Vegan/Vegetarian recipes - Using stockpiled beans!
Jan 3, 2022 19:05:00 GMT 10
SA Hunter, blueshoes, and 1 more like this
Post by Stealth on Jan 3, 2022 19:05:00 GMT 10
Well, we all know beans and rice are staple storage foods. For good reason. You can store them in good conditions for decades. They can provide fantastic nutrition. But if you don't know how to cook with them, you're going to be SoL when the time comes to finally doing things with them. Boiled black beans and plain rice will keep you alive for the short term but knowing how to use what you have in multiple different ways will help to keep the food fatigue at bay.
One of the best ways I've found of utilizing beans of all types is to look up vegan recipes. The reason for that is quite simple. When SHTF, how long are you going to be able to store butter or milk without a fridge? If you're storing foods that don't require refrigeration, you're not using precious electricity on them. Vegans can be a rabid mob (trust me, I know! lol) but at the end of the day one of the best things for a prepper when it comes to creating long term, nutritious AND delicious foods to store is any recipe that comes under the vegan umbrella.
You can of course substitute animal products when available if that's your preference. I've been known to whack a nice sized knob of butter onto a vegan shepherds pie, or add a good sized glob of honey to vegan desserts. But knowing how to add vital healthy fats in place of animal products and still feel satiated and happy on what you can store for years at a time not only extends your pantry life but also extends your palate.
Basics:
DIY Tofu is really REALLY REALLY easy to make. Seriously. You don't need a special tofu mold, you can just use an old strawberry punnet with some holes punched into it.
Why tofu? Protein. Micro nutrients. Easy to store without a fridge for a few days. Believe it or not, actually has a nice mild flavour when fresh that doesn't seem to happen in store bought stuff. You can flavour it with anything. Get a tofu press to press out even more water and you can have a really firm, meaty product that can be used for so many things! www.alphafoodie.com/how-to-make-tofu-at-home-two-simple-methods/
Beans - Soak dried beans overnight and you can keep them in the fridge for a few days in water before using them without having to cook for hours. I won't provide links for how to prepare dried beans for cooking. Soak overnight, or boil for absolutely bloody ages before using them. Unless you have a pressure cooker. But honestly, just chuck 'em in a bowl of water and forget about them until the next day. Easy as.
Lentils - Don't generally require soaking before using them. You can simply throw them into your pot with about 3 cups of stock per cup of lentils (some lentils such as red require a little less water, some harder variants like french green need more) and simmer until ready.
Rice - Rice is pretty standard. Put the amount of rice you want to cook. Wash the rice off until the water comes out clean to remove starch/processing talc on the outside. It's an extra step but trust me DO IT. It will come out much better for it. It might take several refreshes of the water, especially if your rice is cheap or not great quality. Apparently it's uncommon for our yankee friends to do this. Being closer to Asia I guess we're better trained by our neighbours haha.
Nutritional Yeast - This stuff is AMAZINGLY cheesy. Put it in mashed potatoes. Sprinkle on popcorn. Sprinkle into a dressing for a salad. Pile it into macaroni for a cheesy dish. The umami this adds to plain dishes is epic. I add this not only because it can take the place of cheese in some situations (I'll admit not all) but it's also a super powerhouse of nutrition that will fill the vitamin B12 gap that might come along from not eating meat products for long periods of time. Turns out B12 deficiency is a problem for vegans and non-vegans alike. Not me. I go through this stuff like it's free.
Recipes:
My absolute favourite Shepherds Pie recipe using lentils instead of mince - minimalistbaker.com/1-hour-vegan-shepherds-pie/
A brilliant Falafel recipe (these things are awesome in wraps with salad in hot weather!) - minimalistbaker.com/easy-vegan-falafel/
Basic Hommus recipe. If you're still buying it after using this recipe you're basically ripping yourself off lol - minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-hummus-from-scratch/
A really delicious Black bean recipe that works fantastically in burritos with some of your stockpiled rice (note this recipe uses a pressure cooker, but you can do the soak method version if you don't have one) - www.cookincanuck.com/instant-pot-black-beans-rice-avocado-salsa/
Cullen Skink is a Scottish dish best served in the bitter cold of winter. If you've never had a hearty Cullen Skink, it's sort of like a chowder-like dish that makes you feel hugged from the inside out. This alternative requires dried seaweed which is easily purchased from an asian grocers here in Aus, or perhaps nori seaweed in the woolies/coles asian section if you're not near an asian grocers. Well worth the effort, although still a delicious potato-ey chowder without it. I just wouldn't call iut a Cullen Skink alternative! elizaveganpage.blogspot.com/2012/01/cullen-skink.html
Malai Kofta is one of my FAVOURITE indian dishes. You can make it spicy or not. Go spicy. It's good for you. Harden up. www.thecuriouschickpea.com/vegan-malai-kofta-indian-dumplings-in-curry-tomato-cream-sauce/
I make this Rice Pudding recipe when it's cold because it reminds me of my grandmother and always makes me feel cheered up. I use oat milk rather than soy or almond milk to ease off the coconut but any and all are great - www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegan-rice-pudding/
