Spice Up Your Survival Diet

[trueblue2k2]

With prepared foods taking over, many have forgotten natural cooking skills.  Spices are an inexpensive and healthy way to make almost anything taste good. Check out Mother Earth News index for their article
and chart guide to cooking with spices.

Some old cookbooks made by food companies were excellent.  Five Roses Flour made one of the best.

[Yowbarb]

With prepared foods taking over, many have forgotten natural cooking skills.  Spices are an inexpensive and healthy way to make almost anything taste good. Check out Mother Earth News index for their article
and chart guide to cooking with spices.

Some old cookbooks made by food companies were excellent.  Five Roses Flour made one of the best.

Trueblue2k2 - if you are still reading here, maybe you will see this msg.
I'm not sure why you are listed as Guest.
Perhaps your account was inadvertently deleted when there was a computer program working on the board afew mo ago.
Consider reapplying. I am working on applications now for Free Membership to the Town hall.
Sincerely,
Barb Townsend

[Yowbarb]

http://www.frontiercoop.com/learn/ss_usage.php

[Yowbarb]

http://www.frontiercoop.com/learn/ss_usage.php

Tips For Using Spices
  272

So you’ve stocked your cupboard and are eager to spice up your meals. But what to add to what? The possibilities for seasoning are endless, but to get you started here's a list with some tried and true matches. Don’t be limited by traditional uses, though — some of the most exquisite dishes come from unexpected seasonings.

Beans (dried) — cumin, cayenne, chili, parsley, pepper, sage, savory, thyme

Beef — basil, bay, chili, cilantro, curry, cumin, garlic, marjoram, mustard, oregano, parsley, pepper, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme

Breads — anise, basil, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, lemon peel, orange peel, oregano, poppy seeds, rosemary, saffron, sage, thyme

Cheese — basil, caraway, celery seed, chervil, chili, chives, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, horseradish, lemon peel, marjoram, mint, mustard, nutmeg, paprika, parsley, pepper, sage, tarragon, thyme

Chicken — allspice, basil, bay, cinnamon, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, mustard, paprika, rosemary, saffron, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme,

Corn — chili, curry, dill, marjoram, parsley, savory, thyme

Eggs — basil, chervil, chili, chives, curry, dill, fennel, ginger, lemon peel, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, pepper, sage, tarragon, thyme

Fish — anise, basil, bay, cayenne, celery seed, chives, curry, dill fennel, garlic, ginger, lemon peel, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, saffron, sage, savory, tarragon, marjoram

Fruits — allspice, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, mint

Lamb — basil, bay, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, curry, dill, garlic, marjoram, mint, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, savory, tarragon, thyme

Potatoes — basil, caraway, celery seed, chervil, chives, coriander, dill, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, poppy seed, rosemary, tarragon, thyme

Salad Dressings — basil, celery seed, chives, dill, fennel, garlic, horseradish, marjoram, mustard, oregano, paprika, parsley, pepper, rosemary, saffron, tarragon, thyme

Salads — basil, caraway, chives, dill, garlic, lemon peel, lovage, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme

Soups — basil, bay, chervil, chili, chives, cumin, dill, fennel, garlic, marjoram, parsley, pepper, rosemary, sage, savory, thyme

Sweets — allspice, angelica, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, ginger, lemon peel, mace, nutmeg, mint, orange peel, rosemary

Tomatoes — basil, bay, celery seed, cinnamon, chili, curry, dill, fennel,  garlic, ginger, gumbo file, lemongrass, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary, savory, tarragon, thyme

Complimentary Herbs

As a beginner, you may want to stick with herbs and spices that are known to complement each other. Common flavor families include:

Bouquet Garnis — basil, bay, oregano, parsley
Herbal — basil, marjoram, rosemary, thyme
Hot — chili peppers, cilantro, cumin, garlic
Pungent — celery, chili peppers, cumin, curry, ginger, black pepper
Spicy — cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, star anise
Sweet — allspice, anise, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg

An easy method for testing herb and spice combinations is to mix them with small amounts of a mild cheese, like cream cheese. Allow them to sit for at least an hour, then sample your blends, noting which flavors you most enjoy. Be sure to label the samples so you’ll know how to duplicate or modify each to suit your taste.

For Every Thing, There is a Seasoning

If you enjoy cooking with herbs and spices, you find creative cooking opportunities everywhere. You can make your own blends (curry powder or pumpkin pie spice, for example), herb vinegars, herbal cheese, teas, jellies… But don’t neglect the endless possibilities for everyday cooking. A pinch of this, or a teaspoon of that, will make all the food you serve special.

[Yowbarb]

Barb T. Note:
This Recipe calls for garlic and onion. If you don't have any fresh in your survival shelter, hopefully
you have a supply of garlic in jars. Once opened, with refrigeration, a jar of minced garlic might last
a month or more. Onions: You can reconstitute dried minced onion by adding water four parts water
to one part onion.
Garlic and onion powder come in handy too.
...

http://www.ehow.com/how_7682438_spice-up-canned-vegetables.html 

How to Spice Up Canned Vegetables
By Andrew Wolter, eHow Contributor
A study by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign indicates that canned vegetables contain the same nutritional value as fresh or frozen vegetables. Canned vegetables are cheaper to purchase than fresh and are conveniently sliced or cut for instant cooking with little to no preparation. One drawback to adding canned vegetables to any meal, however, is the often bland taste. With a few common ingredients, you can spice up canned vegetables to create a flavorful side dish. Does this Spark an idea?


Read more: How to Spice Up Canned Vegetables | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_7682438_spice-up-canned-vegetables.html#ixzz23Ah2GFT1

Instructions
1
Drain and rinse the canned vegetables. Pour the contents into a colander instead of directly into the saucepan. Mix the vegetables with a spoon while running them under cold water for two minutes. This helps get rid of the tinny taste.

