What's for dinner?

[Jeanine]

Hi Jeanine, that post is pretty old and you may not get a response. If you don't have access to an oven, a dutch oven over your stove or briquets will do the trick for cornbread. You can also do pies as well but I usually make a cobbler type thing - much easier.

Cheers!

Guess I didn't notice the date of the original post.... thank you for answering! Can't wait to try these things out!

 

[JDub]

Tonight it's gonna be: Leftover roast chicken warmed up on top of a bed of Cajun rice, sausage, and eggplant dressing that I portioned up and froze from my last batch (it makes a LOT), dressed up canned green beans, whole wheat bread, and marinated tomato and sweet onion salad. Hope everyone has a good dinner wherever you are...

Cheers!

Way La! (That's FRENCH ya know)... Dinner is served. Note my "on the road" mess tray to keep things from sliding, it's a 1/4 sheet baking tray - very useful for lots of things cooking on the road. I would be using my metal and plastic dishes too. So, you say, "That's great JDub but how does that help me with your full kitchen and I'm on the road with little or nothing to be able to fix something like that??? It's a fair question. I rarely post anything that can't be replicated with a little to moderate effort by folks out there. I know from experience that it's really difficult to pull into a space at the end of a long day and then try to figure out something to eat or cook without too much effort or cost. Fairy dust and sparkles aside, let's face it, it's rough out there... These are my suggestions to get a pretty similar result without too much effort and using just what folks can get out there.

First, for those with access to a Road Pro oven, a crockpot with an inverter, or (my favorite) a Hot Logic portable 12V oven or similar. Get a package of your cut up chicken pieces or a small whole chicken if you have the capacity. Wash and pat dry. Put it all in a gallon ziplock bag (to keep it neat) and add 2 Tb of veg or olive oil and some good shakes of your favorite seasoning then roll around and squish till nicely covered. Spray the bottom and sides of whatever you're using to cook with Pam (Really makes cleanup easy) and lay the chicken in - but first - and this is the secret to get rotisserie style chicken vs stewed - wad up 4 or 5 pieces of foil and set the chicken on top of that so it stays out of the liquid that will accumulate and steam roast vs stew - I actually use a couple of crushed beer cans as my rack here. Get your cooking device going and drive for a day. It should really smell great in there by the end. Make sure the juices run clear when you poke those pieces down to the bone.

If you don't have any access to these devices or just don't wanna bother, consider pulling over at a big grocery store, Wally World, whatever, and pick up a rotisserie chicken - not as cheap but easy as pie.

Now for the rice you can get a pouch of shelf stable ready cooked you throw in boiling water or a bag of your favorite instant rice mix - I like Zatarain's brand spicy rice packs - if I'm going that route. Fire up the pot and 10 minute's later you have the tasty bed for your cut up chicken. Spoon a little of those good juices on top of everything. Now you'll need a chopped tomato, a bit of chopped onion (sweet if you can get it) a bottle of Zesty Italian, salt and peppa. Assemble and season to taste. 15 minutes soaking it all together is all you need for a tangy good for you salad that goes great with the rich chicken and rice. I'm not going to insult your intelligence telling ya how to heat green beans but a little spoonful of Better Than Bullion chicken base and a few shakes of dehydrated onion bits goes a long way here). I'm pretty sure most people have a loaf of bread somewhere in their vehicles so that completes a simple but hearty meal with little effort.

If you like to or have some time to cook don't throw away all the chicken scraps and bones, save them in your cooler for up to a couple days and when you have time, add to a pot of water and boil till 1/3 reduced and you'll have some of the best chicken stock for soup you could ask for. Add salt at the END to avoid too much.

Eating well on the road can take a little effort but it's really not that much work even if you're not setup somewhere. It's too easy to consume a constant diet of junk and fast foods that are going to drag on you if it's your day to day diet. The most important thing you have is your body and health so try and safeguard them so you can truly get the most out of your journey "out there".

Cheers and stay safe!

 

[Cammalu]

I can attest to the wonderful deliciousness of sourdough boule that Ravella makes. Heavenly!

 

[Cammalu]

We are at the High Desert Ranger Memorial Camp and tonight in camp was pot luck. There was enough food out there for an Army! Abnorm was at the grill and cooked his famous chicken. - about 30 chicken thighs and fifteen drumsticks. Bet there are a lot left!

I made two types of potato salad - one vegan and a bowl of a vegan dip for chips. Also a vegan lasagna. I’m not vegan but there are a few vegans in camp.

There’s a young kid in camp that came to my rig and cooked a big pot of red lentils as he hasn’t a stove.

Lillian cooked soup of some kind.

Heron brought brownies with peanut butter icing

There was spaghetti, scalloped potatoes, salad, hot dogs, mashed potatoes, regular lasagne, and a dozen other dishes. I stay in at night so I didn’t get to see.

There was laughing and a lot of noise from the campfire. I think there was around 20-30 people or so when I peeked out the window.

Tomorrow at Celia’s garden we have a get together to honor Mike (High Desert Ranger) and we have made a memorial for him there. Any of you in Quartzsite we will be there at 11 AM.

