1. Quick Pan-Seared Duck Breasts

Pan-seared duck breasts are a quick and easy option for a weeknight meal. Start by scoring the skin of the duck breasts to help render the fat. Season them with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and place the duck breasts skin-side down. Cook for about 6-8 minutes until the skin is crispy and golden. Flip the breasts and cook for another 4-5 minutes for medium-rare. Let the duck rest for a few minutes before slicing. Serve with a simple side salad or roasted vegetables for a complete meal. The rich, flavorful meat pairs wonderfully with a variety of sides.

2. Succulent Sous Vide Duck Legs

If you have a bit more time, sous vide duck legs offer an incredibly tender and flavorful option. Season the duck legs with salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs. Place them in a sous vide bag and cook at 170°F for 8-10 hours. The low and slow cooking process ensures the meat becomes tender and juicy. After sous vide cooking, finish the duck legs by searing them in a hot pan for crispy skin. This method locks in all the flavors and provides a restaurant-quality dish at home. Pair with mashed potatoes or a fresh salad for a delightful dinner.

3. Easy Duck Stir-Fry

For a quick and healthy meal, try a duck stir-fry. Thinly slice duck breasts and marinate in soy sauce, ginger, and garlic for about 15 minutes. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat and add a bit of oil. Stir-fry the duck slices until they are just cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the duck from the pan and set aside. Add your favorite vegetables, such as bell peppers, snap peas, and carrots, and stir-fry until tender-crisp. Return the duck to the pan, toss everything together, and serve over steamed rice or noodles. This dish is fast, flavorful, and perfect for busy evenings.

4. Simple Duck Tacos

Duck tacos are a fun and easy way to enjoy duck on a weeknight. Shred leftover duck meat or quickly cook duck breasts and slice thinly. Warm corn or flour tortillas and fill them with the duck. Top with fresh ingredients like chopped onions, cilantro, avocado, and a squeeze of lime. Add a dollop of sour cream or your favorite salsa for extra flavor. These tacos are customizable, allowing everyone in the family to build their own. They make for a quick, satisfying meal that brings a gourmet touch to your taco night.

5. Quick Duck Salad

A duck salad is a light yet satisfying option for a weeknight dinner. Start by cooking duck breasts or using leftover duck meat. Slice the duck thinly and set aside. Prepare a base of mixed greens, such as arugula, spinach, and romaine. Add in your favorite salad toppings, like cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, and nuts. Top with the sliced duck and a simple vinaigrette made from olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mustard. This salad is not only quick to prepare but also offers a delicious mix of flavors and textures, making it a perfect choice for a busy night.

6. Flavorful Duck Fried Rice

Duck fried rice is a great way to use up leftover duck and create a quick meal. Start by cooking some rice and letting it cool. In a hot skillet or wok, add a bit of oil and sauté diced onions, garlic, and mixed vegetables like peas and carrots. Add shredded or diced duck meat and stir-fry until heated through. Push everything to the side of the pan and scramble a couple of eggs in the empty space. Mix everything together and add the cooked rice. Season with soy sauce and a touch of sesame oil. Stir-fry until everything is well combined and heated through. This dish is both tasty and convenient for weeknight dinners.

7. Simple Duck and Mushroom Pasta

Duck and mushroom pasta is a hearty and delicious meal that’s easy to prepare. Cook your favorite pasta according to the package instructions. In a large skillet, sauté sliced mushrooms and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add shredded duck meat and cook until heated through. Stir in some heavy cream and grated Parmesan cheese to create a creamy sauce. Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce until well coated. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. This dish combines rich flavors with simple preparation, making it perfect for a quick and satisfying weeknight meal.

8. Quick Duck Pita Sandwiches

Duck pita sandwiches are a quick and tasty option for a weeknight dinner. Use leftover duck meat or quickly cook duck breasts and slice thinly. Warm pita bread and fill with the sliced duck, along with fresh vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions. Add a dollop of tzatziki sauce or hummus for extra flavor. These sandwiches are easy to assemble and offer a delicious, handheld meal that’s perfect for busy evenings.

