The Chilinator

I grew up in southern California around lots of Mexican and Latino folks. I had my fair share, and then some, of Mexican foods. Did you know there are three basic food groups in Mexican cuisine? Corn, Chili Peppers and Beans. If it doesn't have those, it's not Mexican food. So naturally when I moved out of California I had a hard time adjusting to what the rest of the country perceives as Mexican food. Especially Chili.

Some people argue that chili isn't Mexican food. Bullhonkery! Chili, as most people know it, has just been Americanized so that it's barely a shadow of what it used to be. Trust me, if you want some real, true roots, chili, you need to try this recipe.

The focus of flavor in this recipe is in the chilies. That's why it's called chili after all. Not this blended meat and tomato soup that you threw some hot sauce into. Bleh. You'll never go back to that again after eating this explosion of flavor. The great thing about chilies is there are all different kinds so you can make this hot and spicy or mild and succulent.

And don't tell anyone but...

>.>

<.<

This chili has no meat. *GASP!*

Meat is expensive. And honestly, most Mexican families would much rather have a milk cow or goats and sheep that are alive and productive. Not just butchered for food. For much of the world, meat is a flavoring ingredient, not the main course as it traditionally is here in America. You can certainly add ground beef or chicken to this recipe if you so desire it but trust me, it doesn't need it. (I have nothing against meat. I'm no vegan. I love a good steak now and then.)

Instead we have beans. Two kinds here. The traditional Red Kidney Bean and a couple cans of chickpeas. You want chili to have good texture as well as flavor. That's part of the reason people started adding meat to chili in ye olden days (called Chili con Carne for a reason after that. Chilies with meat!). To keep it meatless but still get that fabulous texture we pulse the chickpeas in a blender until it's coarsely chopped. After cooking for a couple hours in the deliciousness that is real, whole, chilies, you won't notice the missing meat at all.

By the way, big thanks to my brother for deciding the name of this chili. It was so delicious, so epic, so legendary that I couldn't think of a name. My mind was thoroughly blown after tasting it and it wasn't coming back. Unlike this chili, which now has a tag line "I'll be back." *ba-dum ching!*

The Chilinator

6 Servings | Prep Time: 30 Min ; Total Time: 2.5 hours | Journeyman

Mats:

• 9 Dried New Mexico Chilies
• 1 Vegetable or Beef Bullion Cube
• 2 can Red Kidney Beans, rinsed
• 2 can Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans, rinsed
• 1 can Diced Tomatoes
• 1/2 Tbl Coconut Oil or Butter
• 1 Onion, finely diced
• 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 Tbl Cumin
• 1 Tbl Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 2 Tbl Corn Meal or Masa

Craft: Remove the stems from the chilies (and seeds if you don't want your chili spicy at all). Combine all chilies in a medium saucepan with water and bullion. Simmer over medium high heat until chilies are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving water separately. Transfer chilies to a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Add chickpeas to the blender and pulse until roughly chopped. Put the chickpeas with the chilies. Blend the diced tomatoes and add to the chilies and chickpeas. Heat oil/butter in a pot or dutch oven. Add onions and cook until softened and translucent. Add garlic, cumin and oregano then cook 1 minute more. Add all ingredients to the pot, including reserved liquids and excepting the masa/corn meal. Mix well. Add more water if needed to cover ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 1 ½ - 2 hours, stirring occasionally, adding more liquid as needed to prevent sticking. Add masa/cornmeal and mix well. Cook 5 minutes more to thicken.

Strategies: To get different flavors and temperatures try different chilies or combinations of different chilies.

LFM: Garnish with cheese, sour cream, cilantro, chopped green onions, avocado, lime wedges or tortilla chips. Serve ice cream for dessert to cool off!

Cost:

• New Mexico Chilies | $6.00
• Red Kidney Beans | $1.00
• Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans |$1.00
• Diced Tomatoes | $0.50
• Onion | $0.50

Total Cost: $9.00
Cost Per Serving: $1.50

Category: Hardcore, Critical Hits, LFG

*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.

