Beans for Tyler

This is a simple quesadilla or taco filling.

Buy two cans of black beans. Drain them.

Put them in a pan with a tablespoon of vegetable oil, a couple of shakes of garlic powder, and a tablespoon of chili powder.

Turn the heat to medium, and heat them up, stirring. When the start to steam, mash them around a bit with the spoon so some of them are roughly mashed. Turn the heat off.

Get a tortilla. Put a big spoon of the beans on it. Then put cheese and salsa and lettuc on that. Fold it up and eat it.

1 pound of ground beef

1 can of cream of mushroom (or celery) soup

Fry the ground beef on medium-high until it's crumbly and not pink at all. Add the can of mushroom soup, and half a can of water. Cook on medium-low for twenty minutes. Bake a potato in the microwave, or make toast. Serve the ground beef on top of the potato or toast.

Any questions?

Oven potato wedges

3 medium-large potatoes

1/3 c. vegetable oil

Turn the oven on to 425F. Find a cookie sheet with a rim. Don't use a completely flat one or you might set your oven on fire. You need an edge to keep the oil in. Scrub the potatoes.  Cut them in half the long way. If you want thinner fries, chop them in thirds the long way, then in strips. I assume you can figure out how to do strips.

Pour the oil on the cookie sheet, put the potatoes in the oil, and mix everything around with your hands so the fries are oily all over. When the oven's the right temperature, stick in the sheet. Cook for thirty minutes, then stir them around with a spatula, prying up the ones stuck to the bottom. Stick back in for twenty minutes.

Look in at this point. If they look nice and brown and edible, take them out, salt them, and eat them. If you want them slightly crisper, stir them around, and stick back in for another ten minutes. Set a timer. Don't assume you'll remember.

Mac'n'cheese with peas and ham

1 box mac'n'cheese

100 grams sliced ham

1/2 c frozen peas

milk

butter

Follow the package directions for the mac'n'cheese. While the noodles are cooking, slice up the ham into strips, and put the peas in half a cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Put plastic wrap on the bowl, and nuke for one minute. Don't seal the bowl, or the peas will explode all over your microwave. Drain the peas. After you've gotten to the drained-pasta-add-milk-and-butter-and-sauce packet part of the macaroni instructions, toss in the peas and ham, and cook everything together for five minutes on low.

Any questions?

This is for Geoff and Tyler

Mushrooms on toast. For those who like mushrooms.

1 package sliced mushrooms

1/4 c. whipping cream

1 tbsp butter

2 slices toast. I assume you know how to make toast

Put a frying pan on medium heat. Heat it up for ten minutes. Put the butter in it, and if the butter sizzles but doesn't turn black and catch fire, it's ready. Take the mushrooms out of the package, and put them in. Cook them, stirring, until they've gone limp and soft-looking, but not until they've caught fire. Add the cream and cook for about a minute. You just want all the juices to combine. Put the toast on a plate, and pour the mushrooms on top. Put salt and pepper on. Eat.

Any questions?