Perfect food for a storm
Soup syndrome.This is what many Islanders suffer when they realise they only ate two of the 20 tins of soup they panic-bought in anticipation of a storm earlier in the week.Here are a few snack, meal and drink recipes that will use up some of the things in your cupboard and fridge and get you through the dark, howly times. (Follow the safety guidelines in our sidebar before cooking food from the refrigerator after the power has gone out).Be smart and make this one before the lights go out, if you don’t have a gas stove. It was designed for camping trips and will last for two weeks in an airtight container.Tortilla snackIngredients:1 10oz bag of small tortilla chips3 c Crispix cereal½ a large bag of pre-popped popcorn1 12oz can of mixed nuts½ c light corn syrup½ c margarine½ c brown sugar¼ tsp chilli powder⅛ tsp cinnamonMethodHeat oven to 250F (121C). Mix the chips to nuts in a large roasting pan. Combine corn syrup, butter, brown sugar, chilli powder, and cinnamon in a small saucepan; heat to boiling. Pour over cereal mixture in pan, stirring to coat. Bake one hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Remove from oven and turn onto sheet of waxed paper to cool. Makes 18 cups.Portuguese sausage nibblesIngredients1 chourico sausage or kielbasa for people with milder taste preferences1 8oz shredded cheddar cheese, sharp or mild2 c Bisquick mixMethodChop the sausage into small pieces. Mix sausage and cheese and thoroughly knead bisquick into that mixture. Shape into small balls, bigger than marbles, bake 350F for 20 minutes. Should make around 80.Egg and cracker supperIngredientsEggsBaconCheese-flavoured crackers such as Nabisco’s Cheese NipsMethodBreak up the crackers beforehand. Fry bacon and cut up into small pieces. Scramble eggs in a small bowl with a fork. Pour mixture into frying pan. As they start to cook sprinkle the bacon and crumbled crackers into the mixture.No-electricity saladIngredientsCan of tunaCan of green beansCan of sliced potatoesCan of white northern beansItalian dressingMethodMix ingredients from tins together. Then toss with Italian dressing to taste.Have a Drink ...The LeslieIngredients2oz Bacardi light2oz Gosling’s Black Seal Rum.2oz passion fruit juice1oz orange juice½oz fresh lime juice1 tbs simple syrup1 tbs grenadineGarnish: orange slice and cherryMethodShake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a hurricane glass filled with ice. Garnish with a cherry and an orange slice.
Some tips to keep your food safe during a power outage
lMonitor the refrigerator temperature with an appliance thermometer.
l Throw out perishables that have been in the refrigerator longer than four hours after its temperature has risen above 40F (4C). Meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs, deli items, pizza, casseroles, soups, stews and other leftovers they all must go.
l Take your food’s temperature. If you’re still hesitant to throw out food, use an instant-read food thermometer to test the food’s internal temperature, which should be no more than 40F (4C).
l Throw away any food in the freezer that has defrosted. You can safely keep items in your freezer for 48 hours if it’s full and 24 hours if it’s half-full, as long as you keep the door closed. If ice crystals have formed on your food or its packaging, you can safely refreeze it.
l Group frozen foods together in the freezer. Foods stay frozen longer if they’re packed closely.
l If in doubt, throw it out. Don’t use taste to decide if it is bad or not.
l Keep a three-day supply of bottled water on hand. Also stock up on food items that don’t need refrigeration such as cereal, energy bars, nuts, peanut butter, cans of tuna, apples, bananas, dried fruit mixes, powdered milk and juice containers.
l Keep hand sanitiser on hand as proper hand washing sometimes gets more difficult when you don’t have running water.
For more tips see www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com.
