Making bland food palatable: Sauces and Gravy

[chairborne commando]

I don't know about you, but I find beans and rice b-o-r-i-n-g.
Even with slices of sausage or chicken or whatever.

If I have to eat it, I'd like to have something to "ease the pain",
so to speak. Does anyone have a good recipe for a nice sauce
or gravy that they'd like to share?

Ideally, I'm envisioning versions that would be simple and adaptable
to field expedient additions (you know, a little of this; a little of that
if you don't have "this"). I'm not just talking using them on varieties of rice,
but also with TVP, pasta and even grains.

I've used brown gravy and am aware of red,white yellow and green sauces.
Tomato gravy? White gravy? Redeye gravy? French Onion?

How about a sauce or gravy that uses soy sauce or apples and raisins?

This is staring to make me hungry. (Hi, my name is CC and I am a "foodie".
But, alas, not a chef)

 

[Brooks]

For those of us who are sauce-challenged, the Cream Of Whatever (e.g., mushroom) soups often fit the bill. Certainly works with both rice and pasta.

Easy enough to store, not so easy to lug around with you.

 

[Dennis Olson]

You don't necessarily need sauces or gravy. Creative spicing can make it taste MUCH more interesting. I'm pretty darn good at that kind of thing....

 

[bluefire]

We regularly eat 'simple foods', so am keenly aware of the importance of sauces/seasonings. A big hit with us this year is the salsa we canned in Sept/Oct. It has been wonderful both with beans/rice and as a pasta sauce, with meat/without meat. I know a bunch of jars doesn't work in a bugout scenario, but great if your hunkering down. We hope to can twice as much of the salsa next season.

Also, you mentioned apples and raisins. That spells curry dish to me. I make curried lentils with apples/raisins, seasoned with cumin, coriander, garlic, onion, lemon juice and a touch of honey or brown sugar. Very yummy.

 

[xtreme_right]

"cream of whatever soup mix" recipe

I pulled this off the net, but have used this recipe before. It's so much cheaper than canned, cream soup mixes and takes up much less room since it's powdered. I mixed up a canning jar of it, so now it's quick enough to make. There are additions you can add to make different types of soup mixes. I don't remember them all. I do remember that you can add celery salt to make the cream of celery version. Add canned mushrooms for the cream of mushroom version, etc.

I don't use individual bouillion cubes. I buy a jar from Sams that I think is called chicken base. It's much cheaper, tastes better and it easier than unwrapping all those cubes. It's much less salty too. They also sell a beef and ham version of it.

xr


Cream of Whatever Soup Mix

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 C powdered milk
3/4 C cornstarch
1/4 C instant chicken bouillon granules
2 t dried onion flakes
1 t crushed dried thyme
1 t basil - crushed dried
1/2 t pepper


To make 1 can soup, take 1/3 C mix and 1 C water, cook and stir until
thickened.

 

[CarolynA]

I went to Costco the other day & got those big bottles of dry McCormick gravy mix. Got brown gravy & chicken gravy. Each $3.50 bottle makes about 90 servings. They last forever! I used a bottle that was about 7 years old the other day & it was just fine.

 

[Splicer205]

Though some of these aren't field expedient, they're good, and could be modified to make them more suitable for your use.

Alfredo Sauce
1 stick unsalted butter, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese, a few pinches of nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. All melted and stirred together.

Sweet and Sour Lemon Sauce
# 1/2 fresh lemon, sliced
# 1/3 C. fresh lemon juice
# 1/2 C. sugar
# 1 C. water
# 3/4 t. salt
# 1 T. cornstarch

Mix and Bring all ingredients to a boil to make sauces. Two cups of any sauce may be used for cooking 11/2 lbs. (675g) meat.
They may also be served as dipping sauce

Hot Chili Oil
INGREDIENTS:

* 6 fresh hot red chili peppers, such as jalapeno
* 1/2 cup peanut or vegetable oil (not olive oil)
* 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

PREPARATION:
Cut the chili peppers in half and remove the seeds. Chop coarsely.

In a wok or heavy frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high to high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully stir in the sesame oil.

Add the chopped peppers.

Chinese Schezwan Sauce

Ingredients

25 red chillies (dried long)
3 bulbs garlic, flaked and peeled
10-15 flakes garlic finely chopped
3 green chillies finely chopped
2" piece ginger, peeled and grated
2 white onions finely chopped
1 stalk celery finely chopped
2 tsp. cornflour
1 tbsp. brown vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. oil

Method:

1. Boil garlic and red chillies in 2 cups water, for 5 minutes.
2. Drain water, keep aside.
3. Grind chillies,garlic to a paste.
4. Heat oil in a heavy pan.
5. Add ginger, chopped garlic, chopped chillies, stir.
6. Add celery, onions, stirfry till onions are transparent.
7. Add paste, stirfry for 2-3 minutes.
8. Dissolve cornflour in 2 tbsp. water.
9. Add all other ingredients, and drained water from chillies.
10. Bring back to boil, stirring continuously.
11. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, till sauce is thick and smooth.
12. Bottle, cool, refrigerate, use in chinese cooking as required.

