Thanks Dem for starting the new one. I was going to do it soon anyway and that was a great place to change over the thread.
jon c – at 17:16
I’ve seen those pasta cookers. I’ve considered picking one up actually. Your endorsement just might get me to do it sooner rather than later. <grin> Thanks again for the review.
I’ve been experimenting with the small pastas as additions to soups and stews. One way that I’ve found works well is to make sure I add extra liquid to the soup or stew, bring it to a full boil and then add the uncooked pasta. Cook for 10 minutes more or until pasta is tender.
I’ve found I waste less water this way, but it only works for the smaller pastas like vermicelli and elbow macaroni. The larger, thicker pastas … unbroken spaghetti noodles, wagon wheels, bow ties, etc. … still seem to be working best being cooked before hand.
[I’m not real thrilled by the name of this dip but it is fairly hardy and chorizo sausages … about $1.30 at wallyworld … don’t need refrigeration and keep a pretty good amount of time before they absolutely have to be used.]
La Cucarcha
Saute chorizo, cook and drain. Melt cheese with the tomatoes, stirring constantly over medium heat (or use a double boiler) until smooth and well mixed. Combine the chorizo with the cheese mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed.
Serve with flatbread, tortillas, chips, etc.
Here’s a good “fruit soda” that you can make up as much at a time as you want. I like it because it uses real fruit juice and I can see that some families may struggle to get enough fruit into their emergency prep diets.
Hardy Punch
Mix 1 part canned pineapple juice with 1 part apple juice. Add gingerale, lemon-lime soda, or selter water to taste.
Another way to make your own fruit soda beverages is to take the canned fruit nectars that you find in the grocer stores … they have some unusual ones in the international aisle at times … and add your choice of ginger ale, lemon-lime soda, or seltzer water to your own taste.
This way you can have a “light” flavored soda or a “strong” flavored sode with as many bubbles as you like.
Works great with my kids during the warm summer months.
In the book “Apocalypse Chow,” (about cooking without power in an emergency situation) the author mentions that very fine pasta such as angel hair pasta will cook in five minutes, and recommends them for cooking without electricity, to limit fuel use. He says thicker pastas, such as bow ties, take 8 minutes or more. Makes sense if you think about it. I guess another alternative would be very small shells, etc., for soups or stews. It is a great book, btw. Recipes, his suggestions for B-O-B’s and stories about getting through the aftermath of several hurricanes (pre-Katrina).
LA Escapee – at 11:32
Add another book to my “to get” list. <grin> Kim Layton is another good author though she leans more towards bulk storage of legumes and whole grains. She still has some good recipes and suggestions for overall food storage. She is LDS so her methods lean in that direction.
What I like is some of her recipes on how best to use powdered milk. They are great for a newbie prepper.
[Here’s a little Vitamin C and Vitamin D mixed together. Might be a good way to start the day if you aren’t able to cook a true breakfast-y kind of meal.]
Orange “Slush”
Optional: if you still have your freezer or its cold enough to freeze water outside, you can add the equivalent of 8 crushed ice cubes.
Combine all ingredients and mix well. If the power is still on you can use your blender. Serve immediately.
[I’m not a coffee drinker, but a friend of mine says she used to fix this a few mornings a week as a treat at breakfast. It was something special to perk things up a bit as they looked at the gaping hole in their roof and the side of their house where a tree fell during one of the hurricanes.]
Praline Coffee
Cook coffee, cream/creamer, brown sugar, and butter in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Do not boil or it will make it bitter. Stir in liqueur and serve.
[Here’s another homemade egg substitute. Now I think this was original designed as an egg substitute for health reasons, but you could probably use it for eprep purposes.]
Combine all ingredients in blender and process for 30 seconds. Use immediately or refrigerate.
I’m not sure how much equals one egg, but would think that it would be similar to the measurements on the artificials liquid eggs that you can buy at the grocery store.
Curried Fruit Medley
[This is not just a side dish, it can also be used as a nontraditional breakfast dish.]
Drain all fruit (and save liquid for another use or to drink), and place in a 9 x 13 - inch baking dish. Combine brown sugar and curry powder and stir well. Sprinkle over fruit and dot with the butter. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
You can also cook this on top of the stove in a sauce pot. I’ve found baking gives the fruit a better texture though.
Re: LA Escapee’s comment about angel hair, there’s a technique worth learning called “basket cooking”. I first read of it in the cookbook “Extending the Table” (http://secure.mcc.org/mccstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=13), a great cookbook published by the Mennonite Central Committee. Basket cooking is a slow-cooking technique used in situations where fuel is scarce and electricity is unavailable, and can be used to cook all kinds of food, including pasta but also rice, potatoes, beans, or meat that has been cut up into pieces. You bring the food to a boil in a pot that has a short handle and a tight-fitting lid, then take it off the flame and place it in a box or basket that has been lined with insulating materials. Cover the box or basket with an insulating lid, and let it sit for about twice the normal cooking time, and bing, you’re done. Some very long-cooking foods require a second boil, but for the most part, a single boil is all that’s needed.
The book describes the technique in more detail, and also talks about a project where refugee students from Mozambique built “wonder boxes” by lining the base and lid of a cardboard box with a cushion that was loosely filled with broken bits of styrofoam. It’s easy enough to make your own “wonder box”. This technique is also used by backpackers, who build or improvise “pot cozies” to “cook” food using this exact method. I use this myself when I’m backpacking, and it gives me a nice hot meal with a minimum of fuel, fuss and equipment.
Besides the basket cooking information, “Extending the Table” is a real gold-mine for anyone who wants to learn more about making good meals out of simple ingredients. Highly recommended!
lbb – at 12:09
Sounds very similar to “hay box” cooking.
[I know maple syrup is expensive down here in the south, but it may be cheaper up north. Heck, some of y’all probably can make your own. I have tried this with other syrups, but it did work with maple syrup. Wonder if it would also work with corn syrup or sorghum molasses.]
Maple Syrup Biscuits
Combine biscuit mix and milk. Stir just until moist. On floured surface, roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into 2″ diameter biscuits. Pour syrup into a 7 / 11 inch baking dish. Place biscuits on top of syrup. Bake at 425 degree F oven for 13 to 15 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.
[These weren’t bad at all. The dates gave it a bit of sweet and the cheese kept it from being too rich. I tried it with Velvetta and it worked though I let them get a little more brown than I meant to, so watch them if you aren’t using a harder cheese. I like them also because they are a “drop” biscuit and do not require the rolling and cutting which saves time and mess.]
Date Biscuits
Combine dates, biscuit mix, and cheese. Add milk and stir well into a moderately soft dough. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake in 400 degrees F oven for 12 to 15 minutes and serve hot.
Good Soup
In large soup kettle, combine chicken broth, tomatoes, and onion. Bring to a boil and simmer until onion is almost done. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Season with a little salt and pepper if desired.
Tomato-French Onion Soup
In saucepan, combein soups with 2 soup cans of water and heat thoroughly. To serve, pour soup into individual bowls and top with croutons and cheese.
Peanut Soup
In sauce pan on medium heat, blend soup and milk. Stir in peanut butter and heat until well blended.
Speedy Taco Soup
In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
will temp close thread for traffic reasons; will reopen later.