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Entries in Too Tired to Cook (11)

Friday
27Feb2009

Beefy Dogs in Blankets

DateFriday, February 27, 2009 at 4:26AM

Beef in blankies 011 A fun, cheater's-style dinner recipe from guest author, Heather Forsyth.



This is one of the most unsophisticated "dishes" in the world.  You can only pretend it's the slightest bit good for you if you get organic, hormone-free, uncured (etc.) all beef hot dogs.  But my craving for childhood food coincided with the need for a quick dinner lately, and this was the result. Quick enough even to make for lunch.  Fun to eat, you can dress them up with a fancy sauce (smoky bbq, dijon and honey, or the like) or just dunk 'em in plain old ketchup.  If you want to go all out with convenience food, you could make the blankies from Bisquick, but I think it's just as easy, and tastier, to make up a home-made biscuit dough. They freeze beautifully, so if you make more than you can eat in one sitting, freeze them (before baking) and then just pop them in the oven when you need a quick fix for a hungry kid or spouse, or your own inner child.


Beefy Dogs in Blankets



  • 8 "good" all-beef hot dogs
  • biscuit dough (see below)
  • 1 egg, beaten with a spash of milk, for egg wash


Preheat oven to 425.  Cut the hot dogs in half horizontally, so you have 16 shorter dogs.  Prepare biscuit dough then divide the dough in half.  Roll or pat out the first half into a round about 1/2" thick.  Cut the round into 8 wedges like a pie, then take each triangle, place a 1/2 dog on the base and roll it up toward the point.  Pinch the point a bit to make it stick, then place on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Repeat until you've used up all your triangles, and then repeat with the remaining biscuit dough and dogs.  You'll probably need 2 baking sheets.  (At this point, set aside any you plan to freeze.)  Before baking, brush a little egg wash on the dough, then bake about 12 minutes (a little longer if frozen) until they look nice and brown and slightly shiny.  The dogs are hotter than the blankies, so let them a cool a bit before giving to small children.


Quick homemade biscuit dough:  2 1/4 c. flour, 2 t. baking powder, 1 t. salt, scant 1 c. milk, 1 egg, 4 T. oil, 1/4 c. grated cheddar (optional).  Mix dry, mix wet, combine, add cheese.  Add more milk or flour until you have a dough that is soft but not sticky. 

AuthorHeather Forsyth | Comment1 Comment | Print ArticlePrint Article
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Thursday
20Mar2008

Spicy Boneless Pork Recipe

DateThursday, March 20, 2008 at 3:09PM

I have to use the word
"recipe" loosely here because this is the ultimate in cheating. But it's good, fast and easy, and that's what
this blog is all about. The hardest part
is at the grocery store. You have to
hunt around a little in the international or Asian aisle. But really, what else are you doing in the
grocery store? If you can't be bothered
there, chances of following a recipe at home are slim. Look for the Korean BBQ sauce in either the
bottled sauce aisle or the Asian section if they have one. The red curry paste will be in the
Asian/international aisle, generally with the Thai ingredients. It's a small bottle that is useful for so
many sauces, you'll wonder what you did without it.  

Spicy Boneless Pork Ribs
"Recipe"

  • 1 pound boneless country
    style pork ribs

  • 1/2 bottle Korean BBQ sauce

  • 2 tablespoons red curry paste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line small cookie sheet with foil. Put ribs on sheet and pour half the bbq sauce
on one side. Flip and pour remaining
sauce on other side. Then spread a small
spoonful of red curry paste on top of each rib, covering completely. Bake for 30 minutes.

AuthorTrevy Thomas | CommentPost a Comment | Print ArticlePrint Article
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Monday
18Feb2008

Easy Beef Stroganoff

DateMonday, February 18, 2008 at 3:16PM

Sometimes I wonder if I'm the
only one who feels like grocery-shopping day is such an ordeal. Cleaning out the fridge, making some sort of
food plan and list, shopping, paying, loading, hauling, unloading. Then before you know it, it's time to
cook. Just the thought of it makes me
exhausted. That's why shopping day is
either a no-cook or cheating-cook day. I
know I've turned into Sandra Lee here, but, at times like this, I give in to
the little boxes of helper products on the market. If I don't tell anyone (fat chance now), I
can still pretend to be a gourmet cook the rest of my life. Whatever. I got a tasty meal on the table tonight without over exerting myself,
and I'm only going to feel so guilty about the cheating factor.

