Atheist Discussion

There is no food shortage in the western world, but it's getting difficult to come by certain kinds of foods.  There may also be times when we simply can't or shouldn't get out to a store.

Here is a place to share ideas and recipes for when you cannot find the food you are used to preparing and using, such as baked bread.
What kinds of wonderful dishes can we make with canned beans, rice, pasta, and frozen veggies without getting repetitive and stale?

To start off with, I want to share my recipe for no knead olive bread.  No bread in the store?  You can make your own! And you don't need a bread maker, dough mixer, or anything else.  This take about 5 minutes of actual work, plus a few hours of waiting.
For equipment, all you need is:
A wooden or plastic spoon
A mixing bowl
A bread pan
A measuring cup
Measuring spoons

Ingredients:
3-1/2 cups flour.  Bread flour works best but this will work with all purpose!
1/2 tsp yeast.  Any kind.  Rapid rise, instant, active dry, it all works (I've used all 3).
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
14oz cool tap water
Double handful of olives of your choice, cut in half or sliced.  I use about a dozen each of black, kalamata, and stuffed green, but all of any variety would also work.  
If you don't have olives, this recipe still tastes great without, as just a nice Italian loaf.  You could add some oregano or other herbs, too.

Instruction:
Mix together dry ingredients.
With the handle of a wooden or plastic spoon, stir in the water and olive oil until just blended.
Fold in the olives.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl until it's a nice, neat mound. 
Cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let sit on your counter for 12 to 24 hours.  You don't need to knead! Time does it for you.

Dough should about double in size.
Lightly grease bread pan (optional, but I prefer the softer crust this produces)
After 12-24 hours, use a spoon or spatula to scrape risen dough away from sides and gently release air.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  Dough will be very sticky.
Turn dough with a scraper until it's lightly covered with flour, and move it to the bread pan.
Cover with a kitchen towel and leave in a relatively warm place to rise again, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400f.
Move rack to lower half of oven.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until crust is golden brown.


Done!  I like to brush on a little more butter or olive oil to the top while it's still warm, to keep the crust softer.  My husband has difficulty with truly crusty breads, but you may like it that way.

This recipe can be adapted to make a nice white sandwich loaf easily.

Later, I can share dinner rolls and wheat bread.  

So, what is in your pantry, and what are your plans for cooking during the pandemic?

Chaffles, if you happen to have eggs and cheese but no flour. Break eggs and grate cheese, beat, put in waffle maker. What comes out makes good sandwiches, hold up nicely, tastes good and depending on what you have on hand, you can season it any way you like or include deli meats or veggies, finely chopped, and some oil. You can make it taste like Pizza or Mexican food or anything you can think up. Cinnamon goes well in there too, your imagination is the limit. And it's fast to make.

I'm planning stews and chili, bulk cooking with leftovers frozen for reheating. Fresh vegetables have long been a major part of my diet anyway, and thankfully the Pandemic Panic has not touched them so much. The only real ouch for me is that rice is scarce. I loves me some rice.

(03-18-2020, 10:04 PM)Aroura Wrote: [ -> ]There is no food shortage in the western world, but it's getting difficult to come by certain kinds of foods.  There may also be times when we simply can't or shouldn't get out to a store.

Here is a place to share ideas and recipes for when you cannot find the food you are used to preparing and using, such as baked bread.
What kinds of wonderful dishes can we make with canned beans, rice, pasta, and frozen veggies without getting repetitive and stale?

To start off with, I want to share my recipe for no knead olive bread.  No bread in the store?  You can make your own! And you don't need a bread maker, dough mixer, or anything else.  This take about 5 minutes of actual work, plus a few hours of waiting.
For equipment, all you need is:
A wooden or plastic spoon
A mixing bowl
A bread pan
A measuring cup
Measuring spoons

Ingredients:
3-1/2 cups flour.  Bread flour works best but this will work with all purpose!
1/2 tsp yeast.  Any kind.  Rapid rise, instant, active dry, it all works (I've used all 3).
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
14oz cool tap water
Double handful of olives of your choice, cut in half or sliced.  I use about a dozen each of black, kalamata, and stuffed green, but all of any variety would also work.  
If you don't have olives, this recipe still tastes great without, as just a nice Italian loaf.  You could add some oregano or other herbs, too.

