Ok, just this once I will show you how easy cooking can be. This is from my own experience just today. Time spent actually working on the food, about 15 - 30 minutes. The rest of the time it's cooking on it's own and you dont have to be there to watch it.
Family was gone, I didnt want just a sandwich. So I decided I would make soup. Looked through the cupboards and fridge and found the following which you should always have around anyway. Us old folks call them the "staples".
2 cans Chicken broth. Use to be you had to make your own but now you can buy decent stuff in a can ad add to it to spice it up. Beef stock is good to have around too but it doesn't matter all that much as you'll be adding meat and seasonings anyway. You could just go with a vegetable stock because of this and to have to worry about having chicken or beef.
Rice
Beans (all out of these today dammit)
Onions (today I had green onions, but regular is fine)
1 can of whole or sliced waterchestnuts (not everybody keeps these around all the time, but I do. I just lovem.)
carrots
potatoes ( I didn't have have any of these today so I didnt use them
Guess I need to go to the store dammit.)
Some kind of meat. I had sliced deli roast beef in the fridge today but ANY kind of meat will suffice. Sausage is great for this.
Now,
Grab a pot, put the chicken stock and some water in it and start that heating. Dump in a bunch of salt and pepper and whatever other spices you have laying around and feel like using.
Now, cut up your other stuff into nice chunks. Put into the liquid. Bring to a
light boil, and let it simmer like this for 30 minutes or so. Go do something else while this is happening cuz if you don't it will seem like it takes fuggin forever. Just make sure you have enough liquid in there that it doesn't boil dry before you come back.
Now, once thats been going good and getting the carrots and potatoes softened up a bit, add in 2-4 cups of rice. How much rice just depends on how much liquid you have and how thick you want the soup. Give it a stir and let it continue to simmer. Come back and check on it in about 15 minutes. Add more water or stock if it seems like its gettin too thick, you DON'T want it burning. Keep this part up until the rice has absorbed enough of the liquid to be soft enough for your liking. Serve it up with some nice french bread and you have a wondeful meal that if is ONLY for you will make for plenty of great leftovers. MEANING, you don't have to cook again for a day or two.
Now, if you want to get a bit fancier (of course this takes more time in the kitchen) you could saute the onions in some butter until they get all nice and translucent and sweet. When they start turning brown, they are done. Put them in the soup. Adds a bit of sweetness. I don't usually bother with this though as I like the soup just fine without it.
It really is this easy. It is really good. And it is really really really CHEAP!
