Category: Recipe of the Week

Reader Bob. C. kindly sent us one of his favorite recipes, for Fruity-Oaty Bars. The name was inspired by the fictional wave commercial in the movie Serenity. His recipe starts with a basic granola bar, and then he offers several variations–including his favorite Fruity-Oaty variation. Bob says that his Fruity-Oaty variant “…provides tremendous strength and endurance, for terminal situations. They make a man out of a mouse. These are the best bars in the ‘Verse.” The recipe can be doubled, if you have an extra large mixing bowl, and a deep sauce pan. Ingredients 1 cup flour (whole wheat or …

Reader M.N. sent us this recipe that is a good way to use your stored rolled oats, your stored wheat (or whole wheat flour), your stored powdered eggs, and your stored powdered milk.  Of course, fresh ingredients taste best, but long term storage ingredients are still palatable. This recipe serves four people, or two teenage boys. (About 12 pancakes). Note: Doubling the recipe is too much for the capacity of a blender, so make separate recipes. Ingredients 2 Cups rolled oats (oatmeal) 1 Cup of whole wheat flour (can be hand-ground, but if so, grind it twice) 2 1/2 Cups …

Reader Kathy kindly sent us one of her favorite recipes. She calls it her Hurried-Up Curried Chicken. Serves four adults, or two adults and 3-4 kids. Takes just 25 minutes from start to finish. Note: Use less curry powder ane less mustard seed if you are not accustomed to them. Main Ingredients 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breast (about 7 thighs, or 4 breasts), cut into 1″ or smaller cubes 2 1/2 teaspoons mild curry powder 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil or vegetable oil (plus 2 more teaspoons …

Reader Mary L. kindly sent us one of her favorite recipes. This is for a cornbread with a great buttery taste. This recipe works well with storage cornmeal and storage white flour. Note: This recipe does not work quite as well with freshly-ground whole wheat flour. Ingredients 1 cup cornmeal 1 cup all-purpose white flour (a “spooned and leveled” cup) 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted but cooled slightly 1/3 cup (packed) of dark brown sugar 2 Tablespoons of honey 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature 1 large egg, room temperature …

We are always looking for recipes for storage foods.  This one is particularly useful. Reader Penny in Arkansas kindly sent us her directions for cooking wheat berries. There are far more uses for your stored wheat than just grinding flour!  Infogalactic has this description: “A wheat berry, or wheatberry, is a whole wheat kernel (except for the hull/husk), composed of the bran, germ, and endosperm. Botanically, it is a type of fruit called a caryopsis. Wheat berries have a tan to reddish-brown color and are available as either a hard or soft processed grain. They are often added to salads …

Reader Trisha H. kindly sent us one of her favorite side dish recipes, for Lemon Spring Greens. This serves four. Ingredients 18 ounces (or 500 g) of spring greens. 1 large lemon without wax. Sea salt, to taste. Freshly ground black pepper, to taste. 2 TBS virgin olive oil. Directions Grate the lemon zest (the outermost part of the peel) finely onto a cutting board, then transfer to a small jar for which you have a lid. Cut the lemon in half. Squeeze half the juice into the jar, over a wire mesh strainer. (Be careful to strain out any …

Reader A.V. kindly sent us one of her favorite dessert recipes for a delicious South African Melktert (Milk Tart). It makes 8 servings.  This recipe is broken into two sections: one for the filling, and one for the pastry crust.  This recipe requires the use of a set of ceramic pie weights. Melktert Filling: Ingredients 1 quart milk ½ cup sugar 1 Tablespoon butter 2 large eggs (or 3 small eggs) 3 tablespoons cornstarch 3 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon vanilla extract A pinch of salt 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon Directions for Making the Melktert Filling In a heat proof …

