You know, I’ve been on a roll food-wise recently, so in honor of keeping that momentum going, this post is dedicated to some random recipes that I’ve accumulated over the past couple of months. So, just this once, I’ll spare you the words & cut right to the chase.
Sweet Balls!
Okay, so it’s not the greatest picture & newsflash: most of the following will not be. Mind your business. I was in a rush & ready to eat. If you want the full effect, go on Half Baked Harvest’s website, because that’s where I snagged this recipe from. Moral of the story: these turkey teriyaki meatballs? Bomb. I make these on a Sunday & they last me the whole work week, so if this kind of meal prepping deems me a gym rat, then so be it.
Ingredients:
1lb ground Turkey
1T soy sauce
1T grated ginger
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup avocado oil
3T cornstarch
1/4 cup honey
4 cloves garlic
1T ginger, chopped
Chili flakes
Instructions:
1. Mix meat, soy, 1T grated ginger, onions, & some pepper in a bowl
2. Roll into meatballs & coat in 2T worth of the cornstarch so they don’t stick
3. Mix remaining 1T cornstarch with 2T of water, then set to the side
4. Sauce: mix 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup honey, & 1/3 cup water. Super high IQ, I know.
5. Heat oil in pan & cook the balls over medium heat until they’re seared on all sides (about 8 minutes)
6. Remove balls from pan (gently, they’re sensitive)
7. Cook garlic, chopped ginger, & chili flakes in the same pan for 1-2 minutes
8. Pour in sauce & bring to a boil. Hold her there for about 3-4 minutes
9. Add balls & cook until sauce starts to thicken
10. Dump the cornstarch slurry in & cook for 2-3 minutes, bud
11. Okay, that’s pretty much it. Maybe put it over some rice & get something green to go with it too? Your call.
Ginger Lemonade
One day, I had a bunch of ginger that I didn’t know what to do with, so I turned it into a ginger, simple syrup, then I suddenly had a bunch of ginger, simple syrup that I didn’t know what to do with, so I put it in my lemonade that I confusingly garnished with a lime. Not too shabby.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup ginger, grated
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup lemon juice
4 cups of water
Instructions:
1. Cook ginger, sugar, & 1/2 cup water over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Let simmer longer for more potency.
2. Strain ginger out then refrigerate.
3. Once your syrup is cool enough (or not. You can just add ice & less water if you’re impatient like me), mix the rest of the ingredients together, add syrup to taste, & voila! You have ginger lemonade!
Cornbread (Dinner)
I don’t know when, where, or how it came to be, but within my soul there lies a deep-seeded, overtaking love for cornbread. Maybe it’s because my mom wasn’t a fan & never made it (a “cornbread-deprived household”, if you will). Maybe it brings out the homegrown, hospitable, sweet, southern mima within me. Or maybe I just like that it’s a good vessel for butter. Only God truly knows &, honestly, it’s none of my business. All I’m concerned about is that Lily P Crumbs gave me a 7-ingredient, dump-&-go cornbread recipe that’s ready in 30 minutes. Thank her, not me. P.s. you can half this recipe, make it in a bread pan, & call it a girl dinner. I won’t tell anyone…
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup sugar
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Dump & mix all ingredients
3. Pour into 8×8 (or 2 bread pans) & bake for 25 minutes
4. Serve with an obscene amount of butter
Strawberry & Pretzel Cowboy Ice Cream Sandos
This recipe? Mine. And it may be the greatest thing I’ll ever do in my lifetime. It came about when I was acting like a stubborn toddler one day. The “push & pull” phenomena, they call it. I want it, but not all of it, but a little of it, but something along with it, but maybe none of it, but also all of it. Infuriating. And this is when you realize that whole “parenting yourself” thing should be a paid job. Most of the time I end up dissatisfied & hankering for something that I can’t quite pinpoint, but this time it panned out quite nicely. Near-perfect even. I wanted the flavor profile of my grandma’s strawberry jello, pretzel, cool whip concoction/dessert but without the jello & with the dense carb-y-ness of an oatmeal cookie but I also needed strawberry ice cream & along with it, a mega-contrast to the sweet with some salt. It was a wild rampage that lead me to shifting some ingredients around in a classic cowboy cookie, putting extra pretzels inside (follow your heart with the measurements), then globbing on some Tillamook, strawberry ice cream. I don’t mean to sound braggy, but I am beside myself that something so spectacular could come from my two hands. Enjoy yourself with this one.
