Stupid Easy: Avocado Deviled Eggs

Aren't they pretty?  Green Eggs.

By a bit of good fortune, I have a slight problem on my hands.  I get a CSA delivery that includes a dozen eggs every week.  While my cholesterol levels are still adjusting and I'm trying to eat more oatmeal to counteract that, for the most part this is a very good thing.  Eggs are nature's perfect food!  That, and milk.  Don't think too much about it and don't talk to a vegan about it, either.  Nutrient-wise, it's a good thing.

But then (dun dun DUN), my friend's garden chickens started laying eggs like crazy.  She has more eggs than she knows what to do with.  Like five dozen a week or something (not sure).  So, I got 18 eggs in addition to the eggs from my CSA.  Of course the home ones were better, but all the eggs were yummy.  But, I can't eat like five eggs a day!  Damn genes.

Last week, with all these eggs at critical mass, my MIL invited us to a block party in their neighborhood.  It's one of those cute streets that is old-timey even in our rude and modern city.  They have little potlucks and people say hi to each other when they see them, and the houses are 80-100 years old.  It's just cute overload.

Anyway, what could I bring?  EGGS.  Yes.  Eggs.  Duh.  Do not pass go, do not collect anything, just make eggs.  Whew!  A dozen less eggs in my house.  Whew.

Deviled eggs are always a hit.  I make a pretty good batch.  I always have.  Twenty-five years strong of making a good deviled egg.  People will always say, "You should try my deviled eggs, they're the best, trust me."  I will just smile and nod.  Yes, yes, you keep believing that.  But for 75% of my life, I have been making an epic deviled egg.

It was so good that when we had to do a "how-to" demonstration in fourth grade, I of course did deviled eggs.  Duh!  Twenty-five years, I tell you!

Okay, now that I have my credentials....

I was going to make my typical "not even a recipe" deviled eggs.  But, since my husband doesn't like mayo and I don't see the need to keep it around much (and when I do, I use it once and then the remainder sits sadly in my fridge for six months until I throw it out), I had to figure something else out since I was too lazy/cheap to run to the store for mayo. 

I had an avocado (also from CSA) that had to be used before I got my next delivery.  Healthy fats!  Yayyyyyyyy.  The avocado was nice and ripe and as you can tell by the picture, a gorgeous shade of bright green.

It's not even a recipe.  Here's what I did:

1.  Hard-boil a dozen eggs using your favorite method.  Everyone has theirs.  Google for some methods--there are as many methods as there are people, it seems.  My current favorite is to get the eggs out of the fridge about half an hour before boiling them.  Bring some water to a boil and drop the eggs gently into the already-boiling water.  Ten minutes seems to be about right.  Remove them into cold water and then chill.

2.  Take the chilled eggs and peel them under running water (catch the water if you're going through a drought; the plants will love it).  Gently dry off the peeled eggs on some paper towels.

3.  Slice eggs in half "hot-dog"-wise, and pop or scoop out the yolks into a medium bowl.  Set the egg whites on a platter or other pretty dish.  Here I used a pie plate because it works well and I had to transport it.  You can put cling wrap over the plate and it won't smoosh the egg yolks.

4.  Take the bowl of yolks and put it in a small sandwich-sized Ziploc bag.  Add some salt to taste, you don't need to add pepper but you can, and add some dried herbs to taste (as long as you get a little granulated garlic/onion, you're good).  Put a teaspoon or two (not exact) of mustard of your choice.  I usually put Dijon but in this instance I was feeling sassy and I put some classic yellow with turmeric.  I also scooped in my WHOLE avocado.

5.  The fun part:  Close the bag.  Squeeze out air.  Mush the bag with your fingers and go "doop doop doop doop" as you do this.  Trust me.  Scientific stuff happening here.

6.  Once this is all combined, cut a small hole in a corner of the bag.  About a quarter of an inch will do.

7.  Gently work the mixture down to the hole and begin gently piping into the reserved egg whites.

8.  Add paprika on top of the finished eggs because you're fancy and it looks pretty.

9.  Serve and profit.  These were a hit.  They were gone in a few minutes.  There were no leftovers.  Good cooks, including a PROFESSIONAL BAKER OMG who makes locally-famous pies and happens to live on this street, said they were "to die for."  I don't mean to brag, but I just did.  *drops mic*

10.  Wait, you're still wondering how they'll taste?  Just make them!  It's like deviled eggs and guacamole had a love child.  Everyone knows mutts are best anyway.

