Opening continuation from Part III, found here.
KathyinFL - What is the name of your yahoo group. I have been trying to find it!! Thanks.
GAMTNGIRL – at 12:24
epreprecipes
thank you so much! I have looking forward to joining your group!
Apple Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Note: if you start with canned apples and sweet potatoes, the initial cooking time will be drastically reduced.
Place Apples, sweet potatoes and Apple Juice in 3-quart saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain. Add salt, spices, margarine and sugar to Apple mixture. Mash with mixer or by hand until potatoes are smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the marshmallows. Spread hot mixture evenly in shallow 1 1/2-quart oven-proof serving dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup marshmallows and pecans. Bake at 350o F about 15 minutes or until marshmallows are melted and lightly browned. Serve hot. Yield: 6 servings
Apple Bean Bake
[Wondering how to make all of those canned beans appetizing and less repetitive? <grin> This is actually a very good recipe. And, you can substitute canned apples for the fresh. This recipe does make a buffet sized batch so you’ll need to adjust if you aren’t feed the neighborhood.]
Melt butter in a large skillet. Add apples and onions. Cook for 10 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring occasionally. Add brown sugar nad stir until dissolved. Blend in catsup, cinnamon and salt. Place beans in 2 quart casserole. Pour apple mixture over beans and mix well. Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 1 hour.
How to Make Sour Cream from Evaporated Milk
To make SOUR CREAM, add one tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to one cup (8 fluid ounces) of undiluted evaporated milk and allow it to stand for five minutes.
I have borrowed by mother-in-laws food dehydrator and have been drying various fruits, which seem to come out fine. However I dried irish potatoes and even though they dried fine, the color is a really dark gray. Does anyone know if what I could do to retain the color or at least mininmize the dark gray. I could just imagine trying to feed gray potatoes to my family, no matter if it is day 100 of the SIP.
You might need to sulfur or soak them first. That’s what they do to make the fruit “prettier” at drying time in the big processing companies.
Try using that stuff … “Fresh Fruit” I think is the commerical brand … that you would normally use to keep apples from browning. It may work as well for potatoes.
Does anyone know if the canned shrimp or crab is any good. I am going through a Cajun fettish right now and was thinking how I can adapt these to the pandemic. Also, if you have any good recipes, pass them along as well. Thanks to all of you. You are the best.
GAMTNGIRL – at 21:54
Sure is, but the price is pretty high. I’m getting a few cans of the stuff for some of my recipes … my husband likes seafood … but it won’t be something they see on the menu all the time.
GAMTNGIRL – at 21:54
I’ve got some recipes in the files section at the eprep recipe group at yahoo.
[I absolutely love this easy to fix recipe and its variations. Its especially good in an emergency because you can use cold water instead of milk if you are all out. The recipe I use calls for “Bisquick” but really any baking mix will do such as Jiffy brand or a homemade baking mix.]
Rolled Biscuits and variations
Heatoven to 450 degrees. Mix 2 cups Bisquick baking mix and 2/3 cup milk until soft dough forms; beat vigourously for30 seconds. If dough is too sticky, gradully mix in enough baking mix (up to ¼ cup) to make dough easier to handle. Turn onto well-floured (with more baking mix) surface. Gently roll in baking mix to coat; shape into ball. Knead 10 times. Roll ½ inch thick. Cut with 2 inch cutter floured with baking mix. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Yield: 10 to 12 biscuits
Water Recipe: Mix 2 1/3 cups baking mix with 2/3 cups cold water until soft dough forms. Continue as directed above.
Drop Biscuits: After beating, drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet.
Biscuit Stir-ins: Prepare Rolled Biscuits as directed above except —
[For those that lack the patience or inclination to make your own rolled out pie crust. This is a simple version made from baking mix. There is also a chocolate version.]
Pat-in-the-Pan Pie Shell
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix baking mix and margarine in small bowl. Add boiling water; stir vigorously until very soft dough forms. Press dough firmly into an ungreased pie plate, bringing dough onto the rim of the plate. Bake until light brown, about 8 to 10 minutes; cool.
Chocolate Pie Shell: Mix in ¼ cup cocoa and 2 T. sugar. Ingrease boilin water to 3 T. Continue as directed except baking until set, 8 to 10 minutes; cool.
How to make butter go further …
You can’t use this for baking, but if you are trying to come up with a way to make your butter go further for spreading then you might want to try this.
For every cup of butter, mix it with 1/2 cup of olive oil.
Another variation is for every cup of butter, mix with with 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup flaxseed oil.
I prefer the flavor of just using the butter and olive oil, but the flaxseed is supposed to have the essential omega fats for brain function.
As a suggestion a small library of cook books would not be a bad idea esp indian, vegataian, asian or tradition which does not use dairy and or meat.
also my mother used to use mayo in cake recipes as a replacment for the milk and oil. it always turned out fine. anyone else do this?
Years ago a friend told me to add an egg and a heaping tablespoon of mayo to cake mixes and they will be moister and she was right.
Applesauce works great as an oil substitute also.
I was re-reading a Peggy Layton book and found something you all might find interesting in terms of how much a “x” ingredients to store for bread baking.
Ms. Layton gave a fairly easy recipe that makes up 2 loaves of bread which I will post in just a minute, but extrapolating from that recipe, she gives basic amounts to store for 3 months (about 45 loaves) and 1 year (about 180 loaves). And this is just for bread baking.
Powdered milk
Honey
Salt
Oil
Dried Egg Powder
Dried Yeast
Whole Wheat Flour
White Flour
And I repeat, this is only for bread baking of this one recipe. Think about all the other recipes that these items show up in.
