Cornbread on the Grill

Part of emergency preparedness is having a plan for cooking your meals when the traditional methods are unavailable. There are multiple "alternative cooking" options. One is the back yard grill - it can be used for many more items than hamburgers and hot dogs. Our kitchen remodel has dragged on long enough and definitely made my traditional ways of cooking unavailable. We were in the mood for something besides a crock pot meal so I got a little creative. I used my cornbread mix recipe and baked up something simple yet scrumptious. 

Preheat the grill to 350 degrees. Mix up the cornbread. It took 1 1/2 times the batch to fill a 10 inch cast iron skillet. Spray the skillet with vegetable oil and pour the batter in. Adjust the burners on the grill to create indirect heat and maintain the 350-375 degree range. I turned off the center burners and turned the upper and lower burners to low. Place the skillet in the center of the grill and close the lid.

Resist the urge to open the grill and check on it until at least 15 minutes has passed. It took me about 25 minutes to have it pass the toothpick test and be golden brown on top. Depending on the size batch you are baking and how warm you keep the temperature, it can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes.

It was perfectly done with a slightly thicker crust than when I bake it in the oven. We loved it with a crock pot full of chili and enjoyed the leftovers for breakfast the following morning.

Freezer to Crockpot Mexican Sweet Pork with Beans

It is difficult to photograph the filling in a tortilla - that said, this is so tasty! I cooked up a large pork roast and shredded it as the recipe below describes. I wanted to stretch it and use it for a few meals so I decided to throw some beans in the mix. I am so glad I did. The beans added a nice texture and everyone loved it. 

To prepare this for the freezer, place the pulled pork in a ziplock freezer bag. You need about 4 cups of pork. Add the salsa and brown sugar. Throw in 2 cans of kidney, pinto, or white beans, drained. (You could also cook dry beans and use them. You need about 3 cups.) Label and freeze. To eat, thaw and heat through in the crockpot or microwave. Wrap in a tortilla and add cheese and lettuce. (You can see some purple cabbage and a carrot in the photo because we just used a lettuce salad mix to make it easy.) This recipe was enough for two meals. You can choose to divide it into additional freezer bags before freezing or just know you'll have leftovers or enough to share with company.

Mexican Sweet Pork
This becomes a speedy dinner if you already have pulled pork cooked and frozen in the freezer.
1 pork picnic roast	1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup medium salsa	½ cup chicken broth, optional
Place pork roast in a crockpot and cook on low for 12–15 hours. I usually put the roast in just before going to bed. Test the pork by stabbing it with a fork and twisting. If the meat shreds easily, it is ready. Remove from the crockpot and place on a baking sheet. Using two forks, pull the pork apart and separate out all the visible fat and bone pieces. It pulls apart more easily when it is still warm. Combine 4 cups of the shredded pork with the salsa, and brown sugar. Add a small amount of pork juices or chicken broth if the mixture seems too dry. Return this all to the crockpot. Heat through and serve wrapped in tortillas or top a taco salad with it.

Freezer to Crockpot Taco Soup

A warm bowl of taco soup is a hit at our house from the cool, Fall days of October through the chilly, windy, Spring days in April. It is a great meal to prepare ahead and have ready to throw in the crockpot for an easy weeknight meal.

I made a couple of these meals before the remodel began. To cook, just allow to thaw or defrost in the microwave.

Throw in the crockpot and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3. It really just needs to be heated through so if you are in a real big hurry, just throw it in the microwave. The flavors have had a good time to blend during the time it was in the freezer so the slow cooking process is not really needed.

Serve with sour cream and shredded cheese as toppers. 

We love to sprinkle in a few Fritos as a final step. Delicious!

As a freezer meal, I combine all the ingredients below in a ziplock bag. Once it has thawed, I add the water. It couldn't be easier on a hectic weeknight and all the family loves it!

Taco Soup
2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans, rinsed	1–2 tsp taco seasoning
2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes	1 Ranch seasoning packet, optional
1 (15 oz) can corn, drained	¼ cup dry onions
1 lb hamburger
Combine all ingredients in a pan or crockpot. Add water depending on how much liquid you like. Heat through. You can use 3 cups precooked dry beans—kidney, pinto, or red beans work equally as well. The leftovers freeze very well.

