Ramen in Peanut Sauce

This next recipe is a bit more intensive than the previous recipes, mainly because it involves making your own peanut sauce from scratch.  There are a few things that need to be said first:

1. Make the sauce before you play start your session.  It stores well, so it can be made well in advance.  Just don't waste any time making it while you could be getting on with the rest of the recipe.  
2. You can buy peanut sauce from a jar at the store.  No one will think less of you, I promise.
3. I got the recipe for the sauce from eHow.com.  The Internet is a great resource for recipes, so if you have access to it, use it!

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• ¾ cup chunky peanut butter
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup brown sugar
• Tbsp. Soy sauce
• 1 Lime or equivalent tablespoons of Lime juice (research shows ~2, but I like it much limier, so I'd say ~3 or a bit more)

 Ramen:

• 1 package Lime Shrimp Ramen
• 1 cup water
• 3 handfuls of Shrimp
• Hot sauce (optional)

Equipment: 

• 2x >2 quart pots
• 2 stirring implements
• measuring cups and spoons

Directions:
Sauce:

1. Place the peanut butter and the water into a pot on medium heat.
2. Once the peanut butter and water have mixed, add in the brown sugar, soy sauce, and lime juice.  Mix until combined.
3. Remove from heat

Store it or use it immediately, it's up to you.  I find that this recipe makes enough for four people, so double the recipe for a normal sized party.

Ramen:

1. Boil the water.
2. Add the noodles.
3. Once the noodles are cooked, add the shrimp.
4. When the water level is even with the top of the noodles, stir in flavour packet.
5. When the water is mostly boiled out, remove from heat.
6. Portion into bowls and top with peanut sauce.

Serve and enjoy!

Possible alterations:
Consider adding a sprinkling of chopped peanuts on top, and mixing in a dash of hot sauce.  The inspiration of this dish was Pad Thai, so any flavours that make their home there would probably work fairly well here.  Feel free to experiment, and I'd love to know what you come up with!

Happy Gaming!

Cheesy Ramen

I had a conversation with a friend at Walmart once, where she talked about having attempted to make cheese ramen by mixing canned nacho cheese with ramen made following the directions listed on the packaging.  It was described as being terrible. 

This lead me to ponder how one would make cheesy ramen.  What combination of ingredients would make a tasty concoction while still maintaining the cheapness and speed that makes ramen so awesome.

By George, I think I've got it!

Ingredients:
1 package shrimp ramen
1 cup water
~1/3 package of frozen mixed vegetables
4~6 oz. of Easy Melt (or similar) cubed
1/4 cup Milk

Equipment:
large stirring spoon
2 quart pot

Directions:
1. Boil the noodles in 1 cup of water
2. Add the frozen mixed vegetables slowly.
3. When the water level is even with the top of the noodles, stir in the flavouring.
4. Add the cubed Easy Melt, combining with the milk as needed.
5. When the mixture is of the desired consistency, remove it from heat.  If the concoction is too thick, add more milk.  If it is too thin, add more cheese.

Serve and enjoy! It should create two generous portions of ramen.  If more is needed (which is likely if you're entertaining), increase the amount of ramen and water such that there is one package for every two people, while increasing the vegetables at a 1:3 ratio.

Possible alterations:
Using other types of ramen other than shrimp flavoured is probably fine.  I'd be wary around the "oriental" flavour, however.  Adding shrimp or other types of browned should prove tasty, especially if it is the same as the flavour of the soup (e.g., chicken in chicken flavoured, beef in beef flavoured, etc.)

There's a lot of possibilities for this meal, so feel free to experiment.

Happy Gaming!

Classic Ramen with a Twist

Ramen is the food of college students.  It is cheap, it is fast, and it can be positively delectable when done properly.  It is so versatile and tasty that for the rest of the month, we will be discussing ramen in depth.  That being said, I find ramen cooked as per the directions on the back bland, boring, and tame.  This is probably why I don't make it by the directions on the back of the bag.

Ingredients:
1 bag Ramen with shrimp flavouring
1 cup water
1/2 bag frozen mixed vegetables
3 handfuls of frozen shrimp (optional)

Equipment:
1 2QT pan

Directions:
1. Boil the noodles in the 1 cup of water.
2. Add the shrimp and frozen vegetables slowly.  This is to ensure that the temperature in the pot doesn't get too low.
3. When the water level is even with the top of the noodles, stir in the flavouring.
4. When the water is mostly boiled out, remove from heat.