Recipe that goes along with my previous post, courtesy of Peggy Layton.
(Yields 2 loaves)
Follow your basic bread making techniques and it should yield 2 loaves … she doesn’t give any more specific directions for this recipe in this particular book though she probably does in other other books.
Kathy in FL – at 12:49 - I was going to ask how many cups in a 5 lb bag of flour, but the numbers in your post above are even more useful (4 5-gal buckets full for 45 loaves of bread).
Tomato, Bacon, and Onion Fettucine
Cook fettucine to desired doneness according to package directions. Cook onion in a little oil or butter until crisp-tender. Add bacon bits to onion along with tomato and basil. Cook just until heated. Immediately toss with cooked fettucine. Yields about 4 side dishes or 2 main dish servings.
Note: You make also use fresh chopped tomato in place of the canned tomato if you have it available and/or 2 T. fresh chopped basil in place of the 1/2 t. of dried basil.
Wonderful new prep item!
I just happened to go into a different store from what I usually do and decided to scope out to see if they had some different items to add to my prep closet.
Well, wouldn’t you know over in the soup aisle I found something that has me fairly excited. <grin> OK, I admit to be a little strange about getting excited over soup, but just so you know, Campbell’s brand soup now has some new … or at least new to me … cheese soups, one of which is a Pepper Jack cheese soup. That will help out with quesadillas and the like. There were a couple of others, but that was the one that really caught my eye.
Easy Toffee Candy
[Possible idea for a special treat during SIP]
PREHEAT oven to 425° F. Line 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan with heavy-duty foil.
MELT 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter in medium saucepan. Pour into prepared jelly-roll pan. Arrange crackers over butter, breaking crackers to fit empty spaces.
MELT remaining butter in same saucepan; add sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in sweetened condensed milk. Pour over crackers.
BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and slightly darkened. Remove from oven; cool for 1 minute.
SPRINKLE with morsels. Let stand for 5 minutes or until morsels are shiny; spread evenly. Sprinkle with nuts; press into chocolate. Cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until chocolate is set. Remove foil; cut into pieces.
Wonderful new prep item! I keep looking for ways to store cheese for SIP. Jars of cheese dip and boxes of Kraft shells and cheese are two I have found to supplement the blocks of immortal Velveeta I have. Pepper Jack cheese soup sounds like a winner to me!
Zesty Chicken and Rice Casserole
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Lightly grease 2-quart casserole dish.
BRING water and bouillon to a boil in medium saucepan. Add rice and butter; cover. Reduce heat to low; cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is almost tender and most of liquid is absorbed.
COMBINE prepared rice, chicken, cheese, evaporated milk, onion, eggs and cilantro in prepared casserole; stir well.
BAKE for 40 to 45 minutes or until bubbly and edges are golden.
Hillbilly Bill – at 10:27
Yep, and I used that Pepper jack soup in a recipe that I had been working on … the one I posted above … and it worked really well.
If people want more zing they could add jalapeno peppers or red pepper flakes, but the pepper jack was enough for my family.
Hillbilly Bill, “blocks of immortal Velveeta”? Is this stuff really shelf-stable? I always see it in the dairy cooler at my market.
(I refuse to eat things with “zesty” in the title, but the pepperjack soup is a good base for a whole lotta stuff)
lbb – at 10:44
Velvetta … and similar store brands … are shelf-stable until you peel off the aluminum paper and open it. After opened, I put mine in the frig if I’m not using the whole block.
Note on dried eggs---I baked a pound cake and it turned out good but did not rise like my normal cake. It is a heavy cake butter and sour cream. Read in Peggy Layton’s book she has a pound cake and she calls for 1 cup of dried eggs. So last night I made brownies and I used instead of one egg, powdered eggs to amount to 3 eggs and it worked good. So it seems for baking it will take more than you would think.
lbb – at 10:44 I keep mine in the refrigerator. Once you open it you need to consume it pretty quickly if you have no refrigeration.
Love Texas – at 11:54
What I found was that on items that call for a lot of eggs, I needed to increase the powdered eggs … because the powdered egg measurement appeared to be for a “small” egg and most of us use medium to extra large eggs any more.
Recipes that only used the egg as a binding agent or similar did just fine. At least in my experience.
Pumpkin Maple Biscuits
(another nice “no egg” type bread)
PREHEAT oven to 425° F.
COMBINE baking mix, dry milk, sugar and pumpkin pie spice in medium bowl. Stir in pumpkin and water just until moistened.
KNEAD dough 10 times on lightly floured surface. Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness; cut into 12 biscuits. Place biscuits on ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
BAKE for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Spoon sauce over warm biscuits.
FOR PUMPKIN MAPLE SAUCE
Butter & Herb Salmon Cakes
In a medium pot, boil 4 cups water with the juice of the lemons, placing one lemon half in the water. Reduce heat to a simmering boil. Poach salmon filet in water by cooking, covered, for 7–10 minutes, or until done. Remove with spatula. Set aside to cool.
When salmon is cool, combine with celery, onion, mayonnaise, cayenne, tarragon, garlic, dry mustard, salt and black pepper in large bowl and mix well. Add dry potatoes slowly while mixing until everything is moist.
Form patties and cook in preheated canola oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until both sides are brown (3 minutes per side)
Serve hot.
Makes 6 patties
Potato Buttermilk Biscuits
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Prepare potatoes as package directs for 4 servings. Set aside.
In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With pastry blender, or two knives used scissors-fashion, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in mashed potatoes and buttermilk until mixture comes together. Shape into a ball.
