Request: Fallout: New Vegas – Wasteland Omelet

Oh my, is it Wednesday already!? I’ve recently started a new job working full-time and I’ve been so busy I’ve not had a moment this week to even play Fallout: New Vegas which has been sitting on my shelf for several months now. So when I get in from work or you settle down after a long day roaming in, well, nothing, you want something quick and nutritious (plus you really have to use up those Deathclaw Eggs). I’m personally a big fan of Omelets (Omelettes? What an odd word) and I love that New Vegas has Hardcore survival style gameplay. It’s this mode which has attracted me to the game and I’m excited to see how well it’s been implemented – for games like Fallout it’s an aspect I really miss! So stoke your fire and follow this very simple but delicious recipe.

This recipe serves 1.

What you will need: A large non-stick frying pan, a bowl, a spatula and a whisk.

Ingredients:

1 Teaspoon Butter

40g / ¼ Cup Red Delicious Apple (Finely Diced)

3 Large Eggs

1 Tablespoon Milk

Salt & Pepper

30g / ¼ Cup Emmental Cheese (Grated)

2 Thick Ham Slices

Making the Wasteland Omelet:

1. In a bowl whisk together the eggs and milk, season to taste and set aside. Then heat the butter in a frying pan on a medium heat.
2. Add the apple to the frying pan and warm through, once the apple begins to soften remove it from the pan and set aside.
3. Pour the egg and milk mixture into the frying pan and allow it to cook. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn underneath and move the pan to help any liquid on top cook.
4. Once the top begins to look firm and cooked, sprinkle half the omelet with the apple, followed by the cheese and then the ham slices.
5. Add a little bit more cheese on top of the ham and carefully use the spatula to fold the omelet in half – the cheese should help it seal once folded.
6. Allow everything to melt and then serve!

The ingredients and inspiration behind the recipe are pretty self-explanatory; the combination of BlamCo Mac & Cheese, Crunchy Mutfruit, Deathclaw Eggs and Lakelurk Meat are simply the ham, cheese and apple which go so well together. Only with less radiation. Maybe. Before anyone mentions those bizarre claw/feet – I know. I tried sculpting some out of chicken, ham and even attempted fish but it just looked ridiculous. Lakelurks don’t even have a piece of anatomy that looks like that. If you’re really distressed I think the closest real-world representation would be a chicken foot. I bet you’re glad I kept it out now, huh?

If anyone would like to re-create this recipe and actually use chicken feet or create a convincing version of the claws – send it to me and you’ll get a special reblog. Because you’d be a braver person than I.

Like this? You might also enjoy the Fallout 3 - Yum Yum Deviled Eggs.

Dragon Age – Found Cake

When I had a read through Game Rant’s “Most Disappointing Games of 2011” I wasn’t surprised when I saw Dragon Age II among the expected movie tie-in games of the year. Although I know a lot of people loved it, it was a saddening shadow of the awesome that was Dragon Age and an even greater festering husk of Baldur’s Gate for me. I was so involved with Dragon Age and so attached to Alistair (I don’t even find blond men attractive) I once drunkenly reprimanded a guy with the same name at a party for sacrificing himself at the end of my tale. I’m not sure how he felt when I declared my love and explained the impending grief for both me and the people of Ferelden but thankfully I still had my trusty dog (Bucephalus) who once brought me this cake. Personally, I don’t know what the hell Tycho was complaining about – I’d eat a “found cake”. Cake is cake, after all.

This recipes serves 6.

What you will need: Two 8inch (20cm) round sandwich tins, sieve, 2 mixing bowls and a whisk.

