Eat a Real Lunch, I Beg You.

If I hear the phrase "Lean Cuisine" one more time, I just might scream. Lean Cuisine, those little meals for one that are about 250 calories, zero fat, and absolutely unhealthy--yet stashed in the freezer because they are cheap and easy.

Well, friends, let me tell you about cheap and easy.

Harissa Pasta (once again, loosely adapted from 101cookbooks)

8 oz thin whole-wheat pasta
Harissa paste or powder
3 cloves garlic
Hefty pinch sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil
Big bunch of kale or spinach
Handful of kalamata olives
Zest from a lemon

Pop the skins off the garlic, squish the cloves, and chop them up before adding to a mortar and pestle. If you already have harissa paste, add two tablespoons. If not, dump your powder into a tupperware-type container and mix slowly with water until wow, you've made your own paste. Crush together with the cloves and salt, then add the olive oil. Set aside.

Heat a big pot of water and, when boiling, add salt and then pasta. Cook 8-9 minutes. While the pasta cooks, chop the greens (which you've cleaned cleaned cleaned lest any gritty dirt pops into your dish) into bite-sized pieces. When pasta is done, drop in the greens, count to ten and then drain.

Add half your harissa/olive oil mixture to the hot pan and dump the pasta/greens back in. Throw in your olives and then grate the zest of the lemon right into the pan. Stir it up and put into a couple bowls. Top with additional harissa oil if you so choose.

Total time: Twenty minutes, even with making the paste
Total cost: $4.40 for harissa powder, which will make this about ten times. $1.50 for pasta, $2 for kale. We'll say maybe $6. Makes three servings, so $2 or less for your lunch leftovers.

Something tells me that these words just fall into the void, though. I wish I could convince people that taking a few minutes to make healthy food will perpetuate a big fun cycle that gives them more energy and the ability to keep making tasty food and...