 

[Ravella and X]

funny, I have an uncle named Boule (Cajun).

Ummm, is your uncle an, um… character? I looked up alternative uses for “boule” and found it can mean butt/bum/ass or maybe your uncle is himself very boule-like, as in round?

To keep on topic here… dinner tonight was popcorn with toasted sesame seed oil and nutritional yeast. But don’t worry, I ate a good breakfast and decent lunch. Breakfast was frittata rings. (Don’t laugh at my plate— it came with the Scamp!)

Rings: bell pepper, onion, mushrooms. Egg & sourdough discard mixture over all, diced tomatoes on top, then flipped.

 

[Cammalu]

That looks great. What’s wrong with the plate?

 

[Ravella and X]

Not at all! Beautiful boule there, you have wonderful talents baking...

thanks, JDub. It’s a way of life for me.

About that recipe…

I’ve saved it for when I bake for others. I don’t eat unfermented breads, cause they mess with my tummy. There is so much sugar and butter in that! It looks a lot like a doughnut recipe except for not fried.

 

[Ravella and X]

That looks great. What’s wrong with the plate?

The dishes are not very stylish, but I’ve grown quite attached to them! My kids do make fun of them and want to replace them, but I won’t let them

 

[Calaverasgrande]

Ummm, is your uncle an, um… character? I looked up alternative uses for “boule” and found it can mean butt/bum/ass or maybe your uncle is himself very boule-like, as in round?

To keep on topic here… dinner tonight was popcorn with toasted sesame seed oil and nutritional yeast. But don’t worry, I ate a good breakfast and decent lunch. Breakfast was frittata rings. (Don’t laugh at my plate— it came with the Scamp!)

Rings: bell pepper, onion, mushrooms. Egg & sourdough discard mixture over all, diced tomatoes on top, then flipped.

Very round guy. People on my Cajun-Creole side of the family tend to be either big boned and stocky or birdy and narrow.
My dad was the latter, my uncle Boule was kind of in the middle. Skinny arms and legs but a pot belly. Hence Boule. His actual name was some incredibly French thing I can't recall.

My dinner last night was (canned) black eyed peas, with sauteed broccoli, zucchini and onions over rice. Used some chipotle sauce to add some smoky flavor to the beans.

 

[JDub]

thanks, JDub. It’s a way of life for me.

About that recipe…

I’ve saved it for when I bake for others. I don’t eat unfermented breads, cause they mess with my tummy. There is so much sugar and butter in that! It looks a lot like a doughnut recipe except for not fried.

Well I can tell. That loaf is as fine as any I ever saw in any boulangerie or bakkerie in Europe (and I was there 8 years total - I KNOW a good bread when I see it!). That recipe I posted is is actually the most requested I get - especially for holiday get togethers -but I agree, it's got huge amounts of sugar and butter but that's how they do it in Hawaii as ya know!

I make it rarely for myself but my favorite way to use it is in pan perdue it's perfect for that. Kinda hard to work since it's a really moist brioche type dough with a 24 hour rise but well worth it once in a while. Being hapa I make a lot of fermented Asian veggie pickles and they really are good for the tummy. I'm about to start a batch of Hakusai tonight.

Speaking of which - I went shopping in the nearest big town (60 miles away today) so I'm going to run with cold chicken salad, Wasa whole grain crackers, some WSU Creamery Cougar Gold canned (yes CANNED cheese - Google it!) cheddar, homemade hot pepper and onion relish, and a salad tonight and call it good!

Cheers!

 

[Ravella and X]

JDub, if you cook my dinner, I’ll pay you in sourdough

 

[Cammalu]

The dishes are not very stylish, but I’ve grown quite attached to them! My kids do make fun of them and want to replace them, but I won’t let them

Kids! Pfffftttt. What do they know

 

[JDub]

JDub, if you cook my dinner, I’ll pay you in sourdough

It's a DEAL Girl! I'll even cook twice! Tonight, It's gonna be a quick stirfry - spent a day in the woods so I'm not into complicated cooking. I'm making pork and wombok (napa) cabbage seasoned w ginger, garlic, green onions, shoyu, Chinese wine, and Sichuan chili bean paste. My broccoli sprouts have - well - sprouted, so I'm having some on the side Korean namul style dressed with shoyu, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Plenty of leftovers for lunch tomorrow.



Hope everyone has a fine Sunday Dinner wherever you're at!

Cheers!

 

[Calaverasgrande]

Had tacos last night. Used one of those bags of 'instant rice'. First time I have ever seen a Mexican rice version.
They are precooked rice meant to be microwaved. But it works fine to just heat it up in a pan for a couple minutes with a quarter cup of water.
Sauted some tofu, onions and bell pepper with chipotle sauce, heated up some canned black beans. Used soft corn tortillas.
The three soft taco meal is a hugely underrated budget friendly meal.
From that rice pack, can of beans and 20 pack of tortillas, I got lunch, dinner and lunch again today.
It was about $5 total? I already had the veggies and tofu, but if I'd bought that for this meal it would have stretched it to another 1 or 2 meals.
Of course if I had enough time and propane to really cook, I'd start with dry rice and beans and do it from scratch. That would be super cheap.
Thats when you get into a whole week worth of lunch and dinner for $10. But you know, a little bit gassy.

