Thursday, March 12, 2009

















Pot of Beans

Christine Gilbert

I’ve been really into a book called “Food Matters” where the author, Mark Bittman is really into making sure that every fridge or freezer in America is stocked with a container of home-cooked beans. This recipe is from his book and he makes it a very simple process that can provide the backbone fore several delicious meals (soups, dips, salads, stir-fries or just over rice). I like this recipe because he gives ideas for flavoring the beans with or without meat. For my adaptation to the recipe, I used my pressure cooker which makes the whole process finished in just over a half and hour! This is easy and tastes so much better than beans from a can.


1 pound dried beans
(any kind but lentils, split peas or peeled and split beans) washed and picked over.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1) Put the beans in a large pot with a tightly fitting lid and cover with cold water by a couple of inches. Ring the pot to a boil and let it boil, uncovered for about two minutes. Cover the pot and turn the heat off. Let the beans soak for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.
2) Taste the bean. If it’s at all tender (t won’t be ready), add a large pinch of salt and several grinds of back pepper. Make sure the beans are covered with a bout an inch of water; add a little more if necessary. If the beans are still hard, don’t add salt yet, and cover with about 2 inches of water.
3) Bring the pot to a boil, then adjust the hear so that the beans bubble gently. Partially cover and cook, stirring every now and then, checking the beans for doneness every 10 or 25 minutes, and adding more water if necessary, a little at a time, small beans will take as little as 31 minutes more; older, large beans can take up to an hour or more. If you haven’t added salt and pepper yet, add them when the beans are just turning tender. Stop cooking when the beans are done the way you like them and taste and adjust the seasoning.
4) Here you have a few options. Drain the beans (reserving the liquid separately) to use them as an ingredient in salads or other dishes where they need to be dry; or finish them with on the ideas from the list below. Or store the beans as is and use with or without their liquid as needed. They’ll keep in the fridge for days, and in the freezer for months.

Adding flavor to a Pot of Beans—Here are some goodies to add (alone or in combination) when you start cooking the beans.
Herbs or spices: a bay leaf, a couple of cloves, some peppercorns, thyme sprigs, parsley leaves and/or stems, chili powder, parsley leaves and/or stems, chili powder or other herbs and spices.
Aromatics: Chopped onion, carrot, celery, and/or garlic. If you like, sauté them in a little olice oil until soft and fragrant.
Vegetable stock: In place of all or part of the water.
Other liquids: A coup or so of cooking wine or juice.
Smoked Meat: Ham hock, pork chop, beef bone, or sausage finished out after cooking, the meat chopped and stirred back into the beans.

Add any of these ingredients after cooking and draining the beans. Add any reserved cooking liquid if needed to keep beans moist.
2 T olive or dark sasame oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, mint, or any basil leaves
2 T chopped fresh rosemary, tarragon, oregano, thyme, majoram or sage leaves
Chopped scallions, garlic, ginger or lemongrass
1 cup any cooked sauce (like tomato sauce) or raw sauce (like salsa)

Sweet and Sour Turkey Meatball Kebabs
(Sarah Eyring’s favorite dinner)

Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce

½ cup sugar
1 Tblsp vinegar
2 Tblsp catsup
¼ tsp salt
1/2 cup cold water and 2Tblsp cornstarch mixed

Boil the water, add the sugar, vinegar, catsup, and salt. Stir well then mix the cornstarch with the cold water and add to the sauce, stirring constantly. Stir until thickened. (I usually make two batches since we seem to drink this with our meal) Notice this is all food storage ingredients.

Foster Farms Italian style turkey meatballs
Fresh pineapple (I have used canned from my food storage) chunks
Red and Green peppers cut up

I thread these on skewers and cook them on my George Forman until the meat is warm and the pineapple is carmelized.

I serve it over rice (half brown half white from my food storage) It is so easy and really yummy.