Instruction:
Mix together dry ingredients.
With the handle of a wooden or plastic spoon, stir in the water and olive oil until just blended.
Fold in the olives.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl until it's a nice, neat mound. 
Cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let sit on your counter for 12 to 24 hours.  You don't need to knead! Time does it for you.

Dough should about double in size.
Lightly grease bread pan (optional, but I prefer the softer crust this produces)
After 12-24 hours, use a spoon or spatula to scrape risen dough away from sides and gently release air.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  Dough will be very sticky.
Turn dough with a scraper until it's lightly covered with flour, and move it to the bread pan.
Cover with a kitchen towel and leave in a relatively warm place to rise again, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400f.
Move rack to lower half of oven.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until crust is golden brown.


Done!  I like to brush on a little more butter or olive oil to the top while it's still warm, to keep the crust softer.  My husband has difficulty with truly crusty breads, but you may like it that way.

This recipe can be adapted to make a nice white sandwich loaf easily.

Later, I can share dinner rolls and wheat bread.  

So, what is in your pantry, and what are your plans for cooking during the pandemic?

This looks like a good recipe, thanks for sharing.

I started baking bread on cold, rainy days over the winter and I already have some yeast and lots of flour on hand. I baked a few wheat loaves from one of my cookbooks last weekend after I decided to start social distancing.

I have a question - all purpose flour substitutes ok for bread flour? I'm low on bread flour and who knows when it'll be available again. But I have plenty of all purpose flour.

-Teresa

(03-19-2020, 01:32 AM)Tres Leches Wrote: [ -> ]

(03-18-2020, 10:04 PM)Aroura Wrote: [ -> ]There is no food shortage in the western world, but it's getting difficult to come by certain kinds of foods.  There may also be times when we simply can't or shouldn't get out to a store.

Here is a place to share ideas and recipes for when you cannot find the food you are used to preparing and using, such as baked bread.
What kinds of wonderful dishes can we make with canned beans, rice, pasta, and frozen veggies without getting repetitive and stale?

To start off with, I want to share my recipe for no knead olive bread.  No bread in the store?  You can make your own! And you don't need a bread maker, dough mixer, or anything else.  This take about 5 minutes of actual work, plus a few hours of waiting.
For equipment, all you need is:
A wooden or plastic spoon
A mixing bowl
A bread pan
A measuring cup
Measuring spoons

Ingredients:
3-1/2 cups flour.  Bread flour works best but this will work with all purpose!
1/2 tsp yeast.  Any kind.  Rapid rise, instant, active dry, it all works (I've used all 3).
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
14oz cool tap water
Double handful of olives of your choice, cut in half or sliced.  I use about a dozen each of black, kalamata, and stuffed green, but all of any variety would also work.  
If you don't have olives, this recipe still tastes great without, as just a nice Italian loaf.  You could add some oregano or other herbs, too.

Instruction:
Mix together dry ingredients.
With the handle of a wooden or plastic spoon, stir in the water and olive oil until just blended.
Fold in the olives.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl until it's a nice, neat mound. 
Cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let sit on your counter for 12 to 24 hours.  You don't need to knead! Time does it for you.

Dough should about double in size.
Lightly grease bread pan (optional, but I prefer the softer crust this produces)
After 12-24 hours, use a spoon or spatula to scrape risen dough away from sides and gently release air.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  Dough will be very sticky.
Turn dough with a scraper until it's lightly covered with flour, and move it to the bread pan.
Cover with a kitchen towel and leave in a relatively warm place to rise again, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400f.
Move rack to lower half of oven.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until crust is golden brown.


Done!  I like to brush on a little more butter or olive oil to the top while it's still warm, to keep the crust softer.  My husband has difficulty with truly crusty breads, but you may like it that way.

This recipe can be adapted to make a nice white sandwich loaf easily.

Later, I can share dinner rolls and wheat bread.  

So, what is in your pantry, and what are your plans for cooking during the pandemic?

This looks like a good recipe, thanks for sharing.

I started baking bread on cold, rainy days over the winter and I already have some yeast and lots of flour on hand. I baked a few wheat loaves from one of my cookbooks last weekend after I decided to start social distancing.

