Kicked Chicken Tenders

Chicken aren't exactly an elegant bird. They don't make people catch their breath when they see one, or get out binoculars and a journal to denote where they found one. However, this doesn't make chickens a boring bird. In fact, since they are the most common domesticated bird  they can be lots of fun. 

However, if you are an environmentalist, you have the right to stop reading and simply enjoy the recipe.

Chickens are fun to chase about, especially after they have had their heads removed improperly. But that is cruel, so we don't suggest anyone actually do that. Because killing animals is... mean. So instead we will send them all to the chop shop where it is done "humanely" and there is none of this running around headless nonsense. 

Apparently the creators of Fable 2 thought killing chickens was mean as well, so instead of giving you achievements for killing small innocent critters like World of Warcraft does, they give you an achievement for "Kicking a chicken a respectable distance." After all, kicking chickens is far more "humane" than killing them... right?  Hey, maybe that's what makes them tender?

 

Kicked Chicken Tenders w/ Potatoes and Beans
4 Servings | Total Time: 30 Minutes | Apprentice

Mats:

• 1 lb Chicken Tenders
• 3 tbl Butter
• 1 tbl Garlic
• 2 tbl Hot Sauce
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 6 slices of Bacon
• 4 Red Potatoes
• 1 medium Onion, diced
• 16 oz frozen Green and Yellow Beans
• 1/2 tsp Seasoning salt

Craft: In a large skillet, fry the chicken tenders in the butter on medium heat. While the chicken is cooking, cut up the bacon into pieces and fry with the onions in a large pan. While these are frying, cook the potatoes in the microwave for about 7 minutes or until soft.  Dice them up and add to the pan.  Add the beans and cook for about 10-12 minutes.  Add seasoning salt. When the chicken is cooked, add the garlic, hot sauce and salt. Cook for about 5 minutes more.

Strategies: You can do the initial cooking of the chicken on an Indoor Appliance Grill to speed up the process or free up a pan. Though the chicken will need to be put in a pan when you season it.

Cost:

• Chicken Tenders $1.89
• Bacon $3.29
• Onion $0.59
• Red Potatoes $1.25
• Green and Yellow Beans $2.20

Total Cost: $9.22

Cost Per Serving: $2.31

*This meal contains staple items such as spices that you may or may not have in your pantry so your cost may vary.

Categories: Casual, Expansions

Soul-Soothing Choconut Sauce

There comes a time in every gamer girl's life when your raid is wiping and the raid leader says, "Take a break, clear your head, stretch your legs, be back in 10." Then you gotta unclench your hand from the mouse, step away from the computer and hit up the kitchen to look for something sweet. And for a girl, nothing is better at fixin' the bad mood (that wiping over and over has put you in) than chocolate. This ain't something just a plain ol' candy bar or a scoop of ice cream is gonna fix either. We're talking hours of strategizing, discussions, pouring through combat logs, trying it out....and wiping...again.

It's time to whip out some serious soul-soothing stuff! I already ate half of this before I remembered to take a picture. It's that good! You've got a peanut based mix of chocolate and sugar blended up into a perfect dipping sauce. Choconut sauce makes everything taste better. Everything.

Soul-Soothing Choconut Sauce

8 Servings | Total Time: 5 min | Apprentice

Mats:

• 1 cup Dry Roasted Peanuts
• 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1/8 tsp Salt
• 1-2 Tbl Canola Oil
• Kitchen Weapon Proficiency: Food Processor

Craft: Pour the peanuts in the food processor and grind until the peanuts look like a gritty paste. You may have to stop a couple times to scrap down the sides but it should take about 3-5 minutes. Add cocoa and powdered sugar and 1 Tbl of canola oil. Blend again, adding more oil if needed to get desired consistency.

Strategies: Peanuts have a lot of their own oil so the amount of oil you use with each batch will vary just a little. If you want your choconut sauce to have the consistency of frosting then only add 1/2 Tbl of oil and go from there. If you want it to be more like peanut butter than 1 Tbl and go from there. If you want to make this super decandant, add a Tbl of fudge. This will keep in the fridge for 1 week. Just let it come up to room temperature before serving.

LFM: You can dip just about anything in chocolate sauce and the same goes for choconut sauce! Apples, Ice Cream, Bananas, Wafer cookies, Pretzels, Cheese, Strawberries, ect.

Cost:

• Dry Roasted Peanuts $2.00

Total Cost: $2.00
Cost Per Serving: $0.25

Category: Phat Loot, LFG, Snackage

*This meal contains staple items such as spices that you may or may not have in your pantry so your cost may vary.

Chicken Ramen

You know all that ramen that is beginning to pile up in your pantry because it's cheap and easy? Remember when "tasty" used to be on that description list too, but after having it once or twice a day, everyday it's flavor has been lost on you? Well, no fear, you don't need to throw it away (or up, for that matter). Simply change it up. Make your favorite Chicken Ramen, but make it actual chicken. It is still just as cheap and easy, but a totally different flavor and may even add some nutrients too.

Try making it even healthier for you by adding things like peas, or corn if you are feeling a little vitamin deprived and okay with venturing in to the veggis.

 

Chicken Ramen
1 Serving | Total Time: 5 Minutes | Apprentice

Mats:

• 1 Package Ramen Noodles
• 1/8 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded or cubed
• 1/8 cup Chicken, fully cooked, shredded or cubed
• 2 tbl Ranch Dressing

Craft: Cook ramen noodles according to package directions. Do NOT use seasoning packet. Strain thoroughly and rinse in cold water. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve immediately or chill for 20 minutes.

Strategies: You can use any flavored ramen noodles for this, because you do not use the flavor packet. This is the perfect recipe for leftover chicken.

Cost:

• Ramen Noodles $0.24

Total Cost: $0.24
Cost Per Serving: $0.24
*The cost of this recipe may vary as it includes the use of food leftovers.

Categories: Raid Night

Kaldorei Pizza

It was sunset when they came. Their tall silhouettes disguised in the lengthening shadows of the day. But nothing could disguise the earth shaking beneath their feet as they moved. Their corruption spread from their trunk-legs into their roots that would temporarily dig into the ground, corrupting it as well. Like ink dropped into clear water, they tainted everything they touched. With each step uprooting themselves and coming down heavily to root again, their great branches would shake and sickly leaves fell to the ground.

