Author Archives: Mellyn

Fried Green Beans

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Reminiscent of the fried green bean appetizer at T.G.I.Fridays, this recipe gives a glimpse of a non-traditional way you can use those canned green beans in your food storage! –Mellyn

 

  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 15-ounce can green beans — drained
  • 2/3 cup oil
  1. Put flour in a bowl and add green beans.
  2. Stir gently until beans are coated (you could also do this in a ziplock bag!)
  3. Heat oil over high heat until very hot.
  4. Dump spoonfuls of green beans into oil. (I actually cooked the whole can at once in a medium-sized skillet)
  5. Turn beans occasionally, cooking until they turn golden brown (about 5 minutes).
  6. Serve with ranch-flavored sour cream or dip in ranch dressing.

NOTES : Most recipes that call for breading recommend dipping the dip-ee (be it chicken, okra or whatever) in egg before coating in flour. Out of curiosity, I skipped the egg and just doused my drained green beans in flour. A lot of the flour came off when I fried them, but enough remained that they were crispy and good…we liked them well enough that I’ll probably just skip the messy egg step next time, too.

 

Ugly Beef Stew

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I won’t lie to you –this beef stew is pretty ugly. Ugly enough that I sized the picture down, hoping I wouldn’t scare you away with it! But looks can be deceiving! It’s actually quite tasty, and if you have folks in your house who won’t touch a pinto bean, they may just go for this!  –Mellyn  P.S. 2 family reviews follow the recipe below!

Yield: About 8 cups

  • ½ cup pinto bean flour (if you’d like to use kidney beans, click here first and look for my entry dated November 1, 2011!)
  • 4 cups water
  •  1 Tbsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp thyme
  • 4 tsp beef bouillon
  • ½ cup dehydrated carrots
  • 1/3 cup rice, uncooked**
  • 1 can green beans
  • 3 cups additional water
  • 1 or 2 13-ounce cans beef (optional…I didn’t use it)
  1.  Whisk bean flour into water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2.  Add onion, thyme, bouillon, carrots, rice, green beans, beef (if desired) and additional water.
  3.  Return to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until rice and carrots are soft.

**If you want to add rice that’s already cooked, add about 1 cup at the end. You could also leave out the rice and add cooked wheat berries, lentils, barley, quinoa or any other quick-cooking grain.

Anne said, “Nobody suspected it was a bean base. I added an extra can of pinto beans that were blended up to thicken it, and a tablespoon of wheat flour for the same reason. We like ours really thick. I also added extra bouillon, about a tablespoon, but that’s probably because I added extra beans. DH complained about the rice instead of our usual potatoes, but our 3-year old had two bowls full; everybody else ate one bowl without complaining. So I would definitely add it to my list of dinners to make, switch it out for my old beef stew and make it with potatoes instead.”

Amy said, “The texture was normal with the ground beans, it didn’t bother us at all. We still thought it was a little beef brothy but that is something we can play around with ourselves. It wasn’t our favorite (made us think, yes this is a food storage meal), but it would be a good option when you needed to eat food storage meals.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Green Beans with “Meatballs” and Gravy

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Canned green beans are a staple in my food storage pantry. They heat up quickly on the stove top or in the microwave and add some fiber, Vitamin A and variety to my storage. Our family chooses to use fresh veggies most of the time, but canned green beans are still easy to rotate. I just add a bowl to the table to be eaten alongside our steamed carrots or salad. I also really like them cold –straight from the can.

In my opinion, these tasty “meatballs” are nothing short of miraculous! I was astonished at the taste and actually prefer them to real meatballs. We tried them in several different sauces that we’ll share over the next few months, but this easy white “gravy” was an immediate hit! Picky Boy, who has texture issues, didn’t love them, but the rest of the kids gobbled them up! Give them a try on your family and let me know how it goes! –Mellyn Yield: 44 meatballs

  • 3 cups cooked pinto beans
  • 3 cups cooked white rice
  • 2 tablespoons onion powder
  • 5 teaspoons beef bouillon
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1 10.5-ounce can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 15-ounce cans green beans (to serve on the side!)
  1. Mash pinto beans using a fork or potato masher.
  2. Add cooked rice, onion powder and beef bouillon.
  3. Mix well and shape into meatballs. I use a medium cookie scoop.
  4. Heat oil and add meatballs. Turn until all sides are golden brown.
  5. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel to soak up any excess.
  6. Combine cream of mushroom soup and milk, and bring to a simmer.
  7. Add meatballs, and let them simmer in the gravy for 5-10 minutes.
  8. Serve with green beans on the side.

