I was hungry for some chicken (guitar riff) But wanted to it to really last (guitar riff) So I boiled that bird for ‘bout 20 minutes For a sandwich, salad, and soup And you know how I love to make soup…
Sure has been a while, hasn't it? Po Foo is funny that way. It's spontaneous, and hard to capture in the moment. I was going to try committing Po Foo to video, but this is the trouble I run into everytime. Anyhoo...
I was searching through my somewhat bare fridge and freezer, when I came across a single chicken breast. I wasn't about to wait for it to thaw on its own, so I decided to boil it. Once I got the process started, I realized there were plenty of options now available for me. I wasn't very hungry, so once the chicken was cooked through I cut it up and divided it into piles.
The first pile, and the largest slices of chicken breast, were going to be eaten right away in some kind of sandwich, but what? I managed to dig out a small, half-eaten jar of pesto sauce from the fridge, and a little bit of grated cheese, and tomato slices from an 'expired' salad. (more on that later) Warmed it all on a slice of bread for a couple seconds and consumed on the spot.
The next smaller sized pieces I wrapped up and stashed in the fridge to have with said salad from before. My boyfriend brought me home this salad, several actually, after a hard night's work at the local fast food joint. An Important Message About Po Foo!: Those of you in the 'food service industry' MUST attempt to utilize your position whenever possible. That probably goes without saying, and I know managers and owners can be real nasty about it, they'd rather add to the hundreds of thousands of tons of perfectly edible food stuffs that are wasted every year, rather than give you a free meal, which is basically a write-off anyway. Try not to get fired for it. Meanwhile there are people starving here (maybe you?), and abroad. There's even a small movement of people who primarily eat food waste from grocery stores and hotels by means of dumpster diving. To learn more check out this site - Freegan.info - not exactly my cup of tea but I figured I'd dispense some little-known info for you all. *steps off of soap box* Hm.. how'd that get there?..... When I go to eat that salad later, I'll be faced with a new challenge, it's slightly picked over, and we have no dressing. I'm sick of vinegar and oil, but I'm pretty sure I've got some salsa in the refrigerator that isn't getting any younger... Plus that open can of corn.... bacos...
Finally, the smallest cuts of chicken breast were saved to be put into the newly created soup broth as a result of boiling the chicken. I let the broth cook down on low heat for maybe 15 minutes, added a little bullion to it, as well as the chicken pieces, a small bit of onion, a 1/4 cup of instant rice (already cooked), some of the corn I found in the fridge, and one of the baby carrots once again from the previously mentioned salads.
So as a re-cap, I more or less created 3 small simple meals from one medium sized chicken breast. The total prep time was about 30-40 minutes. Sure some of it was pre-existing, but that's really what po foo is all about. Making do with what you've got.
Living your life is a task so difficult, it has never been attempted before.
Fish. Good and good for you. Comes in a can, and fairly inexpensive from the grocery store seafood section. In fact, some stores that offer take-home meals offer sushi. I love it. Beats out done-to-death Chinese food in my book. But there are a couple problems that go along with this:
Location. You may not live in an area where sushi is a big seller. That was me a couple years ago. My first taste of sushi came with a trip to NYC. Sure, I had bragging rights over most of my peers, but I'd be quietly jonesing for it until I left for college.
Quality. The grocery store isn't so much interested in freshness, as it is in making money on a popular alternative. To be honest, some small percentage of sushi bars are the same way. Despite what any non sushi eater may think, when it is at its freshest, raw fish does not smell. The slightest of slight odors is ok if that's all you have access too, but sushi made while you're looking at it is usually always best.
Price. As a reader of this blog, chances are you're here for cheap cooking ideas. Chances are also pretty good that you're not about to spend 12 bucks on a couple little pats of rice with pieces of eel laid on them. Never fear, for I am here.
Commonly known as Chirashi-sushi (scattered fish), this is the perfect alternative to your fishy desires. This type of sushi is served in a bowl on a bed of rice. Artistically, it is arranged with veggies around the outer edge, and the meat in the middle. The traditional form uses up to 9 items, but work with what you got. You may want to go the distance and attempt to make real honest-to-goodness sushi rice, which is somewhat helpful if you are going to be using chopsticks. There are plenty of good recipes for that online. In my rendition I just sort of wing it. Feel free to follow along.