On lightly floured surface, knead dough 30 seconds. Pat dough into a 3/4-inch thick piece. With 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles (including scraps) to make 12 rounds.
Place on greased cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until golden and puffed. Remove to wire racks to cool slightly. Serve warm.
Makes 12 biscuits
Caldo Gallego - White Bean Soup
In a large pot on medium high, combine chicken bouillon, water, chorizo, potatoes, turnips, ham, greens and onion. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 50 minutes (less if you are using primarily canned ingredients). Stir in beans, adobo and sazón. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
Serves 6
No power?! How about making Gazpacho.
Gazpacho - Cold Vegetable Soup
Optional Garnishes:
In a food processor or blender, combine half of the ingredients and puree. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Chill thoroughly. Serve with desired garnishes.
Serves 8
Here’s two excellent bean spread recipes — great on toast points or wheat crackers.
Northern Bean Spread
1 15oz can Northern beans, drained
1/2 onion, chopped
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp garlic pepper salt (or equivalent of each)
1 Tbs dried parsley
Blend all ingredients in a food processor until creamy. (Or if no power, mince the onion fine and mash beans well.
Black Beans and Olive Spread
1 15oz can black beans, drained
1 15 oz can black olives
1 small red onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic pepper salt (or equivalent of each)
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs dried parsley
Blend all ingredients in a food processor or mash well. Serve on crispy crackers, tortilla chips or toast points.
Y’all should check out Backpack Gourmet by Linda Frederick Yaffe. It’s got a lot of recipes for all kinds of stuff, designed to be cooked and then dehydrated. This has the advantage of making it a)very shelf-stable and b)cookable with very little equipment or hassles. It also has the advantage that you can break a recipe that serves several people down into single-serving portions — imagine the problem if you start opening cans and don’t use everything up, then don’t have any refrigeration…
Northstar – at 19:31
Thanks for the bean dip recipes. I love bean dips! They are a great way to add protein to a simple meal or just graze your way through a buffet. <grin>
lbb – at 19:50
I think that may be one of the books that I have on my “to get” list. I have several older back packing books but the meals are pretty boring. I’ll definitely be on the look out.
Brown Rice Apple Crisp Serves 8
[This can double as a breakfast recipe.]
Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare rice according to package directions. Spray shallow 3 quarts baking dish (13 x 9) with cooking spray; set aside. Combine cooked rice, apples, lemon juice, ½ cup brown sugar and cinnamon in prepared dish. Combine oatmeal and remaining ½ cup brown sugar in medium bowl; cut in margarine until mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in raisins and nuts. Sprinkle over rice mixture. Bake until heated, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.
Brown Rice Primavera
Prepare rice according to package directions. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes. Add carrots, peas and asparagus. Sauté 5 minutes. Add tomato. Toss in cooked brown rice. Toss. Add cheese and parsley.
Chutney Brown Rice
Prepare rice according to package directions. Sauté onions and celery in margarine. Add remaining ingredients and cooked rice. Heat through.
I’ve been experimenting with Splenda as a sugar alternative in our house. Not having great luck with it, but a few things it is working with. Below is how you make KoolAide using Splenda.
Empty 1 pkt. Kool-Aid Tropical Punch Flavor Unsweetened Soft Drink Mix into large plastic or glass pitcher. Add 1 cup SPLENDA® Granular or 24 SPLENDA® Packets (or more or less to taste). Add enough cold water and ice to make 2 qt. Stir until drink mix is completely dissolved. Do not prepare or store in metal container. Makes 8 servings, 1 cup each
[This is a nice and easy one that will probably appeal to the kids as well.]
Grape Jam Bread
Mix flour and salt. Combine milk, egg, sugar and grape jam; add flour, stirring until just mixed; stir in shortening. Turn into greased loaf pan. Bake in moderate oven (350ºF), 1 hour. Makes 1 loaf, 8×4 inches.
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Have been experimenting with Tortillas and the following posts will reflect this. Found a neat little book called the “Tortilla Lovers Cookbook” and got a lot good ideas from there.
Whole Wheat Tortillas
In a medium size bowl, sift salt, baking powder and flour together. Add oil and mix well. Add water, a little at a time while working the mixture with your hands. Add only enough water to allow the dough to form a soft ball and no longer stick to the sides of the bowl. Knead the dough ball in the bowl or on a floured board. Divde dough to form separate balls the size of an egg. Using a flour board, roll out each ball with a rolling pin to the size of a salad or dinner plate. Cook on ungreased pancakde griddle or skillet, turning until tortilla is lightly browned on both sides. Makes about 8 to 10 tortillas.
Chocolate Tortillas
Mix first six ingredients together in a bowl. Add vanilla and oil and blend. Slowly add 1 cups of warm water and mix well. Dough should be smooth and pliable. If dough is too dry, add more water and knead. Form into balls about the size of a small-medium egg. Rub each ball with oil and cover with towel. Let sit 15–20 minutes. Roll with a rolling pin until thin and well rounded. Lightly brown on a hot griddle until bubbly then turn once to brown the other side. Makes approximately one dozen 7–8″ tortillas.
Note: milk chocolate morsels can be substituted if desired.
Coconut Tortillas
Mix first five ingredients together in a bowl. Fold almond flavoring/extract and oil into dry mixture. Slowly add 1 cup of warm water and mix well. Dough should be smooth and pliable. If dough is too dry, add more water and knead dough. Form into balls about the size of a small-medium egg. Rub each ball with oil and cover with a towel. Let sit 15–20 minutes. Roll with a rolling pin until thin and well rounded (7–8″ diameter). Lightly borwn on a hot griddle until bubbly then turn once to brown the other side. Makes approximately 1 dozen tortillas.