So tonight I discovered
Annie's Organic Stroganoff mix. She
makes all sorts of things, like mac and cheese, that are made from all real
ingredients, even though they're in a box. Granted, they are dried ingredients, but at least they don't have scary
scientific names. The stroganoff is
good. You just brown a pound of ground
beef (or vegetarian substitute), add some milk, water and the package
ingredients and cook about 15 minutes. I
added some plain yogurt (my sour cream alternative) and it was delicious. Sometimes, it's good to cheat.

AuthorTrevy Thomas | CommentPost a Comment | Print ArticlePrint Article
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Thursday
31Jan2008

Vegetarian Chicken Sandwich

DateThursday, January 31, 2008 at 11:38AM

I've discovered that keeping
a box of vegetarian "chicken patties" in the freezer ensures a mostly
healthy, low calorie, low fat lunch at a moment's notice. Quicker even than running around the corner
for carryout. The kind I have now are
made by Morningstar, and just take a minute in the microwave. I put the patty on two slices of whole wheat
toast (Nature's Choice brand is only 60 calories, and I'm afraid to figure out
why), with honey mustard, salsa, lettuce, tomato and sometimes a slice of Swiss
Cheese. Delicious, easy, healthy
lunch. So much better than noodles in a
cup.

AuthorTrevy Thomas | CommentPost a Comment | Print ArticlePrint Article
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Wednesday
16Jan2008

Salsa Chicken

DateWednesday, January 16, 2008 at 2:02PM

After reading Heather's
recipe, my friend, Clay, stepped up to the plate with his own Too Tired To Cook
favorite dish, Salsa Chicken. Sounds
great to me, and easy enough to manage with only one eye open. Well, except for the chopping part. Two eyes would be good for that. As we are home cooks around here, I'm posting
this recipe exactly as he described it to me because that's the way we cook. Who says there must be an ordered list at the
top. Winging it is key to a home cook,
and that means we're a relaxed group. If
you can't include yourself in that category, well, puleaze don't lecture
me. I'm sure I'll be too tired for
it. Now onto Clay's delicious dinner.

Clay's Salsa Chicken Dinner

I take a few bell peppers (I
like to mix up the colors – green, red, yellow, etc.) and cut them into half-inch
cubes.  You can save the extra if you don’t want to cook that many
peppers. Really depends on how many people you are feeding (me, its always one.) Not for
long, Clay, if you keep cooking. 

Put enough olive oil in a pan
(skillet is fine) to cover the bottom and sauté peppers.  I don’t like to
season at this point, rather I hold off a bit.  As the peppers are
cooking, I cut one or two chicken breasts (those new Purdue single packs are
good for this) into cubes, about the same size or a little larger than the
pepper slices.  Usually one breast per person. 

When the peppers are about
halfway done, I throw in the chicken breast and cover, letting it all simmer
for a while – stirring periodically so that everything is cooked evenly. (I
usually put salt, pepper, a little garlic and oregano in at this point).

I have no idea how long I
cook this, usually until the chicken is done.  For folks who like their
veggies crunchier, they should throw the chicken breast in at the beginning
with the uncooked peppers.  Whatever works.

So once the chicken is done,
I add in one or two tablespoons of salsa, just enough to add a little flavor,
and toss that around. If I am really being a pig, I throw in a piece of cheese
to give it a little extra boost.

Then just toss a bit, and
onto the plate.

Low cal, low fat, good for ya and takes about 15
minutes tops! Thanks, Clay.

AuthorTrevy Thomas | CommentPost a Comment | Print ArticlePrint Article
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