Pur

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AMAZ
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OOD
HACKS
atoneoft
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CLARKSON POTTER

COPYRIGHT 2014 BY PEGGY WANG

PHOTOGRAPHS COPYRIGHT 2014 BY DAVIDE LUCIANO
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the
Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House
Company, New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.clarksonpotter.com
CLARKSON POTTER is a trademark and POTTER with colophon is a registered
trademark of Random House LLC.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wang, Peggy, 1980
Amazing food hacks / Peggy Wang. First edition.
pages cm
Includes index.
1. Quick-and-easy cooking. 2. Food substitutes. I. Title.
TX833.5.W34 2014
641.5'55dc23 2013038780
ISBN 978-0-7704-3441-0
eBook ISBN 978-0-7704-3442-7
Printed in China
Book and cover design by Elizabeth Van Itallie
Cover photographs by Davide Luciano
10987654321
First Edition

CONTENTS
Introduction / 4

BREAKFAST HACKS / 6

strawberry nutella oatmeal / 6

yogurt parfait in a waffle cone / 7
apple ring pancakes / 8
banana pancakes / 9
cake batter pancakes / 9
crunchy french toast / 10
the syrup you should be pouring on everything / 11
spicy thai scrambled eggs / 12
grapefruit brle / 13
make hash browns in a waffle iron / 13
biscuit bowls / 14
avocado egg cups / 15
cookie dough greek yogurt / 16
frozen breakfast pops / 17

SNACK HACKS / 18

sriracha popcorn / 18
yummiest chicken bites ever / 19
banilla wafer sandwiches / 20
mix blue cheese into deviled eggs / 21
(red) ants on a log / 22
the apple sandwich / 22
melt-in-your-mouth yogurt dots / 23
pizza salsa / 24
better than crack crackers / 25
fried pasta crunches / 26
greek bruschetta / 27
japanese guacamole / 28
put avocado in your salsa / 28
put pomegranate seeds in guacamole / 29
balsamic avocado bacon cups / 29
egg roll mozzarella sticks / 30
crunchy edamame / 31
wonton pizza crisps / 32
taco wontons / 33
the best way ever to use up doritos crumbs / 34
leftover pizza crust nachos / 34

MEAL HACKS / 36

freeze your tofu / 36

chinese ketchup shrimp / 37
add peanut butter to a bowl of instant ramen / 38
the secret to better grilled cheese / 38
white pizza grilled cheese / 39
dippable grilled cheese rolls / 40
french dip crescent rolls / 41
lazy sushi bowl / 42
avocado cream pasta / 43
put avocado in your egg salad / 43
melty meatball rolls / 44
cook your meatballs in cranberry sauce / 45
cheeseburger egg rolls / 46
instant hamburger umami / 47
everything burger buns / 48
microwave pasta carbonara in a mug / 49
easy no-boil ravioli lasagna / 50
mexican lasagna / 51
one-pot spaghetti / 52
peanut butter and jelly banana dog / 53
leftover pancake panini / 54
eat your hot dogs in tortillas / 55
pizza hot dogs / 56
souped-up soup / 57
cheerios in your soup / 57
reheat pizza in a skillet / 58
the delivery pizza trick / 58
calzone tacos / 59
the walking taco / 60
cheese taco shells / 61

SIDE DISH HACKS / 62

coconut rice / 62
bacon baked potatoes / 63
extra-fluffy cornbread / 64
the fluffiest biscuits ever / 65
fluffy pesto puffs / 65
waffle biscuits / 66
acknowledgments / 67

BANANA PANCAKES

These pancakes are slightly on the egg-y side,

but once you add maple syrup, youll barely be
able to tell the difference between these and the
regular breakfast staple.

+(2x

Mash 1 extra-ripe BANANA

with a fork. Whisk in 2 EGGS until smooth.
Cook in a greased skillet over medium-low
heat for about 2 minutes per side. Serve with
MAPLE SYRUP.
OPTIONAL: Add chocolate chips or blueberries (but cut
the blueberries in half first, or theyll separate from the
batter while cooking).

CAKE BATTER PANCAKES

Two things to be learned in life are that (a)kids will eat anything
with sprinkles, and (b) cake batter tends to make things fluffier
and tastier. You can use any kind of cake mix that does it for you
classic yellow, butter, Devils food, red velvet, you name it.

Combine 2 cups PANCAKE MIX with 1 cup CAKE MIX, and add 2 to
3 tablespoons SPRINKLES. Cook in a skillet according to the
pancake mix instructions. These pancakes will be sweeter than
usual, so top with MAPLE SYRUP and CONFECTIONERS SUGAR with
discretion!

DO YOU EVER EAT

SOMETHING DELICIOUS
OUT OF SOMETHING
DELICIOUS?

AVOCADO EGG CUPS

Halve and pit an AVOCADO. Cut a thin slice

from the bottom of each half (to stabilize
them). Put the halves into a skillet set over
medium-low heat. Crack an EGG into the
center of each avocado half. Cover the skillet and cook until the egg is as you like it,
2 to 3 minutes. Season with SALT and
PEPPER. Add a splash of SRIRACHA or other
hot sauce, if you wish. Serve with TOAST.
Try topping it with scallions, bacon
bits, or shredded Parmesan, too.

WELL, ITS DELICIOUS.

ADD PEANUT
BUTTER TO
A BOWL OF
INSTANT RAMEN

+
THE SECRET
TO BETTER
GRILLED CHEESE

A 99-cent package of instant

ramen might be the easiest yet
lowliest of meals, but adding a
spoonful of peanut butter can turn
a sad bowl of diluted broth into a
hearty, satisfying meal. Add a dash
of chili oil, some corn, and a few
slivered scallions sprinkled on top.
Youll feel like youre eating at a
Japanese ramen bar (except youre
sitting in front of your TV...in
your underwear... possibly the
best and only way that 99-cent
ramen should be enjoyed).

You cant screw up grilled cheese, but you can make it just a little
more epic. Instead of buttering the outside of the bread, spread
it with a thin layer of MAYONNAISE. I personally hate mayonnaise
on sandwiches, but in this case, it adds a savory, tangy flavor that
isnt mayonnaise-y at all. It also helps the bread brown and crisp
evenly, amping up the decadence.
38

Pur
chas
eacopyof

AMAZ
I
NG F
OOD
HACKS
atoneoft
hes
er
et
ai
l
er
s
:

CLARKSON POTTER