I'm a few days late, but you could say that's similar to how the U.S. enters wars, so it's fitting, right??
So, how do you make a veteran? Start with a well-meaning, albeit often naive patriot. Blend with training, determination, and pain. Add conflict. Survive. Tah dah!
Ok, for real, this blog is dedicated to all those veterans out there. You know who you are.
While I was out these last few months, a few were sent on an arduous journey. This journey resulted in...meals-ready-to-eat! (aka MREs) and because of our location, they were....*drumroll please*
HALAL!
Perhaps it was hunger, perhaps it was desperation, perhaps it was that twisted positivity known as "survivalism" but when they returned, they had a recipe that I wanted to share with the world:
Brumie Stew (aka Survival Stew)
You'll need: an assortment of MREs, halal will work, a big pot, enough security, time, and space to start a fire OR the ability to use a burner (which I know can be a rare find in the field), harissa, boy cheese (see below), sunflower seeds (for texture), hunger, your team, and na'an, if available.
Once hungry enough and in a location where most if not all your team can sit together and heat up some chow, sift through the MRE's. Select enough that will likely not taste too bad together (for example, meat products with sauces, side veggie packs, the vegetarian servings, etc.)
Put them all together in a big pot; add boiling water if you have some and if you need some to thin it out. If there are filler assists, like rice, pasta, crackers--add those in, too. Well save the crackers til the end, but the others can go in the pot. Keep stirring over heat. Add as much harissa as the weakest person on the team can handle. Add the boy cheese. Keep stirring. Right before serving, add sunflower seeds for texture. Yes, I mean those packets you ate to keep you awake on trips, or watched baseball players who didn't want to dip but still wanted to look like it ate.
Once hot enough both in temperature and flavor, sprinkle a few crushed MRE crackers on top of the individual portions and serve. You'd be surprised. Sometimes, adding the peanut butter also helps.
Accompany with crackers or na'an with harissa and boy cheese. And dates. Don't like dates? You will when you have no other options for food other than bread, harissa, and boy cheese. Repeat for weeks on end.
***
What's ironic is the above is in relatively good conditions. The team had hot water, a heater, enough security and time to actually heat their food. Access to procure some food on the local economy (bread, harissa, boy cheese, dates). And they knew they "had it good" in comparison to many of our folks deployed, both military and civilian, worldwide. And compared to many of the folks we are trying to help in our deployments.
I can get boy cheese and harissa here in DC. I can even get na'an. Often, we take for granted access to international foods and influences. But even these come at a cost. So, to the veterans who will live to eat another MRE while securing my liberty to eat anything in the world I want, thank you from the bottom of my heart and the tip of my palate!
So, how do you make a veteran? Start with a well-meaning, albeit often naive patriot. Blend with training, determination, and pain. Add conflict. Survive. Tah dah!
Ok, for real, this blog is dedicated to all those veterans out there. You know who you are.
While I was out these last few months, a few were sent on an arduous journey. This journey resulted in...meals-ready-to-eat! (aka MREs) and because of our location, they were....*drumroll please*
HALAL!
Perhaps it was hunger, perhaps it was desperation, perhaps it was that twisted positivity known as "survivalism" but when they returned, they had a recipe that I wanted to share with the world:
Brumie Stew (aka Survival Stew)
You'll need: an assortment of MREs, halal will work, a big pot, enough security, time, and space to start a fire OR the ability to use a burner (which I know can be a rare find in the field), harissa, boy cheese (see below), sunflower seeds (for texture), hunger, your team, and na'an, if available.
Once hungry enough and in a location where most if not all your team can sit together and heat up some chow, sift through the MRE's. Select enough that will likely not taste too bad together (for example, meat products with sauces, side veggie packs, the vegetarian servings, etc.)
Put them all together in a big pot; add boiling water if you have some and if you need some to thin it out. If there are filler assists, like rice, pasta, crackers--add those in, too. Well save the crackers til the end, but the others can go in the pot. Keep stirring over heat. Add as much harissa as the weakest person on the team can handle. Add the boy cheese. Keep stirring. Right before serving, add sunflower seeds for texture. Yes, I mean those packets you ate to keep you awake on trips, or watched baseball players who didn't want to dip but still wanted to look like it ate.
Once hot enough both in temperature and flavor, sprinkle a few crushed MRE crackers on top of the individual portions and serve. You'd be surprised. Sometimes, adding the peanut butter also helps.
Accompany with crackers or na'an with harissa and boy cheese. And dates. Don't like dates? You will when you have no other options for food other than bread, harissa, and boy cheese. Repeat for weeks on end.
***
What's ironic is the above is in relatively good conditions. The team had hot water, a heater, enough security and time to actually heat their food. Access to procure some food on the local economy (bread, harissa, boy cheese, dates). And they knew they "had it good" in comparison to many of our folks deployed, both military and civilian, worldwide. And compared to many of the folks we are trying to help in our deployments.
I can get boy cheese and harissa here in DC. I can even get na'an. Often, we take for granted access to international foods and influences. But even these come at a cost. So, to the veterans who will live to eat another MRE while securing my liberty to eat anything in the world I want, thank you from the bottom of my heart and the tip of my palate!
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