By Staff Writer Trevon Tucker
Egg Fried Rice
If you’re on a tight budget and/or don’t have a lot of time but still want a filling and nutritious meal, this one’s for you. Serves 1 to 2 people.
Supplies
Skillet and stovetop
Microwave
Instant white rice, 1 cup
Large white eggs (2-3)
Soy sauce
Season salt
Olive oil
Optional: Yum Yum Sauce (traditional sauce served at Japanese steakhouses, can be found at some grocery stores), small white onion, small bell pepper
Instructions
Time: 10-20 minutes
1) Prepare the rice in your microwave. The usual formula is one cup of rice per one cup of water, and cook for 5 minutes. If you’d like, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the rice before cooking it to give it a nice flavor and texture.
2) In about the last minute of cooking, oil your skillet and start cooking your eggs on medium heat. Scramble them and let them solidify a bit before adding the rice. It’s important to add the rice when the eggs are cooked enough to be edible, but not overcooked and dried out.
3) Mix the egg and rice often while you fry them on medium-high heat. Once they are blended thoroughly, add soy sauce, season salt, and Yum Yum Sauce if you have it. If you want to improve the nutritional value and/or add more flavor and variety, you could dice a small white onion or bell pepper and add it to the skillet.
4) Once the rice starts to get crispy, remove from the skillet and enjoy.
Seasoned Pork Chops
This is a quick, easy and versatile dish for any occasion. It goes great with any side, especially baked beans and mashed potatoes. Serves 3 to 6 people.
Supplies
Skillet and stovetop
Package of about 6 pork chops
Chicken broth
Olive oil
Paprika
Garlic powder
Season salt
Quart or gallon Ziploc bag
Optional: Creole seasoning and/or a pinch of chili powder for spice
Instructions
Time: 5 minutes or less for prep, 11 minutes to cook
1) Trim the pork chops with a knife or scissors, removing any and all fat you can see. Then put the trimmed chops into the Ziploc bag.
2) Take a tablespoon of each seasoning and put it into the bag on top of the pork chops, then shake it up until every chop is coated with the seasonings. If you’re adding additional seasonings, throw them in as well.
3) Put a bit of olive oil into your skillet and warm it up on medium-high heat until the oil turns from greenish-yellow to light brown. Once it gets to this point, add the seasoned pork chops to the pan. You can really pack them in there and they’ll still cook properly, so don’t worry about that. Fry the chops for 3 minutes, then flip them over and fry for another 3 minutes.
4) Once they are done frying, leave the chops in the pan and add the chicken broth. Make sure there’s enough broth in the skillet to cover the chops completely. Maintaining medium-high heat, let them continue to cook in the broth for 5 minutes. This will make them juicier and more tender, as well as allow the seasonings to really soak in.
5) Remove the pork chops, pat them dry with a paper towel, and serve with your chosen sides.
Pan-Fried Salmon
A simple and easy recipe for those special occasions when you find discounted salmon at your local supermarket. One fillet will usually feed one person.
Supplies
Skillet and stovetop
One salmon fillet, skin-on
Instant white rice
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Optional: Creole seasoning
Instructions
Time: About twenty minutes.
1) Oil your skillet and heat it up to medium heat. Once the oil has turned brown, carefully place the salmon fillet skin-down on the pan. The skin will help to provide a temperature buffer and prevent the salmon from overcooking, which is an easy mistake to make with skinless salmon. As it begins to cook, pour a tablespoon of olive oil over the top so that it soaks in to give it a richer flavor.
2) Allow the salmon fillet to continue cooking on medium heat and check on it every couple of minutes to observe the color change. The meat will slowly become opaque, starting at the skin. Once the color has changed about three-quarters of the way up the salmon, proceed to Step 3.
2a) Mix a cup of instant white rice, a cup of water, and a tablespoon of olive oil in a large bowl. Cook it in the microwave on high for five minutes.
