1 Bottle of Sriracha, 5 Dinners

Put time into dinner now, and you can make it last forever -- or at least the whole week. Welcome to Halfway to Dinner, where we show you how to stretch your staples every which way.

Today: Carey Nershi of Reclaiming Provincial gets creative with everyone's favorite condiment. 

Sriracha: The condiment that needs no introduction. My kitchen is never without the stuff, especially since I started making my own a couple years ago. (And you can too.) With a near-endless supply challenging me to make my way through it all before next summer, the beloved rooster sauce finds its way into my meals more often than not. Here are just a few of my favorite ways to use it.

Sriracha Cheddar Cornbread Waffles
I’m pretty sure we’re all in agreement that breakfast for dinner is tops, right? I have long believed that when maple syrup meets runny egg yolk, they create the best sauce under the sun. Adding sriracha to the syrup makes that even better, especially when it’s all on top of some crispy, cheddary, cornbread waffles.

Crispy Sweet Potato Roast with Herbed Sriracha-Coconut Crème Fraîche
This is a slightly tedious dish to put together, but the results are beyond worth it, both in terms of looks and taste. The sweet potatoes crisp on top and remain tender below, and topping it all with cilantro and a sauce of sriracha, coconut milk, and crème fraîche maintains the perfect balance of lightness and decadence.

Sriracha-Roasted Chickpeas and Cauliflower with Pickled Mustard Seeds
These chickpeas are one of my all-time favorite snacks. When I’m not eating them by the handful, I’ll mix them up with some roasted cauliflower, pickled mustard seeds (another condiment I am never without), and maybe a grain of some sort for good measure, along with a healthy dollop of Greek yogurt.

Sriracha-Coconut Popcorn with Smoked Sea Salt
I have eaten popcorn for dinner more times than I can count, and I admit that without shame. The combination of heat, a hint of coconut from the oil, and smoky sea salt is addictive. I will often add sriracha directly to the popcorn, but dehydrating it in an oven first will extend the popcorn’s shelf life, in case you don’t devour it all in one sitting.

Roasted Vegetable and Sriracha-Lime Quinoa & Amaranth Tacos
I love to make large batches of all the components of these tacos, and then eat them as I please throughout the week. I’ll roast cauliflower along with some diced sweet potato or whatever squash I have on hand, then cook up quinoa and/or amaranth and douse it in a healthy amount of sriracha and lime juice. It all comes together with some lightly sautéed kale, pomegranate seeds (when in season) or mango, and fresh cilantro. 

Sriracha Cheddar Cornbread Waffles

Makes 4 waffles

3/4 cup coarse cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup grated smoked cheddar
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons sriracha

See the full recipe (and save it and print it) here.

Photos by Carey Nershi