I have a question - all purpose flour substitutes ok for bread flour? I'm low on bread flour and who knows when it'll be available again. But I have plenty of all purpose flour.

-Teresa

My understanding is that bread flour has higher protein, so it creates chewier results.  I made this once with regular all purpose flour, and it was just a crumblier loaf, but still a good texture and same flavor. To be on the safe side, maybe add another 1/4 tsp of yeast, so they can do some extra work!

Quick breads absolutely work fine with all-purpose though, like dumplings or (butter)milk biscuits.

@Tres Leches How did your wheat loaves turn out? I have tried making wheat dinner rolls, but not a whole loaf of bread, yet.

I love baking bread at home, though. Taste is superior, and control over ingredients is great.

(03-19-2020, 01:39 AM)Aroura Wrote: [ -> ]@Tres Leches How did your wheat loaves turn out?  I have tried making wheat dinner rolls, but not a whole loaf of bread, yet.

I love baking bread at home, though.  Taste is superior, and control over ingredients is great.

The wheat loaves turned out good! I use a Joy of Cooking cookbook for a lot of my baking and I've never had a bad recipe from them. The recipe was the same as white bread (very similar to the recipe you posted except mine made 2 loaves) but substituting 1.5 cups of wheat flour for white flour.

-Teresa

3 ingredient "cookies".
These are amazing! My daughter eats these every morning for breakfast now, because she dislikes the texture of oatmeal.

1 smashed banana (got any turning brown in your pantry soon? Great use of ripe bananas)
1.5 cups oatmeal, whole rolled or quick oats are both fine. I like the texture of whole rolled.
1/4 cup (or a big scoop, no need to measure really), of peanut butter. I use natural, no sugar added. Creamy or chunky, both are good choices.

Mix it all together and then place on baking sheet in little mounds or cookie shapes, and bake for 10 minutes at 350F. No added sugars, healthier even than a bowl of oatmeal! And you can add in so many extras to change it up.
Choc chips make it a bit more dessert-like. Cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, ginger, basically any of the "sweet" spices, also a good addition.
Raisins or any other dried fruit, another good option!
If you'd like a touch of sweetness, honey, brown sugar, or maple syrup all work fine.

(03-19-2020, 01:50 AM)Tres Leches Wrote: [ -> ]

(03-19-2020, 01:39 AM)Aroura Wrote: [ -> ]@Tres Leches How did your wheat loaves turn out?  I have tried making wheat dinner rolls, but not a whole loaf of bread, yet.

I love baking bread at home, though.  Taste is superior, and control over ingredients is great.

The wheat loaves turned out good! I use a Joy of Cooking cookbook for a lot of my baking and I've never had a bad recipe from them. The recipe was the same as white bread (very similar to the recipe you posted except mine made 2 loaves) but substituting 1.5 cups of wheat flour for white flour.

-Teresa

Nifty, I'll have to give it a whirl!  We'll be out of store bought wheat sandwich bread by the weekend.

I am using recipes by Artisan Bread with Steve.  He has a lot of no knead bread, which I like, since I don't own a stand mixer.  But I am willing to knead if needed   for a good loaf.

Simple and easy:
Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
   • 1 cup milk
   • 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
   • 2 cups all-purpose flour
   • 1 tablespoon white sugar
   • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
   • 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
   1. Stir the milk and vinegar together, and allow to stand until curdled, about 10 minutes.
   2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet. In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
   3. Gradually stir the soured milk into the flour mixture until the dough just comes together, and turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead a few times, and shape into a round. Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. With a sharp knife, cut an X shape into the top of the dough to release steam and help the bread keep its round shape.
   4. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 45 minutes.

I wouldn't recommend it for sandwiches since it's more like a giant biscuit than regular bread...

And, speaking of biscuits:
Makes 10-12
Ingredients
   • 1 cup milk*
   • 1 tablespoon lemon juice*
   • 1/3 cup shortening
   • 2 cups all-purpose flour
   • 3 teaspoons baking powder
   • 1/2 teaspoon salt
   • (optional) 2-3 tablespoons of sugar
Directions:
   1. Stir the milk and lemon juice together, and allow to stand until curdled, about 10 minutes.*
   2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet. Sift dry ingredients together.
   3. Add shortening and cut together until granular.
   4. Gradually stir the soured milk into the flour mixture until the dough just comes together.
        At this point you can either...
            A. Spoon blobs onto your baking sheet, making drop biscuits.
            B. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead a few times, hand form into dough-balls.
            C. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead a few times, roll and cut the dough.
   5. Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheetand bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

*If you have milk that's soured on it's own, but isn't yet chunky, you can use that in place of fresh milk and lemon juice and save the fresh for other uses.

