Curry patch for pasta sauce v.1.01

I hate pasta. Love noodles, hate pasta. I always saw it as emergency food; nothing else is left, not even the money to buy some bread - dig up the pasta in far and high cupboard. However, there is something worse, a true gastronomic nightmare. Pasta sauce. Aside from diced canned tomatoes, mushy overcooked onions, soggy peppers, it's the sour-ey liquid in which it all floats. While nothing can rectify the state of the veggies, there is an easy way to bring the whole mixture to the level above edible, at least where taste is concerned.

Note: I don't measure out spices, so all quantities are guesstimations; feel free to use your intuition.

Curry patch (v.1.01)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup nasty sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- few drops hot chili oil (optional, can use cayenne, tabasco or anything else spicy)
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp curry powder *
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp oregano **
- pinch of salt (optional, adjust to taste)
- dash black pepper

* the amount of curry is directly proportional to how much you like Indian food, but if it exceeds 2 teaspoons you risk not to taste anything else.
** to let you in on a little secret - I'm not even sure it was oregano. My spices are not labelled, so when I cook I just smell them and use what feels right.

Making:
- saute garlic and ginger in olive oil for a minute or two on medium heat (optional)
- mix all ingredients together
- heat in a saucepan on medium-low, stirring occasionally

Breakfast of Champions

Not quite as literary intricate as Kurt Vonnegut's novel, but certainly more tasty than Kilgore Trout's finger, oatmeal! Dubbed the champion breakfast by a friend of mine upon hearing the account of it from another friend. This is not a rushed breakfast, since presentation plays just as much of a role as the food itself here. I have a couple of variations of it, one with oatmeal, one with cereals. The oatmeal is a bit time consuming, but unbeatable in cold weather, and leaves you time to make coffee in the process. Depending on your stove and kind of oatmeal you are using (assuming you are above the instant kind), it should take about 20-30 minutes in total, and here is how...

Version 1. Oatmeal
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup dry oatmeal (I used steel cut variety)
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups milk (soy, almond, preferably not rice - it's too watery)
- 1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup dry goji berries
- 1/2 apple, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/3 cup nuts (i use walnuts and hazelnuts, but nothing prevents other kinds)
- 1 - 2 teaspoons honey, maple syrup, agave nectar (whatever floats your boat, can even skip it)
- any fresh fruit you like (my usual are bananas, kiwis and apples)

Making (note: for steel cut oats. rolled oats take less time to cook, I believe)
- bring milk to a boil, stir in oatmeal and cinnamon and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until soft (really depends on your stove here)
- while the oatmeal is cooking, cut up the remaining fruits and arrange in a pretty pattern on a plate. use the remaining time to make coffee ;)
- when oatmeal is about cooked (or even when completely ready), add nutritional yeast and goji berries, apple cubes and nuts
- add the sweet stuff (if you are using honey, especially unpasteurized, let the oatmeal cool a bit, ideally to 60 C) and eat!


The cereal version stems from my love for dry cereals and dislike for mushy ones. I used to just eat them from the box, dreading the moment when some internal voice would tell me to stop the massacre and do it the proper way (mainly because it was so dry and body requiring liquid would tempt the brain with the images of glasses of cold milk). This legitimizing cereal approach solves this dilemma - cereals are dry, and the whole thing is pretty damn healthy...

Version 2: Unorthodox cereals
Ingredients:
- 1/3 bowl of granola cereals
- 1/3 bowl of muesli cereals
- nuts, dry berries, raisins (anything goes here, really. I use the above-mentioned goji berries, walnuts and hazelnuts)
- fresh fruit (anything, but if they are not mushy they can go in the cereals)
- 4 - 5 teaspoons unpasteurized honey (here it's kind of the key ingredient, so not sure if it would work with other stuff)
- glass of milk

Making:
- Mix both cereals, nuts, dry berries and fruits (alternative A) in a bowl
- Arrange the remaining fruits in a pretty pattern on a plate (alternative B)
- pour 1 - 2 teaspoons of honey on top, mix as well as you can without destroying the fruits. I usually add more honey half way through the bowl, since it tends to stick to the top layers and not make it all the way down.
- sip the milk as needed, since the mixture its pretty dry and crunchy (the whole fun of it!)