Thursday, March 21, 2013

The recipe challenge

I have a confession to make: I don't like to cook.

Part of this dislike stems from the fact that I can never seem to come up with a sufficient number of recipes that pleases everyone in my family; the rest stems from the fact that, well, I just don't like to cook.

(Though oddly enough, I do like to bake. Go figure.)

Nonetheless I must cook to feed my family, and I prefer to cook from scratch. I realize "scratch" cooking has a different definition today than it did a hundred years ago; nonetheless, I generally avoid boxed-this and canned-that when I pull together a recipe.

And it got me thinking: how many recipes do I have that are not only scratch, but can be made exclusively with storable ingredients? What kinds of foods can be pulled together fairly easily with delving into either perishable foods (salads, fresh fruit, etc.) or commercial pre-packaged components?

Frankly, not a whole lot.

There is a superb and quintessential cookbook that every prepper should own called Cookin' with Home Storage by Peggy Layton and Vicki Tate. This book contains literally hundreds of recipes that fit the above criteria of using no fresh, perishable, or pre-packaged components. I haven't delved into this book nearly as much as I should.


So I thought I'd tap into the deep and knowledgeable reservoir of reader experience and see what recipes you like that can be made from storable ingredients.

I'd like to invite all my wonderful readers to jot down one or two of your favorite stored-food recipes and send them in. If you prefer to post them on your own blog or website and send me the link, that's fine; I'll cross-link back.

My goal is for everyone to be able to accumulate about a month's worth of yummy food-storage recipes. Since not every recipe will appeal to everyone's taste, we should all be able to harvest about fifteen or twenty useful ones -- at least, ideally.

Obviously the recipes don't have to come from the Cookin' With Home Storage cookbook; they can come from anywhere, including your great-grandmother's hand-me-down family secret for divine [fill in the blank].

And, since I'm an avid canner and I believe everyone else should be also (wink), I'll also expand the criteria to include home-canned ingredients. If your recipe calls for a home-canned veggie, or fruit, or soup stock, or whatever -- I'm game. Just specify that it's home-canned.

I'll start by contributing a recipe that came from Amy Dacyczyn's book The Tightwad Gazette called Lentil-Rice Casserole. Sounds boring but it's actually quite delicious. I've modified it slightly by using dried onions instead of fresh onions. I also tend to increase the amount of spices to make it zingier.

Lentil-Rice Casserole

3 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup uncooked lentils
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1/4 cup dried onions
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Blend all together in a casserole dish. Bake, covered, 1.5 hours at 300F. During the last 20 minutes, you can top with grated cheddar or Parmesan cheese (leave uncovered for the last 20 minutes after adding cheese).


Okay, so now it's your turn. Submit your best prepper recipe(s), or if you want to send a link to your blog or website which has the recipe, I'll post that too. Let's get this Recipe Challenge off the ground!

40 comments:

  1. I can't seem to find your email to send my recipes in?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry, I should have been more specific: post them as a comment. In a future post, I'll coalesce everything into one convenient mega-post of recipes and/or links.

      - Patrice

      Delete
  2. I wish I could participate because I cook a lot from my homestored goods, but I don't ever use a measurement and almost all my "recipes" come from the top of my head.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fake it! Give it a stab! Let us know your secrets!

      - Patrice

      Delete
  3. What a great idea!! I will pull something together to post on my blog. Have you checked out this sitehttp://everydayfoodstorage.net/
    Her book is just as good as her blog!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Here's one that we love:

    Red Beans and Sausage

    10 cups water
    2 cups (1 pound) small red beans
    1 cup reconstituted freeze dried sausage crumbles
    1/4 cup dried onion
    1/4 cup dehydrated chopped bell peppers
    1/4 cup dehydrated chopped celery
    1 Tablespoons garlic powder
    2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
    2 tablespoon creole seasoning (this is in my food storage because we use it for everything!)
    Cover beans with 1 inch of water and soak overnight, In the morning, dump everything into a dutch oven EXCEPT the creole seasoning, and cook in the oven (or over a campfire) for 1 hour, add the creole seasoning in and continue to cook 30 min to 1 hour longer or until beans are completely soft. Serve over warmed cooked rice and have some hot sauce ready on the side. We like these with a pan of cornbread muffins to go with.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I save the leftover broth from canning homemade beef stew and use it to make beef (or deer) noodles.