Rill watched them approach the refugee caravan. The people there had survived wars, famine and terrors. Always they kept moving. Always towards Shattrath, a haven of peace and protection. Now it seemed, nearly on the doorstep of their destination, they would finally be halted. The light from A'dal, guardian of Shattrath could be seen, even a mile away as it was. But their clefthoofs were slain in the last attack from the Cabal. They had no way to carry their few belongings. And now these monsters were rising up from the woods. Treants. Corrupted Treants. There were four here-driven mad by the shattering of the world of Draenor they now spread their madness everywhere they could reach. Nothing would stop them.

Except Rill. She drew her great two-handed sword from it's sheath on her back. Then she lifted her hand in a clenched fist in the direction of the first corrupted treant coming into the camp. A golden hammer of light crashed onto the head of the treant. It stumbled and roared in pain. Rill leapt and in two swings of her sword tore great gashes in the creature. It fell, not quite dead but the lingering light from her first attack would soon finish it off.

But now Rill found herself surrounded by the other three. She held her sword aloft and spun in place. Blades made of light flung themselves from her outstretch sword and sliced through the three treants. They moved so slowly and were so close to her they could not dodge them. After finishing her spin. Rill stomped one foot on the ground, drawing on power granted to her by the Light. Golden cracks formed beneath her foot and quickly spread across the ground, purifying it from the corruption of the treants. The treants roared in pain and shifted their feet as if standing on burning coals. One made as if to flee. Rill immediately leapt and threw a mighty punch into it's leafy face. The creature froze, stunned and immobilized, at least for a little while.

Rill turned her attention to the others. In two quick steps she was upon them, hacking and slashing. She threw hammers of light and sent jolts of golden power through their bodies. Just as the two treants fell beneath her onslaught, the last treant shook off the stunning effects of Rill's blow. It backed away from her, watching warily. Rill thrust her sword into the ground and held out her hand. A small flickering light formed and as it did the treant made a noise of despair and turned, shambling as quickly as it could. Rill focused on the light and in moments it grew and formed into another hammer that crackled with power. She gripped it and threw it, with all the force she could muster, after the fleeing treant. It stuck him square in the back of the head and it collapsed to the ground.

It was nearly dark now, Rill walked among the bodies, touching them, cleansing them of their corruption so it would no longer spread. The refugees came out of hiding. "Well," Rill said to them, "At least we don't have to go hunting for our dinner. Anyone know how we can cook these?"

Two Kaldorei elves chuckled and stepped forward. One of them said, "I know this great method of cooking greens on bread with some cheese. We could probably adapt it..."

Kaldorei Pizza

8 Servings | Total Time: 20 min | Journeyman

Mats:

• 1 pkg Pizza Crusts (2 crusts)
• 1/2 cup Light Ranch Dressing
• 1 cup Baby Spinach
• 1 1/2 cups Broccoli Florets, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup Green Bell Pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
• 4 Tbl Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 4 Slices Turkey Bacon

Craft: Cook and crumble the bacon. Put spinach, broccoli and bell peppers in a medium-large bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. Spread 1/4 cup of ranch dressing on each pizza crust. Divide and layer the spinach, broccoli and bell peppers on each pizza crust. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of Mozzarella and 2 Tbl of Parmesan on each crust. Top each with crumbled bacon then bake according to the Pizza Crust package instructions.

Strategies: If you're ambitious, you can really make this healthier by making your own pizza crust (shown in image)! In this case, you will need to bake the pizza at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. This meal is also very tasty when you replace the ranch dressing with pesto.

LFM: While this is a self-contained meal, I highly recommend apple slices and dulce de leche for dessert.

Cost:

• Pizza Crusts $4.00
• Light Ranch Dressing $1.50
• Baby Spinach $1.50
• Broccoli Florets $1.00
• Green Bell Pepper $0.50
• Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese $2.00
• Grated Parmesan Cheese $1.00
• Turkey Bacon $2.50

Total Cost: $14.00
Cost Per Serving: $1.75

Category: Raid Night, Critical Hits, Troll Fuel

Skethyl Berry Pancakes

Ahhh Saturday. The one day a week where you get all your chores and shopping done for the week because you don't have to work. Sometimes you sleep in, sometimes you get up early and knock out that Honey-Do list. And there's one thing at the bottom of your list that you're actually looking forward to doing! Gaming! And Pancakes! Yup, once everything else is done it's time for a little treat to boost your energy so you can spend the rest of your Saturday playing your favorite games. This Saturday I'm headed back to Terokkar Forest to finish up the last of my quests there on my alt. I'm also going to eat up the last of my blueberries with this delicious recipe! Pancakes are the perfect way to use up any kind of fruit you have laying around.

Pancakes also make for a quick and easy treat for breakfast, lunch or dinner! And here's a tip for ya: Instead of folding the blueberries into the batter and ending up with blue batter if one of the berries bursts, you drop the blueberries into the batter right after pouring it into the pan. Yum!

Skethyl Berry Pancakes

4 Servings | Total Time: 20 min | Apprentice

Mats:

• 1/2 cup Blueberries
• 2 cup Bisquick Pancake Mix
• 1 cup Milk
• 2 Eggs or 1/2 cup Egg Substitute
• Cooking Spray
• Syrup

Craft: Mix batter according to package instructions. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and turn heat up to medium. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter into the skillet. Drop a few blueberries into the pancake. The pancake is ready to flip when small bubbles appear in the batter and the edges start to look firm. Cook about 3-4 minutes per side. Drizzle with syrup and serve hot!

Strategies: You can use nearly any kind of fruit you'd like for pancakes. And you can even try adding nuts and/or chocolate chips too!

LFM: Eggs and bacon or sausage.

Cost:

• Blueberries $2.00
• Bisquick Pancake Mix $2.50
• Egg Substitute $1.75
• Syrup $1.50

Total Cost: $7.75
Cost Per Serving: $1.94

Category: Rez Plz, Troll Fuel, Raid Night

*This meal contains staple items such as spices that you may or may not have in your pantry so your cost may vary.