Wartime Mealtime

World War II is a popular setting for gaming battlefields.  Many first and third person shooters, strategy and tactics games, and even naval and flight simulator games have used this war as it's basis for creation.  These games (like any good game,)  take focus, dedication and a precious many hours to fulfill successfully.  When we take a break to refuel our bellies we not only want something tasty and nourishing, but also a meal that will keep us in character so we can stay at the top of our game.  Stepping back from a game after devoting hours of precious concentration can be detrimental to our game play if we snap out of it too much.  This sandwich is simple and simply appropriate for any WWII gaming buff.  It will keep you in the zone with a tasty reminder of the rations most of the people lived on during these trying times.  SPAM.

Wartime Mealtime
2 Servings | Cook Time: 10 Minutes | Apprentice

Mats:

• 1 tblsp butter
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 slice fully cooked luncheon meat (e.g. Spam)
• 2 egg, beaten
• 4 slices bread (or bun of your choice)
• 2 slices American cheese (optional)
• 2 slices tomato (optional)

Craft: Melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onion in butter until soft. Chop up the slice of luncheon meat or mash with a fork, and add it to the skillet. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until browned. Pour the egg into the skillet so that it covers all of the meat and onion. Cook until firm, then flip to brown the other side. Place the egg and meat onto one slice of the bread and top with cheese and tomato if desired. Place the other piece of bread on top. Bread can also be toasted first. 


Strategies:  Any sandwich toppings or omelet toppings can be served on this creation.  And remember, don't salt the eggs because the Spam will be plenty salty.  This meal is easily cooked for multiple people, just double, triple, quadruple, etc. the ingredients and cook it all at once.


Cost:

• Spam | $3.50

Total Cost: $3.50
Cost Per Serving: $1.75
*This meal contains staple items such as spices that you may or may not have in your pantry so your cost may vary.

Category: Raid Night, Rez Plz, LFG, Troll Fuel 

Ranid's Fruit & Cheese Platter

As Ranid well knows, sometimes you just feel peckish. You want a satisfying amount of food but you don't want a hunk of chicken or a slab of beef. You don't want a giant salad or a big bowl of fruit. You don't want a mound of mashed potatoes or a pile of green beans. You want variety and snacky type foods, am I right? Well then, I have a quest for you.

Your quest (should you choose to accept it) will be to acquire a variety of quest items from the pantry and fridge bosses. Then use this [Large Platter] with the foods to make a [Ranid's Fruit & Cheese Platter] to complete your quest. I will show you what my platter looks like but yours can be anything. Just remember! To have a proper platter you need at least 2 kinds of cheese, 2 kinds of fruit, 2 kinds of meat and 2 kinds of vegetables. You will also want crackers and several spreadable items and/or dipping sauces.

Ranid's Fruit & Cheese Platter

2 Servings | Total Time: 5 min | Apprentice

Mats:

• 1 cup Grapes
• 1/2 cup Broccoli Florets
• 1/2 cup Cauliflower Florets
• 1 cup Grape Tomatoes
• 1 cup Baby Carrots
• 1/2 cup Radishes
• 1/4 Kielbasa Sausage
• 1 pkg Deli-sliced Ham
• 1 slice Swiss Cheese
• 1 slice Pepper Jack Cheese
• 2 Wedges Laughing Cow Cheese
• 1 Avocado
• 1 Tbl Lemon Juice
• 1 pkg Crackers
• Nutella
• Strawberry Jelly
• Ranch Dressing

Craft: Dice the kielbasa and brown it in a skillet over medium-high heat. Dice the ham, swiss cheese and pepper jack cheese. Slice the Avocado and sprinkle with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve all fruits, cheeses and veggies on a platter with crackers and dips on the side.

Strategies: You can add any fruits and veggies to this platter that are currently in season and on sale. This is a great way to use up leftovers.

Cost: This recipe mainly uses leftovers.

Category: Troll Fuel, Snackage, LFG

Pepper-oni Crackers

This is a repost from our lost dataz.