Fruit-Flavored Tortillas
Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl and stir. Fold vanilla and oil into mixture. Add berries and blend. Slowly add 1/2 cup of warm water. Mix well. Dough should be smooth and pliable. If dough is too dry, add more water and knead dough. Make into balls about the size of a small-medium egg. Rub each ball with oil and cover with towel. Let sit 15–20 minutes. Roll out balls with a rolling pin until thin and round (7–8″ diameter). Lightly brown on a hot griddle until bubbly. Turn once and brow other side. Remove from heat and keep warm. Makes about 1 dozen tortillas.
Suggested fruits include: blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, raspberries, etc. Also, try local wild edible berries.
You can use canned berries but you will need to drain them first and watch the amount of warm water than you are adding.
Cinnamon Tortillas
Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add vanilla and oil and blend. Slowly add 1 cup of warm water and mix well. Dough should be smooth and pliable. If dough is too dry, add more water and knead dough. Make into balls about the size of a small-medium egg. Rub each ball with oil and cover with a towel. Let sit for 15 - 20 minutes. Roll each ball flat and then with a rolling pin to 7–8″ diameter. Lightly brown on a hot griddle until bubbly. Turn once and brown the other side. Yields approx. 1 dozen tortillas.
[These are a kind of biscuit/dinner roll kind of bread. Might make a good brunch food as well. Hearty enough for a snack by itself as well.]
Cheesy Herb Pinwheels
Heat oven to 425ºF. Grease cookie sheet. Mix Bisquick, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and water until dough forms. Turn dough onto surface dusted with Bisquick; gently roll in Bisquick to coat. Knead 10 times. Roll dough into 18×10-inch rectange. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with cheeses. Tightly roll up dough; pinch edge to seal. Cut roll into eighteen 1-inch slices. Place on cookie sheet. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until golden. Heat pizza sauce until hot. Dip pinwheels into sauce.
Use the small boxes of Jiffy brand pizza crust to make the following:
CHILI CHEESE BREAD (Yield: Approximately 12 Slices)
Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Combine all ingredients together and let stand in bowl for approximately 10 minutes. Place on a lightly floured surface and knead three (3) times. Form a loaf and bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until golden brown.
The following uses the Jiffy brand fudge frosting mix. You might be able to make it using prepared fudge frosting by adjusting the other ingredients.
NO BAKE OAT DROPS
(Yield: 24 to 30)
Blend frosting mix, butter, salt, sugar and milk in large sauce pan. Heat over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, oats, peanut butter and optional ingredients. Mix well. Drop quickly by rounded tablespoons onto wax paper, chill.
Nice, no-egg recipe. Might be able to use this for breakfast as well.
RASPBERRY BARS
(Yield: 16 Bars)
Crumb Mixture:
Filling:
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease an 8″ square baking pan. In large mixing bowl, combine all crumb mixture ingredients. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1/4 cup crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture on bottom of baking pan. Spread preserves to within 1/2″ from edge of unbaked crumb mixture. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over preserves. Bake 24 - 28 minutes or until lightly brown on top. Cool and cut into bars.
Finally found an egg-less cookie that has a reasonable shelf-life. Supposedly these cookies will last in an airtight container up to 3 weeks, although ours didn’t make it that long … they were all gobbled up.
Alphabet Cookies
Combine margarine, corn syrup, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and beat at mediumn speed until smooth. At low speed, gradually beat in flour until well blended. Preheat oven to 350°F. To form letters, roll dough into 1–1/2-inch balls; on smooth surface, roll dough into 8-inch long ropes. Shape ropes into desired letter directly on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet; cool on rack. May be stored in tightly covered container up to 3 weeks.
I found Backpack Gourmet by Linda Frederick Yaffe on Amazon for $10, once shipping was added. Thanks, sounds like an useful book.
Here’s a way to use all that sauerkraut folks were talking about on the wiki a couple months back. <grin>
Apple Onion Sauerkraut
In medium bowl, combine sauerkraut, apple, onion, corn syrup, drippings, sugar and cinnamon; spoon into shallow casserole. Bake in 350°F oven 30 minutes, stirring once.
For camp/backback gourmet to simple cooking … don’t forget your local scouting stores. I’ve found Boy Scouts have more than the girl scouts, but that the ones the girl scouts do have are usually tried and true type troop recipes.
An idea for dressing up all those canned hams …
Find simple glazes that you can use to add variety. There is BBQ, pineapple, salsa glazes, apple butter glaze, mustard, orange, etc. They are simple to fix and usually just call for few ingredients and a little corn syrup or brown sugar syrup to make the “shine” part of the glaze.
Great suggestion! It just so happens I bought 6 more canned hams this weekend….
Have another book recommendation for everyone. This is a great one that I picked up at our Boy Scout council.
“Lip Smackin’ Backpackin’” b Tim and Christine Conners
I’ll adapt a few and share them after I’ve given them a try. Looks pretty good overall though. Good, commonsense ingredients and suggestions. Lightweight and compact ways of creating individually packaged meals.
Continuing an idea that I had after looking at the Backpackin’ cookbook.
They give ideas for backpackers
Why not take that idea a step further and make “pre-packaged” meals for our hypothetical SIP. Package a full meal in a gallon size ziploc type bag, include the appropriate cooking instructions.
Voila! Instant gourmet meals.
