We won’t kid you — it’s challenging to try to cook a real meal under no-power circumstances, even if you have a gas stove. Lighting is bad, and washing pots and pans is tough, especially if you must boil water to do it.
But after a week of grilled hot dogs or peanut butter or tuna sandwiches, you’ll welcome these fast-fix ideas for “real” food:
Almost jambalaya: Tear open a pack of ready-to-eat Spanish rice; add some roasted red peppers, hard sausage slices and a can of drained kidney beans.
Salad Nicoise: Packet of foil-wrapped tuna filets, broken over a can of sliced potatoes, a can of green beans, some black olives and a few capers. Dress with bottled vinaigrette (a Greek vinaigrette with oregano makes this sing).
Asian peanut noodles: Boil angel-hair pasta (add hot water to a pot and let stand, or use Ramen noodles and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the broth). Add a generous tablespoon of peanut butter, a teaspoon of sesame oil and some dried chives. Add thawed frozen chopped spinach or broccoli (the plain stuff, no sauce). Stir well.
Mexican night: Layer broken tortilla chips, canned vegetarian refried beans mixed with a little cumin (or canned chili if you eat meat), canned green chilies and salsa in a square glass dish. This one’s kid-friendly.
Crunchy parfait dessert: Layer dark chocolate canned pudding in a fancy glass with crushed chocolate or almond biscotti and canned (drained) dark cherries. Sprinkle cocoa powder on top.
Tropical tiramisu: Layer vanilla pudding or canned dulce de leche pudding mixed with frozen whipped topping, with: crushed pineapple, flaked coconut and rum-soaked ladyfingers. Top with a rum-soaked sugar cube, lit with a match, and serve immediately.
— By Jan Norris | www.jannorris.com
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