Homemade Cranberry Sauce

 

Cranberries Aren’t Just for Thanksgiving Any More! 

Cranberry sauce is much easier to make than you might think.  A few years ago I got so frustrated when reading the labels on canned cranberry sauce. I could not find one can that did not have high fructose corn syrup! 

Creamy Pumpkin Polenta

Stick to Your Ribs Goodness 

I did a bit of research to find tasty pumpkin recipes that were not just variations on pumpkin cookies, pies, and desserts. My goal is to find recipes for nutritious meals.  To my delight, I found a fantastic and simple recipe.   

Three Sisters Soup

Three Sisters Soup 

Three Sisters Soup is so named because of the combination of corn, beans, and pumpkin.  Native Americans planted these three crops together.  Corn drains nutrients from the soil, legumes (the beans) put nutrients back into the soil and grow up the corn stalks, and the pumpkin vines create a ground cover, reducing the need for water and weeding.

Cream of Soup Mix

Cream of Mushroom / Chicken / Celery / Broccoli / Whatever 

This recipe was posted by Frances Quinn in Dehydrating Way Beyond Jerky. Thanks so much, Frances! As best as I can determine it was created by Janette Branham Nugent. 

Macaroni Tomato Green Pepper Casserole



From This ...

  

To This!



 

 

 

 

Ingredients

I’ve been experimenting with one-dish meals I can dehydrate and use later.  Almost everything in this casserole can be dehydrated except for the cheddar cheese and butter.  I’ve put together meal packets with all the components in one large bag.  This meal serves two large or four small portions (depending on your family and appetite) 

Linda’s note: each ingredient needs to be bagged separately because when putting the dish together, something different is done to each item. 

Ingredients (each bagged separately):

• 2 cups cooked dehydrated elbow macaroni
• 1 cup dehydrated tomatoes
• 2 tbsp dehydrated onion
• ¼ cup dehydrated diced bell pepper 

Fresh Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 tbsp butter
• 1 ½ to 2 cups grated cheese

Rehydrate these ingredients separately:

• Tomatoes in 1 cup water
• Onions in ¼ cup water
• Bell peppers in ½ cup water

It will take several hours to rehydrate your veggies.  I put mine on to soak just before lunch and refrigerated them until it was time to fix supper. 

 

Directions:

·         Cover pasta with boiling water and set aside for fifteen to twenty minutes 

Rehydrated and Drained

In the mean time, drain the veggies and reserve the liquid.

·         Gently sauté the onions in the butter. This will take about ten minutes on med low heat.

·         Add the tomatoes and continue to simmer about ten minutes. You will need to add a little of the reserved liquid to keep them from sticking. 

 

Saute in Butter

Sauté the bell peppers in a separate pan.  Then spread them in the bottom of a 1 ½ quart oiled casserole.

1 ½ qt Casserole

·         Drain the pasta and mix with the tomato onion mixture. Pour on top of the bell peppers. 

 

Mix Pasta & Tomatoes

 

YUM!

Bake on medium heat until the cheese is melted on top.

 

 

 

Apple Raisin Pie

Apple Raisin Pie

What do you do with all those apples you just dehydrated?  Outside of eating them as a snack, there must be something you can do.  Here is a recipe I found using dehydrated apples to make a pie.

Dehydrated Parsley Potatoes

 

Recently, someone bought a box of surplus potatoes to the Senior Center as a freebie for everyone.  I took my share home and thought about what to do with them.  They are wonderful little baby red potatoes and I wanted something special. I decided to try one of our favorite dishes, parsley potatoes.

 

Dehydrating Apricots

Dried Apricots

I have had very little experience with fresh apricots. They are usually too expensive for me.  However, lately we’ve participated in the Bountiful Baskets program and have gotten them on several occasions.  You don’t get a choice, you simply get a laundry basket full of fresh produce. Now, what we don’t eat during the week, I dehydrate on the weekends.

Making the Best of Basics

This is an excellent book. If you can only afford one book, this is the one to buy.  I keep my copy of

Making the Best of Basics Family Preparedness Handbook  by James Talmage Stevens on hand at all times..  This is probably the first survivalist book I ever purchased.

Lip Smackin' Backpackin'

Here is one of my favorite books for dehydrating:

Lip Smackin’ Backpackin’

By Tim and Christine Conners

Some of the recipes call for processed foods, but you can always substitute the real thing.  It’s focus is on convenience and ease of use in backpacking situations. 

All of the recipes in this book have been tested for accuracy.

These recipes are ideal for backpacking, camping, or traveling across the country. 

This book is what gave me the courage to try dehydrating meats other than jerky. 

Check out the instructions on page 112 for Ground Beef Gravel.  That has been the single-most useful recipe for me!

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix – Low Sodium

Source: Source: Pillsbury Classic Cookbooks; Money $aving Meals, #131, Jan. 1992; reviewed July 2007

• 6 tsps. chili powder
• 5 tsps. paprika
• 4-1/2 tsps. cumin*
• 3 tsps. onion powder
• 2-1/2 tsps. garlic powder
• 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

In storage container with tight-fitting lid, combine all ingredients; mix well. Seal tightly. Store in cool, dry place for up to 6 months. 21 teaspoons (about 1/2 cup)

TIPS:

*Cumin, an herb, is ground from cumin seeds, and there is no substitute for its flavor.

Yield:

Seven teaspoons of mix equal a 1.25-oz. package of purchased taco seasoning mix.

Nutritional Information

Seven teaspoons mix contain 90 mg. sodium.

Homemade Seasoned Rice Mix Low Sodium

Source: Source: Pillsbury Classic Cookbooks; Money $aving Meals, #131, Jan. 1992; reviewed July 2007

This economical, convenient mix allows you the flexibility to make it for poultry or beef-flavored dishes.