9. Easy Duck Ramen

Duck ramen is a comforting and flavorful dish that’s surprisingly easy to make. Start by preparing a simple broth with chicken stock, soy sauce, and miso paste. Cook ramen noodles according to the package instructions. In a hot skillet, sear duck breasts until the skin is crispy and the meat is cooked through. Slice the duck thinly and set aside. Assemble the ramen bowls by placing the cooked noodles in the broth and topping with the sliced duck, soft-boiled eggs, green onions, and any other favorite toppings. This dish is warm, comforting, and full of flavor, making it a perfect weeknight meal.

10. Fast Duck and Spinach Quesadillas

Duck and spinach quesadillas are a quick and easy dinner option. Use leftover duck meat or cook duck breasts and shred the meat. Place a tortilla in a hot skillet and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Add the duck meat and a handful of fresh spinach. Top with another tortilla and cook until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are golden brown and crispy. Cut into wedges and serve with salsa, guacamole, or sour cream. These quesadillas are delicious, easy to make, and perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.

Conclusion

Cooking duck at home on a weeknight doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming. With these easy and quick recipes, you can enjoy gourmet duck dishes even on the busiest evenings. From pan-seared duck breasts to duck tacos and stir-fry, these meals are designed to be both flavorful and simple to prepare. Try out these recipes and discover how easy and delicious weeknight duck dinners can be.

Photo Credit

Photo is from Pixabay

Guest Author Bio
Valencia Jasira

Valencia Jasira is a Senior Content Writer with more than 15 years of research experience in the fields of health and the environment. Her prolific research has significantly influenced Health and Environment Issues, and she regularly advises on health practices.

Frittata, that’s how.

Over a cup of coffee, I visualized my path, which is how I do most things: Chop, roast, bake. Then I started mentally adding steps: Chop everything up in medium chunks, roast it to a tender char; toss it all into my wooden chopping bowl and chop some more; throw in some fresh herbs, eggs, and slip it into a savory pie crust and bake. Frittata for dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow, and then we hit the road.

After the chopping, I scanned the spice cupboard….I grabbed dill, something called 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe’s, turmeric, and some smoked paprika.

I slivered and added five cloves of garlic and a small handful of oil-packed sundried tomatoes (large size; they’ll get chopped after roasting). Into the chopped veg it went. I tossed it all with olive oil, salt and pepper, and the spices listed above and roasted at 425 – hot and fast is the rule for roasting green plant matter. Took about 18 minutes.

Time to think about that savory pie crust. Ask, and Google will provide. “Savory parmesan pie crust” brought up the usual umpteen choices; turns out, a Keto recipe caught my eye not for the Keto element, but for this reason: four ingredients. That’s one bowl, and no pastry cloth, rolling pin, or headache. Almond flour, butter, parmesan, egg. Basta.

Out of the oven, I chopped the veggies into smaller bits and then added a couple of beaten eggs, a little more salt, fresh basil from my window herb garden, and slid it all into the pie crust I put together while the veggies were roasting. Note: I didn’t bother to pre-cook the pie crust before filling it, which was actually a mistake; when I realized this fact, a bit too late, I kept going, wondering if it would be a critical error. Turns out, it was fine. I left it in a bit longer than the 15 minutes or so noted in the recipe, but it was fully cooked and even perfect on the bottom.

Oh, speaking of the bottom – I laid a few slices of Swiss cheese on the crust before adding the veg. Into the oven at 350 for about 25 minutes. I kept my eye on the crust and when it was fairly browned, I took it out.

And that’s how you clean out the refrigerator before going on vacation.

Buon appetite.

Photo Credits

Images courtesy of Lisa Lucke.

Previously published at www.lisalucke.com.

Bacon jam on toast with egg

What Is It?

Bacon jam is a relish that involves slow cooking bacon alongside onions, vinegar, brown sugar and spices, before mixing in a food processor.

It is not as intensive as many other jams are perceived to be, and can be whipped up quickly at home.

It’s a recipe that bears resemblance to Verhackert, an Austrian dish that lacks the sweeteners of bacon jam. Verhackert is a spread of minced bacon, combined with garlic and salt, wherein the preparation of bacon takes place over two months. This includes freezing the meat two to three times.

Once the meat is ready, it is minced with the other ingredients and pressed into a terrine.

How Is It Made?