Snack Attack Pepper-oni Crackers

1 Servings | Total Time: 5 min | Apprentice

Mats:

• 3 Large Crackers (or 6 smaller)
• 1 Wedge Laughing Cow Cheese
• 1/2 Roma Tomato
• 1 Slice Green Bell Pepper
• 3 Slices Pepperoni

Craft: Cut 3 slices from the tomato. Cut the bell pepper into three chunks. Spread 1/3 (or 1/6th) of the cheese on each cracker. Top with tomato, then pepperoni, then green bell pepper.

Strategies: You can easily make more of these for a party!

Cost: This meal was made with mostly leftovers and whatever was in the fridge.

Category: Snackage, LFG

Noblegarden Chowder

Easter is almost upon us and so is Noblegarden in World of Warcraft! So I got to thinking about classic Easter dinners. Mmmm Spiral Cut Ham. Mashed potatoes and gravy. Warm, buttery rolls. Crisp green salads. Jello! Deviled eggs for sure. My only problem with having a classic Easter dinner is that it takes all day to cook. It makes me want to be lazy and not cook anything the whole day before and the whole day after. After is no problem because we have leftovers! But before Easter...well...that's when I whip out this recipe.

It's perfect for this time of year not just because you can throw it together and let it simmer but it's ingredients are also pretty festive for the occasion! The bread bowl is fun but totally optional. Even the kind of meat you use is optional. I just throw in whatever is cooked and handy. Usually ground turkey or beef. This is just the kind of meal I'm looking for before Easter and I'm sure the Noblegarden bunneh's would approve of it too.

Noblegarden Chowder

8 Servings | Prep Time: 10 min; Cook Time: 1 hr | Journeyman

Mats:

• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 stalk Celery
• 1/4 Onion
• 1 can Cream of Celery
• 20 oz Shredded/Matchstick Carrots
• 4 cups Tomato Juice
• 2 cup Beef Broth
• 2 Tbl Flour
• 8 pack of Kaiser Rolls (or other medium-large rolls with a tough crust)
• 8 slices Provolone Cheese

Craft: Chop onion & celery. Brown beef with onion in a pot over medium heat. Add sugar, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add celery & soup and stir until combined. Add carrots and simmer for 5 minutes. Whisk together broth and flour. Add broth mix and tomato juice to the pot. Stir then simmer over low heat for 1 hour, stir occasionally. Cut out the top and some of the center of the Kaiser rolls. Place a slice of provolone cheese inside each roll, pressing down firmly. When the soup is done, carefully spoon it into the rolls.

Strategies: You can cut the cooking time in half by microwaving the carrots for 10 minutes to soften them while you brown the ground beef. Just remember that your carrots won't quite be infused with all the flavors of the soup when cooked this way. This soup freezes well and is easy to double and triple if you're expecting company. If you don't want to scoop out individual bowls, just serve rolls on the side with cheese on top of the soup. You can also just use any leftover meat you have instead of the beef.

LFM: Salad and Apples or Pears.

Cost:

• Ground Beef | $2.00
• Celery | $1.00
• Onion | $0.50
• Cream of Celery | $1.25
• Shredded Carrots | $1.75
• Tomato Juice | $1.25
• Beef Broth | $1.25
• Kaiser Rolls | $2.00
• Provolone Cheese | $2.00

Total Cost: $13.00
Cost Per Serving: $2.17

Category: Hardcore, LFM


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

Crunchy, Berry Granola

Granola scared me the first time I decided to make it. In fact, the phrase 'From Scratch' always scared me. Actually there was a time when the word 'cook' scared me! When I got married and realized I was now expected to 'cook' edible things I was terrified. Eventually I learned how to cook a few things and over time I learned more and more. I was surprised to find out I enjoyed cooking! I was also surprised how easy some things can be to make from scratch.

Granola is actually one of those things that you think should be hard and then it's not. It's not even very much work! It takes all of 5 minutes to mix up then you bake it for an hour and a half. You don't even have to stir it while it's cooking! Though I recommend it anyway for even browning and no pan-sticking. But you get perfectly good granola if you can't go AFK for 2 minutes to stir so no worries!

And the other thing I love about home made granola is you can mix and match ingredients to suit your tastes. This recipe uses a lot of sugar free and healthy ingredients but you can certainly use whatever you have on hand. You can add any variety and quantity of nuts that you like. I love peanuts so I use a bunch of those. You can even add coconut if you'd like!

