New beginnings, new title

Man, it's been a while folks. Life comes at you fast.If you're a lucky dude, you come out the other side even more blessed, inspired and pumped to get down to business.

Since my last post (over 3 years ago!), I have become a husband and a first-time father. Four years ago, I snagged the attention of my future wife after saving her from a hipster mosh pit at a Delta Spirit concert (during a rather raucous performance of "Trash Can," no less). Two years ago, she let me put a ring on it. Ten months ago, we became a family of three after a tense and perilous pregnancy.

Our little man was born ten weeks early, spend over one hundred days in the NICU and still needs home oxygen to help his lungs catch up to speed. He's an incredibly resilient baby, and he has
given me a deep understanding of all the fatherhood cliches I used to scoff at.

Lenox "Knox" Turner - Born August 4, 2014

Sure, I have not been that "single dude" for a few years. That has not stopped me from looking for ways to cook tasty things for my new family using the thriftiest means possible (I have to find a way to pay for the little dude's college in 17 years, after all...). Taking on the role as the primary cook in my family has given me even more ideas, creativity and kitchen adventures to share with the dudes out there. The same principles apply whether they are single, dating, married, students, working, retired, or just plain slammed for time.

I started this blog to encourage men to be more involved in the kitchen, eat better food and be mindful of budget. Thus, let me humbly introduce Cooking Shrewd... for the Average Dude.

Leftover Chicken Tacos with Bacon!

One of the hallmarks of cooking shrewd as a single dude is never wasting leftovers. Cooking for one is difficult in that most recipes, food packaging and restaurant portions are really designed for more than a single person. 

Also, as my grandpa would say, a man's eye is typically bigger than his stomach. Mine especially, because I tend to make way more food than I really need.

Last weekend was Memorial Day, so I was grilling up a frenzy by the pool. The holiday weekend left me with an abundance of grilled chicken marinated in Italian dressing, and the last two pieces needed a purpose. From the last entry, Steak Street Tacos (On the Cheap), you can probably guess that I'm a big fan of tacos. They also happen to be a great way to clear out all the leftovers in your fridge. 

In addition to leftover grilled chicken, I also had a third package of bacon approaching its Best By date. There was also a bunch of cilantro close to wilting, and a week-old avocado starting to get soft. I also gathered a farm stand tomato and a sweet Vidalia onion, both of which are in overabundance this time of year. I grabbed a lime at the supermarket as well, since it really gives that extra hint of freshness to this recipe.

I highly recommend soft corn tortillas over flour. They have a lot less calories, the texture holds up a lot better, and (in my opinion) the flavor is more authentic. You can generally find them for cheaper as well, which is the very basis of Cooking Shrewd for the Single Dude.

The real flavor of these tacos comes from the balance between the salty smoky bacon crumbles and the sweetness of the sauteed onion strips. They add the extra oomph that really takes these tacos over the top.

Putting this meal together is very simple. Just cook and pile everything together, then eat.


Ingredients:
2 leftover boneless chicken breasts from the grill
2 bacon strips, cooked & crumbled (I usually bake them in the oven for 1-15 minutes until they are stiffened, but not quite crispy)
Soft corn tortillas
1 medium tomato
1 small-medium avocado
1 sweet onion
1 lime
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
(optional) 1/2 cup shredded cheese 
Sugar
Salt
Olive oil

Equipment
Medium skillet 
Sharp knife & cutting board
2 mixing bowls

How-To
1. Split the sweet onion into halves. Take 1 half and cut into 2" strips about 1/4" thick and sprinkle with 1 tsp of sugar. 
2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in the skillet on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the onion strips and stir to coat. Let the onions sit in a single layer until slightly brown on the bottom (about 3-5 minutes), then flip. Cook the onions until just brown, then remove them to a plate.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cut the chicken breasts into 1/2" cubes and add them to the skillet. Stir to coat with remaining oil from the onions and heat for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken cubes are hot.
4. While the chicken heats, dice the tomato and remaining half of the sweet onion. Add them to a mixing bowl and add the juice from 1/2 a lime and 1/4 cup cilantro. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Dice the avocado and add to a second mixing bowl. Add remaining lime juice to the bowl, them use a fork to mash the avocado chunks. Add garlic clove & remaining cilantro, then stir to incorporate. Salt and pepper to taste. (I recommend letting this guacamole-like mixture sit for at least 15 minutes to let the flavors properly mix).
6. This final step is optional, but I think it improves the texture and flavor of the soft corn tortillas immensely. Remove the chicken from the skillet and turn the heat up to medium-high. Place each soft corn tortilla in the skillet and cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side, or until each side is slightly browned.