Measure out the noodles into bowls.  It should create two generous portions of ramen.  If more is needed (which is likely if you're entertaining), increase the amount of ramen and water such that there is one package for every two people, while increasing the vegetables and shrimp so that it is closer to a 1:3 ratio.

Possible alterations:
I have found that adding sliced hard-boiled eggs can be surprisingly delicious.  Sweet peas are also a good addition, if your bag of mixed vegetables does not already contain them.  Tofu makes a good substitute in place of shrimp, although you may want to consider browning it first.

Happy Gaming!

Why Encounters is Awesome (and March of the Phantom Brigade Chapter 1 Recap)

In these modern times of fast food, rush hour, and video games, it can be hard to find the time to sit down and play Dungeons and Dragons for hours at a time. That's why Encounters is so awesome. You show up with yourself and your dice, and you're ready to play. If you're unfamiliar with D&D Encounters, it is a series of weekly encounters sent out by Wizards of the Coast that are usually run at your local comic shop (if your local shop doesn't run them, and you think they should, talk to the manager/owner). 

The purpose of Encounters is threefold: introduce new people to D&D, show off new products such as Essentials or Fortune Cards, and provide a way for new players to meet veterans. Regardless of the technical purposes of Encounters, they're just a great way to meet people and play D&D.

The current season of Encounters has been going very well so far.  The first chapter just completed this past week.  The adventure began with our heroes as a part of a caravan of settlers, striking out to found a new town in the ruins of Castle Inverness.  After travelling for days by wagon, protecting the caravan from stirges and other creatures, the party arrives at the Castle.  Having proved themselves to Brother Splintershield (the leader of this expedition) and Malgram, the captain of the guard, ask them to ensure that the ruins are safe for the rest of the caravan. After having searched the courtyard (and run into some trouble!), the group reports their findings to the Malgram and Brother Splintersheild. The caravan moves in safely to the interior of the castle ruins. 

As they are unpacking, a shriek rings out. The center tower of the ruined castle, nothing more than a foundation a moment ago, reappears in all its former glory.  A few moments after, undead attack the fledgling village.  The adventurers defend Brother Splintershield against the undead as he performs the cleansing ritual on the town.  Brother Splintershield completes the ritual, thus protecting the town.  The enemies having been dispatched, a ghostly warrior approaches the town.  His name is Salazar Vladistone, and he is very displeased with the settlers for keeping him from his wife's grave.

As you can tell, it's been a very exciting story so far, and will only get more exciting as time goes along.  If you haven't played Encounters before, you should definitely consider it.  They are usually played at 6 or 7 pm on Wednesday evenings at a comic store near you.  To find a participating store, you can visit the Dungeons and Dragons website.

Adventuring! It's not just for the table anymore!

This is called 'outside'.

Dungeons and Dragons is awesome.  Cooking is awesome.  Reading is awesome.  There are lots of things that we nerdy folks get up to that are just plain cool.  Sadly, it just so happens that a lot of them end up with us being inside, not doing much physically.  Which is a pity, because there is a lot of awesome things that we can do that are out of doors.

Today Katie and I decided to change things up with our Saturday, and went hiking.  I brought my camera along, because photography happens to be in my list of hobbies, and it was a really nice day.  So, we went adventuring!

Yeah, we climbed up there.

When we think of adventuring, we think of epic heroes going on quests to slay dragons and save the world from evil.  But there is also an element of exploration, going to interesting places and seeing new things.  While going on maintained trails in national parks is not as exciting as actual trail blazing, it makes a pretty good proxy.  Especially if you're willing to go off the beaten trail a bit.

You can visit places like this!

If you're not used to hiking, there are some certain things you should know. Mainly, there are some precautions you should take before heading off into the wild.  Firstly, make sure to bring water, a pocket knife, a cell phone, an extra pair of socks, and a couple of friends.  A First Aid kit is also a very good decision, and can make an important difference in your hike.  You may also want to bring some trail mix or granola bars, and consider making a picnic out of it if you plan to spend a whole day out.

Unless you have a map, a compass, and the knowledge of how to use them, I can't in good conscience recommend that you leave the beaten trail by more than a few feet.  This doesn't mean you shouldn't look off the beaten path for interesting things to explore!  Just be certain to be safe and not get lost.