To start, chop your bacon of choice up and fry it until it’s crispy. Add to the pan finely chopped onions and shallots so it all can caramelize in about 15 minutes.

Add to the skillet apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and garlic, and cook until the liquid has reduced and thickened. The whole process should take only a half hour.

Is There More Than One Flavor?

The base mixture above is just the start. You can add many other things to it to produce varieties of bacon jam with unique flavor profiles.

Maple syrup and bacon often go together, so adding that or agave nectar to the pan will give your jam a sweet taste.

If you like spice, any variety of hot pepper will do, with the most common being habanero or jalapenos.

The apple cider vinegar can be substituted with balsamic or white vinegar to create different levels of tang.

So, What Do You Do With It?

The question here should really be what do you not add it to, as bacon jam can be paired with so many things.

At its simplest, it can be used to top toast or bagels; it can even be added on top of a stack of pancakes or French toast for a sweet and savory experience.

Throw it into classic sandwiches like grilled cheese and peanut butter and jelly for a refreshing spin on an old favorite.

Bacon jam layers on flavors when combined with other meats. Mix it into ground meats that will be used for patties or meatballs, or add it to sauce being made for marinating chicken.

How Should You Store It?

Unlike other jams, bacon jam cannot and should not be canned. It can be refrigerated and used within two weeks, brought up to room temperature before serving.

If you want to freeze it for longer life, store the jam in straight-shouldered mason jars and leave one inch of headspace. It should stay for up to 6 months in your freezer. Simply place it on the counter and let it thaw to use it.

Photo Credit

Bacon jam on toast – Wikimedia creative commons

But given the holiday weekend and my already compromised ability to know what day it is (thanks, COVID), today seemed like a good day to round up the usual plant-based suspects and make something.
I found zucchini, crooked neck squash, red/yellow bell peppers (the combo kind – pretty!), mushrooms, green onions, baby spinach, and one red potato.

Next, I checked the pantry. Whew! No wayward vegetables absentmindedly stashed there, but I did find one of my favorite Amador County-made products: Martha’s Organic All-Natural Cornbread Mix (available here and on Amazon). A plan began to form in my mind…Fritters!

Under normal circumstances, zucchini fritters are my go-to summertime treat, when gardens (not mine) are overrun with squash. When I was a kid, my Grandpa Boitano taught me how to make them in the cool of the basement, which had an earthen floor but also a stove, refrigerator, kitchen table and pantry shelves lined with the current season’s mother lode of freshly canned veggies, fruits, and antipasto. My grandpa sliced, battered and fried his fritters, but I eventually switched to a quicker method of shredding the zucc and mixing it into Bisquick and then frying them in olive oil for a savory afternoon treat.

But today, I decided to do something different. I grabbed my large wooden chopping bowl, cut the veggies up into chunks and slices, shredded the raw potato (skin on) and threw in four cloves of coarse-chopped garlic. Then I went chop crazy. The smell of the raw garlic and especially the bell peppers wafted up into my face like a morning garden facial.

I also tossed in a couple of handfuls of fresh-grated parm, cracked black pepper and coarse salt (plenty).

Time for the batter. In typical fashion, I sorta followed the instructions on the package, which called for adding two eggs, milk, four tablespoons of melted butter, and salt to the mix. I used three eggs, and I substituted buttermilk, to offset any slight sweetness that cornbread mixes sometimes have, although as a sidenote, Martha’s All-Natural products are organic and have very little added anything. This mix had just a tiny bit of cane juice added for sweetening, but I still tossed in a 1/2 tsp more salt than the mix instructions called for. I like salt.

I looked at the batter. I looked at my bowl of chopped veggies. Instantly, I knew the proportions would be perfect. Why? I don’t know. I have some sort of spidey sense and kitchen confidence not found anywhere else in my life. So, I combined the two bowls. It was perfect.

And then, I fried. In light olive  oil (I use light olive oil, which is just what you get in subsequent pressings after the first cold press, or extra virgin). I do not have canola or vegetable oil in the house. I use light olive oil anytime a recipe calls for those two things or when I would normally grab vegetable oil — even to bake with. For vegetarian dishes like this one, EVOO earthiness would have overpowered the fresh veggie flavors. Hence, the light.