Assemble the tacos
Take a large plate and place 3-4 tortillas flat. Add a spoonful of each ingredient, fold the tacos and enjoy. If you want to get fancy, put a pinch bit of whole cilantro leaves on top of each taco and squeeze some lime juice over everything. Do not forget the bacon crumbles!

Once again, the little Lord Admiral Nelson gave me the hungry eyes from his hiding place as I sat down to devour my tacos. I'll take that as his seal of approval.

Steak Street Tacos (On The Cheap)

Lets face it, guys. Even the [semi-healthy] Fresco menu at Taco Bell gets old, and the bottomless chips and salsa at Cinco de Mayo loses its shine after a while. Sometimes, what you need is fresh Mexican food, and the only real way to get it is by making it yourself. (Especially if you live in Bellevue and it's a 45-minute round trip to the nearest Nolensville Road Taqueria).

The best part about making Mexican yourself is that you control what goes into it. You decide how healthy you want it to be, instead of wiping fast food grease off your shirt or digging through piles of melted queso to find the burritos that also have loads of cheese on the inside as well.

I make these Steak Street Tacos with plenty of fresh vegetables and fresh cilantro in the homemade pico de gallo. I also use soft corn tortillas, which have half the calories of their flour counterparts. Do not mistake these for the hard tortillas, which are almost always fried and full of empty calories.

The key here is fresh cilantro. No, let me rephrase that. CILANTRO. It's the key ingredient that sets fresh Mexican food apart from the imitations. Plus, it's very inexpensive. I usually pay bout $1 for a large bunch at a supermarket, and I am not usually able to go through all of it before it starts to go bad. You might also consider green onions and even parsley as additional inexpensive flavor boosters. Their powers combine to give you what is basically the Captain Planet of flavor.

The recipe I'm giving should make enough for two people (or two meals, if you're flying solo).

Items to buy
1 packet of Old El Paso Fajita Seasoning ($0.69 at Kroger)
1/2 lb low-cost steak meat - I found a pound of pre-sliced Top Sirloin for just under $6. Round steak will also work. ($3 at $5.99/lb on sale)
2 Limes ($0.90, $0.45 ea)
1 large onion, 1/2 cut into strips, 1/2 diced - I used a red onion for the color ($1.03)
1/2 bell pepper, cut into strips - Green is always cheapest, but this time Kroger had reds on sale for about the same price. #winning ($0.89/2 = $0.45)
1 bunch of fresh cilantro ($1.05 a bunch, I used maybe a tenth = $0.15)
1/3 carton of Cherry Tomatoes ($1.98/3 = $0.66)
Soft Corn Tortillas that I had laying around and needed to get rid of. (You can typically get a huge bag of these for around $2. we'll say the 7 I used cost around $0.50)
5 garlic cloves, minced (about $0.15)

Total Cost: $7.53 ($3.76 per meal)

Around-the-house items
4 tbsp Canola or vegetable oil
1 tbsp sugar
Salt
Pepper

Equipment
1 Cast iron skillet or large frying pan
1 Cutting board & knife
2 medium or large mixing bowls
Plastic wrap

How-To
1. Cut steak meat into small strips. Try to image Mexican restaurant fajita meat, about 1/4" high and 2" long. The meat will shrink as it cooks. Place in a large mixing bowl.

2. Marinate the meat: Chop garlic and about 1/2 cup cilantro & add to the meat bowl, along with 2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp salt, ground pepper and the juice of one lime. Mix so that meat is evenly covered, top the bowl with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.

3. Make the Pico de Gallo: Dice the cherry tomatoes and onions and place them in a second bowl. Add another 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, the juice of the second lime, and salt & pepper to taste. Stir and set aside to let the flavors mix.

4. Heat up 1 tbsp oil in the skillet over medium. If you're using a cast iron skillet like I did, do not go any hotter. If you are using a cheaper frying pan instead, use medium-high heat.