Cheese Broccoli Soup

Next time you're hanging out in the pet pavilion, waiting for a pet race to start and browsing the snack vendors, consider picking up some Cheese Broccoli! It's my cat thug's favorite snack and what's not to love about it? +3 to Willpower is awesome! It gives my pet all the racing energy he needs to beat everyone without hitting a single hazard and making every jump on the course. I barely even need to cheer him on because cheese broccoli is so good he doesn't need anything else at all.

But did you know there's an IRL use for cheese and broccoli? And this one will give YOU a +3 bonus to your willpower and energy too, I promise. It's packed with good stuff to keep you going well into the night no matter errands the headmaster sends you on or what monsters you end up dueling.

Cheese Broccoli Soup

4-6 Servings | Total Time: 25 min | Apprentice

Mats:

• 1 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tbl Onion Powder
• 2 Medium Carrots
• 2 Stalks of Celery
• 1 Tbl Garlic, minced
• 1 Tbl Flour
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 1 Tbl Cumin
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 Carton Chicken Broth (4 cups)
• 1 Medium Potato
• 1 can Whole Kernel Corn
• 2 cups Broccoli, frozen
• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 4 oz Smoked Ham

Craft: Add oil and onion powder to a large pot over medium-low heat. Roughly chop the carrots and celery and add those to the pot. Add garlic, flour, chili powder, cumin and paprika. Stir and cook for about 3 minutes then add the chicken broth. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Peel and dice the potato into about 1" cubes and add those to the pot. Boil until the potatoes are soft, about 8-10 minutes. Gently mash the potatoes in the soup. Add corn, broccoli and ham then return to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes then remove from heat. Add sour cream, salt and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.

Strategies: You can swap out the ham for some black beans, kidney beans or even lima beans. If you mash it well enough and mince the ham you can make this soup drinkable! This soup also freezes well and reheats in the microwave easily.

LFM: Biscuits or Dinner Rolls.

Cost:

• Carrots $1.00
• Celery $0.50
• Chicken Broth $2.00
• Potato $0.75
• Whole Kernel Corn $0.50
• Broccoli $1.00
• Cheddar Cheese $2.00
• Sour Cream $1.50
• Smoked Ham $3.00

Total Cost: $12.25
Cost Per Serving: $2.05

Category: Casual

*This meal contains staple items such as spices that you may or may not have in your pantry so your cost may vary.

Bacon Pull-Apart Bread

So you know, Bacon is the best thing there is. Everything is better with bacon. It makes any food better, any name better and any day better. So when I decided to make bread with bacon... what could be better? The simple answer, nothing. Pics or it didn't happen, you say? Well here, nuff said.

Bacon Pull-Apart Bread
8 Servings | Total Time: 30 Minutes | Journeyman

Mats:

• 1 lb Bacon
• 1 Package Biscuits
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Craft: Cut up the bacon into 1 inch pieces. Cook on the stove on medium high heat until almost crisp, about 5 minutes. Let bacon cool on a plate for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°. When bacon is cooled, mix it together with cheese in a bowl. Open the uncooked biscuits and mix together with bacon and cheese. place in a small baking dish and cover with tinfoil. Cook for 15 minutes or until biscuits are no longer doughy.

Strategies: You can use any type of refrigerated dough for this. Or, if you are ambitious, make your own!

LFM: This is very good served with a side of ranch dressing to dip them in.

Cost:

• Bacon $3.45
• Biscuits $1.13
• Mozzarella $2.00 

Total Cost: $6.58
Cost Per Serving: $0.82

Category: Rez Plz, Snackage, LFG,Casual, Expansions

Cyril's Chicken Enchiladas

Being the first soul that the Vigil returned to the world is a very great honor. And Cyril Kalmar, Champion of the Guardians was an excellent choice for that honor. He was a giant of a man who was courageous and brave but he had compassion and plenty of good cheer too. He was a legend among the Mathosian people until his death at Shadefallen Keep when Aedraxis released the Rifts upon the world.

After being dead and finally brought back to life, it made Cyril realize just how much there was about life to enjoy! Like food! You can't eat when you're dead. There's no food. No chewing. No tongue to taste with. No food-comotose feeling after you eat too much. Nothing! So the first thing Cyril wanted when his body and soul were reunited and returned to the world was a delicious meal! It had to be something quick, something tasty and something filling for a big man like himself.

I have it from a very reliable Nightblade Rogue that this was the very first meal Cyril ate after becoming Ascended. It's very quick to prepare, full of fabulous flavor and is quite filling all by itself though if you want more variety there are certainly a lot of side dishes that go well with this meal.

Cyril's Chicken Enchiladas

6 Servings | Total Time: 20 min | Journeyman

Mats:

• 6 Flour Tortillas
• 2 cups Chicken, cooked, shredded
• 1 can Enchilada Sauce
• 8oz Cream Cheese
• 1 cup Whole Kernel Corn (about half a can)
• 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 2 cups Baby Spinach

Craft: Preheat oven to 350°. In a large pan over medium-low heat, combine chicken, cream cheese, corn and half of the enchilada sauce. Cook, stirring frequently until cheese is melted. Add Spinach and cook until spinach is just wilted. Warm up tortillas in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to make them easier to fold. Scoop 1/6th of the chicken mixture into each tortilla, roll up and place in a lightly greased 9x12 casserole dish. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas and top with cheese. Bake for 10 minutes.

Strategies: With the interest of speed in mind, grab a rotisserie chicken from the deli section of your local grocery store. One chicken will give you about 4 cups of shredded chicken that can be useful in many need-fud-quick recipes. To add heat to this recipe, pick a hot and/or spicy enchilada sauce or add a few dashes of hot sauce to the chicken mixture.

LFM: Spanish Rice or Black Beans & Rice. Tortilla chips also make a great addition too because you can scoop up any filling that falls out of the enchiladas.