My only concern was whether the veggies and cornmeal in the mix would soften up completely on the stovetop (as opposed to 30 minutes in a hot oven). Turns out my kitchen gut-hunch was right to chop the veggies finely – they were perfect; the cornmeal bread binder was silky and smooth and totally done. Took about three minutes each side on med-high heat in a heavy non-stick pan to get them perfectly golden brown.

This particular Martha’s product isn’t gluten free, but she has a lot of mixes that are. Substitute cornstarch & water slurry for egg if you want a totally vegetarian dish, along with any plant-based butter or oil.

Veggie cornmeal fritters. Get ready neighbors, I made a big batch!

Buon appetito!

Photo Credits

All photos courtesy of Lisa Lucke.

Originally published at www.lisalucke.com

Well now isn’t THAT confusing? So what’s the right answer? Well when it comes to breakfast, it really only boils down to personal preference! If you’re hungry and you want to eat – then eat! If not, don’t. It really is THAT simple. More importantly, what you eat does matter, so whether you break your fast at 6am or noon, starting your day with a healthy, balanced meal is crucial.

Enter superfoods! If you’re anything like me, you’re probably picturing a banana in a bright red cape, scaling up the side of a high rise building Spiderman-style, but that’s not exactly what I mean when I say breakfast superheroes. When it comes to a balanced diet, while the timing of your breakfast might not be very important, it’s very important to get the right amount of calories, carbs, protein, fat and nutrients (hence the term “balanced,” which will aid in weight loss, energy and overall health). And if you want to kick it up a notch and get even more benefits, you will want to choose food items that have more bang for their buck. This means they have a very high nutritional density as compared to their calorie content, and they have properties that influence anti-aging, longevity, disease prevention, reduced inflammation, and improved immunity! Please enjoy these easy to make, balanced superfood breakfast recipes to boost your health, control your weight, and increase longevity below! And hey – if they help fight the effects of aging – even better!

Here are some examples of superfoods, some of their beneficial ingredients and their benefit to us. Don’t worry too much about the complicated names of the ingredients, but take a close look at how they benefit your body, because these hard-to-pronounce ingredients may lead to a longer, healthier life!

Turmeric
Phytochemicals, curcumin, tumerone
Anti-aging, decreased cell damage and decreased chronic disease

Kale
Vitamins A, C and K, quercetin, kaempferol
Anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, lower blood pressure

Garlic
Vitamin C, B6, manganese
Reduced heart disease, lower bad cholesterol, healthy prostate, fights yeast infections

Curry
Cardamom, black pepper, tumerone, turmeric
Anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-fungal,anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogenic

Cherries
Polyphenols, catechins, anthocyanins, flavonols, vitamin C
Anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, regulates blood sugar, increased muscle recovery

Yogurt
Lactobacillus, calcium, phosphorus
Detoxification, weight loss, healthy digestion, gut health

Cacao Nibs
Flavonoids, MAO, serotonin-inducing components, magnesium
Weight loss, decreased bad cholesterol, balanced mood, reduced cortisol

Flaxseed
Phytochemicals, thiamin, magnesium, manganese, ALA
Healthy cell function, regulates muscle and nerve function

Vegan Veggie Scramble

Vegan Veggie Scramble

• 1.5 tsps nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp mild curry powder
• A small pinch of sea salt
• 3/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp. coconut oil
• 1/2 a small white onion chopped
• 1/2 a red bell-pepper, chopped
• A small handful of kale, chopped
• 1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4.25 oz firm tofu
• 2.5 oz canned black beans or haricot beans, drained and rinsed well

Place the nutritional yeast and dried spices in a bowl and stir well.
Place a skillet or frying pan over a medium heat and melt the oil.
Add the onion and bell-pepper and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until softened.
Add the mushrooms, kale and garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until softened.
Add the tofu and break it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
Stir in the spice mix and black beans.
Heat for 4-5 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Serve. Enjoy!