Sushi Bowls (pronounced chee-Ra-shee soo-shee)
For the fish: canned or fresh* tuna/albacore/salmon (the pre-flavored fillets that come in foil packets are pretty good - just cook them!) imitation crab seafood mix (baby cuttlefish, mussels, squid, cubed fake crab, etc){cook this stuff!!}
*Please only use sushi grade raw fish to avoid getting sick. If you can't get fish that fresh, cook whatever your going to use. Any vegetable you happen to have, though I recommend: cucumber radishes (daikon) leaf greens (I prefer using lightly sweated cabbage) carrots baby corn
For the rice: vinegar (rice vinegar preferred) sugar salt soy sauce wasabi (or horseradish, which is what most wasabi is made of since Japan doesn't export the real deal due to its rarety.) ginger either fresh, pickled, or powdered
Prepare the rice as per the instructions. Now is the time to check out legit sushi rice recipes, otherwise, continue reading. If you're using leftover rice, microwave it with a little water to soften it back up. Per one cup of cooked rice, mix 2 1/2 to 3 Tbsp of vinegar with one tsp of sugar and several dashes of salt into a small container. When the rice is still warm empty it into a wooden or glass bowl and gently mix in the vinegar mixture. Do Not Use a metal bowl or spoon, it screws up the way the starches form in the rice. Mix it around till the rice cools off, use a fan if you need to, or you can eat it warm, its all good.
Next prepare the fish and vegetables. Drain the canned fish, cook the fresh stuff, cut it into manageable pieces. Clean and cut the veggies. set it all aside.
When you're ready to make the dish, get a bowl and fill it half way with rice. Arrange the greens around the bowl, and place the fish in the middle. Sprinkle with soy sauce and add ginger. Sprinkle the fish with lemon if you wish. Place a small dollop of wasabi on one edge of the bowl. Bust out your chopsticks and dig in.
Fry up the chicken breast(s), bacon, and hamburger (form into patties or balls beforehand). Prepare a pot with frying oil and heat. Slice up the chicken and hamburger patties. Unwrap several string cheese packets. Spread out bread dough (not too thin) and pile on chicken, bacon, hamburger and cheese. Seal the chonut and place into the hot, boiling oil until dark brown. Flip if needed. Remove from oil, drain and let cool. Dough may not be fully cooked inside, but that's supposed to happen. Great for going long periods of time without eating, very filling.
I feel bad only having updated 2 times since last Thanksgiving, but what are you going to do? That was then this is now and all that jazz...
This will be my 4th year, I believe, celebrating this holiday away from my family. I've been cooking for friends and roommates during this time. I love it. It gives me a chance to strut my stuff as a cook, and this year I'll be cooking early so that all of my friends can join in. Spending a little beyond my capabilities, we're having a huge turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, mixed veggies, crescent rolls, and chocolate pie.
For those of you also not going home for the holiday, for god sakes get together with buddies and make something. Nothing so fancy as the traditional meal, perhaps, but do something so your mothers don't worry about you. Perhaps you'll try a recipe you've found on this site. (I hope)
1/2 lrg Onion (or 1 small onion) 1 to 1 1/2 cups of chopped carrots 1 cup of celery 1 to 2 cups of chopped steak Golden Brand curry mix white rice
sautee the onion and the meat until meat is cooked well. then put in 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add in the carrots and celery, turn down heat a little and let it simmer for a few minutes. put in curry mix and stir until desolved. let cook until the water and mix has thickened. When done, place over the white rice.
Yorkshire pudding
Beef drippings from a meatloaf, potroast, or salisbury steak TV dinner. (if you don't have that, beef flavored broth with a small bit of flour to thicken it up will work as well) White bread Milk (optional)
Mix juice and a splash of milk together in a bowl. Set stove on low heat and grease a pan. Place bread into juice mixture (think french toast). Lightly fry, leaving it still moist. Top with whatever is left of juice. Try also microwaving the bread rather than frying.
Another way to prepare this dish:
Pancake mix Beef drippings or thin gravy
Mix pancake batter with the broth rather than with water (if you want you could probably splash a little milk in also). Prepare on the stove, leaving the cakes slightly undercooked if you can. Top with any extra drippings.
Follow good advice as naturally as a river follows its course.
