Okay, I hope you’re loving all the videos so far because today we’re getting into the really fun stuff and there are THREE more videos!  (If you missed the first day of this class, make sure you click HERE so you don’t miss a thing!)  You’ll be able to see for yourself how EASY it is to start cooking basic items in your pressure cooker to save you time in the kitchen! Check out the videos below to see just how easy it is to cook beans, rice, and wheat berries in a pressure cooker. Make sure if you have a different pressure cooker than I do that you reference YOUR owner’s manual for specific times and measurements for these items. I’ve also added some homework items for you (yes, I said homework! I want you to actually TRY these concepts for yourself!) they are fun recipes you can try that I like to use OR you can try your own recipe. Make sure to leave a comment with successes and questions so we all can learn from each other!

COOKING BEANS IN AN ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER

HOMEWORK RECIPES TO TRY:
Low-Fat Blueberry Muffins
Low-fat Pumpkin Brownies

COOKING RICE IN AN ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER

HOMEWORK RECIPES TO TRY:
NEW! Fried Rice
NEW! Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice

COOKING WHEAT BERRIES IN AN ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER

HOMEWORK RECIPES TO TRY:
Wheat Berry Salad with Apples & Cashews
Feta Wheat Berry Salad

© 2010, Crystal. All rights reserved.

This is my new favorite done in 15 minutes meal (when I make my rice in the pressure cooker)! It tastes great, is kid friendly, and works for company as well. It’s this easy…

HAWAIIAN MEATBALLS & RICE

(use as many of the ingredients as you’ll need to feed your family)

Rice
Meatballs
Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce (or any other BBQ sauce…that is just my favorite)
Pineapple Tidbits, drained

Cook Rice. While rice is cooking, cook meatballs. After meatballs are cooked toss and coat with bbq sauce and pineapple tidbits and warm through.

© 2010, Crystal. All rights reserved.

This recipe is so good that I don’t even wait until I have leftover rice to make it! Sometimes, I’ll just pressure cook up some rice and serve it with pot stickers from Costco. So easy, so fun, and SO DELICIOUS!

FRIED RICE (Chinese Leftovers)

3 green onions cut on the diagonal thin (part tops too)
3 C Cold cooked rice
3 oz or 1/3 C Pork (or try for 1 Cup chopped left over meat about like ham, pork, chicken
1/2 C raw chopped shrimp-optional (If you use drained canned shrimp, decrease the salt)
left over cooked vegetables like peas and carrots (Optional)

3 Eggs, whisked (Sorry, no powdered egg conversion for this…it doesn’t work well)
4 T oil
1 T soy sauce

If using raw shrimp, dip in 1 tsp corn starch and fry in 2 T oil. Cook until done and remove from Wok or frying pan.
You may want to crisp other meat too.
Add the Eggs, Oil, and Soy Sauce and beat together. Add to hot wok, when it starts to set, add meat, rice, vegetables, 2 tsp salt, toss, add green onions, toss and serve.

© 2010, Crystal. All rights reserved.

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Pomegranate Chicken

1 c. unsweetened pomegranate juice (from about 5 large pomegranates or from store bought juice)
3 T. soy sauce
1/2 t. dry rosemary (or about double for fresh)
1/2 t. fresh grated ginger (I don’t peel mine and you can freeze leftover whole ginger in your freezer, just grate what you need)
2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (really the richness of thigh meat is needed in this recipe)
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/3 c. pomegranate seeds (optional)
fresh rosemary or parsley sprigs

In a 9×13 baking dish, combine pomegranate juice, soy sauce, rosemary, ginger, and garlic. Coat chicen wit marinade. Cover, refrigerate 8 hours or over night.

Drain off and reserve marinade. Arrange chicken pieces slightly apart in baking dish. Bake uncovered in 350 degree oven about 30-45 minutes, basting occasionally with marinade. (Your chicken will be dyed red due to the pomegranate juice so you’ll want to use a thememometer for doneness, it should be 165)

Transfer chicken to platter and keep warm. Then pour drippings into a 1 1/2-2 qt. pan, stir in cream. Bring to boil over high heat and boil rapidly until sauce is slightly thickened and reduced to about 3/4 cup. Spoon sauce evenly over chicken. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and rosemary sprigs. Serve over Pomegranate Rice.

Pomegranate Rice

2 green onions, chopped with the tops (cut the white in half and shop horizontally)
1 T. butter
1 c. long grain rice
2 t. grated fresh ginger
1/8 t. ground cinnamon
2 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. roasted salted pistachio nuts, shelled (or you could sub in coarsely chopped cashews)
1 c. pomegranate seeds
lemon peel strips (optional)

In large saucepan cook green onions in hot butter over medium heat 3-5 minutes or just until tender, stirring occasionally. Add rice, ginger, and cinnamon. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until rice begins to brown.