Be warned that this recipe is a BIG BATCH. My husband and I eat this instead of cereal every morning so I need enough to last us both the for the week + snacks.

Crunchy Berry Granola

18 Servings (3/4 cup ea) | Prep Time: 5 min; Cook Time 1 hr 30 min | Journeyman

Mats:

• 8 cups Rolled Oats (not instant)
• 3 cups Unsalted Peanuts
• 1/4 cup Slivered Almonds
• 1/4 cup Chopped Pecans
• 1/2 cup Wheat Germ
• 1 Tbl Cinnamon
• 1 cup Splenda Brown Sugar
• 1 cup Canola Oil
• 1 cup Honey
• 1 cup Sugar-Free Syrup
• 1 1/2 cups Mixed Dried Berries

Craft: Preheat oven to 250°. In a large bowl mix together oats, nuts, wheat germ and cinnamon. In a medium bowl whisk together brown sugar, oil, honey and syrup. Pour the syrup mixture over the oats mixture and stir until well combined. Spread over two baking sheets and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes. Stir and switch bottom/top pans every 30 minutes. When done, remove from oven and immediately transfer to a large bowl. Stir in dried fruit quickly. Granola will harden as it cools.

Strategies: Granola is one of those things that you can add anything you want or leave out anything you want. More nuts? Go for it! Coconut? Absolutely! Leave off the berries? Sure!

LFM: Granola goes perfect in a bowl of milk or in yogurt.

Cost:

• Rolled Oats | $2.00
• Unsalted Peanuts | $2.00
• Slivered Almonds | $1.25
• Chopped Pecans | $1.50
• Wheat Germ | $3.00
• Syrup | $1.50
• Mixed Dried Berries | $3.50

Total Cost: $14.75
Cost Per Serving: $0.82

Category: Rez Plz, Snackage, 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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

Daevas' Dulce de Leche

In the world of Atreia it is a great day when a human ascends to a Daevas and earns their wings. It is a day of celebration and joy for the fledgling Daevas' parents and family. While the NPC's don't generally shout "Ding!" and "Grats!" we players do! And to celebrate hitting level 10 and getting our shiny new wings and new abilities we're going to make a special, delicious treat!

Dulce de Leche (DOOL-say day LAY-chay) is "milk candy" and tastes a lot like caramel. You can use it for anything you'd normally use caramel for too. And depending on how long you cook it, you can have it silky, soft and creamy or you can have it firm and taffy-like. I usually prefer somewhere in between. It's a very easy treat to make but it does take a long time to cook and you do need to check on it every once in a while. Explody cans are not as fun IRL as they are IG.

This recipe is perfect for fondue or dessert parties too! You can dip in apples or bananas or even cheese! You can drizzle it over ice cream or cakes or you can mix a spoonful into your hot chocolate. It's very versatile so don't be afraid to get creative on what to dip into it!

Dulce de Leche

30 Servings | Total Time: 3-4.5 hours | Apprentice

Mats:

• 14oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Craft: Remove the label from the can. Place the unopened can inside a pot and fill it with water until the water is about 1/4 inch away from the top of the can. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 4 hours, checking every 30 minutes to refill with water if needed. 3 hours for a softer texture. 4 hours for a firmer texture. When done, remove from the water and let cool for 30 minutes. Open the can and scoop out the mixture into a small bowl. The top will be milky, the bottom will be firm so stir until well combined and smooth.

Strategies: It's very important not to submerge the can and not to let the water get to low either. You will risk the can exploding if you do not keep the water level fairly consistent.

LFM: This goes great with anything you'd normally put caramel on and is perfect for fondue! Apples, Ice Cream, Bananas, Wafer cookies, Pretzels, Cheese, Strawberries, Pineapple, ect.

Cost:

• Sweetened Condensed Milk $1.50

Total Cost: $1.50
Cost Per Serving: $0.05

Category: LFG, Phat Loot

Pull Faster Chili Master

There are times when fast just isn't fast enough. Like facerollin' through heroics that you outgear. You just want your Valor points! You can't even count the number of times you've completed this same dungeon over the last few months. Just kill things as fast as possible so we can move on to doing other, more fun, things!

