Okay tj, this one’s for you:
OVEN BAKED BOURBON BEANS
2 cups dried great northern beans 1 large onion, chopped 1/4 lb. sliced bacon 1 Tb. dry mustard 5 Tb. dark brown sugar (oh heck, just make it rounded 1/4 cup) 4 Tb. molasses 4 whole cloves 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup bourbon whiskey
Wash and sort the beans. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Place the onion and half the bacon in the bottom of a beanpot or casserole dish. Add the beans.
In a bowl, blend the dry mustard, brown sugar, molasses, cloves, salt and pepper to form a thick sauce. Pour over the beans.
Place remaining bacon on top of the beans and add just enough water to cover all ingredients. Back, covered, for 6 hours, adding water as needed.
After about 5 hours, or when beans are tender, add the bourbon and stir, being careful not to disturb bacon on top.
Cook uncovered for the final hour, allowing bacon to get brown and crisp. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Uh-oh, what have I done? Where did the ingredients go?
Oh, I see. For some reason, even though I wrote the above ingredients as a list, they came out as a paragraph. Darn!
If I knew more about computers I’d do it again and get it right. Oh well. I hope you can figure it out!
Mmmm, sounds good. Thanks. What do you mean by “sort” the beans? Also, have you ever made it without the bourbon? I’m sure the alcohol cooks out. I’m going to try to make it this weekend! Do you serve it as a side dish or a main dish?
tj,
Yeah, sort is kind of a silly word. I think it means look over the beans as you rinse them and toss out any un-bean material.
I got the recipe from the back of a greeting card years ago and it’s really yummy. I serve it as a side dish.
And no, I’ve never made it without the bourbon, but the alcohol will cook out.
Also, I live at high altitude (almost 7000 feet), so I actually have to cook it longer than 6 hours.
One more bean recipe. This one’s a lot easier than the first one because you don’t have to cook it.
In case the ingredients don’t come out as a list, I will use semi-colons to separate them. Here goes:
BLACK AND WHITE BEAN SALAD
2 (or so) cups cooked small white beans (I use canned); 2 (or so) cups cooked black beans (still use canned); 1 cup frozen corn; 1 tomato, chopped; 1 red (green would be okay) bell pepper, chopped; 1/2 cup red onion, chopped; 3 Tb. fresh cilantro, chopped; 1/2 tsp. salt; pinch cayenne (red) pepper; 3 Tb. fresh lime juice; 1 Tb. vegetable oil; 2 Tb. chicken broth
Rinse and drain beans and mix with all the other ingredients. Serve cold or at room temp. This is great as a side dish, even works as a dip for tortilla chips!
The black and white bean salad sounds really good. I love cilantro and thought about trying to grow it indoors.
I don,t have a recipe for today..but I just did a 10lb bag of flour into ziplock bags and I got 29 bags with 2 1/2 cups into each..
I’ve been putting 25 lb bags of flour into large plastic totes. Why are you putting it into ziplock baggies? I always keep one opened 25lb bag of flour and one of sugar open in a plastic tote in my pantry and refill my canisters from there.
I have, over time.. 3 full totes of flour and this stored in my basement..the basement is great but still has a hint of dampness..and when TSHTF..I have it measured out and ready to go..one bag per day..for 1 adult and 3 children..and I have done the same with all of my dried goods all in ziplocked bags..I don,t mind the added expense and the baggies will come in handy after being emptied…They are all dated and rotated around.. Can I ask: if your plastic totes are air tight?..I know the kind I buy are not and would be concerned about the flour going rancid after long storage…
My totes are probably not air tight, but at the rate I figure I will be rotating the flour (I already bake all my own bread and use a lot of flour), I haven’t been too concerned about it going bad. I really don’t have the time to measure out, bag, and freeze the flour in smaller portions. I’ve only got 50 lbs stored this way. 2–1/2 cups wouldn’t do it for me - the bread I made on Sunday required 12 cups. I have been thinking about starting to buy whole wheat and grinding it myself. I’m still learning all of this food storage stuff, so I’d better research the flour storage a little better before I get any more.
