Category: Bases & Stored Food Preparation

Categories
Bases & Stored Food Preparation Dessert Side Snack

Applesauce/Apple Butter

Ingredients

  • 6 lb. apples (~18 medium apples), peeled, cored, and sliced
  • 1 c. apple juice or apple cider
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • ¼ – ½ cup brown sugar
  • Optional ingredients (to taste—probably start around 1 tsp):
    • cinnamon (required for apple butter)
    • nutmeg
    • allspice

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients and cook over medium heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • For apple butter ingredients should be put in a crock pot and cooked on low for 6+ hours until there is minimal moisture left.
  2. Blend the mixture in a blender until smooth.
    • If you prefer applesauce that isn’t fully smooth you can mash with a potato masher instead and then mix with a hand mixer (that method takes longer)
Categories
Bases & Stored Food Preparation

Yellow Veggie Cream Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1-2 carrots shredded
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 lb sour cream
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Directions

  1. Saute diced onion, garlic and shredded carrots in oil for 5 minutes until tender.
  2. Whisk sour cream together with a quart of water.
  3. Pour sour cream mixture into sauteed vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes.

This sauce turns a bright yellow from the carrots as it simmers. We’ve used it to cover and marinate mini meat loaves by placing veggies on top of the loaves and pouring the rest of the sauce over the top.

Categories
Bases & Stored Food Preparation Side

Pickled cabbage

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
  • 1 Head of cabbage

Directions

  1. Mix whatever multiple of sugar, water, vinegar, salt, and seeds will be needed to cover the cabbage.
  2. Bring to a boil to dissolve salt and sugar.
  3. Immerse cabbage in brine and refrigerate for 3 to 7 days
Categories
Bases & Stored Food Preparation

Dry beans – pressure cooker

For each cup of beans add three cups of water and one tbsp of oil. Cook on high pressure 3 to 10 minutes and allow pressure to release naturally (takes about half an hour).

This applies for any kind of dry beans including split peas.

Larger beans like kidney beans should be left on the longer end (7-10 minutes) while smaller legumes only need 3-5 minutes.

Categories
Bases & Stored Food Preparation Main Dish Soup

Ham & (dry) Bean soup

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 large carrot peeled and diced
  • ½ cup finely chopped celery
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups shredded cooked ham
  • 1½ quarts beef stock or broth (you can use chicken)
  • 2½ cups dry beans — any combination of c white, lima, kidney, black or pinto beans can also be used
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • pinch of salt, if needed

Directions

  1. Cook dry beans
  2. Sauté onions, carrots, and celery in butter or oil for 5 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and ham and sauté for 2 more minutes.
  4. Add broth, beans (including most of the water they were cooked in), and pepper then boil for 15 minutes.
  5. Salt if necessary and serve warm.
Categories
Bases & Stored Food Preparation Chicken

Chicken Seasoning

This is a homemade seasoning that works as well as Zesty Lemon Seasoning. It’s not the same, just equally well received and as easy to use.

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • ⅛ tsp dill
  • ⅛ tsp ground cloves
  • ⅛ tsp ground ginger

Directions

Mix everything together well and then use the same way you would use Seasoned Salt.

Categories
Bases & Stored Food Preparation Lunch Main Dish Quick Prep

Box-Free Macoroni & Cheese

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dried pasta
  • 3¼ cups milk
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 tsp salt

Optional (any combination that sounds good to you)

  • dijon mustard
  • nutmeg
  • cayenne pepper

    Directions

    In a small saucepan, add pasta and milk.  Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until pasta is soft, stirring frequently and ensuring milk does not boil.

    Turn heat off, add cheese and salt, then stir to combine.  Stir in any optional ingredients a little at a time, to taste. Cover and let stand for a couple of minutes, then stir again and serve.

    Categories
    Bases & Stored Food Preparation

    Homemade Cheese Sauce

    INGREDIENTS

    • 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
    • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • 3 cups milk
    • ¼ cup butter
    • 2½ tbsp. flour
    • 2 tbsp. butter

    DIRECTIONS

    In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses, and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick.

    Categories
    Bases & Stored Food Preparation Breakfast Quick Prep Side

    Fresh berry syrup

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups fresh or frozen berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or triple berry)
    • ½ cup water
    • ½ cup sugar
    • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

    Directions:

    1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the berries, water, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir frequently, and bring to a low boil.
    2. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water.
    3. Slowly stir the cornstarch into the blueberries, taking care not to crush the blueberries.
    4. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, about 5 minutes.
    5. Remove from heat and gently stir in vanilla.

    This leaves the berries intact but if you want a smoother syrup you can blend it after you finish.

    A family favorite that we call strueberry is made with ½ strawberries and ½ blueberries.

    Categories
    Bases & Stored Food Preparation Quick Prep

    Super Simple Spaghetti Sauce

    Ingredients
    1 14.5 oz can Italian diced tomatoes
    1 14.5 oz can Fire Roasted diced tomatoes
    1 tsp salt.

    Directions
    Purée the diced tomatoes. Stir in the salt.