Quick and Dirty Fried Rice

Fried rice is a delicious, and makes for a pretty good meal. Sometimes you don't want to go out for Chinese food, or you are looking for a cheaper alternative. The good news is that you can make some at home pretty easily!

Ingredients:
1 cup Rice (White)
2 cups water
1/2 onion, diced
1 carrot
1 stick celery
1 Green Pepper, diced
3 handfuls frozen peas
1-2 eggs, scrambled
Soy Sauce
Garlic
Oil (for frying)

Equipment:
Stir Fry Pan/Wok
Chef Knife
Cutting Board
Spatula

Directions:
1. Cook the cup of rice with the two cups of water, and chill in the fridge.
2. Heat the oil up in the pan. Once hot, add onion, carrot, celery, green pepper, and peas. Keep the vegetables moving.
3. Once the veggies are mostly cooked and the onions are translucent, add the rice.
4. When the rice has started frying, push it to one side of the pan. In the free space, scramble the egg.
5. Once the egg is scrambled, mix it into the rice.
6. When the rice is almost mostly fried, add soy sauce.

Should serve 3~4 plates as a main dish, and 6 plates as a side dish.


Possible alterations:
There are lots of things you can add to fried rice to make it really tasty. Of course, you can add meat, such as chicken or shrimp. Baby corn would also probably be a good addition, and I've heard rumours that adding some fish sauce is a definite must.

If you were unaware, fish sauce is a flavour enhancer, like soy sauce, that is made from fermented fish juice. It may smell terrible, but when mixed with other flavours, apparently makes for a savoury delicious taste that is hard to replicate. As always, comments are always appreciated!

Good Eats and Happy Gaming!

Whatever's in the Kitchen Pasta Salad

I've been moving these past few weeks, and I've been shorter on time than usual. Couple this with entertaining people, and you've got a need to make some food that's quick and stores nicely. I whipped this up from scratch the other day, and it turned out pretty well.

Ingredients:
1 lb pasta (penne and rotini are both good choices. Tortellini would also work.)
1 15 oz can of Garbanzo Beans
1 15 oz can corn
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 cup onion (Note that, as my mom says, you can't have too much onion)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, crushed

dressing:
3/4 cup oil
1/4 cup Vinegar (Balsamic is tasty)
2 T Mayo (add more if it tastes too vinegary)
Salt
Pepper

Equipment:
Bowls x2
Chef Knife
Cutting Board
Fork

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions
2. Once done, strain and dry the pasta
3. Mix pasta, bell pepper, celery, beans, corn, onion, and peanuts together.
4. Mix ingredients for dressing together. The dressing should be very well mixed before coating the salad.
5. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, stirring to coat the salad.

The pasta salad can be served immediately, and should serve a party of six.

Possible alterations:
There are many different variations on pasta salad. This article on All Recipes was very valuable to making this salad as good as it was. While this recipe could use some more work, it did turn out very well for being a spur of the moment thing. Any improvements, as always, are welcomed in the comments section.

Happy Gaming!

Crudités 'round the Table

Your traditional snacks for D&D might include any of following: pretzels, corn chips, potato chips, cheetos, peanuts, and maybe popcorn.  All tasty things, but sometimes you need a break from the usual.  Enter Crudités.

Crudités (pronounced Crew-Day-Ta) is a fancy French word for something simple; Crudités is just sliced, raw vegetables.  They make a nice change of pace from your regular snacks, and they're simple to boot!

Ingredients:
4 large carrots
4 stalks celery
1~2 green peppers
1-2 heads Broccoli

Equipment:
1 carrot scraper
1 cutting board
1 chefs knife
1 paring knife 
1 plate (large is best!)

Directions:
1. Prepare the carrots:
     a. Scrape the carrots.
     b. Chop off the tips.
     c. Cut carrots into sticks
     d. Place carrot sticks on a plate

2. Prepare the Celery:
     a. Wash the Celery stalks.
     b. Placing the celery so that it is concave down.
     c. Cut off the leaves and base, and save the leaves for later use.
     d. Slice down the center lengthwise.
     e. Slice into sticks
     f. Place on same plate as carrots.

3. Prepare the Peppers
     a. Wash the peppers
     b. Remove the stem using the paring knife.
     c. Cut the pepper down the center.
     d. Remove the seeds with the paring knife.
     e. Cut into strips.
     f. Place pepper strips on the plate

4. Prepare the Broccoli
    a. Wash the broccoli
    b. Remove the stalk, and place to the side.
    c. Break up the florets (the tree-like parts)
    d. Take the stalk and cut it into manageable sticks.
    e. Place the florets and the stalk slices onto the platter

Serve immediately with dip or cover in plastic wrap for short term storage.  Place separately in plastic zip-top bags for the long term storage.

Possible Alterations:
Different vegetables can certainly be used.  Cucumber slices, or sticks, are delicious, as are asparagus stalks.  Cauliflower is also acceptable, but I don't find it as tasty raw as the previously mentioned veggies.  As always, suggestions are appreciated!

Happy Gaming!

Salmon Patties

Salmon patties are tasty, and a great way to have burgers while still catering to people who follow the pescetarian* lifestyle.  The problem with salmon patties is that, when bought preformed, they are quite expensive.  Just like hamburgers though, one can make them at home for a much more reasonable price!

Ingredients:
1 can (~15 oz.) Salmon
1 package (8 oz. ) Sour Cream
1 stick butter or margarine
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups corn flakes
1 stick celery, diced
~5 mushroom stems

Equipment:
1 spoon (for mixing)
1 bowl
1 gallon zip-top bag
1 large frying pan
measuring cups

Directions:

1. Open and drain the can of salmon.
2. Place the salmon in the bowl.  Pick out any large bones, such as the spine.
3. Pre-heat the pan.
4. Measure out the corn flakes and place in the zip-top bag.  CRUSH THEM!
5. Combine all the ingredients in the bowl.  Mix well.
6. Form into patties, and place in hot frying pan. DO NOT ADD WATER TO THE PAN.
7. Let the patties alone.  Once the patty is brown on one side, flip.

Makes enough for a party of 8.

Possible Alterations:
The celery and mushroom stems are just fillers.  The recipe has too much liquid without them.  They could easily be replaced with something else.  The reason one doesn't add water to the pan because then the patties will just fall apart.

Happy Gaming!

*Pescetarianism is the practice of maintaining a diet involving fish, dairy, and eggs while excluding other meats.