Mochi has to be one of the largest effort items that I have recipes but I think in a SHTF this is the kind of thing that you absolutely must know how to make for your loved ones. If you've never had them before, they're chewy balls of rice based goodness. A really sweet, fun-textured dessert that works great as a gift because the base ingredients store extremely well. You can stuff them with anything you like but sweetened red bean paste is very common and also uses ingredients that will easily store for a decade or more - spoonuniversity.com/recipe/how-to-make-the-best-homemade-mochi-you-ve-ever-had
On that note, here's a recipe for Tsubuan (chunky red bean paste), Koshian (smooth red bean paste) and Shiroan (white bean paste). Shiroan is less... Beany? So might be preferable to those who's palates aren't used to the sweet bean concept yet. I started there and now love tsubuan for desserts. You can make some really fantastic long-life treats with these simple steps. Especially Taiyaki! www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-make-anko-red-bean-paste/
Dubu Jorim (braised tofu) is a really good way of using your homemade tofu if you're a fan of salty umami flavours. This recipe is very simple and uses good long life condiments. Don't worry about using gochugaru (korean red chili flakes) if you can't find it. I just use regular red chili flakes, I'm pretty sure gochugaru is just a bit milder than the average spicy bois we get here in Aus from Thailand - www.koreanbapsang.com/dubu-jorim-korean-braised-tofu/
Another fan favourite is Tofu Bibimbap. Once again, with your homemade tofu and stored white rice, you can make this recipe with any fresh produce that you have. Cucumbers, capsicum (bell pepper for the weirdos), carrot, anything crispy and fresh. This one requires more than just stored produce but I'm hoping we'll all have access to SOME fresh fruit and veg even if it's from our own gardens. www.koreanbapsang.com/tofu-bibimbap/
And finally, a great pickle that works with any asian dish to brighten it up is Pickled Daikon. You can use regular radishes if that's all you have access to, it'll just be sharp and spicy. Daikon radish is known for being mild. I make a few big mason jars of this stuff a year and it just lives in the fridge year round to be added to just about anything. It even makes a bowl of plain rice far more interesting. www.seriouseats.com/danmuji-korean-pickled-daikon-radish-recipe
So there you go! Korean, Japanese, Indian, Middle Eastern, British... All kinds of weird and wonderful things that you can try out that would be good recipes to add to a prepper recipe book. Like I said, you can add animal products to any of these if you have them. But the glorious thing is that if you don't, it's no big drama so long as you have the basics and can scrounge a few fresh items.
And trust me, these recipes are for the most part quick and easy for the novice cook. Otherwise they wouldn't be in MY regular rotation, because I'm a lazy cook
One of the best ways I've found of utilizing beans of all types is to look up vegan recipes. The reason for that is quite simple. When SHTF, how long are you going to be able to store butter or milk without a fridge? If you're storing foods that don't require refrigeration, you're not using precious electricity on them. Vegans can be a rabid mob (trust me, I know! lol) but at the end of the day one of the best things for a prepper when it comes to creating long term, nutritious AND delicious foods to store is any recipe that comes under the vegan umbrella.
You can of course substitute animal products when available if that's your preference. I've been known to whack a nice sized knob of butter onto a vegan shepherds pie, or add a good sized glob of honey to vegan desserts. But knowing how to add vital healthy fats in place of animal products and still feel satiated and happy on what you can store for years at a time not only extends your pantry life but also extends your palate.
Basics:
DIY Tofu is really REALLY REALLY easy to make. Seriously. You don't need a special tofu mold, you can just use an old strawberry punnet with some holes punched into it.
Why tofu? Protein. Micro nutrients. Easy to store without a fridge for a few days. Believe it or not, actually has a nice mild flavour when fresh that doesn't seem to happen in store bought stuff. You can flavour it with anything. Get a tofu press to press out even more water and you can have a really firm, meaty product that can be used for so many things! www.alphafoodie.com/how-to-make-tofu-at-home-two-simple-methods/
Beans - Soak dried beans overnight and you can keep them in the fridge for a few days in water before using them without having to cook for hours. I won't provide links for how to prepare dried beans for cooking. Soak overnight, or boil for absolutely bloody ages before using them. Unless you have a pressure cooker. But honestly, just chuck 'em in a bowl of water and forget about them until the next day. Easy as.
Lentils - Don't generally require soaking before using them. You can simply throw them into your pot with about 3 cups of stock per cup of lentils (some lentils such as red require a little less water, some harder variants like french green need more) and simmer until ready.
Rice - Rice is pretty standard. Put the amount of rice you want to cook. Wash the rice off until the water comes out clean to remove starch/processing talc on the outside. It's an extra step but trust me DO IT. It will come out much better for it. It might take several refreshes of the water, especially if your rice is cheap or not great quality. Apparently it's uncommon for our yankee friends to do this. Being closer to Asia I guess we're better trained by our neighbours haha.
