Monday, October 14, 2013

Recipes based on dry goods

I've been asked about the 2014 diet, and whether I think we will get bored.  It is entirely possible if I start slacking off, but my main goal here is to keep it from being boring.  As my Dad likes to say, only boring people get bored.

On one hand, right now we mainly eat only 4 grains (rice, wheat, quinoa, popcorn) and 1 legume (black beans), while the ever-evolving 2014 plan now involves 7 types of grain (rice, wheat, quinoa, popcorn, cornmeal, oats, and millet) and 5 legumes (black beans, red beans, garbanzos, lentils, peas)... there is a whole lot more to work with.  On the other hand, I will have a lot more time and energy to be researching and trying out recipes.  On the other hand (I'm allowed 3 hands, right?), it is not JUST dry goods.  The budget allows for veggies, meat, and a moderate amount of random ingredients.

So what are we going to do with all these dry goods I'm stockpiling for 2014?  I have a few ideas...



As I collect and try out these recipes, I will update this page with links.  It may take me a year to fill this up.  If you have any recipes that focus on these ingredients and you are happy to share, please share them! 
  • Grains
    • Oat groats:  50lb
      • Porridge (with added cinnamon and frozen berries, mmm)
      • Oatmeal cookies!
      • Oat sprouts (good for making crackers, I hear)
      • Chicken and oat groat soup (just use oats where you would pearled barley)
      • Fruit crisp topping (smashed and dehydrated)
    • Wheat flour:  87lb
      • Sourdough bread
      • Sourdough pancakes
      • Sourdough waffles
      • Sourdough pizza dough
      • Sourdough tortillas
      • ... sourdough everything!  I'll be making a sourdough starter that works better than the last one.
      • Pasta dough (I'm excited to get out that ravioli maker)
      • Muffins, cookies, english muffins
    • Basmati white rice:  64lb
      • Fried rice
      • Plain, as a side dish
      • Rice pudding
      • Golden rice
      • In bone-broth soup
      • Rice breakfast (I have that recipe around here somewhere, it is like cinnamon oatmeal)
      • Indian spinach rice
      • Sushi (basmati is not the right type of rice for sushi, but it's not gonna stop me)
    •  Cornmeal:  17lb
      • Cast-iron skillet cornbread
      • Corn muffins
      • As a breading or dusting (on fried green tomatoes, etc)
      • Cornmeal pizza dough
      • Polenta
      • Corn dogs
      • Cornbread stuffing (we do bake a lot of chickens)
      • Pupusas with curtido (I have made both before... delicious and super cheap)
      • Chips
    • Popcorn:  50lb
      • Popcorn for forever!  It doesn't get boring, because I add a different spice/herb/oil mix each time depending upon mood.  Some days you want an Italian herb blend with a light olive oil, but some days you just need some smoked paprika with garlic salt in a half-butter/half-olive oil blend.  And don't even get me started on the melted coconut oil lightly dusted with cocoa powder and cinnamon.
    • Quinoa and millet:  26lb
      • Spinach salad
      • Plain, as a side dish, used in place of rice
      • Stuffed tomatoes
      • Millet cakes (mixed with veggies and fried)
    • Pasta  (not quite sure how much I will purchase yet)
      • Spaghetti with tomato-based sauces
      • Lasagna
      • Pasta salad 
      • Pesto pasta
      • Macaroni
  • Legumes
    • Dry garbanzo beans:  42lbs
    • Dry lentils:  50lbs
      • Lentil sprouts
      • Lentil loaf (uses rice too)
      • Vegetarian burger patty
      • Dhal
      • Lentil and ham soup
      • Thickener for soups
      • Salad dressing (blended, spiced, and mixed with vinegar and oil)
      • Kitchari (with basmati rice)
      • Roti
    • Dry black and red beans:  66lbs
      • Bean sprouts
      • Vegetarian lasagna (using summer squash as "noodles)
      • Chili
      • Refried beans
      • Burrito, taco, nacho fillings
      • Black bean dip 
      • 7-layer dip
      • Vegetarian taco salad (this is a favorite of ours, it can be frozen ahead of time and is super cheap)
      • Mexican stew
      • Spiced, as a side dish
Yum!

I am counting about 70 different dishes or side-dishes here, and I haven't even done actual recipe research yet.  This is a nice amount of variety considering the culinary rut we've been in lately.

I'll also be looking into finding good recipes that I can preserve using my pressure canner... nothing is easier for a quick meal than popping open a can of soup or chili. 

What additions would you recommend?


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