Recipes for when your soul needs takeout but your wallet needs whatever's BOGO at Kroger
How do you corporate queens do it?
Hello, chefs.
An old wives’ tale about me as a human is that I’m able to accomplish more in a day than an average person. This is categorically false. I know this because yesterday, for one day only, I kept a schedule like a normal person with an on-site, 9-5 job that requires 110% of your energy and attention, then had happy hour drinks and dinner with friends. Average day for most of you, right?
When I tell you I am exhausted on a cellular level this morning—like the individual protons in my body are requesting PTO—I wish I was exaggerating. It feels like the day after a half marathon. You know I’m tired because even the prospect of a romp around Target to purchase tchotchkes for our new pantry can’t peel me off the couch. It’s a sunny, blue sky day here in Nashville and I’m not begging my boyfriend to help me dig out a trench for a brick path in the back yard. Who even am I?
I’m amazed by all of you sneaky introverts like me who are doing this kind of human interaction daily and cooking yourselves a meal with more than two steps at night. You’re all my heroes. My muses. Tell me your secrets.
Thankfully, I’m going to a friend’s steak-and-martinis dinner party tonight and thus have to spend zero brain cells thinking about what to cook for dinner. But if I did, I can tell you with 99% certainty that the recipe would be called Maru Sushi on Uber Eats. But since I’m leaning into the Frugal Faith alter ego this year, there’s a 1% chance I’d just make the meal below.
Here’s to a restful and delicious weekend.
-Faith
Crispy rice “sushi”
This is less of a recipe and more of a recommended journey, if you will. I know this isn’t actually sushi, guys. But if you have a craving for sush and want to DIY, this’ll scratch the itch.
Make some crispy rice squares:
Prep your rice (sushi rice or jasmine is fine) like normal
Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap and press your sushi into the lined pan with a spachula. Top with another layer of plastic wrap and reaaaaally press down with your fingers until it’s nice and compact.
Freeze for ~30 minutes
Pop out of the pan and onto a cutting board, remove the plastic wrap, and use a sharp knife to slice into squares.
Pan fry the squares in the oil of your choice. It might not brown, but it’ll get crispy quick, so don’t over-cook (~5 min on each side should do it).
Top with whatever floats your boat:
Thin slices of mango, cucumber, radish, avocado
Chopped shrimp salad: cook and chop up some shrimp, mix with a bit of mayo, sriracha, green onion
Thinly sliced seared tuna or sushi grade raw fish if you fancy
Spicy mayo, soy sauce, wasabi
Miso butter mushrooms
This one is pulled from Hettie McKinnon at NYT Cooking—so good and so easy. We had this on a very basic stir fry with bok choy, udon noodles, and scallions. Topped with a fried egg and these mushrooms ✨
Make your miso butter: 2 tbsp softened butter, 2 tbsp miso, some minced garlic. Mash it all together.
Saute some whole mushrooms in olive oil until golden and cooked through, about 15 min.
Turn off the heat. Add the miso butter to the warm pan and toss until your mushrooms are coated. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Green beans and scallions
Again, a recommended journey, not really a recipe. One of my favorite ways to do a “I want takeout but I should really eat what I have in the fridge” meal is just prep every. single. vegetable. that I have in kind of the same theme so it feels like I just have a spread of small bites. If you have green beans and scallions, just hit them in a hot, hot pan for 5-10 to blister them a bit, then lower the heat and add a splash of soy and red pepper flakes to finish.