 

 

 

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

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This recipe is adapted from one I received at a “kitchen” wedding shower. It has always been one of our favorites! It tastes best if you make it the day before; giving the flavors more time to blend. You can also dress it up by keeping the tortillas whole and rolling the chicken mixture into enchiladas. If you do this, I’d recommend reserving about 1/2 of the soup mixture and adding chicken to the other half. Fill your tortillas with the chicken mixture and pour the reserved “soup” mixture over the top before baking.

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Chicken Info

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Chicken comes in a variety of forms that are suitable for food storage. If you live in an area without a hen-pecking HOA, perhaps you raise your own chicken! Other folks I know stock up when it’s on sale for a good price and fill their freezer. If you’re freezing your supply, make sure you consider what you’ll do if the power goes out –unless you live in the Arctic, you ought to consider a generator and the gas to keep it running.

Pressure canning for later use is another option. I have several friends who do this regularly and insist that it’s the most delicious and economical way to store chicken. They say it’s easy, too, but I’m still learning about pressure canners, and to be honest, they scare me a little! There are multiple YouTube videos with instructions, if you’d like to see it done before you actually try it.

Emergency Essentials carries freeze-dried chicken, as well. After hydrating, you have chunks of cooked chicken that look, smell and taste just like the real thing. I found it a tad salty, but definitely a useable alternative. It retails for $42.95/can at Emergency Essentials, and the price drops to $41/can if you order 6 or more. Depending on who you ask, it should last 20-30 years stored at room temperature and even longer if stored at a cooler temperature. Remember to store extra water, though. When you’re using freeze-dried products, unless you plan to eat them in their “styrofoam” state, you’ll need to plan for extra water to rehydrate them!

Pleasant Hill Grain also carries a canned chicken that has phenomenal flavor, according to my friend, Carrie. (Sorry, trying it IS on my list, but these cross-country moves have been crimping my try-it-out plans!) Since it’s cold packed with only chicken and salt, it doesn’t have a lot of the additives found in other products, and it boasts a minimum shelf life of 5 years –with some testimonials claiming it’ll last nearly 20! It costs a little more than canned chicken you can purchase at a grocery store (currently around $5.40/can (if you buy enough to qualify for free shipping), but the longer shelf life and improved taste may be worth the extra cost.

Currently, I buy my food storage chicken at Costco. For a little more than $2/can, I have it cooked and ready when I need it. Do we eat canned chicken all the time? Nope. I rotate it by making the recipes I’ll share with you this week as my cans get close to expiration. The rest of the time I buy and use fresh or frozen.

Peaches n’ Cream

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Cool and light — this “dessert” is a perfect way to top off a meal. This topping is also great over warm cobblers, in place of ice cream. And any extra topping is really good added to hot chocolate!

  • 1 7.6-ounce can table cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 29-ounce can peaches
  • 1/2 cup granola
  1. Chill table cream and peaches for at least 1 hour.
  2. Pour cream into a bowl and stir in vanilla and powdered sugar.
  3. Spoon peaches into individual bowls and pour cream over the top.
  4. Sprinkle granola on top.

 

 

 

Rich Navy Bean Soup

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This recipe came together after I saw a picture of a white navy bean soup with corn in it. Creamy and delicious, this hearty soup makes a super satisfying lunch or dinner. Try it with real bacon bits sprinkled on top, too! –Mellyn

Yield: 7 cups

  • 3 tablespoons white bean flour*
  • 1/4 cup flour — (optional, add it if you’d like a thicker soup)
  • 2 tablespoons dry milk powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 Tablespoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 15-ounce cans white beans, drained and rinsed — or 1 cup of dry beans cooked to yield about 3 cups beans
  • 1 15-ounce can corn, undrained
  • 1 4-ounce can diced green chiles
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 7.6-ounce can table cream
  1. Whisk bean flour, flour, dry milk powder, garlic, onion, salt and pepper into water until smooth.
  2. Bring to a boil. Boil and stir for 1-2 minutes.
  3. Add cumin, white beans, corn and diced green chiles and heat until near boiling.
  4. Stir in parmesan cheese and table cream. Heat until dissolved and warm, but DON’T boil it or the cream will curdle!
*I can’t guarantee a good substitution for this since I’ve never made it any other way, but you could try 3/4 cup canned navy beans blended with liquid or try 4 tablespoons of butter and whisk the flour into it until it’s bubbly, adding the other dry ingredients after the 2 1/2 cups of water.