Just a plug here for one of my favorite books The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery
This book will tell you how to grow grains, harvest, all different way to store, why you should do it this way, why not that way. What are good grinders for your needs if you choose wo grind your own and where to get them.
The book has just about everything you need to know about self sufficient and sustainable living.
If I could only have one reference book, this would be the one.
For anyone interested in making sauerkraut, check out the following:
Here’s another sauerkraut site:
Tofu “Turkey” with Stuffing
Turkey: 5 pounds of firm tofu 1 pound of tofu for the “drumsticks” - optional
Stuffing: 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 1 large onion, chopped fine 1 and 1/3 cup celery, diced (about 4 stalks) 1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup sage (may use 1/8) 2 teaspoons marjoram 2 teaspoons thyme 1 teaspoon winter or summer savory salt and pepper to taste 1 teaspoon rosemary 2 teaspoons celery seed 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari 3 cups Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing
Basting mixture: 1/2 cup toasted sesame oil 1/4 to 1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari 2 tablespoons miso 2 tablespoons orange juice 1 teaspoon vegan mustard of choice
Directions:
Mash tofu or mix well with hands. Be sure that all of the lumps are out. Line a 12″ colander with wet cheesecloth over lapping the sides. Add the mashed tofu to the cloth covered colander, press down and cover with the overlapping sides. Place the whole thing in a large bowl. Cover the cheesecloth with a plate that fits inside the colander and place a 5 pound weight on the plate. Refrigerate and let sit for 2 to 3 hours.
When time is up, start the stuffing. Saute’ the onions, celery and mushrooms in the 2 tablesoons sesame oil. When soft, add the garlic and all the rest of the stuffing ingredients, except stuffing, mixing well. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add herb stuffing and mix well.
Remove tofu from fridge and take off weight, plate and top of cheesecloth. Hollow out tofu to within 1 inch of the sides and bottom, placing the tofu in a bowl. Place the stuffing inside the shell and pack in firmly. Cover with the remaining tofu and pat down firmly. Turn stuffed tofu onto a greased baking sheet, flat side down. Gently press on sides of “turkey” to achieve a more oval shape. If desired at this point, you may mold “drumsticks” out of one pound of tofu, and place on each side of the “turkey”.
Mix up the basting mixture and baste tofu “turkey” with half of it. Cover the “turkey” with foil, and bake at 400 degrees for about 1 hour.
Remove foil, baste with all the remaining mixture except a few tablespoons and return to oven for 1 hour more, or until the “turkey” is golden. Remove from oven and use rest of basting mix. Using at least 2 large spatulas, move to a large plate. Serve with the gravy of your choice, if you wish, and cranberry sauce.
CROUTONS/SNACKS When I have bread that’s about to go stale, especially if it is good whole grain or flax seed bread, I cube it and toss it in garlic sauteed in olive oil with a little salt. You can add some dry herb like oregano or thyme too. Enough oil to slightly moisten the bread cubes. Then bake in a slow oven, 300 or so, tossing every 10 minutes to prevent the corners from burning, until very crunchy. It might take 30 minutes. If it is browning, turn it down to 275. It makes a healthy snack, and makes any soup or vegetable more appealing. Don’t throw that bread away!
Miss Minnie’s Fabulous Tortillas
These are fool-proof, and they’ll be better each time you make them. These are New Mexico-style which is a bit thicker than what you buy at the store.
Ingredients: 4 C. flour 1 Tablespoon baking powder 2 teaspoons salt 6 Tablespoons Crisco approx. 1 1/2 c. very HOT water
Directions: Sift together all dry ingredients With a pastry cutter, cut in shortening Add hot water gradually as you mix dough Dough should be slightly sticky After well mixed (1 minute or so) place dough in a baggie & seal. Let stand at least 20 minutes before rolling.
