Adding Variety to Your Bulk Food Storage

 I found this insightful Question on the internet yesterday ...Pause to think of what you HAVE and what you might Add for variety to your bulk food storage.

STEP 1:
IF I HAVE: Wheat, Powdered Milk, Coconut Oil, Salt, Honey or Sugar, Water   (Cool - we've done all those in the last 6 months)
I CAN MAKE: Popped Wheat ,Steamed Wheat, Sprouted Wheat, Cooked Cracked Wheat, Tortillas

STEP 2
IF I ADD: Yeast, (or Sourdough Start), Baking Powder, Powdered Eggs, Baking Soda
I CAN MAKE THESE ADDITIONS: Custards, Puddings, Pancakes, Cookies, Waffles, Muffins, English Muffins, German Pancakes, Crepes, Egg Noodles, Pasta, Breads, Biscuits, Crackers, Mayonnaise. A lot more options huh? Keep reading.

STEP 3:
IF I ADD: Butter Buds, Tomatoes, Powdered Cheese
I CAN MAKE THESE ADDITIONS: Meatless Dinners, Meatless Casseroles, Cream Sauces These really add flavor.

STEP 4:
IF I ADD: Unflavored Gelatin, Canned Milk, Canned Fruits
I CAN MAKE THESE ADDITIONS: Jello Salads, Whipped Cream Desserts, Baby Formula, fruit dishes Mmm, now we have desserts.

STEP 5:
IF I ADD: Soup Base, Rice, Legumes (Beans), Beef Broth, Chicken Broth, Alfalfa Seeds, Sesame Seeds
I CAN MAKE THESE ADDITIONS: Hearty Dinner Soups, Chili, Rice Puddings, Refried Beans, Rice Dishes, Fresh Sprouts, Gluten This would really expand your dinner menu in an emergency.

STEP 6:
IF I ADD: Canned Meats, Dried Potatoes
I CAN MAKE THESE ADDITIONS: Dinners, Casseroles, Sandwiches. This may not sound like a lot but a meaty flavor can make all the difference.

STEP 7:
EXTRAS: Oats, Raisin, Nuts, Peanut Butter, Granola, Juices, Corn Starch, Soup Mixes, Spices & Flavorings, Lemon Powder or Juice, White Flour, Cream of Tartar, Junket Rennet Tablet - to make cheeses, Molasses, Karo Syrup, etc. These are small things that you could do without but really add variety to your diet.

What do you cook with? Add it to your food storage.  Share with me what YOUR Can't do without LIST looks like - it will help others.   

Make Your Own Chickpea Flour

You will find in some Indian, Turkish, Italian, Spanish and French recipes that it will ask for chickpea flour. But finding a store that stocks chickpea flour can be difficult. Here is how you can make your own in little to no time at all.

Chickpea flour — also known as besan, gram flour, channa flour, harina de garbanzo — is a popular ingredient in many Old World cuisines. It is the used in the batter for Indian pakoras. The French of Provence make a popular bread called soccawith it that they bake in wood-fired ovens. Persian Jews mix it with ground chicken to form gundi dumplings. Chickpea flour can also be a great substitute for wheat flour in many recipes and for thickening sauces. Good news for those who want to go gluten-free!

Here's how to make your own. It should yield around 1 1/2 cups.

Chickpea Flour Recipe

• 2 cups of dried chickpeas

1. Add the chickpeas in small batches to a food processor, coffee grinder or blender and process until pulverized and smooth.
2. Run through a sieve to remove any large particles. Use as directed in recipes.

• Toasted Chickpea Flour: toast the chickpeas in a 400°F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the chickpeas start to give off a toasted aroma and are lightly browned. Cool and proceed with the recipe above.

Lentils Part 2 with Tasty Recipes

Lentils can help keep your digestive system working “regularly”, help you keep blood sugar levels healthy, and help you keep healthy cholesterol levels. How? The fiber they contain is both soluble and insoluble. Fiber also helps keep you fuller longer, which helps you eat less. While you can buy canned lentils, they are so easy to cook from dried that I really encourage you to give it a try. Here’s a basic recipe:

• 1 cup washed and drained lentils
• 3 cups water
• Sea salt and pepper

Bring lentils and water to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until tender, about an hour. Drain excess liquid if needed. Add seasonings to taste. While lentils are for more than just soup, it can be a great place to start. Here are a couple to get you started: Hearty Lentil Soup and Lentil Soup with Smokey Ham. And here are some “more than soup” ideas:

• Turn lentils into a salad with chopped veggies and a favorite vinaigrette dressing. Try this over a bed of baby spinach leaves with a slice of hot crusty whole grain bread. Get started with this Lentil and Couscous Salad with Arugula.
• Stew or simmer lentils and serve over whole grains, like in this Red Lentils with Garlic and Onions.

• Cook up this delicious Slow Cooker Chickpea and Lentil Stew while at work one day.
• Stuff cooked and seasoned lentils into pita bread with sprouts and veggies for a great sandwich.
• Roll them up in whole grain tortillas with avocado slices and fresh tomatoes.

• Make Lentil Walnut Burgers on whole grain buns.
• Mix them with hot cooked grains.
• Serve them over hot cooked pasta.
• Turn them into a non-meat loaf.
• Make them into a bean dip or spread, like this Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Hummus.
• Serve them as a bed for steamed or sautéed veggies.
• Try them as Lentil Tapenade.
• Try them curry style. Here’s a recipe for Lentil Curry with Cashews and Yogurt