Cheap Eats: Doggie Bag Recipes

Szechwan Garden

Turn those little white boxes of take-home Chinese rice languishing in the back of the refrigerator into a comforting yet elegant dessert.

Leftover Rice Pudding

(Serves 4)

• 2 cups leftover white rice

• 2 cups whole milk

• ¾ cup heavy cream or half-and-half

• ¼ cup orange juice

• ½ cup brown sugar

• ½ cup raisins

• Large piece of orange zest

• 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half

• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, grated

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon dark rum (optional)

Place all ingredients except vanilla and rum in a medium saucepan. Stir gently to break up rice. Place pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove zest and cinnamon. Add vanilla and rum (if using) and cook an additional minute. Serve immediately, grating more nutmeg over the top to garnish.
 

St. Elmo Steak House

You could eat one of Indy’s most iconic aged cuts of beef in a single meal, but you will feel better if you save some for a hearty salad the next day. Ask for extra cocktail sauce, buy a bottle (available at specialty markets), or add plenty of horseradish to your own.

N.Y. Strip Salad

(Serves 2)

• 6 ounces St. Elmo Steak House N.Y. Strip (or any cut of steak), trimmed

• 6 cups mixed field greens

• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

• ½ cup bleu cheese, crumbled

Cocktail Sauce dressing

• ½ cup mayonnaise

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon St. Elmo cocktail sauce (or other brand)

• Additional prepared horseradish, to taste

• ¼ cup red-wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon minced tarragon (or ½ teaspoon dried)

• 1 small shallot, minced

• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk the ingredients for the dressing (except the olive oil) in a small bowl. Continue to whisk while drizzling the oil in a thin stream into the mixture. Use enough oil to make a thick but pourable dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Slice steak across the grain into thin strips. Warm for 30 seconds in a saute pan set over high heat, if desired. Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl and add dressing. Toss and serve immediately.

Black Market

The mammoth platter of crispy house fries at Black Market is so generous, you could save half to take home and still have plenty to satisfy your whole reclaimed-wood table.

Morning-After French-Fry Hash

(Serves 2)

•  2 to 3 cups Black Market french fries

•  4 ounces chopped pancetta, bacon, or leftover corned or roast beef

•  1 small shallot, diced

•  ¼ cup red bell pepper, diced

•  1 cup milk

•  3 basil leaves, julienned

•  2 eggs

In a nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat, cook the meat until crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Saute shallot and bell pepper in meat drippings until soft. Transfer vegetables to plate with meat. Wipe pan clean and return to medium-high heat to cook french fries, tossing frequently, until crisp. Return meat and vegetables to skillet, toss to combine, and add milk, pressing gently on the mixture with a slotted spoon. Cook until milk is absorbed and hash begins to crisp. In a separate saute pan, cook eggs until the whites are set but yolks are runny. Serve eggs over hash, garnished with basil.

10-01 Food & Drink

Chef Dan Dunville’s upscale fried chicken works well in this luxe but simple version of a childhood favorite.

Fried Chicken Potpies

(Makes 2 potpies)

• 4 to 6 ounces 10-01 fried chicken, bone removed, cut into bite-size pieces

• 1 small onion, diced

• 2 ribs of celery, diced

• ½ cup green or red bell pepper, diced

• 1 medium Yukon Gold potato, scrubbed and diced

• 1 cup frozen green peas

• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup vermouth or dry white wine

• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

• ½ cup whole milk

• 1 sheet frozen puff-pastry dough, thawed

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray two 6-ounce ovenproof ramekins with cooking spray. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and bell pepper, and cook until slightly softened. Add flour and cook for about a minute. Add vermouth or wine and cook until most of the wine has reduced. Add chicken broth, milk, thyme, peas, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add chicken and stir. Meanwhile, trace and cut rounds of puff pastry about the size of ramekins. Prick pastry rounds all over with fork. Fill ramekins with chicken mixture up to ½ inch from top of ramekin. Place pastry rounds on top of ramekins. Brush lightly with beaten egg, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake until puff pastry is browned and slightly puffed, and filling is bubbling, 12 to 15 minutes.

Illustrations by Ellen Collier

These articles appeared in the August 2013 issue.