Geeks eat fast food too
I was deep into database-world today at work. Part of my day job is to make maps that are graphical representations of underlying databases. I love this part of my job because it is such a cool mix of design and database manipulation. On the way home I stopped by Trader Joe’s to get Double Rainbow ice cream for the guys and while I was there I scrounged up a quick, easy, and healthy dinner. Fast food for geeks. I didn’t keep track of the cost but I’m sure it was under $10 for the two of us (the boys scarfed down my homemade chili before returning to their gaming lair).
I took one bag of jumbo shrimp, in shell and, after thawing them under running water for 5 minutes and letting them sit for 10, I dumped them into a ziploc with 1/2 cup mango/chili vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 1 tablespoon Penzys Adobo Spice mix. I let that rest for 10 minutes while I read the paper and sipped a well earned glass of chardonnay. Then GH lit the grill and I heated a medium skillet on a medium flame and added a tablespoon or so of canola oil, and a tablespoon of Penzys Singapore Seasoning. A minute or two later I added a bag of Trader Joe’s Nasi Goreng Indonesian Rice Dish.
I walked out the door, put the shrimp on the grill, walked back into the kitchen and stirred the rice, walked back to the grill, flipped the shrimp, back to the stove, stirred the rice, back to the grill to remove the shrimp, turned off the grill (yes, it’s gas…we’re not certified for real fire…we’re geeks!), back to the stove where I plated the meal.
That meal took less time to make than I would have spent in the Culver’s (substitute Sonic or whatever) Drive-Thru lane. Fat per serving was from olive oil and canola oil, protein was good, a little fiber, even a little iron for those of us with iron-poor blood. Beyond that it was simply tasty. The shrimp were tangy yet smoky, the Nasi Goreng was spicy and had a nice texture.
Okay fellow geeks and random readers…what is your version of fast food and why. Don’t be shy, we all need the inspiration. And by the way if you’re lurking and not sure about commenting…jump on in, the water’s fine and the geeks don’t bite.
9 Responses to “Geeks eat fast food too”
1 Trig 1 June 2007 @ 1:40 am
Hi Vanessa.
I’ve long thought that great food blogging minds think alike - yesterday I started to prepare a post on the subject of fast food! Unlike your post, my theme is not fast home cooking, but that there’s some good fast food to be found out there as well as rubbish, especially in smaller “community” cafes.
But I think this falls within the scope of your challenge, so I’ll be responding in a few days.
2 Jef 1 June 2007 @ 2:53 am
Much of the food I make I’d consider fast. If you cook everyday, like me, you generally get faster so even things people would consider ’slow food’ I can whip up in a jiffy!
I’d say pizza is a favorite fast food of mine. I usually make up a large batch of dough and freeze the extras. When it’s pizza time, I pull out the dough to defrost (the morning before) and then stretch and top the pizza. 8 minutes or so in a 550F oven and we’re done.
3 Katiez 1 June 2007 @ 7:28 am
In winter it would be risotto - under 30 minutes whilst sipping that chardonnay - and it’s a no brainer that uses up leftovers.
In summer it’s the whole meal on the grill - veg in the grill pan and meat on the other side…20 minutes and we’re done.
4 Jennifer 1 June 2007 @ 10:00 am
Pasta is my fast food of choice. When I’m really feeling lazy, I just toss the noodles with basil infused olive oil and Parmesan cheese. To be more balanced, sautée some chopped veggies while the noodles cook. Easy, filling, and (best of all) clean up is easy!
5 Penny Z 1 June 2007 @ 10:51 am
My go-to is fettucini with clam sauce. I always keep the ingredients for this on hand. It’s supposed to be a first course, but you can’t beat it for a quick main course. This is how I do it, but I don’t have measurements.
Put water on for pasta; saute a dried red pepper with shallot and a little garlic in good olive oil; remove pepper and add parsley and white wine and reduce a little; add canned baby clams and their strained juice; when that’s hot, take it off the heat and stir in a little butter and parmesan and toss with your pasta. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste (you won’t need salt).
If you’re using dried fettucini, it probably won’t be ready when the sauce is done, so don’t add the butter and cheese until the pasta is done. Just rewarm the sauce and then add butter and cheese.
6 Andy 1 June 2007 @ 11:33 am
wow, mango/chili vinegar???? sounds great, was that from TJ’s as well!
looks yummy!
7 vanessa 1 June 2007 @ 9:18 pm
Trig, I’m looking forward to it.
Jef, I agree that the actual prep and cook times can be fast but sometime the thinking time is just too much. Pizza…it’s always a fav.
Katiez, Risotto is perfect in the winter isn’t it? I love how it warms me up as I cook it. Grilling is year round here…as long as the winds are favorable.
Jennifer, pasta, always a good idea, especially good when pork is added! Also a puttanesca sauce is fast.
Penny Z, thank you so much for that recipe!!! I often order fettuccine with clam sauce when I go out out…I’ve never actually made it…but now I can.
Andy, mango/chili vinegar is the bomb. It’s at TJ’s next to the olive oils.
8 Penny Z 2 June 2007 @ 10:49 am
You’re welcome. Let me know if you’ve got any questions if you try it.
Tuna sauce is another quick one that’s ready almost faster than the pasta. Trader Joe’s had a really good sun-dried tomato sauce with balsamic vinegar that made it even quicker–just add olives and tuna and you’re good to go. However, as with all their products that I grow to depend on, it’s been discontinued.
9 Jacob 2 June 2007 @ 7:46 pm
Our version of fast food is still the kind you pick up. Our favorites tend to be local and small Madison restaurants where you can call ahead and pick up food in 10 minutes. Here’s three of them in random order: King of Falafel for their Falafel sandwich, with or without hummus. Vientiane restaurant for their red curry squash, and La Queretana for their tamales by the dozen. Freeze for lunches!
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