Chiffonade
Reged: May 01 2002
Posts: 45
Loc: FL
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OK. It can't get much worse. Nearly all of our cookware and many dry ingredients are packed. We have 8 days till we pick up the moving van. Moving around this place is a big enough challenge - add to it trying to prepare meals for the next few days and you've got mission impossible.
Having purchased a package of chop meat (ground beef for the rest of the world), hubby requested...Chiffy Helper. It's kind of a mish mosh of beef, pasta, spices and tomato sauce cooked together. Hamburger Helper from scratch. For something so plebian, it "grounds" you to reality because when you can't recognize your surroundings, it's good to at least know who you are.
So I embark on my prep of Chiffy helper... Chop meat - Check. Onion, garlic - Check. Tomatoes - Check. Pasta - Check. Spices - ACK! All but the salt and pepper have been PACKED!! What the #ell to do?
Peering into the cavern that is my now empty cupboard, I come across...(This is the hard part)... A box of Good Seasons Salad Dressing. Hubby likes to mix it up and dip cauliflower in it. I shrugged. I opened an envelope and poured about 1/4 of the contents into my bubbling Helper. Sprinkled some additional salt & pepper. And prayed it would be edible.
It actually wasn't half bad! I DID however feel as though I'd begun a recipe with a can of Coke or a box of cake mix. I hope the kitchen gods will forgive me. I think I've made a deposit or two in the kitchen Karma bank and have accrued some tolerance.
OK...Fess up. What terrible ingredient have you cooked with out of desperation? For whatever reason? (i.e. It was 4 a.m. and I just had to have..... or I had the flu and couldn't get out of the house...) Something you'd never use if you had your 'druthers?
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markcadioli
Reged: Apr 25 2002
Posts: 1405
Loc: Australia
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frozen fish fingers and tinned carrots
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Luka
Reged: Apr 25 2002
Posts: 1387
Loc: The great NorthWet
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Fish have fingers in Austraiia ?????
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The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good. ~Samuel Johnson
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markcadioli
Reged: Apr 25 2002
Posts: 1405
Loc: Australia
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well..toes actually...but it sounds nicer to say you're having fish fingers for dinner than fish toes.
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kkearney
Reged: Apr 30 2002
Posts: 244
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I cooked and ate a posssum when I was poor, does that count?
Was pretty good!
KK
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Chiffonade
Reged: May 01 2002
Posts: 45
Loc: FL
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Today, I was briefly watching Cousin Martha prepare a Frangipane and Plum tart on her show. (Looked incredible.) Spontaneously, I shouted, "Oh, God, I want to cook and bake again!!" Husband looked at me like I had Tourette's. I followed with, "Ok, I feel better now." I really do want to prepare something WITHOUT salad dressing as the spice factor. One week from today, we pick up the moving van.
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calvin
Reged: Apr 29 2002
Posts: 2388
Loc: NW Ohio
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I realize all is packed away, but think camping. Some pretty mean dishes come out of desperation. The dish with the salad dressing garne' (is that correct cooking talk?) was just the tip of the iceburger. And if all else fails, tell the guy you wanna go out.
Good luck on the move.
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Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City
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Big_Daddy
Reged: May 20 2002
Posts: 4
Loc: Massachusetts
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Sorry Chiff, I'd like to back you up on this, but I've never done anything as crass as this. My motto is, if you can't make it perfect, then you should starve.
Shame on you! You should know better.
Go stand in the corner now.
BD
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Chiffonade
Reged: May 01 2002
Posts: 45
Loc: FL
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Boy, if I didn't feel like I should hand back my Kump Certificate before, I sure do now.  I felt like Tom Hanks in "Castaway." If using the #*@& dressing on cauliflower wasn't bad enough (kind of like enjoying a Big Mac every now and then), using it as an ingredient rammed home how little we have in the kitchen...LOL.
P.S. Don't think for a minute I didn't entertain the "starving" option.
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Luka
Reged: Apr 25 2002
Posts: 1387
Loc: The great NorthWet
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Aw, you chef types just don't know the meaning of the word adventure.
Last nights dinner. For me and Rufus both...
A tablespoon of crushed garlic. (Out of a bottle)
About a quarter cup of lime juice. (Out of a bottle)
Start that to heating. When the smell just begins to drift up out of the pan...
1 pound of ground round.
Stir that as it cooks, to break the meat all up, and make more of a sauce than just meat chunks.
When the pound of ground round is browned...
1 can of refried beans. Mix well.
When that has turned into a nice thick sauce...