5. Caramelize the onions and peppers: When the pan is nice and hot, but not smoking, add the onions, peppers, sugar and a pinch of salt. Stir so that the oil and sugar are evenly distributed, then let them sit on the hot pan without stirring. When the pan side starts to caramelize (i.e., starts to get a little black), flip them to the other side and repeat the process. When both sides are caramelized, remove the onions and peppers to a plate.

6. Brown the steak: After steak has marinated at least 30 minutes, remove it from the marinade and pat most of the mixture off (especially the garlic bits, which will burn pretty easily). Add the remaining oil to the pan and let it warm up to the point where it's almost smoking.

Add the steak strips little at a time, making sure not to over-crowd the pan. You want the steak to brown and get almost crispy. Flip after about 5 minutes so both sides are evenly browned.
Remember, adding too much meat at once will prevent the water content from evaporating quickly, essentially steaming the meat instead of browning it. You might need to cook the steak strips in 2 or 3 batches.

7. Season the meat: Once all the steak strips have been browned, put it all back in the pot and add the Old El Paso fajita seasoning. The instructions in the packet asked for 1/4 cup of water to be added and then cooked off. This takes too much time for me, so I added just over half that - just enough to moisten the seasoning completely without pooling. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and let it thicken for a minute or two.

8. Assemble the tacos: I toasted the corn tortillas in a dry frying pan until they just started to brown. This step is optional, but it enhances the flavor and pliability of the tortillas quite a bit. Place a few strips of meat in the middle, then pile with the sauteed peppers and onions, pico de gallo and come additional chopped cilantro. I cheated and added a little bit of shredded pepperjack cheese as well.

If you do this right, your cat will start giving you the hungry eyes...

Of course, your cat probably doesn't have as commanding a name as Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson like mine does. How can I say no to the Lord Admiral?

Bon Appetite!

Last Request Chili

That's Adam Richman from Man vs Food taking on the Firebrand Challenge at Joe Roger's Chilli Parlor in my home town, Springfield, IL. The Superbowl's less than two weeks away, so what a fitting time for a chili recipe?

From what I have read, the historical antecedent of modern chili began as early settlers and and cattle drivers headed west. There would often be a "chuck wagon" following along with the group, manned by a cook who would prepare meals each night on the trail (and often play the role of barber, dentist and banker as well). Beans, salted meats, dried peppers, corn flour and coffee tended to keep for a long time without refrigeration, so it's easy to see how these ingredients eventually led to our modern notions of chili.

The basic inspiration for this chili came from a slow cooker recipe book published by America's Test Kitchen. However, I have added and subtracted so much over the last several years that I can confidently call this my recipe. There are a couple TOP SECRET ingredients

Since my goal in this blog is food on a budget, I am going to include the "obligato" portions, while suggesting additional ingredients for those looking to splurge a little.  Here's the list:

Meat  
Remember, get whatever is on sale
1/2 lb. lean ground beef (90% or higher)
1/2 lb. ground pork
Optional 1/2 lb. pulled pork (without bbq sauce)

Canned Goods 
My philosophy is store brand when possible
1 large can crushed tomatoes (generic for budget, San Marzano variety if you can afford it)
2 cans kidney beans (I like the dark red variety)
1 can black beans
1 can tomato paste
1-2 canned chipotle peppers packaged in adobo sauce, diced (add more for spicier chili)
2 tbsp of adobo sauce from can of chipotle peppers
1 12oz bottle or can of beer. I have used anything from Miller Lite to Guinness. Generally, the darker the beer, the richer the flavor. Try to avoid anything overly-hoppy (stay away from IPA)
TOP SECRET INGREDIENT: 1 can pumpkin pie filling

Spices - 
Buy the cheapest you can find. I will teach you a trick to improve the potency.
3 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp chili powder
(optional) 1 tbsp Ancho chili powder
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp salt, kosher if possible
Optional 1 tbsp ground sage

Optional 1 tsp allspice
Optional 1 tsp ground thyme

Produce 
Again, get whatever's on sale.
1 large onion, chopped (I prefer red or white, but yellow is usually a little cheaper)
1 bell pepper, chopped (get green, they are always cheaper & the end result is the same)
6-8 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
1 shredded carrot, finely chopped
Optional 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced 


Misc Ingredients
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
 1-2 tbsp olive oil (substitute vegetable or canola oil if needed)
1/4 cup corn meal
TOP SECRET INGREDIENT: 1/2 cup grated dark chocolate or unsweetened cocoa powder

