Chef Tess with One Recipe Base 2 Meals in a Jar Variations

Good news! The Honeyville Gourmet Food Storage Handbook (by Yours Truly) went to print last week! That means that soon you'll have the last year of hard work and epic food storage recipes from my adventures teaching in the Honeyville stores, all in one book! I'm excited to see it! Keep your eyes peeled for more details! It has a really great meals in a jar section, but I'm not stopping. Right now, I'm working on the Gourmet Meals in a Jar Handbook! That has been the next level of focusing on just these meals.

 

As the meals in a jar cookbook has been progressing, I've had many requests. Feel free to ask me for more! One is for several sections on specific dietary needs like vegetarian meals, low-carb meals, gluten-free meals and  low-fat meals. Most of my meals are already adaptable, but I'll do some work for you. I have, in my past, shared a post on on 6 Meals from One Casserole...The Great Divan Divide for freezer meals. A meal base is magic!  This is a vegetarian based meal in a jar that takes that same spin! Keep in mind, that because you control all the ingredients in your meals...you control your life! You can add or take away ingredients your family doesn't like or use. You can take out allergens. The only rule is to use the same basic amount of the freeze-dried vegetables and noodles so that you get the right hydration. Isn't that cool?!  Changing up the spices and sauces will transform the meals completely!  I happen to know some really yummy spice blends just came to the Honeyville retail stores. I hear the chef who formulated them is some kind of evil-genius...and really crazy. Decide for yourself.

One base vegetarian noodle recipe will actually make three different sauced meals. I'm sharing the last two here on the cousins blog. I shared the Classic Italian Marinara with Saucy Vegetables  Tuesday on my blog.

Today we're making these two:

Oriental Ginger Noodle Wok

Classic Creamy Pasta Primavera

 

I always recommend reading the posts on:

 Jar Vacuum Packing Meals for long-term storage and

 How to make homemade mylar packed meals for camping and beyond.

 

 There is a lot of great information on how to do this meal method safely for long-term storage.  Vegetarian meals are made without freeze-dried meat (obviously) so they are actually shelf-stable without an oxygen absorber added to the jars for up to a year.  Most of these meals will last 7-10 years on your shelf if you follow the guidelines I outline using the absorbers. Each quart sized meal serves 4. 1 1/2 cup servings each. If you have 12 people in your family, use a gallon sized jar and multiply the recipe by 3! If you are single, you can divide the recipe among half-pint jars or mylar bags and get smaller portions. If it is just two at home, cut the recipe in half and use pint-sized jars or mylar bags. I serve the meals with a simple side salad and breadsticks if I'm feeling like making more, but honestly, most often we just cook it up and have it "as is."

 

 Oh...and should you decide to add meat to these meals, the freeze-dried chicken is my favorite in place of the cup of zucchini in the base recipe below, use 1/2 cup of freeze dried chicken. If you use the meat...always use an oxygen absorber.

 

Vegetarian Noodle Base for Jar Meals
In a quart jar add:
4 oz spaghetti noodles (gluten free work)(one pound yields 4 quart-sized meals)
1/4 cup Dehydrated Carrot (one can yields 35 quarts-sized meals of this recipe)
1/3 cup Freeze Dried Peas  ( one can yields 40 quart-sized meals of this recipe)
1/3 cup Freeze Dried Bell Pepper (one can yields 30 quart-sized meals of this recipe)
1 cup (scant) Freeze Dried Mushroom (one can yields 10 quart-sized meals of this recipe)
1 cup Freeze Dried Zucchini (one can yields 12 quart-sized meals of this recipe)
2T Freeze Dried Onion (one can yields 40 quart-sized meals of this recipe)

Make sure you weigh the noodles. Don't just guess. If the noodles are long, break them in smaller sized pieces to fit into the jars. Proceed to add your sauces of choice.

Oriental Ginger Noodle Wok

 

To each quart jar with the vegetarian noodle base, add:
Ingredients:

1/4 cup Corn Starch or 1/3 cup ultra-gel
1T chicken bouillon/stock granules (optional)
1 tsp hot pepper flakes (optional)
1T garlic powder

1T Chef Tess Amazing Wok Star seasoning (in Honeyville Retail locations-not gluten free)
2T Granulated Honey

2T vinegar powder

1/4 tsp hickory smoke powder 

Shake powdered ingredients into the jar. Top each jar with an oxygen absorber and tighten lid. Label clearly and date.

Directions to prepare meal:
Bring 4 1/2 cups water to a rolling boil. Remove and discard oxygen absorber (they are only good once!). Pour contents of jar into boiling water and stir. Boil 8-10 minutes until noodles are tender. Cool 5 minutes. It will thicken slightly. Serve hot.

 

Classic Creamy Pasta Primavera

 

To each quart jar with the vegetarian noodle base, add:
Ingredients:
1/4 cup Corn Starch or 1/3 cup ultra-gel
1T  chicken bouillon/stock granules (optional)
1/4  cup Honeyville instant non-fat dry milk
1/4 cup Honeyville sour cream powder
1T Chef Tess Italian Seasoning
Shake powdered ingredients into the jar. Top each jar with an oxygen absorber and tighten lid. Label clearly and date.

Directions to prepare meal:
Bring 4 1/2 cups water to a rolling boil. Remove and discard oxygen absorber (they are only good once!). Pour contents of jar into boiling water and stir. Boil 8-10 minutes until noodles are tender. Serve hot.

Here is a link the PDF of All Three Recipes for those who want to download or print them.

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess