No Chicken Noodle Soup

Abandoned Edibles
chicken-style seitan, onion, celery, chives, white mushrooms, Mrs. Leeper's 'creamy tuna' boxed dinner
(additional ingredients: carrots, chicken base, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice, shallots, butter, olive oil, spices, etc.)

What I did: well, it was time to make some (no) chicken noodle soup, as I had been sitting on a package of chicken-style seitan for a few weeks. In addition, I picked up this box of outdated organic 'tuna helper' from the cull bin (as an aside, how creepy is the brand name "Mrs. Leeper's"?!) that I needed to use the egg noodles out of pronto. So I sauteeed some veggies, added chicken base and the seitan, slid in the noodles, simmered and seasoned. Pretty simple.



The Verdict
Warm, comforting, delicious--just as (no) chicken noodle soup should be. I must admit, I actually enjoy the seitan: the flavor AND the texture. And good ol' Mrs. Leeper came through with her egg noodles--perhaps I will use the 'creamy tuna' seasoning packet in a future AE dish! As an aside, I must tell you all that a little lemon juice in chicken soup goes a LONG way: it has always been my secret weapon to bring a tiny touch of acid to balance out the flavor of the chicken stock and inevitable salt that comes along with it.

Taste: 8
Creativity: 6
Appearance: 8

Improvements for next time: parsnips! Oh baby.

Eggplant and Zucchini Spaghetti Muffins

Abandoned Edibles
marinara sauce, eggplant, zucchini, garlic, white cheddar cheese
*BONUS* leftover AEs: leftover spaghetti noodles (additional ingredients: ground pork, onion, egg, panko bread crumbs, butter, spices, etc.)

What I did: dude. This was by FAR the weirdest thing I have cooked with AEs, mainly due to two things: 1) the only baking device I currently own is a motherfuckin' MUFFIN PAN, and 2) I had leftover spaghetti noodles from the night before that I desperately wanted to use. So, I figured, hey--might as well make spaghetti muffins, eh? Basically, what I did was make a three-layered mini casserole in each muffin tin. I made a base (or 'crust') of chopped up spaghetti noodles, egg, and panko bread crumbs for the bottom, added a layer of cooked ground pork, cubed zucchini and onions, a layer of shredded cheese, and then marinara sauce on top. I baked them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. And, of course, I greased the hell out of those muffin rounds with butter. Whilst these frankensteinian vittles were cooking, I sliced, battered, and fried rounds of eggplant. I served this dish with fried eggplant on the bottom, spaghetti muffin atop the eggplant, and additional marinara sauce and shredded cheese on top of the muffin.




The Verdict
First of all, apologies for the horrible pictures--I was rather drunk by the time I finished cooking. But back to the matter at hand: spaghetti muffins! Yes, they were bizarre, but also rather tasty. I was pretty proud of myself. Pat on the back for me!

Taste: 7
Creativity: 9
Appearance: 6

Improvements for next time: I can't even IMAGINE.

Ham, Potato, and Cheddar Soup

Abandoned Edibles
crimini mushrooms, cippolini onions, broccoli, baby carrots, ham steak, potatoes
(additional ingredients: cheddar cheese, butter, olive oil, milk, garlic, chicken stock, chives, spices, etc.)

What I did: I have been sitting on this frozen hamsteak for a while, so I was ecstatic when I found mushrooms, onions, broccoli, carrots and potatoes in the cull bin. First I sauteed the veggies in butter and olive oil, then added chicken stock. I topped the pot off with whole milk, herbs, and a little flour to thicken it. Even though I shredded a shit-ton of cheddar cheese, I also garnished the soup with additional cheese and a few chives. Yum!



The Verdict
God DAMN, this was some tasty soup! I ate it on the roof under the moon. Delicious and just what the doctor ordered.

Taste: 8
Creativity: 7
Appearance: 8

Improvements for next time: BAGUETTE! That is all.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Marinara Sauce and Arugula Salad

Abandoned Edibles
whole wheat pasta, baby arugula, marinara sauce, onion
*BONUS* leftover AEs: smoked mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, green pepper (additional ingredients: garlic, crimini mushrooms, olive oil, blue cheese crumbles, red onion, salad dressing, spices, etc.)

What I did: I made pasta, bitches! And a salad. Pretty easy. But how could I NOT, given the ingredients I found in the cull bin? All I did was sauté the mushrooms, onions, garlic; added the marinara, made the pasta, and threw together a salad of baby arugula, red onion, blue cheese, and green pepper. Piece of cake!



The Verdict
Easy, simple, delicious. Not a lot of creativity points here, but I had two hottie dinner guests who cleaned their plates, so it must have tasted decent, eh?

Taste: 7
Creativity: 4
Appearance: 6

Improvements for next time: I must confess I wasn't a huge fan of the whole wheat pasta, but it WAS in the cull bin, so I had to try it out. I also wish I had had a zucchini to cube up and throw in the marinara.