Hardware
1 decent knife & cutting board
1 high-walled soup pot or dutch oven
1 small or medium frying pan 

There are a couple tricks to getting the biggest flavor out of these ingredients. Begin by browning the raw meat in the main soup pot over medium heat with a small hit of oil (1 tsp or less). Break it up into small chunks and cook until you don't see any pink meat. Remove all the meat you can from the pot and place on a plate with a paper towel to cut as much grease as possible. Add the remaining oil to the pan, then stir in the onions, bell pepper, carrot and [optional] jalapeno. Saute until just soft, about 5-7 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

At the same time that the vegetables are cooking, blend the spices together in a bowl and add them to the small frying pan on low-medium heat, stirring occasionally. Continue for around 5 minutes until the spices are fragrant and just starting to give off a little smoke.

This will begin to toast the spices and bring their dormant flavors more fully out. This is a great technique for any store-bought spices, as well as all the old containers that you inherited from your mom when you moved away.

Add the spices, the cooked meat (along with optional pulled pork), and the tomato paste to the big pot, stirring to blend. Cook the paste mixture over low-medium heat for 3-5 minutes.

Now, begin to add the remaining ingredients. Start with the beer. This will deglaze the pan and help free up the browned bits sticking to the bottom of the pan, which are a key to great flavor. Stir the beer in, and be sure to scrape up any parts stuck to the pan in the process.

Add the remaining ingredients and heat uncovered over medium heat, stirring in incorporate. Once the chili begins to pop a little bit, reduce heat to low, stir and cover. Let the chili simmer on the stove for at least half an hour, but as much as 2. The longer the chili simmers, the better. Remember, the idea here is "low and slow."

The finished chili will be thick. If you like your chili with more of a broth, you can either add additional beer or use some chicken stock. I not recommend add plain water, as this will also water down the flavor.

I served the chili with some simple cornbread I whipped up using a 2/1 ratio of flour and leftover cornmeal, an egg, 1/2 cup milk and some leftover adobo sauce from the canned chipotle peppers. The sweetness of the cornbread made a great contrast with the spiciness of the chili.

This pot of chili is enough to last a single man for several meals. To keep things interesting, I served the leftover chili over spaghetti, brown rice, and even a baked potato on subsequent nights.

Total cost for the entire recipe:$17.67 (including fresh meat and new spice containers with plenty of extra to spare)

Total cost per bowl: $2.21 (8 bowls)

Introduction - Cooking Shrewd for the Single Dude

shrewd adj - (shrood)
     1. Having a keen awareness, sharp intelligence & often a since of the practical.
     2. Disposed to artful & cunning practices; tricky.
     3. Sharp; penetrating: a shrewd wind

single dude noun - (sing-guhl, dood or dyood)
     1. Not accompanied by another or others; solitary.
     2. Relating to the unmarried state
     3. Hungry, broke & bored; a state of constant hunger & desire for fun on the cheap

This is the challenge of the 21st century quarter-life man. We're overworked, underpaid and highly caffeinated. We graduated college in the mid-00's with the vision of great jobs, easy careers and the lifestyle of our parents out of the chute. What we found was a lousy economy, monolithic student debt, and a skill set sadly deficient in culinary prowess.

We were raised on mac and cheese, hot dogs and chicken fingers. Our schools fed us flimsy pizza that our government now considers a legal vegetable. McDonald's bewitched us with cheap toys, while Pizza Hut bribed us to read with personal pan pizzas. Remember Book-It, anyone?


We're also strapped for cash. Most of us feel lucky to have a job at all, let alone a career we love. We're weighed down by student loans, car payments and credit card balances we're probably too ashamed to admit publicly. Hectic schedules, limited budgets and a propensity for the lazy side of life make the DollarMenuNaire lifestyle look very attractive.


There is hope, my comrades. You can eat well on a budget. You can cook fantastically tasty, reasonably healthy dishes yourself, and it's easier than you ever dreamed. My purpose for writing this blog is to share with you some of the ways I've learned. 


I am certainly not a chef. I have no training, other than the occasional DVR'd episode of Tyler's Ultimate or Good Eats. I am simply a second-round single man with an appetite, a budget and a desire for something more than Ramen noodles or Lean Cuisine. Are you with me, brothers?