And so I guess you then don't have to add salt??? ;-)
Thanks!
Lorraine

so did some rice last night to see what I did, and what my wife did differently... turns out I put the rice on the small ring on a very low heat so it's just bubbling very lightly, and she puts it on the big ring full blast... her rice gloopy and sticky, mine light and fluffy... no rinsing involved! Success.

Mine takes about 20 mins, hers 5.

We just have rice for the next two nights.

Anyway - what's the point in this convo? Next trip I'm doing it Victorian style and taking a full silver service set and a cook.

m

Ah-ha! Matt doesn't rinse! I've long suspected the rinsing is all a farse. And the times I have had rice success, it hasn't seemed to make much difference between rinsing or not. Interesting not everyone is doing the Holy Grail of measuring 1:2. So, it's all as I've long suspected—you either have a knack for rice making, or you don't. A bit like gravy-making...and no, I'm not suggesting debating that one!
Lorraine

In a perfect road kill scenario, you would also be supplied with desert, As seen here: http://therapysessions.blogspot.com/ShowLetter.jpg (Do not click if squemish. You have been warned)

As for my recipes, i find salami and cheese in bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner keeps me going. Obviously followed by a litre or 2 of Quilmes.

Rice and stir-fry
 

My rice cooking method doesn't involve rinsing. I can't see any difference when I cook rice, if it's rinsed or not. I use the 2:1 ratio thing, lowest heat that will still boil and use the tip of a spoon or fork handle to feel when it's started to stick just a little bit to the bottom of the pan. Just push down to the bottom, not stirring and scrape a millimetre or two. You have a minute or two leeway about when to take it off, if the heat is low enough, and then it's still easy to clean the pot.

Set aside at that point with a lid on and, unless it's a screaming cold wind blowing, you then have enough time for the stir-fry meat and vege to be cooked and it will still be hot.

It's a quick meal really. Set up kitchen, get rice cooking, cut up meat and vege, take off cooked rice and cook stir-fry, eating in under 25 minutes from stopping. Rice goes into the pan with the stir-fry to be eaten and you only have two pots and a fork to clean.

I agree with the sesame oil tip from earlier. That and chilli paste, garlic and onions are the first things that go in my traveling kitchen. Hey! Now there's a good idea for a workshop at the up-coming New Zealand HU Mini-Meeting.

Regards

Nigel in NZ

Cooking
 

Thanks to everyone for all the great ideas.... but regarding rice, I like the idea of boil in a bag!!! 5 minutes no mess ..... LOL

I should try adding stock cubes, I wonder if that works …

I tried the other day making potato cakes, grate potato, onion, squeeze in a towel to remove the fluid, add egg, cheese spices what ever is handy and fry until golden brown ….

Eeerrrm, I had to eat 3 whilst the wife would only eat one….

Conclusion, made hell of a mess, burnt all cooking equipment …. Only worth doing again if you’re dying of starvation and only have potato’s, onions and a dozen new tea towels !!!

Does anyone know of a pan stacking system (rice ot one, veg pot two etc) I could use with the trangia !! I've seen something but its only for carrying food, not cooking it ...



Salut Matt

Lorraine, impasto is talking about making "damper" which is made simply from self raising flour, a pinch of salt and enough water to make the dough. It's so simple and tastes sooo good I must remember to make some next time I'm away. They would be great done over a B-B-Q. You could try adding nuts and raisins to the dough as well or spreading "nutella" on them afterwards.

Bugger, now I've got to make some, I'm drooling.

As for the rice thing I use good ole Uncle Bens boil-in-the-bag when I'm camping if I can find it. Stick it in boiling water for 10 minutes and you drain it in the bag. What do others do about draining the water off afterwards as I think this makes a lot of difference. You really need a propper sieve.

'self raising flour, a pinch of salt and enough water to make the dough. It's so simple and tastes sooo good I must remember to make some next time I'm away.'

