quick and easy meals for 1 or 2

Chicken Murphy and pasta with marinara sauce serves 2 (or more if you are light eaters)

First the marinara sauce. You can buy some good already prepared stuff in the store. If you are going to do that, I like buitoni. It’s refrigerated and in the cheese section. Or, you can make batch of your own and keep the extra in the fridge or freezer for other days. It’s easy.

Marinara sauce. This will make enough for today. Add another can or 2 of tomatoes and increase the rest of the stuff proportionately and put the pot with the extra in the fridge overnight. The next day spoon it into small plastic zip-loc bags. Squeeze the air out, zip shut and lay flat in the freezer for fast weeknight meals.

Pre heat oven to 350

1 28 Ounce Can Diced Italian Tomatoes
2 Cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper To Taste
3 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Basil or 1 Tbsp. dried
Dash Of Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
1 tsp. sugar

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, and add the garlic, the basil, and pepper flakes. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, but before it takes on color, add the tomatoes. Turn the heat to high, and as soon as the sauce begins to bubble, turn back down to medium low. Season with salt and pepper, Cook for another 10 -12 minutes stirring occasionaly and remove from the heat. Mix in the sugar. Use for any purpose that you would use your usual tomato sauce, whether it is to top pasta, in baked casseroles or for vegetables.


4-8 pieces chicken tenders
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 med. potatoe
1med. onion
1 bell pepper
1 small can sliced hot cherry peppers



Dredge the chicken in flour and fry in the olive oil until golden brown and put in casserole dish in the oven. Cut the potato in half lengthwise and then slice up. Put the potatoes in the pan that you cooked the chicken in and fry until they start to get brown, you might have to add a little oil. Slice up the onions and the bell pepper. When the potatoes are almost done add the onions and pepper and fry until limp and the potatoes are done. Put all of this and the drained hot peppers over the chicken. Cover and return to oven. Bake about 10-15 minutes. While the chicken is finishing up put 2-3 qts. of water on to boil with a dash of salt and cook up 1/3-1/2 lb. of your favorite pasta.

SERVE IT UP!!! With some salad, crusty Italian bread and some red wine!!