 

Julie’s Creamy Tomato Soup

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–From Julia L.

This tomato soup is to die for! No one would ever guess it’s food storage! It’s even better left over, just be careful not to let it reach boiling or the cream will curdle. This is another favorite that I don’t store as part of my 19. Instead, I use it to rotate diced tomatoes.            –Mellyn 

Yield: 10-12 servings

  • 4 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 Tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 7.5-ounce cans table cream
  • pepper, to taste
  1. Combine everything except the table cream. Let simmer for an hour OR put it in the crockpot for 4 or 5 hours. Sometimes we blend some or all of the tomatoes for a creamier texture.
  2. Add soda and cream just before serving.
  3. Top with black pepper, to taste.
  4. Try not to slurp, and try to resist the temptation to lick out the bowl!

Bow-tie Pasta with Blackened Chicken

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After tasting a friend’s delicious blackened chicken pasta dish made with fresh ingredients, I had to find a way to make something similar with shelf stable ingredients! This is one of my all-time favorite food-storage recipes and definitely one of our family’s 19. –Mellyn

Yield: 10-12 servings

  • 12 ounces pasta (we like bowties)*
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 or 2 13-ounce can(s) chicken
  • 4 teaspoons blackening seasoning, divided** 
  • 1 4-ounce can mushrooms, drained
  • 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 7.6-ounce can  table cream
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  2. Toss chicken with 2 tsp blackening seasoning. Heat oil over high heat in a large skillet. Add chicken and sauté until it starts to brown a bit.
  3. Add mushrooms and tomatoes to chicken.
  4. Whisk garlic powder, salt and blackening seasoning into table cream. Add to chicken mixture.
  5. Heat until warm, but don’t boil or the cream will curdle.
  6. Drain pasta and add to skillet.
  7. At this point, you can bake pasta for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees and melt a little cheese over the top or just eat it from the skillet.
*I’ve made it several times using rice instead of pasta. If you’re doing this, you can reserve the liquid from your canned chicken, tomatoes and mushrooms and add about an extra 1/2 cup of water to cook the 1 1/2 cups rice. 
**You can buy this or if the high cost gives you heartburn, I use Tom’s recipe that I found at http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/toms-blackened-seasoning/detail.aspx It makes about 24 teaspoons. I mix up a batch and keep it with my other spices. 

 

Tempting Table Cream

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I discovered table cream when our family lived in Southern Florida. One of my dear friends made the most delicious soup, and when I asked her for the recipe and she mentioned table cream, I just looked at her blankly. Basically, table cream is cream in a can! The thought just floored me! Canned cream opened up a whole range of recipes that I had considered off limits for my food storage. This week I’m going to share a few of my favorites with you.

Depending on where you live, buying table cream can be as easy as going down to your local grocery store or Super WalMart. At WalMart it’s usually in the Ethnic Foods section and a couple of weeks ago it cost $1.39/can. However, if you live in an area that doesn’t carry it, Amazon does. At $2.33/can, it’s kind of pricey, but in my opinion worth it! I also found it at Netrition.com for about $2/can with shipping.

Table cream is one of those food storage luxuries. Could we get along without it? Probably. But it adds another layer of variety to what we store that takes our food storage from ordinary to extraordinary!

 

French Bread

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–From Julie L.

This is a fail- proof recipe that promises to delight with every bite! It’s soft, fluffy and melts in your mouth like only white bread can.Smothered in butter we could devour a loaf in just minutes! I use it for pizza crust and awesome sandwich rings –just make a long dough “snake” and wrap it around the edges of your pizza pan. The leftovers nearly always end up as French toast!

Yield: about 20 slices/loaf

  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon salt
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 2 1/2 cups water — very warm
  • 2 cups flour
  • 3 Tablespoons yeast
  • 6 cups flour
  1. Combine sugar, salt, oil, water, flour and yeast in order.
  2. Slowly begin adding the remaining 6 cups of flour, you may need less.
  3. Dough should begin to form a ball and scrape the sides of the bowl, not stick to it.
  4. Let rise until double. (I’ve varied this from 20 minutes, to the recommended 1 hour with good results!)
  5. Form into 2 big loaves. Flatten dough into a rectangle, roll it up and lay it on the pan, seam side down. Cut slits in the top every 2-3 inches.
  6. Place loaves on a big cookie sheet.
  7. Cover and let rise for 20-30 minutes.
  8. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
  9. Rub top with butter, if desired.