dinner

Pad Thai (in progress)

asian, dinner

ingredients

  • 8 oz rice noodles
  • 3-5 eggs
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can bean sprouts (or 1 cup fresh)
  • 8 oz tofu
  • Optional: garnish with peanuts, lime, cilantro, green onions

Sauce

  • 3 tbsp fish sauce (or sub soy sauce)
  • 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • 5 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar 
  • 1 tbsp Sriracha (or just under)
  • 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter

instructions

  1. Cook noodles until just tender and rinse under cold water.
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  2. Mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
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  3. Heat 1 1/2 tbsp of oil in large saucepan. Ad tofu and cook until browned. Add garlic and push to the side of the pan.
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  4. Add a little more oil and add the beaten eggs to the pan until cooked through (scramble).
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  5. Add noodles, sauce, bean sprouts, and optional peanuts to the pan and toss to combine.

Adapted from https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/pad-thai/

Sloppy Joes – Two Ways

classic american, dinner

ingredients

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 2 small onions, chopped
  • 2 small green peppers, chopped
  • 3 cans kidney beans OR 1 can beans (half mashed up), 1 lb ground beef substitute
  • 1 cup open bit bbq sauce
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar

instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Cook vegetables, covered on low heat until soft and lightly browned (10-20 minutes).
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  2. Note: for meat version, cook the vegetables and push them to the side. Cook ground beef substitute until cooked through, then move to step 2.
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  3. Add beans, brown sugar, and bbq sauce. Mash about half or more of the beans with potato masher to make a thick mixture.
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  4. Continue cooking until it boils, then reduce heat and simmer 10-20 minutes.

Mom’s Chilaquiles (Reverse Engineered)

dinner, mexican

ingredients

  • 1/2 bag (idrk) tortilla chips
  • 1 large (?) jar mild salsa
  • several beaten eggs
  • queso fresco or mozzarella

instructions

  1. Slightly crush some of the chips and place in a large frying pan.
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  2. Pour salsa over chips and stir a bit. Heat pan to medium. Move saucy chips to the side of the pan, leaving center empty. Spray center of the pan with pam.
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  3. Pour eggs into hot center andd lightly scramble. Mix eggs and chips lightly.
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  4. Sprinkle crumbled or grated cheese over top. Turn off heat. Cover pan with lid slighhtly ajar so that moisture cna escape. Wait about five minutes or until cheese has melted to serve.

Mother Fuckin Yellow Rice

dinner, mexican

ingredients

  • 2 cups white rice
  • 4 1/3 cups water, boiling
  • chicken boullion, 5 cups worth
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • a couple cherry tomatoes, a little sriracha, or just a little something tomato-ey

instructions

  1. Put a little oil in a pan and heat it up. Add the rice and brown it (may take 10 minutes or so) before adding the onion and cooking until it has caramelized (be fuckin patient). Add the garlic and tomato a few minutes before onions will be done.
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  2. Add spices and chicken boullion (if powdered) and stir until coated before add the boiling water (with the bullion if not powdered) and simmering, covered, for about 20 minutes.

Tuna Cheese Casserole

classic american, dinner

ingredients

  • 1 pckg egg noodles
  • 2 cans broccoli-cheese soup
  • 2 cans tuna, drained and shredded
  • 1 cup frozen peas (or mixed frozen vegetables)
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcumbs
  • Pam (or a little butter) and a little cheese (I used Romano)

instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400. Cook egg noodles to al dente.
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  2. Combine cooked noodles, soup, tuna, and frozen peas in a casserole dish.
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  3. Mix breadcrumbs with a little oil and cheese and spread over the top.
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  4. Bake for 20ish minutes or till warmed through and bubbly.