Make 15–20 little pillows of dough. Flour each one as you begin to roll it into a large flat pancake about 8 inches in diameter
Cook over a hot griddle
Eat right away. Best with real butter.
(You can leave dough out at room temperature for 1–2 days and roll out tortillas as you need them. For some reason, this recipe does not work if you cut it in half)
Number Of Servings:15–20 tortillas Preparation Time:Mixing dough-approx 15 min, rolling & cooking time depends on experience level of the cook!
OjosAbiertos, thank you so much for the tortilla recipe! I was eating at an excellent Mexican food restaurant last week and thought to myself I should learn how to make flour tortillas. Can they be made with lard? I would absolutely love it if you would post more recipes. In particular, how to make refried beans from scratch and corn tortillas? I have made tamales in the past but they were not half as good as some I’ve eaten. I was thinking about making a batch of tamales and freezing them but didn’t know if they would maintain the right consistency.
You’re welcome, tjclaw1. Yes, you can use lard in your tortillas. I don’t eat meat so I wouldn’t :) Most folks don’t use lard anymore but that WAS the original way of doing it.
Mexican refried beans are easy. Sort and rinse pinto beans. It’s good (but not critical) to soak the beans overnight so they’ll cook quicker. Cook beans in water at a low boil until they are tender—maybe 2 hours or so. Keep an eye on your pot to make sure you have enough water. [You could also cook the beans in a crock pot on low starting the night before.] Once the beans are cooked, add a good dose of salt. To make them “refried” you just spoon cooked beans into a few TBSP of hot oil and smash them with a potato masher. It only takes a few minutes of “frying” and they are done. Add cheese, if desired. BTW, you can also eat beans “de olla” [from the pot] without frying them. Frijoles de olla taste great with a little oregano sprinkled on top.
I can live a long time on beans and homemade tortillas—so this will be the centerpiece of my survival plan.
Making tamales is a very involved process. Tamales CAN be frozen so it might be worth the effort. Every family I know that makes tamales at Xmas ends up freezing extras to have for the rest of the winter. My tip for tamales is to buy the masa (corn dough) FRESH at a local Mexican store or tortilla factory. You have to specify that you want fresh masa for tamales (and not for corn tortillas) as the dough is prepared differently for each. Not all Mexican markets make masa but many do…especially during the holidays.
Thanks OjosAbiertos, I’m going to try the tamales and refried beans this weekend. My 4yo loves beans, so this will make her happy.
I wasn’t aware you could buy fresh masa. There are some Mexican markets/grocery stores in the community where I work and I will definitely check them out.
Do you have an opinion on the best meat to use for tamales?
…. and here’s me thinking this was a serious discussion site about avian influenza, when all the time it was the site for our nation’s Best Bean Recipes ….
Anon, it is a site that also concerns avian influenza preparation. Wheat and beans are a major part of most people’s food stockpile. Personally I am hoping to compile some of my family’s favorite recipies from items I am stockpiling and rotating before a pandemic occurs and I am trying to figure out how to prepare these items. I’m starting a “pandemic” notebook with everything from inventory of all medical, food, and household items, as well as articles on disinfection, caring for the ill, water purification, survival information, along with recipies incorporating stored foods and egg-less recipies.
I agree with tjlaw1. A big part of survival is making life bearable with limited resources. Most people in the world do that everyday; many of us expect to run to the store for every little thing, and need to get used to the idea of making simple food more enjoyable and healthy. Let’s keep the recipes coming. They’ll be useful with or without a pandemic.
I’m stewing over this idea and some feedback might help: to have ready a quart-sized squirt-top drinking bottle for each family member containing a re-hydration solution minus the water, with instructions to fill with water and shake well. (4 cups water, 3 TBS sugar and 1/4 tsp salt) That way it would be easier to isolate a sick person and keep them hydrated without too much exposure to the caretaker. Maybe this is the wrong thread for this idea..
