The random weather we have been having ended up giving me a new meal last night. We had been planning on grilling this past Saturday. Now the phrase "we had been planning on grilling" is kind of misleading. As far as the grilling goes, I grill with my wife much like I used to grill with my dad...I don't touch the grill. I prefer to cook, much like I prefer to do everything else, in doors. But, much like my dad, my wife seems to get some singular joy out of cooking on the grill, which I have to say is nice, since I like grilled food. Anyways, we went out Friday night to get all the stuff we needed. We left the veggies out, knowing that they would be used the next day. Well, the next day, it got cold, so we canceled our cookout. Somewhere between debating about the educational system and age tiers and running to my parents, we kinda forgot about the veggies. Yesterday, we pitched half of them. Only two of the three peppers and the tomatoes survived. So last night, when I was trying to come up with something for dinner so we wouldn't order a pizza, all of this just kinda popped into place:
- 2 hamburgers (yes, we buy premades because we are lazy)
- 2 links of bratwurst, cut into 1 inch slices
- 2 green peppers, coarsely chopped
- 2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1 Tbxp Paprika, because Paprika is better than you think it is.
- 1 txp Ground Cumin, yes, that is Tbxp and txp, not Tbsp and tsp...I don't know why, but it is not a typo. It is not like I even know where our measuring spoons are half the time since I don't really measure anything. Fake it, pretend you had a plan, and if anyone asks why it tastes different, lie and say you used the same amount you always do even though you have no earthly idea.
- 2 cloves of Garlic, shredded (though I think I will do sliced next time)
- 2 txp Chicken bouillon (or maybe a cube if you are a freak and use cubes)
- 1/2 txp Red Pepper
- Um...salt and pepper, because they are requisite. You must have to have them. But don't use much, just because you are required by law to use them does not mean you have to use a ton.
- 2 Packages of Ramen. Yes, I know, Ramen. I probably would prefer a penne, but all we have at the moment in the way of noodles or pasta is ramen, angel hair, and farfalle. I wanted something with a little texture, so angel hair was out, and I have yet to prepare farfalle to where I am satisfied with it...always too al dente.
This is a two pot prep. Pot 1 lived over a medium high heat. I tossed in the hamburgers, browned them, and broke them into chunks. This is actually one of the reasons why we never have loose ground beef around. I always say it is because I am lazy, but I like the premade patties resistance to coming apart. It makes for nice chunks of meat...chunks of meat ftw. Once the hamburger was browned, I tossed in all my spices, except the garlic (though it probably should have gone in now). Normally, I think I would have tossed in the brats next, but I wasn't doing the cutting (and you don't complain about free help), so the peppers came next. Brats followed shortly. (Now, when I cook green peppers, I don't like them too crisp. I kinda aim for my peppers to have slightly higher surface tension than an uncut tomato.) After the brats were added, the garlic came back to me, so I shreaded it into the pot. All of this was frequently tossed and stirred for about 5-10 minutes. Now would be a good time to start pot 2, which is just for the ramen...no seasoning, and drain once it is done.
Now the tomatoes are an area where my prep and the wife's prep vary drastically. We both cut the top off to get rid of the stem base, and then cut the tomatoes however we are prepping them. This is where I stop...always. The wife, however, will remove the seeds and juicier bits, eat those, and use the rest for cooking. Anyways, prepare the tomatoes however you want, but wait until the meat is done and the peppers are almost to how you like them before adding the tomatoes. We don't want the tomatoes too mushy, so they are basically getting a heat through. Once the tomatoes and ramen (remember, ramen that has been drained...I just foresee problems here) are done, combine, mix thoroughly, and enjoy.
I could see rice being a good substitute for the noodles in this as well, especially if you leave the juicier bits in the tomatoes and cook the final combined mess some. If you do this, I would probably only use about a cup of rice, and add some more Paprika and chicken bouillon once everything is combined. We eat a lot of rice, however, so sometimes it is nice to get away from it.
