Meals for Culinarily Poor, Lazy, and Untalented Couples.

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I'm no cook, and we don't have tons of money to spend on food. We're also lazy. To make matters more complicated, Josh became a vegetarian last year. Here are some easy meals I've learned how to make.

~Brown Rice Bowls (I use Success boil-in-a-bag, one bag per person). These mixes have gone over quite well with my veggie head husband:

1. Brown rice, asparagus spears (just use a can of them and warm them up with their own juice and some water on the stove top for a few minutes. Don't boil.), chopped boiled egg, and Mexican blend cheese.

2. Brown rice, corn, chopped boiled egg, and shredded Parmesan cheese.

3. Brown rice, whole leaf spinach (I just use about half a can in a bowl and warm it up in the microwave for a minute), sliced almonds, lemon juice, and crumbled goat cheese (or feta).

Other mixin's: chickpeas, green beans, grated gouda, pinto beans, chopped avocado, walnuts, orange chunks, bacon or soy bits, chicken or tilapia...

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~Pasta Salad: two boxes of cooked tricolor rotini (sneaks in some vegetables!), one large chopped cucumber, one bag of thin shredded mozzarella, generous quantities of zesty Italian dressing. Mix up and serve cold (let your pasta chill in the fridge before you start mixing). This makes a huge Tupperware of salad and keeps well, so you can have it for days.

Other items you may want to add: pepperoni, olives, chickpeas, canned chicken, canned tuna, dried cranberries, pecans, mandarin oranges...

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~Stuffed Pies: Pillsbury Pie Crust rolls (one roll makes two pies) filled, folded, and baked according to directions. 

Possible Fillings: canned chicken, ranch dressing, shredded cheese, bacon bits (or soy bits for veggie heads), chopped tomatoes, hot sauce, pepper, imitation crab meat and cream cheese with asparagus, torn ham, beans, bean dip, feta, goat cheese (you definitely want some kind of cheese in there)...

Note: I've tried pizza versions, but they don't really work out. The meat flavors aren't strong enough for the pie crust. Marinara and cheese is good, though. Just avoid anything too watery as it will melt the crust.

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~Whole Wheat Wraps (whole wheat tortillas are pretty cheap and healthy)

1. (my favorite) Imitation crab meat, sour cream, guacamole (Wal-mart sells 100 calorie packs! I freeze them all and thaw one at a time), and Mexican blend shredded cheese. Also good with cucumber and romaine.

2. Veggie head versions with such mixin's as chopped tomatoes, mayonnaise, hummus, bean dip, beans, sliced bell pepper, mushrooms, Tofurkey...

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And if you're a bit more ambitious...

~Fried Rice (adapted from my mom's method so that even I can understand it)

You'll need: brown rice, lots of veggies, vegetable oil, butter or margarine, soy sauce, eggs

1. Boil boil-in-a-bag brown rice (about one bag per couple per meal. I always make extra, and it's just as good later).

2. Meanwhile, microwave canned or steam-in-a-bag vegetables for about two-thirds of the time the directions say or just enough to unfreeze (I usually use canned corn and green beans and steamer bag broccoli and mixes like sugar snap peas, water chestnuts, and baby corn. Birds Eye is a great brand).

3. Melt butter or margarine and vegetable oil (about a tablespoon of each per rice bag) in a large skillet (you'll need plenty of room. I broke down and bought a big skillet with high sides).

4. Saute (as in pour in and move around quickly in the butter/oil with a fork) all the veggies for a few minutes.

5. Add brown rice and saute until the rice grains get dark lines down the middle. This usually takes a few minutes (Note: I think this is actually better if everything is a bit burnt, so don't worry too much).

**Meat-eater step: add canned chicken (one small can covers two meat-eater meals).

6. Add desired amount of soy sauce to skillet and stir well (use your nose as a guide for how much you want).

7. Move everything to the sides so you have a hole (well) in the middle. Melt butter in the hole (about one tablespoon per rice bag).

8. Crack and scramble egg (one per rice bag) in the hole.

9. Mix the egg bits up into the rice and veggies.

Yum! This is a great way to get in lots of vegetables, and they'll taste delicious.

If these ideas are overwhelming to you, I totally empathize. Just pop your Pizza Rolls in the microwave and enjoy this cupcake.

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