Best Recipe For a Two-Dish Meal In 30 Minutes Or Less

Irish monks did more than save civilization when they copied all of the Greek and Roman Classics by hand into illuminated manuscript tp preserve these teasures. In France, Irish monks who traveled to tell the Gospel story also invented Munster Cheese.

The Munster Cheese first made in France is from only one area of the country. This is between the Vosges Mountains in Alsace and Lorraine and the cheese is called Géromé.

Historically, in seventh century (the 600s AD), Irish monks left Ireland as St. Patrick had once done to share the Gospel, this time in what is now called Munster Valley in Alsace.

These dedicated Irish monks copied manuscripts in illuminated style and created Munster Kaes in order to save milk from spoiling and to feed the people.

Munster is my favorite cheese and several types are made in America. You'll find it in the first recipe below.

Both recipes are easy microwave dishes and if you have enough room in your microwave oven, you can put the soup (the second recipe below) in halfway through the time needed to cook the potatoes.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 small sweet potatoes
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1/4 Lb of turkey or pork sausage (for vegetarian, substitute 1/2 Cup chopped Green Pepper)
• 1 Small yellow onion, chopped coarse
• 1 tsp Thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 Cup (4 oz.) Greek Yogurt
• 1/3 Cup diced Munster Cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

• Poke sweet potatoes several times with a fork to speed cooking and place on a paper towel on a microwave safe plate and microwave on HIGH for 7 minutes or until soft.
• As potatoes cook, heat olive oil in a small skillet over Medium-high heat, add sausage and reduce heat to Medium.
• Cook and stir sausage a few minutes until crumbled and brown; drain sausage on paper towels.
• Raise heat back to Medium-high, add onion, thyme and salt/pepper. Cook and stir about 3 to 5 minutes to soften onion. Remove from burner, add back the sausage, and stir.
• Place potatoes on plates and slit halfway into the flesh, lengthwise and press sides gently between thumbs and forefingers to open.
• Fill potatoes with sausage and onions, distribute cheese over the tops and microwave 2-3 minutes to melt.
• Remove from microwave oven and serve with Asian Vermicelli Soup, which is found below.

Vermicelli can take the form of very thin Italian style noodles that cook in just a few minutes or of thin rice noodles that are also called Chinese vermicelli.

One type of Chinese or Asian vermicelli comes out transparent when cooked and this is a type made from rice flour. Wheat flour noodles in China also take just a few minutes to cook - about 5 minutes. They are usually made form a salted dough and need no salt in the water.

Thin spaghetti or vermicelli with sauce in Italy is also known as the Priest Strangler.

Makes one large bowl or two cups of delicious soup in 10 minutes, without draining noodles.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Ounces vermicelli noodles (I use the broken, short variety)
• 1/4 tsp olive oil (to keep noodles from sticking together)
• 3/4 Cup water or vegetable broth
• 1/2 Cup coconut milk or evaporated milk
• 4 TBSP shredded mixed cheeses, yellow and white
• 1 tsp or more of mixed spices (combine 1/4 tsp each of paprika, ground black pepper, onion salt, cumin, and 1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic, mix well).
• Crispy red or green peppers, such as Fresh Gourmet brand (salad topping).

INSTRUCTIONS

• Place vermicelli noodles in a microwave safe bowl.
• Add water, milk, and oil; stir and microwave on HIGH for 2.0 to 2.5 minutes. Check for evaporation - the noodles cook very quickly.
• Remove from microwave oven and stir briefly to ensure noodles are loose; add shredded cheeses and stir until partially melted. Microwave another 30 seconds, if cheeses do not readily.
• Add 1 tsp of mixed spices (or more, to taste), stir briefly.
• Top with crispy peppers and serve. Try this with the sweet potatoes found above.