Cooking for two

I don't recall just when it began, but I am the principal cook in our family of two. It is incumbent on me to decide what we're having, when it will be served, and, finally, to prepare it. In self defense I have come up with some standards and some "quick fix" meals that are our staples.

BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH SHERRY AND CHUTNEY

I get frozen skinless, boneless, chicken breasts at CostCo. They come individually wrapped, and it seems like they will keep forever. I place three breasts, still frozen in a pyrex (oven-proof glass) dish. I add a 1/4 cup of cooking (cheap) sherry and place a teaspoon of Sharwood's Major Grey Chutney on each breast. Cover with aluminum foil and place in an oven set to 350 degrees. I never preheat. Cook for 50 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of the breasts. After 1/2 hour, turn the breasts once. At this time I usually put on some rice (1 cup water, pinch of salt, dash of olive oil, bring to a boil, add 1/2 cup rice, cover and simmer for 22 minutes). During the last five minutes, I may also steam some vegetables, usually broccoli, asparagus, or zuccini. Sometimes I toss some raisins in with rice before covering.

FAJITAS DE JOSE

About a day later, I use the left over chicken in a "single pot" dish of my own concoction. In a large skillet I saute one chopped onion, one chopped green bell pepper and one chopped red bell pepper in 3 tbsps of canola oil. I season the vegetables with Mexican seasoning. When the onions are transparent and the bell peppers limp, I add the left over chicken, sliced as thin as possible. I try to heat each slice. If the pan is too dry, I may add some more oil. While the chicken and vegetables simmer, I put a couple of flour tortillas between paper towels and warm them in the microwave (45-50 seconds on high for 3 tortillas). A serving consists of a tortilla, salsa, the chicken vegetable mix, cheese, sour cream and jalapenos (optional). You can roll the fajitas up in the tortilla and eat like a taco, or layer the fixings on a tortilla like a tostada.

GRUEL

Ever have one of those nights when you just don't feel like cooking? Maybe it has gotten late and you don't want to go to the trouble of dragging out pots and pans and fixings. I evolved a dish that our family calls "gruel" after the famous dish from Oliver Twist.

I start with a can of Campbell's Chicken with rice condensed soup. Place in a pot and add one can of water. Bring to a boil, then add 1/2 cup of rice. If we didn't finish the fajitas the previous night, then what's left also goes in the pot. Or you can add a small can of chicken. Simmer for 22 minutes and serve. You can garnish with parmesan cheese (the powdery not shredded kind), jalapenos, or (ugh) ketchup.

JOE'S CHILI POT

Here's one for the weekend using a slow cooker (crockpot). Just toss these ingredients into the crock pot: one jar of your favorite salsa, two cans of diced tomatoes (drained) and two cans of kidney beans (drained). I think the can size is 15 oz. but each one is about two cups. Turn the slow cooker on low. Brown a package (1.25 pounds) of lean ground turkey. You can use beef if you prefer, but the turkey helps to keep the calories down. You can season the cooked turkey with Mexican seasoning, or toss in a packet of Shilling (or other) chili mix. Careful though, depending on the heat in your salsa, if you add too much it might not be palatable. Drain off any liquid and add the turkey to the slow cooker. Cook on low for three hours or on high for one hour and low for one hour. Serve with graded cheese, sour cream and tortillas or corn bread.