MEATLESS HIGH PROTEIN LENTIL STEW : FOOD BANK RECIPE

MEATLESS LENTIL STEW

This is a hearty stew and you won't miss the meat.

4 cups dried brown lentils (rinse and look for little rocks that might need to be removed. In my entire life I've only found one rock!)

One quart chicken broth (or use four packets from chicken flavor ramen noodles to flavor a quart of water.)

Two bay leaves.  (Some people say leaves of bay don't add any flavor to soups and stews but others say these leaves add soul - something no one can quite define but that exists!)

In a pot, cook the lentils in the broth. 

I bring to a boil, put a lid on it, and then lower the heat to medium.  At about the twenty minute point, when the lentils are softened, I shut the gas off and allow the lentils to absorb any broth left. This happens in about ten minutes. They should be soft and easy to chew.

Olive oil for saute.

One can potatoes (which are already cooked), drained, or boil and cut up one medium cooked potato.

One can carrots (which are already cooked), drained, or two fresh carrots sliced.

One can tomato sauce. (If herbed, you may not want to add more spices.)

One fresh onion diced; red especially good.

Two tablespoons oregano or marjoram dried herb.

Two tablespoons powdered paprika.

In a sauce pan, on medium heat, saute the onion, add the sliced carrots, then the cut up potato, then the spices. Add the tomato sauce last.  You want the onions and carrots and potato to be soft.  Stir around, add more olive oil as needed, add salt, about a half teaspoon, or as desired. Then add the lentils to the sauce pan and stir well. Continue to cook on low with a lid on over the pan for a few minutes.

If you use canned potato and carrots, the cook time in the sauce pan is less, but just use lower heat, because the tomato sauce will still need to thicken.

Part of the fun of this recipe is the differences in textures and colors.

*** Green and other colors of lentils will work but be sensitive to the cooking instructions on the package as they do have different cooking times.  Don't throw different colors of lentils in the same cook pot.

If you use the raman noodle chicken flavor packets, you can still boil up the dried raman and use it for another recipe.

CANNED FRUIT COCKTAIL - OATMEAL SWEET BISCUITS : FOOD BANK RECIPES

 CANNED FRUIT COCKTAIL - OATMEAL SWEET BISCUITS

Slightly Sweet and Pretty Too

Cupcake pans best.  No need to use papers.

The difference between a cupcake and a biscuit is the ratio of wet ingredients, particularly water, to dry ingredients. 

Wet Ingredients:

1 can fruit cocktail (usually mixed fruit that includes peaches, pears, grapes) including liquid.

1 large egg or two small.

Water : about a quarter to half a cup but watch the batter, add water slowly while mixing only if needed. Depending on the brand of fruit cocktail, you may not need to add more water at all. ***

1/4 cup liquid vegetable oil such as soy. (If you do not have oil on hand, plain yogurt can work.)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla or vanilla substitute (Optional. If you use oatmeal cereal packets, the sugar and flavoring spices will change the flavor and you will not need vanilla or to add sugar.)

3 restaurant sugar packets (or about 1 level teaspoon of sugar). The fruit cocktail liquid in the can is likely all the sugar you will need to sweeten the biscuit so this sugar is optional.

Dry Ingredients:

3 cups white flour

2 cups oatmeal (quick cook the best)

1 full teaspoon baking powder

Optional:

Dry almonds. If your almonds seem too hard to easily chew, consider soaking them in clean warm water for ten minutes to soften them up. Walnuts are also good.

Instructions:

Use a few drops of vegetable oil to grease inside the cupcake tins.

Turn the oven on 425 degrees to preheat and plan to work quickly.

In separate bowls, hand mix the dry ingredients and then hand mix the wet ingredients, just enough for the wet to appear like a slurry.

Dump the dry ingredients into the wet and stir the mixture around just enough so it's blended; look at it and add water a little at a time only if it appears that there is excess dry ingredients in the bowl. ***

Stir in almonds.

Spoon mixture into the cupcake tins using a large spoon, careful to make each about the same size so they bake evenly. Makes about 12 to 18 biscuits.

Check the biscuits at about 15 minutes. Touch the top of a biscuit for firmness. It should give just a little and, after cooling, will be firm when done. Do not pierce with a fork like you would a cake. My old oven takes about 20 minutes.

Let the biscuits cool a bit in the cupcake tins before using a large spoon to scoop them out.