 

[JDub]

I had to make an unplanned trip to TTown (Tuscaloosa) today, the VA Med Center called this morning and had a slot open for an optometry appt - You get an exam and a pair of glasses a year there but the appointments are hard to get so you wait ~ 60-90 days usually but they have a wait list for cancelled appointments. I'm on it and I got lucky. Got done about 12:30 and on the way back I hit the big (relatively) Asian mart there in town (Mr. Chens - it also has a very good and authentic restaurant in house as well) to pick up a few things.

The prices had sky rocketed for sure so I'm glad I didn't need much, I got some real brewed and aged rice vinegar from Taiwan, a can of spicy fried fish in oil and black bean sauce (YUM), a very sturdy large spatula/turner for only $4.99, ginger, and 3 pounds of Daikon radish - they're the Korean kind, squat and wide vs the Japanese kind which are long and thin but HEY! You know the old adage about beggars.

I'm going to make a favorite island jarred pickle called Takuwan with it (see recipe). In Japan, in late fall the daikon is harvested, hung in bunches under the eaves to dry in the chilly winds till pliable, then packed in rice bran (nuka) to ferment till pale yellow, crunchy, with lots of umami. In Hawaii, since the only cold weather we have is at the top of places like- ohhhh -Moana Kea - (BIG volcano on the island of Hawaii - trivia - the only person paid to work a snow blower in the whole state works there)

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/mauna-kea/
Takuwan (or Takuan) here is NONE of that! We pickle it in vinegar, sugar, salt, and chili peppa and yellow food coloring (I leave that out) for a few days then whack it with a big bowl of rice (I love it with Spam , eggs, and rice for breakfast). Very easy to make. I always wonder why people will pay like $6 for a jar of Halm's Takuan when you can make several jars for pennies??? Try it. It's really good. Use turnips if you can't get daikon.

https://www.foodland.com/recipe/local-style-takuan
Tonight for dinner, it's going to be simple again - I'm a tired puppy. It's going to be last night's stir fry leftovers heated and put on top of Chinese fried noodles (had 1/2 a pack needing use) flavored with oyster sauce and shoyu. Hope all of you have some good eats tonight and always.



Cheers!

 

[WanderingRose]

JDub, your food choices and menu items make my eyes cross.

I can barely muster the ambition to put together something that constitutes a proper meal every day.

Tho I am an excellent cook, I just find it very unexciting to cook for just myself.

 

[JDub]

JDub, your food choices and menu items make my eyes cross.

I can barely muster the ambition to put together something that constitutes a proper meal every day.

Tho I am an excellent cook, I just find it very unexciting to cook for just myself.

Honestly, it DOES get difficult at times to figure out what's on the menu doesn't it? Like you, unless I have friends over or very rarely my son (he's in D.C.), It's just me and the dog and he gets his special diet day in and out and as long as he gets a few doggy treats and biscuits daily - and most importantly a Munchie Bone after dinner (no Munchie Bone? Think Dustin Hoffman's Rainman missing Wapner... ), he's good. I try to cook enough of several dishes or a big piece of protein to last several days and often which can be made into several different dishes. The eating out choices here are dismal to say the least and (has anyone else noticed) eye watering in price anymore - local "Chinese" (sweet, gloppy junk) means spending 25 bucks for just 3-4 things - Eggroll, Chicken sticks, one meat and one veg dish. Ain't gonna do it! I'm "frugal" (cough cough cheap cough). Too easy to fall into a rut food wise though. Yep...

Cheers.

 

[LeftTown]

Real food over the jetboil mighty mo: dandelion greens, tofu, and oyster mushrooms over quinoa.

There has to be a first time; I was so sick of restaurant s and convenience foods.

Thank you for inspiring me, all.

 

[Ravella and X]

Congrats, Spazz!
Did you season it? With what?

I recently switched from fresh and canned mushrooms to all dry mushrooms. I got a pound of “stir fry blend” and couldn’t be happier. Sometimes I sort out the kind I want for this or that meal. I’m also going to grind some up and add to my next seitan experiment for the umami.

We all bow down to JDub on this thread. I drool at what he describes and pictures, then make a simple, quick, cheap and plant based something. Almost always a one pan affair.

 

[JDub]

Congrats, Spazz!
Did you season it? With what?

I recently switched from fresh and canned mushrooms to all dry mushrooms. I got a pound of “stir fry blend” and couldn’t be happier. Sometimes I sort out the kind I want for this or that meal. I’m also going to grind some up and add to my next seitan experiment for the umami.

We all bow down to JDub on this thread. I drool at what he describes and pictures, then make a simple, quick, cheap and plant based something. Almost always a one pan affair.

Awww cmon, it's not anything complicated. Ever make Nishime or Jai anymore? It's Lunar New Year time ya know?

https://www.honolulumagazine.com/2-local-mail-order-mushroom-kits-to-start-growing-at-home/