Keep in mind that if the person has diarhea you substitute baking soda for the salt.
I’ve been playing in the sandbox and I want to show off my new skills. Here’s a recipe using ingredients pandemic planners should have on hand:
Heat oil in skillet. Add mushrooms, garlic and onion; sauté. Remove from pan and set aside. Add rice and noodles to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice becomes translucent. Return mushroom mixture to the pan. Add broth, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and add seasonings. Cover and cook until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
This rice might go good with sauerkraut. Then again, it might not.
Take that, young dogs!
Scaredy,
Between you and cassandra, we are growing some formating geniuses! And we have some terrific cooks, as well.
I bought some canned crab on sale yesterday and made some delicious crab cakes last night. This would definitely make a nice treat from a lot of the ho hum stored foods and I’m going to add canned crab to my stockpile Here’s the recipe I used:
Crab Cakes
2 Tbs Mayonnaise 1 Egg, lightly beaten (or egg substitute) 1 Shallot, minced (could substitute reconstituted onions) 1 Dash Worcestershire Sauce 1 Dash Mustard 1 Dash Salt 2 Cans Crab Meat (approx. 1/2 lb dry) 1 Cup Saltines, finely crushed 2 Tbs Butter 1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
Combine Mayo, egg, shallot, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and crab meat with 1/4 Cup cracker crumbs. Shap mixture into cakes about 1 inch thick and coat with remaining cracker crumbs. Melt butter in oil and cook crab cakes over medium-low heat 2 to 3 minutes each side. Drain cooked crab cakes on paper towels. Serve with lemon wedges.
I might as well add this one. it is a great survival recipe wich will work well with a survival food stock. it works equally well for someone with limited resources. This recipe got me through grad-school.
++Gook of Tuna (ala Neanderthal)++
Serves many for a meal or two, or 1 grad student for a week. very cheaply. Also requires minimal fuel to cook.
Oh yeah - I forgot to include the can of Tuna in the recipe. Hence the name. it works equally well with Swanson’s Canned chicken meat. Or I suppose TJCLAW’s canned crab.
This recipe is truly not rocket science, and there are no rules other than dump it in and eat. Please remember to store the leftovers properly so evil thingees don’t grow in it. (i.e. refrigerate leftovers after finished eating for now).
On the subject of tuna casserole, here’s an old-fashioned type of tuna casserole from foodnetwork.com http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_26707,00.html
I substitute 2 cans of tuna for tuna fillets. Tuna can go a long way!
OjosAbiertos: what kind of flour do you use for the tortillas? maso?
Thank you everyone for the great recipes…
Here is a dish that is popular in Hawaii. If you cook Asian cuisines you should have some of these ingredients, and if you’re a prepper, you should have the rest.
Spam Musubi (makes 10 pcs)
INGREDIENTS: 2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice 2 cups water 6 tablespoons rice vinegar 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup oyster sauce 1/2 cup white sugar 1 (12 ounce) container fully cooked luncheon meat (e.g. Spam) 5 sheets sushi nori (dry seaweed) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
DIRECTIONS: Soak uncooked rice for 4 hours; drain and rinse. In a saucepan bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in rice vinegar, and set aside to cool. In a separate bowl, stir together soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved. Slice luncheon meat lengthwise into 10 slices, or to desired thickness, and marinate in sauce for 5 minutes. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Cook slices for 2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Cut nori sheets in half and lay on a flat work surface. Place a rice press in the center of the sheet, and press rice tightly inside. Top with a slice of luncheon meat, and remove press. Wrap nori around rice mold, sealing edges with a small amount of water. (Rice may also be formed by hand in the shape of the meat slices, 1 inch thick.) Musubi may be served warm or chilled.
clv,
Just got to the spam musabi part and cracked up. Then I scanned the list of ingredients and laughed even more. My husband made the best best sushi tonight and I will never ever eat the stuff with “luncheon meat.” Nothing will make me that desperate. Nothing.