    Take 1 quart jar canned broth and put in 2 or 3 quart pan,let come to boil and add wide egg noodles till half of broth covers them. Let noodles cook till they become softened. Add 1 or 2 pints(depending on how much meat you want in it) of your canned deer or beef. Cook until broth is thickened. If needed add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with 1/2 water if thicker broth is wanted.Add salt and pepper to taste.

    Anonymous in Ohio

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  6. Beans and Cornbread

    1 lb. pinto beans, sorted, washed and soaked overnight
    3 T chili powder, more if you like
    1/2 t cumin
    1 C ham pieces, I chop up whatever is left when I bake a ham and freeze it for beans
    salt and pepper as needed

    Combine all in a crock pot, cover with water and cook until beans are tender. Usually about 10 hours on low or 6-7 hours on high.Add 1/2 cup of salsa and cook 30 minutes more.

    Serve with your favorite cornbread recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Italian Beef and Noodles--

    One pint home canned roast beef chunks
    One pint home canned beef broth or bullion + 2 cups water.
    Small handful home dehydrated sliced mixed peppers/onions/garlic.
    1 tablespoon Italian spice
    Half pint home canned diced tomatoes, or dehydrated diced tomatoes.
    2 Tblsps olive oil
    2 Tblsps corn starch for thickening

    Rehydrate onions/peppers/garlic
    Sizzle them in small puddle of olive oil for several moments.
    Add everything else, breaking up chunks of meat some.
    Bring to simmer for several minutes.
    Thicken slightly.
    Serve over buttered noodles.

    Very Quick and easy, and so far, everyone likes it. Include salad and garlic bread if you have it.
    If you don't have dehydrated mixed peppers/onions/garlic, get some. They're so handy to have!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Here are a few of mine:

    Baked Oatmeal http://theharriedhomemakerpreps.blogspot.com/2011/01/using-your-food-storage-baked-oatmeal.html

    Dirty Rice
    http://theharriedhomemakerpreps.blogspot.com/2011/03/using-your-food-storage-dirty-rice.html

    Whole Wheat Pancakes
    http://theharriedhomemakerpreps.blogspot.com/2011/05/using-your-food-storage-my-favorite.html

    Best Cornbread EVER http://theharriedhomemakerpreps.blogspot.com/2010/11/using-your-food-storage-best-cornbread.html

    Black Bean Burgers
    http://theharriedhomemakerpreps.blogspot.com/2012/04/using-your-food-storage-black-bean.html

    Chicken Spaghetti
    http://theharriedhomemakerpreps.blogspot.com/2011/04/using-your-food-storage-pioneer-womans.html

    Refried Beans
    http://theharriedhomemakerpreps.blogspot.com/2010/10/using-your-food-storage-refried-beans.html

    Quick Red Bean Stew
    http://theharriedhomemakerpreps.blogspot.com/2011/02/using-your-food-storage-quick-red-bean.html

    ReplyDelete
  9. We love this recipe, been making it for years. I've had to take out the rice for now and just add more lentils due to a child with a food allergy. I make a double batch for our family of eight and we usually have a bit leftover. Quick and inexpensive, that's the kind of cooking I like! :)

    Gina

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Off topic, but my infant seems not to tolerate rice either. Never heard of this until she was born (haven't tried her on rice itself, she was reacting to my diet while nursing.) Have you experienced it long? Do you anticipate them outgrowing it? If you have any info to share please email me! jessica

      jfoy at ec dot rr dot com

      Delete
    2. I would definitely keep her off of rice for awhile. My 16 year old daughter became intolerant of several foods and now, 2 years later, is doing better, but still cannot have rice or any grains, and a host of other things. As we kept her off certain things for several months, like dairy because she was unable to digest it, she's beginning to heal and handle those foods again. :)

