Cooking in the Campo

(this is the entertaining post)

 

I have been living in my own for almost 2 months now, and that means cooking for myself too. Anyone who knows me pre-Panama knows that I am a very talented woman, but the kitchen was never my forte. In college I survived on Jimmy Johns, Chipotle, Breuggars, and anything that could be microwaved. Even then sometimes my veggies in a bag sometimes blew up.

 

Now I live in the jungle, with a 2 burner gas camp stove, food straight from the fields, and I havent seen a microwave for more than 6 months. Results? I havent died of starvation nor blown my house up yet. I have eaten plenty of burned plantains, undercooked rice, and unsalvagable coffee, but I am learning. And whenenver I mess it up too bad I can always go over to someone else's house to visit. They will undoubtedly feed me.

 

However, with my very limited means I do have a few 'success stories'- and I am grateful to Emily every day for the care package of Trader Joe's spices and seasonings. They are clutch!

 

DISCLAIMER-

*All measurements are totally made up and arbitrary.

*Each recipe makes enough for one hungry PCV.

*All recipes are vegetarian friendly. I havent graduated to cooking jungle meat yet and canned sardines and I are on a break.

 

Cozy Oatmeal (idk, it just tastes cozy)

1 c. quaker oats, plain

1 1/4 c. water

2 TB peanut butter

2 TB honey

cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar

 

Boil water, add oats. When cooked, add  cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar. Serve in a bowl, drop PB in the centrr and drizzle with honey.

 

Campo Goulash

1 c. rotini or whatever pasta

1/2 packet of tomato paste

1 onion

ANY FRESH VEGGIES YOU CAN GET (peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, carrot)

2 hard boiled eggs

1 TB habanero picante

oregano, basil, everyday seasoning, garlic

 

Cook pasta. Chop garlic, onion, and veggies. Dice 2 hard boiled eggs. Drain pasta and add tomato paste, eggs, and veggies. Mix, add seasonings to taste.

 

Dirty Macaroni

1 c. jumbo macaroni elbows

2 hard boiled eggs

1 onion

4 TB balsamic vinegar

2 TB oil (olive if you have it...veggie if you bought at the tienda like me)

2 TB red pepper chipotle sauce

garlic, oregano, habanero picante

 

Dice hard boiled egg and eat the yolk out of it now. Cook macaroni and drain. Chop onion and garlic and add to pasta with egg and oil. Now you have a clean, white dish. Make it dirty by adding vinegar, chipotle sauce, and seasonings.

 

All dishes may be eaten straight from the pot if you need to conserve water by limiting the amount of dishes you do!