Taste Test Tuesday: Ham Potato Bean Soup

Got left over ham?  Or simply wanting another way of making it tasty?  I got this Ham, Potato and Bean Soup from my sister.  It is delicious.  It works great to use dry milk powder--use 2 c water mixed with 6 tablespoons of dry milk powder for the 2 cups of milk.  Also replacing cooked white beans with the canned is fine too, or using dried/freeze dried veggies, make it yours and  Enjoy!

Taste Test Tuesday: Black Bean Pumpkin Chili

Today I want to share a recipe I got from my sister:  Black Bean Pumpkin Chili.  This chili is great because leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or Christmas or any other turkey dinner can be used.  It's use of healthy things like veggies, beans, pumpkin and turkey (a little healthier than red meat, right?), olive oil make it a winner, too.  Instead of fresh veggies, dried or frozen could be used instead.

Enjoy!

Taste Test Tuesday: Replacing oil with beans in box mixes

Yesterday I shared my review on the cookbooklet:  New Ideas for Cooking with Basic Food Storage.  Today I am sharing one of the tips from that booklet:  to replace fats in baked goods with beans.  To help make it not as scary to use beans instead of fats like oil, start with box mixes for brownies and cakes then try from-scratch recipes.

Replacing oils:  puree cooked beans in the blender--add a little water as necessary to puree.
Replacing butter/shortening/margarine:  mash cooked beans, adding more liquid if necessary to recipe.

Enjoy!

Milky May Introduction

I've been slack on doing posts recently, but hopefully I'll be able to get back on track and post more often. I'll catch up a little today by sharing some cream soup recipes. This month, Milky May, I will focus on ideas, recipes, information, etc. that deals with dry milk.

So today, being Thrifty Thursday, I will share some costs associated with making homemade cream soups (like cream of chicken or cream of mushroom). I will share 3 cream soup recipes. Version 1 made from SOS Mix, version 2 from Magic Mix and version 3 made from white bean flour. All of these versions work great. The Magic Mix version is the more expensive option (because of the butter), and depending on sales and generic brands at the store you may be able to find a can of cream soup for cheaper at the store. With all of these versions it is great to know exactly what is going into your soup and to have a way to make cream soup quickly and easily at home if you don't have canned soup available. Have fun using your dry milk and food storage!

Now onto the recipes and costs:

Cream Soup using S.O.S Mix: costs about $0.31 to make the equivalent of 1 can of soup plus any meat or veggie addins. SOS Mix comes from the USU cooperative extension. Here is a link to a booklet containing recipes using it: http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/FNP_101.pdf

Soup or Sauce Mix (S.O.S) Mix

1 can of soup substitute recipe: 1/3 c SOS mix, 1/4 c cold water. 

Whisk until blended. Stir while cooking on the stovetop or microwave until thickens.

SOS Mix:
2 c dry milk powder, 3/4 c cornstarch, 1/4 c instant chicken bouillon, 2 T dried onion, 2 t Italian seasoning (optional)

Cream Soup using Magic Mix: costs about $1.15 to make the equivalent of 1 can of soup plus any meat or veggie addins. Magic Mix comes from the cooperative extension at USU, here is a handout that has it and recipes using it: http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/pub__3295363.pdf Another extension office at WSU has another handout: http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/em4693/em4693.pdf (this one doesn’t use butter in the mix, but in the recipes)

Magic Mix basic cream soup: 4 c water, 2 c magic mix, 1 cube or 1 t bouillon, chopped/mashed veggies or meat. Combine water and magic mix with bouillon in saucepan, heat over medium until slightly thick, add any veggies or meat.

Magic Mix:
2 1/3 c dry milk 1 c flour or 1/2 c cornstarch 1 c butter or marg softened

Combine until looks like coarse meal. Makes about 5 cups, keep in airtight container in fridge 6-8 months. If using instant dry milk use 4 cups. Using this magic mix, you can make white sauces, puddings, pudding pops, and more.

Cream Soup using White Bean Flour: costs about $0.24 to make the equivalent of 1 can of soup plus any meat or veggie addins. This cost is based on my calculations that 1/4 c of beans would be about 8 cents, and 1 t of bouillon would be about 4 cents. To see a video on how to make this, go to http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/03/29/beans-the-magical-fruit/.

