[NaeKid]

After reading some of MaryV's statements about living in an apartment, I had a couple of ideas that I thought I would share. I am sure that other's will be able to add to the information and will be able to fine-tune it as well.

There is nothing like cooking your own food. While it is nice to eat out at a nice restaurant, most people cannot afford to eat out all the time. I am the cook in the house. I have years of professional cooking experience - restaurants, bakeries, cafeterias, etc. I do lots of "scratch" cooking due to my allergies (and my little woman's allergies).

Some things that can be done is prepare meals that are ready to eat with zero prep-time - just warm up and go. A small apartment without power or water might have some problems with their electric stove working or water flowing up the pipes.

Visiting the nearest camping supply store will get you containers for your food and water. The camping store will also have cookware for preparing food on your portable propane powered BBQ or stove. The camping store will have a propane powered coffee maker to help you get going in the morning. The camping store will have sleeping bags to keep you warm inside your apartment when the temperature drops with night-fall.

I find that Coleman products will work very well to keep you going when the utilities quit going. For camping, they take up very little room in storage and are very useful. My understanding is that the little 2 pounder Coleman propane bottles are safe to store inside any building - apartments included. That is why you can buy a dozen of the bottles from "Walmart" at a time - they are allowed to store them inside the building.

Some apartment buildings have troubles allowing tenants to bring the big white re-fillable bottles through the lobby. A leaky propane bottle can cause a lot of troubles (explosion) and they won't allow that risk.

I would like to setup this thread as a "camp food for apartment living" thread with easy to prepare recipes and instructions on how to cook with propane powered appliances. To make it work in the thread, when you reply, please put the name of the recipe into the "Title box" and the ingredients and instructions on cooking into the main message body. If possible, include storage ideas for that particular recipe.

 

[NaeKid]

NaeKid's CampCakes

In a large ZipLock or Glad container designed for food:

1 1/2cups White Flour
1/2 cup mix of brown flower, 1 tbsp bran, 1 tbsp coconut and ground flax seed
5 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp suger
2/3 cup milk powder

Close up container and shake to mix. Place into cupboard if not planning to eat right away.

In a large ZipLock "double seal" freezer bag pour in 1 3/4 cup of water, 5 tbsp liquid canola oil and two eggs. Seal and shake till the liquid becomes a nice "white" frothy mixture.

Keep the two containers separated till you are ready to start cooking. The two containers will keep for a couple of weeks with proper refrigeration for the egg mixture.

Note: There is no salt in my campcake mixture. I do not believe in cooking with salt as virtually all food that is "pre-packaged" has enough salt in it to meet or exceed daily requirements.

When ready to cook:

Pour the package of egg-mixture into the large ZipLock container and stir with a fork till there is no visible dry mixture left. Warm pan till "droplets of water dance" across the lightly oiled surface (Pam or a little bit of butter or canola oil works great).

Using a large spoon, pour batter onto warm pan and when the "bubbles" break, flip the pancake and tan the other side. Serve with your favorite toppings including:

Butter-n-suger
Butter-n-cinnamon/suger
Syrup
Canned fruit in syrup (I love peaches warmed on the stove with a hint of corn-starch to thicken the sauce)
Jam

I like to cook with cast-iron (see other thread about it). For camp-cooking I will place a cast-iron pan into the BBQ or on a propane stove and warm it up. If cooking in a BBQ, I will set the heat to low and cook bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, etc with the pancakes and serve.

 

[NaeKid]

Biscuit based pizza

Pizza crust / Biscuit Base

2 cups white flour
2 tbsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
(Optional: 1 tsp salt)

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup milk

Mix up dry ingredients in bowl, cut in butter till crumbly. Pour in milk and stir / mix till moistened.

Spread out into large cast-iron pan.

Spoon pizza-sauce onto crust (pizza sauce recipe will be shared later).

Top with favorite toppings - meat, vegies, fruits, cheezes.

Bake in BBQ with lid closed on "medium" heat till crust is brown and cheezes melted. Usually 10 - 15 min. Serve hot!

 

[NaeKid]

NaeKid's homemade pizza sauce

Brown 1/2 pound lean ground beef in cast-iron pan.

Leaving the "juices" in the pan, mix in:

1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp basil
a couple pinches garlic powder
... and if you like hot-stuff
a couple pinches of dried / crushed habanero pepper

If you are making the pizza right away, spread sauce over crust and prepare to bake.

If you plan on making the pizza later, this can be frozen in a double-seal ZipLock freezer baggie after it has cooled to room temperature. If you wish to "can" it, use a recycled canning jar (jam, salsa, spaghetti sauce, Cheeze Whiz, etc), place the very hot sauce into the warmed jar, close up the lid and allow to cool. When the jar "pops", it is fully sealed and it should keep for a few months. If the sauce "turns color" it has gone bad and would be best to throw away. As long as the sauce has a nice "fresh" red color, it is good in the canning jar.

