FSP Week 7

More than halfway there!  Booyah.

Mexican Monday: Enchilada Casserole

Oriental Tuesday: Tofu Coconut Curry

Twisted Wednesday: Skillet Hash

Authentic Thursday: Minestrone Soup

TGIFriday: Veggie Burgers

Simple Saturday: leftovers/cold cereal

Special Sunday: Clam Chowder

Shopping List

• 1-2 cans chicken
• 1 can black beans
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 can corn -or- small bag of frozen
• 1 can olives
• corn tortillas
• enchilada sauce
• cheese
• salsa
• coconut oil
• small bag frozen/dried veggie stir fry mix
• 3 cans drained mushrooms
• 1 can. sliced water chestnuts (opt)
• rice
• dried onions
• 1 block of firm tofu
• 1 can coconut milk
• chicken bouillon
• minced garlic (opt)
• salt & pepper
• 1 package chicken sausages/hot dogs (canned Vienna sausage?)
• 1 onion (opt)
• 5 large potatoes -or- 1 bag of country style hashbrowns, frozen/dried
• ketchup
• 1 can mixed veggies (green beans, carrots, corn, celery, potatoes)
• zucchini (opt)
• 1 can. Italian stewed tomatoes
• chicken broth (opt)
• beef broth/bouillon
• brown sugar
• balsamic vinegar
• penne/macaroni pasta
• spinach, fresh/frozen/canned
• 1 can white beans
• brown lentils
• bulgur wheat OR quinoa
• mayonnaise
• bread crumbs -or- 2 slices of bread
• hamburger buns -or- pita bread
• 1 c. cashews
• bacon -or- bacon bits
• flour
• 16 oz. clam juice
• 24 oz. canned minced clams
• 2 cans whole potatoes
• 12 oz. can evaporated milk -or- rice/coconut milk
• seasonings/slices: cumin, chili powder, yellow curry, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, celery seeds, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, thyme

And this week's Build Your Food Storage is 20 lbs of brown sugar.  Hang in there, only 6 more weeks to go!  *B

Summers' Shepherd Pie

This is one of my husband's favorite meals from childhood, and I usually only make it for his birthday...  I grew up with a VERY different version of shepherd's pie, so it's always "confusing" for me when I make it.  But I do like it, too.  Just probably not as much as my husband ;)

Ingredients:

• ¾ lb. ground meat, cooked -or- 1 c. TVP, rehydrated in 1 c. beef broth
• 1 T. dried onions
• 1-2 cans of mushrooms, drained
• 2 cans green beans, drained -or- 2-3 c. frozen -or- 1 c. dried, rehdyrated in chicken broth
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup*
• 1 t. mustard (opt)
• 1 t. Worcestershire sauce
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 small bag of tater tots
• cheese (opt)

Directions:

     Combine all of the ingredients in a casserole dish, except tater tots and cheese, and mix well.  Top with tater tots and bake in preheated oven until bubbling, about 30 minutes at 350.  Add an even layer of cheese and bake/broil until melted.  Serve warm with a side salad.

*Note: I generally make one batch of cream of whatever soup with (rice)milk and then another batch with chicken/beef broth, for a total of two cans' worth of soup.

Cream of Whatever Soup

I honestly can't tell you when the last time was where I bought a can of cream of mushroom/chicken/tomato soup.  Simply because I like to make my own.  It gives me a better handle on the ingredients, which means less MSG as well as some dairy-free options...

Ingredients:

   •  3 T. butter

   •  3 T. flour (about half if using a GF mix w/ xanthan gum)

   •  ¼ t. salt

   •  Dash of pepper

   • 1 ¼ c. liquid (milk/broth/juice)

   • optional mix-ins: mushrooms, celery, chicken (depends on what kind of soup you're making)

Directions:

     Combine flour and seasoning and set aside.  Melt butter in pan.  Add flour mixture and stir well, allow to cook for a minute or two.  Whisk in liquid and bring to a simmer until thickened.  Makes 1 can’s worth of soup.

13 Bean Soup II

I find this soup to be extremely filling and satisfying.  My family prefers the beans pureed (like split pea soup), whereas I like them left whole.  Either way, this soup is all sorts of hearty, tasty and never disappoints.