      Delete
  10. Patrice, thank you for the recipe. I am visiting with my daughter, who just made me a grandmother (Gi Gi) 2 weeks ago. She is a vegetarian. This is a great meal for her and it just got cold here again in NC. I will use vegetable broth. Unfortunately, because I'm visiting her, I don't have all my home canned or dehydrated goodies with me. Again, thank you for this great recipe idea. Still love your blog and all the greatness from you and all your readers.
    Kelly in K'ville, NC (usually)
    Greenville for now, looking at the most beautiful granddaughter EVER!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Shrimp Parmesean Linguini-- (or chicken if you prefer)

    3 Tblsp olive oil
    1 tsp garlic (rehydrated, or fresh)
    3 Tblsp flour
    1 Cup chicken broth
    2 Cup milk
    1 Cup shrimp or chicken (home canned of course)
    1/3 Cup grated parmesean cheese
    1 cup rehydrated veggies of your choice

    Saute garlic in olive oil
    Add flour and stir into thin paste (if too thick, add more oil)
    Allow to bubble for a minute
    Add chicken broth and stir quickly to blend
    Add milk, stir frequently to avoid scorch
    Add cheese and stir till melted in
    When thickened add veggies and meat

    Serve over linguini or angle hair pasta.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This recipe does not have a "real" name we have just always called it beef stew, tomatoes and shells. And that is pretty much all it is. I cook my frozen stew beef in a crock pot with 2 quarts home canned tomatoes. I add seasonings, but that can be whatever someone wants, normally I use garlic, thyme, worcrstershire sauce, marjoram and savory. Once the meat is done I add in a box of cooked pasta, usually the small shells.
    I don't know if this is the type of recipe you are looking for, but since we raise our own vegetables and some of our meat,these are thing we always seem to have on hand.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have discovered I really don’t like canned squash. Just too mushy for my taste. But it does work fine for other things like squash casserole or our favorite squash croquettes.

    My original recipe calls for 3 lbs of fresh squash which you would then cook until the consistency of what you already have canned. It also calls for 2 cups of cornbread crumbs. So I guess I’ve kind of changed it around to be more like squash hoe cakes since I use cornmeal and buttermilk.

    So to use your food stores, here is what I have come up with, though it is not exact:

    Squash Hoe Cakes
    1 quart jar of canned yellow squash, drained
    1 cup corn meal
    ¼ cup all purpose flour
    1 cup buttermilk
    1 egg
    Cracker crumbs
    Salt and pepper to taste
    Chopped onions to taste (optional) (rehydrated or fresh)
    Oil or bacon grease for frying

    Mix ingredients together until have a stiff batter where you drop spoonfuls/ladles in the hot grease. I use the cracker crumbs (another good use for stale saltines) for thickening the batter.

    Cook in hot grease until golden brown and done in the center. (Be careful not to get servings to thick.)

    If eggs and buttermilk are not available, you can always use the prepared dried eggs and buttermilk or milk.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Here's one of the best vegetable beef soups. The best part is that I always have the ingredients in staorage so I can whip this up anytime. It can be simmered all day!

    Vegetable Beef Soup

    1 quart home canned beef cubes (or 1 pound fresh beef cubes well browned)
    2 cups water
    1 quart home canned tomatoes
    1TBL beef stock paste or bullion (I use Tones soup base available at Sam')
    2 cups mixed dehydrated vegetables (I use 1/2 cup each of things like carrots, peas, green beans, and potatoes)
    1Tbl sugar
    1 bay leaf
    1tsp each of oregano, bail, marjorum, and thyme
    2Tbl of tomato powder or tomato paste (I use the powder I make from dehydrated tomato skins)
    salt and pepper to taste

    Bring to a boil, then turn heat to simmer till veggies are tender.