Cream of Chicken Soup
5 T ground white bean flour 1 3/4 c water 4 t chicken bouillon
Combine in saucepan and cook on medium about 3 min or more until thickened and heated through. Add any veggies or meat want and use in recipes calling for cream of chicken soup.

NOTES: set wheat grinder to course setting to grind beans. About 1/4 c of beans will grind into 5 T bean flour. This recipe originally came from Country Beans, a wonderful book about using beans.

Wednesday Why: Shelf-Stable Meals/Menu

What are some shelf stable meals?  And what is an example of a 1 month shelf stable meal menu?  When I say shelf stable I mean food items that can remain on a pantry/cupboard shelf until opened.  Also if using dehydrated foods, will need to store more water to rehydrate these items compared to their canned counterparts.

Some great meals that can be made using shelf stable food items are:  Soups, chilis, noodle dishes, rice dishes, baking mix foods, cereals/grains; all with canned/dehydrated fruits and veggies as sides.

Specifically:
Soups/Chilis:  canned soups/chilis or homemade using: broths, canned/dehydrated veggies & meats, canned/dry beans, pasta sauces, salsas, tomato sauces, jarred sauces and rice or noodles.
Noodle dishes:  Make casseroles, soups or pasta/sauce dishes.  Simply add canned/dehydrated meats, veggies, condensed soups, jarred sauces/salsas and seasonings to taste.  Like spaghetti or other noodles with pasta sauce, canned noodle dishes (like ravioli, Spaghetti O's, etc.), boxed or homemade Mac & cheese (using jarred cheese sauce or velveeta since these don't have to be refrigerated until opened), ramen noodles.
Rice dishes:  casseroles or soups using rice.  Simply add canned/dehydrated meats, veggies, condensed soups, jarred sauces/salsas and seasonings to taste, just like with noodles.
Potato dishes (using potato flakes):  Make up flakes to mashed potatoes, add canned/dehyrdrated meats/veggies/condensed soups and seasonings to make casseroles--using mashed potatoes as a crust of sorts
Potato dishes (using dehydrated potato dices, slices, shreds, etc):  make casseroles by adding condensed soups, canned/dehydrated meats or veggies and seasonings.
Baking Mix dishes/foods:  pancakes, biscuits, waffles, pot pie/pie/cobbler crusts/topping, cornbread, breads, some cakes and cookies
Cereals/Grains:  using dry milk for drinking milk and thereby the milk in cereals, oatmeals, grits, cracked wheat cereal.  Make wheat cereal with wheat berries or cracked wheat and sweetener/jam.  Crackers are a great 72 hour kit item, but also great for meals at home--use with tuna/canned chicken, PB&J or cheese.

Sample 1 month menu using shelf stable meals:

You may have other favorites that already use or could use shelf stable items in place of fresh.  When you find a meal that your family likes that uses only shelf stable items, then write it down and add it to your rotation.

When making your own menu, you can choose any number of breakfasts, lunches and dinners, I chose 7 different meals to rotate through, you can do more or less.  Then simply stock up on the items needed to make those meals--even though these items are shelf stable, you will want to use and rotate through them before the expiration date.

Hope this helps in giving ideas on meals that can be made when the fridge/freezer isn't working.  All of these meals can be made using an alternative cooking method if the electricity is out.  I originally put this menu together a few years back in preparation for hurricane season, knowing that if one hit, the electric could be out for anywhere between a day to a couple of weeks days.

Taste Test Recipe catch up: Wheat recipes

The recipes I am sharing today use wheat (or not).  The first, Hamburger Casserole, I didn't include wheat in the recipe but it is the same as the other ground meat recipes, simply add 1/4 c or more of cooked wheat berries or cooked cracked wheat.  The great thing about adding wheat to ground meats, is it doesn't stand out taste wise.

Next is Hamburger Pie, again a great recipe to add wheat to as well as beans and dried veggies.

And now chip dip.

Popped wheat doesn't use ground meat, but I wanted to share it anyway.  Be sure to pop wheat without any oils or butter so that when it starts popping up, it won't hit you and burn you.  Simply add any oils & seasonings after it has been popped.  I noted that this is much harder to chew than popcorn, so I wouldn't recommend giving it to young children or anyone who can't chew hard/crispy foods.  It is a tasty snack otherwise though.

