Beef Stroganoff

A fantastic comfort food, and although similar to Beef Monterrey, it does have a different flavor and so I feel it is worth including as a separate meal.
I love that it is a one pan meal, makes clean up and prep much easier.  This would make a great meal in a bag.

Beef Stroganoff

Serves 4-5

1/2 c. Gravy Mix

3 T. Sour Cream Powder

1 tsp Beef Bouillon

1 1/2 tsp Dried Minced Onions

1/4 tsp Basil

1/4 tsp Thyme

1 1/2 tsp Parsley

3/4 tsp Garlic

1 can Mushrooms (7 oz can)

1/2 pt Beef

1 1/4 c. Macaroni

3 c. Water

Pick a 3 qt pan, any shape with a lid.  Whisk the gravy mix, sour cream powder and spices into half the water.  Add the mushrooms, with liquid (about 1/4 c. per can) the beef with any broth, the macaroni and the last 1 1/2 c. water.  Put the lid on and simmer until the pasta is cooked, about 15-20 minutes.

I added about 2 tsp of Worcestershire Sauce since this is something we keep in our food storage.  I will serve the meal with the bottle (Makes me sound like a lush, eh?) on the table for those who are bigger fans of it than I.

Yogurt

Did you know yogurt is easy to make at home?  Did you know you can make it with your food storage dry milk??

I am so excited to share this post with you!  I have just made yogurt out of dry milk!
It was so easy, It took a few hours of intermittent attention and then a bunch of hours just sitting incubating. 

I think you will love it as much as I do!

YOGURT

1 c. Nonfat Instant Milk Powder (DO NOT use a milk substitute like morning moo)
4 c. Hot Water
2-3 Tbs Plain Yogurt (or use a dry yogurt starter and follow those directions)

Mix the 1 c. Milk Powder with hot water in a quart size jar.  Fill it half way and mix, (I put a lid on and shake it) then fill it up to the bottom of the neck.

Place this jar into a pot of boiling water with a towel or canning rack on the bottom to prevent the jar from breaking, like a double boiler.
Using a meat or candy thermometer, heat the milk to 180º F.  Remove from heat and allow to cool to 115º.  (It takes about 1 hour each to heat and then cool the milk)

Place the 2-3 Tbs Yogurt in a bowl.  Pour in a small amount of the cooled milk and stir until it is smooth.  Pour this mixture into the jar and stir.

Wait 10 minutes and stir again.  Place the lid on the jar and place in a small insulated bag (lunch bag or small ice chest).  I added 2 more qt jars of hot tap water to help maintain the temperature.  Pack the extra space with towels, making sure the 3 jars are touching.  Seal. 


My bag was very thin, and I had a small insulated bag that was slightly larger so I placed one bag inside the other.  The goal is to maintain a good temperature for the growth of the culture which is how the yogurt sets. 

Allow to incubate until it is set, about 8 hours.  I simply left mine over night.  In the morning it was set.  When set, place in the fridge.  It will keep for 1-2 weeks.

There was a small amount of yellowish liquid on the top of the yogurt.  This is whey, healthy and very high in protein content.  I stirred it into my yogurt, but you can pour it off if you prefer.

Flavor with jelly, fruit, granola, extracts or oils.  Use it plain as a sour cream or mayo substitute in recipes.  Make smoothies or fruit dips. 

Home made yogurt is slightly 'softer' than storebought yogurt.  There is frequently added pectin and other thickeners in storebought yogurt which you do not add to your home made stuff.  It is purely milk and cultures.

It's a great way to save a little money and use your food storage so that it doesn't go bad!

Mac and Cheese Varieties

After figuring out the best mac and cheese recipe ever, I decided I need to post some of the different ways that I enjoy eating mac and cheese!

MAC AND CHEESE

A more grown up taste ...

1 Tbs dry Bell Pepper Blend

1 Tbs dry Onion

Reconstitute peper and onion, add to one recipe or one box mix of mac and cheese.

MAC AND CHEESE DINNER

1 Tbs dry Bell Pepper Blend

1 Tbs dry Onion

1 1/2 tsp Garlic powder

1/2 pint Beef w/broth

Shred Beef if it is not ground.  Add garlic, peppers and onions.  Mix all together and warm until peppers and onions are soft.  Add to one recipe or one box mix of mac and cheese.