Carefully add broth to rice. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer covered, 14 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

Stir in nuts and pomegranate seeds. Sprinkle with lemon peel.

Putting both recipes together:

In the morning do the following:

• grate 2 1/2 t. fresh ginger (using 1/2 t. for the marinade and reserving 2 t. for the rice)
• get chicken in marinade and soaking in your fridge for 8 hours
• open pomegranate and empty seeds (you’ll need 1 1/3 c.- 1 c. for the rice and 1/3 c. for the chicken)
• chop 2 green onions and place in the fridge for later
• check and make sure you’ve all the needed ingredients (running to the store in the morning is a lot easier than doing it while you’re making dinner)

In the evening:

• Get your chicken cooking
• Start your rice
• While the rice is cooking prepare side dishes (I did asparagus and artichokes- but you could do  nice salad, green beans, etc.)

Presentation:

On a large platter overlap chicken thighs around the edge.  Fill the center with rice.  Pour chicken sauce over chicken and garnish with pomegranate seeds.  Place sprigs of rosemary in between the chicken thighs and one in the center of the rice.  Place lemon strips on top of rice.

© 2009 – 2010, Crystal. All rights reserved.

Thank you for all of your patience!  My baby is doing a little better and went to bed early tonight so I thought I would sneak in a post.  I realize it’s a little early for a Fanatic Friday post but this dish looks too good to WAIT!  This recipe comes from Staci and it looks AMAZING!  Give it a try!

Share your successes! E-mail me at everydayfoodstorage@gmail.com with a picture (don’t we all eat with our eyes first?) and recipe of your food storage successes to be highlighted on Fanatic Fridays!

Or…proclaim it to the world that you are an Everyday Food Storage fanatic! Simple copy the entire text in the box below and place it in a text widget on your blog.

<a border=0 href=http://everydayfoodstorage.net mce_href=http://everydayfoodstorage.net target=_blank><img src=http://everydayfoodstorage.net/images/fanatic-button.gif mce_src=http://everydayfoodstorage.net/images/fanatic-button.gif /></a></p> <p>

© 2009 – 2010, Crystal. All rights reserved.

Are you a Fanatic?

Share your successes! E-mail me at everydayfoodstorage@gmail.com with a picture (don’t we all eat with our eyes first?) and recipe of your food storage successes to be highlighted on Fanatic Fridays!

Or…proclaim it to the world that you are an Everyday Food Storage fanatic! Simple copy the entire text in the box below and place it in a text widget on your blog.

<a border=0 href=http://everydayfoodstorage.net mce_href=http://everydayfoodstorage.net target=_blank><img src=http://everydayfoodstorage.net/images/fanatic-button.gif mce_src=http://everydayfoodstorage.net/images/fanatic-button.gif /></a></p> <p>

© 2009 – 2010, Crystal. All rights reserved.

I’ve been making this recipe since college and was excited that it used rice for the food storage…until I figured out how to make it using MAGIC MIX!  Now it’s even easier to make (which in and of itself is shocking) and SUPER delicious!

Lemon Pepper Chicken Saute

4 chicken breasts
2 T. butter
1 c. baby carrots, quartered length wise
1/3 c. sliced green onions
1 c. chicken broth (I made mine from bouillon…so much cheaper)
1/2 c. MAGIC MIX
2 t. lemon pepper
1/4 c. sour cream or cream cheese
1 t. parsley flakes

In large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Saute chicken 7-10 minutes per side or until done; remove from skillet.  Keep warm.

Add carrots and onions to skillet.  Saute 2 minutes.  Pour in chicken broth, lemon pepper, MAGIC MIX (remember you can add MAGIC MIX directly to a hot liquid with OUT it clumping!) Stir with wire whisk until thickened.  Simmer 2 minutes.  Add sour cream/cream cheese and parsley.  Simmer 2 minutes.  Spoon over chicken and serve over rice.

If you have questions about rice, make sure you read my previous post about rice by clicking HERE.

© 2009 – 2010, Crystal. All rights reserved.

Rice is a great grain to store in your long term food storage (especially if you, like me, have a loved one who lived in Asia for 2 years .  You should have 300 pounds of grains per person in your family in your long term food storage and rice can make up some of that 300 pounds (READ your grains don’t need to consist entirely of wheat-they should consist of wheat, pasta, rice, and oats).  So before I get into the delicious recipes I have for rice…after all my husband says there is nothing better than a belly full of rice…I wanted to go over some basics of rice.

Can I only store Long Grain white rice?

