Fast and Frugal: Sautéed Apples and Carrots with Roasted Pecans

Sautéed Apples with Carrots - perfect with pork.

Now that we've installed a new energy-efficient washer and dryer, I've got my eye on some kitchen improvements.

My kitchen is not user-friendly. Houses built when mine was - 1896 - do not necessarily have large kitchens. To be sure, there is a breakfast room, but we use it as an computer room and a place to store my cookbooks and seldom-used kitchen gear. (Were it not for a load-bearing wall separating the two areas, I would have a large, eat-in kitchen.)

Meanwhile, I have a refrigerator I am not overly enamored with, although it is not yet 10 years old. Food has a way of hiding in it, safe from my prying eyes and hands.

But this time, I outsmarted some carrots left over from this recipe and some apples from this one. I had some leftover pork. Carrots + apples + pork = delicious!

Sautéed Apples with Carrots (four servings)

• 2-3 Granny Smith apples, cut into small chunks
• 3-5 medium-size carrots, cleaned and cut into small chunks
• 2 small sweet onions (I used red and white cipollinis)
• 1 tablespoon butter (more if needed)
• 1 tablespoon dried cranberries
• 1/2 tablespoon roasted pecans
• 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
• dash sea salt

Prepare carrots, onions and apples. There is no need to peel the apples.

Melt one tablespoon butter in skillet. Add carrots, apples and onions. Cook over medium heat until browned, add cranberries and pecans, stirring frequently. You may need to add more butter at some point during the cooking. Add salt and sugar last. Toss, and serve warm with pork, greens and wild or brown rice.

Total Prep Time: Under 40 minutes.