Eyring’s Favorite Homemade Pizza Dough

3 cups hot tap water
3/8 cup oil
3 T sugar
3 cups flour
2 T instant yeast
2 ½ tsp salt
1 cup powdered milk
4 cups flour (I use ½ white, ½ wheat for all of the flour in this recipe)

In a large mixing bowl with dough hook attachment, combine water, oil, sugar and flour, just until flour is wet. Sprinkle yeast over top and mix until distributed evenly. Add powdered milk and salt and mix. Add up to 4 cups more flour until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Be careful not to ad too much, or the dough will be too stiff. Mix on high for 5 min. Divide into 4 sections, and press dough onto pizza pans or cookie sheets to form pizza crusts. (Dough can be frozen for later use). Spread sauce and desired toppings and bake for 12-15 min at 425 F until crust is slightly brown and cheese is melted.

Moosewood Mexican Corn & Cheese Bread


Penny Hughes

2 C unbleached white flour

2 C yellow corn meal

2 eggs, lightly beaten

4 Tbsp honey

6 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 C milk


1/2 c olive oil

1 C finely minced onion (or dry equivalent)

2 C Corn (canned, frozen -- fresh is best)

1 C grated Cheddar cheese



1.Heat olive oil and sauté onion until translucent - set aside to cool.

2. Beat eggs, honey and milk

3. Combine dry ingredients

4. Mix dry and wet ingredients.

5. Add corn kernels, sautéed onions (with all the oil scraped from the pan)
and grated cheese.

6. Mix well
Bake in 9x13 pan at 375 for 25-30 minutes - till lightly brown on top.


Crepes
Hilary Jensen

1 c flour
1 TBS sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/3 c water
3 eggs
3 TBS butter melted.

Mix all together in a blender. Pour on 400' griddle and flip when brown. Add a spoonful of filling, roll up and top with fruit.

Filling

1/4 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar

These cookies make a great food storage recipe because every ingredient can be found in the pantry. Any dried fruit would be delicious. If you’re feeling decadent, this recipe can handle an extra 1/2 cup of bits of semisweet or dark chocolate. Or, if you want to make the spice flavors more prominent, bump up the amount of cinnamon to a teaspoon, and add 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon each ground allspice and nutmeg.

Easy Tortellini Soup
Gennifer Rawlings
For food storage purposes, all of this but the zucchini is in your pantry or freezer. (And, you don't have to add the zucchini anyway.) You can use dehydrated onions and carrots.

Cook:
1 lb Italian sausage and drain well. Remove from casing if you can’t find it ground. We like the hot stuff but it might be too much for kids.

Add:
(1) large onion, chopped
(1) garlic clove, finely chopped
(3) 14.5 cans beef broth
(2) 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
(1) 8 oz can tomato sauce
(1) cup dry red wine — substitute cranberry juice
(2) carrots, sliced thin
(1) tbsp sugar
(2) tsp italian seasoning — if you don’t have that, just do mix of oregano, basil and thyme

Simmer above for 30 mins or, actually, as long as you want.

Add:
(2) small zucchini, sliced thin — not necessary if your kids would freak about green stuff in their soup
(1) 9 oz package of cheese-filled tortellini — get the good stuff — it’s worth it

Simmer all for 10 more mins.

Grate about a cup of parmesan cheese (or any cheese) and sprinkle on top. Great with sour dough bread on the side.

Pizza Pasta
Sarah d'Evegnee

We made this up one day when we were scavenging the pantry to figure out what to make for dinner. Eric made up the name and it stuck. This is a great way to rotate your food storage and everything in the recipe except the cheese can be stored outside the fridge.

1 package macaroni or other pasta you have in storage
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 package turkey pepperoni, slices cut in half
1 package italian shredded cheese

Cook pasta and drain. In round pizza pan (or you can really use any pan you want--the kids just think it's fun in the pizza pan) combine with sauce, pepperoni slices and cheese, reserving a handful or two for the top.

Cook for 30 minutes at 350, then broil for 2-3 minutes.


Nutty Oatmeal Cookies
Christine Gilbert

1/2 cup peanut oil or vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup chopped dried apples or other fruit
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

1) Heat the oven to 375. Cream oil and sugars together; add applesauce or eggs and beat until well blended.
2) Combine the flour, oats, fruit, nuts, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Alternating with the milk, add the dry ingredients to the oil/sugar mixture stirring to blend. Stir in the vanilla.
3) Put teaspoon-size mounds of dough about 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool for about 2 minutes on the same sheets, then use a spatula to transfer the cookies to a rack to finish the cooling.