Macaroni with Cheese Sauce

I love that old stand by Mac and Cheese.  It is one of those cheap and tasty comfort foods from when I was a kid.  Making it with food storage is not quite as simple, and at the same time easier than I imagined.  I struggled with this for quite a while, but have finally figured it out.  Here is the pure food storage recipe ...  just cheese blend and pasta.

MACARONI AND CHEESE

Equals one box of Mac and Cheese

1 1/2 c. Pasta

2 1/2 c. Water

6 Tbs Cheese Blend Powder

1/2 c. Water

1/8 tsp Salt

1/8 tsp Pepper

Cook the pasta in the water.  If you use a lid on your pot, there will be plenty of water left over.  Drain, reserving water.

Blend the Cheese Powder into 1/2 c. water and mix into pasta.  Add more water to the desired texture.

The trick, is to mix it well BEFORE you add it to the pasta.  After the pasta is in the mix, any lumps are there to stay.

MAC AND CHEESE BOX

Making a box mix food storage style

1 box Mac and Cheese

2 Tbs Dry Milk

3 Tbs Dry butter

1/8 tsp Salt

1/8 tsp Pepper

2 1/2 c. Water

Cook pasta in water.  If you use a lid, there will be plenty to cook and plenty left over.

Mix contents of cheese packet with dry milk and dry butter.

Drain pasta, reserving water.  Mix cheese mixture into pasta adding 1/4 c. water.  Add more water to desired texture.

Dry Dairy 101

I don't know how many botched batches of mac and cheese I threw away before I realized the difference between the packet powders and what I have in the #10 can.  To help prevent ya'll from having the same problem in this and other recipes, here is what I learned:

Cheese Blend: A blend of cheees and dairy products like milk or whey.  This is what comes in most #10 cans for food storage.  This is why you can get away without adding any milk or butter into this recipe.

Cheese Powder: The orange stuff in the mac and cheese packet.  No additional dairy products, which is why you need to add milk and butter to the box mix.



On the Left is CHEESE BLEND from a can.  On the Right is a CHEESE PACKET with the added MILK and BUTTER.



Mexican Chicken

So I got this recipe at church ..... I don't even know how long ago.  I finally decided to make it last sunday, only to realize that ....between the time church gets out and my hubby leaves for his evening meetings  I DID NOT have 2 1/2 hours like the recipe called for.  I was about to set it aside for another day, when I was inspired to make it out of food storage instead!

Food Storage is so wonderful.  While some things take longer to prepare (dry beans, grinding wheat for bread, etc) other things more than make up for it, like canned meat.   I bottle my own meat, but have a small amount of store bought stuff that I bought to build up my supply in between finding fresh/frozen chicken on sale.  I can't wait for the store bought stuff to be gone...it's not as good as the home canned.  I buy whatever chicken I am choosing to work with (breast/whole/bones/boneless etc..) when it goes on sale and bottle it up in either 1/2 pints or pints.

So....this isn't the exact recipe I got...it's my food storage version of it.  It was very very tasty!

MEXICAN CHICKEN

2 12.5 oz cans of Chicken Chunks (1 1/2 pnt) w/broth

1 pint  Crushed Tomatoes w/juice

1 can Diced Green Chili's

2 Tbs Minced Onion, dry

2-3 Tbs Taco Seasoning

Pour all the ingredients into a pot with their broths and juices.  Break the chicken chunks into shreds and mix all the dry into the broth.  Simmer until enough liquid is absorbed/evaporated to make it a good consistency for tacos or burritos.

I made this into burritos, using 1 1/2 c. dry rice, which I cooked, and opening 1 can of olives and 1 can of beans (kidney or black)  Letting everybody make their burritos and adding a vegetable as a side dish, this recipe will easily feed 6-8 people.  We topped ours with cheese and sour cream since it's not a desperate food storage time yet.  :)  Might as well enjoy it while we can, right?

This would make a great chicken taco salad with tortilla chips and lettuce or a delicious taco. 

