Quick and Satisfying, not Epicurean

All right, I’ve taken a lot of ribbing about my Mac & Cheese exploits, along with some of my other eating habits. When you get home at 9 or 10 PM, little time is available for a true epicurean exploit, (even if I was capable of one). So, some of you have to do quick meals occasionally. Maybe you can give me some new ideas. Here’s one I enjoy when we get home early (9 PM).

One box cornbread mix
One package of franks (Hebrew national at our house)
One can of chili (Like Trader Joes, has a little sweetness to counteract salty cornbread
Half pound sharp cheddar, shredded.

Prep the cornbread mix and stuff the franks in.

Bake the prescribed time and cut into four or six portions.

Put chili and cheese on the cornbread portions and nuke until chili is hot and cheese melted.

Choose suitable Zinfandel, open, take everything to TV dinner tray and turn on 10 PM news.

If you don’t have any favorites, then I guess I set myself up again.

Quick yummy dinner? Depends what ya keep in the fridge and freezer. I always have sweet onions, shallots, garlic, sweet red peppers, poblano/pasilla peppers, tomatos, cilantro, parsley, ginger root, eggs, aged cheddar, nonfat mozzarella, varying other cheeses, garlic humus, corn tortillas. (Fresh ginger root is great for making marinades.)

Frozen, I always have chicken, pork and beef in ziplocks already in marinade. You take a ziplock with marinated meat out in the morning and put it in fridge, or put it in a large bowl of warm water and it’s ready to cook in 10 minutes, which is how long it takes to prep the rest, dice some onions, peppers, cilantro or whatever.

I eat alot of soft tacos, usually no cheese, just meat, onion, cilantro and chile verde sauce or whatever sauce I concoct.

I eat alot of stir fry, grilled meat and salad, I eat omlettes and I like caramelizing onions and eating with whatever tickles my fancy.

To increase yum-wow factor try using sesame oil or walnut oil instead of olive oil or what you’re currently using on salads.

Avocados, sliced lengthwise, with a bit of shaved garlic or shallot on top, dusted with dry ginger powder, touch of salt and lightly drizzled with sesame oil and balsamic. You’ll think you died and went to heaven.

I have a propane grill, 5 minutes you’ve got fixins for feasting…

***But I would recommend the trick of buying some pork or chicken (boneless) make your favorite marinade, and make a half dozen or a dozen 3/4 or 1 pound bags of meat, and freeze. Make the bags large enough for you and your wife to combo it with some veggies for either tacos, stir fry, grilled and with a salad or on a bamboo skewer with peppers, onion, fruit, whatever you got. With marinated meat pronto if you keep enough/the right veggies, you can whip out tasty, appetizing food in less than 30 minutes.

I always have some larger bags of frozen marinated meat ready as well in case of surprise guests.

If you don’t have a propane grill, get one!

Thanks for the ideas. As for the propane grill, well we have a commercial kitchen, with a thermador gas cook top, six burners and a grill. I built the kitchen for Carrie when she was still a chef and restaurant manager. We’ve become lazy.

Lucky doGG. Is there a reason you’re not using your grill? If I had one I’d be using it every night.

Indoor grilling, not sure if Im certifiable? Talk about having to use restraint to avoid flame ups. I’d be a hazard certain (more of a hazard.) I’d need an iron foundry type hood and high pressure overhead sprinkler fire suppression.

“What did I tell you about peak thermal flame pulses in the kitchen!!?? Put my fire out!!!”

“Babe, all I’ve got is a wet tongue?”