Bodiam Noodles

Steve and I had our first camping holiday (and his first ever) in East Sussex.  I’m a seasoned camper with 40+ years’ experience under my belt.  I grew up camping in the beautiful National parks in the western US – beaches, mountains and the desert.  Very few of them had any more facilities than coldwater sinks and toilets, but the camp sites had a picnic table and a fire ring.  Camping is different over here, usually in a big field alongside dozens of caravans and other tent campers and with good shower and dishwashing up facilities.  We stayed on Park Farm near Bodiam Castle and managed to find a quiet-ish corner.

Our home away from home

We had bought a 2 burner Gaz camping stove with a grill (“Yay, toast!”) but by the time we got the gas bottle and then the regulator, it was time for our 4-star experience.  I made Beef  Stroganoff for Steve’s birthday dinner on my little single burner stove which turned out quite good.  Just strips of beef, onion, mushroom, some tomato purée, crème frâiche and peppercorns, freshly ground between a mug and a plate (and I’ve been wondering what was missing  .  .  .  . paprika).   I used taglierini, a thinner version of tagliatelle which only takes 2 minutes to cook.

Another of my camping staples is Sainsbury’s  Instant Noodles.  They aren’t chockful of chemicals or artificial flavours, are quick to cook (3 minutes) and can be embellished with all manner of things eg, meat, vegetables, tofu.  Steve used these as a base for Bodiam Noodles.

buddha

buddha

Bodiam Noodles

• 2 boneless chicken filets, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 6 mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 a courgette (zucchini), sliced
• 1/2 an onion, sliced
• Sunflower oil
• One packet Chicken instant  noodles
• Water

In a skillet, sauté the chicken, onions and mushrooms.  Set to one side and cover to keep warm (and keep the bugs out).  Prepare the noodles in a saucepan according to the package directions, adding the sliced courgette a couple of minutes before the noodles.  Tip the chicken and vegetables into the noodles and heat through.

Pour into bowls and serve with mugs of oaked Chardonnay.

Steve bought a nifty folding chair with a built-in table.

BTW this was my birthday breakfast – fresh coffee, bread & butter and tiffin from the fab Battle Deli (stay tuned for this!).

Birthday coffee

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