Well, the LDS cannery only sells long grain white rice, however, if you’re like me and have someone in your family who has lived in Asia they probably aren’t big fans of white rice.  You can store the long grain, medium, or short (sticky) types of rice in your long term food storage.  Stored properly these three types of white rice will last 25-30+ years.  Brown rice should not be stored for long periods of time because it is considered an “oily grain” and will deteriorate or go rancid. (Click here for the brown rice source)  For those of you concerned about not having brown rice for nutritional reasons, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to know that you can actually cook cracked wheat as a rice substitute (it cooks the same way 1-2-3, 1 C. cracked wheat + 2 C. boiling water = 3 C. cooked and get similar nutritional benefits.

How should I store my Rice?

Store rice in a tightly sealed container. Food safe plastics (PETE) containers, glass jars, #10 cans (commercial size) lined with a food-grade enamel lining and Mylar®-type bags work best for long-term storage. Use food-safe oxygen absorbers [Bj5] available from food storage supply stores to preserve rice quality, and protect from insect infestation. #10 cans will hold approximate 5.7 lbs (2.6 kgs) of rice. (Click here for source)

How long does Rice last once opened?

You should use your rice with in 2 years of opening the packaging. (Click here for source)

What are the benefits of cooking with Rice?

In the United States, vitamins and minerals: iron, niacin, thiamin, and folic acid are added to rice. Rice is high in starch and fiber. In addition, rice is low in sodium and a good source of protein.  (Click here for source)

Making a complete meal with Rice

As stated above rice is a starch so to balance out your meal with rice, it’s always good to serve it with a protein.  Also, since it counts for a starch you may want to steer clear of serving rice with additional starches at the dinner table like potatoes and rolls.

How do you cook long grain rice?

To make 3 C. of cooked rice you will begin by boiling 2 C. of water.  When the water is boiling, add a dash of salt, a little butter (optional), and 1 C. of rice.  Cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until water is gone. *Make sure to look over rice for any foreign bits BEFORE cooking.

**As a note about the magnets: Thank you to everyone who purchased a set.  They have officially sold out.  I sent a big batch out last week and will send the second half out this week.  I’ll try and get some more printed but I don’t know when they’ll have that good deal again…I’ll keep you posted.  Thanks!

© 2009 – 2010, Crystal. All rights reserved.

© 2008 – 2010, Crystal. All rights reserved.

Mango Salsa Chicken
This recipe is so easy and so delicious! It is a perfect combination of sweet and spicy and perfect to practice using an alternate heat source. All you’ll need to do is grill up chicken (I use boneless, skinless thighs because 1-they are cheaper, much cheaper 2- they have great flavor, they are always moist and grill great 3-are smaller for better portions and grill easier and faster because they are smaller) When the chicken is grilled top it with a slice of pepper jack, cheddar, or monteray jack cheese then your mango salsa and diced avocado. They flavors are so good and mesh together so well. No one will ever know it was so easy!!! I know by now you’re wondering about the mango salsa, personally, I buy my salsa at Costco. If you want to make some, here is a great recipe: (not to mention a great way to use up peaches that may be growing on your fruit tree)

Mango-Peach Salsa
1 large peach peeled, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large mango, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
2 small plum or Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 med Serrano chili, seeded and minced
1/2 Tb fresh lime juice
1 Tb fresh orange juice
1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1 T. mined cilantro
1 tsp. poppy seeds
Salt and Pepper to taste
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let stand for 1 hour. Best served the day it’s made.

Black Beans & Corn-serves 4
This is a great alternative to plain black beans. Let’s be honest plain black beans can be…well PLAIN! Try this recipe to really spice things up.

1 can Black Beans, UNdrained (you could also use dry black beans, cooked-you’ll need about 2 C. cooked beans)
1 can Corn, drained
1/4 C. dehydrated onions
1/4 C. dehydrated bell peppers
1 t. Cumin
1-2 T. Garlic Salt
1 T. Lemon Juice

Combine ingredients in 2 qt. sauce pan and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. All your dehydrated ingredients will re-hydrate in the water from the can of beans. (Time saving tip: You can always add dehydrated ingredients to anything with liquid you’re going to simmer to save time…i.e. spaghetti sauces, chilis, etc.) I let this simmer while the chicken is grilling.

Lime Rice 3-4 servings
Wow, isn’t it so great to have rice in food storage? It’s so easy to use and rotate! You can even make you’re own Rice A Roni type rice by breaking spagetti into little pieces and cooking it that way!

1 1/2 C. Chicken Broth
1/2 C. Lime Juice
1 T. butter or margarine
1 C. Rice
1 T. dried Parsley flakes or 2 T. fresh Cilantro

Bring chicken broth, lime juice, and butter to a boil. Add rice. Cover and let simmer 15-20 minutes or until there is no water left over. Fluff with fork and toss in parsley or cilantro. I also have the rice simmering while the chicken is grilling. That way everything is ready at the same time!

For more tips and tricks for using food storage in your everyday recipes, please visit www.everydayfoodstorage.NET

© 2008 – 2010, Crystal. All rights reserved.