Stupid Easy: Simple Tabbouleh Salad

Oh hi!  I'm back for a little post.  Whatever, I do what I want.

Anyway, I went to a fancy grocery store in a fancy area on Sunday.  It's one of my favorite pastimes.  Sometimes you find very interesting new foods from interesting places.  Other times, you find overpriced stuff you can get for much cheaper elsewhere, or even make for a fraction of the price.

I was thinking of getting a deli salad.  I saw a small 8 ounce tub of tabbouleh.  I hadn't had a good tabbouleh in a long time.  My mom used to make it all the time when I was a kid--I don't know, it was the 80's.  It was a crazy time.

FIVE DOLLARS?!?  Five dollars for eight ounces!!!???

No thanks.

Thanks to us being in "the future," I got out my handy pocket computer (smart phone) and searched for a simple recipe for tabbouleh.  I mean, it can't be that expensive.  It's all parsley, right?  And it's super simple.  And, if you broke down the amount I paid for the ingredients and somehow applied a formula to my hourly wage at work, I'm not sure where the savings would be, but I didn't feel that $5 was a good price for a cup of grain salad.

So, here is what I put together.  You can find all these ingredients for fairly cheap at a regular grocery store.

1 c bulgur wheat (follow package directions to put 1 c of boiling water over 1 c of wheat and let sit)
1 English cucumber, chopped
1 bunch mint, chopped
2 bunches parsley, chopped (I used flat leaf, probably doesn't matter but I feel it's easier to chop)
1 pound tomatoes, chopped (get what looks good; I got some grape tomatoes)
1-2 lemons, juiced (I used Meyer lemons and needed more)
a few glugs olive oil (probably 1/2 cup; I don't measure this, just do what looks good)
salt and pepper to taste

You can also add:

scallions
garlic
granulated garlic
oregano (dried)
feta cheese or other protein

Mix it around and let it set so flavors meld.  Summer salad potluck, here we come!

What Are You Doing on Valentine's Day?

NO...  Just...  NO.

So...  What's everyone's plan for Valentine's?  No plans?  That's cool, too.  But you can have a "Galentine's" if you aren't attached, or you can just enjoy a damn fine piece of grilled red meat with some alcohol.  Just make it a fun day and no pressure.  I was single for many years before meeting my husband.  The only tip that I would give, single or not, is to AVOID RESTAURANTS AT ALL COSTS.  I don't even care if you can't cook.  Have cereal at home.  But to me, there is nothing more forced, and less romantic, than eating at a "romantic" restaurant on Valentine's Day.  And heck, even if you can't cook, why not try one of my stupid easy recipes?

I'm more into some clever, witty repartee on V-day.  Not schmaltz, unless it's done with a wink.  But that's just my style.  If you like the Notebook, you might want to look elsewhere for advice on what to do with yourself on V-day.  So, let's get started.

To me, the day is all about either funny admiration for buddies, or your significant other, or sex.  Let's be honest, the heart that we all know and love was modeled after a you-know-what, back in Greek times, I believe.  To me, a good Valentine's Day has some rich, indulgent food, and maybe a quirky fun movie to cuddle up on the couch with.  This is not the day for health food.  Oh, and chocolate and alcohol should be in there somewhere, too.  What you do after the movie is your business.  If you're into teddy bears with handcuffs, far be it for me to tell you EW GROSS.  But I just said it anyway.

So, without further ado...

Let's start by selecting some movies.  Why not a classic screwball comedy from the 30's or 40's?  Even if your sweetie doesn't like black and white movies, or old movies, or how people talked back then, believe me--they will enjoy these fun and funny films.  Here is a good list of the ones you can't miss.

Okay, moving on...  How about some chocolates to nibble on?  Classic truffles are always great, or you can go the vegan route with these.  It's all good.  At any rate, you'll wonder why you were paying $2 a pop for the fancy ones before.

Now, how about some snacky-snacks while your steak is cooking (you did get a steak...  didn't you?).  Maybe some surf-n-turf is in order?  Like, crab cakes?  Or maybe some nice slurpy mussels to sluuuuuurp on...  Like these or these?  Maybe some cheese and grapes or something, too.  And, sipping in a cocktail wouldn't hurt.  Maybe some Scotchy-Scotch or a French 75?

