Faster than takeout Vegetable Curry over rice

This recipe is for nights I don't really wanna cook but cutting back on eating out so much.  It's so easy to add stuff to make it your own. I always keep these ingredients on hand in my pantry. 

This feeds 2.

1 bag of fave veggies

Can of garbanzos, drained

1 pkg of S&B Japanese Curry paste OR Trader Joes Curry in a jar or other quick curry sauce

1 cup of basmati rice

1. In an instant pot, pour in 1 cup of basmati rice and 1 cup of water. Close and cook 5 minutes.  If in pan, 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil and cover. Turn heat down to low and cook 20 minutes.

2.. FOR S&B- In an instant pot OR pan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add veggies and garbanzos.  Stir through till it's just warmed through.  About 5 minutes.  Salt/pepper lightly.  Add in cubes of the curry paste and let it melt and thicken sauce. About another 2 minutes.  Take off heat and cover.  When rice is ready serve this over it. 

FOR OTHER CURRIES: If the veggies are steamable, steam them as directed.  In a pan, add in steamed veggies and garbazos.  Pour in Trader joe sauce and heat till bubbly. Serve. (or follow your curry directions)

IDEAS:  Saute cut up chicken or shrimp in a pan and then add in the water for the S&B and follow the recipe.  OR do Spinach curry, sub out the veggies for bag of chopped Spinach and add cubes of paneer or fresh farmer's cheese or fresh mozz.   Serve over rice.

One pan Chicken and veggies with sherry pan sauce over couscous

This is a simple dinner that can be done in 30 minutes including prep.  I kept it simple but you can dress it up as much as you want. Check IDEAS at the end for more variations.

For 4 people

4 boneless and skinless breasts OR thighs of chicken

Salt/Pepper

Cornstarch for dusting

Ghee/oil 

2 cups of Taylor's Sherry (or a good sherry, NOT hollands)

1/2 cup of chicken stock

16 oz Veggies of choice (I used a frozen Mediterranean Vegetable blend)

2 cups of couscous

2 cups of stock or water

Parsley for garnish, optional

1. Salt/pepper chicken liberally on both sides.  Place a plastic wrap on it and wet the top with a damp hand.  Then pound thin.  The damp surface will help the hammer glide over the surface and reduce tearing the chicken.  Dust liberally both sides with cornstarch and shake off.2.

2. Place a couple of tbsp of ghee or oil in pan over medium high heat.  Cook both sides of the chicken until just golden.  Remove and set aside.  Don't worry about it being done.  You will cook it more later.

3.  Add in another tbsp or 2 of ghee/oil if the pan is dried out.  Toss in frozen veggies, stir and scrape up the bottom.  Salt/pepper again.  Cook for about 2 minutes.  Start a saucepan with 2 cups of stock/water and bring it to a boil for the couscous.

4.  If you like your vegetable al dente, remove and add to reserved chicken. If you like them soft, then leave in the pan.  Pour in the sherry and bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low.  Reduce by half (stirring and scraping continually).  About 5 minutes.  Then add stock/water.  Stir and add in veggies, and top with chicken in a single layer.  Cover and cook 5 minutes on low heat or until meat is cooked through.  (depends on how thin it is)

5.  By now your stock should be boiling in the saucepan, stir in the 2 cups of couscous. Salt/pepper.  Cover and turn off the heat.  Let it sit while the chicken is simmering.  (this is for the small couscous, if doing pearl or Israeli couscous, follow directions on package)

6. To serve, scoop couscous onto a plate, top with a chicken. Serve veggies on the side.  And a couple of spoonfuls of sauce over chicken.  Sprinkle chopped parsley if desired.

IDEAS:  Add a tbsp of butter to finish the sauce.  Saute garlic/shallots to pan after chicken and before adding veggies. Replace chicken with portobello mushroom caps seasoned with salt/pepper for a vegan option.  Or favorite seitan strips.   Add hot sauce or diced chilis.  Add strips of red peppers for color.  Use any vegetables you like.  Add fave herbs to flavor it more.  Fave seasoning blend.  The possibilities are endless, this is a basic starter recipe to get you started!

Vegan Cuban Bean Burgers

• 2 cans of black beans OR 3 cups of cooked black beans
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 1 red bell pepper (you can use green), chopped finely
• 4 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped finely
• 1 tbsp of tomato paste
• Handful of cilantro, rolled and chopped finely
• Juice of a lime (about 2 tbsp)
• About 3 tbsp of spanish green olives with pimientos, chopped finely
• 1 tbsp of capers
• Tsp of each: Badia Complete Seasoning, Cumin, Oregano, and onion powder. (yes there's fresh and dried onion in this)
• Scant 1/2 tsp of Spanish smoked paprika
• Salt/Pepper to taste (should be fine between olives/capers)
• 1/4-1/2 cup of panko

Optional Mayo Sauce:

• 1/2 cup of "mayo"
• 1/4 tsp of each: badia complete seasoning, oregano, cumin.
• Healthy pinch of smoked paprika
• Pinch of salt

1. Spread one can or 1 1/2 cup of beans on a cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes at 375 to "dry" out,
2. In a saucepan/skillet, add a little olive oil. Saute onion, peppers, and tomato paste till soft. About 5 minutes on medium heat. Then add garlic, stir and remove from heat.
3. In a bowl combine cilantro, lime, olives, capers, and seasonings. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cup of beans and mash finely. (not the oven-baked ones yet) Add in the onion mixture and oven-baked beans. Mash/stir. Add just enough panko till it's a tad try but still clumps easily. Taste for salt/pepper at this point and add if needed.
4. Form into patties, air fry or pan fry till slightly crispy and flip. Make optional mayo sauce by combining all into a small bowl/ramekin.
5. Toast buns if using. (I just eat with the mayo) Add sliced tomato/avocado drizzled with lime as well to the burger if you wish. We also use potato strings to make it "authentic".