Ingredients:

175g / ¾ Cup Butter (Room Temperature)

175g / ¾ Cup Caster/Fine Grain Sugar

3 Eggs (Room Temperature)

175g / ¾ Cup Self-Raising Flour

70g / ¼ Cup Cocoa Powder (High Quality)

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

To Garnish:

250ml / 1 Cup Whipping Cream

Icing/Confectioners Sugar (Optional)

2 Strawberries (Halved)

Dog Spittle (Optional)

Making the Found Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F. Grease the cake tin with a little butter, line it with greaseproof paper/baking parchment and set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until pale and creamy. While continuing to mix, gradually add the eggs and whisk well until light and fluffy.
3. Sieve in half the flour, gently fold it in then sieve in the rest of the flour along with the cocoa powder and baking powder. Add the vanilla extract and stir.
4. Divide the cake mix between the prepared tins and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. The top of the cakes should spring back when softly pressed if ready. Once cooked, remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool.
5. Once cooled, remove the cakes from the tins. Whip the cream (with a little sugar if you wish), spread half the cream on top of one layer then turn the other layer upside down, place it on top and cover with the remainder of the cream. Place 3 of the strawberry halves on top to decorate.
6. Optional: Place the cake on your kitchen floor and get your dog to serve it for that final, authentic touch.

I’ve based the recipe for the Found Cake off the traditional Victoria sponge. This is a simple, fuss-free cake that wouldn’t be out of place in a Ferelden setting. It’s incredibly light and fluffy which means you can eat four slices for each slice of normal cake, ideal for any New Year dieters, because I’m pretty sure lack of cake is what turned Flemeth into that dragon.

Like this? You might also enjoy the Portal - Cake.

Bastion – Leechade

Bastion was the impressive and visually stunning Indie hit of 2011, if you’ve not played it yet I recommend you pick it up right away on Xbox Live, Steam or Google Chrome! One of the most awesome things about the game is the Distillery where The Kid can choose all sorts of interesting potions to help him on his journey. Each one has a unique effect, taste and appearance – I just wish I had the amazing bottles to do each spirit justice. “Leechade’s so sour, it’ll perk you right up when you’re feeling low”.

This recipe makes 1 drink.

Ingredients:

1 Measure Advocaat

1 Measure Dry London Gin

0.5 Measure Triple Sec

0.5 Measure Blue Curaçao

Top Up Cloudy Lemonade

Lemon Wedge Garnish

Like this? You might also enjoy the Sims 3 - Love Potion #8.5.

Christmas Special Drink & Nibbles: Skyrim – Black-Briar Mead, Grilled Leeks & Elsweyr Fondue

Everyone knows cold weather demands a warming drink and something to nibble on, preferably in front of a roaring fire. For the start of my Gourmet Gaming Christmas feast I thought taking a trek back to Skyrim might be worth while due to a lot of requests and let’s not forget its cold, snowy, Nordic landscape. Someone managed to source me some authentic Norfolk mead (thank you!) which I’ve used as my base for creating the infamous Black-Briar brew. I didn’t want it to be just a plain old mead; I felt that spices and fruits available around Skyrim could be added to create a more hearty drink. I’ve also been in enough bars in Skyrim to know that you can’t drink mead without some grilled leeks, why not dip them in a Kajiit’s favourite - Elsweyr Fondue?

This recipe serves 4-6.

Black-Briar Mead

What you will need: Large pot, a sieve and a serving jug/bottle.

Ingredients:

200ml / 1 Cup Mead

200ml / 1 Cup Dry Cider

200ml / 1 Cup Cloudy Apple Juice

2 Tablespoons Honey

3 Star Anise

1 Teaspoon Cloves

1 Cinnamon Stick

1. Add all the ingredients to a pot and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Sieve the mixture into a clean bowl or serving jug. Can be enjoyed warm or chilled.

Grilled Leeks

What you will need: A pot, a bowl, and a griddle pan.

Ingredients:

Leeks

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

1 Clove Garlic

1. Slice the leeks vertically in half and wash thoroughly in cool water. Pop the halved leeks in a large pot of water and bring to the boil. Cook for 4 minutes or until cooked about half way through, then drain and instantly submerge the leeks in a bowl of ice cold water to stop them from cooking any further.
2. Dry the leeks in some paper towels then season with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic. Warm a griddle pan on a medium heat.
3. Lay a few leeks at a time, open side down on the pan. Try to keep them intact so they still have their shape. Turn them gently every few minutes to prevent from burning. Once cooked, lay on a plate or tray to serve.

Elsweyr Fondue

What you will need: A fondue pot/a heavy pot and a grater.

