Instant Potato Soup

Cooking with Basic Food Storage: Delicious Instant Potato Soup Recipe
from PREPAREDNESS MATTERS by Kerri
I promised that I would provide more potato flakes recipes and this one's a keeper:

INSTANT POTATO SOUP
• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1 carrot, sliced fine
• 2 ribs celery, chopped fine
• 1 (10 ½-ounce) can chicken broth
• 2 ½ cups milk (or equal parts milk and cream)
• 1 ½ cups instant mashed potato flakes
• Salt and pepper
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

Place the bacon in a 2-quart Dutch oven or saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add onions, carrots and celery; cook over low heat until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally.

Add chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add milk. Gradually stir in instant potatoes, blending smoothly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Gently heat soup to desired temperature; do not boil. Add more milk if soup seems too thick, more flakes if too thin. Serve topped with green onion and reserved bacon. Makes 6 servings.
Per serving: 152 calories (32 percent from fat), 5.4 g fat (2.7 g saturated, 1.7 g monounsaturated), 14.9 mg cholesterol, 7.9 g protein, 18.2 g carbohydrates, 1.7 g fiber, 480.5 mg sodium.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

No-Bake Cookies

2 tbs. cocoa
2 c. sugar
dash of salt
3/4 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
3/4 c. peanut butter
3 - 3 1/2 c. oatmeal

Mix cocoa, sugar, salt, and milk in saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes on medium.

Turn off heat and stir in vanilla and peanut butter.

Add cocoa peanut butter mixture to separate bowl with oats already in it. Mix well and drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.

Makes approximately 18.

Refrigerate until hard and enjoy!

Sprouted Wheat Bread

Sprouted Wheat Berries
Makes: 2 cups

Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw wheat berries


Directions:

Place the wheat berries in a bowl and add tepid water to cover by 1 inch. Let stand at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours.

Drain the wheat berries and rinse with fresh water.

Divide between two 1-quart jars. Cover with cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band.

Place the jars on their sides in a warm, dark place. Twice a day, rinse and drain the wheat berries with tepid water poured through the cheesecloth.

After 2 to 3 days, the wheat berries will sprout.

Refrigerate in a plastic bag for up to 3 days.





Grind in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. (I used my blender to grind the sprouted wheat berries) Do not overprocess; the berries should be chunky.





Sprouted Wheat Bread
Makes: three 8-by-4-inch loaves



Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
1 1/2 tablespoons (1 1/2 packages) active dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of ginger
2 cups whole wheat flour (I'm using freshly milled red spring wheat)
1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 cups warm water (105° to 115°)
1/4 cup honey
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sprouted wheat berries, chopped
4 1/2 to 5 cups bread flour
Wheat germ, for sprinkling
Melted butter, for brushing


Directions:

Pour the 1/2 cup warm water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast, sugar, and ginger over the water. Stir to dissolve and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.





In a large bowl using a whisk or in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the whole wheat flour, milk powder, and salt.






Add the warm water, honey, and 4 tablespoons butter.





Beat for 1 minute. Add the yeast mixture and beat 1 minute longer.





Add all the wheat berries





and the bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating on low speed until a soft dough that just clears the sides of the bowl forms, switching to a wooden spoon when necessary if making by hand.






Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until soft and spongy, 1 to 2 minutes for a machine-mixed dough and 3 to 4 minutes for a hand-mixed dough, dusting with flour only 1 tablespoon at a time, just enough as needed to prevent sticking.




Place in a lightly greased deep container, turn once to coat the top, and cover with plastic wrap.




Let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.





Grease three 8-by-4-inch loaf pans and sprinkle the bottom and sides with wheat germ.





Turn the dough out onto the work surface and divide into 3 equal portions.






Pat each portion into a rectangle and roll into a loaf shape.








Place, seam side down, into the prepared pans.





Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until level with the rim of the pans, about 1 hour.





About 20 minutes before baking, preheat the over to 350°F and position a rack in the center of the oven.





Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until crusty and golden.





Brush the tops with melted butter.





Remove from the pans to cool on a rack.




Now it's time to enjoy the finished loaf of Sprouted Wheat Bread!






Here is the loaf with a couple of slices toasted. Mmmmmmm! I could make a meal of just this bread.





I asked my youngest son to taste this bread. He said "It tastes like oatmeal bread". That's a good thing. Both of my sons love oatmeal bread. It's one of the first breads I ever made in my bread machine and it's still one of their favorites. I think we may have a keeper. I know I like it!


Thanks for visiting The Bread Experience Bread-Baking Blog. Now, all you need to do is go make some bread for yourself.



We hope you enjoyed learning how to make this bread. Be sure to check back next time when we learn how to make a different type of breakfast bread.

