MRE RECIPE: Praline Sweet Potatoes

While this is the perfect recipe for an INSTANT THANKSGIVING, it is also good as a delicious dessert.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mashed or diced dehydrated sweet potatoes
2 tbsp pecans
1 tbsp coconut flakes
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp tapioca flour or starch
1 tbsp butter powder
tiny pinch of salt

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and seal. To prepare to eat: Sweet potatoes/yams take a long long time to rehydrate! I suggest that you dump the ingredients into a pot with 3/4  to 1 cup of boiling water, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, possibly 15-20 minutes.

Add more brown sugar, butter powder and pecans for a super-yummy dessert.  You could even bake this is a small pie shell.

Notes:

• Delicious side dish for any instant holiday meal.
• Gluten-Free: naturally

Dehydrating Thoughts

My 9 tray dehydrator is full! Since I am making these meals to sell as a fundraiser next weekend (my son has epilepsy), I needed to get busy!

Calling this INSTANT THANKSGIVING.

Making: turkey with bread stuffing or rice stuffing, sweet potatoes with oranges and walnuts or pineapple and marshmallows, green bean casserole, Kickin' Mac and Cheese (recipe will be in book), and pumpkin pie pudding.

In the dehydrator now: bread for the stuffing, elbow pasta for the mac and cheese, pumpkin, pineapple. Making three kinds of cranberry preserves to can to sell.

Note: IF you can NOT find the ingredient you need to make yummy recipes, find a way to dehydrate it yourself!

Jars to Store Meals

Many people have asked how I store my meals when we aren't going to eat them right away.  Here is a picture of a few meals in jars I made this week for Hubby to take to work.  (Recipes still being tested and worked on.)

This week, I used 1/2 pint (8 oz) jars.

Simple label for home-use. More fancy label when selling.

I also use bags that can be sealed with my Seal-a-Meal. More on that another time.

Storing Meals in Bags

There are a lot of different kinds of bags you can seal your meal in IF you plan to not eat it any time soon.

• Seal-a-Meal or other vacuum-sealing machine and bags
• Mylar
• Mylar on one side with food-grade plastic on the other
• Metallic Foil with Ziplock

This is the small bag that I like. Clear on one side, foil on the other. Can either print a big label for the back, or print a piece of paper to staple over the top. It holds breakfast oatmeal, sides, drinks, etc. (There are larger sizes for entrees). It can be sealed with my Seal-a-Meal.

Here is the description for this bag on Amazon ( 100 PCS Silver/clear Metallic Foil Stand up Ziplock Bag 10cm x 15cm 3.94'' x 5.91'' by QQ Studio Group ).

MRE RECIPE: Cucumber Mango Salsa

Several people have asked me for recipes that avoid the nightshade family: tomato, eggplant, potato. Here is one!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cucumber dices
1/2 cup mango dices
2 tbsp green onion/scallion dices
1 tsp cilantro
1 tsp lime powder
1 tsp raw sugar
1 tsp apple cider vinegar powder
1/2 tsp horseradish (or hot radish) powder
s & p to taste

Directions:
Combine and seal. When ready to eat, add boiling water, stir and cover until rehydrated. You want a very thick chunky salsa. Adjust seasonings. Serve with chips or veggies.

Notes:

• I let my radishes grow big and super-hot, slice thin and dehydrate until crispy. Then I powder. Easy peasy "horseradish" powder!
• Nightshade-Free: no potato, tomato or eggplant
• Gluten-Free: naturally
• Dairy-Free: naturally
• Vegan: naturally
• Low-Sugar: there is a little bit of sugar in this. If you desire no-sugar, eliminate it and add a tiny bit of stevia to offset the sourness of the vinegar.

MRE RECIPE: Thai Pineapple Rice - Vegan

This is a delicious dish.  Top it with cashews for a bit of protein.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup rice
2 tbsp cauliflower
2 tbsp pineapple dices/bits
2 tbsp coconut milk powder
1 tbsp broccoli
1 tbsp carrot dices
1 tbsp bell pepper
1 tbsp tomato bits
1 tbsp scallions/green onions
1 vegan bouillon cube / 2 tsp vegan broth powder
pinch curry powder
pinch ginger powder
s & p to taste

Directions:
Combine and seal. Rehydrate with boiling water until thick. Adjust seasonings to taste. Top with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cashews.

Notes:

• I like to dehydrate my own pineapple tidbits (yes, from a can).
• Gluten-free: naturally but check your bouillon.
• Dairy-free: naturally
• Low-sugar: some sugar is in the pineapple but you can reduce the pineapple if necessary.
• To bump up the protein, add some cooked then dehydrated lentils.

MRE RECIPE: Thai Squash Curry - Vegan

I was asked to have some vegan meals in my book, so I came up with this delicious curry recipe. This recipe has LOTS of ingredients, but it's worth it!  Protein sources, besides the veggies, are beans and seeds. Give it a try!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup diced cooked dehydrated winter squash (pumpkin, acorn, butternut, etc)
1/4 cup diced dried sweet potatoes
1/4 cup cooked dehydrated garbanzo beans/chickpeas
2 tbsp coconut milk powder
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds, shelled, dried
1 tbsp carrot dices
1 tbsp bell pepper strips or dices
a few halved cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp red onion dices
1 tbsp orange powder
1 tbsp lime powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 vegan bouillon cube or 2 tsp dehydrated homemade vegan broth
pinch red chili flakes or other hot pepper
pinch turmeric
pinch apple cider vinegar powder
pinch ground coriander seeds
pinch ground cumin
tiny pinch fennel seed
s & p to taste

Directions:
Combine all and seal. When ready to eat, reconstitute with boiling water until thick and hot. Serve over jasmine rice, and sprinkle fresh nasturtium petals on top. Yummmy!  Adjust spices to fit your taste buds.

Notes:

• Very healthy dish. The beans and seeds give a great amount of protein, and the veggies and spices provide lots of nutrition.
• Gluten-free: naturally
• Dairy-free: naturally
• Low-sugar: naturally (the 1/2 tsp of brown sugar isn't much)

MRE RECIPE: Spicy Lime Cilantro Chicken

Although I really don't like cilantro, I have prepared this dish for people who do, and they like it! Make it as spicy as you prefer.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chicken in small pieces
1 tbsp cilantro
1 tsp lime zest
1 tsp lime powder
1 tsp hot pepper dices (jalapeno, habanero, etc)
1/2 tsp butter powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
s & p to taste

Directions:
Combine and seal. When ready to prepare, add 3/4 cups of boiling water. More if necessary, to get it into a thick consistency (not soupy). Serve with tortillas or chips.

Notes:

• Although I have found freeze-dried jalapeno bits, I haven't found store-bought freeze-dried or dehydrated habanero or other hot peppers. I suggest you do them yourself, if you like super-hot chilies! Slice thin, spread on a sheet in a single layer, and dehydrate. Suggestion: dehydrate in your garage or outside because the oils and heat will spice up your air!
• Lime powder is available online but you can make your own lime (and lemon) powder and zest. Zest a clean organic citrus fruit and dehydrate the strips (store as strips). For powder, thinly slice the whole clean organic citrus fruit and dehydrate the slices (store as slices for teas, etc or powder for recipes).
• Gluten-free: recipe is gluten-free. Serve on gf tortillas/wraps (corn, amaranth, etc) or chips. I like blue corn non-gmo chips from the health food store.
• Low-sugar: none in this recipe! 
• Low-carb: naturally, but bump up the meat if you need more protein.