By Carl Bastedo
Motocross, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
A guide for motocrossers whose Mothers or Better Halves have decided its time for you to cook for yourself.
First some Cooking hints for your Major meals just in case any of you reading this are first timers.
BREAKFAST
Menu #1 Get out the cereal, the milk, a banana or other fruit, some bread (prefer whole wheat, multigrain, flax etc. but white if you must). The margarine 100% soya, fruit juice. No need to tell you what to do. Do this at least 3 to 4 days a week.
Breakfast Menu #2 Hot Breakfast Oatmeal. You’ll need the bread, fruit juice, margarine,
A package of one minute Quaker Oatmeal, raisins, brown sugar, milk. For a large serving put 1 1/3 cups of oats in a microwave bowl, add 1 !/2 cups of water (remember to use the measuring cup) and a spoonful of raisins. Mix all together with a spoon, add a little more water if to dry. Microwave on high for one minute, take out and stir around, if not to much liquid, just add a little brown sugar and milk, let cool and eat with your toast. If there is still a lot of liquid stir up and put back in microwave for 30 seconds. Try once or twice a week.
Breakfast Menu #3 Easy Eggs—You can try this once or twice a week. Get out the Bread your toasting, margarine, milk, ketchup, glass of juice and 2 eggs. Decide what your going to have with the eggs. My favourite is onion, green or red pepper, & mushrooms, use any one or all. Chop up the above veggies into small pieces, approx. ½ to a full cup. Then get out some cheese (cheddar) and grate with a grater, if you don’t have a grater just slice thin and chop into small pieces, ½ to 1 cupful. Then put a couple drops of oil or margarine in a non stick pan (use a little more if it’s the stick variety) and turn stove on to medium. When the margarine melts throw in the veggies and stir around. While they are cooking break the eggs and put in a bowl, add a little milk, very little, and stir around with a fork mixing the yellow with the egg whites. The veggies should be done in 2 to 3 minutes, don’t burn them or overcook. Spread the veggies out in the pan and pour the egg mixture over top. After 30 seconds or so sprinkle the cheese on top of the eggs and pop in your toast. Now comes the hard part, once the egg seems to be cooking on the bottom, use a plastic spatula (if non stick pan), and try to fold the mixture over. If it doesn’t fold nicely don’t worry, just keep trying to flip it over, won’t look nice but will taste the same. When the egg is no longer runny in the middle you can dish it onto a plate, your toast should have popped by now, put a little jam or honey on it, ketchup beside or over the eggs, set out your juice and enjoy.
Breakfast Menu #4 Motomuffins—A favourite here at Motopark. We go through anywhere from 15 to 30 dozen on a race weekend. Here is our secret recipe. Get out 2 English Muffins, margarine, 2 eggs, 1 slice of ham cut in four, 1 slice of processed cheese (or real cheese sliced thinly if you have) cut in 4. Put griddle or 2 frying pans on stove, add a dab of margarine to each and burners to medium high. Cut the English Muffins in half and put margarine on. When one pan is hot put muffins margarine side down in pan. Then crack eggs and put in other pan. Set the ham in the same pan as the two eggs, beside them. If the yoke in the middle of the eggs does not break stick a knife in it to break. Use a spatula to keep the eggs from spreading to much so they fit on the muffin. After they settle turn the eggs over, at the same time turn the ham and the English muffins over, the muffins should just be brown on the buttered side. Then put ½ the cheese on each egg and let melt while the egg finishes cooking. Put the ham over the cheese, use the spatula to take the eggs out and set on the muffins, put the top on the muffins and remove from pan and let cool while you pour a glass of juice and get out the ketchup for your own, homemade, motomuffins.
POWER LUNCHES
Re-read the Lunch category in our Diet section as it pertains to lunches at fast food restaurants. Here are some recipes if you are making lunch at home or to take to work or school.
Lunch Menu #1–Tuna/Salmon Sandwich—Either or both of these should be your main sandwich. Fish is extremely good for you. Both Salmon, and Tuna (especially albacore) have Omega 3-fatty acids and provide an excellent source of protein. You can make up your weeks supply at one time and it will last 4 or 5 days in the fridge. You make both the same way, 1 can will make 2 to 3 sandwiches, you can use that as a guide to determine how many cans of each/either you want to open for the week. Use a canopener to open all the way around. Leave lid on, place bowl in sink (juice for the cats) or just let it go down the drain, turn upside down holding lid with both hands and squeeze lid to get all juices/water out of can. Then remove fish from can (s) with a fork in a different bowl, fairly large cause you’ll be mixing. Discard cans and wash hands. You can add one or two things to bowl. Some chopped up celery, green or regular onion, or both. Then add a teaspoon of vinegar. Then get out the Mayo. Now, Mayo has lots of fat so try not to add too much, if you like lots just cut back a little each week reducing the amount you use slowly. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper and mix all together. Add a little more Mayo if you didn’t put enough in to start with. Now the Bermudians like theirs toasted, you can toast up some bread or just use fresh, Yes, we want you to use anything but white, but do what you will, just eat the damn fish. Margarine is an option. This sandwich can be topped off with a slice of lettuce, tomato, onion or all of the above which makes it a great meal. Mikey likes 1 ½ sandwiches and so do I so it works out well to make 3 for the two of us. We drink Lemonade with this and finish it off with some Cantaloupe for desert.