--Cathy

Cream of Chicken Soup made with Beans

Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup Recipe:
• Grind: 4 T of any white bean (lima, navy, etc.) to make 5 T bean flour
• Combine: 5 T bean flour, 1 ¾ c. water , 4 t chicken bouillon into a saucepan
• Cook: On stovetop at medium temperature until thick and delicious (whisk frequently).The soup should cook in 3 minutes! (this may be longer if your grinder makes a very coarse flour).

Use this with cooked veggies and or meat for a complete meal. You can also add this to recipes calling for cream of chicken soup cans (I have found this replaces a can plus the water or milk in recipes).

No Knead English Muffin Bread

3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
cornmeal, to sprinkle in pan

Directions
1) Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl.

2) Combine the milk, water, and oil in a separate, microwave-safe bowl, and heat to between 120°F and 130°F. The liquid will feel very hot (hotter than lukewarm), but not so hot that it would scald you. As a reference point, the hottest water from your kitchen tap is probably around 120°F (unless your tap water is so hot that it burns you).

3) Pour the hot liquid over the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl.

4) Beat at high speed for 1 minute. The dough will be very soft.

5) Lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, and sprinkle the bottom and sides with cornmeal.

6) Scoop the soft dough into the pan, leveling it in the pan as much as possible.

7) Cover the pan, and let the dough rise till it's just barely crowned over the rim of the pan. When you look at the rim of the pan from eye level, you should see the dough, but it shouldn't be more than, say, 1/4" over the rim. This will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour, if you heated the liquid to the correct temperature and your kitchen isn't very cold. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F.

8) Remove the cover, and bake the bread for 20 to 22 minutes, till it's golden brown and its interior temperature is 190°F.

9) Remove the bread from the oven, and after 5 minutes turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.



Recipe summary
Hands-on time:
8 mins. to 12 mins.
Baking time:
20 mins. to 22 mins.
Total time:
1 hrs 28 mins. to 1 hrs 34 mins.
Yield:
1 loaf

Oatmeal Bread

Oatmeal Bread
Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

4 to 4 1/2 cups flour (approx.)
1 pkg yeast
1 3/4 cup water
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp shortening
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 cups rolled oats (quick or regular)

In your mixer add two cups of flour and the yeast, stir and set aside. On the stove top, put water, brown sugar and shortening in a sauce pan and warm over medium heat until the shortening starts to melt. Turn off stove and remove from heat. You are going to add this to your yeast/flour mixture so make sure it's not too hot by sticking your finger in it. If it's too hot, let it sit for a minute to cool. Putting water or any liquid that is too hot into a yeast, will kill the yeast and it won't rise and your bread will be flat. Horrible.

Add your warm (but not hot) liquid into your mixer and turn it on low. Mix for about 30 seconds then stop the mixer and scrape down the sides with a spatula. Then turn on the mixer again and mix for about 3 minutes. Add the oatmeal and then the flour, adding a cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides and middle of the mixer (like the whole wheat bread here). When the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the mixer, stop the mixer and put the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise for an hour or so until it doubles.

Punch down dough, when you come back, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half, then cover and let rest for ten minutes. When the ten minutes is up, shape dough into loaves, using loaf pans, or simply shape into a round and place on a cookie sheet, lightly greased and sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise 30-45 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

When the dough has almost doubled, place in the preheated oven and cook for 35-40 minutes. When the bread had only cooked for 20 minutes it started to smell done, but I knew it was too early, so I loosely covered the cookie sheet where both my dough rounds were, with a layer of foil.

It's DELICIOUS!
Posted by Abs at 11:03 AM
Labels: Bread, oatmeal

Granola

This Granola was so good!

Homemade granola
from Cookbook Catchall

6.5 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
2.5 cups unsweetened, desiccated coconut (I used basic sweetened coconut because I had it on hand)
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried cranberries
1 1/4-1 1/2 cups sliced almonds (or whole, chopped, slivered or a combination - I used slivered)
1 1/4 cups pecans (whole or chopped to the size you like)
1/2 cup high-quality honey
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup flax seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well to distribute oil and honey evenly. Spread a thin layer of mixture on two rimmed baking sheets (half sheet pans) lined with parchment paper (I used my silpat liners). Bake for 15-20 minutes stirring mixture and rotating sheets half way through until mixture is an even golden brown. Be careful to watch granola: it will quickly turn from golden to burnt and will continue to cook as it cools when you take it out of the oven. Mixture will be moist when it comes out of the oven but will crisp and clump as it cools. Keeps for 1-2 weeks.

