Traditional Stuffing

This is the recipe we use for holiday stuffing. Our nieces wanted the recipe, but of course, a simple list of ingredients and verbal instruction might leave them a little bewildered, so we decided to archive the recipe on the blog. Enjoy girls. :-)

Stuffing Ingredients
1 12 oz bag of toasted bread cubes
1/2 20 oz loaf of square store brand sandwich bread, hand cubed
2 sticks butter
1/2 medium onion, peeled, washed and finely chopped
5 stalks celery, trimmed, washed and finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning, split into (3) 1/2 tsp portions Link
4 c chicken stock Link

This is what the bread cubes and sandwich bread look like that we use. There are a variety of bread cube products on the market, but some of them have ingredients my wife can't have and they are generally very small portions that tend to be expensive. We want the toasted cubes to help add a little structure to the mix and the sandwich bread to add volume. The square sandwich bread is easier to cube with a long knife which is why we use it. I would like to point out that these two items only cost $3.00. If we used the same volume of other products specifically marketed for stuffing, it would cost over $10.00. If you are making a large quantity for a large family dinner, this can add up quickly.

Melt 1 1/2 sticks of butter in a saute pan. When the butter has melted, add the celery, onion and 1/2 tsp of poultry seasoning. Saute until the onions are translucent and then turn off the heat (about 10-15 minutes on medium heat).

Preheat the oven to 350 bake. In a large pot or bowl (in this order), add 1/3 celery and onion mixture and 1 cup of chicken stock. Add 1/2 toasted bread cubes, 1/2 cubed sandwich bread, 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning. Then add another 1/3 celery and onion mixture and 1 cup of chicken stock. Mix everything well. Then add remaining toasted bread cubes and cubed sandwich bread and top with remaining celery and onion mixture, 1 cup of chicken stock and remaining 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning. Mix well. At this point, if you need a little more moisture you can add some or all of the remaining chicken stock. The goal here is to add just enough moisture to keep everything together, but not create a soggy blob and to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.

Once the mixing is done, transfer to a 9" x 13" x 3" baking vessel. Take the remaining 1/2 stick of butter and put pats all over the top of the stuffing.

Cover the vessel with foil and bake for 1 hour on 350. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more to add a little color to the top. Let cool a little and serve.

TTFN
B

Homemade Chicken Stock

Stock is one of those things that can be made in a variety of ways and as long as you end up with a flavorful liquid that compliments your recipe, then you have succeeded. I present here one method I use to make chicken stock. I use this in a variety of recipes, especially around the holidays.

Chicken Stock Ingredients
2 chicken breast halves or 2 chicken thighs with skin
2 tbsp butter (if no skin is present on the meat)
2 medium carrots, washed, skinned and cut into 2" lengths
5 stalks of celery, washed and cut into 4" lengths
1 medium onion, peeled, washed and quartered
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tbsp of sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp of vegan chicken bouillon powder or 4 bouillon cubes (vegan chicken bouillon powder)
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning (optional) Link
2-3 quarts of water

Add all ingredients to a 4 quart (or larger) pot and bring to a boil. Stir well. Cover pot and reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour. Remove chicken and use for another recipe. Discard skin if present. Strain all the vegetables out of the liquid and puree in a food processor or blender. Add the puree back to the liquid and stir well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. The stock is ready to use at this point.

TTFN
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Backpacking Meals - Madras Lentils

Recipe Type: Scratch Servings: 1 Calories: 526 Prep Time: Boil + 20 Min Water: 2 c Complexity: Medium Rating: 4.5/5 All In Cost: $3.45

At Home:
Cook in Bag: Combine the following ingredients into a 25 oz OpenTip hot food preparation bag.
Cook in Pot: Combine the following ingredients into a ZipLock bag.

Amnt	Ingredient
1/2 c	Instant Rice (in a separate 16 oz OpenTip hot food preparation bag or for cook in pot preparation, use a small ZipLock bag.)
1/4 c	Freeze Dried Lentils Link
1/4 c	Freeze Dried Red Beans Link Link
1 T	Tomato Powder Link
1 T	Freeze Dried Onion Link
1/2 t	Freeze Dried Garlic Link
1/2 t	Salt
1/2 t	Cayenne
1/2 t	Cumin
1/2 t	Chile Powder
1/2 t	Dehydrated Jalapeno Link
1 t	Sour Cream Powder Link

Also add the following items to the bag.

1 Pkg	9 g CF Sauer Canola & Olive Oil Packet  Link
1 Pkg	6.5 g Thick and Easy Packet (Honey Consistency) Link

1 Pkg

3-5 g Food Safe Desiccant packet Link

Print the following bag insert and include it in the bag for preparation instructions and other handy data. (Highlight everything within the dashed line, starting with the space above it and ending with the space directly below it. Then right click the highlighted area and select "Print".)

Madras Lentils with Rice

Recipe Type: Scratch	Servings: 1
Calories: 526	Prep Time: Boil + 20 Min
Water: 2 c	Complexity: Medium
Rating: 4.5/5	All In Cost: $3.45
Cook In Food Bag Directions: Remove desiccant, rice bag, Thick & Easy and oil packet from the food bag. Open oil package and add contents to food bag. Add 1 ½ cups of boiling water to food bag. Mix well. Seal food bag and place in bag cozy for 15 minutes. Add ½ cup of boiling water to the rice bag. Mix well. Seal rice bag and place in bag cozy with the food bag for 10 minutes. After 15 minutes, add Thick & Easy to food bag. Mix well. Place food bag in bag cozy for 5 minutes. Stir well. Serve over rice. Cook All In Same Pot Directions: Remove desiccant, rice bag, Thick & Easy and oil packet from the storage bag. Add 2 cups of water to your cooking pot. Add rice, oil and dry food ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil. Stir often. At this point, either simmer covered for 10 minutes or place covered pot in to a pot cozy for 15 minutes. Stir. Add Thick & Easy. Stir well. Let stand for 5 minutes. Eat. (Note: The rice can be prepared separately using .5 cups of boiling water in another container. In this case, only use 1.5 cups water for pot preparation.)

TTFN
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