Weeknight Beef Fajitas

These fajitas are yummy and easy to make. The best part is what little prep work there is can be done ahead of time.

Ingredients:

2 Bell Peppers (2 different colors)

1 Onion

12 Ounces Frozen Fajita Beef (I use John Soules Foods Brand. It's a little expensive but my husband loves it. The chicken is also good and is cheaper if you prefer that.)

4 Large Tortillas

2 Tablespoons Olive or Vegetable Oil

Salt and Pepper

Dash of Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

Fajita Toppings Such as Sour Cream and Shredded Cheese

1. Cut up both bell peppers and the onion into thin slices (This is the part you can do beforehand. The sliced veggies keep great in a gallon freezer bag.)

2. Add beef and stir fry in the oil until the onions are carmelized, peppers are soft, and very little water remains in the pan. Stir frequently to avoid burning.

3. Add a dash of red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste.

4. Spoon veggies into tortillas and top with desired toppings before rolling.

Note: Store leftover fillings in a container separate from tortillas to avoid sogginess.

Spaghetti Carbonara

This is another modified Pinterest recipe. My husband said it rivals Olive Garden. I'm not sure I believe him but it was tasty.

Ingredients:

8 Ounces Dried Spaghetti Noodles

6 Bacon Slices (I used pre-cooked)

2 Large Eggs

3/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese

1 Tablespoon Dried Onions

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley Flakes

Salt and Pepper

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Save 2/3 cup of pasta water before draining.

2. Rip or cut bacon into small peices. 

3. Cook bacon in a large saucepan. If you are using pre-cooked bacon, just heat it until it is sizzling.

4. Add 2 Tablespoons of water, dried onions, and garlic powder to the bacon and cook until fragrant.

5. Blend parmesan cheese and eggs in a small bowl with a fork.

6. Quickly add cooked noodles, pasta water, and egg/cheese mixture to the saucepan. Stir consistently until egg is cooked.

7. Add parsley flakes, and salt and pepper to taste before serving.

California Rolls

Sushi night without the raw fish. These California rolls are a little more time consuming than most of my recipes, but they aren't hard to make and are great when you have a little more time to make dinner.

Ingredients:

3-4 Dried Seaweed Sheets

3 Cups Prepared White Rice (cooled in the fridge or freezer)

1/2 Avocado

2 Ounces Immitation Crab Meat (the kind in 'sticks' is easiest)

2 Tablespoons Cream Cheese

1/2 Small Cucumber

Soy Sauce

Instructions:

1. Thinnly slice the immitation crab meat, avocado, and cucumber.

2. Lay out a seaweed sheet on a sheet of wax or parchment paper.

3. Using a spoon, carefully spread the cooled, prepared rice to cover the seaweed sheet.

4. At one of the ends of the sheet, arrange the sliced immitation crab meat, cucumber, avocado, and cream cheese in close rows and splash with a little soy sauce.

5. Begin rolling up the seaweed sheet, pressing and tucking the roll as tightly as you can.

6. Continue rolling until the end.

7. Repeat steps 2-6 with the other seaweed sheets. 

8. Using a sharp knife, cut each roll into 8-10 peices.

9. Serve with soy sauce for dipping.

Taco Ring

A new spin on tacos, this taco ring is super easy to make and can be ready in 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 Can Cresent Roll Dough (8-10 triangles)

1 Pound Ground Beef

1/2 to 1 Packet Taco Seasoning (Depending on how much seasoning you like)

Taco Toppings (Shredded lettuce, cheese, tomatos, sour cream, avocado/guacamole, etc)

Instructions:

1. Brown the ground beef in a saucepan.

2. Drain grease if needed and mix in taco seasoning.

3. Open the can of cresent roll dough and separate the triangles.

4. Arrange the dough triangles in a circle on a pan, fill each with a scoop of taco meat, and roll them up.

5. Bake according to the cresent roll dough instructions.

6. Allow the ring to cool for about 5 minutes after removing it from the oven.

7. Fill the center of the ring with taco toppings such as shredded lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, avocado/guacamole, etc.