Variations:
• Substitute any of the nuts for other nuts such as cashews, walnuts or peanuts (it's nice to leave some of the nuts whole as it varies the texture)
• Add additional dried fruit such as apricots or dates
• Add 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• For extra-nutty granola increase proportion of nuts

Best ever rolls

1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup potato pearls, dry
2/3 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package active dry yeast or 2 tablespoons dry yeast
2 eggs, well-beaten

Bring 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup milk to a boil. Pour into large mixing bowl. Add potato pearls and beat with whisk or fork until blended. Heat remaining milk in same saucepan and pour over potatoes, margarine or butter, sugar and salt. Cool until lukewarm. Soften yeast in first mixture with eggs and 3 cups of flour. Beat with either wooden spoon or electric mixer until light and smooth. Stir in enough flour by hand to make a dough firm enough to knead. Turn out on floured board and knead 10 minutes or until elastic. Put in greased bowl and turn greased side up. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. When ready to bake, shape as many rolls as desired in preferred form (Parker house, cloverleaf, etc.) Brush with melted margarine/butter and let rise in a warm place 1 hour or until light. Bake in hot oven 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Makes 3 1/2 dozen medium rolls

How to make cake flour

HOW TO MAKE CAKE FLOUR:

Take 1 cup all-purpose flour, and remove 1 tablespoon flour and replace with 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Mix well together and sift. It is now ready for baking.

Ground Beef Cracked Wheat Casserole

1 lb. hamburger
1/2 onion or 2 tablespoons dried onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup cracked wheat, uncooked
1 can tomato soup
dash of pepper

Pour boiling water over cracked wheat. Brown onions and meat in a fry pan, using a little more fat if necessary. Add salt and pepper. Add soaked wheat. Add soup and poultry seasoning and mix thoroughly. Place in a greased casserole dish and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Testing comment: My kids loved this. Next time I will double the recipe. Be sure not to drain the water off the wheat. It cooks out in the oven.

Wheat Scones

2 packages yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/4 cups warm buttermilk
2 slightly beaten eggs
6 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
6 1/2 to 8 cups whole wheat flour

Mix yeast and sugar in warm water and set aside until bubbly. Mix remaining ingredients (except flour) together; add yeast mixture. Add enough whole wheat to make a medium soft dough. Dough should leave the sides of the bowl. Mix well and let rise one hour. Then cover and refrigerate from 1/2 day to 4 days. Punch down as needed. Remove from fridge 10 minutes before using. Knead slightly. Pinch off golf ball size pieces and pat or roll out 1/3 to 1/2-inch thick on lightly floured surface. Fry in one-inch of hot oil.

Whole Wheat Blender Muffins

1 cup cooking oil
2 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons soda
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix all ingredients except flour in blender. (Hold out some milk if it is too much for the blender.) Pour in 4 cups whole wheat flour. Stir until well-mixed. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 2 1/2 dozen muffins.

For a healthier version, use 1/2 cup oil, 2 egg whites, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, 6 tablespoons regular powdered milk, 2 cups water, 1/2 cup applesauce or cooked squash or pumpkin, and salt, soda, and vanilla as above.

Testing comment: Good. It's even better with butter and honey.

Corn Tortilla

1 cup wheat flour or white
1 cup cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
2/3 cup warm water

Combine all ingredients and knead several minutes. Divide dough into 12 balls. Roll the tortillas out thin. Heat oil in skillet to 350 degrees. Fry one at a time for 40 seconds each.

No Knead Ciabatta Bread

4 cups flour
1/4 tea. yeast
1 1/2 tea. salt
2 cups warm water

Stir with spoon or hands, dough will be sticky, let sit in the bowl on the counter covered with foil 18 hrs. With a spatula punch down & fold dough into the center on top of itself going all around the bowl. Spray a counter with water put plastic wrap over it."the water holds the saran wrap down." then put the dough on the plastic wrap and stretch it into oblong shape. Oil a cookie sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal using the plastic wrap to help place the dough on the cookie sheet roll the dough onto the cookie sheet. if the dough mis-shapes just stretch back to the oblong shape and then sprinkle with flour. Cover with a towel and let rise for 2 hours. Place in a preheated 425 oven and bake 35 to 45 minutes until

Creamy Bean Soup

carrots

1 onion

1/2 of an 8 oz. pkg. of low fat cream cheese

Storage Ingredients

2 cups dry pinto beans

1/2 cup mild salsa or taco sauce

salt to taste

Rinse off 2 cups of dry pinto beans and soak in 2 quarts of water overnight. Drain all the water, rinse beans thoroughly, and place in crock-pot. Chop the vegetables and add to crock-pot with beans. Cover with 2 quarts of fresh water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the beans are fully cooked and soft. Remove 1 cup of the broth and set aside. Add the cream cheese, salsa, and salt. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Add some of the reserved broth to achieve the desired consistency. Serve with warm tortillas or corn chips and additional cream cheese and cilantro if desired.

