Quick Bites

Wonton Soup Without the Soup

Cooking time 7 minutes Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 large collard green leaves – chopped-up well. 1 Clove of garlic 1/3rd Red onion 3 - 6 Meatless meatballs depending on the brand ( 3 if using

Beyond and 6 if using Trader Joe’s) 7 Costco Vegetable pot stickers boiled for 2-minutes 2 Cups of chopped broccoli 2 Brussels sprouts 2 Stalks of chopped celery 2 Bok choi (optional) Black pepper to taste Teriyaki sauce to taste 1 Tablespoon of butter

BY BILL COHEN

Instructions:

1. While boiling the pot stickers, cut up the vegetables and put everything in a large frying pan with butter. Put the meatballs in the frying pan, followed by the vegetable. 2. Braise on low heat for 2 minutes. Do not overcook. 3. Sprinkle in the black pepper 4. Add Teriyaki sauce. 5. Add the pot stickers. 6. Cook for 5 minutes on low heat. 7. Serve in shallow bowls

Meatless Meatball Sandwich

Cooks-up in 7-miutes Serves 2

This is my go-to comfort meal these days. It is really, tasty and can be made with just a few ingredients.

Ingredients:

4 – 8 meatless meatballs ½ - 1 of one small Japanese eggplant. Do not substitute regular eggplant. 1 - 2 croissant or French roll 1/3 cup of tomato sauce – I prefer Rao’s Arrabiata or Trader

Joe’s Arrabiata. Black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Cut the eggplant as thin as you can cut it. This minimizes the skin. Or cut the skin off entirely. Make very thin round shapes. 2. Cut the croissant or the roll in half. 3. In a frying pan, add butter and pepper. Cover and heat, on low, for 1 minute 4. Add the eggplant and meatballs, 5. Cover and heat for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. 6. Remove the croissants or rolls. 7. Pour in the tomato sauce on just the eggplant and meatballs.

At the same time, put the croissants in a dry part of the pan. 8. Cover for 1 minute. This softens the croissant and keeps the sauce from evaporating. 9. Put the croissant or roll halves on a dish with cut side up. 10.Pour the mixture on top. 11.To avoid a spectacular mess, eat with knife and fork. 12.This meatless meal can also be made with lean, grassfeed, beef meatballs. 13.You can also toast the croissants or rolls in the oven, if preferred.

Breakfast Bill-Ritos

Cooking time 10 minutes Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

Flour Tortillas: 4 flour tortillas Eggs: 4 Sausages of choice. Bill prefers Beyond Sausage: 2-4 links Pre-cooked new potatoes, 24 tater tots or 1 cup of hash browns English Coastal Cheddar cheese or cheese of choice: 8 crumbled slices Black pepper to taste, but at least 1 teaspoon Butter: 1 -2 tablespoons

Instructions:

1. Heat butter on low, while stirring in ½ teaspoon of black pepper. 2. Add the frozen tater tots and sausage. 3. Cover and simmer for 6 minutes, then cut up everything in the pan into small pieces and mix the ingredients together. 4. Add another ½ teaspoon of black pepper. 5. Break two eggs into the pan and stir up the mix together. 6. Add the crumbled cheese. 7. Add more black pepper to taste. 8. Heat on low for 30 seconds. 9. Divide the mixture into two to four parts. 10.Put the mixture into the tortillas and roll-up tight. into burrito forms. 11.Cook for 45 seconds on each side.

Eat burritos while hot or save some for tomorrow. These burritos make an excellent left-over meal and once cooked, are ready to eat cold or reheated.

Catfish Stew

Cooking time 15 minutes Serves 4 The innovation behind this quick fish stew is that the oil in the pan comes from braising grape leaves that have been marinated in olive oil. The rice in the grape leaves substitutes for rice on the side.

Ingredients: 2 Catfish fillets, cut into chunks. – NOTE – The catfish goes in 8 minutes from the end. 4 -5 Grape leaves marinated in olive oil from the package or can, depending on the brand you choose. Thyme to taste Rosemary to taste Black pepper to taste Crushed red pepper to taste. 1/3rd Red onion, chopped ½ to 1 whole clove of garlic 1 ½ Tomatoes – more would not hurt, cut up, add the juice to the mixture. 4-5 Sweet mini bell peppers ½ of One Japanese eggplant, skin cut off. 8 Green olives – marinated in garlic and water – 8 cut into halves. 1 Zucchini 1 Large leaf, collard green, cut into small pieces.

Instructions:

1. Cut the fish into chunks, set aside, lightly coat with black pepper. 2. Cut up the vegetables. 3. Braise the grape leaves and slide them around in the pan, so the pan is coated in olive oil. 4. Heat on medium - low for 2- minutes 5. Pour in all the vegetables. 6. Cover the mixture and heat on a low temperature for 3 minutes. The cover retains the water to make a soupy mixture which retains the natural flavors. 7. Add the catfish and simmer for 8 minutes. Cover again, keeping the heat on low. 8. The catfish should turn white to when cooked. 9. Serve in deep soup bowls.