Blog Archives
Recipe Time! Francakes (French Toast Pancakes)
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It gets your body going and gives you energy to get your day started. During the week breakfast is usually cereal, toast, oatmeal, a bagel, or a smoothie. But come the weekend, breakfast gets to be a bit fancier. On Sundays Erik and I usually make either French toast or pancakes for breakfast (okay, and also occasionally crepes or waffles, but they’re not relevant to this post). One day we had the genius idea – what would happen if we combined them in to one mega-breakfast food? And thus, Francakes were born. A wonderful combination of French toast and pancakes. Light and fluffy like a pancake, yet cinnamon-y like French toast. The best part is if you know how to make French toast (which you should), and how to make pancakes, you can most certainly easily make Francakes.
Follow me to learn how.
Food 101: How To Make Chicken Cutlets
Possibly one of the greatest, most useful foundation blocks of a balanced diet is the mighty chicken cutlet. Hailing from almost all corners of the world, almost every cuisine on the planet features some variation of a breaded cutlet made from chicken, pork, or veal. In America we’ve come to embrace chicken as the one true cutlet in modern times, since chicken is objectively better than other meats in every way, shape, and form. Plus, not only are they fairly easy to make and pretty good for you health-wise if fried in olive oil, but they’re also amazingly versatile and can be used to make a like eight billion different dishes. Seriously, the sky is the limit if you have a steady supply of chicken and breadcrumbs. Everyone on the planet should know how to whip together a quick batch of chicken cutlets, as if it were a rite of passage (and in some Italian households it is, haha). If you were never scolded or shamed into learning how this late in the game, then you’ll be happy to know it’s something that nearly anyone can make.
Quick Recipe: Easy Chicken Tikka
Chicken Tikka kicks ass. It’s the chicken fingers of Indian food. You can find it everywhere, it tastes amazing, and everybody loves it. Originally stemming from Indian Punjabi cuisine, the U.K. miraculously likes to take credit for it somehow, since one account states a Pakistani man created it in a restaurant in Glasgow. Despite that, it’s undoubtedly rooted in Indian heritage using curry spices and being cooked in manners consistent with Eastern food. If you want to get technical, Chicken Tikka is plain old boneless chicken pieces marinated in a spiced yogurt. Chicken Tikka Masala is that same thing, only served in a curry sauce, aka a masala. Though it seems fairly intimidating to cook at first, the effort is sooooo worth it in the end since it tastes amazing and looks super fancy. Serve it with some rice or homemade pilaf!
Quick Recipe: Easy Rice Pilaf
Rice pilaf is a pretty wide open dish with lots of variations, so pinpointing it as one recipe can be tricky. Personally I like to keep it simple and forgo the numerous vegetables, meats, nuts, and other foodstuffs that more complex recipes usually call for. This recipe produces a light but tasty rice dish that’s great alongside meats and veggies, but tastes so good, you can just eat it on its own and still enjoy it. Personally, I always make it alongside Chicken Tikka and other chicken dishes with lots of spices involved.
We Can Do It Better: Taco Bell Quesarito Recipe
Another few months, another new Taco Bell featured item… son of a bitch. Anyone who’s read our past WCDIB posts knows I used to be a raging Taco Bell junkie, but stopped eating it years ago when I switched to a healthier diet. Whereas I’d jump in my car and race to the nearest Taco Bell upon seeing an ad for something new, now I simply bow my head and shed a single tear. Fortunately though, since starting Poor Couples Food Guide, Meg and I have started recreating popular franchise foods as a hobby of sorts. Not only does it make it easier to bear the temptation, but making your own versions at home is rewarding since you can actually improve upon the source material.
That brings me to Taco Bell’s newest item. Want to know how to make your own Quesarito at home?
The Poor Couple's Food Guide 
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