Hawaiians eat more Spam per capita that any other state!
A friend of my D ex-H told me about this tasty dish. I guess it’s fairly popular over there!
I would have never thought to marinate Spam, maybe I’ll try it sometime!
Earlier today I saw the following bean and rice recipes from Anastasia on another thread. Later, when I decided to make a pot of beans, it took me some hunting to find them again, so I decided to copy Anastasia’s post (with a few formatting changes) here:
Anastasia – at 11:34
Did someone ask for ideas on cooking beans and rice? My favorites come from college pauper days: A good way to make a lot stretch…
Soak overnight, discard water, put in crock pot and barely cover with water. Add one strip of uncooked bacon and some stewed tomatoes. Cook til done. Serve over grated cheese. (Vegan alternative, cook with olive oil and serve with Bragg Liquid Aminos)
Cook in crock pot with water & some olive oil. Serve with grated cheese and raw, minced sweet onions. (Cuts down on the kissing, but priorities, right?)
Cook with water, onions, & barbeque sauce.
(Brown is most nourishing) Cook according to directions but skimp a little on water. When almost cooked, add stewed tomatoes and simmer open pot until rice is tender and most of liquid has boiled away. I add tamari sauce to taste and serve over grated cheddar cheese. Serve above with warm, buttered tortillas (whole wheat most nourishing) or corn bread. Yum!
For soups I think the best grain to get is hulled (not pearled) barley. Very nutritious and substantial. I like to cook it with stewed tomatoes (are you surprised?), chicken stock, bay leaf, onion, green pepper, & green cabbage. Serve monastery-style (which is over grated cheese…I’m consistent)
Years ago, before Y2K, terrorist preparedness, hurricane shock, or bird flu I always kept a stocked pantry. It doesn’t take a lot of money to do. (A great book to read is “Don’t Get Caught With Your Pantry Down”.) Obviously staples are brown rice, beans, barley, canned tomatoes, and in the freezer I keep small chunks of bacon, frozen chunks of cheese, frozen tortillas & butter to thaw as needed. (I know we may lose electricity, but you do your best) Also, canned salmon, tuna, smoked oysters, crackers, dried fruit, freeze dried veggies, soy & rice milk in case of those power outages. Just some ideas… Wish us all luck!
Maybe this will make up for my post of the Spam Musubi recipe
You could use canned beans and canned tomatoes in a pinch. Herbs you can grow in a sunny kitchen window, or your own garden. Or use dried in a pinch too.
Tuna and Bean Salad (Insalata di tonno e faglioli)
2 C cooked Italian cannellini or Great Northern beans 2 chopped ripe tomatoes 1/2 small red onion sliced in thin half-moons 1 6 or 7 oz, can tuna (preferably imported Italian in olive oil) 2 T minced fresh parsley 2T minced fresh basil 1/4 C extra virgin oilive oil salt and fresh ground black pepper
Toss all together, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with a bit more olive oil if desired. Garnish with a lemon wedge if you have it.
Yum!
I only buy crab,pasteurized in the fish section of my Markets. Is canned crab really good? I’ve always shuddered when I’ve seen it on store shelves. Mostly I eat other peoples cooking, but I still will cook up some crab cakes. I usually only shop around the edges of a supermarket, and thinking over my lists I’ve begun to look at areas of the stores I’ve ignored since I stopped cooking ten years ago. I can’t beleive the incredible stuff they have in cans and jars. My husband flatly rejected anything frozen, and I still find few frozen meals that are really good. (He would eat macaroni and cheese from Stouffers.) If this turns out to be the real thing I’ll actually start cooking from the 200 to 300 cook books I’ve accumulated. (I once was a pretty good cook.)Now I only use them to read before I fall asleep.
