The worst thing about eating is that every great meal must inevitably be finished. So often the first bite of a fantastic dish is just as bitter as it is sweet, and not because I’ve drizzled caramel on some citrus rinds. No, sometimes just knowing that the plate will soon be empty can be heartbreaking. Each meal a microcosm of life, a quiet reminder that all things move toward their end.
It’s in this spirit that I submit to you, Waste-Nauts, my final installment of Waste Not, Eat Lots for F Newsmagazine.
It’s a grilled cheese sandwich with peanut butter, bacon, pickles, and cheddar. What can I say? I’ve never been really good at goodbyes. Served with potato chips and guacamole.
Of course the digestive process quickly transforms every end into a beginning. It’s not long before we find ourselves hungering once again, and I’m happy to say that in short time I’ll be opening an official Waste Not, Eat Lots blog where you can find much more of this sort of thing. Until then, feel free to check out E-WASTED.NET where I’ll be peppering my art-talk with pictures of what I eat. Cheers!
I know I just made tacos last week, but this one’s really more about the meat. You could throw this beef into a salad for all I care. Waste Not, Eat Lots!
Brown Cow
I got some pepper steak strips at the grocery store because they were really cheap. I guess it’s because the meat was pretty tough; I’d advise you marinate overnight to help tenderize. Just use the same stuff I used to fry the beef: Lime juice (fresh squeezed), beer, Tapatio hot sauce. Live and learn. It still came out with great flavor and worked nicely in the tacos. I brought the liquid to a boil before placing the steak in the pan and covering it with a lid. When it looked properly browned, I poured out the marinade and chopped up the meat before throwing it back in the pan for one last sizzle. Try it with rice and broccoli, try it on a sandwich, etc.
My crusade against leftover abuse continues. Here I took the remains of a party and slammed it all together for a most satisfying brunch a couple of days later. You know, come to think of it, I’m not sure if I’m really allowed to call it “brunch.” Brunch is always such a social activity (“Hey, what are you doing this weekend? How about brunch?” “Oh that sounds fabulous! Let’s brunch!”); I’m pretty sure if you’re eating your first meal of the day at noon and you’re alone, it’s just called “pathetic loser.” Furthermore, brunch is supposed to be the combination of breakfast and lunch. While these tacos certainly bring elements of both meals to the table, I definitely ate lunch later that day. Whatever, Waste Not, Eat Lots!
Costco Taco
Like I said, the food was originally intended for a party so the selection of leftovers was vast (the food came from everyone’s favorite human feed warehouse) but somewhat disparate: Mesquite chicken wings (I cut the meat from the bones before heating it in the pan), guacamole (from a pouch/squeeze tube), cherry tomatoes (from a vegetable platter), and black beans (actually left over from a different meal). I combined these things with a little 2-egg scramble (with cheddar cheese) and some flour tortillas and got myself a three-taco plate to rival the best of anything I’ve ever eaten. I wish I weren’t such a fan of hyperbole so this point could ring even more loud and clear, but I really may never have eaten a tastier brunch.
When you do things like this (2 weeks ago), chances are you’re going to end up with some stray hot dog buns once in a while. I’ve seen too many people throw away perfectly good buns when they don’t have the appropriately shaped meat accompaniment, so this little meal is just a reminder that buns are just bread. You can do anything with them that you would do with normal bread (the same is true of the converse — sliced bread can serve as a hot dog bun, no problemo). Waste Not! Eat Lots!
No Dogs
As I said, buns are just bread with a few special skills but they’re really quite versatile in the clutch. The same goes for breakfast in general, which can and should be eaten as much as possible. Here I took a couple of hot dog buns, three strips of bacon, and a couple of eggs and ate them for dinner after a yoga class. I toasted the buns and fried the other stuff (same pan, medium heat). Some salt and pepper on the eggs, flipped after a couple minutes (I broke one yolk). I blotted the bacon with a paper towel after cooking to get rid of some of the grease. I am a health nut though, so that part is optional (not pictured: I had a few carrot sticks). Oh yeah, there’s also some butter on the buns. You should know that if I’d had any cheese at the time, it would be all over this thing.
Kids are dumb. They’d rather eat mud and bugs than fruits and vegetables. Hence the popular preschool treat, “ants on a log.” Remember that? A piece of celery with peanut butter spread in the stalk, then some raisins (“ants”) dotted along the trail. Pretty great snack. Well, my fridge was empty but I had a similar idea. This is by far the grossest-sounding Waste Not, Eat Lots yet, but one of the best tasting — I promise!
Bums on a Bench
Step 1: Baby-cut carrot stick. Step 2: Peanut butter. Step 3: Hamburger dill pickle chip.
I wouldn’t post something in this column that I didn’t find pleasing to the palate; this outlandish recipe really does dance on the tongue quite nicely. Some salt, some sweet, some bitter… Something tells me, though, that you’re just going to take my word for it on this one. But then again, does anyone out there ever actually try these recipes?
Hot dog, it’s really finally summer. I know this because I am sticking to my seat as I type this and also because over 60% of my meals this week included hot dogs. Here’s a good one that really knocks it out of the ballpark. It’s Waste Not, Eat Lots!
Perros Calientes
Let’s see… Leftover black beans, a couple of diced hot dogs, half of an avocado, half of a key lime, and (not pictured) hot sauce and cheddar cheese. I think that covers it. I fried the dogs and beans in a pan and mixed the avocado with lime in a bowl, adding some salt and pepper along the way. Guacamole really is that easy. Of course if you have garlic, cilantro, tomatoes, and/or onions, that stuff should be diced and included as well. But the basics, as far as I’m concerned, are avocado and citrus. I’ve even used orange juice before. When the hot stuff was hot, I sliced some cheddar cheese and put it in the guacamole bowl and then mixed everything together with plenty of Tapatio. It was awesome. The proof is in the pictures! Go loco!
Comment on This
Jun 18, 2011
There are few maxims worth living a life by. “If I had cheese it would be all over this” surely must be one of them.