Cost:

• Flour Tortillas $1.25
• Rotisserie Chicken $4.50
  
• Enchilada Sauce $1.00
  
• Cream Cheese $1.50
• Whole Kernel Corn $0.50
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese $2.00
• Baby Spinach $1.50

Total Cost: $12.25
Cost Per Serving: $2.05

Category: Raid Night

Pizza Leprechaun

In 2005, Sony responded to the gamer community's love affair with ordering in by adding a new /command to it's super popular Everquest II.  This new /pizza command would automatically pull up the ordering page to the Pizza Hut website for you and you would eventually have the option of charging the pizza order to your monthly subscription's credit card. When I heard about this, I wasn't sure what to think. It seems like a great idea and may have even brought Pizza Hut a lot of new customers. But really? Are we, as a gaming community, so inept that we can't even pull up a web browser and type in a order for a pizza by ourselves? I would like to think not, so this "wonderful new development" came as a slap in the face to me. Thanks Sony, for perpetuating the idea that gamers are not capable of managing their own lives, outside of the world they game on. Jerks.

So when my MMO of choice, WoW, decided to poke fun at this idea on April Fools, I couldn't help but smile. I love you Blizzard, thanks for leaving that an April Fools joke and not seriously considering insulting your player base. I guess we will leave it to the Leprechauns to make people look like fools, and I sure am a fool about this pizza. It is my new favorite and it is NOT AVAILABLE via /pizza.

Pizza Leprechaun
4 Servings | Total Time: 20 Minutes | Apprentice

Mats:

• 4 small Pizza Crusts, pre-cooked
• 4 tbl Dijon Mustard
• 12 oz Swiss Cheese, shredded
• 12 oz Corned Beef, sliced
• 1 1/2 cup Sauerkraut, drained

Craft: Preheat oven to 450°. Spread 1 tbl mustard on each pizza crust. Sprinkle each with 2/3 cup of cheese. Arrange 3oz corned beef on each pizza. Add 1/2 cup sauerkraut to each. Place pizzas on a baking sheet and cook in the center rack for about 12 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Strategies: If you like the more traditional Irish flavors, add some Caraway Seed. If you like things a bit more tangy add more mustard and sauerkraut. This is a wonderful use for all that leftover Corned Beef from your St. Patty's Day celebration.


Cost:

• Pizza Crusts $7.00
• Swiss Cheese $2.99
• Corned Beef $ 2.50
• Sauerkraut $1.94

Total Cost: $14.43
Cost Per Serving: $3.61

Category: Raid Night, Critical Hits

*This meal contains staple items such as spices that you may or may not have in your pantry so your cost may vary. 

Skethyl Berry Bread

Nothing is better than the smell of baking bread permeating the household while you're grinding out a few levels on your alt in Terokkar Forest. Unless of course that bread is also mixed with the smell of baking blueberries. I don't particularly like blueberries. At least not raw. Unless they're in an awesome parfait where the texture is disguised by yogurt. But drop those blueberries inside something for cooking and mmmMMMmmm. It's good!

This is one of those perfect breakfast foods. I don't know about you but I am NOT a morning person. I need to ease into my day by doing something mindless. I also can't eat breakfast right away. Still not sure why, but breakfast as soon as you wake up just doesn't appeal to me. So I make this batter the night before then fold in the blueberries in the morning and pop it in the oven. Then I have a whole hour to go help some poor refugees down in the Bone Wastes. About the time the bread is done, I'm awake enough for food. And mighty tasty food it is.

Skethyl Berry Bread

12 Servings | Total Time: 1 hour 10 min | Artisan

Mats:

• 3 cups Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 4 tsp Baking Powder
• 2 Eggs or 1/2 cup Egg Substitute
• 3/4 cup Honey
• 3/4 cup Milk
• 3 Tbl Canola Oil
• 1 cup Blueberries

Craft: Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix again. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour batter into a well greased loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from loaf pan immediately and set on a rack to cool.

LFM: Serve with a variety of fruit or drizzle of chocolate!

Cost:

• Egg Substitute $1.75
  
• Honey $1.00
• Blueberries $2.00

Total Cost: $4.75
Cost Per Serving: $0.40

Category: Snackage, Rez Plz, Expansions, LFG

*This meal contains staple items such as spices that you may or may not have in your pantry so your cost may vary.

Quick, Crunchy Cheaterfish Melt

You just spent allllll day yesterday cooking some giant traditional St Patrick's Day meal and you were all worried about your corned beef being red or your overcooking your soda bread or undercooking your colcannon or ruining perfectly good drinks by messing around with them.  Luckily for you, with the help of some leprechauns, you managed to pull it all off.

Then you've spent all day today doing dishes and cleaning up after your party. If you're like some friends I know you're probably nursing a hangover. If you're like me, there's no hangover involved but you're just plump tired of being on your feet in the kitchen babysitting all that food. All you want to do is sit down and get some well-earned playing time in. Problem is, these non-pixel bodies of ours still need to eat on a regular basis and after smelling it, cooking it and eating it all day yesterday, you don't particularly want leftovers for lunch today. And you don't want to make anything new or fancy! Not a problem here! That's when you whip out the cheaterfish.

Quick, Crunchy Cheaterfish Melt

2 Servings | Total Time: 10 min | Apprentice

Mats:

• 1 4.5oz Packet Lemon Pepper Tuna 
• 1/2 cup Celery, chopped
• 4 Tbl Shredded Cheese (your choice)
• 2 Tbl Mayonnaise
• 2 Hamburger Buns

Craft: Smoosh your hamburger buns just slightly and stick them in the toaster. Meanwhile, mix up the tuna celery and mayo in a small bowl. When your buns pop up, spread the tuna mix even over the buns and sprinkle with cheese. Microwave on high for 15-30 seconds or until tuna is warm and cheese is melted. Serve warm.

Strategies: Instead of cheddar you could also use swiss! If you want more flavor in your tuna melt you can also add any or all of the following- shredded carrots, minced red onion, a small amount of minced garlic, minced bell peppers, halved cherry tomatos or whatever else suits your fancy and sounds good.

LFM: Crisp green salad, chips, cup of soup, and/or carrots.

Cost:

• 4.5oz Packet Lemon Pepper Tuna $1.25
• Celery $0.50
• Shredded Cheese $2.00
• Hamburger Buns $1.00

Total Cost: $4.75
Cost Per Serving: $2.38

Category: Troll Fuel

*This meal contains staple items such as spices that you may or may not have in your pantry so your cost may vary.

The Broke Leprechaun

My children have been blissfully ignorant of Leprechauns and pots of gold at the end of rainbows. Since they are home-schooled, there is no non-sense about being pinched if you aren't wearing green and no worries about the holiday what-so-ever. However, spending the day before St. Patty's at a friends house has put an unexpected cramp in my plans of ignorance for my children.

