By Kara Kimbrough

Food Columnist

 

We’ve all done it…scrolled the internet late at night and watched videos of chefs of all skill levels cooking dishes that look SO delicious that we wanted to taste them at that exact moment. 

 

Obviously, that’s not always possible due to a number of factors. 

 

1. We don’t have the items on hand and 2. The nearest supermarket is usually a few miles (or more) away and venturing out late at night probably isn’t the smartest idea. 

 

To solve this ongoing problem, I searched for a few shortcut versions of some of the most appetizing-looking dishes that contain ingredients that most of us have on hand.

First, I watched with fascination as someone stirred together a version of Shoney’s famous strawberry pie. It’s a simple recipe, but I didn’t have fresh strawberries, Jell-O and a pie crust on hand to make the delicious dessert. 

However, I DID have three items that I strive to keep in my freezer at all times: frozen strawberries in sugar, a container of Cool Whip and Sara Lee All-Butter Pound Cake. Topping a slice of defrosted pound cake with the remaining two ingredients created the perfect late-night snack. 

My version wasn’t as good as Shoney’s, but it sufficed until I could buy the ingredients for Shoney’s pie the following day. 

Watching another home cook make an intricate Korean beef and noodles dish piqued my interest and taste buds. But spending 1-1/2 hours working on the dish in a hot kitchen wasn’t the best use of my time or patience. 

Using a bottle of Korean marinade, pre-sliced beef and ramen noodles (something I literally hadn’t tasted since college), the end result was surprisingly delicious and filling.

 Last, I’m not a huge fan of Mexican food, but after running out of ideas on ways to use a large package of chicken, I watched another video of a chef creating Salsa Verde chicken.  

He made the sauce from scratch, but I decided to substitute a cup of jarred sauce, which is often used as a dip. While it won’t replace my favorite chicken parmigiano, it was tasty and here’s the best part, only took 15 minutes to make.

 Try these two shortcut dishes to help make the most of summer days filled with lots of fun things to do while continuing to get dinner on the table. Since you’ll save time on dinner prep, spend a little time making Shoney’s most famous dessert. If you don’t have the recipe, drop me an email and I’ll send it to you.

Enjoy the remaining days of summer!

Shortcut Korean Beef Noodles

15.52-ounce package instant Ramen noodles

1 pound thinly cut ribeye steak or another cut

½ pound baby Bok choy, ends trimmed and washed (can use cole slaw mix if Bok choy is not available or to save time)

1 green onion finely chopped

½ small onion sliced

1 ½ cup Korean barbecue sauce or marinade (found next to regular barbecue sauce/marinades or in ethnic section)

½ tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil

1      teaspoon sesame seeds, optional 

   Place ramen noodles in sauce pan of boiling water and begin loosening with tongs. Once they are loosened, strain and rinse under cold water. Do not boil noodles too long; set aside.

   In sauce pan over medium high heat, add oil, then yellow onion; cook until softened and slightly browned on edges. Next add green onions. Add beef and stir fry until beef is partially cooked. Toss in Bok choy or cole slaw and stir fry with beef. Cook until juices in the wok have evaporated, about 3-4 minutes.

    Add in strained ramen and Korean sauce. Mix everything together. Once everything is mixed, remove off heat to serve over rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.

Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice

4 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup jarred thick Salsa Verde (found in condiment aisle or ethnic section)

1 cup pepper Jack cheese, shredded 

Package of Knorr Spanish rice (or other instant rice brand)

     Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange a rack in the center of the oven. Season the chicken evenly with pepper. Place the chicken in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet or 3-quart baking dish. Drizzle with the oil. Pour Salsa Verde over the chicken. 

    Bake until salsa is bubbly and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 140 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the oven to broil. Sprinkle the chicken with the cheese and return to the oven. Broil until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165 degrees and the cheese is melted and browned in spots, about four minutes. Serve over Spanish rice or with other favorite side dish.

Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.

CUTLINE: Shortcut versions are out there, but nothing beats an utterly delicious homemade version of Shoney’s Famous Strawberry Pie in the summertime. If you don’t have the recipe, email me and I’ll send it to you.