ESCAROLE AND BEANS

2 heads of escarole
1 can of red kidney beans
2-3 tbsp oil
3 cloves of garlic

Fill sink with water, cut off bottom of escarole and put in sink with water.
Swish around to remove all the sand and put in a large pot with water and 1 tbsp of salt.

Cook until tender.

In a separate saucepan, saute the garlic in oil, carefully add the escarole, picking it up out of the water it was cooked in. Don't worry about some of the water going in the pot with the escarole.
I always save some of the water anyway in case I want to add a little more to the pot. You don't want the escarole to be dry. You want it to be a little soupy. Then add the beans including the liquid.

Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.

Cook together about 15 minutes.

Serve with crusty italian bread to dunk into the juice. YUM!

POTATO AND EGG FRITTATA

4-5 small to medium size potatoes
4 eggs
oil to coat the bottom and sides of fry pan
salt, pepper and garlic powder

cook potatoes in microwave*, allow to cool and then peel and cut up(about the size of home fries)

beat the eggs well, seasoning with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

coat fry pan (10" pan) with oil and saute potaotes, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. You just need to lightly brown the potatoes.

Pour eggs over potatoes and as the outer edge of the eggs become cooked, gently push the edge in a little at a time towards center allowing the uncooked eggs to run to the edge (you can lift the pan and swirl around a bit). After doing that a few times, make little openings in the center to allow some uncooked egg to get underneath and be cooked. Take a plate large enough to cover fry pan and place over it, holding the handle of the fry pan with one hand and the other hand firmly on the bottom of the plate thus holding the pan and the plate together, turn the potato and egg onto the plate (DO THIS OVER THE SINK) and slide it back into the fry pan to cook the other side. When done invert onto a clean plate and serve.

*I have found this to be a healthier version than frying the potatoes in alot of oil and it takes less time. I don't think it compromises the flavor very much.