Taste Test Tuesday: Taco go'ins

Today's recipe uses wheat.  Cooked cracked wheat adds well to ground meats.  Like taco meat.  Simply brown the meat, then add the cooked cracked wheat along with any seasonings or veggies.

Add more or less cooked cracked wheat.  If just starting out using wheat start with only about 1/4 cup per pound of meat, then slowly increase it to even half and half or more if want.  Cooked cracked wheat has a similar size and texture as browned ground meat so it fits in nicely.

And since refried beans go well with tacos, here is a recipe for using the dried refried beans from LDS home storage centers:

These refried beans with salsa and cheese go great with tortilla chips, but also work well to add to tacos and burritos.  If you like dryer or runnier refried beans, adjust the water amount, with the amounts listed above it is just the right consistency to scoop with a chip and have it stay and not break the chip while trying to scoop.

Enjoy!

Taste Test Tuesday: Creamy Chicken Soup

I actually made this to make chicken pot pie, but it was a little too soupy so I had it as soup as well.  But, I still tried it in a pot pie and like my note says, right out of the oven it was still soupy, but after letting it cool (actually overnight in the fridge), and then reheating it, the filling did thicken up a bit and didn't require a bowl.  Whether it was soupy or thickened though, it was still good.  I think I might have added some parsley while everything was boiling, but can't remember for sure.  This recipe is nice because you can adjust the veggies and seasonings to match individual and family tastes--as the picture shows, I also added peas.

Enjoy!

Taste Test Tuesday: Salsa Chicken Pie

I had some chicken to use or freeze, so I decided to cook it all up with some salsa.  This was the final result for dinner.  If using the dried refried beans from the LDS home storage centers, reconstitute it first according to the thickness your family prefers--but not too soupy as you’ll be cooking it on a pie crust for this recipe.  The amounts for the chicken and salsa are approximate, I just put what I had in the crockpot and covered it with salsa.  I used dried green onion, but fresh would work too.

Enjoy!

Taste Test Tuesday: Bean Chip Dip

I wanted to use some pureed beans I had, in a way that would hide the beans and their flavor.  So I tried them in a chip dip.  It actually turned out!  Yeah!  I'll admit the amounts listed above are approximates based on what I think I used.  I cooked the chicken in the sun oven with Montreal Chicken seasoning on it.  I then shredded it by hand (I used chicken thighs this time).  I heated the dip in the microwave, stopping periodically to stir, but it would also work over the stovetop.  While eating, I thought this would be a great recipe to use for a layered dip as well.  Mmmm.  Enjoy!

Taste Test Tuesday: Sun Oven Chicken Enchilada

This recipe was one I threw together with what I had on hand.  The sun oven does a great job of taking chicken from the freezer to ready to eat moist cooked chicken that can be eaten as is or put back into the sun oven in a casserole like this or any other dish.


I recently became aware that sun ovens are coming on sale again.  See below for some of the sites I regularly check out--for great recipes and ideas!


http://www.dealstomeals.blogspot.com/  this site is actually running a giveaway for a sun oven right now--yeah!  But besides the give away, this site has great recipes.  Also, if you live out west, dealstomeals is a great way to save money on groceries and stock up on food storage.  I have tried many of the recipes, and they are delicious.

http://everydayfoodstorage.net/blog   see the Sept 9th post for details on the current sun oven sale.  Otherwise this is a great website for delicious recipes using food storage items. 

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/products-we-recommend/global-sun-ovens/     this site also sells the sun oven and for September shipping is free!

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/emergency-preparedness/emergency-preparedness-product-of-the-day/  I am sharing this link just because if you are interested in preparedness products they are highlighting one each day this month--and one of them--a stove in a can--has a code you can use to get 50% off the price.  

You can also make your own stove cans out of empty #10 cans, which I think I will show for this weeks Saturday School, but should you decide you want to buy one instead, the above mentioned is a great deal.

The sun oven is a great emergency preparedness item.  No fuel is necessary, just the sun.  I would include other alternative cooking methods/fuels as part of a complete emergency preparedness plan though because it isn't always sunny as we all know.  There are many different methods, decide as a family what will work best for you.  Think of how you will need to store the fuel and the stove/oven--some fuels should only be stored away from living spaces.  Also consider whether you want to be able to cook indoors or not.  Have fun and practice using what methods you have chosen during non-stressful situations.