Anne,
Yes I know what you mean about shopping around the edges of a supermarket. I do the same thing. This morning when I got up I decided to create a recipe only from ingredients that come from the “middle of the super market.” In other words, things I would still have on hand if I couldn’t get to the store for longer than a couple weeks. I’ve been busy today, got sidetracked, but now I’ll make an attempt. I am going to try some kind of corn chowder. Never made anything like that before, not even from fresh ingredients, so here goes nothing.
Try adding some red and green peppers, and a bit of chicken.
Hey, the chowder worked out. This stuff isn’t half bad. As a matter of fact, I’m bringing this to the potluck!
Anne, Thanks for the tips—I’ll try that next time. (Although first I better figure out how to use my new dehydrator.)
In a large pot add the salt and dehydrated onion to the chicken broth. Stir, bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the corn. Stir and bring to an almost-boil. Add the evaporated milk. Stir and bring to an almost-boil. Add the clams (with the juice). Stir. Bring mixture all the way to a boil. When it boils, add the instant mashed potato flakes (and this is where I went wrong—sprinkle potatoes in gradually; you’ll get lumps if you dump them in all at once), stirring well with a fork. Turn off heat (or take Dutch oven from fire); let soup sit for one or two minutes. Serve with salt and pepper PRN.
Scaredy Cat,
My husband’s uncle is a chef and he makes the best corn chowder I’ve ever had. I’ve e-mailed him and asked for the recipe. I’ll post it when he sends it.
Scaredy Cat, you’ve given yourself away…S&P PRN? C’mon…what line of health care are you in?
Grace,
Okay, I admit it. I’m an RN (although I haven’t worked in over a year). As a matter of fact, the first few comments I made on flu wiki I made under the name “Big Bear RN.” I gave you some grief over Tamiflu. Sorry.
Methylated xanthines, or methylxanthines, are molecules that form the core of certain bronchial dilators; from Wikipedia:
“Xanthines are a group of alkaloids that are commonly used for their effects as mild stimulants and as bronchodilators, notably in treating the symptoms of asthma. Methylated xanthine derivatives include caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine (found mainly in chocolate)”.
They also have some mild anti-inflammmmatory properties. While shut in, what better way to top off that ham or pot roast than a serving of ‘Coffee Gravy’.
1. Drain 2 cups of the drippings from the prepared meat into a saucepan.
2. In a seperate bowl, blend well 1 cup of cold coffee (or 1/2 cup espresso) and three tablespoons of flour.
3. Add the coffee/flour mixture to the drippings in the saucepan and heat JUST to boiling, then remove.
4. Now, either return the gravy to the meat in the oven or slow cooker and cook a few more minutes, or serve hot at the table.
While on the subject, prepare your favorite cut of meat by tenderizing it, then rolling it in ground coffee prior to cooking (a good quality grind-no dollar a pound varieties, please); WARNING-after doing so, it looks absolutely vile, like something that’s been buried in a garden for a few days. Brush off the excess grounds to (visual) taste and cook according to your favorite recipe-350 degrees for 50 minutes seems to work well in most instances. The coffee blends well with the fat/juices as the meat cooks for a great taste. Now consider topping it with the coffee gravy. Breathe well, and be ready to stay up late. Oh, and perhaps some Godivas for dessert.
So glad to see this post with useable recipes. So many people today have no idea how to feed themselves. They just expect to go to the store or fast food place and get what they need. I was lamenting the fact that if most people were given a bag of dried beans they wouldn’t have a clue how to cook them!. Seems as though those of us who hang out here know what to do.
OK thanks to the home equity loan spam that finally got me to read some of these wonderful recipes — thank you all.