Calories: 302
Protein: 21g
Carbs: 32g
Fat: 10g

Cherry Chocolate Smoothie

Cherry Chocolate Smoothie

• 10 pitted cherries
• 6 slices frozen banana
• 6 oz unsweetened almond milk
• 2 Tbsps plain yogurt
• 1 heaping tsp cacao powder
• 1.5 tsp cacao nibs
• ⅓ cup chocolate protein powder
• 1 tsp ground flaxseed
• A pinch of ground cinnamon
• 4 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Calories: 345
Protein: 34g
Carbs: 23g
Fat: 13g

Photo Credits

Cherries – by unsplash

Other photos are by FitproRecipes – Used with permission

Guest Author Bio
Kathryn Morrow

Kathryn Morrow is a nutrition & weight loss coach passionate about eating well without deprivation. Have more questions or want more recipes? Connect with her at KGM Nutrition.

I gave my wife an Instant Pot for Christmas. Learning to use it was, shall we say, fodder for a very funny post that I must write at some point.

After a few test runs with water, as suggested in the instructions, we cooked a pork loin and then chicken and both turned out tender and fabulous.

I love making stews in our slow cooker. I started searching for Instant Pot recipes and noticed many soup recipes. One that caught my eye right away was Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup by Easy Family Recipes. It was amazing and very easy to make. It was my first soup in the Instant Pot. Thank you Kimber for sharing that recipe.

I have made a few others since, experimenting with this and that and they both turned out super yummy! So last night I went back to that first recipe and tweaked it a bit.

It too was very very good and easy to make.

Instant Pot Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup

Here is the recipe:

• 6 cups of cauliflower florets
• 6 cups of broccoli florets
• 1/2 onion – chopped
• 8 garlic cloves – minced
• 1 TSP sea salt
• 1 TSP black pepper
• 1 TBSP lemon juice
• 2 TBSP virgin olive oil
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 125 g cream cheese (1/2 a block)
• 2 cups shredded aged cheddar

Sauté the garlic and onions in the olive oil for 5 minutes stirring lots. Turn off, close the lid and let sit for an hour or more. It opens up!

When you are ready to cook, add all the other ingredients other than the cream cheese and cheddar cheese and give it a good stir.

Set the instant pot to 6 minutes cook time at high pressure. When done, allow 15 mins of natural release.

Release remaining pressure (carefully!). Open pot. Add cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Use an immersion blender to blend / thicken.

I served with a dollop of sour cream, bacon bits, shredded carrot and a warmed Ciabatta, buttered of course.

Very yummy. Very filling! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Photo Credit

Photo by Colleen Namur – All Rights Reserved

“I’m looking forward to cooking for two. Less prep time, less cook time, less clean-up.”

“I am looking forward to not stuffing myself.”

“Huh?”

“When there’s more food I feel compelled to go back for seconds and thirds.”

“Oh, I thought you loved having leftovers for lunch the next day.”

“I do, but you make enough for seconds, thirds, and leftovers.”

“Ever consider letting your stomach catch up with your head?

As he frowned, I realized this was not only going to be easier, but healthier for both of us.

My first week’s empty-nest meal plan looked like this:

• Monday: Sesame Chicken (recipe from Facebook video; it was delicious!)
• Tuesday: Lamb meatloaf (recipe follows)
• Wednesday: Leftovers
• Thursday: Take out (that was really easy)
• Friday: Meat Pie

Monday’s meal went well, but still resulted in leftovers, and I only used two chicken breasts! When you factor in the stir-fried veggies and brown rice, two plump breasts are more than you think!

Not the prettiest, but definitely delicious: lamb meatloaf

Now to Tuesday: Lamb meatloaf. I made this up off the top of my head, and I didn’t actually partake in it for dinner because I was headed out for drinkies with a few other empty nesting moms. Nevertheless, I started with 1 lb. of ground lamb. For the mashed potatoes, I literally boiled one large russet potato. I have made beef meatloaf a million times, but now that the lamb naysayers have scrammed, I can make what I want.

One large russet does in fact make enough mashed potatoes for two!

So, Wednesday was leftovers night. A little leftover chicken and rice, a little meatloaf and mashers (one large russet makes a lot more mashed potatoes than I thought it would, and my husband loves mashed potatoes).

Thursday was take-out because I was sick all week with a nasty chest cold. On Friday I made a meat pie for two in a 9″ x 9″ square baking dish, as opposed to the 9″ x 13″ that feeds six and provides leftovers. We still had leftovers with the small one also, and that’s my meal plan for the weekend since the Mr. is out of town. Leftover fried meat pie with a couple eggs…ahhh.