 

[NaeKid]

Powder milk

To make powder milk for drinking, mix 2/3(-) cup of milk powder to 1 3/4(+) cup of water to make 2 cups of drinkable milk.

For the biscuit recipe above, for the 3/4 cup of milk, you will want 1/4(-) cup of milk powder and 3/4(-) cup of water.

If you would like to have 4 cups of milk (drinking, cooking, etc) you will require 1 1/4 cup of milk powder and 3 3/4 cups of water.

Where the mix states amount (-) use just under the listed amount. Where the mix states amount (+) use just over the listed amount. Adjust to taste and adjust the recipe as required.

I prefer to use "fridge cooled" water to make the milk instead of using "tap cool" water. Water from a cooler that is filter'd is great for making milk as well.

 

[C.Winslow]

Wow, Naekid! Thanks for posting these recipes! I am going to try making the pizza this weekend and see how it turns out! I always have to do a run through when cooking things for the first time, you know, to get the feel for it.

You are a great man for taking your time to help us and others! I really appreciate it, as do the other members, I'm sure. Thanks again.

 

[Canadian]

If you need an emergency stove for home use only I recommend an Iwatani catering burner. It runs off of butane cans and is meant for catering use. Much easier to use in a kitchen than a camp stove. They are also much safer to use indoors than white gas or other camping type stoves.

 

[91G-Dub]

Very good post, thanks for taking the time to include all of the recipies.

As for you comments on:
"Visiting the nearest camping supply store will get you containers for your food and water. The camping store will also have cookware for preparing food on your portable propane powered BBQ or stove. The camping store will have a propane powered coffee maker to help you get going in the morning. The camping store will have sleeping bags to keep you warm inside your apartment when the temperature drops with night-fall.

I find that Coleman products will work very well to keep you going when the utilities quit going. For camping, they take up very little room in storage and are very useful. My understanding is that the little 2 pounder Coleman propane bottles are safe to store inside any building - apartments included."

I use all of those Coleman products and a few others while I'm camping. As for use indoors during an emergency make sure to be safe. Crack a window to provide some fresh air.

 

[MaryV]

thanks for this info and the recipes, I will save them. I havent ever used a coleman stove or a bbq, but the lady downstairs has a bbq outside. I am on the second floor so i cant have one on my balcony. oh I did have a small "bbq" stove i took camping, it was really just a place to put briquettes which you could light and then cook over. its illlegal i am sure to use one on my balcony, but in a time of crisis I guess i could, no one would likely see me...

 

[MaryV]

as for sleeping bags, the really good ones that keep you warm like -30, well, I cant find any that I fit into, I am short and round, 250 lbs, I just cant find one big enough...did you read in the paper that old man in Michigan I think, in his 90s, froze to death in his home cause he couldnt pay the power and they cut it off in that freezing cold we had a few weeks ago. how sad...

 

[MaryV]

oh canadian, where would you buy that iwatani catering burner? would i be able to figure out how to use it? lol
never mind I googled it...

 

[NaeKid]

I use all of those Coleman products and a few others while I'm camping. As for use indoors during an emergency make sure to be safe. Crack a window to provide some fresh air.

With an apartment w/ balcony as MaryV has, she would be allowed to run the small propane-powered stoves and BBQs on the balcony. It will help to keep her fed, not warm. The Coleman catalytic heaters designed for warming a tent would be alright to use as a space-heater inside the apartment as long as a window could be cracked open a little bit.

Propane is legal to use everywhere for cooking - even during times of the summer when campfires are not allowed due to extreme-fire-hazzard.

thanks for this info and the recipes, I will save them. I havent ever used a coleman stove or a bbq, but the lady downstairs has a bbq outside. I am on the second floor so i cant have one on my balcony. oh I did have a small "bbq" stove i took camping, it was really just a place to put briquettes which you could light and then cook over. its illlegal i am sure to use one on my balcony, but in a time of crisis I guess i could, no one would likely see me...

You can see all the stoves that would be fine-for-usage on your balcony on the Coleman site:

Coleman Canada

I have a two-burner stove (Model No. 5430E700C) that can sit on a table-top, a single-burner stove (Model No. 5412A700C) that screws to the propane-bottle directly and has a base that slips over the bottom of the bottle to keep it from tipping over. I have been droolin' over their combo grill / stove (Model No. 9922-708C) as well.

Coleman also has appliances that will make your time in an un-heated / unlit apartment that much better ..

Coleman Canada

You gotta see the Coffee maker and the hotwater-on-demand goodies ...

All the products that you see on the Coleman site can be purchased through Canadian Tire. CT also has "6 hamburger patty" sized BBQs that run on the same 2lb Coleman propane bottles. Again, this kind of product is completely legal to use "everywhere" - even on your little apartment's balcony.

For the problem with sleeping bags - my little lady and I zip a pair of matched sleeping bags together - and we keep very warm having bag both under and over us. We have found that using an air-mattress does not create the proper insulation between the ground and our body - we seem to be colder in that situation. MEC has "ultra-thin" ground-foam that insulates your body from the ground.