These would be great if we were having to instruct kids (non-cooking spouses) from the sick bed on how to put tother a meal and/or use the prep items we stored.
These would also work really well as “give away” meals in the event that we have the people-coming-to-the-door situation or prepackaged for the elderly or other yet similar population groups.
They wouldn’t exactly be MREs, but could be something very similar … and if you throw a plastic utensil, napkin, and a water-flavoring mix packet it would be VERY similar to an MRE or at least a full backpacking meal that would be easy to fix, easy on the budget (hopefully), and easy to transport (in case you are using them for a bug-out bag).
Wonder, have any of your found a substitute for cream cheese in recipes?
They wouldn’t exactly be MREs, but could be something very similar … and if you throw a plastic utensil, napkin, and a water-flavoring mix packet it would be VERY similar to an MRE or at least a full backpacking meal that would be easy to fix, easy on the budget (hopefully), and easy to transport (in case you are using them for a bug-out bag).
They’re easy on the budget if you have a home dehydrator and can do your own work. As for bug-out bag, that’s what’s in mine.
I actually ate one of these meals last night — I was supposed to meet someone at a baseball game but he canceled, so I had nothing to cook that wasn’t frozen, canned or dried…decided to do the dehydrated stuff since it’s fast and involves the least amount of washing up!
Was in Walmart today and noticed that they carry their own store brand of canned crab and canned tiny shrimp.
The crab actually wasn’t much cheaper than some of the regular brands but the tiny shrimp was about half what the others cost.
Here’s a recipe from the backpack gourmet. At the end, there are instructions for dehydrating the casserole. Looks like an interesting way of having quick to fix meals, but I would think that this would up the amount of water that you would need to store.
Devil’s Gate Crab Casserole Serves 4
1. Cook, then drain in a colander:
Return pasta to the pot. Stir in and blend well:
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 10-by-13-inch casserole dish.
3. Spread the crab mixture in the dish.
Sprinkle evenly over the top: 2 slices whole-grain bread, crumbled
Dot with: 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
4. Bake for 30 minutes.
5. Spread on covered dehydrator trays and dehydrate for 6 hours at 145 degrees.
6. To rehydrate, cover with water just above the level of food in the pot, boil, stir, and serve.
I would think that this would up the amount of water that you would need to store.
Backpackers don’t store water.
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Devil’s Gate Crab Casserole
I may not dehydrate it- but I’m sure going to try it tonight!!! This sounds wonderful!
But if I were to dehydrate it - afterward- would you break it up into chunks to store?
Cinda, you don’t want there to be large chunks — check it periodically as it dries and break up chunks into the smallest possible pieces. Do this during dehydration; then when it’s done, let the stuff sit in the dehydrator for a while for any residual moisture to evaporate.
I really recommend buying Backpack Gourmet or another book like it if you’re not experienced at dehydration. Like any other form of food preservation, dehydration only works if you do it right; otherwise your food won’t keep.
lbb – at 08:37 I have dehydreated a lot of things- but never anything like this- and the books I have don’t cover it. I am definately going to get that book!! I think I’ll just make it for supper tonight though! Thanks
Yesterday I dehydrated 5 lbs. of the cheaper hamburger. Kathy in FL had mentioned using the leaner beef, but what I’ve always done is just boil the greasy stuff in water and drain excess water and fat off. Also rinsed in well before loading up the dehydrater. I always do it this way instead of browning hamburger for chili or whatever. No loss in flavor or texture. Also a great way to thaw it quickly if need be.
Has anyone tried flavoring ground beef before dehydrating? I was thinking of something like taco beef. That ought to be pretty straightforward, right?
lbb – at 13:00
Never tried it that way, but logic says it should work. Reason I say this is because I make “jerky” using seasoned ground beef that I extrude into strips. I don’t see the different … both methods use ground beef and both season the meat prior to dehydrating.
Let us know how it works out.
Oh my goodness, this has to be the simplest caramel “roll” that I’ve ever found and it is one of the best as well. Did this with the kids and everyone really enjoyed them.
Caramel Rolls
Put the biscuit mix in a ziploc-type bag. Add the water to the biscuit mix and knead the dough in the bag.
On low heat, melt the butter in a frying pan, preferably one with a non-stick surface. Add the pecans and brown sugar and stir.
Cut a hole at the bottom of the baggie and squeeze out the dough as thinly as possible on top of the stuff in the frying pan. Put lid on pan and allow to cook. Check frequently to ensure that the sugar mixture isn’t burning. Eventually the dough will become more discuit-like.
After allowing to cool, you can eat this right out of the skillet. Yummy and low clean up … if you use non-stick pan.
Here is another simple breakfast or brunch type recipe.
Cherry-Walnut Couscous Porridge
Bring water to a boil. Stir in all ingredients, then cover and remove from heat. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Stir and serve. Yields: about 2 servings.
You can bag all of the dried ingredients together and put in a ziploc-type bag. Then on masking tape on the outside of the bag and/or with a permanent marker write, add 1.25 cups boiling water. You’ll then have an “instant” meal. You can fix up as many bags ahead of time as you want … for keeping or for sharing.
lbb, lots of people season their hamburger before dehydrating. I don’t cause I’m never sure what I’ll be using it in :-)
I’ve added this to my favorite food list. I made this on a lark not expecting much. Let me tell you … fantastic! And strangely enough it is healthy. Careful the amount you eat because it is all rolled oats and you digestive track might object if you aren’t used to a lot of grains.