I used to keep a plastic gallon jug of sour milk in the back of the fridge just for making biscuits, adding any other sour milk (and occasionally some fresh if it got too pungent). It may sound nasty, but it makes some damned fine biscuits.

Quick Black-bean soup.

Low on ingredients, high on flavor!
1 can rinsed black beans, or one cup dried black beans, soaked overnight, and cooked for 45 minutes.
4 cups broth of choice
1 can tomatoes with chiles (I actually have also used fire roasted or just plain, if you want it less spicy).
1 can corn, or one cup frozen corn
3 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp cornstarch.
Fresh cilantro, if you have it.
Optionally, add in some cubed chicken breast or leftover roast chicken.

Add everything but a the cornstarch in a soup pot and bring to a simmer.
Put cornstarch in a little water, mix, and add to soup. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Done!  

Top with cheese and sour cream, maybe a dash of hot sauce.  Serve with tortilla chips. 

Thanks @TheGentlemanBastard , I've always wanted to try Irish soda bread. Is it basically like buttermilk biscuits?

As to your other recipe, it's great to find uses for things like sour milk, since it's still safe to use. It's always good to reduce food waste, and especially right now!

Speaking of, how to make your own sour cream at home:
Never buy it at the supermarket again!

1 cup of heavy cream. (Anything 36% fat or over)
1 tbsp cultured buttermilk. Must be cultured, anything else is fine (low fat, whole fat, doesn't matter).

Mix together in a clean container, and cover with something breathable. I use a square of cotton, rubber-banded on.
Let it sit out on your counter for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, remove cover and stir. It should have thickened noticeably, and likely separated a bit. Stir it back together.
Seal tightly (any mason jar, or re-used plastic tub with a tight fitting lid will work great), and put in the fridge for 24 hours.
Stir again, and enjoy! Lasts for 2-3 weeks in the fridge. Technically, this is called Creme fresh, but really, it's just sour cream.

(03-19-2020, 02:12 AM)Aroura Wrote: [ -> ]Speaking of, how to make your own sour cream at home:
Never buy it at the supermarket again!

1 cup of heavy cream.  (Anything 36% fat or over)
1 tbsp cultured buttermilk.  Must be cultured, anything else is fine (low fat, whole fat, doesn't matter).

Mix together in a clean container, and cover with something breathable.  I use a square of cotton, rubber-banded on.
Let it sit out on your counter for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, remove cover and stir. It should have thickened noticeably, and likely separated a bit. Stir it back together.
Seal tightly (any mason jar, or re-used plastic tub with a tight fitting lid will work great), and put in the fridge for 24 hours.
Stir again, and enjoy!  Lasts for 2-3 weeks in the fridge.  Technically, this is called Creme fresh, but really, it's just sour cream.

I'll have to try that. That sounds like what I grew up with and don't see much here, and so easy. Cool!

(03-19-2020, 02:06 AM)Aroura Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks @TheGentlemanBastard , I've always wanted to try Irish soda bread.  Is it basically like buttermilk biscuits?  

As to your other recipe, it's great to find uses for things like sour milk, since it's still safe to use.  It's always good to reduce food waste, and especially right now!

Irish soda bread, made properly, is something like the love child of white bread and biscuits. This recipe leans a little farther to the biscuit end of the spectrum.

Any time you make any kind of soda bread or biscuits of any kind, I recommend a little acid (lemon juice or vinegar) in the milk for 10-20 minutes (or use sour milk). It double activates the baking soda/powder (once via acid, once via heat) and makes for a much bigger, fluffier final product.

Pandemicci . a new Italian pasta. It has to be marinated in your refrig for 14 days.

I can't give a true recipe for this, mostly because I've never had (or needed) one, but Something to help stretch those expensive ingredients...

