ParaNorman: Five Fixes to Bring Dinner Back From the Dead

We've got five easy dinner disaster fixes to bring your dinner back from the dead, ParaNorman style.
By: Kevin Bender
ParaNorman

"It's not easy being Norman. " The trailer for ParaNorman, the new stop-motion 3D animated feature being released today by the makers of Coraline, hints that Norman doesn't have many friends and isn't like all the other kids in town. In fact, Norman talks to the dead. When an evil witch threatens his town, Norman must use his gift to save his community from destruction. Sounds like life isn't always a piece of cake.

Well,  it's not always easy making dinner, either. 

Does repeatedly ruining dinner have you feeling down?
Paranorman

Have you ever burned the souffle? Charred the bread? Mistaken sugar for salt ( yikes)? We've got five easy dinner disaster fixes to bring you back from the edge, and bring your dinner back from the dead.

1. Transform Salty Soup with Potatoes

If you misread "teaspoons" for "tablespoons" and you're now the proud owner of the world's saltiest soup, slice a spud and let it simmer in your soup for twenty minutes, then remove it. The potato will not only thicken your soup but also absorb salt, leaving your soup tasting less like the Dead Sea and more like dinner.

Our Best Soup Recipes
 2. Make Tacos with Overcooked Steak

Steak is delicious and expensive, so you might feel sad when you overcook it to juice-less imperfection. Have no fear: Dice the steak into small pieces and use it like ground beef in your favorite taco recipe. With tortillas and salsa on hand in the fridge, consider your dinner resuscitated.

Top Taco Recipes
3. Stir-Fry it!

If you've overcooked your chicken or steak, don't scream Armageddon. Fry up some veggies (which release lots of moisture) and add your thinly sliced protein, steamed rice, and Asian condiments like soy sauce, Sriracha, and sesame oil, and you've saved your dinner from the karate chop of death.

Best Stir-Fry Recipes

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Thinly sliced beef fillet in oyster sauce is placed on top of a plate of greens.

4. Turn Failure into Finger-licking BBQ

If you've scorched your pork, worry not. Barbecue is the answer. Shred or thinly slice, douse with a delicious sauce and pile high atop a soft bun or bread. BBQ has officially brought your dinner back from the dark side.

Best BBQ Recipes
5. Make Soup with Overcooked Veggies

Broccoli goes from green to grey in a matter of seconds, and overcooked zucchini is a watery mess. Take any overcooked vegetables, add some broth and a splash of cream, blend, and you've got a fantastic vegetable soup instead of a cooked-to-death dinner.

Vichyssoise

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