My Own 30-Minute Meal

It was hard getting up and going to work today, but I do have to earn a paycheck! I got caught up in the office, and then decided to NOT go to the school board meeting tonight. Instead, I went to the store and stocked up on produce and dairy since we’d used it all up before we left, and then came home to cook dinner. I threw together my mom’s banana-apple salad, a take-off on waldorf salad, but without the nuts and celery. It’s just bananas, apples, and Miracle Whip. Yup, two tablespoons of Miracle Whip. Love that stuff! And love that salad!

Mom’s Banana-Apple Salad



1 large crisp apple, diced
2 bananas, sliced lengthwise and then in slices
2 T light or regular Miracle Whip

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Serves 2

I then made one of my own 30-minute meals, a recipe I got from a Benson and Hedges cookbook back when I used to smoke 25 years ago: Tomato Beef with Curry. What makes this different is the sugar–or in this case, Splenda–added to the curry powder towards the end, making the dish slightly sweet. It’s quite different, but quite good!

Tomato Beef with Curry



3/4 lb. sirloin, cut in 1/2” pieces
2 T oil
1 bell pepper, cut in 1/2” pieces
1 medium onion, cut in pieces
1/2 c chicken broth
2 t curry powder
2 t sugar or Splenda
1 T cornstarch dissolved in 2 T water
2 small tomatoes, cut in pieces

Brown meat in two batches in hot olive oil in wok or skillet. Remove from pan. Add bell pepper, onion, and broth. Cover and cook 2-3 minutes. Add curry powder and sugar; cover and cook another 2-3 minutes. (It all depends on how crispy you want your vegetables. I like mine “wilted,” so I cook mine 5 minutes.) Add cornstarch-water mixture; stir until sauce is thickened, about 1 minute longer. Add meat and tomatoes, and stir until heated through. Serve over hot rice. Makes 3 “hearty” or 4 small servings.

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