There's no better way to describe how fool-proof-easy-and-fast this soup is to make. It's practically cheating! Like you found the secret cow level and unlocked godmode. Do you know how to open a can? Do you know how to put a pot on the stove and turn on the heat? Then you can make this delish soup. Just like outgearing heroics. It's that easy. And it's that fast. And you can take all the credit if you want. Go ahead! Claim how you made it from scratch and it's been simmering all day! I won't tell anyone.

Pull Faster Chili Master

4 Servings | Total Time: 10 min | Apprentice

Mats:

• 2 cans of Chili with Beans
• 1 can Whole Kernel Corn
• 1 can Cut Green Beans
• 1 8oz can Tomato Sauce

Recommended Addons:

• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Sour Cream

Craft: Open all the cans. Drain the corn and green beans. Pour all the cans into a medium pot over medium heat. Heat through, stirring occasionally.

Strategies: This recipe is very easy to double and triple if you have company over. You can also add some heat to it if you'd like by adding a dash of hot sauce. It reheats well too so you can have it for lunch the next day.

LFM: Crackers, rolls or biscuits.

Cost:

• Chili with Beans x2 $3.00
• Whole Kernel Corn $0.50
• Cut Green Beans $0.50
• Tomato Sauce $0.30

Total Cost: $4.30
Cost Per Serving: $1.01

Category: Raid Night, Troll Fuel, LFG, Cheat Codes

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

Chicken Biscuit Sliders

One of my most favorite fast meals is sliders. Sliders, for anyone who may not know, are mini sammiches. It's the perfect way to get rid of leftover meat and biscuits. Since it's just my husband and I living here, we often don't go through a whole package of dinner rolls or a whole ham or a whole rotisserie chicken or a whole container of biscuits. But I hate, hate, HATE to waste food so we get creative in how to use them up without getting boring with our meals.

These sliders are made with biscuits and shredded rotisserie chicken but really, you can use whatever leftover breads and leftover meats you want. They're perfect for raid nights too because they're quick to make and easy to eat with one-hand while you're gaming. They also make good LAN party foods and will fill up your hungry guests without making a mess of the keyboards and controllers.

 

Chicken Biscuit Sliders

4-8 Servings | Total Time: 20 min | Journeyman

Mats:

• 1 can Refrigerated Biscuits
• 2 cups Chicken, cooked and shredded or sliced
• 8 Tbl Barbecue Sauce
• 4 Slices of Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 4 Lettuce Leafs
• 8 Tomato Slices (Roma)
• 16 Pickle Slices

Craft: Bake the biscuits according to package instructions. Let biscuits cool then slice in half. Spread 1/2 Tbl of BBQ sauce on each biscuit slice. On one half of a whole biscuit, layer 1/4 cup chicken, 1/2 slice of cheese, 1/2 lettuce leaf, 1 tomato slice and 2 pickle slices. Put them together and enjoy!

Strategies: You can buy a Rotisserie Chicken from the Deli section of your grocery store. One chicken will give you 4-6 cups of shredded chicken which is useful in many meals. This meal also works great with dinner rolls if you want to buy them pre-cooked and save about 10 minutes!

LFM: Apple or Pear slices with chips or fries and a soft drink.

Cost:

• Refrigerated Biscuits $1.50
• Rotisserie Chicken $5.00
• Barbecue Sauce $1.00
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese $2.00
• Lettuce $1.00
• Roma Tomatos $0.50
• Pickles $1.25
  

Total Cost: $12.25
Cost Per Serving: $1.50

Category: Raid Night, Troll Fuel, Snackage, LFG

Helga's Ham Spread

Ham has so many wonderful uses and often is cheapest when you buy it in bulk. I often find myself with big chunks leftover because of this reason. The simplest way to use up these extra cuts is this wonderful Ham Spread. It can be used as a cracker spread, dip, or even sandwiches. It keeps well in the fridge if you make a big batch and is great for those unexpected groups that arrive unannounced.