    Kate in Colordao

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm interested in your technique for making the tomato paste! Can you share that?
      Kelly in K'ville, NC

      Delete
    2. Hi!
      The tomato powder that I make is so simple. While I am processing tomatoes for regular canning I take the skins off by placing the tomatoes in boiling water for one minute then draining them and placing them in really cold water for a moment. The skins just slip right off. After I have processed all my tomatoes, I then take all the skins and place them in a even layers on my dehydrator racks and set the temp to 135-140. The skins dry till crisp. I then place the skins in a blender and pulverize them to a powder. Store in small portions of about 1/2 cup.
      I add the powder to soups, stews, meat loaf,even bread to make tomato bread! If I need emergency tomatoe paste I take a few tablespoons of powder and mix with a bit of water.

      Delete
    3. The tomato powder from skins is a killer idea. Thanks.

      In a pan, heat brown rice with a little too much water. In the last 15 minutes of cooking add small bits of dried fruits, recover and finish cooking. I've used raisens, cranberries, blueberries, cherries, and pineapple. May try apples or peaches. At the last, stir in some brown sugar or other sweetener if desired. Can be served as is or with milk for breakfast or dessert.

      brenda from ar

      Delete
    4. I always can my tomatoes by slipping the skin off and they end up in the compost pile. But I'm very excited to try this. My dehydrator does not have a temp. gauge on it, so I will just have to test it out.
      Thanks for your info.
      Patrice, I hope you will compile all these recipes.
      Kelly in K'ville, NC

      Delete
  15. Chicken Alfredo

    1 jar alfredo sauce - Or, make your own by simmering parmasan and/or ramano cheese(s). Most of us have a can of this in the back of the pantry, or the front if you are like me! Add spices if you want. I use a dash of salt and that's about it. But a little white cooking wine makes this FAB!

    Noodles - Don't just go for the long flat thick ones. Use bow ties, elbows, or wagon wheeles. Noodles store very well in mylar with an 02 absorber. i stock up when they are buy one get one free. That makes them 54¢ a pound around here. - Or, make your own!

    2 cups flour
    2 large eggs
    about 4 tablespoons water
    flour for rolling and cutting

    Make flour into a mound in a large bowl. Make a "well" in your mound and break in your eggs. Use a fork and mix your eggs inside the "well" together and then with half of your water. Mix together with the flour slowly. Add more water as needed in tiny increments. When it is stiff, knead it on a floured surface for about ten minutes. Let the dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes then roll it out and slice as thick or thin as you like. Working with smaller batches makes this easier. Or you could get crazy and break out your kids Play-Dough toys. No, I have nEver done that.
    Cook in boiling water and yum. Add salt to the water if your into that.

    So now you have your noodles and sauce. Now you need some chicken.
    One can of chicken will suffice, or you can butcher your own!
    Just kidding! (Or am i?)

    I like peas in my chicken alfredo. I use frozen, but I also store canned for those days. You know the ones.

    Hope you like Italian!

    Kelly

    ReplyDelete
  16. Taco Soup

    This is a great alternative to chili.

    This recipe calls for commercially canned products but the equivalent amount of dried beans and home canned tomatoes can be used.

    1-2 lbs. Ground Beef (Browned with onions and garlic salt and pepper)
    1 can Kidney Beans
    1 can Pinto Beans
    1 can Black Beans
    1 can Rotel (tomatoes with peppers and spices)
    1 lg. can stewed tomatoes
    1 pkg taco seasoning
    1 pkg ranch dressing powder
    1 pkg frozen/canned corn
    Enough water to make it "soupy".

    I add the corn towards the end so it will stay crisp.

    We tweak this recipe to what we have on hand. Sometimes I use dried beans sometimes canned organic beans. If you want leftovers, or have a pile of kids like we do, add lots more beans.

    To stretch it even further serve over brown rice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I forgot a comma. For garlic lovers like us this is very important. There should be comma after garlic. We use fresh garlic in this recipe not garlic salt.

      Delete
  17. Patrice; This is my husbands recipe for a quick and simple dinner.

    1 small onion chopped
    1 lb hamburger
    1 can stewed(Italian style)tomatoes(15oz)
    1 can tomatoes sauce(15oz)
    1 can/jar mushrooms (optional)
    salt and pepper to taste
    1 tsp chili powder (or more)
    1 box of macaroni(any style)

    Place macaroni in pot(5qt)of water to boil, while you prepare the meat dish.

