July 2016 Emergency Preparedness - Basic Recipes using Beans

About Beans

1 cup dry beans = 2 1/2 cups cooked

Beans belong to the group of food called “legumes” which includes peas, lentils, and peanuts.  Next to cereal grains, it is the legume family that contributes most substantially toward feeding the people of the world.  The high protein content of beans is an absolute necessity in countries where little meat is eaten.  Beans are also high in complex carbohydrates and important vitamins and minerals like folate, calcium, iron and potassium.

A half-cup serving of dry beans counts as a one-ounce serving of lean meat in the “meat and beans group” of the USDA food pyramid and a full serving of vegetables in the “vegetable group”.  Combining beans with wheat, corn, rice or milk will create a complete protein equal to meat; digestibility is also improved.  Eating beans often and/or sprouted can decrease gassy side-effects, as will soaking.

Cooked beans can be stored safely at least five days refrigerated, or up to one year frozen, without quality loss.  Uncooked dry beans keep indefinitely if stored in a tightly sealed container, in a cool dark dry area.  Nutrients are not lost with age, although the beans will lose moisture and need longer soaking and/or cooking times.

Tips for Cooking and Using Beans

Soaking is not a necessary step in bean preparation.  However, unsoaked beans take longer to cook and require more attention so they won’t boil dry.  A longer soaking time is recommended to help beans be digested more easily.  Beans soaked longer than 12 hours can absorb too much water and lose some flavor and texture.  Whether beans soak for an hour or several, discard the soaking water, rinse beans and pan. As your digestive system becomes used to beans you will need less or no soaking time.  Soaking water will not need to be discarded either.  Beans cook best when simmered.  Hard boiling and vigorous stirring cause beans to break.  If additional water is needed while cooking, add hot water.  To test for doneness pinch or bite a few for tenderness.  Wait until close to end of cooking time to add tomatoes, lemon juice, or vinegar as these acids toughen beans.  In hard water or high altitude areas increase the soaking and/or cooking times.  Beans can be cracked or ground into flour for faster cooking.

Beans can be used to enrich soups and thicken gravies.  Bean puree can be used as a base for dips and spreads and as a fat replacement in baking when cooked and mashed to the consistency of shortening.  (Start by replacing no more than half the fat with an equal amount of pureed beans.)

Methods for Soaking Beans

Sort and rinse beans, discarding broken or shriveled beans and any foreign matter.  In a large pot add 6 to 7 cups water, 1 rounded teaspoon salt (salt helps beans absorb water more evenly) and 2 cups of dry beans.  After soaking choose a method to cook beans.

Hot-soak: This works best for hard, old, dry beans.  Do not use this for sprouting beans.  Bring beans, salt, and water for soaking to a boil.  Turn off heat.  Cover and let stand at least 1 hour, but preferably 4 hours; maximum 12 hours.

Quick-soak: Prepare like hot-soak; soak only 1 hour.

Long-soak: Cover beans with cool, salted water.  Soak 8 to 10 hours or overnight. Be sure to soak beans at room temperature.  Hot water may cause beans to sour.  Cold water slows hydration and beans will take longer to cook.

Methods for Cooking Beans

A bean is fully cooked when it can be easily mashed with a fork.  Adding a little oil to beans when cooking helps prevent foaming.

Stock Pot: Cover soaked beans with water.  Add salt (depending on saltiness of other recipe ingredients).  Heat all ingredients to boiling.  Reduce Heat, cover and simmer gently 30 to 45 minutes.  If additional water is needed while cooking, add very hot tap water.

Crockpot: Fill pot half full with soaked beans.  Add water to 2” above beans: add salt.  Cover and cook on low about 6 to 8 hours.

Pressure Cooker: Pressure cooking shortens cooking time.  Soaked Pinto beans will cook in about 10 minutes depending on the age of the beans.  Remove rack.  Cover soaked beans with 1” water; add salt. Seal cooker, bring up to pressure, reduce heat and maintain pressure for required time.  Stay close by until heat is shut off.  Never remove the weight while pressure is still in the cooker.  Cooking time increases by approximately one-third if beans are not soaked.

NOTE:  Before using a pressure cooker, read the manufacture’s complete instructions.

Basic Beans

After soaking 1 cup of dry beans, cover with 3 cups water.  Add 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons oil (optional).  Simmer until done.

NOTE:  Beans may be drained and rinsed and fresh water added to help your system adjust to the side effects caused from beans.

Refried Beans/Pureed Beans

Drain cooked beans and save liquid.  Mash warm beans with potato masher in heated skillet with a small amount of oil, adding liquid back in as needed for desired texture.  Add desired seasoning.  These beans can be frozen for later use.