Hudson Bay Bread
In a large pan, melt butter. Add sugar and stir. Add 3 cups of the oats and stir. Heat the honey until it becomes a runny liquid, then add it to the bowl along with the raisins, peanuts and the rest of the oats. Mix by hand. Place in an ungreased baking pan (roughly 15″ x 10″ x 1″). Bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown. This is about 25 minutes.
Important step: Allow to cool 10 minutes before cutting. After cutting, allow to cool another 10 minutes and then flip out of the pan. Let the bread cool completely before wrapping.
This is very feeling and sticks with you a while. Can be used as a “bread” or as a “snack” depending on personal preference. Can also substitute as a breakfast meal though I wouldn’t want to dine exclusively on it.
Easy Pasta Mix-Up
For each serving of cooked pasta (spaghetti, fettucine, elbow, bowtie, etc.) throw in 1 T. of olive oil and the following mix.
The mix can be pre-made and stored in ziploc-type snack bags for keeping or sharing. Just include directions on adding it to one serving of cooked pasta.
Kathy in FL – at 15:48 Hudson Bay Bread
Just three words about this recipe:
OH. MY. GOD.
This is SO good, but everything Kathy said about it is true, not easy on the digestive tract if you are not used to bulk grains, and not something I would want to dine exclusively on, but it was great with my morning coffee.
VERY IMPORTANT: Remove from baking dish before it hardens. I got interested watching a movie and had to use a jackhammer to get the crusty parts around the edge of the pan out.
This is going to be my mid-morning snack at work for sometime to come.
Tried another bread recipe. This one uses no eggs and uses honey as the sweetener as opposed to granulated sugar. Instead of oil it uses shortening.
Honey-Oatmeal Bread
Dissolve yeast in the water. Pour milk over honey, shortening and salt. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in 2 cups flour. Add yeast and oats; mix well. Stir in enough additional flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead 8 to 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Shape to form ball. Place in large greased bowl, turn once to grease surface. Cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until double in size. Punch dough down. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Divide in half, roll out each half to form 15 x 9 inch rectangle. Roll up, press ends together to seal. Place in 2 creased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Brush with melted butter. Cover and let rise about 45 minutes or nearly double in size. Bake at 375 degrees about 45 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on rack.
Not that I expect there to be a lot of homemade bread left over, but on the off-chance that there is I’m going to give the following recipe a good chance.
Apple Bread Pudding
Soak bread chunks in apple juice. Blend oil, honey, molasses, dates and vanilla. Add honey mixture to the bread and stir well. Mix baking powder and cinnamon together and add to the batter. Mix well; batter should be fairly thick and lumpy. Pour into an oiled 9 x 9 inch pan and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes, until it is firm but moist. Variation: substitute maple syrup for molasses.
Chocolate Chip Bubble Biscuits
[Make your panckae mix do double duty.]
BISCUITS:
TOPPING:
Preparation Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease 8 or 9-inch square pan. In large bowl, combine pancake mix, 1/3 cup sugar and chocolate chips; stir until just mixed. Add water, sour cream and vanilla; blend well. On well-floured surface, shape dough into 16 balls (about 2 inches in diameter). Place balls in 4 rows of 4 each in greased pan.
2. In small bowl, combine all topping ingredients; mix well. Sprinkle evenly over balls of dough.
3. Bake at 375°F. for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm.
Serving size: 16 biscuits
High Altitude: Add 1/4 cup flour to dry pancake mix. Bake as directed above.
Herbed Potato Bread
[Its amazing the recipes I’m finding looking for specific named brands.]
Preparation Directions:
1. Use bread machine that produces 1 1/2-lb. or larger loaf. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Measure remaining ingredients carefully. Follow manufacturer’s directions for placing ingredients in bread machine pan.
2. Select Basic/White cycle. Follow manufacturer’s directions for starting machine.
Serving size: 1 (12-slice) loaf
High Altitude: Decrease yeast by 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon. Continue as directed above.
Easy Lefse
Lefse (LEF-suh) is a traditional soft Norwegian flat potato bread that is rolled very thin and cooked quickly on a hot dry griddle…the Scandinavian equivalent of the Mexican tortilla. Mashed potato flakes are a convenient shortcut to this traditional recipe.
Ingredients:
1. Heat electric lefse griddle or electric skillet to highest temperature setting. DO NOT GREASE GRIDDLE OR SKILLET. Measure potato flakes into large bowl. In small saucepan, heat water, margarine and salt to a rolling boil. Remove from heat; add milk. Add liquid all at once to potato flakes, stirring until all flakes are moistened. (Mixture will be crumbly.)
2. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Gradually add flour to potato mixture, working with hands until soft dough forms and is of rolling consistency. (Avoid adding too much flour.)
3. Shape dough into roll 10 inches long and about 2 inches in diameter. Cut roll into 1/2-inch slices. Cover with plastic wrap while rolling out each lefse.
4. On well-floured pastry cloth, roll out 1 slice of dough until paper thin. With lefse stick or long spatula, transfer to heated griddle. Bake about 1 minute or until brown spots appear on bottom surface. Turn; bake other side about 30 to 45 seconds. Place baked lefse between cloth towels to prevent it from drying out. Repeat with remaining slices. Cool completely before storing in plastic bag.
5. To serve, spread with butter; sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon or brown sugar. Fold into quarters or roll up.
Serving size: 20 lefse
Apple Bran Muffins Quantity Ingredients
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 12 (2½-inch) muffin cups with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. In medium bowl, beat sugar and margarine with electric mixer at medium speed until blended. Whisk in apple sauce, egg whites and molasses. Add cereal; stir until moistened. Stir applesauce mixture into flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon evenly into prepared muffin cups. Bake 25–30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Immediately remove from pan; cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Serve warm or cool completely.
