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Savory Beef with Mushroom Gravy

26 May Savory Beef with Mushroom Gravy (16)

You’ll think you’ve died and gone to food storage heaven with this one!!  Really, IMO it’s an amazing find.  I knew it was magic when I heard two of my kids {NOT mushroom eaters} raving about it at dinner and telling me this was one of the best food storage meals I’ve made.  (Say what?!)  Seriously, it’s that good.  The complexity of flavors will make you think you’re enjoying the gravy from Mom’s Sunday pot roast while in reality it takes just 20 minutes to make (besides also being a lot less fattening).

I took cues from this Mel’s Kitchen recipe to come up with it, adding in a few dried shiitake mushrooms on my own to deepen the flavor.  Served over rice or bread, this is one meal that you’ll look forward to storing for.

serves 8 Continue reading →

Quinoa Cakes

6 Feb Quinoa Cakes (10)

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Today’s recipe was adapted from this Quinoa Burger recipe.  To my son and husband the name “burger” equates to something containing meat so we’re re-naming them “Quinoa Cakes” to make them happy.  Whatever they’re called, I’ll tell you what, I could eat these all day!   I’m thinking {now that they’re all gone and it’s almost lunch time} that next time I’ll double the recipe and freeze a few uncooked to pull out for later.   My kids liked them, dipping them into either ketchup or fry sauce (that drive-in ketchup/mayo sauce).  The original recipe also suggested finishing them off with tzatziki sauce  – I didn’t try that but it sounds good!

You’ll see that these cakes follow the same idea as the Quinoa Pizza Bites we loved, except that they use a different cheese and seasoning combo.  Additionally they’re fried (*on low, so they don’t burn) rather than baked.  Again chia powder takes the place of eggs as their binder which I love for the extra nutritional boost! Continue reading →

Savory Seitan Roulade with Wild Rice and Dried Cranberry Stuffing

17 Jan Savory Seitan Roulade (13)

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savory seitan roulade

savory seitan roulade pg 2

I’ve been intrigued with the idea of trying out a seitan (aka wheat meat) styled “roast” ever since my wheat meat post last spring.  So when I saw this recipe from Susan Voisen, which looked so amazingly good, I knew I had to try it!  Her seitan recipe (using powdered vital wheat gluten) is so much simpler to make than my last go at it, and the results are remarkably delicious.  I can easily imagine ordering this “un-meat” at a vegan restaurant and loving it, even including the food storage substitutions!  My mother in law enjoys eating at those kind of places so I’m definitely going to have to make this dish for her at some point, I think she’ll really like it.

I did change up the stuffing recipe, I liked the idea of using wild rice rather than bread, but you can fiddle with the stuffing and make it the way you prefer. Continue reading →

Quinoa Pizza Bites

18 Oct Quinoa Pizza Bites (7)

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Just WAIT until you try these! If you’ve ever caught anyone saying they don’t like quinoa then this is the recipe to convince them they like it.   Your family is going to devour these quinoa bites, they really will!  And you yourself don’t have to feel guilty eating them…according to the original post (linked in the next paragraph) their calorie count is just 35 calories per bite!

I found them over at So Very Blessed and thank Becky over there for sharing them.  Becky says they’re “hands down” the best thing she’s ever cooked.

As far as making them with food storage ingredients, they cooperate just perfectly!  I used ground chia instead of eggs, freeze dried cheese and veggies in exchange for fresh.  I’ve tried out two different variations so far… both of which have been great!   They’re so easy to change up based on what you like or what you can eat (even vegetarian) I’m convinced anyone can work these yummy bites into their plan!

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Chia “Real Meat” Meatballs

13 Oct Chia Real Meat Meatballs (16)

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These meatballs, made with real meat (as opposed to the wheat meat meatballs  I tricked all my kids with) use ground chia seeds as a binder in place of eggs. No kidding!  I was so excited to find out chia can do this!  Due to their gelling properties when soaked, chia works as a substitute for eggs in all kinds of baking.  (It also makes wonderful pudding, but we’ll get to that another day.)  I’m quite smitten by these little chia seeds.  They’re simply amazing! God truly thought of everything and gave them an extra handful of “nutrition” and “usefulness” when the plant gifts were handed out :) .

