cheese fries

It's time to get your junk food on. Above is loaded cheese fries. It uses the same cheese sauce (minus the chilies and tomatoes) that I use for Nachos, except poured over fries. And these fries are not fried, but baked.  

According to research, however, if you want really good fries from your oven, you are still needing to use about a quarter cup (4 tablespoons) of oil per two pounds of wedges. Not all of the oil winds up on your fries, though, since you drain the wedges on paper towels before serving them. 

Here is the procedure:

(1) Soak your 2 pounds of wedges (sliced into about one-inch thickness) in HOT water for 10 minutes. 

This removes excess starch that impedes crispy fries.

Drain and dry them VERY well. Toss with one tablespoon of oil.

(2) Pour 4 tablespoons of oil on a heavy-duty pan (otherwise your pan will warp and your potatoes won't brown evenly). Add salt and pepper to the pan. Add your potatoes in a single layer. This elevates your potatoes just a wee bit to prevent sticking even more.

(3) Cover your potatoes with foil and bake them in a preheated 475 degree F oven for 10 minutes.

(4) Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 15 minutes.

(5) Flip the fries and continue to bake until they are crispy.

(6) Drain on paper towels.

You can always use commercial fries instead.

Top your fries with cheese sauce, chili, olives, lettuce, vegan sour cream, guacamole, barbecue sauce, beans --- the possibilities are as endless as your imagination! 

chickpeas and couscous with lemon-caper sauce

Chickpeas and Couscous with Lemon-Caper Sauce Recipe

Very simple and easy weeknight dish! This meal is ready almost as soon as your couscous is  done cooking. It is also very versatile - you can add whatever vegetables you'd like to - be they steamed, roasted or sauteed. The lemon is just enough to add a twang to the dish, but certainly another squeeze can be added by the diner at the table.

I used chickpeas in this because you need a firm enough legume to give some body to the dish. I also added kale as my choice of vegetable, because, well, how can you go wrong? 

And that's it.. couscous  kale, chickpeas, capers and lemon are the main components, with some white wine and vegan butter to round things out.

I had dinner on the table in 15 minutes. Nothing fancy, just a delicious, simple, easy to make meal when you are tired and hungry.

Cost Breakdown:

couscous: $.75
chickpeas: $2
kale, parsley, capers: $3
lemon, butter, stock, wine: $1.50

Total to make 4 servings:
$7.25