Make a bunch of mashed potatos and put in an oven safe bowl. Cook up some chicken and after it’s done add 2 cans of cream of chicken soup and a can of mixed veggies. Heat.
Scoop hole into middle of mashed potatos, pour in chicken glop. Cover with cheese and heat in oven. It’s the super short cut version of something my mom makes that we always called “mashed potato chicken shit”.
I’m not in the kitchen that long. Prep time is about 20 minutes. While the dish is in the oven, I’m on the Dope or in front of the TV. 
Wee Bairn, darn it. Cream of mushroom soup is the one thing that my husband doesn’t like – in any dish. Otherwise I’d be doing that with beef – and chicken too.
Well, there’s also cream of celery, cream of chicken, and cream of onion to fall back on. Cream of onion seems pretty salty to everyone but me, so be careful in the seasoning. Cream of celery is better than cream of mushroom for tuna dishes, give it a try.
The technique I use for tortillas comes from Cook’s Illustrated. Pre heat the oven at 200, spray both sides of the tortillas with cooking oil, arrange on a cookie sheet, then throw them in the oven for a few minutes until the tortillas are pliable, but not in any way cooked. I’ve done that dozens of times and never had a problem with my tortillas breaking.
Green Tea Soba Noodle Salad
I figured out how to make this because I loved it the first time I ate it at Haru-Ulala, an izakaya in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Can’t go there all the time-the cost piles up.
Purchase green-tea (cha-soba) noodles from Asian grocery store. The big one around these parts is 99 Ranch.
Cook according to directions. While noodles are cooking, break open bag of mesclun salad mix, or in my case, chop up a few persian cucumbers (I just don’t like leaves).
When noodles are finished, drain in colander and rinse through with very cold water until they cool. Put in bowl with your leaves/chopped persian cucumbers. I might add that I absolutely detest seeded cukes so I will shell out for persian or the long hothouse english cukes.
Toss with black sesame seeds and Japanese bottled sesame salad dressing (also obtained from asian grocery store). I used to try to duplicate their dressing but always failed miserably. Finally, I just gave up and purchased a bottle of sesame salad dressing and lo and behold, it was as close as I’ve ever tasted to the restaurant’s dressing. I don’t remember the name of the brand but it’s pretty well known-they also make a ginger variety. I’ll post the brand name from home tonight, for those who might be interested.
I’m pretty certain the restaurant also adds grated vidalia onion but I never bother.
Ridiculously simple, healthy and tasty.
My husband grew up eating what they called “dinner in foil.” You take a pound of ground beef and using your hands, mix in an egg, worchestershire sauce, bread crumbs (or mashed-up crackers), seasoning salt, pepper, and whatever other spices you want to use. Split the mixture up into for patties and place each on a good-sized piece of aluminum foil. Top each patty with diced onion, diced carrots, and diced potatoes. Fold the foil up around the beef and veggies to make a sealed packet. Bake at 350F until the potatoes and beef are done (about 30 minutes – cooking time depends on the sizes of the patty and the potato chunks). When they’re done, drain the grease from inside the packet, and serve.
It’s fantastic cold-weather food, and it smells divine while baking. Tastes great too.
Okay, found it through some intrepid google searchery. It’s Mitsukan brand.
I just have to chuckle – there’s not a single ingredient in this recipe that’s available within 50 miles of where I live. God, I miss living in Seattle sometimes! It sounds really, really good.
cbawlmer, I’d forgotten all about the foil dinner. Used to love it. Mom made it using chuck steak, but hamburger would work even better.
I think Amazon and online gourmet stores could help you out! My favourite hot sauce only seems to be widely available in Canada so I just purchase it online and they ship it to my doorstep. I’m sure you understand when I say my life is incomplete without Matouk’s.
A package of Zatarain’s beans and rice (doesn’t matter what variety). Fry up some spicy sausage (sliced or chopped, I like chorizo, but some run-of-the-mill Italian sausage works too). Throw the sausage in with the beans and rice. Cheap, fast, and tasty.