We’ll get to the recipe (which is also pretty great) in a minute, but first I have to pause for a moment to introduce you to these amazing little seeds.

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No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars

27 Sep Chewy Granola Bars (1)

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So I’ve been posting food storage recipes for a year now and still haven’t posted a granola bar recipe. Seriously, what kind of survivalist blogger am I…no granola bars?? Well, I’ve finally found what I consider to be the ideal food storage granola bar recipe.  It’s perfect (as in “it deserves it’s own parade” perfect) and I’m really excited to share it with you!

I need to explain why I’m so in love with these granola bars.  First (and this is BIG) they don’t fall apart.  Against all odds they’ve achieved the ultimate goal of being actual granola bars instead of granola chunks and pieces, which is what usually happens. Secondly, they’re fabulously nutritious .  They’re also made in just one pot (love love love), are fast to make, taste GREAT and require no baking!   I’m beside myself.  Oh, and I forgot to mention that my kids and husband all loved them.  Which, even if they hadn’t, I’d still have used the recipe because I myself loved them so much.

Before moving onto the recipe, I have to thank the author of it, Jami from “An Oregon Cottage”.  I only changed one ingredient to make it storable long term otherwise it’s entirely hers.  I’m so glad someone finally got it right!  We’re going to be using this recipe a lot!

makes 20 bars

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Chapati & Roti (Flatbread)

31 Jul Stack of prepared Roti

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Chapati and Roti are super-simple flatbreads perfect for the stovetop, grill or campfire. Chapati and Roti are very similar and often used interchangeably. Depending on who you ask, the major differences appear to be that Chapati are larger and thinner, and cooked on a dry griddle; whereas Roti are smaller and thicker, and are cooked on a lightly oiled griddle. Whatever you call them, they are delicious and a wonderful addition to your FoodStorageCookbook. This recipe makes 6-8 flatbreads, roughly 6″ in diameter.

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Food Storage, Part 3: Storing Grains and Vegetable Protein

20 Jul

Any of the food preservation methods discussed in Part 1, and the additional UHT (ultra-high temperature pasteurization) for the vegetable protein category, should adequately prevent your stored foods from spoiling if stored properly, so I’m more concerned with which storage methods produce the best results for the different ways I use grains and proteins in my Food Storage Cookbook recipes. Ultimately, oats are oats, and tofu is tofu; but different storage forms of these products perform very differently depending on how you cook them and what other ingredients you’re using, and some forms are definitely better than others for certain applications. Although there are exceptions, this article discussions my general observations with the different forms of storage grains and proteins.

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Creamy Millet and Turkey Salad

4 Jul SaladCompleteAlt (1)

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Cooking from your pantry using food storage ingredients doesn’t mean you‘re limited to rice and beans. Most people are familiar with rice pilaf, but millet is a refreshing change of pace and is gluten-free, unlike couscous and bulgur. If you aren’t familiar with millet, you’ve probably seen it a million times without even realizing… it’s those tiny buff-colored beads in birdseed. Fear not, its people food, too! Today’s recipe is for a creamy millet “pilaf” and turkey salad, served warm or cool, that is sure to tempt your taste buds.

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Ultimate Veggie Burgers

22 Jun Ultimate Veggie Burgers (1)

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My #1 son (the one allergic to peanuts, beans, etc.) is away at scout camp this week so it seemed a perfect time to try out a Cook’s Illustrated recipe for veggie burgers that I normally wouldn’t make for the family with him here.  They turned out great!

For those unfamiliar with Cook’s Illustrated magazine, it’s essentially a “test kitchen” publication with recipes being tested every which way in order to come up with what these “experts” consider the best all around recipe for whatever it is.   I love it!  So (from their July 2005′s issue) for them to name this recipe the “ultimate” veggie burger — caught my attention.  I love a good veggie burger and have been wanting to try out for myself what they’d come up with and so boldly named.