Makes 12 muffins.
Pick Your Protein Breakfast Smoothie
[May be a good way to go for a soft diet after illness, or just as a quick pick-me-up or extra nutrition.]
Combine apple juice beverage, tofu or yogurt or protein powder, and mixed berries in blender; blend until smooth. Sweeten with honey, if desired.
Makes 1 serving.
Apple Sauce Energy Bars
[Here’s another healthy meal substitute, breakfast, or snack.]
Preheat oven 350° F. Combine oats, flour, coconut, fruit bits, brown sugar, cinnamon and baking soda in large mixing bowl. In separate bowl, mix together melted butter, apple sauce and egg. Stir apple sauce mixture into dry ingredients until just combined. Spread mixture into lightly greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Bake 20–25 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool before cutting into squares.
Makes 24 squares.
If anyone is still trying to figure out how to get their family’s to drink powdered milk, I found … and tried … this one. Its not bad, kind of like a thinned out smoothie. You could make it thicker/richer by adding more powdered milk.
Double Punch Milk
Mix milk powder into juice, whisking to mix thoroughly.
Makes 2 servings.
Here’s something for when the “flu preventive” runs low. <grin>
Apple Colada
Place all ingredients in blender; blend until smooth. Serve at once.
Makes 2 servings.
I may have posted this before, but Ramen Noodles are a real staple item to have for an emergency pantry. For some interesting and easy recipes check out the Ramen Noodle website.
I just couldn’t resist. <grin> We were talking about junk food and the need to stock those basic pleasures that appeal to us during times of stress … or just everyday.
On the other hand, some of those things don’t have much of a shelf life. But I’ve heard Twinkies will outlast us all. LOL! So for a lark, if you want to see how to use Twinkies in recipes check out the Twinkie recipe page that I found. If nothing else, the kids would get a blast out of it. Possibly a morale booster. <grin>
Twinkies and ramen noodles, wow, you’re on a roll, Kathy!
Seriously, I understand needing a break from the rice and beans. I wouldn’t give much shelf space to sources of empty calories such as twinkies and ramen, though, but a little for variety wouldn’t hurt.
lbb – at 11:20
My kids threatened revolt if they had to eat another one of mom’s rice and bean experiments … at least for a couple of days.
Really made me see the need for variety in the diet and preps. I have been pushing them a little hard … having them test so many new recipes. They’ve been asking for some of their old favorites back on the menu.
I figure people will run into the same thing during SIP.
Oh, for sure, Kathy. I’m sure twinkies would keep a lot longer than homemade brownies or bars or whatever.
I found a good brownie mix recipe on Zaar that I need to try out — if it works out well, I’ll be making up a lot of that!
Texas Vegetable Soup
Heat all ingredients to boil, reduce heat. Break up tomatoes. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Yields about 6–8 servings.
Hmmm. I’ve been back to the subject of breakfast the last couple of days. Assuming eggs are going to problematical to obtain … and I’m wanting to save my powdered eggs for breads and such as much as possible … I’ve been trying to find some unique ways to serve up the old standard breakfast ingredient.
Hunting around I ran across this and my youngest three devoured the batch I made in short order … but then we are a Southern family and grits are as normal to us as oatmeal would be to other folks.
Orange Blossom Grits
Bring water and orange juice to a boil. Slowly stir in grits, orange peel and salt. Reduce heat; simmer 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Pour into 1-qt. Serving dish; sprinkle evenly with brown sugar. Let stand until brown sugar melts, about 3 to 4 minutes. Approx 6 SERVINGS
Here’s yet another way to use grits, this time in bread.
Grits and Cheese Biscuits
Heat oven to 425ºF. Combine dry ingredients; cut in margarine until mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in cheese; add milk, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. Shape dough to form a ball; knead gently on lightly floured surface 3 to 4 times. Roll out dough to form 8-inch square. Cut dough into four 2-inch wide strips; cut each strip crosswise into 4 pieces. Place biscuits about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 16 BISCUITS
VARIATION: Add 1/3 cup finely chopped cooked ham and ¼ cup finely chopped onion while stirring in cheese. Proceed as recipe directs.
Well thanks LBB … now I’ve got a craving for brownies. <grin> This next recipe is just for you. LOL!
Brownie Rice Pudding
Mix all ingredients together and put in a 1-quart casserole. Set casserole in pan filled with 1-inch hot water. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 45 minutes or until knife inserted in the middle of pudding comes out clean. Serve warm or chilled.
Makes 6 serving(s).
5-Minute Heat-and-Go Soup
[Like this one because it is a very quick to fix meal, which also means that you are using less fuel.]
Yield: 3–1/2 cups (approx 4 servings)
1. Place all ingredients except oil in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, uncovered. Remove from heat; stir in oil.
2. If desired, to transport - such as in a bug out situation, place hot soup in vacuum flask or thermos.
[Here is another quick one that you only need enough fuel for to bring a cup or two of water to boil.]
Tuna-Spinach Couscous
Mix everything together and allow to sit up to one hour before eating. The reason I say up to one hour is that I’ve found some couscous mixes well and cooks quickly by itself, but when other ingredients are added, it changes the cooking time. Just mix and check … you don’t need to have it on a burner, just keep it covered.
Kathy in FL – at 15:48 Hudson Bay Bread
Tried this yummy recipe yesterday with a few minor changes and it fell apart on me. I felt horrible about using so much butter so I substituted 1/4 cup vegetable oil for 1/4 cup butter. And i didn’t mix glop with my hands but press it into the pan. I let the mixture cool 10 minutes twice, last time after cutting into squares. Ended up having to spoon into plastic wrap and squeeze mixture into ball and twist tight. Try recipe Kathy’s way first before modifying!