Nutritional Yeast - This stuff is AMAZINGLY cheesy. Put it in mashed potatoes. Sprinkle on popcorn. Sprinkle into a dressing for a salad. Pile it into macaroni for a cheesy dish. The umami this adds to plain dishes is epic. I add this not only because it can take the place of cheese in some situations (I'll admit not all) but it's also a super powerhouse of nutrition that will fill the vitamin B12 gap that might come along from not eating meat products for long periods of time. Turns out B12 deficiency is a problem for vegans and non-vegans alike. Not me. I go through this stuff like it's free.
Recipes:
My absolute favourite Shepherds Pie recipe using lentils instead of mince - minimalistbaker.com/1-hour-vegan-shepherds-pie/
A brilliant Falafel recipe (these things are awesome in wraps with salad in hot weather!) - minimalistbaker.com/easy-vegan-falafel/
Basic Hommus recipe. If you're still buying it after using this recipe you're basically ripping yourself off lol - minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-hummus-from-scratch/
A really delicious Black bean recipe that works fantastically in burritos with some of your stockpiled rice (note this recipe uses a pressure cooker, but you can do the soak method version if you don't have one) - www.cookincanuck.com/instant-pot-black-beans-rice-avocado-salsa/
Cullen Skink is a Scottish dish best served in the bitter cold of winter. If you've never had a hearty Cullen Skink, it's sort of like a chowder-like dish that makes you feel hugged from the inside out. This alternative requires dried seaweed which is easily purchased from an asian grocers here in Aus, or perhaps nori seaweed in the woolies/coles asian section if you're not near an asian grocers. Well worth the effort, although still a delicious potato-ey chowder without it. I just wouldn't call iut a Cullen Skink alternative! elizaveganpage.blogspot.com/2012/01/cullen-skink.html
Malai Kofta is one of my FAVOURITE indian dishes. You can make it spicy or not. Go spicy. It's good for you. Harden up. www.thecuriouschickpea.com/vegan-malai-kofta-indian-dumplings-in-curry-tomato-cream-sauce/
I make this Rice Pudding recipe when it's cold because it reminds me of my grandmother and always makes me feel cheered up. I use oat milk rather than soy or almond milk to ease off the coconut but any and all are great - www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegan-rice-pudding/
Mochi has to be one of the largest effort items that I have recipes but I think in a SHTF this is the kind of thing that you absolutely must know how to make for your loved ones. If you've never had them before, they're chewy balls of rice based goodness. A really sweet, fun-textured dessert that works great as a gift because the base ingredients store extremely well. You can stuff them with anything you like but sweetened red bean paste is very common and also uses ingredients that will easily store for a decade or more - spoonuniversity.com/recipe/how-to-make-the-best-homemade-mochi-you-ve-ever-had
On that note, here's a recipe for Tsubuan (chunky red bean paste), Koshian (smooth red bean paste) and Shiroan (white bean paste). Shiroan is less... Beany? So might be preferable to those who's palates aren't used to the sweet bean concept yet. I started there and now love tsubuan for desserts. You can make some really fantastic long-life treats with these simple steps. Especially Taiyaki! www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-make-anko-red-bean-paste/
Dubu Jorim (braised tofu) is a really good way of using your homemade tofu if you're a fan of salty umami flavours. This recipe is very simple and uses good long life condiments. Don't worry about using gochugaru (korean red chili flakes) if you can't find it. I just use regular red chili flakes, I'm pretty sure gochugaru is just a bit milder than the average spicy bois we get here in Aus from Thailand - www.koreanbapsang.com/dubu-jorim-korean-braised-tofu/
Another fan favourite is Tofu Bibimbap. Once again, with your homemade tofu and stored white rice, you can make this recipe with any fresh produce that you have. Cucumbers, capsicum (bell pepper for the weirdos), carrot, anything crispy and fresh. This one requires more than just stored produce but I'm hoping we'll all have access to SOME fresh fruit and veg even if it's from our own gardens. www.koreanbapsang.com/tofu-bibimbap/
And finally, a great pickle that works with any asian dish to brighten it up is Pickled Daikon. You can use regular radishes if that's all you have access to, it'll just be sharp and spicy. Daikon radish is known for being mild. I make a few big mason jars of this stuff a year and it just lives in the fridge year round to be added to just about anything. It even makes a bowl of plain rice far more interesting. www.seriouseats.com/danmuji-korean-pickled-daikon-radish-recipe
So there you go! Korean, Japanese, Indian, Middle Eastern, British... All kinds of weird and wonderful things that you can try out that would be good recipes to add to a prepper recipe book. Like I said, you can add animal products to any of these if you have them. But the glorious thing is that if you don't, it's no big drama so long as you have the basics and can scrounge a few fresh items.
And trust me, these recipes are for the most part quick and easy for the novice cook. Otherwise they wouldn't be in MY regular rotation, because I'm a lazy cook
