# food and Food



## Vertigo (Aug 6, 2009)

Hey all, 

I have a little question to spring on the chefs of our little community 

Imagine you had a lot of corn, wheat, rice, beans and other basic foodstuffs. (mostly grains) Although this is nourishment, it is not exactly a gourmet meal. How would you go about it to make these basic foods into Food. Something you can eat more than just once or twice, but something that can actually be appetizing. 

I am thinking of cheap spices, oil's, and other such things. Does anyone have suggestions for cheap 'food enhancers' or even recipe's? 

Looking forward to your suggestions!

V.


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

Beans and cornbread....jambalaya.... burritos...yum! I can think of tons of stuff to make because I already cook this way. The important thing is to cook with your prep foods BEFORE disaster hits so you know what you are doing.


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## JackDanielGarrett (Sep 27, 2010)

V, 
Other items I stock is canned mushrooms and Ro-tel tomatoes. I stock the large containers of onion and garlic powders and cajun seasoning. Also kept in quantity is powdered brown gravy. your right, things DO need enhancing from time to time.


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## Vertigo (Aug 6, 2009)

JackDanielGarrett said:


> V,
> Other items I stock is canned mushrooms and Ro-tel tomatoes. I stock the large containers of onion and garlic powders and cajun seasoning. Also kept in quantity is powdered brown gravy. your right, things DO need enhancing from time to time.


The onion, garlic and cajun powders is a good idea, but that powdered brown gravy is a great one. Should make anything a bit more tasty! Thanks JDG!


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## Clarice (Aug 19, 2010)

Like I have stated before I like beans and rice but that can get boaring. Therefore I stock all kinds of spices and condiments. Powdered taco, chilli mix, gravy mixes etc. I have my mother's cookbooks some dated in the 1930's with some great cook from scratch recipes.


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## prairie (Jun 11, 2011)

Chicken and beef bouillon also add lots of flavor.


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## drissel (Oct 23, 2011)

Just think of what bubba said to Forrest Gump about shrimp and the ways to cook it


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

I love my maple-baked beans, my chipotle-baked beans and all kinds of other sweet or spicey meals.

For corn, what about grindin' up dried corn and making corn-flour for pancakes - or not grinding it up as much and making corn-bread? Refried beans is a must - toss in some lettuce, tomato, cheeze ... on a rice-flour flat-bread and .... dayum, I am gettin' hungry all over again and I just had supper!


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## Murph (Aug 20, 2010)

If you are far enough south (I moved to 9b), you can use citrus and cilantro, especially for beans and rice. One of the first things I did was buy 2 lemon trees and ask the neighbor if I could harvest the tangerines he is letting drop all over the ground. I also started lemon grass, basil, parsley and oregano.

Other perrenial spices that are easily grown anywhere and dry without electricity really easily are Greek Oregano, Sage, Thyme, Mint and Rosemary.

Hot peppers are very easy if you have a long enough growing season. Most are easy to dry, easy to save/store seeds, and double as insect/animal protection for the next generation of plants.

Mustard seed lasts practically forever and homemade mustard is easy to make with any kind of vinegar, also easy to make at home. Or just use the vinegar to spice things up.

Think sustainable. The gravy idea is great, but it won't grow back next year. Simple food is many times the best tasting food and the fresher you can make it, the better it is for you.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

JackDanielGarrett said:


> V,
> Other items I stock is canned mushrooms and Ro-tel tomatoes. I stock the large containers of onion and garlic powders and cajun seasoning. Also kept in quantity is powdered brown gravy. your right, things DO need enhancing from time to time.


Hi, Jack---I'm an old country cooking woman so when I used beef and chicken bouillons for gravy, I was surprised how great they tasted...no complaints from dh either.

Cheap, one cube, a little water and flour--ya got gravy.:2thumb:


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## lotsoflead (Jul 25, 2010)

JackDanielGarrett said:


> V,
> Other items I stock is canned mushrooms and Ro-tel tomatoes. I stock the large containers of onion and garlic powders and cajun seasoning. Also kept in quantity is powdered brown gravy. your right, things DO need enhancing from time to time.


 I'd trash the mushrooms, they have no nutritional value and they come from China, I buy or pick them local, Can or Dehygrate them ourselves. diced tomatoes,salsa and lots of herbs,seasonings are great to have.Plenty of bouillon cubes. We can our chicken,beef ect and alway can the stock which give us a couple hundred qts by winter. Onions are also good to have.