Ingredients:

• 2 2/3 c. dry bean mix
• 8 c. water
• 3 carrots, sliced -or- 1 can, drained -or- 1/2 c. dried, rehydrated
• 1/2 onion, chopped -or- 1-2 T. dried onions
• 1 ham bone, with meat -or- 1-2 cans of hams
• 2 ribs of celery, chopped -or- 1/2 t. celery seeds
• 2-3 t. brown sugar
• 1/4 t. chili powder
• 1 t. cumin
• 1 t. oregano/basil
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 1 can tomatoes, drained
• 2 T. ham bouillon -or- 1 T. chicken bouillon and 1 T. beef bouillon

Directions:

     Sort and rinse beans.  Place in a large soup pot and cover with water.  Allow to soak overnight; or bring to a boil for 2 minutes on the stove, then cover and let sit for 1 hour.  Drain beans well.  Add prepared beans and remaining ingredients, including the 8 c. clean water.  Stir well and bake in oven at 275 for 3 hours.  Carefully remove ham hock from soup and strip meat from bone.  Puree soup if desired.  Chop up meat before stirring back into soup.  Serve hot with cornbread and honey/maple butter.

Pad Thai

I personally lovvve Thai food, even when it calls for stinky fish sauce ;)  This can easily be converted to a vegan-friendly recipe by omitting the egg and shrimp in favor of using tofu (which I have done and quite enjoyed).  Just make sure to use prepared tofu, either cubed or thrown in a food processor until crumbly.  Feel free to add more veggies as desired, as well.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 package pad thai rice noodles
• 2 T. coconut oil
• 1-3 eggs, scrambled (opt)
• 1.5 T. dried onions, rehydrated
• 4 T. fish sauce
• 2 T. brown sugar
• 1 t. paprika
• 1 t. garlic powder
• 1 can bean sprouts, drained
• 1/4 c. - 1/2 c. ground peanuts
• 1 c. cooked/canned shrimp OR tofu
• handful of spinach, chopped (opt)
• cilantro (opt)
• 2 limes

Directions:

     Soak rice noodles in warm water for 30-45 minutes.  Heat 1 T. oil in large saucepan.  Add egg and cook either as an egg pancake or scrambled.  Remove egg, and chop if needed/desired.  Add remaining oil to pan, adding rehydrated onion once oil is hot.  Stir onion around the pan a few times before adding shrimp (if using).  Lightly salt shrimp while cooking, then remove from pan.  Drain rice sticks well and add to skillet.  Stir fry noodles until transclucent, adding 2-4 T. water as needed.  Add remaining ingredients and stir well.  Continue to cook until liquid is gone.  Serve warm and garnish with cilantro.  Slice limes and allow individuals to squeeze juice according to personal taste.

Combo Tacos (food storage version)

Not only is this recipe more food storage friendly, it's also vegan!  Well, almost.  If you used veggie broth, then it totally would be...  I actually prefer these tacos to the original, and hopefully you will too :)

Ingredients:

• 1 c. TVP, rehydrated in 1 c. beef broth
• 1/2 c. brown rice, cooked in 1 c. beef broth
• 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 T. dried onions, rehydrated (opt)
• 2 T. taco seasoning

Directions:

     Combine ingredients in saucepan; add 2-4 T. of water and simmer until liquid is gone.  Serve warm in tortillas/shells, or with tortilla chips, with desired condiments.

FSP Week 6

On to week six of our food storage adventure, huzzah!

Mexican Monday: Combo Tacos

Oriental Tuesday: Pad Thai

Twisted Wednesday: 13 Bean Soup

Authentic Thursday: Pepperoni Pizza

TGIFriday: Spicy Chic Buffalo

Simple Saturday: leftovers/cold cereal

Special Sunday: Summers' Shepherd’s Pie 

Shopping List

• ground beef/turkey -or- TVP
• 1 can black beans
• fresh/dried onions
• taco seasoning
• pad thai rice noodles
• coconut oil
• fresh/powdered garlic
• eggs
• fish sauce
• brown sugar
• fresh/frozen/canned bean sprouts
• 1/4 c. peanuts -or- peanut butter
• fresh/frozen/canned shrimp
• 13 bean mix
• fresh/frozen/canned carrots
• ham bone -or- canned ham
• 1 can tomatoes
• chicken and beef bouillon
• cornmeal
• flour
• yeast
• baking powder
• salt
• xanthan gum (opt)
• milk (your choice)
• frozen/canned corn
• pizza crust/flour tortillas/bagels/English muffins
• spaghetti sauce
• mozzarella cheese
• pepperoni slices
• 1 can black olives (opt)
• 1-2 cans of mushrooms
• 1 jar roasted bell peppers (opt)
• 2 cans chicken
• butter
• Frank's Red Hot sauce
• hamburger/hogi buns
• blue cheese dressing
• 1-2 cans green beans -or- fresh/frozen green beans
• mustard
• worcestershire sauce
• 1 bag of tater tots
• cheese
• seasonings: paprika, celery seeds, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper

