The ration challenge: day 7

I've done it!  7 days eating the same rations as are available to a Syrian refugee in a refugee camp.  Hats off to the people who put the packs together because I think it is nutritionally sound - albeit somewhat monotonous.  I'm sure that the Syrian families share and share about the extras they get to make their dinners more interesting - but this was an enlightening challenge to do.  Tonight I had dhal (basically boiled lentils - I had some garlic so added that, and stirred in some roasted red pepper at the end), rice, and a dollop of (earned) natural yoghurt.  I have been sponsored to the tune of £510+ which will go directly to providing life saving food, health care and education to these families who have been ripped from their homes through no fault of their own.  All strength to them.

The Ration Challenge: Day 5

 Day 5 or the Ration Challenge (eating for a week on the rations available for a Syrian refugee, for those who haven't seen my recent posts).  The diet really is quite monotonous - to get your calories in it is heavily rice biased.  Easy enough for a week - but it must get very boring week after week.  To make it more acceptable/realistic you get to earn teabags/a vegetable/a spice and some protein by getting certain levels of sponsorship - fortunately, due to the generosity of my sponsors I could add to my rations (for the week) 36 teabags, 1 pot natural yogurt, garlic and a roasted red pepper.

Eeking out the pepper and yogurt means that I could make lovely garlicky humous and soft flatbreads to go with my rice and spoonful of roasted red pepper.  It was tasty, too!.

Flour
salt
vegetable oil
yogurt
rice
chickpeas
yogurt
garlic
red pepper

1.  Make the flatbread dough by kneading together the flour, a pinch of sale, spoonful of yogurt, splash of oil and a couple of spoons of cold water.  Set aside.
2.  Cook the rice - fry briefly in oil, then simmer in water, with a pinch of salt.
3.  Make the humous by zizzing soaked, cooked chickpeas with a coarsely chopped clove of garlic, a spoonful of natural yogurt, a splosh of oil, a pinch of salt and a dash of water.
4.  Roll out and fry the flatbreads.
5.  Serve, with strips of red pepper, and scoff.
6.  Be thankful that this is for a week, not months on end!

The ration challenge: day 3: Flatbread, refried beans and red pepper, rice

Day 3 of the ration challenge.  This was actually the beginnings of a meal, instead of just rice and beans - as I added some red pepper (earned vegetable) and garlic (earned spice) - and made some flatbread.  It really was quite tasty.

Vegetable oil
rice
Garlic
Flour
salt
red kidney beans
roasted red pepper



1.  Fry some rice in a little oil until every grain is coated, then add water and simmer, with a pinch of salt.
2.  Make dough for flatbreads by mixing together flour,  a pinch of salt, a spoonful of oil and enough water to form a dough.  Kneed until it holds together and a dough.
3.  Squish red kidney beans with a fork, add crushed garlic and chopped roasted red pepper - fry gently, add a little water to make a sauce.
4.  Dry fry the flatbread.
5.  Serve, scoff.

The Ration Challenge

This week I am joining in with The Ration Challenge - which is an International charity event to show refugees that we are with them.  The deal is I eat like a Syrian refugee for a week - in the hope that I can raise some sponsorship money - which goes to those is desperate situations - towards food, health care and education.  To find out more about it - and to sponsor me, if you would like to follow this link https://my.rationchallenge.org.uk/sianlamberthttps://my.rationchallenge.org.uk/sianlambert
https://my.rationchallenge.org.uk/sianlamberthttps://my.rationchallenge.org.uk/sianlamberthttps://my.rationchallenge.org.uk/sianlambert

So far today I have had 2 cups of black tea and a bowl of rice.  I think the hardest this is going to be that its all quite dry!  Dinner is rice and some red kidney beans.