Mmm, good call.

Simple bread is such a nice morale booster.

My easy recipe for (unlevened) bread.

14 tablespoons of plain flour.
1/3 pint of Milk (or water will do)
1 teaspoon baking powder.
1 teaspoon salt.

Throw it all together, knead it till stretchy and silky, then throw it in tin foil and get it on that fire! That is easily enough for two people to feel full.

Or alternatively, flour the bottom of a pan, flatten your dough out and throw it in there, and drizzle oil on, then top with cheese/tomatoes/anything else you fancy, stick the lid on your pan and cook. Wait until the cheese bubbles. Hey presto, a beautifully crispy baked pizza. Even better, the bread stops gloop getting on the bottom of your pan, so just have to wipe it clean!

Happy Riding

Joel

I notice there's alot of talk of "boil in the bag" rice........

Now STH American veteran please correct me if I'm wrong but; What is the chance of finding boil-in-the bag rice in the back of beyond?

Sieves
 

Collapsible Colanders - Lakeland, the home of creative kitchenware

or

Trangia multi-disk

Ok, just a few pointers

the slow cook method in which teh rice absorbes all teh water. ensure a low heat, and instead of water use one of those small one person clear dry packet soups to flavour the water.

problem with rinsing is you get the rice wet, true you remove the dry rice dust which tends to jellyfy, but the wet rice starts to get glutinous. To fast boil you need -lots- of water and throw the rice in dry. either way do not stir. let the water do the work.

Bread : I quite like 'Chapatties' for savoury use. you can make wholewheat ones which are my favourites. if so mix enough water to get a stretchy dough. Then keep it for several hours either wrapped in clingfilm or wiped with oil to prevent evaporation. this is needed to make the husk parts of the wholemeal flour soft. You can use white flour, (preferably self raising without the wait). in each case add about half a teaspoon full of salt to teh water. You can cook it in any pan, just dry fry them. The pan or plate of metal needs to be hot. you can also use a flattish rock, just lie it in a fire for a while to heat up. The dessert arabs use a huge wok upside down over dying embers of a fire. That way the heat collects. When cooked rub them in butter ( or oil) lightly, then stack them as each is done in a warm place ( ideally wrapped in towelling or similar) for 10 to 30 minutes, this will help them to soften and continue cooking. Use pieces of them as eating utensil for your food or chopped or torn into pieces as a crude pasta.
You can flavour a tin of beans or other food by adding a teaspoonful of curry powder. or mix your own. a suggested start is equal volumes coriander, cumin and ginger ( all ground) half a measure of tumeric. and to heat it up a quarter measure of ground chilly. Vary that to suit your own taste.
Note, try to eat yoghourt whenever you eat beans/pulses. it helps your bodys' digestion and its ability to obtain protein from teh food.

I can't believe that there's no discussion about what type of rice to use. There's all kinds of rice - some make sticky rice, some make light and fluffy rice, some make bad rice, some make yummy rice. You can't just pick any old bag from the dozen or more varieties sold in the store and make the same rice with all of them.

How do you know which one to buy?

Quastdog you're absolutely right. I prefer Indian Basmati. I buy it in 10Kg bags for £8 from Lidl's. But I'll use Uncle Ben's American long grain for convenience when camping. I've had to buy fast cook rice on occasion but I always end up throwing it away it's awful stuff.

long grain rice if you want the grains to stay separate short grains for a sticky lump.

Just tried some very basic bread - using my spork as a measuring tool - 4 heaped spoons of self raising flour and about a 1/4 cup of water, kneaded and mixed in the large trangia pan until dough... then kneaded into a flat bread and cooked (with a little olive oil) on a low heat for 10 mins....

Tasted delicious and is going to be made on the road many times I can tell..... add jam for a sweat and eat with your rice and salami for the main... will try it again tomorrow and see what happens when you mix small chunks of meat to the mix prior to cooking.

m