I must confess, I completely forgot to take pictures the night I made it, so these pictures are of my leftovers the next day when I warmed them up and served them for lunch.  :)    I think they were tastier the second day!

Haystacks

An old standby for my family dinners the Hawaiian Haystack is a versatile meal.  Not traditionally thought of as 'food storage' this family favorite is easy to convert to food storage ready items.  Not quite a recipe, it's more a list of ingredients that you pile together on your plate depending on your current taste and desires.  The amounts listed are for starters to help you along.  These amounts work for feeding 6-8 people.  Items without amounts usually come in a can, just open it and you may have leftovers depending on how much your family likes of each item.

HAWAIIAN HAYSTACK

Chow Mein Noodles (the crunchy ones)

Rice (2 c. dry)

Pineapple, tidbits

Mandarin Oranges

Chilli's, diced

Peas

Olives, sliced

Onions, diced

Coconut

Shredded Cheese**

Meat (1/2 pt)

Gravy (1 1/2 c.) to match meat

Sweet and Sour Sauce

** Cheese is the only item that is not readily food storage compatible.  I urge you to investigate the different options to include cheese in your food storage or just plan on omitting it from this recipe.

Italian Seasoned Bread

My basic bread recipe is FANTASTIC !!  (If I do say so myself.)  We use this recipe for all sorts of things.  One of the great ways to use this recipe, and other food storage ingredients is to make an Italian Loaf.  This bread is not an Italian type of bread....just seasoned to complement your Italian foods and recipes.

To one 4 loaf batch of Basic Bread, prior to adding the final 6-8 c. Flour, add this seasoning mix to have a delicious seasoned batch of bread!

ITALIAN BREAD SEASONING

4 Tbs Tomato Powder

4 Tbs Onion Flakes

1/2 Tbs Garlic Granules/Powder

2 Tbs Oregano

This bread is the perfect complement to Tuna and Lunch meat Sandwiches as well as your Sunday Roast or the Minestrone Soup you mixed up from your soup mixes!  Take one whiff of the divine aroma and your meal wheels will start spinning with the possibilities!

Bean and Rice Burrito's

This is a great recipe to help use up left overs and a great option for a busy day since it is quick and easy.

BEAN AND RICE BURRITOS

Serves 4

1/4 c. Dry Onion

1/2 c. Water

1 1/2 c. Cooked Rice

1 can 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.  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.  I also promise to post my tortilla recipe later.  Just like bread or rolls it is a wonderful way to add variety to your menu using stuff you already have on hand. 

This is also a great meal to eat just plain, over toast or over a bed of lettuce in the spring when you can harvest that from your garden.

Gravy Mix

I was inspired to do this when I noticed that many recipe's call for a basic roux base.  I love having a substitute from always have to turn on the stove and cook up a roux.  It saved a step in the Beef Monterrey and I have learned to use this mixture for everything from gravy to soups!

GRAVY MIX

2 c. Starch*

3 c. Milk Powder

2 tsp Salt

1 Tbs Pepper

1 c. Butter Powder

I place all ingredients into a half gallon container and then put the lid on and shake to mix the ingredients. 

Allow the dust to settle and then use.

Mix 1 c. mix with 1-3 cups water for everything from gravy to creamy soup base.

Use alone as a White Sauce or flavor with cheese powder, bouillons or spices for desired flavors.

* I have used Ultra Gel and it works fine, but my preference is to use Instant Clear Jel since it will thicken with either hot or cold water.

Beef Monterrey

I don't know where I got this recipe from......if it's yours let me know, I would love to give credit to the rightful owners!

This is a favorite in our family, the flavor is similar to a stroganoff, but not quite.

Beef Monterrey

3 Tbs Butter*

1 1/4 c. Gravy Mix

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

3 tsp Dry Minced Garlic

1-2 can Mushrooms

1 pint Beef  (1 lb)

3 c. Beef Broth

1 tsp Beef Bouillon

___ tsp Beef Bouillon**

4 c.  Prepared Rice
1/2 c. Chopped Pecans

Open the can of beef chunks and drain the liquid into a large measuring cup (3c. or larger).  You can use any broth or bouillon/water combo you want.....you need 3 c. liquid, flavored as beef broth, in this recipe. 

