Italian Wonderpot with Scallops

I wondered why they called this a "Wonderpot." Now I know. It's wonderful—wonderfully easy to make, wonderfully fast to cook, and wonderfully tasty!

The only actual work you have to do, besides opening a couple of cans, is slice up an onion.

You can slice up fresh garlic if you want, but I used crushed garlic from a jar.

The actual cooking is ridiculously easy. Although, next time I make this, I think I'll use fresh baby spinach.

Ingredients 

• VEGETABLE BROTH, 4 cups
• OLIVE OIL, 2 tablespoons
• FETTUCCINE, 12 ounces
• SPINACH, frozen/chopped (or fresh), 8 ounces
• DICED TOMATOES, 28-ounce can
• ONION, 1 medium, sliced
• GARLIC, 4 cloves, sliced
• BASIL, ½ tablespoon
• OREGANO, dried, ½ tablespoon
• RED PEPPER FLAKES, ¼ teaspoon
• BLACK PEPPER, freshly cracked, to taste
• SEA SCALLOPS, frozen, 1 cup, cut into ½-inch chunks
• PARMESAN CHEESE, 2 ounces, grated or shaved

 Directions 

1. Add four cups of vegetable broth to a large pot.
2. Break the fettuccine in half and add it to the pot along with the canned tomatoes (with juices), olive oil, spinach, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper, and some freshly cracked black pepper.
3. Make sure the ingredients are submerged under the liquid, place a lid on top of the pot, and then turn the heat on to high.
4. Allow the pot to come up to a full boil over high heat, then remove the lid and turn the heat down to medium.
5. Allow the pot to continue to boil over medium heat, without a lid, for 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
6. Stir the pot every few minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom, but avoid over-stirring, which can cause the pasta to become sticky.
7. Just before serving, stir in the scallops, let sit for a minute or so.
8. Sprinkle with Parmesan before taking to the table.

Braised Chuck Pot Roast

I first made this in college, when I heard that all you had to do was rub a chuck roast with the contents of a Lipton dry onion soup mix packet and pop it in the oven for a. The key words that applied were "easy, "cheap," and "tasty."

The more I made it, the more I embellished the recipe: Browned the meat, added veggies, added spices and thickened the gravy. The more I learned about food and cooking, the more fun turned into interesting science.

And over all those years—about 50 now—this is the first time I'm writing down the recipe. Can you believe that?

Ingredients 

• CHUCK ROAST, 3-4 pounds
• LIPTON DRIED ONION SOUP, 1 packer
• OLIVE OIL, 3+ tablespoons
• CARROTS, 3-4 medium, peeled, cut into 2" pieces
• ONIONS, 2 medium, wedged
• RED POTATOES, 5 small, halved
• ROSEMARY, ½ tablespoon, crushed
• THYME, ½ tablespoon, crushed
• BEEF BROTH, 14.5-ounce can, or equivalents 
• FLOUR, 2 tablespoons
• COLD WATER, ¼ cup

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 275°F.
2. Lightly sear the onions in olive oil in a Dutch oven and set aside. Repeat with the carrots and potatoes separately.
3. Brown the roast on all sides, then rub the onion soup mix into the top. Add the vegetables into the Dutch oven, and sprinkle in the rosemary and thyme. Pour the beef broth over everything.
4. Cover tightly. Cook on the middle rack for two hours, then remove the carrots and potatoes into separate serving dishes.
5. Bump up the heat to 300°F and cook for 1½ to 2 hours longer, until the meat practically falls apart. Cut the roast into chunks and arrange in a flat casserole.
6. Make a flour slurry and thicken the remaining liquid in the Dutch oven. Pour over roast chunks. Serve with the carrots and potatoes. 

That's it.