Vegetable Soup
Maija-Liisa Adams

4 cups water
3/4 to 1 cup dried vegetables (green beans, corn, peas, tomatoes, onions, etc.)
2 packages beef bullion granules or 4 cubes
Seasonings to taste such as herbs, soy sauce, or curry

Bring water to a boil. Add dried vegetables, bouillon and seasonings.Simmer about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender though chewy. (Freshly dried vegetables will not take as long to
reconstitute as those that have been stored for a long time.)
As a variation, add 1/2 cup cooked rice, noodles or barley with the other ingredients, or add 1/4
to 1/2 cup dried jerky, cut in bite-size pieces. Using low-sodium soup granules or bouillon cubes will allow those on low-sodium diets to enjoy this versatile recipe.


Barley Split-Pea Soup
Maija-Liisa Adams

3/4 Cup Split Peas
1/2 Cup Barley
2 Tablespoons Carrots, Dehydrated
1 Tablespoon Celery Flakes
2 Teaspoons Vegetable Broth Powder
2 Teaspoons Onion Flakes
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Parsley Flakes
1/8 tsp. Garlic Granules
1 Bay Leaf
1 tbsp. Oil
10 C Water
6 oz Ham, Canned -- cubed, optional

1. Bring water and oil to a boil. Slowly sprinkle in dry ingredients. Stir; cover
2. Bring to boil again, and keep at high simmer for 45 to 60 minutes or until peas have softened.
3. If used, add pre-cooked meat cook for the last 15 minutes.


No-FAT White Bean Cinnamon Rolls
Janeese Summers

2 1/2 C. warm water
1/2 C. powdered milk
2 T. active bakers yeast
7 C. flour
1/2 C. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, or egg substitute
1 C. brown sugar
1 3/4 C. white beans pureed
1 T. cinnamon



Put warm water in a large bowl. Add the yeast and sugar. Add eggs to the mixture. Add 1 cup of the pureed beans and powdered milk. Mix in salt and flour. Beat with and electric beater until smooth. Mix remaining flour into the dough by hand. Dough should be soft and not too sticky. Cover dough and let rise for 45 minutes. Make 2 balls of dough and roll each of them out on a floured board into rectangle shape. Spread the remaining pureed beans on top of the dough. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the beans. Roll dough into a log; cut in 1 inch slices with thread. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. Let rise for 20 minutes. Bake at 375 for 10-13 minutes. Use powder sugar and skim milk to make a glaze. Drizzle over the rolls after they cool.


Jello Salad
Nicole Burt

1 small pkg. lime (or lemon or really any flavor) jello

3/4 cup boiling water

dissolve jello in water and set aside (in fridge to cool, but not set)

1 cube butter, melted

1 box Nilla wafers-crushed

Mix butter and wafers, press in bottom of 9x13 pan reserving some (about 1 cup) for top

8 oz. cream cheese softened (Recipe calls for 4 oz. and I usually use 4 oz. but for Recipe night @ Kelly's I used 8 oz. and it turned out great!)

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

Mix above ingredients and add cool jello

In separate bowl whip 1 can chilled evaporated milk till slightly thickened. Add cream cheese mixture, pour over crust in pan. Top with remaining crumbs and chill!


Black Beans and Rice
Karen McMaster

This is the consistency of a soup or stew. If you like cook it down to make it thicker... also mashing the
black beans with a potato masher a bit helps too.

Heat approximately
2-3 TBSP of oil in a pan
add two cloves of minced garlic
and 1/4 (or more if you prefer) diced small onion.
When clear add (prepared/ soaked and rinsed) black beans (one 16 oz bag) and cook for a couple more minutes. Stir.

add 1 cup of water if you are cooking in a pressure cooker; otherwise add about 4 cups of water
add chicken base (I use 1-2 TBSP); also add 1 tsp cumin; 3/4 tsp tsp red pepper flakes; 3/4 tsp ground cardamom; salt and pepper to taste.

Cook/ Simmer for approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours (checking beans to see if they are done) or just follow your pressure cookers instructions (mine takes about 20 minutes on high).

I like to serve this over Calrose rice, with sliced tomatoes and avocados; also, you can serve it with Chicken legs; or chicken breasts...

Good luck!

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