I’m definitely going to try the Spam sushi, what a great idea! And the tortillas. Do you really have to soak the rice for 4 hours and do you need special rice or just regular long grain? If I really have to stay home, what I’m really going to miss is Sunday Dim Sum and the 99 other ethnic restaurants on our neighbourhood strip.
a recipe for red beans and rice jamaican style
1 c red kidney beans warm water 1 tsp whey or lemon juice 1 can creamed coconut or coconut milk 1 bunch green onions, chopped 3 jalepeno peppers 3 cloves garlic 2 tsp. dried thyme 2 tsp. sea salt 1 tsp. dry peppercorns crushed 1 cup brown rice soaked at least 7 hours.
cover beans with warm h20 stir in whey or lemon juice and leave overnight in a warm place In the morning, drain and rinse the beans and place in a pot. add enough water to cover the beans, bring to a boil and skim. add remaining ingredients except rice cover and simmer 6–8 hours or until beans are tender. drain the rice and add to pot with enough water to cover the rice and beans about 1/2 inch. bring to a boil and cook, uncovered until liquid has reduced to level of rice and beans. cover and cook on the lowest heat for 30 minutes
even my kids love this recipe! It’s sweet and nutritious. time consuming, but we may have a lot of time on our hands!
KIMCHEE 1 head Napa cabbage cored and shredded 1 bunch green onions chopped 1 cup carrots grated 1/2 c daikon radish, grated(optional) 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger 3 cloves garlic pealed and minced 1/2 tsp. dried chile flakes 1 tablespoon sea salt 4 tablespoons whey( you can get whey by straining a good quality minimally pasteurized yoghurt through cheesecloth overnight leaving a bowl to catch the drippings underneath. what’s in the bowl in the morning is whey. You can use the stuff in the cheesecloth as fresh yoghurt cream cheese. it’s delicious.)
place vegetables, ginger, red chile flakes, sea salt, and whey in a bowl and pound with a wooden meat hammer to release juices. Then place in a jar. the top vegetables should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temp for 3 days b4 transferring to cold storage.
Sour dough recipe from starter to follow. If you get a starter going you can feed it indefinately eliminating your need for yeast over a long period of time.
sorry that was me
anonymous: It sounds like you have a lot of experience in the kitchen. This is the first I heard of using whey in the kimchi. Does it add something different, like different bacteria I wonder? I made a big batch of kimchi last month and kept it in the fridge, but it’s starting to be a little soft. How do you know when it’s too old? Looking forward to the sour dough recipe.
Thanks for the humor, WyomingBill RN! It was humor, wasn’t it?
lorelle- lacto-fermentation produces special bacteria that transform sugars and starches into beneficial acids. They can relieve stomach and intestinal ailments. They also contain many valuable minerals in ionized form and small amounts of natural sugars along with lactic acid and lacto bacilli. I think this will stay in the fridge quite a long while because it is fermented. This makes the kimchi “live” also, in ancient times lacto-fermented juices were used to treat against typhus and other illnesses. The mucus membranes of the intestinal tract are protected by bacteria which create an acid environment in which pathogenic bacteria cannot multiply. the state of intestinal flora contributes to the absorbtion of nutrients and the functioning of the intestine and the ability to resist infections. I got most of this information from Nurishing Traditions. a great cookbook I use. I think it is true because i’ve heard that lacto fermented kimchi works better at fighting infection.
Sourdough starter:
2 cups freshly ground rye flour, 2 cups water, cheesecloth, 6 cups freshly ground rye flour
rye is better than wheat for starter. you need two gallon sized bowls. Mix 2 cups flour with 2 cups cold water the mix will be soupy. cover with a double layer of cheesecloth. secured with elastic. keep in warm area. The next day and every day for a total of seven days transfer the starterr into the other clean bowl and add 1 cup rye flour plus enough water to make it soupy. cover and let stand. after a few days it will bubble and smell like wine. It should go through a bubbly frothy stage and then subside. After 7 days the starter is ready for breadmaking. Use 2 quarts for a batch of sourdough but save 1 quart for your next batch of starter. You must make the next batch immediately. Don’t add honey, it may turn alcoholic. For the new starter add one cup rye flour and water every day switching to a clean bowl until you get three quarts again. do it over and over and you wont need yeast.