Ingredients:

200ml / 1 Cup Ale

110g / 1 Cup Mature Gruyère (Grated)

110g / 1 Cup Emmental (Grated)

1 Tablespoon Flour

¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg

1 Teaspoon Sugar

1. If you have a fondue pot with a heater than use that. If not – you can also use a heavy pot to melt your ingredients.
2. In the pot heat the Ale on a medium heat – do NOT allow it to boil.
3. Mix the grated cheeses with the flour until it is lightly coated. Add the cheese a little at a time to the ale, stirring gently. Reduce heat to low.
4. Once the cheese has melted, add the nutmeg and sugar and mix gently. Grate over a little more fresh nutmeg and serve.

The original recipe calls for black-market “Moon Sugar” which we know is used to make Skooma, so I had to do some research on what this could be. I instantly thought of nutmeg; it’s seasonal and is a traditional spice to serve with Swiss based fondues. It also has psychoactive and toxic effects if consumed in large amounts, causing sickness and hallucinations – not unlike the in-game drug. Skooma: Not Even Once, Elsweyr Fondue: Delicious. Try dipping in chunks of fresh bread or fruits and eating with savoury preserves or chutneys.

Like this? You might also enjoy the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Sweet Rolls.

Sonic The Hedgehog – Chili Dog A La Sonic

It’s a renowned fact that Sonic loves Chili Dogs, I remember it vividly as a running theme in the Sonic cartoons (Remember? That ended with that amusing oh so 90’s “Sonic Sez” feature?). I first played Sonic on my aunts Sega Mega Drive and when I was dragged to numerous house parties as a kid I would take the console with me and set it up in a bedroom and guests would drop in and play with me. Although I’m sure Social Services would have something to say about this it is one of my fondest childhood memories. Chili Dogs have appeared in numerous versions of the game and a recipe for “Chili Dog A La Sonic” was even published in the first issue of the Archie ‘Sonic The Hedgehog’ comics which I have faithfully reproduced.

This recipe serves 6.

What you will need: A large pot and a spoon!

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

450g / 1lb Ground Beef

100g / ½ Cup White Onion (Chopped)

100g / ½ Cup Peppers (Chopped)

100g / ½ Cup Mushrooms (Chopped)

400g / 2 Cups Tinned Chopped/Crushed Tomatoes

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

210ml / 8 fl oz Barbecue Sauce

1 Teaspoon

• Chili Powder
• Ground Cumin
• Oregano

400g / 2 Cups Kidney Beans (Tinned or Pre-cooked)

6 Hot Dogs

6 Hot Dog Buns

Grated Cheese

Making the Chili Dogs:

1. Heat some olive oil in a large pot then brown the beef. Add the onions, peppers and mushroom and cook for about 5 minutes.
2. Pour in the can of tomatoes, add the Worcestershire sauce and the barbecue sauce and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Add the chili powder, ground cumin, oregano and the kidney beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste then simmer for a further hour.
4. Add the hot dogs to the chili sauce and cook them for 10-15 minutes. While the hot dogs cook, lightly toast the hog dog buns.
5. Once cooked, serve the hot dogs in the toasted buns, pour over the chili and add your favourite garnishes.

There’s a few ways to enjoy these Chili Dogs - if you’re a veggie you’re not alone; Sonic’s sister Sonia The Hedgehog (genius) enjoys hers as tofu-dogs while Tails prefers his smothered in melted cheese. I served mine with some rather fitting baby red onion rings. But the most important question is why aren’t chili dogs more popular?! This is officially one of my favourite things to eat now - whenever I make chili I will no longer be serving it with rice or tortillas or wedges, no screw that! Instead I’m tossing in some hot dogs. He may be blue but damn that hedgehog knows how to eat.

Thanks to thesoniczone.net for posting all the old Sonic comics.

Like this? You might also enjoy the Golden Axe - The Meat.