(Note: I didn’t use ketchup in this meatloaf because lamb and ketchup just seemed wrong. If you substitute beef, add a bunch of ketchup.)

This recipe actually feeds four (1 lb.) so if you need it to feed six, add another ½ pound of meat and pump up all the other ingredients’ amounts. If you insist on cooking for one and detest leftovers, basically make a hamburger, not a loaf. Start with a ¼ pound of meat and go from there. Or start with a ½-lb and you will have just enough for a nice sandwich the next day. Also, I know my way around a kitchen, and rarely measure anything, so my amounts below are estimates for the most part, except for the main ingredients.

Lamb Meatloaf (for 2-4)
Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground lamb
• ½ large carrot, ½ med. zucchini, ¼ yellow onion, ½ red bell pepper; I cut these into 1-inch pieces, then throw them all together into my food processor and hit “pulse” several times until they were minced finely (see picture).
• Garlic, three cloves
• ¼ cup seasoned breadcrumbs mixed with about ¼ cup milk (should be thick, but still pourable, like a milkshake)
  
  

  Seasoned breadcrumbs and milk “milkshake”

• 1 egg
• Worcestershire sauce (about four liberal shakes; more or less depending on how you like it.)
• Salt and pepper (maybe about ¼ – ½ tsp of each)

Preparation:

1. Place the ground lamb in a large bowl. I use organic and I don’t know the fat ratio.
2. Mince veggies (by hand or food processor as described above).
   
   

   Minced onion, red bell pepper, carrot and zucchini

3. Sauté veggies until they are very soft and glossy, and edges are starting to brown. I sauté on medium for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper while cooking.
4. Add crushed garlic about 2 minutes before veggies are done cooking. Add veggies/garlic mixture to meat.
5. Mix breadcrumbs and milk with a spoon and add to meat mixture.
6. Crack an egg into the meat mixture. Add Worcestershire sauce. Add salt and pepper. Don’t forget you (should have) seasoned the veggies while they were cooking.
7. Mix meatloaf ingredients thoroughly; it should fit perfectly into a loaf-sized Pyrex dish or pan. Note: There is going to be plenty of oil in the dish when it’s done cooking. You can easily drain this off as the meatloaf will shrink away from the sides of the loaf pan. You can even lift the whole loaf out with a large spatula and put it on a serving plate after setting it on a paper towel to soak up excess oil.

Buon appetito!

Photo Credits

All photos by Lisa Lucke – All Rights Reserved

Carnitas

Meals from scratch are not terribly laborious when you know what you’re doing with ingredients. I am sure there is a longer way to do it, but I make my own carnitas, for example, and it’s a snap. I brown a pork shoulder roast in olive oil on the stove; while that’s happening, I cut up a few onions and peel some garlic. Then, I throw it all in the Dutch oven, add spices (not a Lawry’s envelope labeled “Carnitas,” which is probably mostly sugar and salt), a little beef stock, and toss it into the oven. In 2.5 hours (while I’ve run to appointments or gotten a chunk of work done in my home office), it’s tender, and ready to shred and pile into warm corn tortillas or roll up in a big flour tortilla. The prep time was ten minutes.

Alas, there are the days when all I have time for is “homemade-ish.” I call these meals, “half-scratch.”

Half-scratch meals typically include some pre-made base or leftover component, but with creative twists, either in the preparation techniques or ingredients. Other shortcuts, along the same lines, include grabbing side dishes from local establishments that turn a quick meal at home into a unique and satisfying grub down.

Here are a few examples of most popular half-scratch meals I’ve made that include some leftovers, but serve up like the real deal and have kept my people happy.

Linguini Pie

I invented this when I had leftover linguini (with fresh, homemade marinara). Here’s what I did: I bought a Krusteaz garlic-herb flatbread mix, spread it onto a cookie sheet and baked it. While that was cooking (about ten minutes), I reheated the leftover pasta on the stove. When the flatbread was done, I poured the pasta onto the baked flatbread, topped it with a little shredded cheddar cheese and popped it under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese. I cut it into pie-shaped slices (hence the name) and served it with a green salad.

Behold, Linguini Pie.