3) Flip the salmon over and increase the temperature to medium-high. I usually let it cook for around three or four minutes so that it cooks thoroughly. However, if you are so inclined, it is perfectly safe and healthy to cook it for less time and take your salmon medium-rare.
4) When it has cooked for long enough, press your utensil of choice into the flesh on top of the fillet. It should flake apart easily, which lets you know that it has cooked enough.
5) Serve the salmon with a side of the white rice, and season it to taste.
As a side note, the fried salmon skin is completely edible. If you are not inclined to eat it yourself, it makes a healthy and delicious treat for dogs and other meat-loving pets.
The next two recipes are great for crock pot owners. A crock pot is a great investment and I highly recommend buying one if you do not already own one.
Crock Pot Beef Stew
A Midwestern classic, this traditional beef stew recipe will keep you and your friends and family well-fed and happy for days.
Supplies
Crock pot, 4-7 quarts
Skillet and stovetop
1 package of beef for stew, as large as you can find
Beef or chicken broth, 2 boxes
Potatoes (golden, red, or Russet potatoes are all good choices)
Worcestershire sauce
White Flour
Olive oil
Season salt
Optional: Celery, carrots, bay leaves, and/or white onions
Instructions
Time needed: About half an hour for prep. Cook time is dependent on preference: 8 to 10 hours on low, 5 to 6 on high.
1) If your stew meat has any noticeable fat on it, go ahead and trim it off. Then, oil your skillet and fry the stew meat on medium-high until it is lightly browned.
2) Place the fried stew meat into the crock pot. Cut up your potatoes and any other vegetables you wish to add and place into the crock pot as well. There’s no real upper limit to the number of potatoes other than the crock pot’s capacity and your available room for leftovers, so you can add as many as you like.
3) Pour in enough beef or chicken broth that all the food is covered.
4) Add flour to taste. The amount of flour you add corresponds to the thickness of the stew. A very thick stew will be quite filling even with small portions, but some may find it to be too much. I personally add about ¾ cup of flour to my beef stew.
5) Mix up the stew and leave it to cook either for 8 to 10 hours on low, or 5 to 6 hours on high. It’s best to set an alarm. If you miss it by an hour or two, no worries – it will just give the meat and potatoes more time to tenderize and soften.
6) When the stew has finished cooking, taste it to make sure that the meat is tender and flaky and that the potatoes are soft. If not, cook it on high for a while and check on it as necessary. Here you can also add Worcestershire sauce, season salt, and additional flour to taste.
7) Once you are satisfied with your stew’s flavor and consistency, it is ready to serve with salt and pepper to taste. In order to preserve the consistency, it is best to immediately store and refrigerate whatever is not eaten rather than leave it in the crock pot.
As a side note, I’ve found that the recipe also works just fine with other meats such as chicken breast and pork chops.
Crock Pot French Dips
This richly flavorful meat dish is equally delicious with or without a bun. The number of people you will be able to feed depends on the size of your chosen roast.
Supplies
Crock pot, any size
1 beef roast (any kind, preferably large, as lean as you can find)
1 can of Campbell’s French Onion Soup
1 can of Campbell’s Beef Consommé (can be found in the soup aisle)
Hoagie buns
Optional: Chopped white onion, Swiss or Provolone cheese
Instructions
8-10 hours to cook, 5-10 minutes prep
1) Trim the fat off the beef roast as best you can with either a knife or scissors. If you find that you don’t have a whole lot of edible meat left after trimming, stew beef can be used to supplement your supply. Just be sure to tenderize it first.
2) Stick the roast in your crock pot, dump the French onion soup and beef consommé on top of it (as well as chopped onion if wish), put the lid on, and leave it to cook on low for 8-10 hours.
3) Once the roast has had time to cook, shred up any remaining chunks with a pair of forks and let it cook on high temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.
4) Remove the meat from the crock pot and save the leftover broth for dipping.
5) Put the meat onto your hoagie buns with cheese to make sandwiches, or simply pile it onto your plate and enjoy.