Not-quite-recipes

A lot of what I eat on an everyday basis doesn't quite rise to the level of a recipe or a full blog entry. These are the little things that I throw together when I'm feeling lazy. Sometimes this involves zhuzhing up something pre-prepared, frozen, or canned. You might call them semi-homemade.

What are your go-to not-quite-recipes?

Breakfasts

• Hash tots. Too lazy to make hash browns? Use tater tots! Brown tater tots in an airfryer or toaster oven while sautéing any or all of the following: onions, mushrooms, (vegetarian) sausage, and/or peppers. Sprinkle with Tony Chachere's cajun seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Add tater tots to pan on low-medium heat and break up a little using a potato masher. (This part is so satisfying!) Sprinkle with shredded cheese, allow to melt for a few minutes, top with a fried egg, hot sauce, and sliced green onion,

• 

  Biscuits and gravy

  "Chicken" and waffles or chicken in a biscuit. Lazy, indulgent breakfast sandwich with a fake chicken filet (I like Gardein) on two toasted frozen waffles, or a homemade cheddar garlic biscuit topped with fried egg, green onion, and dipped in hot honey.

• Biscuits and vegetarian gravy.

• Berry-kefir smoothie with secret veggies. I blend up a batch of this at the beginning of the week and put the whole blender carafe in the fridge. Each morning, I pop the carafe back on the blender, give it a quick whirr to stir it up and have a glass for breakfast. 

• Cottage cheese scrambled eggs. Creamy, simple, high protein. Add 1 T cottage cheese per egg, season with salt and pepper or Tony Chachere's, mix thoroughly, and scramble gently, until soft and creamy. Serve on toast. 

Snacks

• Cottage cheese Caprese salad. Top cottage cheese with sliced cherry tomatoes, torn basil, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper.

• Zhuzhed up refried beans. Add any or all of the following: salsa, garlic powder, chili powder, chipotle powder and microwave. Use as an addition to quesadillas, nachos, or breakfast tacos, or top with cheese, more salsa, and sour cream for a dip.

• Jalapeno popper tacos. Or just dip the poppers in ranch or blue cheese! 

• 3 ingredient creamed spinach. Pretend it's a dip and scoop it with crackers or bread.

• Canned smoked oysters. Topped with a splash of lemon and tabasco on saltines. These satisfy a craving for oysters in a vague nod to my homeland, Louisiana. 

Meals

• Healthyish Asian noodles. An egg and lots of frozen veggies turn instant noodles into a full meal. Using dried ramen or "air dried" noodles like those from Momofuku or Trader Joes, boil in one cup water with about half of the seasoning packet, a sprinkle of garlic powder, a splash of vinegar, frozen peas, carrots, and/or green beans. Throw some mushrooms in there if you have them. One the noodles are tender, the liquid should be mostly absorbed, no need to drain. Add a raw egg, remove from heat, and stir vigorously. Carry over heat will cook the egg sort of like a carbonara. Top with chili crisp and sliced green onions if you have them. 

  

  Lil foldeez

• Lil foldeez. Why do we call it that? I dunno, it's cute! Spread hummus on a warm pita, add halloumi, top with any or all of the following: fresh spinach or arugula, tomato slices, pepperoncini, Kalamata olives.

• Cheesy canned chili. Beyond and Hormel now make fake meat versions I like, Microwave, then stir in garlic powder, shredded cheddar, fresh diced onion, and copious hot sauce or sambal. Scoop up with tortilla chips.

• Taco mess. This flavorful mixture of plant-based meat, beans, and seasonings is great for dipping or tucked into quesadillas or burritos.

• 

  Taco mess with fixins

  Chili crisp roasted cauliflower/broccoli with dumplings. Steam up some frozen dumplings (my favorite are Trader Joe's Thai shrimp gyoza), and meanwhile air fry or roast cauliflower and/or broccoli tossed with chili crisp and garlic powder. Top the roasted veg with more chili crisp to taste. 

• Favorite burgs. Sauté diced onion and sliced mushrooms in a buttered skillet. Once onions are translucent, sprinkle mixture with Worcestershire and move to the outer edges of pan. Season Impossible meat patties with a few drops liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper. Sauté on one side. When you flip the patty, top with the onion and mushroom mixture and seal it in with a slice of cheddar cheese on top. You may need to place a lid on top to melt the cheese. Serve on a toasted bun. My go-to condiments are mayo, ketchup, and whole-grain mustard, plus arugula and a thick slice of tomato. 

• Quesadillas. Spread zhuzhed up refried beans (above) on one half of a large flour tortilla. Top that half with frozen mushrooms and peppers, jalapenos, and cheese. Fold over. Sauté in buttered pan until golden on both sides. Serve with salsa and sour cream for dipping.

• 

  Silken tofu with spicy no-cook sauce

  Nachos. Cover a quarter sheet pan with a single layer of tortilla chips, and cover with shredded cheddar and/or jack cheese, zhuzhed up refried beans, salsa or pico, and hot sauce. I maintain that adding the cheese layer first forms a barrier against the more moist ingredients, preventing sogginess. Air fry or heat in toaster oven until cheese is melted and chips are slightly browned. Serve with more salsa and sour cream for dipping. 

• Silken tofu with spicy no-cook sauce with a side of kimchi. This is my go-to work lunch.

• 

  Disco fries with gravy

  Disco fries with vegetarian gravy. Cut russet potatoes into large steak fries. Toss in oil and salt and roast until browned. Top with shredded cheese, gravy, and sliced green onions if you're feeling fancy.
  

Drinks

• La Croix spritzers. Can of La Croix or other flavored seltzer with a shot of clear liquor like gin or tequila. Surprisingly light and refreshing. 

• 3-ingredient cocktails.

• Fruit-infused old fashioned. I enjoy this "refrigerator cocktail" almost every evening.