NOTES: If you don't have Badia complete seasoning, you can use any mixed spices blends like Spike or just leave out completely. It's fine.

Bang Bang Shrimp in a hurry

Bag of Boom Boom shrimp (found at whole foods, see note below for more details)
Sauce:
1/2 cup of mayo
1/2 cup of sweet chili sauce (see note below)
1/4 cup of honey
1-2 tbsp of sriracha

Airfry or oven fry shrimp till cooked through and piping hot.

In a large bowl mix above sauce ingredients while shrimp is cooking.

Add hot shrimp to the bowl and swirl to coat and shake out onto a plate and serve immediately.  I serve this with this site's Tom Yum Fried rice.

Notes:  Boom Boom shrimp is a gluten-free coated shrimp that is all ready to be cooked.  You can sub out for tempura or batter-fried shrimp.  Breaded shrimp won't work as it will just get soggy.

You can find sweet chili sauce in most stores.  I have seen it called Thai Sweet Chili.  It is also the dipping sauce for spring rolls.  You can make it as well but this is a quick recipe for nights that I dont' want to order in but want comfort take out foods!

Tom Yum Fried Rice

TIP: Use cold leftover rice.  If cooking on same day, cook earlier than dinner time and place in the freezer till you start cooking.  Or in the fridge if you do it on the morning of.  The goal is cold rice.

4-5 eggs, lightly stirred with optional below.
Optional-Add 2 green onions chopped to eggs. Or 2 tbsp of fresh chives.
1 bag of broccoli slaw (Unsauced and found in produce dept-great short cut)
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3-4 tbsp of Tom Yum Paste (see note below)
3 cups of cold rice
4 stalks of green onions
Soy Sauce to taste
Cold-pressed sesame seed oil

In a large wok/pan add oil of choice to cover the bottom of the pan.  Set heat on medium and when shimmering, add eggs.  Cook till just done, slide eggs out to a plate to reserve. 

Add more oil to the pan and saute the slaw, garlic, and onion on low heat as not to burn.  Add a couple of tbsp of water to steam slaw.  Cook till evaporated and tender.  About 5 minutes.

Add tom yum paste and stir it through veg.  Scrape to sides of pan leaving space in the middle.  Add a touch more oil, turn the heat on high and dump rice.  Rice will be a block but use a sturdy spatula to mash it down into the oil.  It will soften as it heats up. (gives your arms a great workout!)  Be patient and keep stirring/breaking up the chunks.  Also incorporating the veg into the rice as well.  Once the rice is well mixed and no chunks, add egg and green onions.  Stir to incorporate.  Then in a swirl around the pan, add a few circles of soy sauce and stir.  Taste.  Keep adding till you like the taste.  It usually takes me 2 tries.  (about 2 tbsp)

Remove from heat and give it a few swirls of sesame seed oil and stir.  Serve.

Notes:  You can make tom yum paste but it's so many ingredients and wasted in this rice as you might as well make the soup!  You can reserve some of the paste if you do make soup for this rice as I have done.  But for a quick dinner, I just use the ready made paste from my local Asian grocery store.

Also, be careful when you add soy sauce, you don't need much.  If you add too much, rice will be sticky and lose that fried texture. 

Quick notes on times for Instant Pot:

On High Pressure unless noted.

40 minutes for unsoaked black/red/white/garbanzo beans.  Drain and use in the recipe as directed.

15 minutes for bagged idaho potatoes. Drain and use.

6 minutes for grits. Natural release. 4 cups of liquid to 1 cup of grits.

7 minutes for rice.  (same if you add veg/onions/chicken pieces etc)

10 minutes for kale. Add rest of soup items and cook again for 7 minutes. (zuppa toscana)

10 minutes for Minced meats/veg

5 minutes for frozen shrimp.  2 minutes for thawed shrimp.

Pasta-equal parts water/pasta and add more water if top is exposed.  Cooking time is the lowest time indicated halved then minus 2.  Ex. 10-12 minutes on the package.  Half of 10 is 5, minus 2 equals 3 minutes of cooking time.  MUST DO QUICK RELEASE.

Simple fish taco with cilantro lime slaw.

Fish:
Firm flesh fish of your choice (I have been using salmon), left in filets
Juice of a lime
1 tbsp Chili powder (I use Penzey's Ancho Chili powder)
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp of Oregano
Pinch of sugar
Salt/Pepper to taste

Slaw:
Pkg of angel hair cabbage
Juice of one lime
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
2 green onions, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup of mayo
Salt/Pepper to taste

Squeeze lime on fish on all sides.  In a small ramekin, mix up the spices well.  Sprinkle on all sides of the fish.  I use an airfryer to cook my fish at this point. You can roast in oven or pan saute.  Your choice.

Slaw-Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix. 

Assemble taco:  Add fish to your fave tortilla and top with slaw.