Griddle Biscuits

I got creative the other day and attempted biscuits without an oven. We were ready for something different for breakfast than what I had pre-baked and had in the freezer. I used my biscuit mix which I had all put together. You can find the recipe for this mix here.

I heated up the electric griddle to between 325-350 degrees. You don't want it too hot or the biscuits will burn. (I learned that with my first batch.) I spooned biscuit batter onto the griddle just like you do for drop biscuits on a baking sheet. (You could go to the work of rolling the dough out and using a biscuit cutter to give you perfectly round shapes, but I didn't want to deal with the added mess since I was baking in a makeshift kitchen in the basement.) Allow them to cook for 8-10 minutes before flipping to allow the bottoms to brown nicely. Flip over and mash slightly with the back of the spatula to make then all about an even thickness. Allow to cook anther 8-10 minutes to brown the other side and to allow the centers to be done.

We served them up with sausage gravy cooked on a hotplate. Delicious!

Freezer to Crockpot Cranberry Lemon Pork Roast

Another successful freezer to crockpot recipe. This method is quickly becoming something to love. You don't always have 5-6 weeks without a kitchen like we are living through right now with our remodel, but everyone always has at least one day each week with some reason why preparing dinner just won't work into the schedule. This method of preparing quite a few meals all at once and then freezing them for later can help us eat healthier and stay within our food budget since we wont' be feeling the need to run out for take-out or fast food. I've decided I will probably keep a few of these meals in my freezer all the time even after the new kitchen is done.

Freezer to Crockpot Cranberry Lemon Pork Roast

2-3 lb pork roast

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1-2 tsp minced garlic

1 16oz can whole berry cranberry sauce

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp cornstach (added later)

Place all ingredients into a gallon ziplock freezer bag except for the cornstarch. Label bag with instructions to add 2 Tbsp cornstarch just before cooking. Thaw before cooking. Dump everything into the crockpot. Mix cornstarch with a little cold water and add to crockpot. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over rice.

Asian Sesame Salmon

Here's a new recipe we tried recently and loved. I found it on my friend's blog here. The flavor was delicious and it was quick to put together. I made a few changes to the original recipe so I could make it with what I had at home. It was delicious. This makes a large amount. I actually only did half the recipe and used 1 lb of salmon. Hope you enjoy it as well.

Asian Sesame Salmon

1/3 cup honey

2 Tbsp dried, minced onioin, rehydrated

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp sesame seeds

1 tsp dried, minced garlic

3/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

2 lbs salmon fillets

Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Place salmon in 9x13 pan.  Spoon  honey mixture evenly over salmon. Roast salmon in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork, basting occasionally with honey mixture.

You could also wrap the salmon in foil packets and cook them on the grill. This is what we will be doing this time around since I don't have an oven hooked up right now with the remodel happening. Dry wall work is finishing up this week and then painting and flooring begin - we are making progress!

No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

I don't know how I got to be this old without ever eating these amazing bar cookies. It's like chocolate peanut butter fudge trapped in the middle of a granola bar! They were so very easy to throw together even without a kitchen since we are remodeling this month.(You probably noticed the fancy paper plate - it's all I have right now.) I put these together using an electric frying pan on the bathroom counter in the basement and the microwave which is in it's temporary resting place on top of a dresser in the family room. They were enjoyed by all - I think we have found a new family favorite! 

Here are the step-by-step photos for those who need a visual - 

Cook oat mixture - if you look really close in the upper right hand corner you'll notice the toothpaste and toothbrushes since I am dong this on the bathroom counter. I also have to do it in the dark since the electric frying pan with the lights turned on blows the circuit. Kitchen remodels are always an adventure!

Melted chocolate chips and peanut butter

Press 3/4 of oat mixture into bottom of pan.

Spread with melted goodness.

Top with remaining oats.

Voila! One of the best desserts you can make without a kitchen!

No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla
6 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups creamy peanut butter

Melt butter in saucepan (or electric frying pan.) Stir in brown sugar, vanilla, and quick oats. Allow to cook over low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Meanwhile, mix peanut butter with chocolate chips in a glass bowl. Melt in the microwave on 50% power for 1-2 minutes. Stir and put back in the microwave, if needed. Spray a 9x13 pan with vegetable spray. Press 3/4 of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of the pan. Spread the melted chocolate mixture over the oatmeal. Top with remaining oatmeal mixture. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours to allow to set. Enjoy! Makes 48 squares.

Adapted from Sweet Remedy