    Brown onions in oil/or butter then add h/burger to brown then add add the stew tomatoes, mush the tomatoes with your hand or a potatoe masher(I use my hand)to break them up. Add your seasoning, you can add more seasonings to taste.
    Drain pasta(put it back in original pot) when it is ready, add the meat sauce to the pasta, and you add the other can tomato sauce, bring to a low boil then serve.

    *I use taco seasoning(1 tsp)in addition to the chili powder for extra flavor. If you have left overs for the next day you can add a small can(6-8oz) of tomato sauce to reheat.

    My husband used this to feed his children when they were smaller, it was a quick meal after a long day at college.


    ReplyDelete
  18. My kid's favorite recipe in King's Ranch Casserole, and I want life to be as normal as possible in a SHTF scenario. So, I adapted a few "not so storable" ingredients. While not home canned, certainly shelf stable!

    1 quart home canned chicken, reserving broth (ideally you want about 2 c. of broth
    1 can Ro-tel type tomatoes
    1 can cream of chicken soup
    1 can cream of mushroom soup
    1 bag Taco-flavored Doritos
    1 c. shredded cheddar (home-waxed, of course!)

    Crush chips in a 9 X 13 pan. Mix soups, tomatoes, and broth. You may need to add more water or extra broth. Arrange chicken over the chips. Pour soup mixture over all, sprinkle cheese over the top. Bake at 350* for 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

    Now, I crush the chips and most of a bag will fit in a wide-mouth quart jar. I use my vacuum sealer to seal them. This is a super quick meal, and all my family loves it. Even a husband or young child can throw it together. I have enough ingredients on hand to make this recipe once a month for a year. All shelf stable.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I,too, put up foods that we eat all the time(maybe I have just gotten my family used to eating SHTF foods and they do not realize it;) ). I dry foods and can them. One of my favorite seasoning mixes is to take equal weights of dried tomato, dried onion, dried garlic, dried peppers(red,green,hot, whatever you like) grind them in a coffee(spice) grinder. I add some sea salt so it will not cake up I use this on potatoes, meat, ect. I make one for chicken and pork using dried oranges, rosemary, garlic, onion. Here is a Tamale Casserole recipe:

    1 cup cornmeal(popcorn you have ground)
    4 cups water
    1 tsp salt
    bring to a simmer. simmer 30 minutes. put 1/2 in a baking pan

    1 quart of meat you have canned or brown 1 pound of hamburger
    add 1 quart crushed tomatoes or salsa( I prefer salsa, Patrice I have a Pace picante recipe I can that makes a really good salsa)
    2 tbls chili powder
    If this mixture seems too soupy I will add 1 small can tomato paste to thicken it up.

    Pour over top of cornmeal mush in the casserole spread rest of mush over the top. bake at 350 for 1 hour.

    You can make this with home canned spaghetti sauce for an Italian flavor it is after all a polenta.

    Another easy one my kids like is to saute onions in olive oil, add tuna fish and crushed tomatoes season to taste. Serve over cooked spaghetti.

    You can make pot pie using your canned chicken, beef, pork. Add your home canned veg all mix. Make a white sauce mix with it and put drop biscuits on top and bake.

    Upside down pizza is another easy recipe. If you would like that recipe let me know.

    These are just a few I use. I hope I have not gotten too long.

    Montana Jeri

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hi. nice, filling recipes. thanks. deb harvey

      Delete
  20. Hi Patrice, Here is my recipe for a great soup. It uses a dry mix that I make and store; the mix is also a good gift given along with the recipe! You need a large Dutch oven or soup pot because this makes a lot of soup. Here is the mix:

    1/2 C. dry split peas
    1/3 C. beef bouillon granules
    1/4 c. pearl barley
    1/2 c. dry lentils
    1/4 c. dry minced onion
    2 t. Italian seasoning
    1/2 c. uncooked rice (white or brown)

    Brown 1 lb. of ground beef in the soup pot (or put in equivalent canned meat). Add the soup mix, 3 qts. water, and one 28-oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained (or your own canned tomatoes). Bring it to a boil, then cover and simmer 45 minutes. Add 1/2 c. small pasta (orzo, stars, alphabets, whatever) and simmer another 15-20 minutes.