• 3 cups uncooked regular rice
• 1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
• 6 tsps. instant chicken or beef-flavor bouillon
• 2 tsps. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves

In storage container with tight-fitting lid, combine all ingredients; mix well. Seal tightly. Store in cool, dry place for up to 6 months. Stir well before each use.

Yield: 3 cups.

Nutritional Information

1/2 cup = 150 mg. of sodium.

Homemade Salt-Free Herb Mix

Source: Source: Pillsbury Classic Cookbooks; Money $aving Meals, #131, Jan. 1992; reviewed July 2007

Commercially packaged mixes can eat up food dollars, especially if purchased frequently. A practical, money-saving alternative is to make your own mixes.

Commercially prepared salt-free herb and spice blends are growing in popularity. Our homemade version is versatile and the flavors are complementary to many meat, vegetable and starch dishes. Teaspoon measurements are used because the teaspoon easily fits into the seasoning containers.

• 3 tsps. onion powder
• 3 tsps. garlic powder
• 3 tsps. dried parsley flakes
• 1 tsp. dried basil leaves
• 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 1 tsp. dried marjoram leaves
• 1 tsp. pepper

In storage container with tight-fitting lid, combine all ingredients; mix well. Seal tightly. Store in cool, dry place for up to 6 months. Stir or shake well before each use.

Yield: 13 teaspoons (about 1/4 cup).

Nutritional Information

One teaspoon mix contains 1 mg. sodium

Herbal Combinations

Linda’s Note: I took a class called  Put a Little Spice in Your Life class with Barbara Hotaling, owner of Paya’s Restaurant in Dubois, Wyoming.  She gave us a CD she had downloaded from the University of Deleware College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. It’s most complete information I’ve ever seen on herbs and spices. It’s free and available for you to copy.

http://ag.udel.edu/extension .

Here is an excerpt from that file:

Herb and Spiced Beverages

• Linda’s Note: I took a class called  Put a Little Spice in Your Life class with Barbara Hotaling, owner of Paya’s Restaurant in Dubois, Wyoming.  She gave us a CD she had downloaded from the West Virginia University Extension Service It’s free and available for you to copy. 

It’s in pdf format

http://www.wvu.edu/~exten/infores/pubs/fypubs/wl107.pdf

Creating Seasoned Rubs

Seasoned rubs are great on meats and vegetables. However, the premixed seasonings found at the grocery store often contain up to 90% salt in order for the manufacturer to reduce production costs. You can make your own flavorful rubs with much less sodium and more flavor.

Making your own rubs is especially helpful for people with chemical or nutritional issues.  For general health, you probably want to stay away from the chemicals and toxins manufacturers put in their rubs.

Homemade Granola Bars

This recipe was submitted by Vickilynn Haycreaft as a document posted in Facebook Dehydrating Way Beyond Jerky.

From Excalibur site: http://www.dehydrator123.com/tag/granola-bars-recipe/    

As  a parent, I’ve learned all sorts of tricks to getting my kids to eat  healthy foods. The number one way to get my kids to eat healthy was to  allow them to cook their own food – with my supervision, of course. By letting them cook their own healthy meals they were more likely to want to eat their own creations, take pride in their work, and gain appreciation for the amount of effort that goes into feeding a family.   One of their favorite healthy snacks to make is granola bars.

Raspberry Chocolate Fruit Roll-Ups

This is a really delicious recipe submitted by Vickilynn Haycroft

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Frozen Raspberries, thawed and drained
• 1/2 cup Dark Chocolate or White Chocolate Morsels, melted
• 1/3 cup White Grape Juice
• 1/2 cup Berry-flavored Applesauce

Instructions:

• Combine all ingredients in a Nesco® blender.
• Puree to smooth  consistency.
• Spray Nesco®/American Harverst® Fruit Roll Sheet lightly  with vegetable spray.
• Then spread puree evenly (approximately 1/4"  thick) on Fruit Roll Sheet and place on tray of Nesco®/American  Harverst® Dehydrator.
• Dry at 135ºF. for 8 to 10 hours until no sticky  spots are present on top or underneath fruit.
• Remove fruit leather while  still warm, roll and cut into bite-sized pieces (if desired).
• Wrap in  plastic wrap for storage.

Serves approximately 2 to 2-1/2 Fruit Roll-ups

"Used by permission: (c) Vickilynn Haycraft of Real Food Living www.realfoodliving.com "

Linda’s Note:

• For controlled portions, measure out ¼ to ½ cup portions before dehydrating.

Jerky Marinate by Susan Quinn

Linda's Note: This recipe was posted as a document in the facebook group, Dehydrating Way Beyond Jerky. Please note that to expedite things and get the recipes up that you have asked for and/or submitted, I have not yet tested this particular one.

Compound Butters

Here is an interesting way to use those wonderful home-dried herbs.

If you go to really nice restaurants or specialty delis, you can find seasoned butters… at VERY high prices.  However, making your own butters are so easy, you’ll smack your forehead with “why didn’t I think of that!”

You can put together a custom-blended compound butter in less than ten minutes.

Basically:

• Mix your desired herbs and spices into the butter.
• Room temperature butter
• Place butter into mixing bowl with paddles
• Add desired spices and herbs
• Mix until well blended
• Roll it in plastic wrap to make a tight sausage shape.
• Refrigerate or freeze to make it firm.
• Then slice and use.

By the way, this is a great opportunity to use that wonderful micro plainer, if you happen to have one.  Use it to zest lemons, oranges, or other citrus into your butter mixtures.