 

[ke4sky]

Check local fire codes on balcony cooking

Here a gas grill is legal, but charcoal is not. Good safety tips.

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fr/educate/grilling2006.pdf

Fire Code Section F-320.0, specifies that "No charcoal cooker, brazier, hibachi or
grill or any gasoline or other flammable liquid or liquefied petroleum gas-fired
stove or similar device shall be ignited or used on the balconies or within 15 feet of
any apartment building or other structure with similar occupancy."

The only cooking device permitted to be used on a balcony of an apartment
or condominium is one "using either electric or natural gas as a fuel source
and listed by a recognized testing authority." Additionally, "the device
must be designed or approved for the use of lava rock or permanent briquette only."

Use of any other type of grill is allowed if it is located at least 15 feet from any building or structure. So when the urge strikes to enjoy a freshly grilled meal, remember to follow these guidelines for safe and legal outdoor cooking:

Gas and charcoal grills must only be used outdoors. If used indoors, or in enclosed spaces, such as tents, they pose both a fire hazard and risks of exposing occupants to toxic gases and
potential asphyxiation.

Position the grill well away from siding, deck railings and out from under eaves
and overhanging branches.

 

[Canadian]

Mary V- You can probably safely use a gas-BBQ on your balcony if you live on the top floor with no other units above you. The main problem with a BBQ on a lower balcony is the smoke goes up. The person in the unit above you sees all this smoke coming up around their window and they freak out and call 911.

Next thing you know the fire department is there. In my old apartment building there was a guy who used to do this and the fire department came twice because of his BBQ. After that they never came back. I guess they gave him crap after the second time and he wised up. The firemen were pretty pissed off on both occasions.

Just be careful not to scare the people living upstairs if any.

 

[NaeKid]

Has anyone tried any of my recipes ... should I put more online? Does anyone have more to share?

 

[TechAdmin]

Yes put more recipes online Vance.

Does anyone here cook with an Egg? The grill.

 

[NaeKid]

Brazilian BBQ Sauce

3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup crushed red chiles
1 cup onion
2 tbsp parsley
2 tbsp garlic
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried marjoram
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tbsp dried thyme

Alt: 1 tbsp salt

combine ingredients-mix well and cover and chill for up to 4 weeks

use as a basting or dipping sauce

You can spice this one up with Jalapeño or Habañero peppers (cut back equal amount on the crushed chillies). You can also cut the vinegar with cola (upto 1/2 cup) for a different flavour.

This will be great on many meats or on a vegi-skewer

 

[NaeKid]

Marinade's

Instead of typing out all the different marinades that I have tried from this website, I will just say that there are some really good ones on it. It is hosted at About.com ... reply back with some of the marinades you try out ..

Marinade Recipes - Marinades make meats better. Here are recipes for marinades for any meat.

 

[NaeKid]

NaeKid's potatoe casserole

Bake-n-mash (or boil-n-mash) up 1 large potatoe per person per meal

Spread out approx. half the potatoe in the bottom of a large dutch oven

Take a can of mushrooms and a can of cream of mushroom soup and spread half the amount over the potatoes.

Spread approx. 1/2 pound of cooked ground beef over mushroom layer

Take half the remaining amount of potatoe and spread over ground beef

Shread cheddar cheeze over potatoe.

Spread frozen mixed vegies over cheeze

Sprinkle with favorite spices / seasonings. I like Chipotle, chives, basil, red-pepper.

Finally - top with the rest of the mushrooms, meat and potatoe. Cover with shreaded cheeze (cheddar or mozza or monteray jack or other favorite cheezes) and sprinkle a little more of your favorite spices / seasonings.

Cover the dutch oven with its lid.

Bake around 350°F in BBQ (med-low) for approx. 1 hour (or till the whole pot is equal temperature through-out the middle. Keep the temperature at the lower end of the spectrum - its better to warm slowly.

The dutch-oven is a very easy to use cooking pot that can be used inside a regular oven, on stove-top, in a BBQ, over a fire, in a fire ... anywhere.

If you don't have a dutch-oven to make this, a standard casserole dish could be used. Take care not to have "hot-spots" from the BBQ fire lickin' the bottom of the dish - it can cause the dish to "expode" ruining a good dish and the food in it. An insulating layer between the fire and dish could help disperse the heat. You can use a cookie sheet, a piece of sheet-metal or sheet-aluminum (aim for 1/8" thick plate) as insulation from direct flame.

 

[NaeKid]

Q-n-F Pizza

Quick-n-Fast Pizza

Warm up the BBQ (toaster oven works well too)

Using a bun (sub-bun, hotdog bun, roll), spread spagetti sauce (listed above or use your favorite homemade or store-bought option), some sandwich meats, random veggies and some cheeze over and toss into BBQ to warm up.

Once cheeze is melted, close up the bun and enjoy.

Side note: This is also known as the BostonBrute. I've made thousands of these at work ..