-Yesterday-And-Subsequently-Have-No-Food-In-My-House Improv Dinner Post

Dudes, and dudettes, it's late. I am going to bed. I just wanted to put this up on the right day for a change. Regardless of the hour. Will update a bit later. Here's the beginning anyhow (consider this an appetizer)....

What to do? What to do? It's 8pm on a Sunday night and as you may have guessed from the oh-so-obvious title, my bright little readers, I didn't make it to the grocery yesterday. Living in Europe you take the good (light as air fresh from the oven croissants daily, being in the middle of EVERYTHING {unlike Iowa, which is also in the middle...of nothing. Ooooh, nestled parenthasis, can you dig it?} and excellent public transportation) along with the not so good (ridiculous rent and apartment hunts, not much customer service, and the whole world shutting down on Sundays.) So here I am hungry on a Sunday. The thought of another ramen dinner or kebab is making me feel a bit ill. Don't get on your high horse. I loves me some ramen...and kebab. Just not on a regular basis. To Be Continued....

***5-13-06 Continued.....Digging thru my magically defrosted fridge and freezer and scavaging from last weeks dinner party I managed to scrounge up some carrots, a half of an already peeled onion, part of a zucchini and some truly wilted and pathetic looking peapods that I tried to perk up in ice water (no dice...luckily the peapods crisp up again while cooking. Good to know, no?). Images of fluffy white rice and an asian inspired sauce to complete the veggie sautee started forming in my mind. What follows next is by far the healthiest meal and fastest to prepare that I've had in quite some time.

Before starting the meal I recommend preparing your sauce to taste. A bit of cornstarch (for body), a bunch of soysauce, some water, and generally garlic, ginger, and pepper, perhaps some cinnamon if you are feeling a bit adventurous. Fresh is best but on an underprepared Sunday powdered spices will have to do. As we all know (or you will now) basmati rice requires rinsing and then boiling the water down until level with the rice before covering and continuing to cook. While all of this ballyhoo is going on, you have the perfect amount of time to peel and cut your veggies. As the rice slowly cooks with the lid on you can sautee some onions in your choice of oil + sesame seed oil, then add the carrot, then zucchini and at last just let the peapods slightly kiss the pan. Stir up the sauce again before adding to the pan of veggies over low to medium heat and cook until just thickening. Quickly remove your delicious looking veggies, dish up over a big ole bowl of rice and top off with some sesame seeds. Et voila! Dinner she is serve-ed. And don't forget your iced green tea (first flush darjeeling FTGFOP1 from Arya...but that's a whole other post!).

Ps-It's worth noting that this simple semi-recipe can be easily turned into a chicken lo mein-like dish by quickly sautee'ing some chicken then adding the cooked veggies to the same pan before adding the sauce mix and then throwing all of it together with pasta in place of rice. See, my little ones, two recipes for the price of one :) I love you that much.