Cooking Without Power
When the power goes out, you have several options for preparing meals – 1) find a restaurant with power (this may not always be possible especially in widespread disaster), 2) use a grill, hibachi, Dutch oven, or camp stove (this must be done outside and can require special cookware), 3) prepare “heat only” foods like canned soup, stew, chili or “just add water” foods like instant soup or oatmeal on a canned heat stove, 4) prepare raw foods or canned foods that do not need heating, or 5) prepare easy to cook meals on a one burner butane stove. All options are viable (except maybe #1!) if prepared for adequately.
Option 5 has many advantages. The butane stove will accommodate larger size cookware than will the canned heat stove and normal kitchen cookware can be used. The butane stove can be used indoors with good ventilation. The gas flame is easier to regulate than canned heat and is hotter. These advantages allow the preparation of recipes rather than just heating up of canned foods thus giving more variety to menus while the power is out.
The following is a list of recipes found in Pantry Cooking: Unlocking Your Pantry’s Potential that can be prepared in 20 minutes or less (to conserve fuel). "#" indicates no cooking necessary. An additional list includes those that can be prepared in 20 minutes or less if you have quick cooking rice available or canned lentils. Some recipes should be prepared the first day or two after the power goes out in order to use ingredients such as mayonnaise that would need to be discarded if the power remains out for more than a day and you have no way to refrigerate food. The last list includes recipes archived on this web site. Look for new additions to that list. When choosing recipes, keep in mind that leftovers cannot be stored if the power remains off and there is no ice to cool and keep them.
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Appetizers, Beverages |
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Bean Dip # |
Spiced Citrus Tea # |
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Antipasto # |
Orange Cranberry Juice Cocktail # |
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Breakfast |
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Apple Topping |
Chocolate Sugar # |
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Cinnamon Sugar # |
Indian Meal |
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Peanut Butter and Fruit # |
Quick Wheat Mix Pancakes |
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Main Dishes |
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Chicken-Potato Cakes |
Extra-Quick Tuna Rarebit |
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Noodled Tuna Patties |
Chicken a la King |
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Deviled Ham Stuffed Peaches # |
Mushroom Rarebit |
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Vegetarian Burger Mix |
Olive Cheese Sauce |
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Sausage and Corn |
Ham and Cheese Noodles |
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Turkey Bulgur Pilaf |
Herbed Buckwheat |
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Tuna Chow Mein |
Clam Sauce |
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Creamed Tuna |
Quick Pasta Sauce |
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Dried Beef and Mushroom Sauce |
Mac and Tom |
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Mexican Beans and Chicken |
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Soups and Stews |
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Blackeye Pea Soup |
Sopa de la Casa |
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Creamed Corn Soup |
Vegetable Soup |
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Creamy Green Bean Soup |
Quick Vegetable Soup |
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Mexican Vegetable Soup |
Quick Stew |
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Pork and Bean Soup |
Clam Chowder |
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Potato Soup |
Chicken Corn Chowder |
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Pumpkin Bisque |
Corn Chowder |
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Quick Supper Soup |
Turkey Corn Chowder |
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Salads and Side Dishes |
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Ambrosia Salad # |
Peas with Mushrooms |
| Berry Apple Salad # | Corn Relish |
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Mashed Potato Salad |
Creamy Corn Italiano |
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Potato Salad # |
Sweet and Sour Beets |
| Potato Salad Nicoise # |
Southwest Green Beans |
| Tuna Potato Salad # |
Italian Beans |
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Italian Pasta Salad |
Green Beans and Bacon Chips |
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Fruited Chicken Salad # |
Green Beans and Mushrooms |
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Cranberry Applesauce # |
Browned Garlic Potatoes |
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Cinnamon Pineapple # |
Confetti Potatoes |
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Mixed Fruit Compote |
Bean Sprout Stir-fry |
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Stewed Tomatoes and Corn |
Cinnamon Buckwheat |
| Herb Noodles | |
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Breads and Sandwiches |
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Whole Wheat Skillet Bread |
Pork and Beans on Buns |
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Cornmeal Cakes |
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Desserts |
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Apple-Raisin Compote |
Fudge Logs # |
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Graham Cracker Creams # |
Peanut Butter Balls # |
| Oatmeal Fudge | |
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If you have quick cooking rice: |
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Chicken and Rice Skillet |
Creamed Chicken and Chestnuts |
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Chinese Fried Rice |
Chili and Rice |
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Polynesian Treat |
Quick Rice Pudding |
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If you have canned lentils: |
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| Lentil Burgers | |
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In the Recipe Archives at www.simplyprepared.com: |
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| Nature Trail Mix # | Baked Potato Soup |
| Chicken Noodle Soup | |
| Seven Grain Cereal | Pantry Fideo |
| Chunky Oatmeal | |
| Breakfast Quinoa | Cheese and Chive Mashed Potatoes |
| Cherry Milk Toast | Garlic Couscous |
| Quick Whole Grain Cereal | Tropical Fruit Salsa # |
| Six Grain Cereal | |
| Turkey Sandwich Filling # | |
| Sausage and Bowties | Trail Mix Clusters |
| Thai Chicken and Noodles | |
| Apricot Almond Clusters | |
| Mexican Three Bean Salad # | Berry Chocolates |
| Cherry Orzo Salad | Black Forest Parfait # |
| Spicy Asian Chicken Noodle Soup | Cinnamon Sugar |
| Potato Tomato Soup | Kool-Aid Playdough |
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If you have quick cooking rice: |
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If you have cooked wheat to use: |
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Wheat Sausage |
Wheat Hamburger Hash |