Quips, Travails and Braised Oxtails: The Food Desert Project

My mother-in-law has a series of cookbooks I covet - they're not fancy, they're all about preparing good meals at home in a humble kitchen. Grant Achatz would not approve, but I often turn to these books for inspiration in this project, as back 40 years ago, nobody was ashamed to open a can as long as they could make a nutritious, good-tasting meal of it. Much of my MIL's reputation as an excellent cook is due to books like these - in this case, my recipe was adapted from her Good Housekeeping - Menus for a Whole Year of Dinners, which shares a shelf with the beloved I Hate to Cook Book series along with staples like Joy of Cooking and a group of tomes from Southern Living.

This recipe has the additional advantage of being lightning-fast and made entirely from ingredients you can keep on your pantry shelf anytime. It's a frequent quick, nutritious weeknight meal for our family - the recipe makes 4 lunchtime portions. Nutrition Information.

2 tbsp dried minced onion
2 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 cup white wine (I used 3-buck Chuck, whatever you've got - but avoid "cooking wine" if you can)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp EVOO (If you've been living under a rock, that's Extra-Virgin Olive Oil)
1 1/2 tsp jarred minced garlic
1/8 tsp granulated dried garlic
1/4 cup french fried onions
1 can minced clams with juice
1/4 cup finely minced canned roasted red pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Place onions in a small bowl and cover with an equal amount of wine, refrigerate overnight. Treat parsley and basil the same way in a separate bowl. If you're pressed for time, put each of these combinations in a microwave cup, heat for 30 seconds, and set aside for about a minute.

Heat butter and EVOO in skillet, add minced garlic.