    If you give the mix as a gift, it looks nice to layer the dry ingredients in a glass jar in the order given . I put the pasta in a little plastic or cheesecloth bag on top, since it goes in separately.

    Pamela

    ReplyDelete
  21. Italian Rice

    2 cups brown rice, rinsed and drained
    sufficient water to cook the rice
    2 lbs ground beef (can use canned or dried crumbles)
    1 jar (6 oz.) tomato paste plus water to rinse it out (not too much, to avoid watery-ness)
    Italian herbs (oregano, sage, parsley, basil, paprika, or any combination thereof) to taste
    black pepper to taste
    Celtic sea salt to taste
    1-2 tablespoons olive oil
    garlic to taste (I use one or two medium sized cloves, minced, can use canned or dehydrated)
    cheese, shredded (can use dried, frozen, or commercially canned)
    Optional: canned or dried olives, mushrooms, tomato chunks, onions, essentially pizza toppings
    Instructions:
    Cook rice. Meanwhile, saute garlic in olive oil and add ground beef. Once beef is almost finished browning add herbs and salt/pepper. Once rice is done, combine meat mixture, tomato paste/water, and any optional toppings. Mix and allow to heat gently to "marry" the flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve with shredded cheese on top. Makes great leftovers, too, which a friend said could be dehydrated or canned (she doesn't have teenagers :-D).
    An alternative is to make BBQ sauce with dehydrated spices, dehydrated onion/garlic, canned mustard, maple sugar, and molasses and use that in place of the Italian flavors, and mix those with the rice/ground beef.
    A real family favorite here, and useful for Pot-Providences at church.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RE: BBQ sauce, forgot to specify that the spices, etc. are added to the tomato paste in place of the Italian herbs/spices.

      Delete
  22. Patrice,
    I am sorry if this is slightly off-topic, but I recently found another website that has "fast food" recipes for preppers... Mason jar meals that you prepare and can ahead of time. In case you are interested, the site is www.theorganicprepper.ca/ , and just look for mason jar meals. There is a beef stroganoff I want to try soon. I can't wait to try the meals that come up on your site as well! Thanks for pointing out the cookbook above too.

    ReplyDelete
  23. BEAN AND RICE BURRITOS
    Serves 4

    1/4 c. Dry Onion (1/2 c. fresh)
    1/2 c. Water
    1 1/2 c. Cooked Rice (3/4 c. dry)
    1 pint Sweet Baked Beans (you can use pork and beans)
    1/4 - 1/2 c. Salsa
    4 Tortilla's

    Put the dry onion and the water in a skillet to soak and soften. (If using fresh, saute lightly in oil or butter) Add the cooked rice, pork and beans and salsa. Heat through, adding more water if needed for a nice texture. Wrap in tortilla's and serve.

    We will often add sour cream or grated cheese into the burrito. Since that is not always food storage compatible, I do not include it in the recipe.

    This is also a great meal to eat out of a bowl like soup, over toast or over a bed of lettuce in the spring when you can harvest that from your garden. It is tasty hot or cold and makes great leftovers.

    I can my own salsa, make my own tortillas and can a brown sugar baked bean. This is my fave to share because everyone will find this an easy one to make either with grocery assistance or completely from scratch depending on your current level.

    ReplyDelete
  24. http://cookslittlekitchen.blogspot.com/p/food-storage-recipes.html

    Here is my blog that I quit updating. Got busy. It has a handful of dry mix/food storage/food storage + garden recipes that people might find helpful. Although I no longer update, I left it up since I figured someone might find some value in it sometime.

    Mrs C

    ReplyDelete
  25. Here is a tip for compiling your recipes once you find them.....

    I made a food storage cook book by typing up my recipes and pint them 4 to a page and cut them to fit into a small dollar store photo album. It works like a sheet protector, slip the recipe in instead of a photo. Sort by sections and mark the first page of each section with a different colored paperclip (often available at the dollar store) I use white for bread, green for dinner, red for treats etc...