Pour the broth into a 9x13 pan.  Mix in the Garlic, Salt, Pepper and then add the 3/4 c. Gravy Mix.  Whisk together until thoroughly incorporated.  There may be small lumps of Gravy Mix and thats ok.  Cut the butter into 1 tsp chunks and place in pan.

Put the Beef Chunks and Mushrooms into the pan. 

Cover with foil and bake at 375º for 30-45 minutes, until the gravy is thick. 

Serve over Rice and garnish with chopped pecans or walnuts.  We usually put a green vegetable on the side to round out this meal.  Delicious!

*Butter is optional.  It adds flavor but is not necessary to make the recipe work.

**After you know how much additional liquid you use, you can fill in how many tsp of Beef Bouillon you add to your recipe. I recommend you make it with your food storage before you fill in the 2nd amount of Beef Bouillon.

1 14 oz can Broth = 2 cups
1/2 pint home canned beef = 1/4 c. Broth
1 12 oz can Costco Beef = 3/4 c. Broth

Don't forget, you can use the water from the canned mushrooms as well....it's just water and may be helpful if you were in a water restricted situtation.

Taco Seasoning

We use this seasoning mix by the spoonful in our tacos and our taco soup!

TACO SEASONING

1 c. Dry Onions

1/4 c. Salt

1/4 c. Minced Garlic

1/4 c. Cornstarch (or thickener of choice)

1/4 c. Cumin

1/2 c. Chili Powder

2 Tbs Oregano



Store in a airtight container on the shelf.  Use 1 1/2 -2 Tbs per pound of meat, or to taste.



Taco Seasoning Single Serve

2 tsp. Dry Onions

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Minced Garlic

1/2 tsp. Cornstarch (or thickener of choice)

1/2 tsp. Cumin

1 tsp. Chili Powder

1/4 tsp. Oregano

Single serving for 1 pount of meat.

You can buy the spice jar containers that I sell, or find your own.  I personally use an empty peanut butter jar for a lot of my seasoning mixes.

Chai

Chai is a delicious drink.  It literally means 'tea' and often is sold as Chai Tea.  I don't drink tea recreationally but loved the flavor of this drink, so I found a way to make it myself and OMIT the tea part.

CHAI

1 1/2 c. Morning Moo

1 1/2 c. Instant Milk

1 Tbs Vanilla Powder

2 1/2 c. Sugar

2 tsp Ginger

2 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Cloves

1 tsp Cardamom (crucial)

I mix this all together and store it on the shelf.  We bring this out anytime we would be drinking hot cocoa!  My kids love it!  They drink it by itself, with marshamllows and sometimes even enjoy mixing a spoonful into the hot chocolate they are already drinking.

A delicious alternative to the traditional hot drinks.

Cake Brownies

If you like your brownies fluffy....here is a wonderful cake brownie recipe.  The flavor is spot on for a basic brownie ready to eat plain or to add your favorite frosting or chocolate chips to.

BROWNIE MIX

4 c. Butter Powder

4 c. Cocoa

1/2 c. Egg Powder

1/2 c. Cornstarch

3 Tbs. Baking Soda

8 c. Sugar

1 1/2 Tbs Vanilla Powder

6 c. Flour

 Use 2 1/3 c. Mix with 1/2 c. Water.  Grease a 9x9 pan, and pour in the batter.  Bake at 350º for 30 min.

If you want to try a single mix before you make a big batch, here is enough for a 9x9 pan.

Brownie Mix

1/2 c. Butter Powder

1/2 c. Cocoa

1 Tbs. Egg Powder

1 Tbs. Cornstarch

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 c. Sugar

1/2 tsp. Vanilla Powder

3/4 c. Flour

Mix with 1/2 c. Water.  Put in a greased 9x9 pan and bake at 350º for 30 minutes.

Lemon Glaze

LEMON GLAZE

1 1/2 c. Powder Sugar

1 tsp Melted Butter

1 tsp Lemon Powder

1 tsp Almond Powder

2 Tbs Milk

                                                     (or as much as needed for deisred consitency)

Mix Powdered sugar with the dry flavors.  Melt butter and add 1 Tbs milk.  Add in the dry mix and stir until well incorporated.  Add more milk as desired for consistency.

