I like to call this dish "What I had left in my fridge"

1 Hillshire farm sausage, any type
At least 1/2 very large bag of hashbrowns
1 and 1/2 onion, sliced
1 whole bag of baby spinach
Optional: grated cheese

DO NOT ADD SALT OR BUTTER

- Coarsely chop the sausage. Throw half of it in the pan to brown (you'll need the grease).

- Remove, keeping the grease in the pan. Throw in the hashbrowns and press down into the pan. Pepper liberally. After 4-5 minutes (per package instructions) flip them over and cook another 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan.

- Throw the rest of the sausage and the onions in the pan to brown. Just before the onions turn translucent, add the spinach and the previously cooked sausage. Pepper liberally and cook until the spinach is wilted. Serve sausage and veggies over hashbrowns, and sprinkle with a bit of cheese.

Soup idea- to try when I'm back on my feet

Tiny turkey meatballs with a little bit of mint in them. Chicken broth base with parsley, onion, celery. Maybe a beef bone or two for depth. Large pearl couscous. Maybe a squirt of lemon? And of course mushrooms.

Corn Salad

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen sweet corn
1 bell pepper (orange or red)
1/4th  purple onion
fresh cilantro
1/2 lime ( or 3-4 squeezes from a plastic lime)
Sriracha
Basil (I use the kind that's already minced and in a tube)
salt and pepper


1) Throw the whole bag of corn in a large frying pan (frozen or thawed, it doesn't matter). I also used a pat of butter, but I really don't think it needs it.

2) Salt and pepper the corn liberally. Cook until the corn starts to brown. Stir and let the corn brown again. Remove from heat and put the corn in a mixing bowl.

3) Finely chop the bell pepper and the 1/4th of the onion (you want the pieces to be about the size of the corn kernels). Mince about 1/4th to 1/3rd cup of cilantro, depending on how much cilantro you like (this is an estimate. I used two handfuls of minced cilantro). Add all this to the mixing bowl.

4) Add the juice of 1/2 lime (or three squirts of a plastic lime), two squirts of Sriracha, and two squirts of the basil. Stir and taste test. Add more of the ingredients to taste, but I wouldn't recommend adding any more basil.

You should let the salad sit for a while to let the flavors blend. I let the salad sit in the fridge for about an hour before eating.

Eat it in butter lettuce tacos with this pork recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chinese-slow-cooked-pork-shoulder-recipe.html

Garlic Lemon Shrimp. Only to be downed with Bourbonade

Garlic Lemon Shrimp

1/2 lb. raw peeled shrimp
minced garlic
butter
lemon juice (one of those plastic lemons)
salt
pepper

1) Heat pan thoroughly. Throw in 2-3 tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons of garlic. Cook until butter is browned.

2) Add shrimp to the pan. Give one generous squeeze of lemon juice over the shrimp. Pepper liberally and salt just a little bit. Cook until shrimp turn pink on the first side (it won't be pink halfway through, like chicken). Flip and cook until just barely cooked through. Remove from heat and let the shrimp cool in the pan for a couple minutes.



Bourbonade!

Mason jar glass (or something of similar size)
At least four ice cubes
3 seconds of a generous pour of Bourbon (I used Evan Williams). I guess that's about a shot and a half
Fill to the top with lemonade
One generous squeeze of lime juice.

Black Bean Sauce Stirfry

Lee Kum Kee Black Bean Sauce
1 block extra firm tofu
1 small sweet onion
1 bell pepper
at least 5 baby bella mushrooms
soy sauce
minced garlic
coconut oil

1) Mix two heaping tablespoons of Lee Kum Kee sauce with one tsp of minced garlic (about a clove), a dash of soy sauce, and a tablespoon or two of water. Chop the tofu into one inch cubes and coat in the sauce (use all the sauce). Let marinate for about 30 minutes.

2) Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a large pan and throw in the tofu. Cook until crispy on all sides.

3) Add pepper, onion, mushrooms, and another two heaping tablespoons of Lee Kum Kee sauce. Heat until cooked through.

Fairy Tales for Grownups

A List

1) Stardust
2) Princess Bride
3) Ever After
4) Pan's Labyrinth
5) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
6) Hook
7) The Secret Garden
8) Ondine
9) Lord of the Rings
10) The Hobbit
11) Jack the Giant Slayer
12) The Neverending Story
13) Merlin
14) The Mists of Avalon
15) Practical Magic
16) A Midsummer Night's Dream
17) Adam's Family
18) Baron Munchausen
19) The later Harry Potters
20) Ladyhawke

I'm obsessed with this BBQ crockpot chicken

I've made this recipe, no joke, every week for the past month. I'm not even that big of a chicken fan, but I can't get enough of it. It goes well on a potato bun, in a lettuce wrap, or just mixed in with white rice and sliced peppers. It's all just freaking delicious. I cook it in the crockpot and then boil the liquid down into a spicy vinegar drip

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts (can be boneless or bone in. both work great, but bone in makes more broth)
TJ's coffee garlic dry rup
Salt
Smoked Paprika or Chipotle pepper powder
Apple cider vinegar
Ketchup
Chili flakes
Brown sugar


1) Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt. Sprinkle VERY LIBERALLY with smoked paprika and then the TJ's dry rub. You want all sides of the chicken to be completely covered, and you can't overdo the seasoning, so don't be shy with it. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes.

2) Pour 1/8th a cup of apple cider vinegar in your crockpot and lay the chicken breasts flat on top. Cook on low for 3 hours, turning once halfway through so both sides get the spices cooked in.

3) When done, pull the chicken breasts out (reserve the liquid! this will make your drip) and shred the chicken in a mixing bowl while it's still hot. If you've got quality boneless chicken, you should be able to just take a fork and smash and mix about the breasts until it's all shredded. If you've got bone in, shred by hand.

4) Pour the reserved liquid in a medium size sauce pan and put on medium heat and bring it to a large simmer (not quite boiling).

5) Add:
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons more apple cider vinegar
3 good squirts of ketchup
2 shakes of salt
5 good shakes of smoked paprika
3 good shakes of chili pepper flakes

I also sometimes throw in a couple drops of liquid smoke, or maybe also some Tabasco or Frank's red hot.

6) Boil the drip until it starts to get thick. It will be thicker than water; you'll notice when it gets there.

7) Take a piece of chicken and dip it into the drip to taste test. To modify the drip to your preference, add these ingredients one at a time for the desired effect:

For more sour: 1 teaspoon vinegar
For sweeter: 1 large three-finger pinch of brown sugar (I really wouldn't do more than three or four of these, otherwise it gets super sweet)
For spicier: Either two shakes of the paprika or one shake of the chili flakes.

8) Boil a couple minutes longer to incorporate your flavor changes, then remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Once cool, pour it all over the chicken and mix well.