Cheap Easy Meals Are Hardly a Home on the Range

Hunter's Chicken - Chicken braised with mushrooms, onions and peppers in a tomato sauce. Lots of garlic cloves. Served over polenta with broccoli rabe

I took a shortcut by adding in a full jar of Rao's Marinara Sauce and chicken stock as the base for the braising. After browning the chicken and adding the vegetables, you can add the sauce.  After bringing to a boil, turn to low, cover and leave for about an hour until the chicken is falling off the bone.  (alternately, you can stick it in the oven if it's not 90 degrees out). I also added a 1/4 cup of rice to stretch the meal a bit. 

My little Brown Dirt Cowboy

I was happy to see that the New York Times featured Migas in their Cooking Column.  These are a real treasure and easy.  Again, I'm obsessed with cowboy food, as I call it.  As you're making these you can imagine your horse nearby, grazing under a tree.  There would be a running stream and you cook these up on your open fire.  Your gun at your side in case you run into any bad hombres.   Mind you, I've never even been camping once in my life and would be deathly scared of wild animals but I have romantic notions of the idea and imagery of cooking outdoors in the rugged West. 

Breakfast Migas

Cut up and cook the corn tortilla strips in a a little onion and I had red pepper. You don't need a lot of oil but you should stir to coat the torts. 

On medium high heat, wait until they get crisp and toasted before adding eggs, cheese and sauce

Turn the heat down a bit, make a little well in the center, add a dab of butter and add the scrambled eggs, you can add cheese now if desired. 

Allow the eggs to set a bit before slowing adding in the salsa and then fold everything together.  From underneath bring the chips up onto the eggs.