Not "The Oatmeal Option"

This meal is in honor of Elisa from ecwrites.com. On 11/18/2011 she will be releasing her first book, "The Golden Sky." It is her journal from a time in her life full of trials and the loss of her son. Here is the quote from the back cover of her book. You can also order her book and read other writings of hers at the link below.





    
"The "death home" gave my son a really nice funeral, the kind I'd never wished to attend.  When they tried closing his casket, I nearly fell on my face, not wanting them to shut the lid on my baby.

        We lost it after that, totally cemented in our grief.  Cade got into drugs, joined a rock and roll band, and even grew out his damn hair.  At the time, I was sick of "the oatmeal option" (the only food we had), so I kicked Cade out of the house, and started modeling and working as a diesel mechanic.  That was how I met Earl, an old man and unlikely best friend; the "big sag," a middle aged woman who still flashed folks; my neighbor, the stripper next door, and "The Cowboy," a man who fell in love with me. 

        It was slow at first, but Cade reverted back to the man I'd busked with years before.  It wasn't until I killed a rogue skunk, and my daughter nearly choked on a fry, that I gave my husband another chance.  But could our marriage recover from the death of our son?" -EC Stilson

Not "The Oatmeal Option"
4 Servings | Total Time: 30 Minutes | Apprentice
Mats:

• 2 tsp garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp veggi oil
• 1 lb sirloin tips, thinly sliced (Stir-Fry Beef)
• 3 tbl veggi oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed
• 1/4 cup beef broth
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 cup uncooked rice 

Craft: Cook rice according to package directions.  While rice is cooking, in a large mixing bowl, combine garlic, pepper, cornstarch, 1 tsp vegetable oil. Add beef, mix well. In a wok, heat 2 tbl oil over high heat for 1 minute then add beef; cook and stir for about 2 minutes or until beef begins to brown. Transfer beef to a bowl and set aside. Heat remaining 1 tbl oil in wok. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Mix in green beans and broth. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until bean are tender-crisp. Stir in soy sauce and beef. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through. Serve over hot rice.

Strategies: You can substitute the rice for ramen noodles if cooking rice makes you nervous.

Cost:

• Meat | $4.50
• Green Beans | $0.59
• Rice | $1.00

Total Cost: $6.09
Cost Per Serving: $1.52

Categories: Raid Night, Critical Hits

El's Extreme Tacos

Whenever there's a great game released it creates a ripple effect across the internet. People blog about it, make videos about it, create websites around it, and make guides for it. Some of these fan sites are generalized and others are specialized. El's Extreme Anglin' is a fan site dedicated completely to only one aspect of World of Warcraft. Fishing.

There's not a single question you could ask about fishing in WoW that El's doesn't have the answer to. They've got everything. Guides for leveling fishing. Where to find fish. The best places to farm achievements. How to get your pets and titles. Even a list of every food buff you can get from cooking fish! These awesome fish tacos are a tribute to such a great fan site that's always been there over the years and is still going strong!

El's Extreme Tacos

4 Servings | Total Time: 15 min | Apprentice

Mats:

• 16 Taco Shells
• 2 Tilapia Fillets
• 1 Tbl Canola Oil
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 1 pkt Taco Seasoning Mix
• 1 Tbl Cilantro
• 1 Tbl Lime Juice
• 2 cups Lettuce, shredded
• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese

Craft: Cut tilapia into 1" pieces. Heat oil in a skillet. Season tilapia with 1/2 of the taco seasoning packet. Fry tilapia until cooked through and no longer translucent, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together sour cream, cilantro, lime juice and the rest of the seasoning packet. Stuff tacos with fish, cheese, lettuce and sour cream mix.

Strategies: Get more bang for the buck by adding finely diced tomatoes, onions, celery and bell peppers to your tacos. Pre-made taco shells are great when you're pinched for time but home fried taco shells are excellent for more flavor.

LFM: Serve with rice or a tropical fruit salad.

Cost:

• Taco Shells | $1.00
• Tilapia Fillets | $2.00
• Sour Cream | $1.00
• Taco Seasoning Mix | $0.50
• Lettuce | $0.50
• Cheddar Cheese | $2.00

Total Cost: $7.00
Cost Per Serving: $1.75

Category: 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.

Oven Fried Halos

There's nothing quite like a classic game. Especially a good one that launches many, many more sequel and branching games. Take Halo as a good example. It starts off all humanity vs aliens and then throws some zombies in there to threaten both! Only the Master Chief (aka you) can stop them! The Master Chief has become an iconic symbol in FPS games. There are very few people who wouldn't recognize him as at least being related to some random video game.

I was wondering how on earth I could make a recipe that is a tribute to such a great game like Halo. Thinking about 'halos' got me thinking about rings. And rings got me thinking about onion rings. But onion rings are, unfortunately, something that's hard to make at home. And REALLY hard to make healthier. These certainly are not the deep fried super crunchy rings you'd get at your local fast foodery place but they do come pretty close. Close enough for this Master Chef (see what I did thar?)!

Oven Fried Halos

4 Servings | Prep Time: 2-24 Hrs; Cook Time: 10 min | Journeyman

Mats:

• 1 White Onion
• 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp Garlic Salt
• 2 Tbl Parsley, dried
• 2 cups Buttermilk

Craft: Separate the onion into rings and place in an air-tight container. Pour buttermilk over them, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 425° F. Cover a baking sheet with tinfoil and coat with cooking spray. Mix breadcrumbs, garlic salt and parsley in a shallow bowl. Coat each onion ring with the breadcrumbs and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until rings are golden brown.

Strategies: If you don't have buttermilk you can make 'sour milk' by mixing 1 Tbl of Lemon Juice or Vinegar with 1 cup of milk.

LFM: This is great with any chicken dishes, burgers or sandwiches. Serve with sauces like ranch dressing and marinara sauce.

Cost:

• White Onion | $0.75
  
• Buttermilk | $1.00
  

Total Cost: $1.75
Cost Per Serving: $0.44

Category: Expansions, Snackage, LFG

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