Grand Theft Auto IV – Cluckin’ Bell Fowl Burger

To celebrate the Grand Theft Auto V trailer that was released today here’s a recipe for the Cluckin’ Bell foul ‘Fowl Burger’! Now you can pee your pants over the trailer while you stuff your face and feel just like Niko Bellic! There’s only a couple Cluckin’ Bell restaurants dotted around Liberty City compared to the role the restaurant played in earlier versions of GTA (where you could order up to 4 meals including a salad) but in GTA IV the $1 fowl burger is your only option. I was seriously tempted, like with ‘The Heart Stopper’, to make the “Stuffed Pollo Todo Frito”; you can watch the advert and witness a corncob being stuffed up a chickens bum if that’s your sort of thing – but again it was costly and extraordinary and not exactly available to Niko in-game. Some day… SOME DAY I will make both of these just for the sheer glory and meat sweats.

This recipe serves 1.

What you will need: A frying pan, meat tenderiser, 2 bowls.

For the Fowl Burger:

Olive Oil

1 Large Chicken Breast

50g / ½ Cup Breadcrumbs

1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin

1 Tablespoon Ground Coriander

1 Tablespoon Paprika

1 Egg

Ketchup

Mayonnaise

White Burger Bun / Bread roll

Baby Gem Lettuce Leaves

1 Baby Shallot

1 Slice of Mild Cheddar Cheese

Making the Fowl Burger:

1. Combine the cumin, coriander and paprika with the breadcrumbs in a bowl and mix well. In another beat the egg and set aside.
2. Heat a good amount of olive oil in a frying pan on a medium high heat. Beat the chicken breast so it is about 1-2cm thick, cut in half so you have two evenly sized pieces.
3. Dip them in the egg and then coat well in the breadcrumb mixture.
4. Once the oil is hot enough, fry the coated chicken breasts for about 4 minutes each side or until golden brown and cooked through.
5. Toast the bun then layer ketchup, lettuce, chicken, cheese, lettuce, chicken, lettuce, mayonnaise, sliced shallot and close with the top of the bun.
6. Serve with fries and a Sprunk and enjoy; the chicken didn’t die in vain.

I don’t know about you, but any time I’ve walked into a Cluckin’ Bell some guy starts a fight with me, these gangs seem pretty protective of this chicken so it must be pretty awesome. Cluckin’ Bell dutifully promises that they provide ‘billions of chickens with a very happy resting place – your stomach!’ so what more reason do you need to eat this?! Just don’t choke-a-doodle-doo, chicks and cocks.

Like this? You might also enjoy the Grand Theft Auto IV - The Bleeder.

Costume Quest – Pizza Sundae

Pizza Sundae was the big winner of the Costume Quest vote, even my own mother was begging for this one to win! When thinking about how to make this I had to consider quite a few things – is this more savoury and pizza based? Or sweet and ice-cream based? I decided that blue layer indicated something sweeter, in fact it reminded me of fond memories eating tutti-frutti ‘Smurf’ ice-cream in Italy as a child. So I constructed a kind of pie filled with the many layers and heart of an ice-cream sundae.

This recipe serves 6-8.

What you will need: 9 inch pie dish, greaseproof paper/baking parchment, baking tray, large and medium bowls, a whisk.

For the Base:

110g / 1 Cup Salted Peanuts (Finely chopped/crushed)

200g / 1½ Cups Digestive Biscuits (Crushed)

50g / ¼ Cup Butter (Melted)

For the Sundae:

200g / 2 Cups Good quality:

• Strawberry Ice-cream
• White Vanilla Ice-cream
• Chocolate Ice-cream

Red & Blue Food Colouring

18g / ½ Cup Mini Marshmallows (The smaller the better)

50g / ½ Cup Small Chocolate Chips/Chunks

200ml / 1 Cups Double Cream

6 Tablespoons White Caster Sugar

8 Glacé Cherries (Halved)

Preparing the Base:

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F and place the baking tray inside to heat up. Grease and line the pie dish and set aside.
2. In a bowl add the peanuts, crushed digestive biscuits and melted butter and mix thoroughly.
3. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pie dish and make a few holes in the base with a fork. Place the pie dish in the oven on top of the preheated baking tray and cook for 10-15 minutes or until crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before storing in the fridge to chill.