With the wonderful imagination my friend has, and being a much better mom than I am in passing that on to her kids, my kids where led out of their innocence. Much to my panic, I woke up this morning to my oldest daughter setting "traps" around the house for the Leprechauns! When I asked her what she was up to she told me all about the Leprechauns who leave chocolate coins for you if you manage to catch one in your trap.

This was fun, cute, and heart-stopping all at once. Where was I supposed to come up with chocolate money!?! I couldn't go to the store without my kids, so they would automatically know it was me. I called Rill and asked her for some advice. We devised a plan, and it only required keeping my kids out of the kitchen for about an hour. I could manage that.

Since I didn't have gold tinfoil, the Leprechaun my kids managed to catch, was unfortunately pretty poor. Their coins would be silver, but they were excited about the catch anyways!

The Broke Leprechaun
24 Servings | Total Time: 1 hour | Apprentice

Mats:

• 1 package Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
• 1 package Muffin cups
• 2 sheet Tin Foil (2 feet), cut into 3 inch squares

Craft: Heat the baking chocolate in a double-boiler until it is smooth. Spoon 2 tbl melted chocolate into each muffin cup. Place chocolate filled cups in the fridge until hardened. Meanwhile, cut up your tinfoil and decorate if desired. When the chocolate "coins" are hardened, take them out of the muffin cups and wrap individually in tinfoil squares.

Strategies: If you have extra chocolate after all your muffin cups are filled, have fun with it, I had a carton of strawberries and made myself Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries!

Cost:

• Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate $1.79
  
• Muffin cups $1.25
  

Total Cost: $3.04
Cost Per Serving: $0.13

Category: Phat Loot

Barleybrew Dark & Thunder 45

Every woman loves chocolate. Every dwarf loves beer. When St. Patty's Day comes around, what is it that all the Dwarven women are brewing? Chocolate Beer of course! This was a recipe created by the Titans themselves. This brew is not for the apprentice of the kitchen, it is so delectable that it is often left to the masters to create such a work of labor. Now, I dare say that I am no Master in the kitchen, I have only ventured to increase my cooking skill to Artisan. However, with a lot of concentration, (meaning I had a babysitter and an extra set of hands to help me) I was able to recreate this beverage with amazing success. It is extremely time consuming, so if you are to venture into the craft of this drink, plan ahead. It keeps wonderfully in the fridge! And for those of us not interested in the mind altering potions of alcohol, try the Thunder 45, further down the post, for the virgin variety of the Barelybrew Dark.

Barleybrew Dark
6 Servings | Cook Time: 35 Minutes Total Time:1 Hour 30 Minutes | Master

Mats:

• 8 large Egg Yolks
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 Irish Beer (15 oz)
• 3 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• 7 oz Bittersweet Baking Chocolate Pieces (72% cacao)

Craft: In a large mixing bowl, mix together the egg yolks and sugar, set aside. Open the beer and pour into a 4 cup measuring cup. Pour the beer down the side of the cup to reduce foaming. Pour 1/2 of the beer into a saucepan. Add 2 1/4 cups cups of cream and whisk together over medium heat. Continue whisking until bubbles form at the edges of the saucepan, then remove from heat and add chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Slowly pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, stirring constantly, to avoid curdling. Return the mixture to the saucepan and place on the stove again over moderately low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Pour into a blender and blend on high for 1 minute. Divide pudding among 6 glasses and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled and set, between 30 minutes and 1 hour.

Meanwhile, poor the remaining beer into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 1 tbl of syrup, approximately 20 minutes. Pour syrup into a bowl and let cool. In a separate bowl, beat remaining cream until soft peaks form. Add beer syrup and beat until combined. Divide between the 6 glasses of pudding and serve.

This recipe was developed by Shane Philip Coffey, the chef at Alias restaurant on New York City's Lower East Side. It has been slightly modified for our purposes.

Strategies: You can use any beer you like for this recipe.

LFM: Good side dish options

Cost:

• Eggs $0.98
  
• 1 Irish Beer $6.95 (6 pack) $1.16 (1)
• Heavy Whipping Cream $2.45
• Baking Chocolate $2.15

Total Cost: $6.74
Cost Per Serving: $1.12

Category: Snackage, LFG, Hardcore, Phat Loot, OOM

And for those of us who don't drink alcohol...

Thunder 45
6 Servings | Cook Time: 35 Minutes Total Time:1 Hour 30 Minutes | Master

Mats:

• 8 large Egg Yolks
  
• 1/4 cup Sugar
  
• 1 can Soda (16 oz)
• 3 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• 7 oz Bittersweet Baking Chocolate Pieces (72% cacao)

Craft: In a large mixing bowl, mix together the egg yolks and sugar, set aside. Open the soda and pour into a 4 cup measuring cup. Pour 1/2 of the soda into a saucepan. Add 2 1/4 cups cups of cream and whisk together over medium heat. Continue whisking until bubbles form at the edges of the saucepan, then remove from heat and add chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Slowly pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, stirring constantly, to avoid curdling. Return the mixture to the saucepan and place on the stove again over moderately low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Pour into a blender and blend on high for 1 minute. Divide pudding among 6 glasses and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled and set, between 30 minutes and 1 hour.

Meanwhile, poor the remaining soda into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 1 tbl of syrup, approximately 20 minutes. Pour syrup into a bowl and let cool. In a separate bowl, beat remaining cream until soft peaks form. Add soda syrup and beat until combined. Divide between the 6 glasses of pudding and serve.

Strategies: You can use any soda you like for this recipe.


Cost:

• Eggs $0.98
• Soda $0.75
• Heavy Whipping Cream $2.45
  
• Baking Chocolate $2.15
  

Total Cost: $6.33
Cost Per Serving: $1.06

Category: Snackage, LFG, Hardcore, Phat Loot, OOM, Critical Hits

Corned Beef & Cabbage Rolls

"Aye lads & ladies, St.Patty's day is almost upon us. Low Shaman Blundy 'ere know what that means. Do ye? That means it's time fer yer favorite corned beef and cabbage....after ye go fetch it from the grimey grips of the Dragonmaw. What's that ye say? Yer tired of the same thing? Ye want something new? Well ye can't have anything better than corned  beef and cabbage! But I suppose I kin humor ye. How bouts a new twist on ye olde things?"

