Sometimes I Use a Recipe

And sometimes I do not use a recipe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You may or may not remember a few months back when I decided to create my own version of a cooking blog.

You also may or may not remember that the cooking blog didn't make it very far in life. Two posts, and then it just sort of fizzled off. (Sort of like the 1/4 cup of water I boiled the other day and then forgot about. It kind of fizzled off, too.)

What you don't know, is I actually cooked a series of meals* for my cooking blog, but never got around to posting them.

I am posting them (well, at least one of them) now. But there are a few rules you need to know first.

Soooo... here are [some of] the rules of the cooking blog.

1) I cannot use a recipe.

2) The meal must use a vegetable.

3) I cannot make a special shopping trip to acquire necessary ingredients. I must use items that are already in the kitchen.

4) I reserve the right to take 5,000 photos of the meal from whatever angle I deem appropriate or inappropriate.

5) Said meals are not actually intended for reproduction. Despite this, I will provide you with step-by-step instructions followed by a rating of the food. If you feel an uncontrollable desire to re-cook the meal, please reconsider.

Now, back to some things you may or may not remember. In November, I asked for suggestions for future food ideas for my cooking blog.

I got one suggestion (which, honestly, is more than I was expecting):

"You should do the ramen noodles that has an egg cooked into it and then a slice of cheese

melted on top, with hot sauce. Talk about an abomination."

It was from my friend Colton, who, apparently, would like me to choke on my own throw-up.

I did not cook and egg into the ramen, or put cheese on top.

By I did create something of an abomination.

*Written with pride.*

And I did use Ramen.

And I was inspired by the Pei Wei commercial about Ramen getting a bad rap.

And I did do absolutely nothing that would refute the bad reputation of Ramen.

And with that lengthy introduction, I give you--

Nameless Ramen Creation.

It starts with frozen chicken. Simmered in Apple Juice (maybe--probably, that sounds like something I would do).

Then you stick this bag of Asian vegetables straight in the microwave.

I love Steam Fresh.

I do not love their idea of seasoning.

SO I decided to add chili powder, pepper, and the chicken seasoning included in the Ramen package in order to give the veggies a little extra kick.

Incidentally, chicken seasoning, pepper, chili powder, Steam Fresh Asian seasoning and apple juice do not combine that well.

Speaking of Ramen...

It looks like this.

If you add oddly seasoned vegetables and almonds...

It looks like this.

Rating: Not terrible. It tasted like ramen, with seasoned snap peas in it.

But I felt like I needed to shower post eating it.

(If you just thought, WHAAA? Why did you need to shower? Then go eat some Ramen. You'll understand.)

*Meal is a relative term in this post. (Which is why it is usually, if not always, italicized in this post.) The word meal, for my purposes, implies something you can consume. Nothing more, nothing less.