You're probably not aware of this, but I love to cook. Big reason I was sold on my house was because it had a nifty kitchen.

Anyways, I saw that the New York Mets have recently released a cookbook. They have the balls to sell such a thing. So in retaliation against crap like "David Wright's Chicken Cacciatore" or other "celebrity" cookbooks that call for 28 ingredients and 4 hours of prep time, I thought we'd whip up our own version.

(for some reason, I think we've done this before... have we?)

I'd lead it off with my always reliable E's Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Serves 2. Or one Fat Ass. Realistically takes about 15-20 minutes, start to finish.

What you need:
-1 tube of Ready-Made Pizza dough (Pillsbury is usually best. Local generic brands are typically too thin)
-1 cup of shredded Monterrey Jack/Colby cheese (or Monterrey/Cheddar)
-Bottle of Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
-Bottle of your favorite picante hot sauce (I recommend "Tapatio" or "Chohula")
-16oz can of canned chicken chunks (premium breasts are best, but you can also use the cheaper "light and dark" varieties. Usually found on the same aisle as the canned tuna)
-1 tablespoon of butter (or 1 teaspoon if you're health conscious)
-Can of non-stick spray
-Aluminum foil

Step 1:
Drain the chicken and melt the butter (microwave on medium power for about 20 seconds). Mix in a bowl, along with 3 tablespoons of the hot sauce (or more if you really like the stuff. I usually add a bunch). Set aside.

Step 2:
Open the tube of Pizza Dough and split it in half. From into two lumpy "pies", each about the size of a typical dinner plate.

Step 3:
Fire up your grill (outdoors) or broiler (indoors). Spray the non-stick stuff on a big sheet of aluminum foil and place the "pies" next to each other. Let them cook a litle bit on "LO" setting. Preferrably, a very light golden brown. Flip each pie over and cook the other side for about HALF of the time as the first side.

Step 4:
Remove the pies (leave this side up) and spread Blue Cheese Dressing over each one. This acts as your "pizza sauce". Then add the chicken/hot sauce mixture. Top off with a good amount of the shredded cheese.

Step 5:
Return to the oven, on the foil, and let them cook for about 5 minutes. It's okay to turn your oven up to "HI" for this part. Be aware, since cooking times vary. I usually remove the pizzas when the edges become a deep golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.

Hint: It may be necessary to cover the edges with foil to prevent burning/blackening of the crust. The cheese and chicken rarely get burnt.

You almost HAVE to make 2 pizzas at a time. It's tough to only use half of a pizza dough tube. These things re-heat well, so if you're eating solo, just use the foil to wrap up the remaining pizza and eat it within 3 days. To re-heat, just broil or grill on "LO". Make sure to cover the edges with foil for a re-heat.

Ah man, that sounds absolutely delicious. I don't know if I could pull it off correctly, but perhaps my girlfriend could :).

Swiggy's quick and easy Black Bean Quesadillas

This is great for lunch, and if you're eating alone, you can store the excess mixture in the fridge for 2-3 days.

You'll Need...
Flour Tortillas
1 can of black beans
1 can of diced tomatoes (the kind with jalapenos if you can get it)
Shredded Cheese (I recommend Monterey Jack, or Co-Jack. How much you use is up to you)

Step 1
Drain the tomatoes and the beans in a strainer. Otherwise you're gonna have soup, and this is NOT a soup recipe


Step 2
Mash the black beans with a fork, or with that gadget that you use to mash potatoes. Make sure you stir them while you mash, so you get all the beans squashed.

Step 3
Add the drained tomatoes to the smashed beans, then stir. If you want, you can add some chili powder, or some cumin. You could even add some corn, if you like. You should probably warm up the frying pan on medium heat

Step 4
Sprinkle some cheese on a tortilla. Then scoop the black bean mixture onto the tortilla and cover it with some more cheese. Slap another tortilla on top. You'll have an uncooked quesadilla. Make sure not to add too much mixture into the quesadilla, or it will be cold.

Step 5
Throw the quesadilla into the frying pan, and cook the sucker. It'll be done when the tortillas are really brown, and the cheese has melted. Serve them up with some Spanish Rice and sour cream.

I lived off of these things in college. Really good when you've only got 10 bucks and you need to feed yourself for a few days.

EDIT: Quick and Easy? I should just call them my Scrooge Quesadillas

I'm gonna' try Swiggy's Quesadillas this week. I don't have enough black bean recipes around.

For the tomatoes, I'm assuming that the Ro-TEL brand of spicy/Mexican style tomatoes will work?

RO-TEL works, but I usually use the regular diced tomatoes with jalapenos as you get more in the can for about the same price. When I get back home from my trip to California, I'll put up my black bean enchilada recipe too. It seems to get rave reviews, even from people who like to eat meat.