Prepping for a long week

There are exam weeks, as I approach the end of second year, where I just don't want to spend time cooking. I stay at the library for long hours, and if I can make it through dinner I feel that much more productive. I try to anticipate these weeks by freezing meal-sized leftovers of soups or chili, but that's not always possible. And I refuse to eat in the hospital cafeteria because each meal there--while pretty decent--is more expensive, less flavorful, higher in salt, and includes fewer vegetables than what I would cook at home. Not to sound like a total snob.

On Sunday afternoon while home doing laundry and studying, I opted to roast a fennel and onion: flavorful, versatile, good to have on hand for the week, made my house smell good. Monday night before bed I popped half a cup of white beans into my pressure cooker, and for last night's library dinner I ended up with a tossed stew of white beans, fennel, and onion. It was homey, comforting, and healthy towards the end of a long day. For tonight I'll stir the rest of the fennel and onion into tomato sauce and serve it over penne. Pretty nice for such quick meals. Of course, the atmosphere contributes a lot.

Minimalist fennel, onion, and white beans:

• 1 fennel bulb
• 1 onion
• 1 cup white beans
• olive oil, salt and pepper

Wash the fennel bulb and slice it crosswise (on the horizontal if you have it standing up) into rings, removing the thick core at the base and discarding the celery-like stalks at the top. Peel and slice the onion. Toss together in a roasting pan with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, until caramelized. Toss every 10 minutes, checking to keep from burning.

Toss with white beans and adjust seasonings. Or: enjoy as a base for chicken or fish, toss into tomato sauce, etc.