There is (or was, don't know if it's still on other than in re-runs) a show on Food Network called "Chopped". The premise is that 4 chefs are given a basket of food and they have to prepare 1 of 3 meals using what's in the basket, along with a pantry of other fresh items. There would be 3 rounds, appetizer, main dish & dessert. Chopped - Survival will be similar but, sadly, there will be no $10,000 prize for first place . The idea here is that given a set of items you may/may not keep in your LTS (long term storage) you have to use the items and whatever YOU normally have in your preps. I think this will help everyone think outside the box, so to speak, on different ways we can use our preps in a time of need. Rules or guidlines (can be modified as we go, since I'm making this up ) Must use all ingredients specified Can use items you normally store Can use "fresh" harvest/kill items (like, say you went squirrel hunting and now you have a mess of squirrels to eat up ) I'm open to modifying as we go, and can make new "Chopped" threads or continue with new "rounds" in this thread. So here goes ingredient list 1: Package of Ramen FD veggies FD Meat Fresh Kale My take, either a stir fry or soup with the ingredients. For stir fry, adding in some water chestnuts and pine nuts from the pantry adds a bit of flavor, use fresh onion and garlic if possible. Bring water to a boil and re-hydrate the FD meat and Veggies. Remove the items from the water then cook the noodles. In another pan toast the pine nuts for a minute or two to bring out the aroma then add some oil (bacon grease works great ) and the meat and veggies(this basically removes the excess water and can brown the meat). Add fresh onion & garlic if available or add powdered later. Toss in the cooked ramen and water chestnuts then add the kale for just a minute (until the color turns dark green). If using powdered onion/garlic add that now with either the ramen seasoning packet or your own blend (salt, pepper, etc.) I would like to see your take on using these ingredients.
I HATE veggies, but I'll play. Rehydrate the veggies, toss in a blender with the kale (Do you blanch Kale?), so I suppose I split my ingredients into two categories to try. Sweat down some garlic and onion, maybe some herbs like basil and thyme, maybe even a mint, would halve to know more specifics. Make a Pesto for the noodles. Cook the Ramen, maybe add some stock to pump it up a little. Add some of the herbs I put in the pesto for good measure. Meats meat. Rehydrate, and either fold into the noodles and pesto, or maybe make some meatballs in the oven? Stick to the basket ingredients. Serve with a red wine or a berry cocktail maybe?
Equally, I could make a soup basically the same way, add the meat and veggies to the ramen with the rest. Have to have some more specifics.
Chopped is still on, and my wife is a big fan. I just had to play this game for real at home. I think I'll pass
I would rehydrate the veggies and meat separately. I would grab a packet of beef gravy, add the meat, tear up the kale and add it in, simmer until the gravy mixture was thick and the kale had become limp. Cook the Ramen noodles and set aside the flavor packet for future use. I would serve the meat mixture over the ramen noodles with a side of veggies. Also available would be Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on. Nothing fancy but filling and quick.
Depends... Hot or cold meal? COLD Crunch up ramen, use flavor packet with oil and vinegar for dressing... Use kale to make salad, add rehydrate veggies and meat or have meat as a side and use rain noodles like crunchy topping... Could toast ramen for variety HOT Rehydrate veggies and meat make soup with ramen and have as a one pot meal or as 3 courses starting with ramen-kale soup and onions Fun game!
I have a Round 2, for when y'all are ready. Smoked Whole Rabbit Can of Refried Beans Wild Onion Canned Mandarin Oranges
Mandarin Oranges gave me pause =) Chop Rabbit into bits, soak in Orange liquid for flavor .... mash refried beans and chopped wilde onions. Depending on how it tastes in these parts 1) make refried beans into cakes and fry (rabbit doesn't have much fat so extra fat not a problem) ... just eat the rabbit as it with the orange juice and smoke or 2) Put all together like griddle cakes
So I have been thinking about this because my previous creation just sounded nasty. It is the Ramen that stumps me. That stuff is gross. Depending on the veggies I think one could make a Mexican dish with tomatoes, the kale, cilantro. Unsure of the veggies but I store corn so I would throw rehydrate corn in with the kale and cilantro, spice up the meat with peppers, onions and garlic. Throw in a dash of cayenne, then toss it all together and serve on a bed of Ramen.
Dang! I guess I didnt understand the rules of the game. I thought we had to use what was presented (i did add oil and vinegar for salad and seasoning in another place) but heck if we can add veggies and other stuff that adds a new dimension to the game =)
Moto, I just did it for real at my wife's request. At least here there are no time limits. (Which is a blessing). I may join you later, but for now I'll let my wounds heal.
Package of Ramen use this to trade for a bottle of beer from the neighbor. FD veggies FD Meat, Soak in beer and make a stew Fresh Kale, Use as a garnish on the soup. Eat.
Re-hydrate vegies and meat separately. Cook the Ramen noodles al dente, withholding the flavor packet for later use. Heat a wok or fry pan to high heat and add 3 TBSP Toasted Sesame oil and stir fry the noodles. Add vegies and chopped kale, meat and 1 cup chicken broth and stir fry 3 minutes. Add 1 more cup chicken broth and thicken with 1 tsp. corn starch and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add 1 tsp. coconut aminos, or more to taste, and 1 tsp. Huy Fong Vietnamese Chili Garlic Sauce. Serve with steamed rice
Why do they put the D and the S next to each other on the keyboard!! Sorry, can't stop laughing!! For those who didn't catch it "add" becomes another word when you fat finger the keyboard....
OK, I accept. Shredded smoked rabbit tacos with Mexican rice and refried beans. Served with Mandarin orange blended Margaritas. Shred the smoked rabbit adding any dried packaged taco mix and water to a deep fry pan and simmer until the water is evaporated and a thick sauce remains with the meat. Dice the onions and stir into the meat mix when the water is half evaporated. Heat corn taco shells in an oven or warm un-fried flour or corn tortillas wrapped in foil on a hot rock by the fire. Dice 3 Roma tomatoes, shred 1/4 head of iceberg lettuce, grate 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese for condiments. Have some sour cream available along with an assortment of taco sauces. I like Tapito. Heat the refried beans, and prepare the Mexican rice as follows. Two to three cups of left over rice, 1/4 green bell pepper diced, 1/4 onion diced, 2 Roma tomato blanched or fired, skin removed, seeded and diced. In a frying pan add 1 TBS. Lard or bacon fat. Melt and add the bell pepper, onion and tomato. cook until the onion is opaque, then add the rice. Stir the mixture over medium heat while adding your favorite hot sauce to taste, again I like Tapatio. Make sure to salt the mixture to taste before serving. Serve the tacos, refried beans and rice on a warmed plate. In a blender add two cups of ice, crushed 4 oz Silver or White Tequila, 1/4 oz Grand Mariner orange liquer, 12 oz of your favorite margarita mixer, the juice from the mandarins and two or three of the orange wedges and blend. Pour into salt rimmed margarita glasses and garnish with a wedge of mandarin orange. No blender, omit the mandarin wedges and pour over one cup of crushed ice and shake in a mixing glass as you would a neat martini.
This is a cool idea @kckndrgn We need to highlight it somehow so more people see it and participate. I like the idea of some useful running threads that aren't music and word games.