    I mark the top left corner (you can put it anywhere) with the codes to tell me at a glance if it is food storage (FS) or a mix (mix). If I don't mark it, then it will use some fresh like eggs or cheese or sour cream or garden produce which, depending on your circumstances at the time, may or may not be available.

    If the fresh item is a garnish only and not fundamental to the meal, it is marked as food storage.

    I also find that although you can convert any recipe to food storage, sometimes the end results are altered and not worth the conversion, but still a worthy recipe to hold onto just in case the fresh item is available. It can also serve as inspiration when you are making do with what you have.

    I also include the recipes I use to make the meal recipes. Like any recipe that I use to preserve a fundamental item for my food storage recipe. Ketchup, BBQ sauce, Baked Beans or whatever family recipe you use. Obviously they do not start as food storage, but they are made into it so they have a place in my food storage cook book.

    Change you mind on a recipe? Pull it out and throw it away. Find a new one? Slip it into an empty slot. It is so easy to maintain this type of book and because it's protected, you don't have to worry about splashing or dripping as you are mixing and ruining the card like 3x5's in a recipe box. (Although it is a great option if you are not as messy as I)

    Mrs C

    ReplyDelete
  26. We have not delved into the #10 can freeze-dried meats etc. yet. What I am doing is making up "Gifts in a Jar" recipes then buying/canning the meat, tomato sauces etc to go with them. I just got back from the store where I was pricing items to purchase for this. I've done them before, and it is so nice to come home and just make a quick, but homemade meal.

    Here is a recipe that my grown son and husband really enjoy. You could use home canned items or from the store.

    1 lb boneless/skinless chicken breasts
    1 can (or pint jar) black beans
    1 jar (or pint jar) salsa
    1 can/package etc. of corn, I use Trader Joes Roasted Corn

    Last 1/2 hr. Add 1/2 - 1 block cream cheese

    Dump it all into the crockpot and let cook on low until chicken is done. If its home canned chicken, just cook it for a few hours to let the flavors blend.
    About 1/2 hr before ready to eat, shred the chicken and put back into crockpot. Add the cream cheese and stir. Cook until its melted.

    It doesn't look pretty once adding the cream cheese, but it is SO good. We serve it in tortilla shells. You can make it without the cream cheese too.

    ReplyDelete
  27. The lovely Brandy at The Prudent Homemaker (blog) has some wonderful use-your-storage recipes. She's lived off her food storage for years, and is such a sweetheart. Several of her recipes have become household favorites over the years (Alphabet Vegetable Soup, Minestrone, Lemon Poppyseed muffins, among several others). I wish I could take credit for those yummy recipes, but alas. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Debbie in Massachusetts couldn't seem to post a comment, so she sent the following as an email:
    ________________________

    Patrice, for some reason I can't post on your blog...probably need a software update for this old computer.
    These are my recipes (if you call it that) for Cooking with Home Storage:

    Shepherd’s Pie
    Jar of potatoes, cook for mashing
    Jar of corn
    1 lb hamburger sauteed with onion
    Bake the mashed potatoes, jar of corn, and sauteed hamburger with onion salt and peppered to taste at 350 degrees for half an hour. Having the jar of potatoes makes mashed potatoes so much faster.


    Three Bean Salad
    http://christmas.allrecipes.com/AZ/ThreeBeanSalad.asp
    adp from
    1 pt green beans 2/3 cup distilled white vinegar
    1 pt wax beans 1/3 cup vegetable oil
    1 pt can kidney beans, 1/2 tsp salt
    drained and rinsed 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
    1 onion, sliced into thin rings 1/2 tsp celery seed
    3/4 cup white sugar
    Mix together green beans, wax beans, kidney beans, onion, sugar, vinegar, vegetable oil, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Let set in refrigerator for at least 12 hours. Yield: 16 servings.
    I jarred up dried beans to fill my pressure canner while I was doing meat items.

    Turkey Tetrazani
    I canned up some leftover cut up turkey that I cooked with spaghetti sauce and added in some cut up peppers and onions. Serve over rice or pasta.

    Debbie in MA

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