sourdough bread: 2 qts. sourdough starter: 13 cups freshly ground spelt, kamut or hard winter wheat; 2 1/2 TBSP. coarse sea salt; 1 1/2 cups water
Its a heavy bread and it took me a few trial runs to get it right. Spelt works great. Starter should be at room temp and have gone through the bubbly frothy stage Place starter, salt and 1 cup water in large bowl and mix with wooden spoon untl the salt crystals have dissolved. Slowly mix with flour. Towards the end mix with your hands. If dough becomes too thick, add a bit more water. It should be soft and easy to work with. Knead by pulling and folding over for 10–15 mins. (the kids love this) place in three large loaf pans. don’t push down. cut a few slits in top cover and let rise from 4–12 hous bake at 350 for an hour. Bread will keep for a week w/out refridgeration.
Thank you for the good information Cel. (Who’s this valium guy?) It’s amazing how versatile sourdough is. I have to find a grain grinder so I can buy those grains and try it. It sounds delicious. Does anyone know if a food processor can grind grain? It can do almost anything else, but doesn’t mention grain in the booklet.
valium guy has sadly decided to disappear.
damn! I wanted some Valium, too. lol
Lorelle, if I were going to buy a grain mill, I would get it from Lehman’s. Here’s a link
Our local health food store has a few different mills, I don’t know how good they are though. I trust Lehman’s to have good products.
Thank you clv. Maybe when my birthday comes around…. :)
We all plan to eat lots of rice. Don’t forget, you can make fried rice with any leftover rice you might have. If you are Chinese-spice-impaired (as I am) you can buy packages of “fried rice spice mix” in the gravy packet area of the grocery store.
I’m going to get a photo album with platic covered pages and print some of these recipes. I’m afraid the thread may disappear!
Don’t forget that the chicken broth that you purchase in a can has very little nutrients. Make your own and store it flat in ziplock bags in the freezer.
My recipe for a large batch of chicken broth that’s drop dead delicious: Two good chickens (free range if possible), in two large soup POTS covered with water and then 50% more water. Into each pot, two ribs of celery, 3 carrots and/or parsnips, large handful of Italian parsley, large handful of spinach, walnut sized knob of ginger, peeled and cut up, 10 or so whole cloves, 4–5 cloves garlic, coarse ground pepper, Janes crazy mixed up salt. Cook for 5+ hours. Strain and just keep the broth. I usually stretch the broth at this point by adding a quart of Free Range chicken broth from Whole Foods (one large box added to the strained broth from both pots that I’ve consolidated.
If you’re going to make chicken soup, I add all new fresh ingredients to the strained broth: a whole cut up chicken that I roasted in the oven and picked the meat from, more celery, onions and carrots sauteed and some frozen peas. Adjust seasonings adding about a tsp of dill weed.
Sarah, what do you do with the 2 boiled chickens?
I’m not really hip with Asian cooking yet, but I have discovered a few things. Toasted sesame oil, just a drizzle, will make the food smell delicious. And the oil lasts for years and doesn’t cost much at an Asian store. A good marinade from Korea is (approximately) 1/2 soy sauce, 3 Tbs brown sugar, 4 cloves garlic, minced. 1/2 C minced chives, or other onion, and Tbs or 2 of toasted sesame oil. It will make any meat, and even tofu taste wonderful.
Sorry, meant 1/2 CUP soy sauce. Cold fingers.
Lorelle, I now it seems wasteful, but because you’ve cooked the chickens for 5+ hours (sometimes I go 6–7), there is no more taste in the vegs or the chickens. All the taste, nutrients and everything has been imparted to the broth. So, I strain the soup and throw everything away, just leaving the “liquid gold”. And remember don’t cover it or add more water as it’s cooking.
My favorite topic: FOOD!!!
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