8. Serve in sections.

Cheater Pad Thai

Cheater alert! Okay, so this isn't so much of a recipe as it is putting my stamp of approval on a boxed dinner. However, the kit only comes with dried rice noodles and sauce, and since I would buy dried rice noodles anyway, its really only the sauce that is cheating. That's what I keep telling myself anyway. Plus, it's not take out.

Here it is: Thai Kitchen Pad Thai Noodle Kit. They carry it in the asian foods section of most stores and its around $3.

Other things you will need:

1 Tablespoon Cooking Oil

1 Egg

Shrimp or Chicken (The box calls for 4 ounces of either. I use about 8 ounces of those tiny, pre-cooked salad shrimp from the frozen aisle since the hubby and I both really like shrimp.)

Garnishes of Your Choice (Peanuts, bean sprouts, chilies, cilantro, limes, whatever)

I deviate slightly from the directions on the box when I cook this. Here are my instructions, but I'm sure the box instructions are fine too.

1. Bright a pot of water to boil. Add rice noodles and turn off the heat (but don't take the pot off the hot burner). Soak noodles for about 8 minutes before draining them.

2. Pour 1 Tablespoon of oil in a wok or skillet.

3. Add frozen shrimp to the oil and stir fry until warm (pre-cooked, remember?). If you use chicken, make sure it is cooked well before moving on.

4. Move the shrimp to one side of the skillet. Crack and scramble the egg on the other side. (Hint: scrambling the egg in the pan where the shrimp already allows it to soak up the shrimp juices to spread out the flavor.)

5. Once egg is fully scrammebed, mix it together with the shrimp and add the sauce.

6. Add the cooked, drained noodles and stir until well mixed.

7. Serve topped with whatever garnishes you like.

Angel Hair Crushed Tomato Pasta

This recipe started out as an attempt to copy an Olive Garden dish that is no longer on the menu. Its quick and easy to make and doesn't contain any perishable ingredients so its great to keep on hand for a last minute dinner.

Ingredients:

10 Ounces Angel Hair Pasta

2 14.5 Ounce Cans Italian Style Tomatoes

2  Tablespoons Dried Onions

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon Dried Basil

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

Salt and Pepper

Parmesan Cheese (If desired for topping)

1. Prepare pasta as directed on package.

2. In a large skillet, combine both cans of tomatoes, dried onions, olive oil, dried basil, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Simmer over medium-low heat 5-7 minutes.

4. Serve over cooked angel hair pasta and top with parmesan cheese if desired.

Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Bean Quesadillas

Dinner doesn't get much easier than this! These quesadillas are filled with homemade cilantro lime rice and black beans and can be topped with anything you want (read: have on hand).

Makes 4 Quesadillas

Ingredients:

2 Cups Prepared White Rice

2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro

1 Teaspoon Lime Juice

1 15 Ounce Can Black Beans (Drained)

6-8 Ounces Shredded Cheese (I use a Mexican blend)

4 8 Inch Flour Tortillas

Butter

Potential Toppings:

Seasoned Shredded Chicken

Seasoned Ground or Shredded Beef

Shredded Lettuce

Tomatoes

Olives

Avocado/Guacamole

Cilanto

Sour Cream

Salsa

Hot Sauce

Chopped Peppers

Etc.

1. Mix warm, prepared rice with lime juice and chopped cilantro.

2. In a large frying pan, melt a small amount of butter and spread it with a spatula to cover the bottom of the pan.

3. Place a tortilla in the pan and layer half of it with shredded cheese, rice mixture, and black beans.

4. Top the filling with more cheese before folding the tortilla over.

5. Fry until cheese is melted and tortilla is crispy (about 2 minutes per side depending on heat).

6. Repeat steps 2 through 5 with each of the other 3 tortillas,

7. Top with various toppings and enjoy!

Easy Sesame Chicken

This is yet another online recipe that I have simplified. This one does involve a few obscure ingredients but they are inexpensive and once you buy them they keep well.