When I'm not in the mood to invent new foods, I break out the books. Here are a couple of my simple, Po' Foo friendly, favorites. The Quick and Easy Cookbook by Joan Savin (c) 1978
Meat Loaf #2
1 to 2 lbs ground beef 1 small can evaporated milk 1 envelope onion soup mix
Combine ingredients, shape into loaf, and bake 45 minutes at 350. Serves 2 to 4.
Hot Taco Dogs
1 lb hot dogs 1 can taco sauce 1 pkg taco shells 1 can frozen avacado dip, thawed Shredded lettuce Shredded cheddar cheese
Without cutting all the way through, split hot dogs lengthwise. Simmer in taco sauce 10 minutes. Tuck one hot dog into each taco shell, spoon on thawed avacado dip. Garnish with lettuce, cheese, and a spoonful of tace sauce on each sandwich. 10 servings.
Ravioli Casserole (Mock Lasagna)
1 can (2 1/2 lb) of ravioli 1/2 pt cottage cheese 1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, sliced 1 can (8oz) pizza sauce 1/2 c grated cheese
in a p-inch square baking pan, arrange in layers half portions of ingredients in order given. Repeat layers with remaining portions. Bake 30 minutes at 350 F. Serves 4 to 6.
Oven-Baked Sausage Pankcakes
pancake mix for 8 pancakes, prepared as directed 1 pkg (8oz) brown and serve sausages
Pour prepared pancake batter into well greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Arrange sausage in batter. Bake at 450 F for 12 to 15 minutes. Cut in squares to serve. (For larger amounts, double the pancake batter, use a 12x17 inch pan, bake at the same temperature, same length of time.) Do not expect these pancakes to brown on top; they look more like cake than pancakes. Serves 3 to 4.
Sorry for the inactivity for anyone who was an avid reader.(har har) Its not easy coming up with recipes all the time. I don't want to have to abandon this blog altogether, so I need your help.
Check back monthly
Send in recipe ideas
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Here are a couple 'ghetto-style' oddities for your taste enjoyment.
"How to make prison-style grilled cheese" submitted by Bo Holbrook
Paper bag Bread Cheese Iron
Start heating the iron (somewhere just before the 'Steam' settings). Make the sandwich, butter the outsides of the bread and put the cheese in the middle. Place on a clean-ish, heat resistant surface. Put the bag over top and press with the iron. Press for a few seconds, lift and check for browning. Repeat for both sides, keeping the sandwich under the bag.
Chicken with FrenchHeinzKikkoCream
Chicken breast Sour Cream Ketchup Mustard Soy Sauce Salt & Pepper
Using the Sour Cream as a base (one small tub will coat about 2-3 breasts), mix enough Ketchup and Mustard to taste, and add a teaspoon or two of Soy Sauce. Sprinkle in Salt & Pepper as desired. When the concoction is a pale cream color its ready for the chicken. Put a frying pan over meduim heat, and smear the tops of the chicken breasts with the Sauce. Make it thick, but leave enough to coat the bottoms as well. Put the chicken in the pan, sauce side down, and cook until the meat is white. Next, slather the rest of the sauce on the chicken and flip to continue cooking. The sauce may carmelize a little, but that's a good thing. When the chicken has been cooked through, serve. This dish may be complimented with rice, noodles, or even some kind of vegetable.
Katie's Eggs Erroneous
8 eggs 1/2 box of leftover chinese rice (or probably 1/2 cup cooked rice) 4 packets of soy sauce 1/2 tsp of sugar Shredded cheese Olive oil
Mix eggs in a cup/bowl. Coat the bottom of a large pan with olive oil, dump in rice and mix loosely till warm. Pour two packets of soy sauce on rice, continue stirring. Pour 1 1/2 to 2 packets into the eggs, add sugar. Pour the eggs on the rice and prepare like scrambled eggs. When finished, put on plates and sprinkle cheese on top. Good with ketchup.
You know the story - you're hungry, you walk to the kitchen, and after a glancing exploration you discover all you have is a cabinet full of condiments, a can of peas, and a smashed up bag of chicken ramens....
If you have any sort of food creation you'd like to share, send me an email. Any measurements don't have to be exact, just as long as you can explain what you need and how to prepare it. If you don't know how much of something goes into it, try to describe how the food should look when its added. Remember, you'll aways get credited for a recipe you send in.
All images in this blog, especially the Po Foo icon/mascot,
are copyright (c) Katherine Henderson 2005, unless otherwise noted. Rights reserved, do not use without permission.
Living your life is a task so difficult, it has never been attempted before.
