Cooking from Storage

How awesome it is to have things in my freezer or my shelves that I can whip up a quick meal when I need it.

Today, for supper, we are starting with Chicken Livers.  We raise our own chickens every year.  I would NEVER, NEVER, NEVER eat liver from an animal that I didn't raise, or didn't know how it was raised.  While the liver of animals is a very healthy organ for us to consume it IS NOT HEALTHY unless it comes from an animal raised in a healthy way.  My chickens are raised on grass and bugs and supplemented with ORGANIC grains.

When we butcher our chickens we reserve the livers in 8 ounce packages which is perfect for the two of us and put them in the freezer.

Also from my storage:

• Green onions raised this spring, chopped and frozen
• Potatoes from my garden
• GF All-Purpose Flour Mix  (My new all-purpose flour mix: Mix together 3 cups brown rice flour, 3 cups tapioca flour, 2 cups sorghum flour or Almond flour, and 1 part millet flour)
• GF Cream of Soup Mix (see previous post)
• Dried Shitake Mushrooms (very healthy for you...pratically medicinal)
• Homemade Chicken Stock, in the freezer (Check back tomorrow for this)
• Raw Milk
• Cucumber Salad that I have in the refrigerator (Check back tomorrow for this)

NOTE:  Since I'm cooking for two, I use two small crockpots and this works well for me.


Crock-pot Chicken Livers for Two
8 ounces Chicken Livers
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons GF Flour, divided
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 slices bacon, diced
2 green onions with tops, chopped
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons raw milk
2 oz Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
2 Tablespoons white wine

• Mix 1/4 cup flour and pepper in a small bowl.  Cut chicken liver into bite-size pieces, add to flour in bowl and toss to coat well. 
• Fry bacon pieces in large skillet; remove when brown into crock-pot.  Add flour-coated chicken livers and green onion to bacon fat in skillet; saute until lightly browned but not cooked through.  Remove livers and onion into crock-pot.
• Pour chicken stock into skillet and stir into dripping.  Whisk in 2 tablespoons flour.  Stir until thickened.  Add wine and pour into crock-pot 
• Cover and cook on high for 45 minutes and then on low for 2-3 hours.
• Serve over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.

Crock-pot Creamed Corn for Two
8 ounces frozen sweet corn
2 ounces creamed cheese
2 tablespoons Butter
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons raw milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

• Place corn in small crock-pot. 
• Dice Creamed Cheese and butter.  Add to crock-pot along with remaining ingredients. 
• Cook on high for 45 minutes.  Reduce to low and cook another 2-3 hours.

NOTE:  This made enough for three servings for us, so one serving was placed in a glass bowl with lid and put in the freezer.  My husband takes these little meals to work with him.

TONIGHTS MEAL:  Chicken Livers with gravy served over mashed potatoes, Creamed Corn Casserole,  Sliced Tomatos (in season),  Cucumber Salad, large glass of raw milk.

Making Gluten-Free TORTILLAS and Chicken Enchiladas

Having to cook gluten-free has been life changing.  First, I feel so much better than I did before.  Being sick effected me physically AND mentally.  Second, it makes me have to think about my food and finally I have to make most things from scratch (which I was pretty much doing anyway).

Today I actually made Gluten-Free Tortillas.  They weren't pretty and a tortilla press is on my wish list, but they ARE tortillas and not bad, if I do say so myself.  It was a royally messy job however, so I'm really hoping that the tortilla press comes off the wish list and into my kitchen sooner than later.

My Tortillas were rolled out by hand and fried on my pancake griddle proving that anything can be done if you want to bad enough.  I had some left-over roast chicken to use up and company coming for dinner.  I wanted to make Chicken Enchiladas.  Since I can't afford the price of Gluten-Free Tortillas and besides out here in the boonies there aren't stores that carry that kind of thing, I had to make my own.  I have to thank the Gluten Free Cooking School Tutorial on making Tortillas for giving me the courage to even attempt this feat in the first place.  Recipe can be found at that site.

The next project was..................Cream of Chicken Soup.  Again I'm on my own since I can't use 'canned' stuff anymore.  Here's my recipe for the Cream of Soup Mix that I made today.  I think you'll love it!!!

1 cup powdered milk
3/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons onion flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container.  To make 1 can of cream soup, mix 1/3 cup of dry mix with 1 1/4 cups chicken stock.  Cook in sauce pan until thick.  Add 1/4 cup mushrooms, chicken, etc, etc. to make the type of mix you want.  For cream of tomato I would use tomato juice in place of or in combination with the chicken stock.  This makes enough for 9 cans of soup substitute.  I doubled it and put it in a glass jar on my pantry shelf with a label telling how to fix up a 'can' firmly attached to the jar.

Now that the soup mix is safely on my shelf and the Tortillas made I was ready to create the Chicken Enchilada's.  Because I had so much left over chicken and we love Chicken Enchilada's I made enough for dinner with company, some for Mike's lunches, another meal and enough of the chicken mix (I only had 16 tortillas) to use for several other meals which I safely tucked (labeled and dated) in the freezer.  Serve with a SUPER SALAD.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

3 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
3 cups chopped, shredded, roast chicken
2 cups sour cream
Equivalent of 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/8-1/4 cup diced Jalapeno Pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 (8-inch) Flour (Gluten-Free) Tortillas, warmed

1. Prepare Cream of Chicken Soup in a large sauce pan.  Reserve 1 cup soup.
2. Add 2 cups cheddar and the Monterrey Jack Cheese, chicken, sour cream, soup, Jalapeno Pepper, onion, pepper and salt.
3. Spoon about 1/2 cup off center on each tortilla; roll up.  Place seam side down in a buttered 12x9x2 inch baking dish.  Pour reserved soup over top.
4. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.  Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

THE PANTRY CHALLENGE

We go through several periods of cleaning as homemaders.  There's the typical Spring and Fall Cleaning that everyone knows about but often can get to.  This week I'm challenging you to do some cleaning of your freezer and pantry shelves.

We all have things hidden in our freezers or that we purchased for a special meal and then didn't get to that meal for whatever reason and now that special ingredient is setting on our pantry shelves. 

WELL LET'S GET TO IT.

First of all I hope that you have taken a marker and put the date on EVERYTHING you put in the freezer or on your pantry shelf. 

If not

• You have a bigger task than I thought
• Start doing it today!

By marking things with a date you'll know better how to rotate the things that are in your refrigerator, freezer and on your pantry shelves.

Now this is a photo I found at http://www.reynoldsnet.org/preparedness/Pantry_shelf.html of a beautiful pantry, well organized with items in plain view.  I wish my pantry was so organized.  An organized pantry and freezer can save you money but if you don't know where things are and you purchase more, then the first spoils you've defeated your purpose.

I believe in being frugel and buying in bulk if you use enough of the product to warrant it.  I also believe in being prepared for emergencies.  Emergencies can include loss of income for short or long periods of time such has happened to us on occasion.

THE CHALLENGE IS

to eat from the pantry, your cellar and/or your freezer for the entire month of August.  If you have a garden or frequent the farmers market you'll have fresh fruits and vegetables to supplement.

We have a beef that is going to be ready for the freezer in the next couple of months so we need to eat up what is in the freezer before more is added.

JOIN ME IN THE CHALLENGE AND SHARE WITH ME WHAT YOU'VE FOUND IN YOUR PANTRY/FREEZER AND WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO COOK WITH IT!

Please also share with us your storage and organizational tips.