Chickpea Butt-ritos

dinner, mexican

ingredients

  • 1 box mexican rice
  • 1 can refried beans
  • 1 can chickpeas
  • mexican cheese
  • burrito tortillas
  • avocado
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

instructions

  1. Make the rice and warm up the refried beans.
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  2. Drain and rinse chickpeas. Dry with paper towels (wet ones won’t roast well) and, for this recipe, de-skin chickpeas using a paper towel to gently pull them off.
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  3. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and add chickpeas. Cook until starting to brown, then add spices and continue to cook (letting them crumble in the pan a bit) until crispy.
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  4. Assemble the burritos by spreading the beans, rice, chickpeas, cheese, avo, and any veggies across the middle of the taco. Then fold and roll up.
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  5. Heat up a pan with a little oil and cook the burritos on each side.

Danny’s Doubledecker Tacos

dinner, mexican

ingredients

  • 6 hard shell tacos
  • 6 flour tortillas
  • 1 can refried beans, warmed up
  • 1 pack mexican rice
  • 1 lb ground beef/meat substitute
  • 1/2 pckg cojita cheese or nacho cheese if ya nasty (as Michael Scott would say)
  • mediterranean salad for serving
  • couldn’t hurt to have a little cilantro and lime

  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

instructions

  1. Heat a pan over medium heat and 1 tsp olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the meat/meat substitute. Cook, stirring often, until it begins to brown.
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  2. Add in the cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Cook until just browned.
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  3. Assemble the tacos!
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    1. Cook the flour tortilla on your gas range.
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    2. Coat one side of the tortilla in refried beans.
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    3. Press the bean side of the tortilla against the outer side of the hard shell taco like a cover.
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    4. Lay in the ground beef, rice, cheese, and salad if desired.

Adapted from www.howsweeteats.com/2019/01/ground-beef-tacos/

BBB Grilled Cheese (aka fancy af grilled cheese)

dinner, new american

ingredients

  • 2 pretzel rolls (or any really good bread)
  • a bunch of mozzarella (or any) cheese
  • 1 bunch basil
  • 1/2 pint blackberries (or any berry)
  • 2-4 tbsp balsamic reduction (make by heating balsamic in a pan with brown sugar until thickened)

instructions

  1. Warm the inside of the rolls to allow for easy melting. Then, put down a layer of cheese, a “layer” of berry mixture, and another layer of cheese (for dan, use slightly less than twice as much cheese).
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  2. Make dat grilled cheese.

Adapted from: https://rachaelray.com/blogs/recipes/grilled-cheese-with-blackberry-balsamic-and-basil-rachael-ray

616 Carne Asada Tacos

dinner, mexican

ingredients

  • 2 lb flank or skirt steak
  • 4 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 jalepeno minced
  • 2 limes juiced
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • Serve with cojita or queso fresco and pico (or instead of pico: mediterranean salad wink wink)

instructions

  1. Combine marinade ingredients in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag, then reserve half of the marinade in a separate container for serving later.
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  2. Add the steak to the bag and squish around to coat. Marinate for at least four hours to overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the steak from the marinade.
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  3. Heat a heavy large skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat. Cook the meat for about 5-7 minutes per side (or until done).
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  4. To serve, cut meat against the grain. Then pour remaining marinade over the top of the steak.
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  5. Serve with whatever other shit you want!

Adapted from: https://thestayathomechef.com/authentic-carne-asada/ and https://damndelicious.net/2019/05/05/carne-asada/ (<– that one has good pics and videos for help!)

Mom’s Sicilian Pasta

dinner, mediterranean, pasta/grains

ingredients

  • 1 lb orecchiette
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
  • grated rind of one lemon
  • 1/2 cup raisins, soaked and dried
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 12 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1/2 cup basil, chopped (so good, but it’s fine if you skip this)
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, toasted
  • 1 cup reserved pasta water
  • romano cheese (optional)

instructions

  1. While pasta cooks to al dente, saute garlic in olive oil in a large frying pan. After a minute or two, add red pepper, then lemon rind, basil, and pine nuts to taste.
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  2. Add sliced tomatoes. Add 1/2 cup reserved pasta water. Put pasta in frying pan and mix, adding more water if needed. Stir in breadcrumbs. Top with romano if desired.