Recipe for Instant Italian Pasta

An instant homemade healthy MRE (meal ready to eat) recipe

All ingredients are dehydrated.

2 tbsp ground beef bits

2 tbsp orzo or tiny dehydrated pasta

1 tbsp tomato powder

1 tbsp sweet bell pepper dices

1 tsp onion dices

1/2 tsp garlic

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Mix well. Place in a half-pint jar and tightly seal. Store away from light and moisture.

Directions:

When ready to eat, rehydrate with 1 and 1/2 to 2 cups of very hot / boiling water in a bowl with a cover. Let sit for 10-20 minutes.

You could also add the water then microwave for a couple of minutes.

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Please comment with pix and how it turned out for you.

Instant Homemade MREs

Calling all people who dehydrate...

...or people who backpack and camp...

...or preppers...

As part of my 'Preppers Project' book series, I am working on a book of recipes using shelf-stable ingredients.  These are actual meals in a pint or half pint jar... from breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and even snacks. They all use dehydrated or otherwise shelf-stable ingredients, then are placed in a jar and stored until ready to use.

Hopefully, I can post lots over the next few weeks. Test the recipes, then post your pix and comments.

Thanks!

So many ingredients!

I am moving in a few months, and thought I'd go through my ingredients for my homemade healthy MREs. Maybe prepare enough meals for two for a few months.

Wow! I have so many ingredients, and still have more dehydrating in my Excalibur. Do I stop dehydrating and make the meals? So I leave my jars out and pack them last?

Seriously, if I needed ingredients for only my picky-eater son, there would be no problem. Pasta. Various cheeses and milk products. Dried fruit and dried peas.  That's about it.

BUT not only do I enjoy more variety, I still need to experiment with more recipes for my homemade healthy MRE book and blog ( http://homemadehealthymres.blogspot.com/ ).

What to do.  What to do.



As an aside, what kinds of posts would you like to see me add to this blog?

Homemade Healthy MRE Recipe - Finnish Turnip Casserole

I love this recipe for Finnish Turnip Casserole. (Hubby is Scandinavian.) This is a single-serve dish, best baked in a dish over a campfire, in a toaster oven or a kitchen oven. BUT combine the dehydrated ingredients ahead of time so it's ready any time. Place the bread crumbs in a tiny 2 oz plastic cup with lid (I get them at Wal-Mart), and put that in the bag of mixed ingredients before you seal it.

Note: You'l have to dehydrate the turnip yourself.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup dehydrated shredded raw turnip
3 tbsp whole egg powder
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp butter powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch ginger powder
pinch ground nutmeg
salt/pepper to taste
4 tbsp breadcrumbs

DIRECTIONS:
Combine in small baking dish (ramekin) with 2 cups of boiling water and mix to a thick consistency. Top with breadcrumbs and bake until casserole top is brown.

Usually served with special meals, like for holidays.

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This is not the typical recipe. For my Homemade Healthy MRE recipe cookbook, I am including the usual soups, stews and so forth, but also am branching out to the unusual. Please comment below with any unusual recipe you would like me to write, using dehydrated ingredients.

Homemade Healthy MRE Recipe: Instant Pancakes

Easy to mix in a mug!

I love pancakes! Such a comfort food, not just for me, but also a lot of other people. My son prefers them with chocolate chips. You might like powdered bananas in them. Experiment!

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purple flour
1 cup instant powdered milk (goat, cow, rice...your choice)
3/4 cup malted milk powder
1/2 cup powdered buttermilk
1/2 cup butter powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus 3 Tbls whole egg powder
2 Tbls baking powder
1-2 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp baking soda
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

Instructions:
Measure and sift the ingredients. Combine well. Store in an airtight/moisture-proof jar or baggie until needed. When ready to use, measure out 1 cup of dry mixture and add a little over 1/3 cup of water. Combine. Remember, it's ok to have lumps! Cook on a hot and sprayed griddle or frying pan as you would any other pancake, flipping when the first side bubbles and the edges become a little dry, about 2 minutes on each side. I like to top mine with instant or ho
memade jam.

Homemade Healthy MRE Recipe - Cajun Gumbo

Here is another recipe to make from your dehydrated or freeze-dried ingredients.

Cajun Gumbo

Many years ago, I had the pleasure of driving through Louisiana. I made a point to stop in the French Quarter, and tasted my first gumbo. So very yummy.