Add a small jar of pineaple salsa. (medium spicy)
Once that is stirred in well, add a can of sliced carrots. (Drained.) (Helps with the 'singing' aftward, don'tcha know.)
Cook until you know that everything is thoroughly cooked. Then let sit to cool off a bit.
Now, tear some soft corn tortillas up into strips. Tear those into chunks.
Slice and dice on some lettuce, and grate some cheese. (Me, I just bought the lettuce already sliced and diced, and the cheese already grated. Fine grated mozzarella and cheddar)
Sprinkle all three of those liberaly on top.
Pour on some real nice hot picante sauce, and eat up. When the 'toppings are gone, add some more.
You can add sour cream to the toppings as well, but I didn't last night.
Hey, am I just nuts, or does picante sauce get more hot with age ? I bought this stuff, (a huge bottle for the same price as a small bottle at the regular store. Not just large, but HUGE.), about 7 months ago, and have used it a little bit at a time, ever since. Used the last of it last night, and man was that stuff hot.
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The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good. ~Samuel Johnson
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Chiffonade
Reged: May 01 2002
Posts: 45
Loc: FL
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You took the heat off me!! (If Luka were a woman, I'd say he was pregnant...and that poor dog!)
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Luka
Reged: Apr 25 2002
Posts: 1387
Loc: The great NorthWet
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Hey, hey, HEY NOW !!!
No fat jokes.
And Rufus loved it. Cleaned it right up, and begged for more.
Funny how he is able to clean up every bit of the meat, the sauce, the beans, and all the rest of it, and leave a bunch of clean, and otherwise unmolested carrot slices, though.
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The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good. ~Samuel Johnson
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kai
Reged: Apr 29 2002
Posts: 78
Loc: South Leftcoast USA
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Carrots, I think, are quite good for dogs, and many dogs scarf them up. Maybe he wants them mashed w/btr :-)
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Chiffonade
Reged: May 01 2002
Posts: 45
Loc: FL
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Last night I made a pizza out of a pretty decent Safeway Brand mozzarella, leftover grilled sausage and veggies - on a Boboli Pizza crust with jarred sauce.
God, I'm in #ell.
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markcadioli
Reged: Apr 25 2002
Posts: 1405
Loc: Australia
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just imagine how the family feels Chiffy.
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Luka
Reged: Apr 25 2002
Posts: 1387
Loc: The great NorthWet
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Poundell...
I wonder if that's where they got my pound of ground round ?
Hey Chiff... Camp cooking.
It's the way i always cook. Gives me nutritious meals with minimum resources. And whether anyone would give me one of those certificates or not... it tastes good.
One example... Start a package of frozen mixed vegetables boiling. Plenty of water, and one pound of the veggies.
Add real butter. To taste. If you put in more than half a stick, your tastebuds are wonkered.
Also add some salt and pepper.
When all this is boiling well, drop in a whole package of macaroni and cheese, macaroni.
When the macaroni is just about finished, the water should be just about gone. So, plan accordingly. If you put in too much water in the first place, you have to let it boil longer to get rid of some of the water, and your veggies get too limpid. Too little water and you have to get everything all cold again, adding more water.
Add the cheese sauce powder stuff. No more butter, no milk, etc. (I have tried it, and tho it doesn't make that big a difference, it really isn't as good without that bag-o-powder chemical goodness. LOL)
Mix well. When mixed, add one can of chili. I prefer the staggs hot variety, or walla walla onion variety, or the cheddar cheese variety.
When thoroughly cooked, serve with a pile-o-cheddar cheese chunks on the plate. Drop those suckers in and watch them melt.
It's great to play with your food while you eat it. What can I say ? Entertainment and nutrition all at once.
hehehe
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The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good. ~Samuel Johnson
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markcadioli
Reged: Apr 25 2002
Posts: 1405
Loc: Australia
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he's a worry Chiff....but he is getting counseling.
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Wolvie
Reged: May 01 2002
Posts: 94
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LOL - you are in Hell! boboli? Yikes!
the worst thing I have ever done is use velveeta in a dip - but - to my credit - it was years ago, whilst I was still learning! ;-)
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Chiffonade
Reged: May 01 2002
Posts: 45
Loc: FL
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Mash potatoes in the food processor. Oh what we learn the hard way...
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JonC
Reged: Apr 29 2002
Posts: 103
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Now what the heck do you guys have against Velveeta? I'm babysitting 4 grandkids, ages 5 to 12, today and I'm not even going to tell you what I just served them for lunch. I'm thinking the two younger ones will probably settle down once I get a beer in them.
JonC
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