Ingredients:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup(ish) pretzels (your favorite shape), crushed
1 tub strawberry ice cream
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Cream butter, sugar, & brown sugar, then add the eggs one at a time, then vanilla
3. Add flour, baking soda, salt, & oats
4. Roll into 3T sized balls, put on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then press some pretzels in (let intuition guide you to the amount)
5. Flatten each ball to about 1/2 inch thick disk
6. Throw into oven for about 9 minutes (or until golden brown), take out of oven, tap baking sheet on the counter a few times to concern the neighbors, then let them cool on the baking sheet & firm up a bit
7. Sprinkles flaky salt on top if you’re a sodium feen like me
8. Once cooled completely, scoop whatever ratio of strawberry ice cream that makes sense to you in between & let your tastebuds rejoice
Spiralized Hot Dogs
I feel like the math is pretty simple here:
Spiralized Hot Dog > Regular Hot Dog
Also, ignore the char. It’s the way I like my dog cooked. To a crisp. Feel free to judge. I can’t change the way I feel. Love is love.
Ingredients:
As many hot dogs as your heart desires
As many skewers as your heart-desired hot dogs
As many buns as your heart-desired hot dogs
A knife
Whatever toppings you please
Instructions:
1. Slide the hot dog onto the skewer, length wise (hot dog style, not hamburger obviously)
2. Starting at the tip of the glizzy, make a diagonal cut all the way through until you hit skewer & continue to wrap around said glizzy in a candy cane, spiralized fashion until you reach the bottom of the dog
3. Spread out the spiral on the skewer
4. Grill as is
5. Take the dog off the skewer, bun it up (or raw dog it. I don’t judge), top it up, & realize that food shapes matter & you’re no different than a 5 year-old
Paprikash
I stole this recipe from Carolina Gelen — a Romanian-based chef. She’s pure genius if you want to mix up your recipes & are looking for some unique inspo, especially from other cultures. This dish is Hungarian & sparked an epiphany within me: I like sauce. A lot. And when sauce can become a dinner, I’ll do everything in my power to make it happen. Paprikash is technically classified as a stew, but I’d like to reclassify it as a nutrient dense, protein-packed, flavorful, condiment meal to drizzle atop whatever carb you please. It goes well with potatoes, rice, bread, & already has vegetables galore hidden inside if you were looking to sneak more into your body. I sound like a sales woman, but I stand up for what I believe in & I believe in Paprikash. Plus, it’s really fun to say — Paprikash. So bouncy! Feels like I’m playing wack-a-mole with my syllables.
Ingredients:
1 1/2lb chicken thighs, cubed
1 medium, yellow onion, finely chopped
3 bell peppers, finely chopped
1 heaping T tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup half n half
3T paprika, plus more to taste
1 tsp cayenne pepper, more or less to preference
1/2 chicken stock cube + 1 1/2 cups water OR 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1T cornstarch
Canola or vegetable oil for searing
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley (I, personally, don’t believe in parsley, but you do you) and green onions, for serving
Instructions:
1. Add chicken to a bowl, season with salt & pepper, add a glug or two of oil, mix, & let marinate for 10 minutes
2. Drizzle some oil in a pan over medium heat, add chicken, & cook until golden on all sides (doesn’t need to be cooked all the way through yet. About 80%)
3. Set chicken to side, then add onions & bell peppers. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes or until soft, cut heat down to medium-low & let them caramelize
4. Add tomato paste & cook for 2-3 minutes (until it darkens in color), then add garlic & do the same, then add cayenne & paprika & do the same
5. Pour in half n half & chicken stock, season with salt & pepper, add the chicken back in, then let it simmer & thicken for about 15-20 minutes
6. Combine the cornstarch & water, then pour the slurry in. It should start to thicken. Let it cook for 3-5 more minutes.
7. Alright, nows the time. Take a taste, season accordingly, then serve over whatever carb will soak up the goodness best!
Bugles
Not a recipe. Just wondering when the last time you had Bugles was? If it wasn’t today, I suggest paying a visit to your local grocer & picking up a bag. They’re still good. I checked. And not to go all crunchy, granola on you, but they’re apparently preservative-free with only 5 ingredients. Who woulda thunk? Now, your adult fingers may not fit into these micro-cornucopias like they used to, but your taste buds will be just as happy as 8 year-old you, I promise. (This is not a sponsored ad, but, Bugles, if you see this, I would not complain if you sent me some goods…)
Ingredients:
1 bag of Bugles
A sense of childlike wonder