The best meal you've ever slapped together.

We were one day away from payday. In the fridge was: onions, bell peppers and some raw chuck steak from the meal two days ago, cut into slivers.

Thinking quickly (and lazily) I got out the wok and threw the meat in. Took it out and put the onions and peppers in. Hey! I thought, this is sorta Chinese, let me put some five spice in here.

But wait! There isn’t any rice to put this over. After an extensive search (there’s gotta be rice somewhere, I never run out of rice!) my son says: No rice, but we have grits.

Put some corn starch in a half a cup of beef stock along with some salt and pepper and a pinch of tarragon and sugar. Pour this into the wok with the meat and veggies. Put this over the grits cooked as per the instructions on the box.

Surprise! This was really tasty. My family has been bugging me to make this meal again. Like it will ever come out the same.

Another time I took out everything left in my freezer: beef and chicken broth, half a bag of whole okra, smoked neck bones and a little bit of freezer burned pernil (otherwise known as fresh or picnic ham) and made a stew. Made dumplings from Bisquick mix to put on top.

Another hit never to be repeated.

The moral? Freeze homemade stock, keep your spice rack spiced and don’t look down on boxes.
So, what goodies have you thrown together?

Frozen chicken breasts, Ritz crackers, dried rosemary, olive oil, garlic salt and pasta. Crunch crackers in a plastic bag, add garlic salt, thaw chicken. Cut chicken into pieces, put in plastic bag and shake like you’d never do in public. Cook in a pan coated with olive oil, prepare pasta, and voila.

The best thing I make, sadly.

My best dish is a simple broiled pork chop, but with brandied caramelized pears on the side. Everyone loves the flaming brandy effect.
I am also famous for my yakisoba but that’s too much trouble unless I’m cooking for about 20 people.

Got so lucky and love this…

Reduce a cup of orange juice in a sauce pan until slightly thick, about half reduced. Hit lightly with ginger (fresh or ground),heavy with peppermill, splash balsamic vinegar (1T), and whisk together as still on the heat until consistency of thin steak sauce. Awesome flavorful glaze for the common grilled pork chop and a microwaved sweet potato.

Just happened that way one day. The nice addition in later prep… (last night) was fresh maple butter on the spuds and an heirloom tomato wedge on the glazed chop… first one out of the 2001 garden! Grilled the garden zucc and summer squash too. Ixnay on the nuker. Slow grill the sweet spud in a little foil. No finer summer in New England!

20 minutes prep if you can get around the kitchen, 30 minutes on the outside.

Splash of Merlot (This is important… the glaze.)

Oh, and sit in the nice room!

::pats paunch::

All of them!

Go to A&J’s Meat Market.
Buy 1-1/2 lbs. of their Maui Ribs.
Heat the grill on high and slap 'em on.
Cook for 5 mins.
By far the best meal anyone could ever slap together.

BTW, by my definition, “slap together” requires less then ten total minutes preparation time. :slight_smile:

Some of my best cooking comes out of desperation and an empty fridge! I made the best veggie soup my son ever had out of a mix of leftover veggies, a tomato from the garden and lots of spices. I haven’t been able to make it again… I try and I fail. Oh well.

but it made do last night. Like other’s have stated, we’re before payday and a week away from shopping.

2 packages Oriental flavor Ramen Noodles.

Place in boiling water. When they get soft, throw in a handful of frozen corn, frozen asparagus (right from the University farm this spring), and frozen broccoli. Cook until veggies are soft.

Drain. Put in one of the ramen flavor packets. Mix well. Enjoy.

Tasted pretty good!

Let’s see. I got a wonderful garlic mushroom pasta out of mushroom soup, garlic powder and a mixture of four different pastas (the boxes were almost empty).

I also made something that ended up rather tasty, all I had was mushroom soup (yes, we ALWAYS have mushroom soup), tuna, matzo, and some pasta. Threw it all together with a touch of salt and onion powder. It was VERY yummy.

And my mother makes a wonderful dish with Ritz crackers, blocks of Velveta cheese, and frozen brocoli.

Biggirl, you just described how I cook just about everything. I almost never follow a recipe, I have an extremely high success rate, and nothing I make tastes the same twice.

Probably the best was flash-frying chicken strips with some teriyaki, soy sauce, ginger and other spices I found in the cabinet, mixed with rice and peas. I can’t tell you exactly what I used or how much of each item because see above.

BigGirl, let me, China girl, teach how to make simple and easy food-- Chinese food. Just like what you did, thrown things together and it’s done!
I never follow any recipe to cook, it always come out good.
Get some stir fry sause, whatever left in the fridge, just chop them up into dices, or slice them, or whatever shape you like as long as they are small easy to eat without a knife. Meat, veggies, doesn’t matter,just throw them in the pan( a wok is prefered,) don’t forget add oil to heat up the pan first. Necessary ingrediants for all dishes are salt , sugar and soy sauce, garlic or ginger to adjust flavour. Add all these in , stir fry them till foods done, usually won’t take more than 5 minutes.
That is home made Chinese.