Loaded Pancakes

Mix up a batch of pancake batter, throw in some fresh blueberries, chopped bananas, and bacon that’s been cooked and chopped. For a topping treat, toss one cup of heavy whipping cream and ½ cup of maple syrup into a blender and voila: maple whipped cream sauce is born. To make savory loaded pancakes, sprinkle chopped green onion, pine nuts and shredded cheese into the batter instead of the fruit.

Tri-tip Hash

Chop up left-over tri-tip or other pork or beef roast, and boil a few potatoes. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Sauté chopped onion until it’s browned, then throw in the tri-tip and potatoes. Brown until a nice crust forms on both sides. Serve with fried eggs for another breakfast-for-dinner meal, or with a salad.

Take out Side Dishes

Get the “feel” of your favorite restaurant without the cost of taking everyone out. In the summer, when we’re grilling burgers at home, I’ll grab a couple of large orders of French fries and onion rings from our local favorite mom & pop drive-in. If I’m making a quick weeknight dinner of homemade quesadillas, I’ll pick-up a pint of salsa and a bag of chips from my favorite local Mexican restaurant to go along with them. You can do the same with soup from the local bistro or café. Soups are great ways to dress up that homemade grilled cheese. Speaking of boring ol’ grill cheese…

Gourmet Grilled Cheese

The possibilities are endless: Add cooked bacon (make ahead of time in the oven on a cookie sheet), avocado, sliced tomatoes, jalapenos, goat cheese crumbles, roasted red peppers, or sliced red onion, etc. Go a step further and use sour dough or even ciabatta rolls. Yes, you can put some butter in a pan and fry a ciabatta roll. It’s delicious.

Have a half-scratch meal idea of your own to share? Leave a comment!

Photo Credits

All photos by Lisa Lucke – All Rights Reserved

Three milks? Yawn.

For me, those words do not cause any physiological changes upon reading them, nor would I feel an urge to make a recipe with those words in the title. Lucky for me I had the pleasure of tasting this cake before the recipe fell into my hands.

This Costa Rican dessert (which apparently originated in Nicaraugua) comes across as somewhat ordinary and, until you experience it, may seem like an unlikely winner. That’s what I love about it – it has a surprising wow-factor. It’s also extremely easy to make with a nice short ingredient list. When you make it for the first time, you’ll lift an eyebrow – particularly when you pull it out of the oven. It just looks…strange. So it’s almost shocking, once you taste it, to discover how good it really is. 

It was 20 years ago when friends first introduced me to this delicious, rum-soaked treat. When I first saw it on a plate in front of me, my expectations were low. It looked so plain, and I’m not a huge milk fan. One bite was all it took, though, for the addiction to set in.

These days, I only make it when the situation warrants it. I prefer it to be what it has always been, all those years ago – a novelty, something made for special times and for special people.

I make this cake the day before I plan to serve it, as I like to give it time to sit and reach that perfect point of moistness. If time is not on your side, try to at least give it 3 or 4 hours if possible.

Ingredients are ready to go

There are a couple of things you’ll need to do right off the bat – separate the egg whites from the yolks and put some water aside with some ice in it (you only need 4 tsps of water, so it doesn’t have to be a lot). While you’re at it, you might as well assemble the rest of the ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, egg whites and yolks) – your mis en place, for those wanting more flair.

Beat the egg whites until fluffy, then add the yolks and sugar little by little. Beat well, lower speed and add sifted flour and baking powder; add the ice water. Beat until smooth and pour into a large rectangular greased baking dish. It will look like you don’t have enough batter for the pan, but that’s ok!

Ready for the oven

Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 25 minutes. Remove and let cool for about 5 minutes. It will look a little pale and like it hasn’t risen enough – that’s normal!

Out of the oven and cooling

While the cake is cooling, combine the condensed milk, evaporated milk, whipping cream and rum. Mix well.

Take a toothpick or a wooden skewer and poke holes all over the cake, then pour the milk mixture over top. You want the cake to absorb all the liquid; you’ll know when it has by looking at it.