Helga's Ham Spread
10 Servings | Total Time: 20 Minutes | Apprentice

Mats:

• 1 lb Ham, chopped
• 8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup Pickle Juice or Relish
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
• Kitchen Weapon Proficiency: Food Processor

Craft: Put ham in Food Processor and pulse until well shredded. Mix all ingredients together in a medium to large mixing bowl. Spread and serve, or cover and chill in the refrigerator until use.

Strategies: You can use canned ham to speed up the preparation if you would like. Also try adding onions or mustard to it to change up the flavor a bit.

Cost:

• Ham $2.99
• Cream Cheese $1.79

Total Cost: $4.78
Cost Per Serving: $0.48

Categories: Raid Night, Snackage, LFG, Troll Fuel 

Snowy Side Frosting

Anyone who has even started playing Dungeons and Dragons Online will understand the dilemma that has been presented with Sunny Korthos and Snowy Korthos. Both apparently the same place except that on Snowy Korthos, it's... well... snowing. Korthos Island was extremely confusing and frustrating to get through when you are trying to get help from people you can't interact with because they have progressed to Sunny Korthos whilst you are stuck on Snowy Korthos.

Alas! There is a sunny side to being stuck in the snow! And that is, that snow tastes better. Utilizing the resources given to me while I wandered around that cold and lonely island I was able to come up with a fabulous frosting that goes well with just about every kind of Phat Loot or fruit!



Snowy Side Frosting

12 Servings | Total Time: 10 Minutes | Apprentice

Mats:

• 8 oz Cream Cheese (softened)
• 1/4 cup Butter (softened)
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar (confectioners sugar)
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Craft: In a medium bowl mix together cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in vanilla, then gradually stir in powdered sugar. Store in refrigerator after use.

Strategies: To soften the cream cheese and butter put them in the microwave for a few seconds. If you prefer chocolate frosting simply add 1/8-1/4 cup Cocoa Powder, according to how rich you want it.

Cost:

• Cream Cheese $1.69

Total Cost: $1.69
Cost Per Serving: $0.14

Category: Phat Loot, LFG, Snackage, Critical Hits

Romantic Picnic

Earlier today I made some Less Than Three Eggs and saved the center cutout from the bread for just this recipe! Lunchtime now looms like a Fel Reaver, ground-shakin', growling stomachs and all. So I'll pull out my sammich baggie of heart shaped bread slices and get to work!

These mini sammiches of goodness can be made with any kind of filling you'd like. My hubby likes PB&J while I like deli meat with cheese and lettuce. But you can also fill it with a chicken finger and some marinara sauce or some mayo and tuna and pickles!

The important thing to note about these sammiches is that they are smaller than the average sammich. So you'll want to make more and then suppliment this picnic with lots of other goodies and finger foods. If you want to be truly romantic, pack your food in a 10-slot picnic basket and take him/her to a park (or if it's cold out, spread a blanket on the living room floor and play some co-ops while you munch). You can also hide a present for your sweetheart inside the basket! GameStop gift cards make great, hide-able gifts (hint, hint my dear!)


Romantic Picnic

2 Servings | Total Time: 5 min | Apprentice

Mats:

• 8 slices of Bread
• 4 Tbl Peanut Butter
• 4 Tbl Jelly or Jam, any flavor

Craft: Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter or your artistic skills, cut out heart shapes from the center of your bread slices. Spread peanut butter on 4 hearts and Jelly on the other 4. Pair your PB&J halves and enjoy!

Strategies: You don't have to use PB&J for this recipe. Try any filling you'd like on a sammich.

LFM: You can go with the obvious chips & dip route or you can kick it up a notch and add some fancy finger foods. Try some fruit and cheese. Strawberries, grapes and apples with Sharp Cheddar, Swiss, and Provolone. Follow-up this meal with chocolate chip cookies. Or a small box of chocolates!

Cost:

• Wheat Bread $1.00
• Peanut Butter $1.50
• Grape Jelly $1.50

Total Cost: $4.00
Cost Per Serving: $2.00

Category: Raid Night, Troll Fuel, Snackage, Cheat Codes, LFG

Mystery Meatloaf

 What's it made of? It's a mystery! No, really! You can use this recipe with any kind of ground meat you have in your fridge or whatever is on sale at the grocery store. You can even combine different kinds of ground meats to pump up the flavor a notch. The smaller size makes portion control easy and it speeds up the cooking time by a ton.

