Bacon French Onion Dip

Snacks around the table are just as important, if not more so, than having dinner itself.  One can buy dips from the store, pre-made, but it's usually worth it to make your own.  French Onion dip is a classic, and this interesting twist definitely brings something new to the party!

Ingredients:
1 cup J&D's Baconnaise
1 cup sour cream (1 cup is the same as 1 eight ounce package of sour cream)
1 packet french onion soup mix

Equipment:
1 spoon for mixing
1 bowl
Measuring cups

Directions:

1. Combine Baconnaise, sour cream, and french onion soup mix.
2. Let set in the refrigerator for 15~20 minutes.

Serve with thick ripple-cut chips and enjoy!

Possible Alterations:
Baconnaise is tasty, but it can be both hard to find and expensive.  Once could probably get a similar result by using mayonnaise mixed with freshly made bacon bits, although that would be a less healthy option.  It should be noted that Baconnaise is actually somewhat  healthier than real mayonnaise, and, like Bacon Salt, is both kosher and vegan friendly.

Happy gaming!

Product Review: J&D's Bacon Salt

According to J&D's website, Bacon Salt is a low sodium, zero calorie, zero fat, vegetarian and kosher seasoning that makes everything taste like bacon.  It is low sodium, zero calorie, zero fat and kosher certified.  It does not make everything taste like bacon.  The flavour is roughly akin to that of Bac'n Bits, the soy substitute for bacon bits made out of real bacon.

That being said, the spice definitely tastes good.  The problem with Bac'n Bits isn't the flavour of it.  The texture is all wrong.  It's the wrong kind of crunchy, and it erodes in your mouth.  Bacon Salt, on the other hand, will dissolve into whatever you are cooking, adding the wonderful faux-bacon taste to your concoction without adding that odd texture that bac'n bits would add. 

Adding it to Chili, Macaroni and Cheese, or any other cheesy, spicy, or starchy dish definitely adds a nice touch to a meal.  It pairs well with Garlic, Chili powder, Cumin, and any other spice that works well in a chili.  It is also good in a sauce made out of Mayo and hot sauce.

It's fun to play with, and can add something extra to the old, tried and true recipes.  It's definitely not a kitchen essential, however.  I use it only occasionally, but that is more to do with circumstance than anything else.

I would recommend purchasing it if you see it in the store and you have some cash laying around.  I wouldn't recommend running out and buying it right now, this very instant.  It isn't going to make your food magically better, and it won't make you the coolest kid in the apartment block.  I have no regrets buying it, and would buy it again should the grocery store have it in stock.

Arbitrary Product Score: 4 stars (wouldn't write home about it, would buy again.)

The Classic BLT

Bacon. Lettuce. Tomato.
Classic.
Assuming you like bacon, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more tasty vehicle for its consumption than the BLT.  Makin' Bacon can be time consuming, but making the sandwiches isn't.  Bacon is also remarkably affordable, as is lettuce, tomato, and bread.

Ingredients:
Bacon (I like thick cut bacon for sandwiches)
Lettuce
Tomato
Mayonnaise
bread

Equipment:
Knife
cookie sheet
Aluminum foil

Directions:
1. Cook the Bacon.  Baking is my preferred method, because a lot can be made at once.  It is recommended to do this beforehand. 
2. Toast the bread.
3. While the bread is toasting, slice the tomato and wash the lettuce.
4. Now that the lettuce has been washed, rip it into pieces.
5. When the bread is toasted, spread mayonnaise onto each slice.
6. Put the bacon, lettuce, and tomato onto a slice of bread, closing it up with another piece of bread.

Voilà!  One of the most delicious sandwiches in existence, and it's on your plate!

Possible Alterations:
I honestly can't think of anything that could possibly make this sandwich any better.

Vegetarian Noodle Soup

Soup is a great addition to any meal.  Most people invest in condensed soup, which is fine, but making your own soup is relatively easy.  I've recently taken to making this soup on the cold days, or when there isn't much food left in the cupboard.  While I'm not making it wholly from scratch, it does much for a much tastier soup than that which comes from a can.

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts vegetable broth
• 1/2 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 package of Ramen soup
• 3~4 handfuls of shrimp
• pepper
• garlic powder
• Oregano
• Rosemary (optional)

Equipment:

• 1 3 qt pot
• 1 ladel

Directions:

1. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil
2. Add the frozen vegetables and shrimp in slow increments, as to keep the water from cooling too much.
3. Once the vegetables and shrimp are thawed, add the spices to taste.
4. In the last few minutes of cook time, add the noodles from the Ramen soup package.
5. When the noodles are done, place on low heat.

The soups is now ready for consumption!  Serve it up in bowls with some crackers on the side, and you're ready to go!

Possible Alterations:
There are many possible things that can be played with to make this meal fun and exciting.  I've used mixtures of fresh carrots and celery with frozen peas and green beans before.  One could add cubed potatoes, or sliced okra to add some different textures, and to make it much more filling.  If you come up with any great or interesting twists, feel free to let me know!

Happy Gaming!

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!