Stuck at home and you have a cupboard full of random
items? What are you going to do?
Can I suggest playing with your food? Really!
You have all this time on your hands, why not become a kitchen
experimenter?
Now there are multiple ways to do this, but I’ll start
with a few that are likely to yield edible results and you can take it from there.
The first way I’ll call Crazy Combos. It’s basically
combining two (or maybe three) things that you would not expect to work together. Here are a few
I can vouch for (but, be warned not everyone’s taste buds are the same):
·
Canned kernel corn (not creamed corn) and bacon
bits fried in a little butter until everything is crispy brown. For variety,
add some ketchup, let it sizzle and then serve.
·
Mustard spread on
toast with cheese on top. Microwave for 20 seconds to get the cheese bubbling.
·
Warmed (in the microwave) marmalade poured over ice
cream. The tart marmalade and the sweet ice cream make for great contrast
(although my friend Ricky wasn't a fan).
·
Lettuce or sprouts and Vegemite sandwiches. I know,
I know Vegemite is not for everyone, but it is good and good for you, as they
say. Delicious!
The next way I call Mix-and-Match. It’s basically picking random items from the cupboard, pantry, refrigerator or freezer
and figuring out how to make them work together. A couple I’ve come up with:
·
Hash browns, baked beans and egg casserole. Don’t
knock it until you try it. Put hash browns in the bottom of a deep, but
smallish greased baking dish (like a loaf dish), top with baked beans. Break eggs
(leaving the yolks whole) over the top. Bake the whole thing for 2-25 minutes
at 425F or until the eggs are crisp (yup, crisp!) and the beans a hash browns are
bubbling. Let cool slightly before serving.
·
Cheese sticks and gravy. Take 2 slices of bread
and broil one side. Turn them over, cut each into four strips. Sprinkle grated
cheese on the strips. Broil until the cheese browns and crackles. Let the
cheese sticks cool slightly. Meanwhile heat some jarred gravy. Place the gravy in a small bowl and use it for dipping. Think of it as poor man’s poutine.
The final way I call The Challenge. This requires two
participants. Each picks three ingredients already in the kitchen and the other
has to make something and can only add two more ingredients (no more!) that are
also right there in the kitchen.
This works best if one person is working on something
savory and the other on something sweet.
The bottom line here is to have fun and discover just how
inventive you can be with your food. Bon appetite!
If you have fun foods you’ve come up with let me know…
-Mike Johansson
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