Preparing the Sundae:

1. Remove the strawberry ice-cream from the fridge and allow it to soften – not too much, just enough that it is manageable. Once soft, adjust the colour (if not pink enough) with a little red food colouring and mix well.
2. Mix the mini marshmallows into the strawberry ice-cream then pour the mixture into the pie crust ensuring it is smooth and even. Place in the freezer to chill.
3. Next remove the vanilla ice-cream and allow to soften. This time add a few drops of blue food colouring and mix well until the right shade has been achieved.
4. Take the now frozen pie from the freezer - please make sure each layer is fully frozen before you add the next otherwise they will mix and it will be more difficult! Pour the blue-vanilla ice-cream on top, spread evenly then return to the freezer to set.
5. Once frozen again, remove the chocolate ice-cream and allow to soften. Add a few drops of red food colouring to add a subtle red hue to the chocolate layer. Mix in the chocolate chunks/chips.
6. Pour the chocolate ice-cream over the blue-vanilla then return the pie to the freezer.
7. Take the pie from the freezer 20 minutes before serving to allow to thaw. Whip the double cream, slowly adding the sugar to taste, then add the whipped cream on top and scatter with glacé cherries. Serve with a hot chocolate or fudge sauce if desired.

From above, the Pizza Sundae actually looks like a pizza covered in some bizarre red olives – mission accomplished! Originally I wanted the crust to be a cookie crust, but after a bit of research I discovered this wouldn’t freeze very well and was forced to use a cheesecake style base. I added in some salted peanuts to create a nice contrast with the sweetness of the ice-cream filing – I always love nuts in my sundaes for this reason and it works just as well here. I had toyed with the idea of the blue layer maybe being minty but decided in the end to go with the classic Neapolitan flavours – the vanilla layer acting as a nice balance between the strong flavours of the strawberry and chocolate. I was really worried this wasn’t going to work and I seriously impressed even myself when I finally cut it open! With whipped cream and a cherries on top I think the Pizza Sundae is the future of sundaes and the combinations are nearly endless!

Don’t forget to check out the other winners - Mossy Log and Choconana!

Costume Quest – Choconana

“There’s always money in the banana stand…” That is literally all I can say about this.

This recipe serves 4.

What you will need: Large baking tray, greaseproof paper/baking parchment, large pot and medium pot, wooden spoon, a whisk, and a flavour injector/syringe.

Ingredients:

4 Small Bananas

100g / 1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Variety of Toppings:

• Crushed Nuts
• Coconut
• Sprinkles
• Cookie Crumbs etc.

For the Caramel Filling:

100g / ½ Cup White Caster Sugar

3 Tablespoons Butter

60ml / ¼ Cup Double Cream

Making the Caramel Filling:

1. Heat the sugar in a large, heavy pot on a medium to high heat. Once the sugar begins to melt stir it constantly then stop once it comes to the boil. Ensure all the sugar has dissolved, it should be a dark golden colour.
2. Immediately add the butter and whisk until the butter has melted. Once melted take the pan off the heat. While whisking gently pour in the cream slowly – the caramel will puff up then settle.
3. Once whisked to a smooth consistency, allow the caramel to cool for a few minutes then transfer it to a clean cup or suitable vessel and set aside for later.

Making the Choconana:

1. Fill the flavour injector/syringe with the warm caramel sauce. Peel the bananas and lay them onto a baking tray. Into each banana in about 3 locations inject a little of the caramel sauce. If you do not have a syringe, use the caramel sauce as a dipping sauce.
2. Have all your ingredients prepared – have your toppings laid out in large bowls, melt the chocolate with the butter over a bain-marie then set aside.
3. Taking the bananas one at a time dip them into the chocolate then sprinkle with the toppings of your choice or leave them plain. Place them back on the greaseproof lined tray to dry or place in the fridge to chill.

Firstly it was really difficult to take flattering pictures of these so I apologise. They actually look like turds. Yummy turds though. You could literally pair anything you fancy with these, in fact all of the Costume Quest recipes compliment each other. Why not enjoy a Choconana on top of the Ice-cream Sundae, or pour the caramel sauce over the Mossy Log? Again if you don’t have a syringe don’t worry, just pour the caramel over or use it as a dipping sauce and it’s just as delicious! 

Don’t forget to check out the other winners - Pizza Sundae and Mossy Log!