Fat Replacement

Cooked beans may be pureed and used in place of part of the fat in baked goods.  (Omit oil, salt and any other seasonings when cooking beans.)  Beans will help provide moisture to the recipe, but since pureed beans will not act the same way as fat in baking, the final product will be changed.  Blend cooked beans with water, if needed, until they are the consistency of shortening.  Do not replace all fat with pureed beans.  Begin by replacing 1/4 to 1/2 and test the quality of the product.

Using Very Old Hard Beans

If beans are still hard after cooking, any of the above mentioned ways, try putting the beans with or without part of the cooking water in a container and freeze until solid.  Remove beans, thaw and try cooking again.  Freezing the beans (with the little amount of water they absorbed from the cooking) often causes the fibers inside the beans to break and therefore cook and soften the next time they are cooked.

June 2016 Emergency Preparedness - Basic Recipes using Oats

About Rolled Oats 

Oats are an excellent source of protein, vitamins and minerals such as iron and calcium.  Both old-fashioned and quick oats have the same nutritional benefits: no preservatives, artificial ingredients, salt or sugar.

Hot Oatmeal Cereal

1 cup oats                                                        1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups water

Bring salted water to a boil.  Add oatmeal and stir.  Cook 2 minutes stirring occasionally.  Serve with milk and sugar.  Makes 2 servings.

Instant Oatmeal Packets

In a blender, pulse 1 1/2 cups oats until mixture is powdery.  Ready 10 packets (resealable sandwich bags work nicely).  To each packet add the following ingredients:

1/4 cup unpowdered oats                                3 pinches of salt

2 tablespoons powdered oats                          3/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Microwave Directions:

Empty packet into microwaveable bowl.  Add 2/3 cup water or milk.  Microwave at high about 1 minute.  Stir. Serve.

Stove Top Directions:

Boil 2/3 cup water.  Empty packet into pan.  Cook and stir until thickened, about 1 minute.  Pour milk over cereal just before serving.

Oat Gruel

1 tablespoon powdered oats                           6 tablespoons water

1 - 2 teaspoons dry milk                                  1/2 teaspoon sugar

Pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together and cook until done.  Cool and serve.  Can thin further with milk, fruit juice, or more water.  Ideal for babies or sick people.

Basic Granola

3 cups uncooked quick oats                            1/3 cup dry milk

1/2 cup sugar                                                   3 tablespoons oil

1/8 teaspoon salt                                             9 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon whole wheat flour

Put dry ingredients in a bowl.  Stir oil and water together and pour over dry ingredients.  Mix until clumpy.  Crumble onto greased baking sheets.  Bake at 350° for 10 – 15 minutes, checking and stirring often to evenly bake until dry and lightly toasted.  Store in airtight container.

Eat as snack or cereal with milk.

Toasted Oat Crumbles

2 cups oats                                                      1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar                                         1 tablespoon oil

1 tablespoon dry milk                                     1/4 cup water

Mix all dry ingredients well.  Stir water and oil together and drizzle onto oats.  Toss to mix.  Spread on greased cookie sheet in small crumples.  Bake about 10 – 15 minutes at 350° or until oats are lightly browned.  Stir for even browning.  Eat as a snack.

Norwegian Oatmeal Crackers

2 cups warm water                                          1/2 cup dry milk

1/4 teaspoon salt                                             2 1/2 cups oats

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar                                      2 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons oil

Put first four ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir.  Mix oats and milk together, then stir into liquid mixture.  Let stand about 10 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.  Add flour.  Knead on floured board until dough stays together.  Roll out thin on greased cookie sheet and cut into shapes.  Bake about 10 – 12 minutes at 350° until lightly toasted and crispy.

Oat Crackers

1 1/2 cup oats                                                  1/2 cup water

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour                          1/3 cup oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix dry ingredients into a bowl.  Stir in oil and water.  Let sit 5 minutes.  Roll dough 1/8” thick on a lightly oiled cookie sheet.  Score.  Bake at 325° for 20 – 25 minutes.

Oatmeal Cookies

1/4 cup shortening                                           3/4 cup oats

1/3 cup sugar                                                   1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons water                                        1/4 teaspoon salt

In bowl, cream sugar and shortening together.  Add water.  Combine oats, flour, and salt.  Stir into sugar mixture.  Mix well.  Drop by tablespoonful onto ungreased baking sheet.  Flatten to 3/8”.  Bake at 375° for 10 – 13 minutes or until lightly browned.  Crispy when cooled.

NOTE:  For more tender cookies increase shortening.  Dough can be patted into a pie pan and baked for a sweetened pie crust.