This meatloaf is very versatile too. You can double the recipe and feed a crowd or freeze some of it to use for later quick dinners. And they make great lunches you can take to work with just a few minutes in the microwave. If you're really in a rush, because of their size and shape you can forget the plate and just stick one on a fork to eat it like a meatastic lollipop.

Mystery Meatloaf

2-4 Servings | Total Time: 40 min | Journeyman

Mats:

• 1-1.5 lbs of ground Turkey, Beef, or Pork
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 cup Oats
• 2 Tbl Dried Parsley
• 6 Tbl Ketchup, divided
• 6 Tbl Barbeque Sauce, divided
• 1 Tbl Worcestershire Sauce, divided
• 3 Tbl Half & Half Cream
• 1 Tbl Onion Powder
• 2 tsp Garlic Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• Cooking Spray

Craft: Preheat oven to 375°. Spray 6 muffin cups with cooking spray. In a medium bowl combine ground meat, egg, oats, parsley, 3 Tbl ketchup, 3 Tbl BBQ Sauce, 1/2 Tbl Worcestershire Sauce, Half & Half Cream, onion powder, garlic salt, and pepper. Make sure it is well mixed but don't overwork the meat. Form the mixture into 6 balls and place them inside the muffin cups. In a small bowl, mix 3 Tbl ketchup, 3 Tbl BBQ sauce and 1/2 Tbl Worcestershire sauce. Spread a spoonful of the ketchup mixture on top of each meatloaf. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Strategies: To save money on this recipe, buy meat that's packaged in tubes inside of the clear plastic containers that display the meat oh-so-prettily. The quality of the meat is generally the same but it's usually a couple bucks cheaper!

LFM: Any green veggie and mashed or baked potatoes. Follow up with a chocolate chip cookie!

Cost:

• Ground Turkey $1.25
• Egg $1.00
• Oats $1.00
• Worcestershire Sauce $1.50
• Half & Half Cream $1.00

Total Cost: $5.75
Cost Per Serving: $2.88

Category: Casual, Troll Fuel, LFG

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

Parmesan Hawkstrider Legs

Since the first leaks from Burning Crusade's alpha testing, we have all wondered why Blizzard© decided to give Blood Elves a chicken as their mount. The silly birds were given pink coloring as well which left plenty of room for jokes about the already feminine Male Blood Elves. Apparently one of the Blood Elf huntards had enough of the jokes and decided to put the whole issue to rest, permanently. He turned his Sunfury Bow of the Phoenix on his poor mount and shot him dead. Not wanting to waste the bounty of meat on the creature he decided to put his feminine cooking skills to work and this is the delightful dish he produced.



That unfortunate event forever changed my outlook on hawkstriders. What a wonderful meal they create! Now please, don't go killing your hawkstrider off just to try this meal, at least have another mount as a replacement so you don't have to walk everywhere.

Parmesan Hawkstrider Legs
4-5 Servings | Total Time: 45-60 Minutes | Journeyman

Mats:

• 8 Chicken legs and/or thighs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 tsp Rosemary
• 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
• 1/2 tsp Basil
• 1/2 tsp Sage
• 1/2 tsp Oregano
  
• 1 Chicken Bullion cube, crushed
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Pepper

Craft: Preheat oven to 350°. Remove the skin from the chicken legs/thighs. In a medium sized mixing bowl combine the rest of the ingredients and mix them well. Roll each piece of chicken in the Parmesan mixture and place in a 8 x 8 casserole dish. Cook in the oven for 40-45 minutes.

Strategies: You can speed up the process a little if you buy boneless skinless chicken instead. You can also be sure your chicken is cooked thoroughly when the juices from the chicken are clear and not pink or colored in any way.

Cost:

• Chicken $2.98
• Parmesan $1.59

Total Cost: $4.57
Cost Per Serving: $0.92-$1.14

Category: Casual, LFG