This week's Build Your Food Storage is 6 lbs macaroni/pasta.  And just FYI, Costco now carries pretty decent gluten free pasta, so we tend to buy that in bulk (way cheaper).  You can either purchase an assortment of pasta or one style (penne and/or spaghetti).  I prefer to buy the pasta that I intend to store in plastic packaging rather than boxes.  Especially since it's so dang wet where we live!  Either way, just be aware of the environment in which you're storing your food...  *B

Chicken and Vegetable Casserole

This is such a comfort food!  Reminds me of when I was a kid...  Relatively easy to prepare, fills up hungry tummies, and pleases palates of all ages.  Triple win :)

Ingredients:

• 4 T. butter
• 4 T. flour (equal parts sorghum and rice flour)
• 1 c. milk (rice milk works great)
• 1 c. chicken broth
• 1 T. apple cider vinegar
• 1 lb chicken, cubed and cooked -or- 2 cans of chicken, drained
• 2 c. rice, prepared in 4 c. chicken broth
• 1 lb. broccoli or mixed vegetables (Normandy) -or- 1 c. dried veggies, redhydrated in 2 c. broth
• 1 can mushrooms, drained
• 1-2 T. dried onions, rehydrated
• 1 T. sage
• 1 t. paprika
• salt/pepper, to taste
• dash of nutmeg
• shredded cheese

Directions:

     Make a roux with butter and flour; combine milk, broth and vinegar and add to roux a cup at a time.  Whisk well and bring to a simmer.  Add remaining ingredients and place in a casserole dish.  Top with desired amount of cheese and bake at 350 until bubbly and cheese is melted.  Broil for a few minutes until cheese begins to brown.  Serve warm with a side salad.

Homemade Hamburger Helper

I never was a huge fan of Hamburger Helper, but my husband sure likes it...  Not that he grew up with it, but you know, hamburger.  Anyway, I prefer to make my own one-pot meal as opposed to using the prepackaged meal with who-knows-what ingredients.  This is so very easy to modify too, by changing the seasonings, liquids used, etc.  And it's always been a big hit anytime I've made it, so I'm sure you'll enjoy it too :)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb. ground meat -or- 1 c. TVP, rehydrated in 2 c. broth
• 2 c. milk (rice milk works great)
• 1 c. broth
• 2 heaping cups of pasta (GF penne/macaroni works well)
• 1/2 t. chili powder
• 2 t. garlic powder
• 1 t. brown sugar
• 1 t. salt
• paprika/turmeric, to taste
• 1-2 c. shredded cheese (depends on how cheesey you want it)

Directions:

     Brown meat, drain fat as desired.  Add liquid, seasoning and pasta.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until pasta is al dente.  Add desired amount of cheese and stir well until combined.  Serve warm with a side salad.

Bacon Sauce

This sauce is super yum, and goes great with mashed potatoes or potato pancakes.  Shoot, I'm sure it would be awesome with chicken fried steak!  I guess we'll just have to cross that bridge when we get there ;)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. bacon bits
• 2 T. flour
• 1 c. beef broth
• 1 t. Dijon mustard
• 1 t. worcestershire sauce

Directions:

     Heat skillet over medium heat.  Add just enough butter/oil so that bacon won't stick (obviously not a problem if using real bacon).  To make a roux, you need equal parts flour and fat.  So add/decrease oil as needed.  Add flour to pan and stir well; allow to cook for a minute while stirring constantly.  Whisk in beef broth until gravy forms.  Remove from heat and stir in mustard and worcestershire sauce.  Serve warm. 

Teriyaki Chicken II (food storage version)

I think I might prefer this version to the other...  And this sauce makes for a great marinade!  You can also make this dish in the oven, or on the stove-top and just cook the rice separately.  There's a lot of ways to modify this recipe (see notes below), and I end up making it all the time with chicken thighs and fresh vegetables.  But for now I'll share the more food storage friendly version :)

Ingredients:

• 2-4 T. coconut/avocado oil (2 T. for crock, 4 T. for marinade)
• 1/4 c. low sodium soy sauce
• 2 T. ketchup
• 1 T. apple cider vinegar
• 5 t. brown sugar
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 1/4 t. ginger
• 1/2 t. sesame seeds
• 2 cloves of garlic -or- 2 t. garlic powder
• 2 cans of chicken, with liquid
• 3 c. chicken broth*
• 1 c. rice
• 1 c. dried veggies
• 1 can mushrooms, drained

Directions:

     Combine ingredients in slow cooker.  Cook on high for 2 hours, then reduce heat to low and cook for another 2-3 hours or until rice is tender.