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## lotsoflead (Jul 25, 2010)

JayJay said:


> Hi, Jack---I'm an old country cooking woman so when I used beef and chicken bouillons for gravy, I was surprised how great they tasted...no complaints from dh either.
> 
> Cheap, one cube, a little water and flour--ya got gravy.:2thumb:


we use those cubes also, just have to watch the sodium for many people


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

IMHO the juice from a potato (especially if you have electricity & a 'juicer', which makes it SO much easier  ) makes a better gravy than flour, BUT there has to be some fat content (like all gravies) for it to work

stir-frying is an interesting different way to cook 'everyday' food (unless you do it often already  )

I *CHEAT* with almost all my meals & use *meat* and/or *cheese*, unless it's for a vegetarian (then I use lamb    jk )

a small herb garden (window box size?) goes a long way to making food interesting

don't forget dandellion greens make a salad almost as good as spinach 
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*Veggie Stuffed Peppers*

1 cup dried beans (black is preferred, but whatever)
4 bell peppers (get some different colors if you can to liven up the plate)
1 tablespoon olive oil (butter, margarine, whatever)
1 cup fine-chopped onion 
1-3 teaspoon chili powder depending on preference
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried basil 
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 
2 tablespoon vinegar (wine vinegar if you have it)
3 cups cooked rice (brown is best, but use what you like)
1-3 pinch salt (sea salt is best, but... whatever  )
1 cup chopped/diced tomato
1 cup whole kernel cooked corn 
8 slices cheese (optional)

Directions:
Prepare the beans. Use 3 cups water and cook on stovetop 60 minutes after presoak or quick soak. For pressure cooker cook 20 minutes.

Cut peppers in half lenghtwise and remove seeds (don't forget to save the seeds for next year's garden!) then steam over boiling water (do NOT boil the peppers themselves) open side down until nearly tender. About 8-10 minutes. Rinse with cold water then drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, saute the onion until translucent and soft then add the chili, cumin, basil, oregano, beans, and vinegar mixing well.

Stir in the rice, salt, corn and tomato and remove from the heat.

Fill peppers with bean mixture. Top each half with cheese (optional) and place on a shallow baking dish. Bake covered for 15 minutes or until tender

Serve (sooner IS better than later).
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do you know how to make risotto? IMHO the key to good risotto is constant stirring to slough off starch to make that 'creamy sauce'... mmmmmmmm


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## SageAdvicefarmgirl (Jun 23, 2011)

Good thread! I started an herb garden just for thais purpose. Last year my cilantro wintered over by covering it with pine needles! Herbs and spices are the answer to your question!


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## JackDanielGarrett (Sep 27, 2010)

JayJay, I too am an old country cook and I agree aint nuthin better than homemade gravy. A little fat and some flour works from a white sauce to a deep mahogany gravy for gumbo. Your right. I feed a house full of folk and I work so when come in sometimes I am a little tired. I whip out the gravy powder.... I know I cheat.

Lotsoflead, I can respect your feelings on canned mushroom. I always heard mushrooms are legendary in providing a wealth of nutrients ranging from protein, fiber, B vitamins, and vitamin C, to calcium and other minerals.
The mushrooms have been shown to boost heart health; lower the risk of cancer,; promote immune function; ward off viruses, bacteria, and fungi; reduce inflammation; combat allergies; help balance blood sugar levels; and support the body's detoxification mechanisms.
I sometimes pan fry a portabello cap in butter and serve it with eggs and toast for breakfast. Maybe I just like them.
"Hello, I am Jack and I am a 'shroonaholic"...


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

JackDanielGarrett said:


> Lotsoflead, I can respect your feelings on canned mushroom. I always heard mushrooms are legendary in providing a wealth of nutrients ranging from protein, fiber, B vitamins, and vitamin C, to calcium and other minerals.
> The mushrooms have been shown to boost heart health; lower the risk of cancer,; promote immune function; ward off viruses, bacteria, and fungi; reduce inflammation; combat allergies; help balance blood sugar levels; and support the body's detoxification mechanisms.
> I sometimes pan fry a portabello cap in butter and serve it with eggs and toast for breakfast. Maybe I just like them.
> "Hello, I am Jack and I am a shroomaholic"...


add me to that list
Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Mushrooms, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt

off topic but:

IMO mycoproteins will be a 'food of the future' but will probably use yeasts or molds as a feedstock due to their extremely rapid growth

I've had Quorn before, it's... edible 
Quorn - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## JackDanielGarrett (Sep 27, 2010)

The_Blob I think you are right on line with what V asked. Ya know we talk beans and rice and there's not one thing wrong with that...but...lol. Homemade gravies and broths will help with the enhancement. 

Dehydrated onions is something I keep also, V. That ol' powdered gravy gets better with a handful tossed in.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Vertigo said:


> Hey all,
> 
> I have a little question to spring on the chefs of our little community
> 
> ...


Lets start with corn, the indians of Mexico all the way down to South America used corn as a staple, but didn't just grind it into meal and make cornbread. Although corn can be made into cornbread and grits the way most North Americans are familiar with it is just about the most boring and nutritionally inefficient way to eat it. They processed it with lime and made many nutritous eats with it. Tortillias and tomales are amoung the few. Bingo, you just increased your menu by 10 fold.