Sure is yummy!!! Thanks for all your good recipes Kathy. have tried quite a few with excellant results and praises from family. This was the first one that didn’t cooperate with me.
I don’t know if this has been mentioned. Came across a great remainder book at the wholesaler yesterday - “A Man, A Can, A Plan - 50 Great Guy Meals Even You Can Make!” by David Joachim. (There’s another one for tailgate parties.) Most of the recipes really do involve just opening up 2 or 3 cans. Some involve a package of hamburg, but there are canned substitutes for that as well. The cooking instructions couldn’t be simpler. It struck me as the perfect companion to the emergency food stockpile. I know a couple of guys who could use it anyway, so I’m struggling with whether I keep it, LOL.
I’m making some homemade ice cream for the 4th and bought a package of Junket. They are rennet tablets. Anyway there is a recipe booklet inside with info on making your own different kinds of cheeses, ricotta, cheddar etc. They all basically just use whole milk
lohrewok, I’d seen that stuff in the store a buncha times and not known what the heck it was for..always thought it was just some kinda pudding. I might stash some, given that there’s a dairy farm right up the road, but OTOH they also make their own cheese, so they probably got plenty rennet.
bump
Calico – at 15:46
Is this the cookbook that is shaped like a can? LOL! I’ve seen some of those in the bookstore but never thought to open them up and look at the recipes. Now I’m curious.
lohrewok – at 22:06
Where did you find yours? I’ve never seen that stuff in the regular groceries around me. Maybe I’m just not looking in the right place.
Here’s another easy vegetable soup.
Throw everything into a pot, including the Ramen noodle seasoning, and bring it to a boil. Heat through and then serve.
Note: You’ll notice that some measurements are approximate. This gives you the chance to adjust the recipe to the “thickness” or “heartiness” of your family’s preference.
Note: If you want/need to adjust the sodium content, you can leave out the Ramen noodle seasoning packet.
Smoky Mountain Trail Chili
[Feel free to leave out the TVP in the following recipe. To me it didn’t add enough to make a difference.]
Throw everything into a pot, bring to a boil and then cook until TVP is rehydrated. Serve with crackers, cornbread, or flat bread.
You might not need quite so much water if you aren’t adding in the TVP. Start with three cups and if you need/want more just keep adding until you get the thickness your family enjoys most.
Kathy at 11:12 - Yes, it’s sort of shaped like a lage can. The pages are extra thick so it looks like a kid’s book. I think it would have been very helpful for dormitory living. The series is put out by the editors of Men’s Health.
Calico – at 11:26 Well, I know what I’m doing this afternoon. I’m hitting the bookstore. LOL! Sounds too interesting not to go take a look.
Kathy in FL
It was in the baking aisle. Top shelf here. By the dream whip. ASk your grocer if you can’t find it. It is a little white box w/ red & blue printing on it.
lohrewok – at 11:39
Well, errand #2 for my afternoon list. <grin> Thanks.
Sugar & Spice Bread Makes 1 (1–1/2-pound) loaf
[Doesn’t call for any eggs.]
1 cup water 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened 1 teaspoon salt 3 cups bread flour 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
Bread machine directions: Measuring carefully, place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order specified by owner’s manual. Program basic cycle and desired crust setting; press start. Remove baked bread from pan; cool on wire rack.
Kathy —That Sugar & Spice Bread looks great. I’m assuming that I can also make this without a bread machine. Not worried about you hunting up those directions. I can wing it.
Cannot tell you how much I appreciate all of these recipes! They and comments by others have helped me to shape my prepping. I am not so much doing the rice-and-beans route, although I have stored a goodly amount of those. I much prefer being able to make meals more similar to those we already eat. These recipes really help me do that.
A comment for new readers — it is amazing to find out how much of each ingredient you need to put aside when you take a simple recipe like bread and multiply the amounts out for 3 months!! An eye-opener. I even had my DH do a count of coffee beans he uses every morning [he’s the one who makes coffee, bless him!] and then weigh them on a postal scale so we could determine how much we would need. We found that we use exactly 2 oz a day, which translates out to 60 oz/mo or 11.25 lbs for 3 months. We’ve stored both whole bean and preground in case power goes out.
I am thinking about getting a bread machine. Can anyone recommend a good brand?
Also to rehydrate hamburger how is it done?
This is my #1 alltime best sugar cookie recipe that I will share with you folks. It uses vegtable shortening instead of butter or margarine. A plus, but does have sour cream in it. I suppose you could substitue plain yogurt if you liked. Dough does not need to be chilled before baking, and when rolling out you will need lots of extra flour and sugar. I use about half of each when rolling out.
1 cup shortening 2 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 t vanilla 1 cup sour cream 5 cup flour
Mix ingredients in order shown. Roll, cut and bake at 350 till lightly browned. I also had a little nutmeg since I like the flavor. They are better after sitting for a day. Freeze well too.
MAinVA at 14:42 -
Sounds exactly like my coffee preps plan! How are you storing the coffee for the long term? I’m vacuum sealing the preground (left in it’s original packaging) and then freezing. Not sure whether to freeze the whole beans or leave them at room temp in the vacuum sealed bags.
I’m shopping for a hand-crank grinder. Would like to buy a Zassenhaus but they seem to be unavailable at all the online stores. Would you have any recommendation? Thanks!
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