nice to
meet you
Welcome to my blog! I’m Vinayak Kapoor, the
founder of Simple Spoon. I’m a home cook who
loves to try out different recipes and ideas. When
I’m not busy in the kitchen, you can find me
researching new foods and developing recipes. Join
me as I show you 5 of my easiest, most affordable,
and delicious comfort meals !
Fried rice
$1.50 per serving
Fried Rice:
- 4 Cups Cooked Rice ($ 1.25)
- 3 Eggs, scrambled ($ 0.70)
- 3 Tbsp (42 g) Vegetable Oil ($0.02)
- 1 Carrot, diced ($0.50)
- 1 Bunch Green Onions ($0.25)
- Whites of Green Onions, thinly sliced
($0.25) - 1 cup (135 g) Frozen Peas ($0.59)
Fried Rice Sauce:
- Salt
- 1 Tbsp (14 g) Unsalted Butter ($0.18)
- 1 Tbsp (14 g) Granulated Sugar
($0.01) - 3 Tbsp (42 g) Soy Sauce ($0.25)
- 1 Tbsp (12 g) White Vinegar ($0.02)
- 3 Cloves Garlic, grated ($0.24)
- 1 Tbsp Ginger, grated ($0.35)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a medium size pot, add rice and water. Bring to a boil.
- Lower to a simmer and cover. Lightly simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and steam an additional 15 minutes.
- Place on a pan to cool.
- For the scrambled eggs, whisk together eggs seasoned with salt.
- In a nonstick pan, add and melt unsalted butter. Add eggs once butter is
bubbling. - Cook over medium heat. Bring in sides of eggs occasionally. Flip when mostly
cooked. Place on a cutting board once finished and roughly chopped. - In a small bowl, add granulated sugar, soy sauce, white vinegar and whisk
together. Add grated garlic and ginger. Whisk together. - In a 12” skillet set over medium-high, add vegetable oil and diced carrots once
ripping hot. Saute until soft and coloring. - Add green onions and saute until colored then add in the thinly sliced green
onion whites. Stir and saute for an additional minute or so. - Add in frozen peas over high heat and continue cooking until just hot.
- Add cooked leftover rice. Stir frequently on high heat then add in the soy sauce,
turn off heat, and stir together. - Once mixed, add in the scrambled eggs and mix together before serving.
Mac n cheese
$0.94 per Serving
INGREDIENTS:
- 1lb Macaroni ($ 0.82)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter ($ 1.25)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour ($ 0.07)
- 2.5 cups whole milk ($ 0.55)
- 1 cup heavy cream ($ 0.59)
- 5 cups grated cheese ($ 4.34)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add macaroni and boil for up to 1 minute under the packaged instructions (8-9 minutes).
- In a large pot, add unsalted butter and heat over medium heat until melted. Once melted, whisk in all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute while stirring often.
Gradually stream in whole milk and heavy cream while whisking. - Once thickened, add in the grated cheeses (1.5 cups at a time) and whisk until melted and combined. Season to taste with salt.
- Drain macaroni and pour into the cheese sauce and mix together.
- In a lightly greased baking dish, add in half of the cheesy macaroni followed by the remaining grated cheese and the other half of macaroni.
- Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes. Blast it under the broiler until just browned on top.
Fish and chips
$3.71 per serving
Chips
- 4 Russet Potatoes ($ 2.48)
- 2 quarts of vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons salt ($ 0.12)
- 1.5 teaspoons black pepper ($ 0.05)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder ($ 0.03)
Fish
- 2lbs Cod, 2 – 3” pieces ($ 15.44)
- 1 teaspoon salt ($ 0.02)
- 1 cup All-Purpose flour ($ 0.10)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder ($ 0.05)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder ($ 0.03)
- 1.25 cups Club Soda ($ 1.45)
INSTRUCTIONS:
The Chips:
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and place in the
oven for 1 hour or until fork tender; place in the fridge overnight. - Cut your potatoes in half, then into thirds or quarters, depending on the size. Fill
a large-heavy-bottomed pot halfway with vegetable oil. Heat to 360F. - Fry your potatoes in 2 or 3 batches until crispy and golden brown. Remove from
the oil and season with salt while hot.
The Fish:
- Season fish with salt on all sides, and let it sit at room temperature for 8 minutes.
- Dredge.- In a medium-size bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt, and whisk until
combined; slowly whisk in beer until homogenous. - Pat dry your fish with a paper towel to remove the excess water. In a bowl,
place flour for dredging; then toss a couple of fish pieces to coat, shake off the
excess, put them in the batter, and then fry your fish for 3 – 4 minutes or until
golden brown and fully cooked. - Drain on a wire rack, season with salt while hot, and repeat with the rest of your
fish. Serve with your tartar sauce, ketchup, and your potatoes.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken
- 1 cup full-fat yogurt
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1.25 tablespoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 inch knob of fresh ginger, grated
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons (24g) vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2-inch (5cm) knob ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy cream
INSTRUCTIONS:
Chicken:
In a medium-sized bowl, add yogurt, salt, garam masala, paprika, garlic, and ginger;
whisk to combine. Next, add chicken to your bowl, toss to coat thoroughly, and
marinate for 10 minutes.
Sauce:
- Set a pan over medium-high heat, and add enough vegetable oil. Once hot and nearly
smoking, add all your chicken in batches and sear for 2 – 3 minutes per side until nicely
browned on all edges. - Remove chicken and lower the heat to medium. Add onion, ginger, and garlic. Season
lightly with salt, and saute for 3 – 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Next,
add paprika, cayenne, garam masala, and sugar; saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. - Add crushed tomatoes, stir and reduce for 5 minutes. Add all your chicken, and simmer,
stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the
sauce is reduced. - Stir in heavy cream and reduce for 7 – 8 more minutes or until the sauce is thick and
velvety—adjust salt levels if necessary. Serve immediately with steamed white rice.
Apple Crumble
$1.06 per serving
Apples
- 5 to 6 pounds apples peeled & sliced ($2.90)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice ($0.27)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar ($0.12)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour ($0.01)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ($0.07)
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg ($0.11)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter ($0.80)
Filling
- 1¼ cup rolled oats ($0.74)
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour ($0.12)
- ½ cup light brown sugar ($0.17)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ($0.14)
- ½ teaspoon salt ($0.02)
- ¾ cup cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes ($1.98)
INSTRUCTIONS:
The Filling:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, toss the apple with the lemon juice. Add the sugar, flour,
cinnamon, and nutmeg and toss until well combined. Spread into the baking
dish. Sprinkle with butter.
The Topping:
- In a small bowl, stir together the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the
cold cubed butter to the mixture and work together with your hands or a fork
until the mixture is crumbly and has clumps about the size of peas. Sprinkle the
topping all over the top of the apples. - Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the juices are bubbling.
Cool for a few minutes and serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.
Email: thesimplespoon@gmail.com