Foods that provide sustenance, comfort

Tag : canned apples
Foods that provide sustenance, comfort
There are few times in life when you appreciate the restorativepower of good food more than when youre coping with the aftermathof a hurricane.

Whether its the inconvenience of an extended power outage or thecalamity of a rain-soaked home, you need all the comfort you canget.

Here are a few products and dishes guaranteed to elevate yourpoststorm dining experience:

PANTRY GOODS
Tyson Premium Chunk Chicken Breast ($3.29/7-ounce pouch): This wasby far the best product we tried  fresher tasting than canned andwith 60 percent less sodium than Tysons cooked, refrigeratedchicken breasts.
Bear Creek Darn Good Chili Mix ($3.99/8-serving package): Add waterand a can of tomato paste, simmer 25 minutes and you have a pot ofpretty good, surprisingly hearty vegetarian chili. Add a can ofdiced green chiles if you like yours hot.
Gia Russa Spinach Tortelli ($2.69/4-serving package): This was thebest of the three brands of shelf-stable stuffed pastas we tried.The taste was relatively fresh,
though no match for the Rosetto tortellini we stock in our freezer.
Rice-a-Roni Express Asian Fried Rice ($1.69/2-serving pouch): Thiswas OK on its own, but made a pretty good main-dish salad mixedwith a pouch of chicken breast chunks and sliced fresh scallions.

RECIPES
Laura Karr, author of The Can Opener Gourmet and Pop It, Stir It,Fix It, Serve It, reminds us that most canned fruits and vegetablesare picked at their peak and quickly processed, preserving morenutrients than are found in fresh produce thats in transit fordays.
Here are two of her recipes that work fine with nothing but a canopener:

Pineapple-Ham Tossed Salad:
Drain and dice two 5-ounce cans of ham. Drain and chop one 8-ouncecan of water chestnuts. Combine them in a mixing bowl with onedrained 16-ounce can of bean sprouts, one drained 16- to 20- ouncecan of pineapple chunks and 1 cup cashews or slivered almonds. Tosswith bottled Oriental salad dressing to taste. Makes 4 servings.

Chickpea, Tomato and Olive Salad
With Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette: Drain a 28-ounce can of whole, peeled tomatoes, and cut them intoquarters. Drain a 6-ounce can of pitted black olives and cut themin half. Combine in a bowl with one rinsed and drained 15-ounce canchickpeas. In a jar, combine 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup white-wineor rice vinegar, the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/2 teaspoon dried basiland 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano. Cover and shake to combine. Drainaccumulated liquid from salad ingredients, add dressing and toss.Makes 4 to 6 servings.

If you have a gas range or grill on which to heat food, here aretwo more keepers:

Cream of Pumpkin Soup: In a saucepan, combine one 15-ounce can pumpkin, one 14.5-ouncecan chicken or vegetable broth, one 12- ounce can evaporated milk,1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, -1/8teaspoon ground nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Stir overmedium heat until hot. Makes 4 servings. Southwestern Beef Stew:Rinse and drain one 15-ounce can sliced potatoes and chop them intobitesize pieces. Drain and chop one 7- ounce jar roasted redpeppers. Rinse and drain one 15-ounce can hominy. Combine them in asaucepan with one 15-ounce can enchilada sauce and two 12-ouncecans roast beef with gravy. Simmer 10 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

COOKING TIPS
Gas grills allow the most versatile cooking even when the powerlines are down. Besides the usual grilling, cooking over indirectheat with the lid closed turns your grill into a convection oven.The heat circulates inside the grill, so turning the food is notnecessary.
Charcoal grills are a bother because they take so much time andrequire a major stash of charcoal and lighter fluid. Considerpurchasing a gas two-burner hot plate. You'll find them in campingdepartments of sporting, discount and hardware stores. They rangein price from $30 to $80  not much when you consider theconvenience of being able to cook or heat foods. Be sure to buyenough fuel to last for at least 10 days.
Don't use your good pots and pans for grill cooking; they willblacken on the outside. Instead, use old pots or place foods infoil packets or disposable aluminum pie plates. Don't use Pyrexcontainers; they can break on the grill.
KEEPING FOODS

To keep foods cold longer, open the refrigerator and freezer onlywhen necessary
If the powers off for only one or two days and your freezer isfull, the food probably will stay frozen if you keep the doorclosed.
Not all food spoils uniformly. Meats and dairy products are usuallythe first to go. Fresh vegetables may wilt but may be fine to eat.Use your sense of smell.
Foods that spoil first: Milk, meat, fish, yogurt, cooked pasta andmayonnaise. Discard anything that is moldy or has an odd odor orappearance
Items than can be kept without refrigeration for a few days:butter, margarine, fruit juices.
These items can be kept without refrigeration for about a week:Hard or processed cheeses, fresh herbs (keep in water, likeflowers), bread, (pita, white, rye) English muffins, rolls, cakesand muffins, tortillas, shelf-stable pizza crusts, apples, oranges,grapefruit, lemons, limes, carrots, celery, tomatoes, bananas andiceberg lettuce. Onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes and garlic willkeep longer.
Condiments and seasonings: These items can be kept withoutrefrigeration after opening if they have never been refrigerated:Ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, olives, pickles, syrup, oil,vinegar, bottled lemon and lime juice, horseradish sauce,Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Tabasco sauce, some saladdressings and salsa.
If you have questions about which foods should be tossed out, youcan call the U.S. Department of Agricultures Meat and PoultryHotline, (800) 535- 4555.