Holes are poked and milk is poured on…

…and now all the milk is absorbed

I put saran wrap on and put it in the fridge overnight at this point, as I like to give it maximum time to absorb all the liquid. On the day you’re planning to serve, whip some whipping cream in a bowl. I add a little icing sugar and vanilla for flavor. Once it reaches a nice whipped consistency, spread on the cake and put it back in fridge. You can serve it right away, but I like to let it sit for an hour just to cool the whipping cream.

The finished product

When you’re ready to serve, cut it into whatever size portions you desire – the milk will ooze out of the cake into a delicious pool of richness!

Tres Leches

Ingredients:

• 4 egg whites
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 c flour
• 1 c sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 4 tsps ice water
• 1 can condensed milk
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 c whipping cream (you’ll need a bit more for whipping later)
• ¼ c rum (or rum extract if prefer)

Method: 

1. Beat egg whites until fluffy; add yolks and sugar little by little, beat well.
2. Lower speed and add sifted flour and baking powder; add ice water, beat until smooth.
3. Place in a greased, 9 x 13 baking dish and bake in preheated 350° oven for 25 minutes (all ovens are different, check at 20 minutes!) You don’t want it to turn dark brown. Remove and let cool.
4. While cake is cooling, combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, whipping cream and rum in a bowl and mix well (I use a small whisk, as I find it helps with the thickness of the condensed milk.)
5. With a toothpick or a wooden skewer, poke holes all over the cake and pour milk mixture over top, a little at a time. Let sit.
6. Whip some additional whipping cream, add icing sugar and vanilla to taste and spread over top of cake. Cover with saran wrap and put in fridge for a few hours or overnight.

 Photo Credits

Photos by Carol Good – all rights reserved

I really don’t like to bake, and that’s because I don’t like to measure. I come from a long line of Italian lady cooks, and measuring isn’t something any of them ever did when they made a roast, or a stew, or a sauce: You cut and slice and shred and press and you put it all together in a big pot and then you cook it real slow and then boil some pasta and you eat it. Basta (that’s it/enough).

So when it comes to baking, the non-measuring habit really doesn’t work. So I avoid it. But with bread pudding, it’s not that critical. See, it’s a big pan of bread, milk, sugar, eggs and vanilla. What could possibly go wrong? On this particular night, I was doubling the recipe, and I had enough bread milk, but barely enough sugar, and not enough eggs. (You can’t have barely enough eggs; you either have enough or you don’t; but 1/3 cup of sugar = almost ½ cup, which equals “barely enough,” which equals “enough.” That’s my kind of recipe.

So there I was at 9:30 p.m., feeling like having a glass of wine, which meant I couldn’t go to sleep yet. Bread pudding is really easy to make; it was obvious that I had found my window. So I pulled the trigger.

I got it all put together, added a little more milk because it didn’t seem like there was quite enough, and tossed it in the oven. 30 minutes later, it was bread pudding. It wasn’t exactly the same as the last time I made it, when I was more generous with the brown sugar than the white sugar, and used egg nog at the last second to make it more festive (and ensure my kids wouldn’t touch it), not to mention ultra silky and moan-inducing.

What I like about bread pudding, in addition to being torn between eating it and rubbing it all over my husband, is this: I don’t have to be exact with my measurements. I can slap it together. While I drink. It doesn’t get any better than that for a busy mom who likes to cook. And that, my friends, is how it got its name.

Here’s my recipe. Let me know how you (but not your husband) like it:

Slap, Eat and Moan Bread Pudding

Ingredients-ish

• 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
• 5 large beaten eggs
• 2 cups milk (don’t use non-fat)
• 3 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups cubed artisan French bread, pugliese, or even sour dough (no airy grocery store brands)
• 1 cup packed (dark or light) brown sugar
• ¼ cup butter, room temp

Sauce

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ¼ cup liquor of choice: brandy, Tuaca, Kahlua, etc.

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a long pan (13×9, but others will work).
3. Mix the granulated sugar, beaten eggs, milk and vanilla; pour over the bread.
4. In a separate bowl: mix the brown sugar, butter and nuts. Sprinkle this mixture all around the top of the bread as evenly as you can.

Sauce Directions

Mix all ingredients EXCEPT the liquor in a small pan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is melted and then add the liquor. Pour over bread pudding or serve in a dish for guests to spoon on individually.

Photo Credit

Photo is Wikimedia Public Domain