Notes: If you choose to use fresh/frozen vegetables (1 lb) in place of dried vegetables, decrease broth to 1 cup.  You can use 6-8 chicken thighs in place of canned chicken, but you should probably reduce the rice to 3/4 c. unless your chicken is frozen.  I guess it depends on how saucey you want your meal to be!  You can also omit the rice altogether and then thicken the sauce with cornstarch in a separate saucepan.  However you choose to prepare it, enjoy!  *B

FSP week 5

Woot, week five of food storage!  Only 8 more weeks to go ;) Just another couple of months, and then we'll have 3 months' worth of meals planned...  So, who's with me?

Mexican Monday: Awesome Meatless Chili

Oriental Tuesday: Teriyaki Chicken

Twisted Wednesday: Potato Pancakes

Authentic Thursday: Ravioli Bisque

TGIFriday: Homemade Hamburger Helper

Simple Saturday: leftovers/cereal

Special Saturday: Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

Shopping List

• 1 can black beans
• 1 can kidney beans
• brown lentils
• 3 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 can of corn
• 1 can mushrooms
• dried onions
• beef bouillon
• brown sugar
• coconut oil
• soy sauce
• ketchup
• apple cider vinegar
• 3 cans of chicken
• chicken broth OR chicken bouillon
• rice
• 2 large potatoes OR 2 c. dehydrated hashbrowns OR 2lb. frozen hashbrowns
• flour
• cheese
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1 can mushroom soup
• cheese raviolis
• TVP
• milk (DF of choice)
• penne/macaroni pasta
• butter
• 2 c. broccoli, frozen/fresh OR 1 c. dehydrated broccoli
• bacon OR bacon bits
• seasonings: garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, ginger, sesame seeds, basil, paprika, turmeric, sage, nutmeg

This week's Build Your Food Storage is 10 lbs of flour.  I'll be buying almond flour...

Chicken Parmesan (food storage version)

Similar to the simple chicken patties, but with just a few changes and voila!  This version of chicken parmesan is fast and easy, but still delicious.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of chicken, drained
• 2 large eggs
• 4 T. milk
• 1 T. dried onion
• 2 slices of bread, finely crumbled
• 1/4 c. parmesan cheese
• 1/4 c. ground flax
• 1/2 t. Italian seasoning
• salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
• 4 T. coconut oil
• Spaghetti sauce
• mozzarella cheese
• 12 oz. spaghetti

Directions:

     In a small bowl, add 1 T. water to dried onion to rehydrate; set aside.  Beat egg and milk in large mixing bowl.  Add rehydrated onion, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, flax and seasoning; stir well until combined.  Form mixture into 6-8 patties, according to desired size.  Melt 1-2 T. oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add 3-4 patties to hot pan and fry for 4 minutes on each side.  Add extra oil as needed to pan and cook remaining patties.

     Transfer finished patties to lined cookie sheet.  Top each pattie with a spoonful of spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 350 until cheese is melted.  While chicken bakes, prepare pasta.  Once cooked, drained and return to pot.  Add 1 c. spaghettie sauce to pasta and stir well.  Serve chicken patties on a bed of pasta and top with more sauce as desired.  Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.

Sloppy Fauxs

I'll have you know that my carnivore husband had two servings of this, and my carnivore son practically licked his plate clean.  If it weren't for the beef broth, this meal would be vegan!  Food storage for the win ;)

Ingredients:

• 1 c. TVP, redhydrated in 1 c. beef broth
• 1/2 c. brown rice, cooked in 1 c. beef broth w/ 1 T. dried onion
• 3 T. brown sugar
• 2 t. steak/mesquite seasoning
• 1/4 - 1/2 c. chopped roasted bell peppers (from a jar)
• 1 can mushrooms, drained and finely chopped
• 2 T. chopped walnuts (opt)
• 1 T. Worchestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 c. marinara/tomato sauce
• 2 T. tomato paste
• salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Directions:

     Combine ingredients in medium saucepan and stir well; heat through.  Serve warm with buns or pita bread, with a side of spiced fries or green salad.