There is a bit of effort and time involved in making this meal. But just remember that good things come to those who wait! I promise these cabbage rolls are soooo worth the time. They're salty with a bit of crunchy and every kind of  stick-to-your-ribs-hearty all rolled up into one portable roll. You can even eat this without utensils if you'd like. Just skip pouring sauce on the outside and instead leave the sauce in a bowl you can dip your roll into.

Sadly, this is definitely not a thing to cook on a raid night. But it can be good for raid nights if you make it ahead of time. The rolls freeze really well and can be reheated in a jiffy in the microwave or oven. And you don't loose any flavor or consistency. It even makes an excellent lunch to take to work if you're trying to avoid going out to eat so much.

If you prefer a more traditional St.Patrick's Day meal that's a-okay too. Cabbage Rolls can be made with your corned beef leftovers! Just be sure to save the largest, outer, leaves from the cabbage head so you have some roll material to work with. Doing it this way is great because you trim about...oh....3 or 4 HOURS off your cooking time since you already have some cooked corned beef to work with!

Corned Beef & Cabbage Rolls

4 Servings | Cook Time: 3-5 hours, Prep Time: 30 minutes | Artisan

Mats:

• 1 Corned Beef Brisket (3-5 lbs)
• 8 Large Cabbage Leaves
• 3/4 cup Cabbage, chopped
• 6 medium Red Potatoes
• 2 Green Onions
• 2 Medium Carrots
• 1 cup Baby Spinach
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 2 Tbl Parsley
• 1 Tbl Onion Powder
• 2 Tbl Butter
• 3/4 cup Milk
• 1 cup Catalina Dressing, divided

Craft: Cook Corned Beef according to package instructions**. When the beef is done remove from oven and set on a cutting board and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Don't turn off the oven but reduce heat to 350°.

Dice the potatoes. Place potatoes in a pot, cover with water and boil for 10 minutes or until potatoes are soft enough to stick a fork into easily. Meanwhile, fill another large pot with water and bring to a boil. In a metal or heat resistant strainer, place the chopped cabbage. Put the strainer into the pot of boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes then add spinach and cook until spinach is just wilted. Using hot pads to protect your hands, lift the strainer from the water and let the liquid drain. Set spinach and cabbage aside

Place the large cabbage leaves in the large pot. Boil them for 5-10 minutes or until they turn bright green and are limp and easy to manipulate. Strain them and set them on a plate to cool.

Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, place the green onions, carrots, garlic, parsley and onion powder. Puree for 15 seconds. When the potatoes are done, drain them and then place them in a large bowl. Mash the potatoes. Cut 4 1/2-inch slices off the corned beef brisket. Trim the fatty side off. Roughly chop the slices and add it to the mashed potatoes. Also add the carrot mixture, spinach, chopped cabbage, butter, milk and 1/2 cup of Catalina dressing. Mix until well combined.

Take one leaf of the cabbage and trim the tough stem. Place about 1/2-3/4 cup of the potato mixture inside the cabbage leaf. Roll up burrito style, tucking in any stray edges. Place seam side down in a 9x12 baking dish. Repeat for other cabbage leaves. Pour 1/2 cup of Catalina dressing over the top of the rolls and bake, uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Strategies: These rolls can be eaten without utensils though you may want to keep a napkin handy. Simply skip pouring dressing over the cabbage rolls before they go in the oven and instead serve them with a small bowl of the dressing on the side for dipping. These rolls are also great for freezing. To reheat, microwave on high for 5 minutes or bake again in the oven at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.

LFM: Fresh fruit makes a great companion for this meal. Try some strawberries!

Cost:

• Corned Beef Brisket (3.5 lbs) $6.00
• Cabbage $0.50
• Red Potatoes $1.50
• Green Onions $1.00
• Carrots $1.00
  
• Baby Spinach $2.00
• Catalina Dressing $1.25

Total Cost: $13.25
Cost Per Serving: $3.32

Category: Hardcore, Troll Fuel

*This meal contains staple items such as spices that you may or may not have in your pantry so your cost may vary. 
**If your corned beef didn't come with instructions then set your beef on a rack in a roasting pan. Fill the bottom of the pan with about 1 inch of water. Cover with a lid or tinfoil and bake for 50 minutes per pound at 350° F. For the last 30 minutes of the cook time, remove the lid/tinfoil and turn the heat up to 375° F.

Tortellini and Succulent Crab

When out in the battlefield, every decent leader knows that his men travel and fight on their stomachs. No food, no victory. The same applies for all of us. We can't be at the top of our game when we are hungry. This wonderful meal is exactly what Captain Taylor and Legionnaire Nazgrim had in mind when they sent you out to collect all that Succulent Crab Meat for their troops. There is so much wonderful flavor, texture and color in this dish that it is an inspiring dish to be served before any victory. All personnel gain a +20 morale modifier against fear rolls.

Tortellini and Succulent Crab
8 Servings | Total Time: 45 Minutes | Artisan

Mats:

• 1 package Cheese Tortellini
• 1 lb Crab Meat
• 1 bag Spinach
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 1 tbl Olive Oil
• 2 tbl Seafood Seasoning (i.e. Old Bay, Mrs Dash)(separated 1tbl/1tbl)
• 4 tbl Worcestershire sauce (separated 2tbl/2tbl)
• 2 tbl Butter
• 2 tbl Flour
• 3 cups Milk
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese

Craft: Boil water for the Tortellini. While waiting for the water to boil, drizzle Olive oil into a frying or saute pan and add crab, spinach, salt, pepper, 1 tbl seafood seasoning, and 2 tbl Worcestershire sauce. Stir well and cook on medium heat until the spinach is wilted, then reduce heat to simmer.

Put Tortellini in the boiling water for about 10 minutes, make sure you do not overcook it.

While the Tortellini is cooking, add butter to a saucepan and melt on low heat. Once it is melted, whisk in flour and 2 remaining tbl of Worcestershire sauce. Start to slowly add the milk while continuing to whisk so you have no lumps. When all the milk is added and the sauce is free of lumps, add in the Parmesan cheese and 1 tbl of seafood seasoning. Let the sauce simmer on low heat, stirring frequently to thicken the sauce.