Cantaloupe is another thing we prepare at the start of the week and get a few servings out of. Take a Cantaloupe, cut in half on a chopping board, cut it sideways, not from the top down. Then take each ½ over to the garbage and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, get them all. Then back to chopping board and cut each ½ into slices, 1 to 2” wide. Then, carefully, with a sharp knife, cut at the bottom of the fruit to get the skin off. Then chop the slices in bite size pieces (fairly large) and put it in a small bowl for serving. The rest goes in a bigger bowl in the fridge with plastic wrap to be enjoyed at breakfast or lunch for a few meals.
MAIN COURSES (Dinner)
Menu #1 EVERYONE’S FAVOURITE PASTA DINNER—You can use any type of pasta and the directions are the same. Buy the Pasta in 900G bags, they feed 8 people just fine. Always make enough pasta for a second meal later in the week. So, if you are a family of 2 make ½ a bag for 4 servings 3 to 5 in the family a whole bag etc. Any type will do, Nick only likes the Penne but there is lots of other kinds. The sauce– Chris, Nick, Mikey all like Presidents Choice Original Pasta Sauce, about as plain as you can get although they do sneak some good stuff in there that we don’t tell them about. Get the 1.8L plastic jug. That will be more than enough for a whole 900G of pasta so if you just heat up ½ you can leave the balance in the fridge. Don’t put canned sauce leftovers in the fridge in the can, always switch to another container. You can save the sauce for a week or so in the fridge even if you heat it all up at once.
The Garlic bread can be made with any leftover rolls, hot dog or hamburg buns. Hot dog buns are our fav and they are inexpensive. The rolls do not need to be fresh (hint—if there is little green fungi growing on the rolls or if they bounce off the floor just toss them, otherwise they are probably okay). Make 2 to 4 pieces per person (one bun is two pieces). You can either chop up a couple spoonfuls of garlic or buy it bottled already chopped. If you want to go real chintzy just sprinkle garlic powder on the bread and margarine.
Ceasar Salad—We will tell you how to make later but you can just buy a package for a little more money and that will be enough for a serving for 4. If you are just going to use ½ a package don’t mix the other ½ with dressing until you are going to have it for dinner.
They never seem to give you enough dressing in the package so have some extra available in a bottle.
Here is what to do— First, set the table with plates, forks, napkins. Then get that soapy warm water in the sink ready. Set out the things you need. Oven mitts, salt & pepper, the garlic-chopped or in the bottle, margarine, the rolls, the package of ceasar salad or a head of romaine lettuce, the ceasar dressing, croutons and bacon bits if your using. Have an oversize bowl for the salad and serving spoons and flat tray (cookie sheet) to put the garlic bread on. Some parmesan cheese, the Pasta, a large pot, the bigger the better 7 to 9 L at least, to cook the pasta in approx. ½ filled with water, sprinkle some salt in and set on stove. Its great if you have a steamer insert in the large pot but otherwise put a large strainer in the sink to rinse the pasta when its done. The pasta sauce can be put in a smaller pot and set on the stove.
Garlic Bread—Fresh garlic comes in a bulb. There are a bunch of “cloves” in each bulb. Remove approx. 4 large cloves from the bulb. Place on a cutting board, chop both ends off the clove and remove the outer skin. Then discard after you have your 4 cloves done. Chop the cloves up into very small pieces. Put some margarine in a little glass dish. Add the chopped up garlic to the margarine and stir it all up with a fork. Add more margarine if you need to. Make it good and strong. Then get out your hot dog buns, split and place with inside facing up on cookie sheet. Use knife to spread garlic margarine, just like you would butter bread. Do this just before you turn the water for the pasta on so the bread doesn’t sit to long before you put it in the oven. Cover the remaining garlic butter with plastic wrap and put in fridge. It will last a week or so. Wash your smelly hands in your soapy water and dry. Remember to wash the cutting board as well so the garlic taste doesn’t get in your toast or something the next time you use it. While your pasta is coming to a boil you’ll turn the oven on to 400. When the light goes out open the door and put the cookie sheet with your garlic bread on it in the oven. It takes about 10 minutes, most people like to take it out while its still soft and not to toasty.
Ceasar Salad—Take a head of romaine lettuce. Chop off the bottom and the leaves will separate easily. If the top of the leaf has some brown or black spots cut them off. Lay some paper towel on a cutting board. Rinse each leaf under cold water, shake excess water off and lay on paper towel to dry. When finished use more paper towel to pat leaves fairly dry. Then, by hand, gather up leaves and break up into mouthsize pieces in bowl. If you are not eating the whole head of romaine in one sitting put some in a separate bowl and cover and put in fridge, it will be fine for a couple days. Add some Ceasar Dressing to the balance and toss with salad serving spoons. You’ve got to mix it up real well, just keep tossing, if you want you can add a little more dressing if you didn’t put enough on to begin with. Top with croutons and bacon bits or just eat as is.
Boil for 10 minutes, stirring often. Keep stirring the pasta sauce as well and turn down to #1 or 2 if it starts to bubble, don’t let the sauce boil.
After 10 minutes remove the pot of pasta and take to the sink. Pour out into the strainer being careful not to burn yourself with the steam. Set the pot back on a burner that is not turned on. Lift the strainer and shake the rest of the water out, put pasta in a large bowl or back in the empty pot. Pour some of the pasta sauce in and stir pasta and sauce mixture well. Add more pasta sauce and stir until you have the desired amount of sauce.
Your Ceasar Salad is already on the table along with your garlic bread, sprinkle on some parmesan cheese if you like and enjoy.