Breakfast gravy

What you'll need:
About a half-pound each of bacon (diced) and sausage.
(optional) 3-5 eggs, boiled and diced.
About 1/3 cup of shortening.
Some flour, probably about a half-cup.
Some milk, usually between a quart and a half-gallon.
Some pepper and your favorite all purpose seasoning. I use Cavender's all purpose Greek and it has enough pepper that I can skip it.

1. Dice the bacon and fry up the bacon and sausage until the sausage is crumbly, reserve the fat.
2. Add the shortening to the fat and melt over medium heat.
3. Once the shortening is melted, add flour until you get a nice medium-thin paste. You can tinker back and forth by adding small amounts of shortening/flour
    until you get the consistence you want (or, in plain speech, make a roux )
4. Simmer until the flour get to be a light caramel.
5. Add some milk. I usually start with around two cups and add more as needed. It's a lot easier to get it in there than to get it back out. Once the gravy's
    bubbling, add milk a bit at a time, always allowing the gravy to get back to bubbling before adding more, until you get the consistency you want.
6. Add your seasonings, to taste, meat, and optional boiled eggs.

I boil and shell my eggs before hand and dice them while the meats are cooking.

If you get too much milk in and the gravy's too runny, you can simmer on very low heat (to avoid scorching) until it's right.

The last time I made this gravy it made enough for about 9 meals.

And...
It's awesome on those biscuits.

I haven't tried it yet, but I recently read an interesting recipe for Cowboy's Caviar. Just add a can of beans, a can of corn, some salsa, and mix. Sounds decent.

Red beans and rice:

1-lb log of breakfast sausage
1-lb bag of kidney beans soaked for six or eight hours (or two large (28-oz) cans of beans if you're not big on the work)
two large tomatoes off the vine, diced
one green bell pepper, chopped
one or two chopped jalapeño peppers, depending on your taste
three or four healthy cloves of garlic, minced
half of a medium onion, red is preferable but brown works too, chopped
1 cup of rice

Cut the sausage up into small chunks and brown in a little oil, doesn't matter which sort, really. Once it's browned, add a couple of cups of water, and everything but the rice. Season it with cumin, black pepper, ground sage, garlic powder, and oregano. Add the fresh veggies. Bring it to a slow simmer, tasting as you go and adjusting seasonings accordingly. I usually put a little hot sauce in around this time, too. Anyway, bring this all to a rolling simmer. When it tastes right, add one cup of rice and 1.5-2 cups of water and give it 30 more minutes.

Serve it with the bread I couldn't find in the goddamned stores today. It'll feed five or six folks unless they're my son.

I'll try to post some of my less expensive crock pot recipes soon. I've always been big on things that can make my expensive ingredients last longer. Lamb stew instead of lamb chops kinda thing. Not that I don't occasionally partake of a good steak, chicken breast, pork chop, or lamb kebabs. It's just that I can eat four or five, or more meals, depending on the recipe, for the same cost as a couple dinners. There's also less work.

(03-19-2020, 04:01 AM)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: [ -> ]Red beans and rice:

1-lb log of breakfast sausage
1-lb bag of kidney beans soaked for six or eight hours (or two large (28-oz) cans of beans if you're not big on the work)
two large tomatoes off the vine, diced
one green bell pepper, chopped
one or two chopped jalapeño peppers, depending on your taste
three or four healthy cloves of garlic, minced
half of a medium onion, red is preferable but brown works too, chopped
1 cup of rice

Cut the sausage up into small chunks and brown in a little oil, doesn't matter which sort, really. Once it's browned, add a couple of cups of water, and everything but the rice. Season it with cumin, black pepper, ground sage, garlic powder, and oregano. Add the fresh veggies. Bring it to a slow simmer, tasting as you go and adjusting seasonings accordingly. I usually put a little hot sauce in around this time, too. Anyway, bring this all to a rolling simmer. When it tastes right, add one cup of rice and 1.5-2 cups of water.

Serve it with the bread I couldn't find in the goddamned stores today. It'll feed five or six folks unless they're my son.

Mmmmmmmm. I've got some andouille sausage in the freezer that would make a great substitute for the breakfast sausage, and some serrano peppers as well.