 

[momof23goats]

in plain white rice, I have cooked dried fruit in with it, and it flavors it wonderfully.

 

[Bird Guano]

A basic roux can be a base for many sauces and gravies.

There are also a number of sauces that are available in powder form
like soy sauce powder, red wine sauce powder, demi glace, etc.

Some of the Knorr brand commercial powdered sauce mixes are pretty good and
store a long time.

Also Vermont curry cubes and powder, and there are a bunch of Thai seasonings available on the net as well to spice things up.

I keep soy sauce powder and Knorr powdered Demi Glace in my bug out bag in vacuum sealed containers.

 

[tosca]

I will share one of my favorite dishes:

I love vegetables; asparagus, squash, green beans, red onions, mushrooms, etc. and I buy thses in a frozen package (about $1.75).

I saute the red onion in olive oil. Then I add the frozen veggies, and also add 1/2 cup of dried raisens, garlic powder, celery powder (not salt) and 1/2 cup of red cider vinegar.......cook on low until the veggies are done. I add 1/2 large can of skinned tomatoes, finely cut up. Cook all for about 15-20 minutes; pour over pasta (bow ties) or rice of any variety and I guarantee that you will come back for more. You can make bigger batches of this mix, included the pasta and it will taste better the second day and be fit for several meals (lunch or dinner). Warm regards,

 

[JohnGaltfla]

It's in my survival stuff. I'd highly reccoment that asap.

You just can't have enough!

 

[optimistic pessimist]

Find a good old French cookbook. The french can make any sh#$ taste good!

 

[seraphima]

A lot of sauce and gravy mixes and cans, as well as commercial soups, are FULL of MSG, also called hydrolyzed protein on some labels. Beware!

 

[Annkor26]

Whiskey Bottle Sauce

Try this one; it was handed down to me by my former MIL:

1 T. sugar
1 T. salt
1 T. pepper
1 T. paprika
2 T. worcestershire
2 T. A-1 sauce
juice of 1/2 lemon or 1 T. lemon juice
1 chopped onion or 1 T. minced onion
1 t. horseradish
2 t. mustard
a few drops of hot sauce
1 c. oil
1/2 cup white vinegar
a shake of garlic powder (optional)

Throw it all in a whiskey bottle and shake it up. It keeps for a long time and is good on all kinds of things. The in-laws frequently used it on steamed veggies to give them some zip.

 

[Pearl]

Wow, I'm saving this whole thread. It's making me hungry.

I like to start a 'sauce' with olive oil and then add whatever I have at hand: celery, basil that may be about to go bad or get eaten by bugs, onion, garlic, shredded cheese (esp. the hard white Greek stuff - mizithra?), pine nuts, oregano (growing in a big planter out back), rosemary, or whatever.

Tosca, thanks for the idea of adding raisins and garlic to fried veggies. I'll have to try that. I have already tried sauteed asparagus in olive oil with garlic - yum. Asparagus is growing out back, too.

I'm trying to plant little things in my backyard that will taste good with all the beans and rice I've got stored!

Pearl

 

[It'sJustMe]

We get a mean hot sauce, Buffalo brand, called Chipotle Mexican Hot Sauce. Hoo-ey! Caution, a few drops goes a long way! We love the smoky hot flavor of chipotle anyhow. It does wonders for any kind of grain or dreied beans. Also a few dashes in kidney beans when making chili. Also, Watkins makes some nice flavored oils. Chipotle, garlic, and several other flavors. It works great in rice dishes, or to add to any other sauce or dish for extra, concentrated flavor. It's Just Me

 

[Cruiser]

One word... SALSA!!!!

 

[IceWave]

Thankfully I'm one of those simple characters who actually likes plain white rice.

 

[gillmanNSF]

Chicken, beef, vegetable bouillon as a base for sauces either with a rue or thickened with cornstarch. I've been stocking up on the the large powdered chicken bouillon and chicken and brown gravy from costco and when they're on sale at the grocery.

 

[dirtdigger]

Sauce for chips....

This is not exactly a sauce........better as a dip for chips and so easy.

1 small box Velveeta cheese
1 can chili with beans
1 pint of homemade salsa

Remove cheese from wrapper, put cheese in bowl and soften in the microwave (careful....don't cook). Check and stir a couple of times. Add chili and salsa and heat. That's it. Unbelieveable.

 

[Mushroom]

Look around you and find whatever little wild greens happen to be growing in your area. Chop them and cover your beans and rice with them for added flavor. You don't have to cook them just chop and stir in. I am thinking a nice combination would be wild onions and garlic, chickweed, shepherd's purse, and a few chopped seed pods if you can find them. Maybe some tender dandelion greens, some morel mushrooms, ramps, whatever you happen to find growing in the area.

If at home and hunkered down, you can't beat cumin seed for that ranch flavor. I am allergic to all of the peppers so I have to improvise. When I make beans of the brown variety, I always grind some cumin into them along with some ground ginger to help with digestion and to add a peppery taste. Onions and garlic add more flavor. Sometimes I add ham flavoring for a smokey flavor but liquid smoke will do the same thing without the salt. Experiment with flavors and enhancements now while you have the chance. There are any number of mint related herbs that many people can use for flavor enhancement even if I can't. Try them all and see which ones you like.