The staple ingredients creating the texture are brown lentils and bulgur wheat while for the ”meaty” taste they used mushrooms and cashews.  The result:  the burgers’ texture is fantastic (not gummy like some I’ve tried), they form into a patties just beautifully and the flavor is great.  Overall, this veggie burger is really REALLY good, much better than what’s available store bought and not too much work to make.    Plus, it’s easy to “sub” in storable ingredients, as I’ve done here, making it a possibility for your food storage plan!  If you’re a veggie burger fan I can promise you’re going to love this recipe!

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Homemade “Oatmeal Squares” Cereal

2 Jun Oatmeal Squares Cereal (26)

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After trials and bumps along the way this cereal recipe is finally ready to share!  Launched from a cold cereal recipe given in “A Bite of Independance Through Self Sufficiency” it uses wheat starch as a binder, an ingredient I’d never known is used in making cereals.  I’m excited to have another option in my breakfast plan as well as something the kids can enjoy nibbling on as a snack!  I hope you enjoy it too!

makes 20 cups (the equivalent of 3 boxes of cereal)

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Homemade Cold Cereal: Two Flakey Varieties

31 May Flaked Cold Cereal (29)

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homemade cereal wheat flakes

For this week’s posts I’m focusing on cold cereal!  Yes, you can make it yourself!  In today’s recipes we’re looking at the “how to” of two flaked cold cereals.  Lo and behold the mystery is revealed!  All you need to make them are simple ingredients found in your pantry…  healthier and at a fraction of the price of boxed cereal.  Your only problem will be in doubling (possibly quadrupling ?)  them to make enough to keep up with how quickly they’re eaten!

Both of these recipes were adapted from recipes found in “A Bite of Independence Through Self Sufficiency”, the wonderful (sadly, out of print) book I mentioned in May 10th’s post a few weeks ago.  I hope you enjoy them!  It’s a great feeling to know you can “out price” and “out smart” the boxed cereals at the grocery store by making it yourself!

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Wheat Meat: Meatless Spaghetti and Meatballs

10 May Wheat Meat (19)

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We’re moving into radical food storage territory today!  As a disclaimer, I have to say, if it hadn’t been for my friend Sherida trying this herself first (and having her kids loving it) I probably wouldn’t have believed this would have worked.  So hopefully if this seems like a super crazy idea I can be the same type of guinea pig for you to find the courage to try it.  If you do, you’ll have an added option from your food storage that not only uses up the wheat you’re storing but also saves money at the grocery store and creates healthy “fake your family out” meatless meals.  Wheat meat looks and tastes like meat, it’s the same consistency of meat;  I think you’ll be as surprised as I was!

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Spanish Rice, two varieties

26 Apr Spanish Rice (19)

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traditional spanish rice

tomatillo pilaf

Forget the Rice-a-Roni.  These two wonder oven made rice dishes are just as easy to make and taste a whole lot better!  Left overs freeze well so you can even enjoy it later when it’s needed for a fast meal.  In using with your food storage plan, serve this with Creamy Chicken Enchiladas, Shredded Beef Taquitos, Tacos, Tamales or any other fiesta minded main dish.

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Tex Mex Millet

4 Jan Tex Mex Millet (13)

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Millet is a great grain to store!  It can be popped, or as in this recipe, treated like rice and cooked. Gluten free and high in amino acids, it’s has the highest iron content of all grains besides amaranth and quinoa.  It’s very mild and easy to digest and recommended by doctors for people with ulcers or other digestive problems.  Good stuff for sure!

This recipe using millet is one that I’ve made and shared at food storage tasting tables before and has always gotten a lot of praise.  I originally found it posted online, adjusting it a little to be a food storage recipe, and discovered it was a keeper.  Later, I found out that the recipe I’d found had come from the cookbook “Veginomicon“, a popular vegan cookbook I’d recommend checking out. Continue reading →

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