2
Mince three cloves of garlic and dice one-quarter of an onion.

3
Add 3 tbsp. of butter to a 2-qt. saucepan. Turn the heat of your stove to "medium."

4
Spoon in the vegetables from the colander into the saucepan once the butter has completely melted. Add the minced garlic and diced onion. (Canned vegetables are precooked, so there is no need to add water).

5
Simmer for five to six minutes. Stir every two minutes, ensuring your vegetables are cooking evenly.

6
Stir in 2 tsps. of ground black pepper, 1 tsp. of salt, and 1 tsp. of thyme to the saucepan.

7
Cover the saucepan with a lid and reduce heat to a low simmer for three to four minutes. This allows the garlic and onions to tenderize.

8
Stir vegetables once more and immediately serve.


Read more: How to Spice Up Canned Vegetables | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_7682438_spice-up-canned-vegetables.html#ixzz23AhACjnI

[Yowbarb]

Note: Miscellaneous ideas from Yahoo Answers or survival sites. Some of the cheapest foods to be found are canned beans. Granted better to cook fresh but this is so people can use what they have, if they do end up in a survival situation with a store of food. A supply of oil, canned butter, dry Parmesan cheese, salad dressings, sauces these would all keep fairly well and would make a lot of foods palatable. Some people will eat canned beans cold, with a little Italian salad dressing, mayo.  I like any kind of bean, hot or cold. - B.T.

CANNED PINTO BEANS

1)  Heat a heavy pan (cast iron works wonderfully for this) then add enough oil to lightly cover the
     bottom. Add a the beans to the pan. Mash with your masher or fork, and add salt and pepper (you
     could also add red pepper flakes, cumin or spice of your choice) to taste. Top with salsa

2)  Cook them with salt, pepper, onion salt, garlic salt and some kind of seasoned salt, top cooked
     beans with fresh chopped onions and serve with hot buttered cornbread.

3)  Add a can of corn, some salsa, little cheese on top, [serve hot or cold, a dip. ]

4)  Add chilli sauce

5)  Tomato sauce onions, garlic.

6)  Ham, bacon or (if you don't eat pork vegetarian Baco-Bits.)

CANNED LIMA BEANS

1)  Salt, pepper, butter

2)   Good with ketchup too.

CANNED GREEN BEANS

from Sueder on Yahoo Answers
1)  Put a little bit of vegetable or olive ol in the bottom of a saucepan. Drain the beans and put them in
     the pan. Put in a cube of beef bouilion (1 cube every 2- small cans). Cover. Turn the heat on medium
     high an leave thm for awhile. Go back every 10 minutes or so to stir them and recover. Once the look
     a little mushy and lose the canned green bea smell, thy are ready. Also, make sure the bottom of the
     saucepan has a bit of broth in it from the bouillion and the oil mixing. If not, add a little more oil and
     re-stir. !

2)  ...add a seasoning to it such as chicken bouillion or seasoning packet from Ramen chicken noodles.

BLACKEYED PEAS

Some ideas - eat them hot with some oil or butter; cold with mayo if you have it. 
I don 't see a recipe but it seems to me stuffing mix would be a good staple to stock and could mix well with canned
heated beans or veges...

.......

[Yowbarb]

Some other commonly stocked canned foods:
Canned tomatoes, canned mushrooms, canned spinach.
The recipe below calls for frozen spinach. In a survival situation, the canned should be OK.
Mom taught me to make a spinach casserole, really good even with the chopped canned
spinach. It had some kind of French spice, some sweet spice...like for pie.
(Recipe below is not mine.) A good idea to stock some large packages of stuffing mix, used in
this recipe.
Kids often aren't so fond of dark green vegetables, but they like stuffing so this could work.
This calls for eggs. Powdered eggs should work.... - Barb T.
...
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/stove-top-spinach-balls-62452.aspx

SPINACH BALLS
what you need
1pkg.  (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1-2/3cups   hot water
1/4cup  (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
2pkg.  (10 oz. each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained and patted dry [Canned from survival larder ]
1cup  KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
1cup  chopped fresh mushrooms
1small  onion, finely chopped
4      eggs
make it
HEAT oven to 400ºF.

MIX stuffing mix, hot water and butter in large bowl until well blended.

ADD remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Shape into 60 (1-inch) balls. Place in single layer in 2 (15x10x1-inch) pans sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 15 to 20 min. or until lightly browned.

kraft kitchens tips MAKE AHEAD Prepare and bake spinach balls as directed; cool completely. Place in freezer-weight resealable plastic bags; freeze up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw in refrigerator. Place on baking sheets and bake at 400°F for 10 to 15 min. or until heated through.

[Yowbarb]

Canned tomatoes can be mixed in with stuffing mix and/or rice  and whatever you have
to make a meal...

[Yowbarb]

I'm not sure I mentioned it in this Topic:  It would help make a lot of canned or MRE type meals
a lot more appetizing if you could put some freshly picked herbs in them...

http://www.happycow.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/herbs.jpg


................
Another food which could make something taste better is homemade yogurt.
Image below, just an example of one type of home yogurt maker which can be operated with
electricity or C batteries.  Euro Cuisine Automatic Yogurt Maker, White. - Yowbarb 

[Yowbarb]

Grow your own sprouts and mushrooms too, of course...
Keep some starter going for bread dough and yogurt culture for the yogurt supply...
- Yowbarb
...

http://www.sprouting.com/sprout-life/Seeds#./Seeds?&_suid=136798336702500986923165021043

http://www.growlight.cn/grow-light/grow-light-application.jpg