Then, about that steak.  Now, if you are not a steak eater, you can do a luscious roast chicken using Thomas Keller's classic easy method.  Just stick the super dry and salted bird in the oven for an hour (plenty of time to make out!) and when it emerges, it will be sticky, crispy, and juicy.  Yum.  If you are a vegetarian, I would say go for Indian or Thai takeout.  The spice is sexy, right?  And it's all about being sexy.

Now is not the time for Brussels sprouts or cauliflower.  :-/  Or beans, really...

Okay, back to that steak!

Here is a good recipe that pairs a nice bloody steak with a simple chocolate mousse dessert.  Red meat and dark chocolate, yum!  Otherwise, I don't really think you need a recipe for steak.  Just make sure you have a good cut of meat, let it hang out outside the fridge for a few minutes while you prep the grill or cast iron, and then sear that sucker on both sides.  Then rest.  Then enjoy.  YUM.  Oh, and pair it with your favorite full-bodied red wine, of course.

Need a side?  How about potatoes?  They're earthy, and sexy, right?  I mean, yeah?  Here are some good potato ideas.  Pasta can be slurpy too, and romantic in a Lady-and-the-Tramp sort of way, but if you're doing steak, I would go with potatoes.  Any of these will work fine.

If you need even more chocolate, maybe try this almost-flourless chocolate cake, with some yummy vanilla ice cream on the side.

And if all goes well for your Valentine's Day, how about some ideas for a bacon-centric morning after?

And if all else fails, buy a card with a train on it that says "I CHOO-CHOO-CHOOOOOOSE YOU."  Works every time!

Stupid Easy: Thai Stone Soup Hack

Made by a very hungry and tired me.

The other evening, I got home from work after a boring day and a long commute.  I was starving.  The boys had gone for a bike ride, and no dinner was waiting for me, hot on the stove.  I then brainstormed what I could turn into a yummy dinner, quickly.

Fast forward thirty minutes and no trips to the store, and a very content me was sipping on some Trader Joe's Dunkelweizen while stirring a simmering, hearty soup, happily chatting to husband that yes, I did make dinner, it's all ready to go, see you soon.

What happened in those thirty minutes?  Well, I was hungry as f***.  I was almost hangry.  The fridge was near-empty (but we all know this is when the best meals are produced).  I was thirsty.  I reached for an ice cold beer (thankfully there).  Now, with a clear head, was time to carefully examine the fridge.

Hmmm...

There is a pot in there--leftovers?  Yes!  But no...  Only two cups of yesterday's lentil/bacon/greens/brown rice mixture were left.  This will not do to feed three hungry people.  I'll set it on the stove anyway...

What else, what else...  A container of my old standby, Trader Joe's pre-chopped mirepoix?  Excellent.  Let's pull that out.

This always makes me think of soup.  But what kind of soup?  I don't want a boring soup.  How about a Thai curry-style soup?

Luckily, in the fridge door, I found half of a small jar of Thai red curry paste from a previous recipe I did.  Let's set that on the counter.

Anything else?  Hmmm...  Maybe it's getting time to clean out the fridge.  What the hell is in that jar?

Oh wait, here is a fresh-ish one-pound bag of Trader Joe's chopped rainbow chard!  Pretty!  Okay, this is so going in the soup and this is going to be a delicious and nutritious soup.  What else can we do, broth-wise?

Let's look in the pantry...

Ah, my old reliable, Trader Joe's version of Better Than Bouillon, a little bouillon packet I can squeeze into this soup!  And, a can of coconut milk!  Now, I don't want it to be a sauce, so I chose to go with one can of coconut milk and two cans of water (one can of the water will simmer off).

Now, to start the recipe:

1. Over medium heat, warm up the leftovers, stirring.
2. Once they are broken up, add the mirepoix and a bit of olive oil.  Sautee till translucent.
3. Add Thai red curry paste and mix.  Add other spices here as you see fit (I wanted to keep it simple, so it was just this and some salt).  Mix until fragrant.
4. Add the chard or other greens.  Stir until wilted but not entirely cooked through.
5. Add the bouillon packet here (basically anywhere before you add liquid; I find it's easier to mix in at that point).
6. Stir until it all looks cohesive, broken down, melded.
7. Add in one can of coconut milk plus two cans of water and stir.
8. Let it simmer till the soup has reduced to your liking, and serve.  The boys ate it with toast, I had it as is.  You can add a dollop of cream or yogurt to it, too, if you want.
9. Yum!  Winning on an empty fridge!

