When the midnight snack replaces dinner...

1/2 half honeycrisp apple
1/2 small red onion
1/6 red cabbage shredded micro thin
2 oz Tillamook sharp cheddar
1 flour tortilla
1 tbsp butter
cayenne pepper
salt
2 tbsp greek yogurt
1 tsp sriracha or better yet, something smokey like tapatio
I'm amazed at how long a honeycrisp will last in the fridge. I'm actually amazed by the fridge, every time I open it. This apple was cut 3 days ago and has been in the fridge since. Cut the brown bits off the edges of the apple and its still crisp, tart, juicy.

Slice onion up nice and thin so it cooks fast. Caramelize the onion and apple in a buttered, large skillet.

When soft, remove from heat and set nearby. Drop a tortilla in the still-hot, buttery pan. Add shredded cheese, and after it melts a little, add the apples and onions on top in a semi-circle.

sprinkle cayenne pepper, salt. when the tortilla is a little crispy, remove from heat, fold in half. Add yogurt (my perpetual sour cream replacement), hot sauce, and shredded cabbage.

The bottom of the crisper drawer

I try to keep a few things around no matter how busy I am--often too busy to shop, and not home often enough to keep food around before it would go bad. As far as fresh food goes--I choose vegetables that don't go bad quickly--onions, at least one type of bitter green, cabbage, potatoes, garlic, and ginger. Today's the day--the day I scrape the bottom of the crisper drawer--two or three days after I should have gone shopping for supplemental sources of vitamins, minerals, and especially proteins (is this common among vegetarians--to never have enough protein around?) It's 40 degrees in Seattle, and it's been twilight since 8 am. I am not going out. I have about 15 minutes stolen between yoga and a poetry editing project and I'm so hungry I'm tweaking out--every edible I see I want to eat NOW--in fact, I'm just going to fire the gas under the cast iron and throw any food items in it in the order they cross my field of vision.

4 leaves kale-cut off the yellow/mushy bits, cut 3x length-wise and again in 1' strips cross-wise.
zucchini- cut in half and left out on the counter no less than 4 days ago- remove scarred tissue-cut in medallions
2 cloves garlic-the outlandishly large non-organic variety because my underemployment has finally gotten the better of my politics-thinly sliced, not crushed
almonds
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
spices--salt, turmeric, cumin, cayenne

Heat olive oil in skillet. Zucchini goes in first; allow it to soften and get golden-brown. Add kale and garlic. Kale doesn't have as much moisture as some other greens, so leave it sit while it crisps at first, and then stir often to prevent it and the garlic sticking. Add almonds and a splash of vinegar to accelerate cooking. Remove from heat. Toss, in a bowl, the rest of the vinegar, sesame oil, and spices to taste. Zing! Working lunch is served.