Reader Arlene X. kindly sent us one of her favorite recipes: Arlene’s Cornbread Crumble Turkey (Serves Four Adults) Ingredients: 1 C Buttermilk 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard 4 Skinless turkey fillets (about 3 oz each) 4- by 4-inch square of cooked cornbread (about 1 C of cornbbread crumbs) 1 Egg white 1 C Chicken broth 1 Tbsp Cornstarch 1 lb Frozen baby carrots 1 Tbsp Fresh sage, rinsed, dried, and chopped (or 1 tsp of dried sage) 1 Tbsp Butter Directions: Preheat oven to 350 ºF. Combine buttermilk and Dijon mustard. Mix well. Add turkey fillets to buttermilk mixture to marinate …

Alan’s introductory comments: This is one for my favorite meals. It requires the use of a garlic press and a pressure cooker, preferably with an internal elevated cooking rack. It makes five adult-size servings. Ingredients: 2 lbs. boneless round steak, 1-1/2″ to 2″ thick 2 TBSP Cooking Oil 1/4 cup Flour 1/2 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp Pepper 1 Clove of Garlic, pressed 1 Medium Onion, sliced 1 TBSP Fresh (or 1 tsp dry) sage, thyme, basil, or rosemary–depending on your herb(s) preference 10 ounces (1 can or 1.2 cups) of beef broth (fresh or canned broth) 10 ounces of water …

Helen J.’s San Juan Island Salad This is a salad recipe from an old family friend who was a practiced gardener. A local on the island butchered pigs each year and cured bacon. Thus, nearly all of the ingredients were local. Note that the ingredients are listed without measurements. The ratio of ingredients is intended to be fine-tuned to suit your family’s taste preferences. Lamb bacon, Turkey bacon, or Tofurkey Bacon can be substituted if you refrain from pork. Ingredients Red table grapes, halved Bacon, cooked and diced Broccoli crown pieces, briefly steamed (firm) Diced Celery Diced Onion Slivered almonds …

This is a family multipurpose standby that yields about 5 cups of flour mix that can be incorporated into many meat recipes– most often as a flour in which to dredge or roll various meat cuts before baking or cooking. But it can also be incorporated into meat-based soups, or for use in dough to include in meat pies and pasties. (For the latter, add more unseasoned flour, unless you want a really peppery flavor.) Note: This flour can be stored refrigerated in a tightly-sealed container for many weeks. You can greatly reduce the quantity of salt, for low-salt diets. …

This was an old a Rawles family favorite. Ingredients 4 Large Chicken Breasts, skinless (or substitute 6 small skinless breasts.) 1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup 1 C Sour Cream 1/2 C Cooking Sherry 8 Ounces Sliced Mushrooms Paprika, to taste. Directions Put Chicken in a large, lightly-greased rectangular baking dish. Mix together the soup, sour cream, mushrooms and sherry, in a large bowl. Then pour over the chicken breasts. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake uncovered at 375 F for 1 hour to 1-1/2 hours, until juices run clear. Notes and Serving Suggestions I usually serve this over a bed of …

This is a variation of a widely-published and shared recipe. Ingredients 1 (1 pound) package frozen pepper and onion stir fry mix (or fresh equivalent) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 tablespoons ground cumin 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes 3 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained 4 (14 ounce) cans vegetable broth (or equivalent volume of homemade broth.) 1 (11 ounce) can whole kernel corn (or fresh or frozen equivalent volume) 12 ounces tortilla chips 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1 avocado – peeled, pitted and diced Salt and pepper to taste Directions Heat …

This recipe first appeared in Enola Gay’s book: The Prepared Family Cookbook. By the way, we highly recommend both Enola Gay’s Paratus Familia blog and all of her books. Ingredients 1 Pound Ground Beef (or venison, rabbit, etc.) 1/2 Head of Cabbage, shredded 2 Ribs of Celery, sliced (or celerac) 1 Small Bell Pepper, cut into small pieces (or dried peppers) 1 Medium Diced Onion (or dried onions) 2 Cups Cooked Kidney Beans (or (1) 16oz. can) 2 Cups Diced Canned Tomatoes (or fresh) 4 Cups of Water 2 T Beef Bouillon (or pwd soup base) 1/4 tsp Garlic powder (or …