The fruit cocktail will allow a delicious and still wet fruit flavor to come through. Good for a desert or a take along breakfast or snack.

C 2024 Magyar American BlogSpot

Click the label Food Bank Recipes to get to other recipes posted.

COLD TUNA PASTA FROM BOXED MAC and CHEESE : FOOD BANK RECIPE

 Hello Friends!

This recipe is one of a few I've posted to help you make more of the free food that is given out at food bank distributions. People appreciate the help but I know from volunteering at a food bank that there is a lot of repetition. Some of what is given away comes from stores that are throwing it out and still getting a tax deduction for donating it even if it's clearly not fresh. A lot of packaged food and canned food is given away because at least it doesn't go bad right away. At the food bank I volunteered at, we rarely had time to check the expiration dates on meats, which were rare, and we barely ever got fruits or veggies. This is a variation on the popular "Mac and cheese" but you don't mix it with butter and milk to activate the cheese and eat it hot.

COLD MAC AND CHEESE PASTA

One box of Mac and Cheese - the kind that has a packet of powdered cheese or cheese substitute.

One small can of tuna fish

One can of peas (which are already cooked before canning)

One heaping tablespoon of mayonnaise (about eight packets of restaurant give away mayo)

One level teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

Salt as you please.

Boil the pasta, drain, rinse with cold water till cool, drain again so that there is near no water left.

Open the can of tuna fish, drain. 

Open the package of dried powder cheese and set aside.  Add the garlic powder to it if you like.

In a bowl add the ingredients as follows.

Tuna, peas, cold pasta.

Sprinkle the dried powder cheese over the mixture and stir in.

Stir in the mayo, mixing well.

That's it.  This cold pasta needs no refrigeration if you eat it right away. Makes about four portions.

C 2024 Magyar American BlogSpot

Click the label Food Bank Recipes to get to other recipes posted.

PUMPKIN PASTA SAUCE : UP THE NUTRITION ! : FOOD BANK RECIPE

American food banks get and give away a lot of pasta, in particular the typical "spagetti" also called Number 8.  Now this is a lot of carbs for the food value and you can get fat on carbs and still be starving for vitamins and minerals even though pasta does have wheat protein. The best way to add value to any pasta is the vegetables and herbs and spices that go with. Pumpkin adds lots of nutrition value to your meal.

When I was growing up we called spagetti "noodles," a term that seems to only be used now when the pasta is in a soup. Now the trendy term for noodles is pasta, and there is so much fun to be had with different sizes and shapes, all of which can be used for this recipe. I always break my spagetti Number 8 into thirds which makes it easier to eat, although you might have a fork swirling technique that loads the long cooked strands.

The reason you get cans of pumpkin puree in Food Bank bags is that most people only think of pumpkin for the autumn season and to bake pies for Thanksgiving. So stores and people donate the cans. It''s spring and summer time and you can make use of that pumpkin. 

Cook pasta and drain it.  Set aside.

Skillet pan on medium heat and add:

One or two tablespoons of oil; olive oil is best.  If you don't have that you can use butter, lard, or coconut; 

One large garlic clove chopped small.

Let the garlic cook for about a minute.

Should you open the can of pumpkin and find it has settled and it is watery be sure to drain the water with a sieve first.  You want the texture to coat the pasta. Add the pumpkin puree to the skillet.

Also add about one third cup of grated parmesan cheese.

And a couple tablespoons of warm milk or cream. (Room temperature is fine.  You just don't want refrigerator cold.)  Full fat coconut milk is a good substitute and used with coconut oil will give a somewhat flowery taste.

Slowly stir together all the ingredients for about 3-5 minutes. If you notice that the paste forming appears to be too thick you can add a tablespoon of the water from the pasta, which has some starch in it.

Then gently scoop the cooked pasta in and stir to coat it with the pumpkin sauce.

A sprinkle of more parmesan on top is nice.

Makes about four servings but I won't blame you it you eat it all yourself. This should nicely coat about 8 ounces of pasta which is about half a typical box.

You may also want to add onions or celery, chopped small so that it will cook enough in a minute or two. A little salt, a little pepper... 

Pumpkin is noteworthy for having over 200% of your daily Vitamin A. Over 30 % of Vitamin K. and over 25% of your copper.

C 2023 Magyar- American BlogSpot