If I can find any yeast, I think I'm going to try this:

Cuban Bread

Ingredients
    • 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
    • 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
    • 1 tablespoon white sugar
    • 1 tablespoon salt
    • 8 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon cornmeal
    • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
    • 2 tablespoons cold water

Directions:
    1. In a large bowl dissolve the yeast in the warm water or potato water. Add sugar and salt and mix well. Stir in 7 cups of the flour.
    2. On a well-floured surface, knead dough for 7 minutes, incorporating in the last cup of flour. Place dough in a greased bowl. Let rise until doubled.
    3. Using a lightly floured board, form dough into 2 long or round loaves. Sprinkle cornmeal on greased baking sheet; place loaves on top. Slash top with a
       sharp knife. Cover, and let rise until almost doubled.
    4. Brush top of loaves with cold water. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired. Place in a cold oven.
    5. Turn oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake for 45 minutes, or until nicely browned. Brush twice during baking time with cold water.
    6. Replace half of flour with wheat flour for Cuban Wheat Bread

If I do make these, I'll probably bake one and freeze the other for baking in a few days.

(03-19-2020, 04:29 AM)TheGentlemanBastard Wrote: [ -> ]

(03-19-2020, 04:01 AM)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: [ -> ]Red beans and rice:

1-lb log of breakfast sausage
1-lb bag of kidney beans soaked for six or eight hours (or two large (28-oz) cans of beans if you're not big on the work)
two large tomatoes off the vine, diced
one green bell pepper, chopped
one or two chopped jalapeño peppers, depending on your taste
three or four healthy cloves of garlic, minced
half of a medium onion, red is preferable but brown works too, chopped
1 cup of rice

Cut the sausage up into small chunks and brown in a little oil, doesn't matter which sort, really. Once it's browned, add a couple of cups of water, and everything but the rice. Season it with cumin, black pepper, ground sage, garlic powder, and oregano. Add the fresh veggies. Bring it to a slow simmer, tasting as you go and adjusting seasonings accordingly. I usually put a little hot sauce in around this time, too. Anyway, bring this all to a rolling simmer. When it tastes right, add one cup of rice and 1.5-2 cups of water.

Serve it with the bread I couldn't find in the goddamned stores today. It'll feed five or six folks unless they're my son.

Mmmmmmmm. I've got some andouille sausage in the freezer that would make a great substitute for the breakfast sausage, and some serrano peppers as well.

I bet that would work wonders.

One of the post war staples, when people were poor, was pancake soup, and it is simple and delicious. 

Eggs were available since everyone with any way to keep chickens outdoors, did so. So, mix eggs with flour, proportions were dictated by availability, it all works. Fry up like an omelette. 

Heat chicken stock or bullion. Cut pancake into thin strips. Throw into soup. It's better than chicken noodle soup. Better flavor and more nutrition.

Alternately, cook the pancake on low heat, top with pizza stuff or any leftover stuff.  


Want something sweet? Top with thinly sliced apple or plum, sugar and cinnamon... Want it even sweeter? Spread jam/jelly/marmalade on cooked pancake, roll up.

These "pancakes" are very simple and amazingly versatile. Add a little more flower and some cheese, and they will be the consistency of bread. 

So simple, so good.

Chicken and wild rice soup.

I'm trying to stretch out any meat, so this takes a single chicken breast, or 2 cups of chicken of your choice.

Ingredients:
Chicken breast
2-3 carrots
1-2 ribs of celery
1/2 large onion or 1 small
2 cloves garlic
1 cup uncooked rice of your choice.  I use 3/4 brown basmati, and 1/4 wild.
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
3/4 cup milk
2 bay leaves
1-1/2 tsp fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dry
6 cups chicken broth

Bake chicken breast in oven (325 for roughly 40 minutes) with a little salt, pepper, and olive oil.  A squeeze of lemon juice is also great!
Chop the veggie and garlic.  Add butter to cookpot, and cook chopped veggies for about 5 minutes, until onions start to soften.  Add chopped garlic and cook another minute. add flour and coat veggies, add the rice and brown for a few minutes with the flour.
Add broth and seasonings, simmer for roughly half an hour.
Chop or shred chicken
Add chicken and simmer another 15 minutes until rice is tender.
Add milk, salt and pepper to taste.
Done!

Very healthy whole grains and veggies to keep you going in these rough times.