Recommended for Lemon Poppy Muffins.



Lemon Poppy Muffins

LEMON POPPY MUFFINS

350º     20-30 minutes

3 c. Muffin Mix

3/4 tsp Almond Powder

1/2 tsp Lemon Powder

2 Tbs Poppy Seeds

1 1/2 c. Water

Add the Almond, Lemon and Poppy to the Muffin mix.  Add water and combine until there are no more pockets of dry.  Bake in 350º Oven for 20-30 minutes

This will make 12 muffins or 1 8x8 pan of 'cake' muffin.

I chose to frost with Lemon Glaze but these are great with just a little butter or plain.



Muffin Mix

I use a wonderful recipe for a muffin mix.  This mix is fantastic all by itself or with the addition of flavors to create variety.  This basic mix is a food storage staple in my house.

  MUFFIN MIX

16 c. Whole Wheat Flour

6 c. Sugar

6 Tbs Baking Powder

8 tsp. Baking Soda

4 tsp Salt

4 tsp Cinnamon

4 tsp Nutmeg

3/4 c. Milk Powder

7 Tbs Dry Egg Whites

1 c. Butter Powder

Mix all dry ingredients together and store in an airtight container.

To use, mix 3 c. mix with 1 1/2 c. water.  Bake at 350º for 20-30 minutes.  (25 min always works for me.) Makes 12 regular size muffins.

To add flavors, simply include 1/3 c. of Rapberry, Bluberry, or Cinnamon Chips to the batter.

The texture of the muffins when using whole wheat flour is slightly denser or heavier than grocery store varieties but oh so tasty and so much better for you!  This is a real stick to your ribs breakfast muffin.

Basic Bread

This BASIC BREAD recipe will make 4 loaves of bread.

It will easily convert from a loaf to a roll and from white to wheat.  It's not the best for every recipe that calls for a dough but it is extremely versatile for purposes of dinner.

BASIC BREAD

5 c. Hot Water

5 c. Flour

3 Tbs Yeast

Mix

1/2 c. Sugar

1/4 c. Oil

2 Tbs Salt

Mix

6-8 c. Flour

Place the first 3 ingredients in a mixing bowl.  I like to use a cookie beater for this part.  Blend until smooth, turn off the machine, and wait 5-10 minutes for the yeast to proof.  Even if your yeast doesn't need proofing, I do not recommend skipping this step. 





Once the dough has risen slightly and the little bubbles are forming, you are ready.  Put in the dough hook, add the next 3 ingredients and mix.



Keep the mixer running this time, start adding the flour.  You want to add slowly so as not to over flour the dough.  As long as the dough is sticking to the side of the bowl, you need more flour.  Let it mix in, then determine if the dough is still sticking to the bowl.



You will know the dough is ready when it pulls away from the sides and bottom of the bowl while the mixer is running.  When you turn the mixer off, it should look like the picture.

 

Once you determine the dough is ready, you can observed the texture of the dough by pinching a piece off with clean dry hands.  After you try to put the pinch back, you will not be able too.

Even once you try real hard to clean your fingers...there will still be some residue. 

This is a 'soft' dough.  You will need to use lightly oiled hands to handle it.  Turn out the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat the dough and cover lightly with plastic to keep from drying out.

Bread:

Let rise once, punch down to remove air.  Divide into four pieces, shape into loaves and set in lightly greased pans.  Let rise a second time, and bake.

Rolls:

You can skip the rising when you are in a hurry, however if you are not, the rise helps with the crumb of the bread.

Wheat v. White

For wheat, simply replace flour cup for cup, allowing that you will use less flour at the end of the recipe.  Wheat flour absorbs more water than processed store bought white flour.  You will also want to replace the sugar with brown sugar or honey which compliments the wheat flavor better than white sugar.

Stale or Old flour:

If any of you have food storage...you know sometimes the flour goes 'stale'.  Sometime you grind the flour and then forget to use it, or you open up that can that dissapeared in the back for too long.  You can tell by the smell.  You can still use this flour and correct the flavor slightly by adding a little extra salt.  Maybe 1-2 tsp for the above recipe.