I did make Hamburger Helper Beef Stroganoff one night, to try to prove a point. I forget what the point was...but I get a box of HH and some hamburger meat and think, "This will teach him a lesson." So, I get home and look at the package and think, hmmm...I'll just mince a little onion and garlic to brighten it up...saute that then add the hamburger. Then I deglaze the pan with a little red wine. Toss in a sprig of fresh thyme as it simmers. Throw a little Plugra on the the noodles, sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground pepper...Voila! Punishment!
The thing is, to me cooking is more of a chore if it's not interesting. I'd much rather do a cooking project that spaghetti. It's the boring weeknight dinners that kill me.
I need a Spanish or Caribbean cookbook. Anyone have any good suggestions in that arena?