After the Tortellini is finished cooking, drain it and add the spinach and crab mixture to it. Slowly stir in the creamy sauce. Mix well and serve.

Strategies: When I made this I was out of Worcestershire sauce, so I mixed 1/2 tbl vinegar with 1 1/2 tbl of A-1 Steak Sauce. It turned out fabulous. This dish also keeps well in the refrigerator and is good when re-heated.

Cost:

• Cheese Tortellini $4.75
  
• Crab Meat $3.50
  
• Spinach $2.24
• Parmesan cheese $1.75

Total Cost: $12.24
Cost Per Serving: $1.53

*This meal contains staple items such as spices that you may or may not have in your pantry so your cost may vary.

Category: Casual, Critical Hits

EZ Cucumber Salad

St. Patrick's Day is coming soon and that means corned beef and cabbage and potatoes and all kinds of creative green things. This week you'll be seeing a few green-theme recipes from us! We'll start with something easy! A simple, fast, cucumber salad. You can slice it like I've done or you can chop it up and add some other green veggies too. Dressed up or dressed down this will be a tasty side to any meal and makes a great snack too!

EZ Cucumber Salad
6 Servings | Total Time: 5 min | Apprentice

Mats:

• 1 Large Cucumber
• 2 Tbl Italian dressing

Craft: Peel the cucumber then slice or dice it. In a medium bowl, toss the cucumber slices with the dressing. Serve cold.

Strategies: You can add more depth to this side by adding cherry or grape tomatoes, radishes, celery, broccoli and/or green beans. You can swap out the Italian dressing for any kind of dressing you'd like.

Cost:

• Cucumber $0.50
• Italian Dressing $1.50

Total Cost: $2.00
Cost Per Serving: $0.34

Category: Expansions, LFG, Snackage

Shoushi Sweet'n'Sour Chicken

In a little town just outside of Shoushi, a new character was born. And he was hungry! Having just blundered into a portal that brought him to Dereth, he had no idea what goodies this world had in store for him. Luckily there were kind NPC's and shop vendors clapping their hands together and magically coming up with fabulous dishes to show him! One bite and the newbie said, "By the Unicorn of Grace, the Firebird of Splendor and the Dragon of Power! This is the best sweet'n'sour chicken I've ever had!"

You might be thinking something along those lines too when you bite into these chicken chunks. The flavors are astounding! And don't tell anyone but this recipe really is cheating because you get awesome store-bought help for the flavor combos. But when there's a dungeon run about to start, who has time to mix up their own breading or make their own sauce? Pfft, not me!

The secret to the best chicken you've ever tasted is in the Best.Breading.Ever. Andy's Seasonings is the only breading you will ever need. I discovered it in the dollar aisle at my local grocery store. I figured, hey, it's a dollar, so I'll give it a try. WOW! What a discovery! Super delicious, super simple, super cheap. That's right up my alley. I even stock up a few bags of it at a time and give them to friends to try!

So don't let this meal intimidate you. With some help from the store it's simple and fast! And did I mention it's pretty darned healthy too? Yeah, the crisp, delicious veggies and surprisingly low-calorie La Choy Sweet'n'Sour sauce. And let's not forget one last thing. It makes great leftovers for lunch the next day! Try wrapping it up in a tortilla and having yourself a sweet'n'sour chicken burrito!


Shoushi Sweet'n'Sour Chicken

4 Servings | Total Time: 20 min | Journeyman

Mats:

• 2 Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts
• 1/2 cup Seasoned Chicken Breading (see above)
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tbl Garlic, minced
• 1/2 Green Bell Pepper
• 1/2 Orange or Yellow Bell Pepper
• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper
• 1/2 lb Sugar Snap Peas or Snow Peas
• 8 Tbl Sweet'n'Sour Sauce

Craft: Cut up the chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Coat the chicken chunks in breading then gently place in the oil. Fry until cooked through, turning as needed for even browning, about 7-10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice bell peppers and trim peas. When chicken is done, remove from oil and set aside. Turn up the heat to medium-high and add veggies and garlic to the oil. Saute until veggies are crisp-tender about 6-8 minutes. Serve chicken and veggies with 2 Tbl of sauce.

Strategies: You might have noticed there's no salt & pepper added to this recipe. That's because all the flavor you need will come from the seasoned chicken breading and the sauce. You can also make this meal fun by getting some chopsticks to eat it with instead of the ol' fork. Looking for a use for the other half of all your peppers? Try Halfing's Shrimp & Pepper Pasta!

LFM: Rice is all you need to accompany this meal but I would definitely recommend some jello for dessert!

Cost:

• Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts $2.50
• Chicken Breading $1.00
• Green Bell Pepper $0.50
• Orange or Yellow Bell Pepper $1.00
• Red Bell Pepper $1.00
• Sugar Snap Peas $2.00

Total Cost: $8.00
Cost Per Serving: $2.00

Category: Raid Night, Troll Fuel

*This meal contains staple items such as spices that you may or may not have in your pantry so your cost may vary.

Halfing's Shrimp & Pepper Pasta

I know it's hard to believe but even hobbits get tired of mushrooms every once in a while and crave some variety in their vegetable fare. They get tired of the same ol' same ol' for dinner! But when Farmer Maggot asks his wife for something different, she throws up her hands and tells HIM to do the cooking! What's a halfing to do?

Halfing! That's it!

Farmer Maggot loves this recipe because it goes halves on everything! Perfect for hobbits like himself. There is no need to keep checking the recipe to see what measurements he needs to use to make things taste good and acquire that perfect balance between pasta, sauce and veggies. And what's more, it makes great leftovers for second breakfast the next day!