Beans are another staple that can be enhanced with everything from maple syrup to chile's(peppers for those north of the Red River). I have 1/2 gallon jars with different verieties of chile powder, ancho, casca bell, serano, and so on. All can add great deal of veriety when cooked with beans of all kinds. garlic and onions are also a must for many bean dishes, as are tomatoes, ever eaten a pot of home made Chile? Left over beans can be refried with some jalapinos and garlic and be eaten with corn tortillias or as a bean dip. I'm sure that many of the northern members can provide numerous baked bean recipes

Rice is as versitile as it comes. It can be eaten with soy sauce or butter, or can be made into stand alone meals when fried with chicken, chile powder, tomatoes and beans. It can also be made into rice pudding, adding some eggs, milk and sugar. You can mixed cooked rice with dried fruit and press into a sweet rice cake and eat it as a snack or desert and even with butter and milk as a breakfast dish. Or there is the old standby, rice topped with gravy(as has already been posted).

Wheat is not only for making bread, it can be corse ground and cooked as a breakfast cereal. If it is soaked in water until just before sprouting(called malting), it can be dried, ground and cooked into an even better breakfast cereal. Some people like Tabouli, I dont like it so never experimented with it. Their is also a big following for beer made with wheat instead of barly.

For more ideas just study up on how indiginous peoples prepared the food in its native habitats. Many of those peoples have perfected different low cost and highly nutritous ways of using the food, if they had not, they may not have survived through history until the present.

Suggestion: Seriously consider adding potatoes to your stores, the Irish not only survived but thrived on them until the potato famine in the mid 1800's. They store well dehydrated or as commercial mashed potato flakes.

The bullion is a good suggestion too(also previously posted), I have a dozen 2 1/2 pound jars in my stores.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

"Hello, I am Jack and I am a 'shroonaholic"... 


And I'm JayJay with same problem..if mushrooms can go in it, they're going in..I buy cases, not cans...and I find the huge jars for $1 at Dollar Tree.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

JayJay said:


> "Hello, I am Jack and I am a 'shroonaholic"...
> 
> And I'm JayJay with same problem..if mushrooms can go in it, they're going in..I buy cases, not cans...and I find the huge jars for $1 at Dollar Tree.


I love growing my own, but I just don't have the space set up to get more than 1 meal's worth at a time... I'm going to look into raising the whole chicken coop off the ground more & using the area underneath, not sure yet if it's viable or if the chicken waste will ruin it


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## gam46 (Jan 24, 2011)

Bumping up hoping for additional ideas.

Here's a Vegetarian Tamale Pie recipe for six:
Cook together to form mush
1 1/2 c. cornmeal
2 c. water
1 T. oil
1 t. chili powder
Use to line bottom and sides of pie plate.
Sauté
1 small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 T. oil
Mix with
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 c. corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can garbanzos, rinsed and drained
1-3 dashes hot pepper sauce
2 t. chili powder
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. salt
Fill shell and top with 1/2 - 1c. cheese.
Heat at 350 degrees until warmed through and cheese is melted.

Use bean puree as fat substitute in baking as in bean brownies. The flour provides the grain component to maximize the nutritional aspect of the dessert.

Pureed lima beans well-seasoned with rosemary can be served as a side dish or over a whole grain.

There is a recipe for white bean alfredo sauce at the Prudent Homemaker blog.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

One of our favorites is a bean and rice casserole. The ingredients that add the flavor are shredded carrots, bell peppers, cheese and chicken. Normally I'll cook the rice with chicken stock and for go the chicken. I just add more veggies and some fresh or canned corn.

EDIT***

Also depending on the beans you store you can make hummus. Yum! You can use it as a dip for fresh veggies or a base for a pita/flatbread sandwich.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and bullion are some of my prepping staples. A good garden and preserved meat with lots of long term storage grains and you've got tasty meals in a bad situation. I also love to stock small cans of condensed milk to make breakfast porridge more appetizing. My new life situation has a loved one with a gluten allergy so I am now stocking quinoa and corn more than I used to. For my camping and bug out plans before the wheat consideration I loved to stock small grain wheat cous cous. 1 cup water to 1 cup grain (half as much water as rice) and no simmering you just add to hot water and let sit so not as much of a fuel drain.


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## kemps (Jun 1, 2015)

I am mushroom junkie and already have some canned and will be getting more. I am also hoping to eventually have a mushroom garden (one of the kits you can buy). I wouldn't even care if they were not a health benefit. I mean people eat twinkies and potato chips and those things are worse than a mushroom could be (except if they are poisonous or something). In addition to food for nutritious benefit we need some things for comfort and mushrooms is for sure one of mine. I am lucky, I LOVE rice so that isn't a worry. If I have mushrooms and soy sauce I will be good for the next 10 years


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