Stupid Easy: Homemade Nachos

Don't worry, it's fat free Greek yogurt!  :-D

I was supposed to make some nachos for Super Bowl.  I don't really like football or follow anything related to it, but it's important to my brother, so I had him and his girlfriend over.  His girlfriend, my husband, and I are all equally apathetic toward football, but we can all agree that food is awesome!  Bro's girlfriend brought banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches), so needless to say, we were too full for my nachos.  I saved them for Monday night instead.  Heck, we still had some commercials to watch anyway, since we don't get broadcast TV (not missing much there).

I know some families make nachos all the time, or at least every Friday night.  We don't.  Growing up, we never did, either.  No clue why.  But there you have it.

Probably the best tip with these that I got online was to LAYER them.  So, I gathered my ingredients:

• One bag of STURDY corn tortilla chips (I chose Trader Joe's brand yellow corn tortilla chips)
• Two 12 oz cans of beans (I chose TJ's Cuban style black beans)
• Two bags of pre-shredded cheese or a pound block, shredded (again with the TJ's here)
• One small can of sliced olives
• One small can of sliced pickled jalapenos
• Salsa of your choice
• Fresh cherry tomatoes (optional, but they add freshness)
• Guacamole or avocado mashed up (avocados seem to suck around here, even though it's California and that just shouldn't happen.  I get TJ's packaged version, basically mushed avocados)
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt (I used TJ's fat-free Greek yogurt, which is why I could glop it on like that)
• Several (5-6) green onions, snipped or sliced

Layer one layer (yes, layer, not pile) of chips.  Then put some queso.  Then beans.  Then chips, and repeat the layering process till you run out of chips or space.  Then for the last layer, put even more cheese (you want it ooey gooey), plus the olives, jalapenos (yes, I wanted them baked--yum), tomatoes/salsa (roasted tomatoes = yum).  Put oven to about 400*F--it doesn't matter, but you want it to warm through and roast the top.  Bake for about 15 minutes (check to make sure it's warmed through and cheese is bubbly).  Top with guacamole, sour cream, and snipped green onions.  Serve, and rejoice!

NOTE:  If you have leftovers, they make EXCELLENT chilaquiles or you can just heat the whole damn thing up again, which is what I did, and it was darn tasty.

Plus, it's vegetarian, so it's healthy, right?  ;-)

This is Not Even A Recipe: Blistered Shishito Peppers

Gotta love that cast iron!

If you read any cool hip food blog, you will see a prevalence of recipes as of late for blistered or roasted shishito peppers.  Now, I am not cool, so I had never heard of such peppers.  Jalapenos, yes.  Shishito, no.  Are they hotter or sweeter than jalapeno?  Would it be like a bell pepper?  Or like an Ortega chili?  I had no idea.  I was intimidated.

But enter Trader Joe's.  When such items appear at Trader Joe's at their cheap and cheerful price point, it makes trying intimidating stuff super easy.  So, I saw the bag of shishito peppers in their produce section, and figured even if it was a failure, I'd be out about three bucks.  And besides, as usual on a Friday night, I was starving after my ballet class which ends a bit before nine.  So, basically everything in the store looked great.  I spent a lot.

When we got home, I heated up the cast iron pan and while waiting for it to heat, I slowly rinsed off the shishito peppers and threw them into the hot pan (this is the only prep--no slicing, ribbing, or anything else).  I let them go (POP POP) for a minute or two before pouring in a couple glugs of olive oil.  I tossed and turned the peppers over so that both sides or all sides got those pretty blisters you see above. 

Since this was an experiment, I will say a couple tips:

• When the peppers are done cooking, immediately remove them from the hot pan to retain their freshness and crispness.  Otherwise, you'll get basically roasted peppers, which is not bad, but not what we're looking for.
• When you have the peppers in said serving bowl, toss in some salt and mix...  That's all you need.

So, that's it.  Peppers and salt.  The bag was maybe half a pound?  I ate the WHOLE DAMN THING.  My brother "helped" by eating like two or three.  I ate the rest.  Low calorie snack, full of vitamins?  Not bad.