May 2016 Emergency Preparedness - Basic Recipies using Rice

About Rice

1 cup uncooked rice = 3 cups cooked

There are many ways to cook rice.  To retain vitamins, do not rinse enriched rice before or drain after cooking.  Rice can be cooked in water, juice, milk or bouillon.  It can be steamed or boiled; cooked, then fried or added to puddings.  A bit of oil will help keep the grains from sticking together; a little salt adds flavor. As soon as the cooked grains are tender all the way through but still firm, the rice is done. The easiest way to test for tenderness is to taste it.  The grains should have no hardness in the center. Add other grains or legumes for increased nutrition and variety to meals.

How rice cooks changes from variety to variety and batch to batch.  Brown rice cooks longer than white; old rice absorbs more water than new.  All cook by the same principles:  Add rice to boiling water; stir, cover, reduce heat; cook.  Water will be absorbed into rice or evaporate during cooking.  Let rice sit off the heat, undisturbed with lid on, at least 5 minutes or as long as 30.  This results in a uniform texture, with the bottom layer as fluffy as the top.  Cooked rice stores tightly covered in refrigerator up to one week or in freezer 6 months.

Basic Cooked Rice

1 cup rice                                                         1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups water                                              1 – 2 tablespoons oil (optional)

Combine all ingredients.  Cover pan with lid and bring to a boil over high heat.  When beginning to boil, turn heat down to very low and cook about 35 minutes, until the water is almost gone.  Remove lid only when necessary.  Remove pan from heat and leave covered.  Let rice sit/steam for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.  Fluff with fork before serving.

NOTE: Rice may be soaked 30 minutes in water before cooking to shorten cooking time.  After soaking add oil, cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes.  Steam.  Eat hot or cold as cereal, add to chili, soups or eat cold in salad.  Combine cooked wheat with cooked rice for a pilaf.

Rice Cereal

Make Basic Cooked Rice.  Use cracked rice for smother texture.  Serve warm or cold with reconstituted dry milk and sugar.

NOTE: Rice cereal is usually a baby’s first solid food.  Grind rice to appropriate coarseness before cooking for babies or puree/mash it after it is cooked.  Extra water may be needed.  Sweeten and add milk.

Creamy Rice Breakfast

1 cup cracked, uncooked rice                         1 tablespoon oil

3 1/2 cups water                                              6 tablespoons dry milk

1/2 teaspoon salt                                             3 tablespoons sugar

Bring 3 cups salted water to a boil.  Stir in cracked rice.  Add oil, cover and cook on low heat 20 to 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

Combine dry milk and sugar.  Mix with 1/2 cup water.  Stir into rice.  Continue cooking until rice is done.  Remove from heat, stir, cover and let steam several minutes.

Rice Cake Treat

1/2 cup cooked rice                                         1/2 teaspoon dry milk

1 teaspoon oil                                                  1/8 teaspoon salt, scant

1/2 cup flour                                                    6 tablespoons water

4 teaspoons sugar

Measure rice into a bowl.  Stir in oil.  Add flour, sugar, dry milk and salt.  Stir in water.  Drop by teaspoonful into medium-hot oil or shortening.  Batter should make small thin crunchy pancakes (about 1/4 inch deep). Fry until golden on each side.  Serve hot.

Easy Rice Pudding

2 cups water                                                    1cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt                                             1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup uncooked rice                                     3/4 cup dry milk

Bring 2 cups water to a boil.  Stir in rice and salt.  Return to boil and lower heat.  Cook covered, 20 minutes.  Combine dry milk and sugar (if a thicker pudding is desired add 1 tablespoon white flour). Stir 1 cup water into milk mixture until smooth.  Mix milk mixture with rice.  Return rice to simmer and cook 10 minutes more until rice is done.  Remove from heat.  Let sit 30 minutes before serving or chill.

Toasted Rice

Toast rice for a pleasing change in color and flavor.  Distribute uncooked rice evenly on a baking sheet.  Place in a pre-heated 400° oven for 6 to 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.  It can also be toasted in a skillet, with or without oil, on the stove top.

Horchata

1 cup white rice                                               6 cups water

2 cups water to cover rice                               sugar, to taste

Do not rinse enriched rice.  Cover rice with 2 cups water and soak 2 to 3 hours.  Does not have to be cooked, but can be simmered for 5 to 10 minutes then cooled instead of soaking.  Whirl rice in blender, Combine with 6 cups water.  Allow rice to settle or strain off liquid.  Add sugar and a few drops of cinnamon oil or vanilla flavoring to strained liquid.  Milk may be used for part of liquid.  Serve chilled or over crushed ice.

NOTE:  This will not taste good without flavoring.  Offer horchata, warm or cooled, to babies when they are sick and can’t keep anything in their tummies.  Save strained rice for another use.  Cooked rice increases digestibility and available nutrition.