Halfling's Shrimp & Pepper Pasta

4 Servings | Total Time: 15 min | Apprentice

Mats:

• 12oz Spaghetti Noodles
• 1/2 lb Shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails off
• 1/2 cup Alfredo Sauce 
• 1/2 cup Ranch Dressing
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1/2 cup Celery, chopped (1 stalk)
• 1/2 can Whole Kernel Corn, drained
• 1/2 Green Bell Pepper
• 1/2 Orange or Yellow Bell Pepper
• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper

Craft: Cook noodles according to package instructions. Meanwhile chop veggies into bite sized pieces. 5 minutes before pasta is done, add the bell peppers and shrimp to the water. 2 minutes before pasta is done add corn and celery to the water. When pasta is done, drain and pour pasta and veggies into a large bowl. In a medium saucepan (or the pot from the pasta) over medium-low heat, add Alfredo sauce, Ranch Dressing and Milk. Heat through but do not boil. Pour sauce over pasta and toss to coat.

Strategies: You can add even more flavor to this by adding a half a packet of dry Ranch dressing mix. Looking for a use for the other half of all your peppers? Try Shoushi Sweet'n'Sour Chicken!

LFM: Sourdough rolls go awesome with this one but if you only have regular dinner rolls that's a-okay too.

Cost:

• Shrimp $2.50
• Alfredo Sauce $1.00
• Ranch Dressing $1.50
• Celery $0.50
• Whole Kernel Corn $0.50
• Green Bell Pepper $0.50
• Orange or Yellow Bell Pepper $1.00
• Red Bell Pepper $1.00

Total Cost: $8.50
Cost Per Serving: $2.13

Category: Raid Night, Troll Fuel

*This meal contains staple items such as spices that you may or may not have in your pantry so your cost may vary.

Stoned-Nekkid Curry

So I have this wonderful friend, Elisa who has her own blog about all the crazy things that have happened in her life. Well, she feeds me and my kiddos all the time. We go over to her house to hang out and let the kids play and I end up staying there all day. So she nearly always ends up cooking for us, which I have to admit, I love. Her food is very tasty and it gets me away from the usual dishes I prepare and gives me a taste of something new.

I grew up on Mexican food and Italian food, so when she asked me if I liked Curry, I was a little hesitant. I would never turn down her cooking so I nodded my head vigorously, though I'm sure the smile that accompanied it was a little off center. I let her know that I had absolutely no experience in cooking curry or any other dish that wasn't from my native California. She gladly walked me through it and told me how amazed she was that she had never cooked this for me before. It is one of her favorite dishes and it is so easy to make that she even made her husband a little sick of it.

When the food was done, I was amazed. It was really tasty and I just loved it! I asked her if I could take a picture of it and post the recipe here on the blog and she of course said "Sure!"

Now for the fun part. I have to come up with a name and a story for this new recipe. I go to Google and type in "Curry World of Warcraft" and was a little shocked and extremely amused by what I found. Every single hit on the first page had an article heading that was something like this "Adrianne Curry Plays World of Warcraft Stoned and Nekkid." This was too good to pass up. Apparently Adrianne Curry, who was the first winner of America's Next Top Model, made a twitter post in December 2009. It read, "jumping into shower. going to spend my afternoon playing World Of Warcraft, butt naked and stoned. Perfect Sunday!" Naturally, as any good super model would do, she even posted a pic, just to prove to all those drooling WoW addicts that she really does what she tweets.

This picture has been cropped slightly to adjust the appropriateness of posting this picture on our blog.

So, my dear friend Elisa, please don't be upset that I named your wonderful curry after this spicy, stoned and nekkid supermodel. Much love!

Stoned-Nekkid Curry

8 Servings | Total Time: 35 Minutes | Journeyman

Mats:

• 1 lb Chicken breast, cut up
• 1 large Onion
• 4 stalks Celery
• 4 Green Onion
• 1 Bell Pepper (your choice)
• 1 (12oz) package Stir Fry Veggies
• 1 package Curry Mix

Craft: Put chicken in large skillet and cook for 7 minutes. While chicken is cooking, cut up onion, celery, green onion, and bell pepper. Add all veggies (including the packaged ones) into the skillet with the chicken. Add curry mix according to package directions. Cook on medium heat until veggies are soft and chicken is fully cooked. 

Strategies: There are many different levels of spiciness that the curry mix comes in, make sure you grab one that will suite your taste buds. 

LFM: There are some great easy rice mixes out there in lots of flavors that compliment this dish wonderfully.

Cost:

• Chicken Breast $3.50
• Onion $0.54
• Celery $1.05
• Green Onion $1.25
• Bell Pepper $0.99
• Stir Fry Veggies $1.89
• Curry Mix $4.36

Total Cost: $13.58
Cost Per Serving: $1.70

Categories:  Casual

Thyme Stop Pork Chop

Pork Chops are one of those relatively inexpensive meats but they have a lot of potential for uberness. You can get them thin cut or thick. Boneless or Bone-In. They're good baked or fried or barbecued! They're also versatile because you can do any number of savory flavor combinations with them. But what makes them really unique is that you can also do many sweet flavor combinations too!

For this recipe we're going savory. And not just any kind of savory either. This pork chop will knock your socks off with it's perfect blend of spices. I used a thin pork chop for a fast fry time that gives you a super crispy outside with all the juicy flavors sealed inside. You'll be wishing that time would really stop so you could more fully enjoy the moment each bite enters your mouth.

Thyme Stop Pork Chop

4 Servings | Total Time: 30 min | Journeyman

Mats:

• 4 Pork Chops, thin cut
• 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/4 cup Flour
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1/2 cup Canola Oil

Craft: Pour apple cider vinegar in a shallow bowl. In a second shallow bowl, mix together flour, thyme, ginger, onion powder, and paprika. Dip a pork chop in the vinegar, 30 seconds for each side. Transfer to the flour and gently coat each side. Set aside and repeat for each pork chop. Heat canola oil in a large pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, gently place one pork chop in and fry for 3 minutes. Turn and fry for 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and place on a plate with paper towels on top to soak up excess oil. Repeat for other pork chops.

Strategies: You can get two frying pans going if you're feeling like multi-tasking and cutting your total cooking time in half! To help keep the finished pork chops warm while the others cook, place them in the microwave. Don't cover them or the steam will cause the breading to get soggy instead of crispy.

LFM:  Rice or potatoes and corn or green beans. Apples also make a great side dish or dessert!

Cost:

• Pork Chops $3.50

Total Cost: $3.50
Cost Per Serving: $0.88

Category: Casual

*This meal contains staple items such as spices that you may or may not have in your pantry so your cost may vary.