If, for any reason, I was not able to purchase fresh ingredients from the grocery store, this soup recipe would still provide a viable meal for my family. I would simply substitute dehydrated carrots and onions for the fresh vegetables and then add 1/2 cup of dry powdered milk to replace the cream cheese that’s originally called for.

Pita Bread

1 package of yeast, or quick rising yeast (2 1/4 teas.)
1/2 cup warm water
3 cups all purpose flour (can use Wheat flour
1 1/4 teapsoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar (can use 1 Tbl. honey)
1 cup lukewarm water
Preparation:
Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until water is frothy.

Combine flour and salt in large bowl.

Make a small depression in the middle of lour and pur yeast water in depression.

Slowly add 1 cup of warm water, and stir with wooden spoon or rubber spatula until elastic.

PLace dough on floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes. When the dough is no longer stick and is smooth and elastic, it has been successfully kneaded.

Coat large bowl with vegetable oil and place dough in bowl. Turn dough upside down so all of the dough is coated.

Allow to sit in a warm place for about 3 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

Once doubled, roll out in a rope, and pinch off 10-12 small pieces. Place balls on floured surface. Let sit covered for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 500 deg F. and make sure rack is at the very bottom of oven. Be sure to preheat your baking sheet also.

Roll out each ball of dough with a rolling pin into circles. Each should be about 5-6 inches across and 1/4 inch thick.

Bake each circle for 4 minutes until the bread puffs up. Turn over and bake for 2 minutes.

Remove each pita with a spatula from the baking sheet and add additional pitas for baking.

Take spatula and gently push down puff. Immediately place in storage bags.

Storing Pita Bread

Pita bread can be stored for up to a week in a pantry or bread box, and up to a month in the freezer. Be sure to use freezer bags when storing in the freezer.
User Reviews

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Delicious!!, February 5, 2009
By thgink


"My first try at making pitas was a success! It is easy, but time consuming. Allow at least 4-5 hours and then no distractions once you start to bake the pitas. I used a pizza stone to bake them on. Make sure it is hot as the directions say.

The only thing that was different than in the directions, was the raising time. I let the dough raise 2 hours, less than the directions said, because it was ready.

It made 8 nice sized pitas. Make sure you follow the storage bags directions the minute they come out of the oven. Have 4 bags ready, 2 in each bag."

Vegetarian Cowboy Beans-CrockPot

Vegetarian Cowboy Beans in the Slow Cooker
Estimated Cost: $5.00
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, very finely mined
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks of celery, peeled and chopped
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
1 small minced jalapeno
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cups dried pinto beans
2 (14 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
5 cups water
Pour oil into the bottom of the slow cooker. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker; stir, and cook on high for four to six hours, or on low for 8 to 10 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve beans with shredded cheese and corn bread if desired.

Chunky Cheesy Soup

Cheesy Soup


4 carrots, peeled & sliced
6 celery stalks, sliced
1 onion, diced
4-6 potatoes, cubed
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
2 cups chicken bouillon
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup flour
4 cups milk
16oz Velveeta (cubed) or Cheese Whiz

Cook carrots, celery, onion, and potatoes till tender, 10-15 minutes. Add broccoli during last few minutes of cooking time. In another pot, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour till smooth. Whisk in about 2 1/2 cups of the milk. Whisk constantly over medium heat till sauce thickens and boils. Boil for at least one minute. Add to veggies. Stir in cheese and remaining milk and heat over medium low heat till cheese melts.

Curried Lentil and Rice

Curried Lentils and Rice
adapted from Fitness Magazine

2 cups rice
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp powdered onion
4 cups water
1 cup brown lentils
1 tsp honey
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt

Cook rice according to package directions. Heat oil and curry powder together in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion powder and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the water and lentils and bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 22 minutes, until lentils are soft. Remove from heat; stir in the honey, vinegar, and salt. Ladle over bowls of rice. Top with cilantro and sour cream if rotating.

Dinner Rice

Dinner Rice
Fresh Ingredients
¼ c. butter
Storage Ingredients
1 c. rice
1 can beef consume soup (10 ¾ oz.)
1 can French onion soup (10 ¾ oz.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter and mix with rice and soups in a casserole dish. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.

This yummy rice can be served as a side for beef or turned into a complete meal by adding a little cooked meat and frozen veggies. I like to stir in frozen peas and serve it with strips of sautéed steak over a bed of mixed greens for a nice summer salad.