Taste Test Tuesday: Banana Bread

Food Storage Banana Bread

This recipe came from my desire to try and use as much shelf-stable food storage items as I could.  The results:  the bread muffins weren’t quite the same texture or taste of your normal white flour, fresh egg, oil based banana breads, but still good and worth making & eating.  Even better was the thought that not only does this use food storage, but it has added fiber and protein that it wouldn’t have otherwise had. And, the kids liked it.

I actually used closer to 1 cup of mashed bananas and thought they were a little dry so that is why in the recipe, I upped it to 2 cups.  1 cup did work and was good, but I think 2 cups will prove to be a better amount to use.  I didn’t use any added water for the powdered eggs-I simply added the powder to the bean puree and sugar and beat with the mixer.  

Perhaps, I shouldn’t have swapped out white flour for wheat, bean puree for the fat, and powdered eggs for fresh all at once--so that I could narrow down any undesirable combinations, but as it turned out--it turned out--so no loss and no toss.  In general, though, if you are altering your recipes to be more food storage friendly, you want to change only one variable at a time to see how you like it, and know what ingredient to attribute to any changes in texture or taste you may or may not like.

A Sweet Start:  Sweet breads (and other sweet treats) are a great way to start integrating food storage items into your diet, as most people enjoy something sweet.

Taste Test Tuesday: Spicy Pinto Casserole

Got 30 minutes to make supper?  This recipe can be prepared in 30 or less*, uses only one pot and is pretty healthy too.  Besides that, it uses food storage items--beans, dried veggies, canned goods, pasta.  

A note:  if using canned corn &/or olives, drain first, but for the Rotell--don't drain.

Adjust this recipe to your tastes:  use more or less of any of the ingredients to match what your family will eat--if adjusting the liquid levels be sure to adjust the pasta/dried veggie levels accordingly. You can increase the heat of this dish by using Hot Rotell, rather than original or mild, by increasing the chili powder or by adding a few dashes of hot sauce, chopped chili peppers or crushed red pepper flakes (add these along with the onions and garlic in the first step).  If you don’t want the heat, use Mild Rotell, or even canned or fresh tomatoes without the green chilis.  For a different flavor, add taco seasoning to the pinto beans & meat (if using).  If you want more of a chili soup rather than a pasta dish, feel free to leave the pasta out.  This recipe really is adaptable to multiple tastes as you can see.

I’ve also prepared this recipe in a sun oven (solar oven), and it turned out fine.  I of course couldn’t fry up the onions in the oil in the sun oven but was able to simply heat them and continue following the rest of the recipe as stated--adjusting the time to mesh with using a sun oven--so it does take longer to make in a sun oven, but still turns out.  Each step takes about 20-40 more minutes in a sun oven than on the stove top, but no electricity is used and it doesn’t heat up the house, which especially right now is a plus!  One hint though:  When using a sun oven use a little less water (more towards 1 to 1.5 cups rather than a full 2 cups) so your pasta doesn’t get over-cooked.  

When I cook beans, I cook a large amount, then freeze in 2-3 cup portions or puree them for using in baked goods.  My favorite ways to cook beans:  #1 a pressure cooker--this makes the whole process so much faster, you don’t have to presoak the beans just sort & rinse, then cook!  #2 slow-cooker--my favorite for white beans--sort & rinse then soak overnight.  In the morning, drain the soak water and then fill a full knuckle & a half with water over and above the level of beans.  Turn to low and cook until the skin on the beans cracks and peals off easily when you blow on them (spoon out a few and do your blow test)--about 8 hours (maybe as little as 6 or as much as 10, adjust to your slow-cooker).  

Other bean cooking tips:  don’t use acidic foods or juices during the cooking process (can use after the beans are fully cooked); don’t add salt to the water that you are cooking beans in (again can use after); cooked beans can be put in the fridge and stay safe to eat for up to a week, or frozen for up to 6 months without loss of flavor, nutrients, etc.  When reheating beans add a little water to keep them from being dry.

*by cooking the beans & browning the meat ahead of time (and then freezing for quick meals) this meal is prepared in 30 or less, if you don’t have beans and meat already done, the preparation time does increase significantly if you are doing beans on the stove top, or by about 30-40 minutes if cooking them in a pressure cooker.  Follow your pressure cooker’s instructions for doing beans.

Hope you enjoy!