Exploring the worlds of Dungeons and Dragons is pretty exciting, battling monsters and visiting strange locales.  But don't forget that there is some pretty cool and interesting things happening outside our own front door.  So, take a weekend and go exploring.  You'll be glad you did!

~~~~~~~BONUS!

Quick and Dirty Trail Mix

Silly tree, that's not Trail Mix!

Ingredients:
Peanuts
Raisins
Small Pretzel sticks
M&M candies

Equipment:
1 Gallon zip top bag

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients in the bag in desired proportions.
2. Shake the bag vigorously.
3. Enjoy!

Possible Alterations:
Just about anything can go in a trail mix.  Anything from Gorp (Good Ol' Raisins and Peanuts) to more complex concoctions involving mini-marshmallows and popcorn are fair game.  All that matters that it is filling, and energy providing. Nuts of any kind are great sources of long term energy, and sugars are great for quick energy.  Having the two together in one handful is what makes trail mix both tasty and useful for hiking.

Happy Trails, and Happy Gaming!

Dirty Veggie Rice

If you need something filling, rice is the place to turn.  Rice is inexpensive, and is great on the side as well as in the main course.  On nights when I don't have much in the way of foodstuffs, whether I'm about to go home for break or I haven't done any grocery shopping, this dish is fantastic, easy, and filling. 

Ingredients:
1 cup white rice
2 cups water
1/2 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
Garlic powder
Chili powder
Curry powder
Black pepper
Salt
Butter

Equipment:
1 large stirring spoon
1 2 qt pot
1 butter knife
1 rice cooker (optional)
measuring cups

Directions:
1. Put the rice, water, and mixed vegetables into the pot
2. Add Garlic powder, Chili powder, curry powder and stir.
3. Grind some salt and black pepper onto the mixture and stir.
4. Slice some butter into the mixture.
5. Turn on heat and cook the rice.

Good news, you're done!  This recipe will make two heaping bowls of rice, or four well portioned bowls of rice.  It can also be served as a side dish.  The recipe should easily scale to feed more people.

Possible alterations:
Consider adding tuna or chicken to the mix, as well as using celery or onion in the dish as well.  Black beans or kidney beans would also be a good addition

Happy gaming!

Product Review: Avanti Mini-kitchen

The equipment we cook our food on can have a large affect on the food we prepare.  Making red sauce in an iron pot will result in ruined sauce, and having a dull peeler can make doing things like peeling potatoes and making carrot sticks a pain.

So, as you can see, something like what you are actually using to cook the food, e.g. your stove, can make a huge difference, especially if you're trying to be time efficient. If you want your food done in a timely manner, then don't get the Avanti Mini-kitchen.

The Bane of my Existence

I've been using the mini-kitchen for months as my primary cooking apparatus, and it's been positively horrendous.  Water will not boil in any reasonable amount of time unless you put a lid on it, and even then you can't simmer things once you get things going.  The burners only have two temperatures: On and Off.  There is no nuance. You cannot put something on warm. They are either on, or they are off. Which is stupid, because it HAS a temperature knob already on it for the oven.  I'm not entirely certain if they were just lazy or they didn't think it was important. It doesn't matter either way, because the end result is the same: a difficult time either not burning things or having noodles and rice boiling over all the time.

These scones took
two hours to make.

If you think that maybe the oven will work like a dream, then you're going to be sorely mistaken when you try to bake something.  Everything takes longer to make in this oven.  Things that should take 20 minutes to bake, like scones or cookies, take two hours.  I made some perch the other night for dinner, and it was done two and a half hours late, just in time for bed. Pies can take four hours to make.  This is usually exacerbated by the fact that you're usually hungry when you start making the meal.

Another problem with the oven is that you can't fit a regular sized cookie sheet into it, because the oven is about an inch too small.  Everything must be done using brownie pans. It isn't a truly terrible thing, but it is awfully inconvenient.  It also makes things like frozen pizza difficult, just because of the size issue.

Lastly, they left out a mighty important feature, which would be the ability to have both the oven and the burners on at the same time. This might seem like a little thing, but if you want to make baked fish, rice, and mixed vegetables, something is going to go cold.  And be prepared to wait, because you're going to be there for a while.

Arbitrary Product Score: Two thumbs down (Just walk the other way)