Keeping body and soul together.

[marnanightingale]

One of the most useful things one can do, if one is a lazy cook, is befriend a Really Good Cook. Then watch what they do when they're short on time, money, ingredients, energy, etc. Then, assuming you like it, steal it.

I stole this from pecunium.

In a frying pan or a nice heavy saucepan, fry:

per one-three persons: one onion, chopped.

(OPTIONAL) per one-two persons: 1-4 slices of bacon, chopped up, OR one sausage, any sort[1] OR a handful of ground meat. (if meat is not wanted, add a bit of oil to your onion). (pecunium thinks that in the case of ground meat you should start it before you start the onion. I do it both ways, depending on absentmindedness, and I admit I haven't noticed a significant difference.)

Cook it on lowish heat, stirring it periodically. Be patient. A burnt onion is a sad thing.

When the onion is nicely carmelised[2], add

per one-two persons: one can of beans, any sort[3], with half the liquid.

(OPTIONAL) If you didn't use meat, or you did but you want to do this anyway, add a bouillion cube or a shot of OXO or Bovril at this point. If you do, remember not to add salt as well.)

(OPTIONAL) If you're going to add a fake meat - tvp, tsp, whatever - now is the time. Fake meats generally don't like to be cooked much, and they don't brown worth a damn anyway.

(OPTIONAL) greens are good in this, assuming you like greens. Spinach, kale, chard, collards, though in the case of collards a minute in the microwave first is advisable...)

Add salt, pepper, and any desired spices, and let it simmer for about ten minutes.

Eat it with rice, or toast, or tortillas, or whatever you like.


[1] Really. Any sort. I have yet to encounter a sausage which does not work in this, though you will want to keep its basic flavouring in mind when adding other spices, etc, and if you use turkey or chicken sausage you will want to add a bit of oil to the pan. If you're going to use fake meat, though, add it later, as most fake meats are very easy to overcook.

[2] Clear, with bits of browning. Also I have been known to add cumin seeds when the onion is nearly done. You don't have to. You can add all sorts of spices and things to this - hot sauce, curry paste, salsa, herbs, garlic - which go in a bit later - but it won't do it or you a bit of harm if you just use salt and pepper, especially if you are using Italian sausage or chorizo or any other sort of already spiced meat.

[3] Really any sort. Kidney, chick peas, lima beans, mixed beans meant for bean salad ... probably not Libby's Deep Browned or similar already fancied-up beans, though they might work.

Comments

[bifemmefatale.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough, I made almost exactly this as a filling for enchiladas the other night. Ground beef, onion, black beans, and a bunch of garlic, chili powder and cumin. Roll up in corn tortillas and nestle in lightly-greased baking dish, cover with one jar salsa and a bunch of cheese, bake at 350 F until cheese is nice and bubbly. Pretty much any meat would work here as well.

[commodorified.livejournal.com]

... that sounds phenomenal.

[masgramondou.livejournal.com]

I do something like this as pasta sauce using sardines instead of meat.

There are a couple of differences

1) Sardines in at the end. Onions and garlic first, then other veggie a couple of minues later then sardines another couple of minutes after that.

2) Total cooking time is about 10 minutes - which not coincidentally is about the time it tales for the pasta to cook.

Assuming you got your sardines in oil the oil in the tin is what you use to fry everything else in which appeals to my sense of thriftiness.

[zxhrue.livejournal.com]

I do this for pasta finochio variant.

but you have to like sardines.

[xinef.livejournal.com]

Looks good.

By the way, I'm a mediocre and lazy cook, so I cheated, I married a good cook!

[commodorified.livejournal.com]

Oh, I did that too. Repeatedly :-)

[ladymondegreen.livejournal.com]

I make something very like this too. :)

[commodorified.livejournal.com]

I think it may well be one of those Universal Recipes. But hey, I didn't actually know it until recently, and I figure people have to learn this stuff somewhere...

[c-crockett.livejournal.com]

Universal recipe? Yeah. It';; give you chili, cassoulet, feijoada....definitely one for _Cooking:_An_Algorithmic_Approach_.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Pre-fnacied beans work, but you have to factor the flavors into the additions.

Franks and beans is the basic variation I took this from (if I were to analyze how I came to it).