This recipe is so delicious and super-easy to make. Add freeze-dried cooked shrimp if you'd like. Spice it up or tone it down. Your choice.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup instant rice (brown or white)
2 Tbs dried diced sausage
2 Tbs dried diced chicken
1 Tbs diced onion
1 Tbs diced bell pepper
1 Tbs diced celery
1 tsp powdered chicken broth (or 1 chicken bouillon cube)
1 tsp Creole seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all and store in water-proof air-tight container/bag. When ready to eat, add 1-2 cups of boiling or very hot water. (Amount will depend if you want it soupy or quite thick.) Stir. Cover. Let sit approx 20 minutes, or until all ingredients have reconstituted.  Stir and enjoy!

Note:
If you can't find a freeze-dried or dehydrated version of your favorite sausage, do it yourself! Just thinly slice, cook, then drain/pat away every bit of fat, and dehydrate at a high temp. Check regularly to see if any more fat is accumulating, and if it is, pat it off.  When the sausage is super crispy and dry (not greasy), it should be ready.

Another Note:
Lots of people put okra in their gumbo. Finding dehydrated okra is impossible (if you know a source, please please let it in the comments below!). So, here's a tip about dehydrating okra: freeze it. That way, it won't get all oooey goooey. So... freeze till almost solid, slice thinly, place on dehydrator sheets, and dehydrate at around 115 degrees F till crispy.  See:  frozen to dehydrated, with a brief stop in between.

Homemade Healthy MRE Recipe - Asian Beef with Snow Peas

Here is the next recipe for a homemade and healthy MRE:

Asian Beef with Snow Peas

We love oriental food, and I don't think I would be happy in a long term survival situation (heck, even short term!) without Asian food. I have devised quite a few recipes that satisfy our taste buds. Hope you like this one!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup instant rice OR 1/2 cup dehydrated cooked noodles
1/2 cup ground beef bits OR 1 cup beef chunks / dices
1/4 cup snow pea strips
1 beef bouillon cube
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp brown sugar

Directions:
Combine all and store in water-proof air-tight container/bag. When ready to eat, add 1-2 cups of boiling or very hot water. (Amount will depend if you want it soupy or quite thick.) Stir. Cover. Let sit approx 20 minutes, or until all ingredients have reconstituted.  Stir and enjoy!

NOTES:
-Noodles: rice, whole wheat, kamut, quinoa...your choice
-Add more veggies if you'd like...water chestnuts, strips of red bell peppers, mushrooms, etc.
-I couldn't find freeze-dried or dehydrated snow peas, water chestnuts or gluten-free noodles, so I dehydrated them myself. So can you.
-I avoid soy whenever possible. Feel free to add soy sauce if you would like.

Homemade Healthy MRE Recipe - Apple Pie Oatmeal

Since I am writing a book of creative and healthy recipes for making MREs using dehydrated and freeze-dried foods, I thought I would start posting some of the recipes here for your experimentation and comments.

All recipes in the book are single servings.

First up...

Apple Pie Oatmeal

Ingredients:
1/2 cup quick oats
3 tsp apple dices
pinch ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
1 tsp raw sugar (our preference ... use what you want)

(If desired, add 1 tsp cheddar cheese powder)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and seal in a small air-tight/watertight bag (I use jars or seal-a-meal or mylar).  When ready to make, rehydrate with 1 cup of very hot water, stir, let sit covered 10 minutes, stir and enjoy.

I make this and other quick oatmeal breakfasts in large batches!  Very yummy.  For a burst of protein, add your favorite nuts, flax seeds or chia seeds. 

Meals from dehydrated foods

Hiya. 


Quite a few months ago, my husband asked for more varied quick lunch. Had been making him soups, sandwiches, etc.  He needed more substance. Store-bought MREs have too much sodium, preservatives, and are boring. So are shelf-stable things from Dinty Moore and Hormel, or frozen dinners. Ick.

Browed through our dehydrated and freeze-dried foods, and my wheels started turning. I got out a bunch of half-pint jars, instant rice, tiny pasta, potato flakes, and other ingredients. Lined up the jars. ach got a starch, a protein, veggies, spices/herbs, and some got tomato powder.

He loved them!

So did his co-workers.  Gimme gimme.

Every month, I create a month's worth of breakfasts and lunches, each different from the others. My mother-in-law has also tested for me, as well as friends. One thing led to another, and I started this book about how to make healthy MREs (still working on the title ... stay tuned!). For work, camping, backpacking, prepping/preparedness, everyday use, long term food storage/survival, etc.  I even started a FB group for people to help me test recipes ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/Mealsinjars/ ).

I have sections for lactose-intolerant people (like my Hubby) and gluten-free (me). One person suggested the need for vegetarian and vegan recipes, so I am trying to include a few of them too.  Sections for entrees, side dishes, desserts, beverages, and more.

All kinds... oriental, Indian, Tex-Mex, and many others.

Have somewhere close to 200 recipes but I want a few more.

Hope to (someday!) start posting a few recipes for you to try and comment, so stay tuned!