Better Than Takeout
It’s a predicament we all know: It’s dinnertime after a long, stressful day and you’ve been craving tacos, or ramen, or maybe pizza. Cooking is the last thing on your mind … delivery seems obvious. You spend 15 minutes sifting through restaurant reviews and 15 more deciding what you want. After taxes, tip, delivery fees, processing fees, and $5 add-ons for half a measly avocado, you watch your modest order double at checkout. The wait is an hour, but you don’t care — you’re hungry.
When your food finally arrives (an hour and a half after your cravings first hit), you’re relieved, elated, excited. You dig through a sea of single-use plastics, only to find noodles, soggy and gummy. Dumplings, lukewarm and smaller than pictured. Your light-on-the-cheese, light-on-the-sauce pizza — somehow heavy on both. And then the smoke clears: what kind of restaurant charges $10 for a burrito before fillings? Did I just pay $10 for a tortilla? What sane, rational person submits to that kind of injustice?
We’re here to tell you a different world is possible. You can eat restaurant-quality food in half the time and for a fraction of the cost. Don’t let Big Delivery push you around — make these recipes instead.
Seafood Dan Dan Noodles
This pescatarian riff on dan dan noodles — which typically uses ground pork — makes perfect use of halibut or salmon burger and is quicker and tastier than takeout.
Salmon and Brie Pizza
You may balk at the idea of fish anywhere near pizza, but we can’t stress enough how decadent this dish is. This pizza bianca (aka pizza sans tomato sauce) combines creamy, funky brie, creme fraiche, and savory smoked (or leftover) salmon — with sliced serrano pepper to cut through all the richness — into one perfect pizza. A perfect excuse to use up that frozen dough kicking around your freezer.
Panang Fish Curry
We’re here to sing the praises of curry at home. Not only is our panang fish curry incredibly easy, it layers the flavors of lemongrass and makrut lime leaves for the authentic taste you’d find at your local Thai restaurant.
Easy Folded Sushi Sandwich
Sushi may require a little more effort to replicate at home than pad thai or pizza, but don’t lose heart. If maki (sushi rolls) or onigiri are too involved for your spontaneous sushi cravings, our easy folded sushi sandwich is a great option.
Seafood Wontons in Chili Oil
Homemade wontons require a little time and effort to put together, but these rely on simple ingredients and packaged wonton wrappers, making them faster and easier to assemble. Even better, they freeze well, so put them together on the weekend and enjoy the dumplings any night of the week — straight from the freezer, no less!
Spicy Salmon Chimichangas
Chimichangas are small, deep-fried burritos, and a staple of Tex-Mex and Southwestern cuisines. Salmon burger is the ideal choice for filling these savory tortillas, which are shallow-fried rather than deep-fried. Make and freeze them ahead of time and fry them up when your craving for ooey gooey goodness hits.
Salmon Tikka Masala
In this variation of the ever-popular chicken tikka masala, salmon is briefly marinated in a fragrant yogurt mixture before being grilled or pan-seared, and then simmered in a rich sauce. Even with marinating, searing, and simmering, this tikka masala will be on your table faster and fresher than takeout.
Shrimp Pad Thai
The platonic ideal of takeout, pad thai is popular for a reason. Its mix of textures — crunchy peanuts, crisp vegetables, chewy noodles — and balanced sweet heat make for a comfort food with a kick. Thanks to readily available ingredients, our recipe will have you eating restaurant-quality Thai food in half the time it takes to deliver.