Oh and one more little tip:  The bag warned that "one in ten" peppers carries a "spicy kick."  They are not kidding.  Nine in ten are super flavorful and wonderful, a certain taste I can't describe except to say it's like a yummier than usual Ortega chili.  But that one in ten makes your face go numb.  You've been warned!  But don't let it stop you from this pepper adventure.

This is Not Even a Recipe: Lazy Muesli

This is not a sad desk brunch!

Well, the above picture of my breakfast may not look too impressive.  But trust me that it was tasty and can only get tastier.  I found that Trader Joe's makes an "Organic Multigrain Hot Cereal."  It has rolled wholegrain rye, barley, oats, and wheat.  I consider it a nice little change from oatmeal.  Oatmeal is awesome, but all these different grains make for a unique flavor.  You can definitely have it cooked, as any hot cereal.  Here is a good recipe for PB&J hot cereal using the stuff.  As usual, a cheap thrill from TJ's.

For the above, all I did was put some of the uncooked cereal in a Tupperware-type container.  I have some cooler containers, but the ugly Ziploc one was on the counter so there ya go.  I put about half a cup, the serving.  Then I put enough milk to have it swimming around a bit, about 3/4 to a cup.  You could add other ingredients here or the following day, depending.  I put it in the fridge overnight and had it for breakfast the next day (you can microwave it the next day if you want, too).

I like it cold and mushy (that's what she said).  Add some trail mix, chopped fruit, cinnamon, sugar, honey, etc...  You have one fantastic breakfast.  Since I had dental work done yesterday evening and am supposed to eat "soft foods only," I just had this as is, with some dried cranberries mixed in.  I'm trying to reduce sugar, so I had about six cranberries swirled in, and I fished them out like you do the cherries in a fruit cocktail (or is that just me?).

Some ideas to add:

• chopped apple
• chopped banana
• jam (berry jam would work great)
• trail mix (almonds/cashews work great)
• dried fruit (or part of a trail mix - tropical fruit or cranberries works great)
• orange juice (super European way to do things)
• cinnamon
• honey/maple syrup
• pinch of salt sometimes adds a good flavor
• hey, no one's looking...  why don't you add some chocolate chips?  :-D

This is Not Even a Recipe: Zucchini Saute

Ah, zucchini.  I just love dark greens, zucchini, and bell peppers (especially red ones).  But, I'm trying not to get in a rut, so instead of doing peppers and chard last night, after a long busy day and on my own for dinner prep, I went with zucchini.

I broke out my trusty big cast iron pan, worth every penny even if you don't take into account that I got it for free from a family friend.  I love this pan!  More on the pan in another post (and how to cook with and season a cast iron pan).  The pan came to me with some rust and wear and a weird layer of not-cool grease.  But now it is a trusty mainstay of my kitchen (and can be used as a weapon if need be, too) (you know, like in cartoons? when the pan would turn into the shape of the hapless person who got hit?).

Okay, I digress.

I can't really say this is a recipe, but I can definitely say that this proves you can put something yummy on the table with little to no skills, no recipe, no time, and only a couple ingredients.  I am not even going to list out the things I used.  Just read on.

I had about a pound of green zucchini from Trader Joe's.  I chopped off either end, then cut them lengthwise into quarters, then sliced that into coins.  In other words, 1/4 of coins, like little triangles.  You can cut it up however you want, but I wanted to save cooking time by taking some time on the front end with prep.  You could also grate it, but I wanted a little bit of "meat" to my zucchini.

I added some olive oil to my cast iron and when it shimmered, I dumped in the zucchini as I cut them up.

I usually add onions first, but in this case I really wanted to cook the heck out of my zucchini.  So, once I had the zucchini all in, I grabbed one medium-sized onion (about 4-5 inches in diameter), peeled it, and diced it up.  For a good method on how to mince or dice an onion, YouTube it.  Once you get some practice in, it's easy peasy.  Just remember to have a sharp knife.

Add the onions to the zucchini and stir around.  Things should be shiny and start looking a little translucent.  Then add seasonings.  Go with whatever moves you.  But definitely include salt and fresh-ground pepper in this.  After adding salt and pepper, I added some thyme, turmeric (love the color and it's so good for you, and also super TRENDY now), and garlic powder.  I might note a lesson I learned here:  I treated us to truffle salt, but that really is a finishing salt as the truffle flavor was more or less absent from the final dish.

