SURVIVAL FOOD RECIPES



Boiled Beets and Carrots On a Bed of Red Quinoa
The only difficulty with this one is that the three ingredients really need be prepared separately (you don't want the beets to stain everything). Red quinoa is pretty much the same as regular white quinoa except it cooks up into a nice light fluffy heather-colored grain. I didn't spice it up much. It will take whatever your fancy happens to be.

(check this out if you want to know more about quinoa http://chetday.com/quinoa.html)

Quinoa is similar to cuscus but requires more cooking, like bulgur wheat, it absorbs a lot of water and expands as it cooks. I used 2 and 1/2 cups of quinoa to at least 5 cups of water and I added more as it cooked down.

I was able to get some nice organic veggies; carrots and beets. I used three beets and maybe seven carrots.

I liked to peel the beets and cut them into about one inch cubes before boiling them. The carrots I just scrubbed clean and cut them lengthwise. I didn't add much to the beets but did use some fresh spices with the carrots. Had thought of making them sweet and sour but decided against it at the last minute.

This is what we had as a side with our spiral cut ham for Easter. Most people who tried it were pleased and came back for more. The platter was large so there was a lot.


Yellow Split Pea Soup
A cup of yellow split peas
A quarter of a good sized onion or 2 inch stalk of leeks (cleaned and chopped fine)
I Roma tomato (cleaned and chopped fine)
At least 5 cups of water.
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp French soup spices
1 tsp salt

You boil down all the ingredients, making sure they don't burn, about three hours, until you have a soup. This is vegetarian, but can be altered to taste. The yellow split pea has a more delicate taste than the green variety. Dishes like this provide a light nutritious boost at any time of day. Quantities can be made and stored for future use as meals or snacks.

This is also true of many of the other food ideas featured on this blog.


Chili Beans and Veggies Over Rice
Prepare separately:

1 cup pinto / light kidney beans
At least 5 cups of water
half a chopped onion (or 2 inches of leek stalk finely chopped)
1 tbsp light / medium red chili powder
1 tsp salt

About 3 to 4 hours.

1 cup rice (if white use 2 cups of water, if brown use 3 cups of water).
Bring to a boil, boil for five minutes, turn down to minimum, do not stir, put the top on and leave alone for twenty minutes.

About 20 minutes to half hour

1 to 2 cups mixed veggies; carrots, broccoli, etc. These are par boiled and then removed from the heat until just warm.

Last fifteen minutes to half hour.

This ghastly looking mess is a single plate meal based on a bed of rice. I like Bosmati, either white or brown and usually soak it a good hour before cooking it, but there are other rices that are just as good. The chili is vegetarian but this can be altered as desired. The veggies, I usually like to boil with a good infusion of fresh herbs if handy, again tending toward things like basil and tarragon. In this notable instance, the pile is topped with a medium vegetarian salsa and ordinary French's ballpark mustard.

Usually quantities of the chili in particular can be made and stored for snacks or meals. Mixing beans and rice has been known to provide light higher protein fat free nutrition.


Green Lentil Stew and Sangrilla
There are many varieties of lentils.  They cook up the same as split peas, require about as much water and care that they should not burn. 

I may use different spice combinations to flavor them while they cook.  I'll usually use 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp salt, with other ground spices that make them taste either more like curry or in this case, have more of a country French flavor.

When the lentils are done, I begin adding veggies, especially carrots, and I may serve them as shown here, in a small bowl garnished with some spicy Dijon style mustard.

This Sangrilla is made from inexpensive box red wine from California, Merlot in this case, with about the same amount of unsweetened grape juice to wine and garnished with orange pieces and served chilled. 

The Congee Diet


 Mashed Butternut Squash Medley
Just about anything tastes good on a bed of mashed winter squash.  Try some beans and rice, a scattering of grated cheddar cheese, some salsa.  Delicious!