Ingredients:

3 Chicken Breasts

2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil

2-3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

2 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar

Dash of Garlic Powder

1 Tablespoon Water

1 Egg

3 Tablespoons Flour

2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Rice for Serving

1. In a small bowl, mix the egg and 2 tablespoons of flour together.

2. Cut the chicken into 2 inch pieces and then toss to coat with the egg mixture.

3. Fry the coated chicken pieces in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until cooked through.

4. In another small bowl, mix the sesame oil, white wine vinegar, brown sugar, water, garlic powder, and reamining 1 tablespoon of flour together with a fork or a wisk.

5. Pour the sauce mixture over the cooked chicken and simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens (about 2-3 minutes).

6. Serve over rice.

No-Bake Summer Lasagna Stacks

These lasagna stacks are light and full of yummy summer veggies. Plus they are super quick and easy and don't use an oven so they won't heat up your house in the summer. Found a similar recipe on Pintrest and tweeked it to be quicker and easier.

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

8 Lasagna Noodles

1 Zucchini Squash

20-25 Small Tomatoes (I use cocktail tomatoes because they have great flavor but any small tomato varriety will do.)

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

6 Ounces Ricotta Cheese

1/4 Cup Grated Parmesean Cheese (I use the powdery stuff)

Dried Basil

Salt and Pepper

1. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Slice the zucchini and cut each slice into 4ths.

3. Cut each tomato in half and add them to the zucchini pieces in a saucepan.

4. Stir fry zucchini pieces and tomato halves with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt and pepper over medium heat until the tomatoes start to break down and the zucchini is somewhat soft.

5. Mix the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl. Add dried basil, salt and pepper to taste.

6. Assemble each lasagna stack by layering 1 noodle, a small scoop of veggies, and a small scoop of the cheese mixture.

7. Fold the noodle over to cover the veggies and cheese and repeat with a second noodle on top of the first. Top with parmesan cheese.

Meatballs and Rice

This is one of the easiest dinners that doesn't come out of a pre-packaged box.

Meatballs and Rice

3-4 Serving Cooked Rice

1 lb Ground Beef (Thawed)

2 Tablespoons Dried Onions

5 Crackers (Crushed)

1 Egg

Salt and Pepper

1 Brown Gravy Packet

Cook rice and gravy according to the package instructions.

Mix ground beef with egg, crushed crackers, dried onion, and salt and pepper. Use your hands (or a cookie scoop if you hate touching raw meat like my husband) to form the beef mixture into 12 balls. Place the balls in a small, glass dish.

Cover the dish with wax paper and cook in the microwave on high for 7-8 minutes. Cut one of the meatballs to check for doneness. 

Serve  alone or with steamed veggies.

*Note:  this meal can be made gluten free by ommitting the crackers and using a gluten free gravy mi. One of the sister missionaries assigned to my ward is gluten free and this meal worked great when they came over for dinner.

Intro to The Pantry Prowler

The quick version: The Pantry Prowler is a cooking blog based on simplicity and the basics. No off the wall ingredients, no giant mound of dishes, no steady stream of wasted food.

The long version: I love to cook and eat. What I don't like is buying expensive ingredients to be used for one dish, finding a great recipe only to realize I only have half the ingredients on hand, and feeling like I need an entire squad for the clean-up. The recipes in this blog use inexpensive, versatile, ingredients with a long storage life. They are perfect for singles, couples, and families who enjoy delicious meals without much planning, time, or hassle.

This is my pantry:

It includes mostly the following: 

• Pasta of various sizes and shapes
• Canned beans, fruits, veggies, and sauces
• Cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup
• Cereal
• Snacks

My cupboard contain mostly the following:

• Basic baking ingredients (i.e. flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cooking oil, cocoa, etc)
• Peanut butter
• Potatoes (whole and instant pearls)
• A small collection of spices (i.e. cinnamon, garlic, onion powder, parsley, etc)
• Bread
• Tortillas
• Rice

In my fridge and freezer:

• Milk
• Juice
• Butter
• Sour cream
• Shredded cheese
• Frozen veggies
• Frozen ground beef
• Frozen chicken breasts

As you can see, I buy very basic food items, and I have found and created so many recipes utilizing very little that isn't listed above. This blog will showcase these recipes.