Stir and stir and scrape until it is a doneness you like.  I wanted this to be almost like zucchini butter.  Yes, google that and you can find something really fantastic to put onto your toast if you have gotten tired of avocado toast (come on, even though it's overdone and trendy, avocado toast is delicious). 

Once my zucchini was about a third in volume of what I started out with, I tasted a bit to check for seasoning.  You can serve as is, as a side, or in my case, I mixed some pre-made ravioli from Trader Joe's into it, along with some French butter.  Magnifique!

Stupid Easy Somewhat Healthy Saute

Let me just preface this recipe by saying that just about everything we cook is stupid-easy and somewhat healthy, sometimes entirely healthy.  So from now on, just assume that all recipes here are easy.  Unless I write "Really Difficult" in the title.

Also, let me apologize for not having a fancy kitchen or fancy camera.  I'm a fan of using my iPhone camera instead of the Canon DSLR (need to work on that), and we have a rental so the kitchen is not exactly stylish.  It does, however, have a gas stove and lots of storage.  So, I can't really complain.  But it is ugly.

As an aside, this ugly rental kitchen has hosted several parties a year, some of which we feed upwards of 30 people at.  So, not too shabby.  My point is, you can do it, too!

The above picture is of a quick sauté we put together the other day.  I am a huge fan of Trader Joe's, but you can probably find the stuff elsewhere.  If you don't like to cook, don't know how, or don't have the time, I hope this recipe and others on the blog will change your mind.

Let's get cracking!

You'll need:

- Half pound of bacon or another fat source like a few glugs of oil
- Mirepoix mix or: one onion, two carrots, and two celery stalks (eyeball them), all diced, one pound total
- cooked lentils (about one pound cooked)
- at least one pound of greens of your choice.  Here, we used red spinach and green spinach.
- season to your taste:  always salt and fresh-cracked pepper, and here I added some garlic powder and French thyme.

1. We started this out by putting about half a pound of bacon in a hot pot.  If you're a veg, you can use olive oil or fake bacon.  I prefer thick-cut and as free of additives as you can get.  We sliced it into half-inch chunks.  It'll cook down.
2. When bacon has rendered fat and begun to brown, add mirepoix.  Mirepoix, which is not in the spelling dictionary on this word processor, is a combination of diced/minced onions, carrots, and celery.  "Your aromatics," as some may say.  The Italian word for it is sofrito.  In Cajun cooking, they use red bell peppers instead of carrots in their "Holy Trinity."  Again, Trader Joe's commercial:  they make a pre-chopped container of mirepoix, or as one lady there asked for it, "soup starter."  Yes, it's fresh and it's fine and dandy.  Or, you can buy the items separately and process them.  Since we were lazy, we got the container, and didn't even need to use a chef's knife when preparing this.  More time to drink beer!
3. When carrots begin to soften and onions are translucent, add the cooked lentils.  You might need to break them up if they are in a container like the one Trader Joe's has--they are all stuck in a block.  Let the bacon grease coat them and everything meld and soften.
4. When everything starts to get browned, lentils are broken down and warm, and mirepoix is well on its way to rendering out all its flavors, add the greens.  This is the fun part.  You might need to add them in batches because huge amounts break down into a tiny little bit.  Can you imagine all those NUTRIENTS in those greens?  Holy smokes.  Amazing.  You'll feel like Popeye the Sailor Man after this.  Please tell me you understand that reference.  If not, YouTube it.  All you do is stir those greens around, coat them with the pan liquid, and things wilt down.  Keep stirring for a few minutes and you will have something similar to what's pictured above.
5. Correct the seasoning, as you never know how salty the bacon will make things (usually I need to add a bit more salt).  Add the other seasoning.  Mix and sit to meld flavors.
6. You can let it sit or eat right away.  I encourage you to play around with ratios and ingredients.  Maybe you don't like lentils (what's wrong with you?)--you can sub out any other bean or legume.  This is a vegan meal if you leave out the bacon and add vegetable oil of some sort.  Any green that benefits from being cooked will work here.  You can add bell peppers, too (lots of nutrients), add broth to turn it into a soup or stew, or plop a poached or over-medium egg on top to make things rich.  The sky's the limit when you're cooking.  Cooking is fun!

I hope you give this a go the next time you want something quick and are too hungry to even find time to get takeout.  This is quicker than takeout.