Remember that beans and rice can also be served cold in a salad with onions, garlic, parsley, celery, mushrooms, vinegar and oil and whatever herbs you like. Toss and let it marinate overnight if you can but at least an hour if you can't. Make a "potato" salad with rice. However you make your potato salad, just substitute rice. It is how I have to enjoy it as I can't have potatoes. Anyway, It makes a good substitute. Put on your thinking caps and come up with lots of variations of familiar things. It will make for easier eating when things are bad.

Mushroom

 

[Tristan]

Here's some ideas for you:

There is a spice product called "Adobo" in the latin section of my supermarkets. It's a great all-around spice, including garlic, onion powder and some other things. Added to pintos, makes 'em much more palatable. Add a can of diced tomatos to the mix before cooking, even more patatable.

There is another product in the same section, "Sazon Goya", you can use this to make a version of yellow rice. There's a great salmon recipe that uses it too, but I'm saving that one in case I ever open a resturant...

Dried onions can be added to the beans (or blackeye peas, or split peas, or navy beans, or whatever) to give it some more flavor. So can Ham, Chicken or Beef Bullion.

Use a can of chicken breast, added to a can of condensed mushroom soup; add some herbs if it sounds good to ya, or not. Use about 1/2 can of water instead of the full amount; simmer until everything is heated up just right, and serve over your rice. Counts as a sauce, right?

How about adding a can of Ro-Tel tomatos and peppers to some rice, as well as a couple cubes of bullion, a shake or two of Adobo spice, and then you have Spanish style rice.

There's probably 5000 ways to fix rice if you have a few spices and additional components on hand.

Mix -n- Match is a good thing.

 

[teefleur]

Ditto what Seraphima said about the MSG... I used to love using dry onion soup mix as a base for mixing with creme of - whatever - soup... Until I made pot roast for supper one night... and none of us could go to sleep. It was weird because DH NEVER has trouble falling asleep...

Sure enough! First thing I did (before dawn) next morning was to check the Lipton box. Monosodium Glutamate... Ptoooey! Threw it all out. Even the canned onion soup has MSG!

Red (Kidney) Beans and Rice

Soak 1lb. beans overnight. In the morning, throw soak water out. Refill pot and bring to simmer. Add large chopped onion, 2 or 3 toes of garlic, chopped green onions, chopped bell pepper (if you have 'em) 2 or 3 bay leaves. Add ham, ham bone (if you have ham.) Slice and sautee 2 or 3 links of smoked sausage. Add meat to slowly cooking beans.

Beans take all day to cook. Stir often to prevent from sticking.

Serve over hot white rice, with a couple or 3 drops of Tabasco.

Enjoy!

 

[Splicer205]

There are more recipes in Granny's Kitchen in Homesteading.

 

[parsonswife]

Btt in case the newbies are interested

 

[Old Gray Mare]

Ever try those little dried powder gravy or sauce packets from McCormick? Ever take them backpacking? They're cheap and can help with perking up bland food.

A few drops of Vanilla extract and chocolate powdered drink mix can make reconstituted powdered milk more palatable.

Stove Top Stuffing deserves honorable mention. Backpacking I learned if I have one thing that tastes great it can help get some of the not so great tasting things get eaten. Stove Top is light, relatively cheap, comes in a tough pouch, is easy to make and tastes good.

Powdered garlic, onion and ginger are three of my go to spices. Spice mixes like garam masala spice blend, Italian Seasoning and Taco Seasoning are part of my plan to help to ward off food fatigue.

 

[Telescope Steve]

We like jars of chili powder, curry, ginger, powdered cheese, cinnamon, seaweed, mint, dried mushrooms, cocoa powder, dried onion, garlic, Cajun seasoning, wasabi, horseradish, powdered eggs, powdered milk, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, condiments like mustard, ketchup, BBQ sauce, vinegar, and all the kitchen spices.

A nice can of soup, tuna, sardines, kippered herring, can help a pot or rice or beans take on a new flavor.

And the flavor packets from Ramen noodles.

And many of us could grow some fresh herbs along with garlic, onions, mint, and maybe some mustard or kale.

 

[Illini Warrior]

Prep School Daily

daily actions toward becoming better prepared for societal collapse

prepschooldaily.blogspot.com

it's a mixed bag - but this is what comes up at Prep School under a "rice" search ....

 

[Laurane]

If I am cooking for myself I love rice
Pudding…. Vanilla in milk, with sugar , raisins, sugar or honey, butter, 2 eggs.

bake in oven and eat for breakfast, lunch snd dinner or freeze it …. Really good with cinnamon and more sugar on top… cloves too.

a meal doesn’t have to be any particular part of a day…. Now if I could just dehydrate rice pudding

 

[Toosh]

The only way I've been able to figure things like this out is to eat it for a while. Hubby rolls his eyes when I announce, "we're doing an expirement!" Working on rice? Commit to rice everyday for 30 days, playing with what you can do and like. You'll figure it out real quick. Many time I have to throw it in the trash and order pizza. Better to do that now, while pizza is still delivered.