Vietnam, Hoi An Solar energy cooking recipes:

Go to: Green Activities

Green Apple Hoi An promotes solar cooking. We are doing it at home and it is really great.It saves a lot of gas, wood, energy and it's very clean!

Click on the 'Solar Cooking' link on the bottom of the home page of the Green Apple Hoi An website. Here you can find different types of solar cookers & boxes. Have fun!

Solar Cooking Recipes:

Beef Stew

Solar Cooking Recipes

*Note: Before starting this and certain other recipes, please take into consideration the amount of prime cooking time available to you in order to complete the full cooking process. Some recipes require two or more steps in the process of cooking the ingredients and can consume a fair portion of your available ideal cooking time. During the summer time this is less of a factor due to the position of the sun in the vernal sky. Fall, Winter and Spring solar cooking require some adjustment due to the shorter prime cooking hours. For more advice and insight go to our Solar Cooking: When is the Best Time? Page.

Easy Beef or Pork Stew

Ingredients:

5 Large Potatoes

2 Carrots

1 small Onion

1 lb Beef or Pork boneless ribs

1Package Brown Gravy Mix

1Tablespoon of oil

2 Cups of water

1Table spoon of Salt (more or less if desired)

1Dash of black pepper (more or less if desired)

2 Beef Bouillon cubes

1Tablespoon Corn Starch

Dash of Oregano

Steps

Set out your solar pot to preheat with 1 Table spoon of Oil.

Cut meat into cubes, size according to preference.

After about fifteen to thirty minutes add your beef cubes and ½ tablespoon of salt into solar pot, stir to coat in oil, cover and let cook for about 30 min.

Beef Stew (continuation)

In the meantime

Peel and Dice Potatoes and carrots into cubes

Dice small onion (some like them cut larger)

Place all together into a bowl

Pour salt, pepper and Oregano on top of dice veggies.

In 1 cup of cold water mix your brown gravy mix thoroughly and let sit.

In the other 1 cup of water dissolve two beef bullion cubes and

Then stir in 1 tablespoon of corn starch.

After meat has cooked half an hour add the bowl of diced ingredients all at once with the gravy mix to the solar pot, stir and mix well all of the ingredients together. Cover and let cook for an hour. Then add the bullion and starch mixture, stirring all ingredients again.

Cover and let cook for 3 to 4 hours (or longer if desired)

Stir only once or twice at the most during simmering process so as not to let out heat too often.

Adjust your solar cooker to the sun every 1.5 to 2 hours

Results: Potatoes and carrots should be tender, serve hot. Tastes like Dutch oven potatoes.

Solar Cooking Recipes:

Easy Baked Beans

Solar Cooking Recipes

Ingredients:

3-4 cans of **Pork and Beans (or two large), (some brands are better than others.)

½ of large bell pepper

1 Small Onion

½ lb. of Bacon

¾ cup of Ketchup

1/3 of cup of Brown Sugar

2 Tbs. of Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon of dry mustard (if available)

1 teaspoon of salt

Steps

Place Solar Cooker to preheat about 15 minutes

Place bacon in solar pot (all pieces individually separated) allow to cook for 1 hour

Meanwhile

Dice Green pepper to desired size.

Dice Onion to desired size.

In a large bowl, pour in cans of beans and mix in Ketchup, Brown Sugar, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, salt and onions and peppers.

Bring solar pot with bacon in and pour out grease and chop up bacon on a cutting board. (Bacon does not need to be crisp since it will simmer in beans)

Combine bacon and all other ingredients into solar pot and return the pot to the reflector panels.

Stir beans every 1.5 to 2 hours and adjust to sun as needed.

I prefer my beans to cook all day long, 4-6 hours, or you can do as*noted below.

Results: Baked beans should thicken in consistency and darken the longer they cook.

*Richer taste: Most of the time I will cook my beans for about 3 hours then refrigerate them and set them out to cook the next day for about 3-4 hours more. Allowing them to steep in their own flavor and juices for a day makes a more flavorful dish in my opinion.

**Dry beans of different varieties can be used in place of pork and beans from a can; they only need be pre-cooked prior to adding them to the recipe

Additional note:

Cooking Dry Beans

Solar Cooking Recipes

I have found that it is more efficient to solar cook all of the different varieties of beans, that I am going to use throughout the week and month for various dishes, all at one time. In other words cook them up and then freeze them in order to have them on hand and ready for cooking at any time. I will cook up separate solar pots of red, kidney, and pinto, black, white and anabasis beans and then freeze them in separate freezer bags. Depending on the style and the quality of the beans and where they came from, the time required to cook them can vary from three to five hours in a solar cooker.

*Just as one would do using traditional cooking methods, pre-soaking your beans overnight can greatly reduce the cooking time required.

Spaghetti and Pasta

Solar Cooking Recipes

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1- small onion

2-3 Garlic cloves, minced

½- of Bell pepper

1-tsp. of oregano (dry)

1- tsp of basil (dry)

1-tbsp. of Salt

1-tsp black pepper

½ teaspoon of rosemary and thyme (optional, gives it a stronger flavor if so desired)

2-cans of diced or crushed tomatoes

½ cup of fresh mushrooms (optional) or canned

1-6 oz. can tomato sauce

1 ½ tbsp. of corn starch

¾ cup of cold water

Steps

Set the Solar cooker with reflectors out to preheat (with cooking pan) for 15 min.

Also set out second pot in solar cooker with six cups water to boil.

Put thawed ground beef in one pot (pan) to brown, broken down into small bits

Cover pot and let cook for about 45 minutes.

Mean while

Chop or dice onion and garlic cloves together in chopper.

Chop bell pepper into small pieces

Cut fresh mushrooms to desired size (optional)

Drain excess fat (leaving just a small amount) from the cooked ground beef and crumble into small bits.

Mix in onion, garlic, and peppers

Add oregano, basil, salt and black pepper (rosemary and thyme)

Mix well and re-cover the pot and let the meat and spices brown for about 15 minutes with solar reflectors.

Stir in diced or crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce and mushrooms.

Cover and let simmer for an hour

Spaghetti and Pasta (continuation)

Mix 1 ½ tbsp. of corn starch in ¾ cup cold water, stir to dissolve

Add to spaghetti sauce mixture while stirring. (this will lighten color of sauce)

Re-cover pot and let simmer for at least two hours more, this allows the ingredients to stew which enhances the flavor.

A half an hour before eating add your pasta to the other pot of water (boiling) and allow to cook for 20 minutes, sometimes 25 minutes depending on pasta and the sun. (Angel hair past cooks much quicker)

Results

Sauce should be very well simmered and thick, serve over pasta with preferred cheese topping.

Fruits, Vegetables and More

Solar Cooking Recipes

There are many foods that do not require much effort in the way of preparing of ingredients; other than the requisite cleaning of the food item. Nevertheless I will offer a few suggestions and tips for a number of food items that can pretty much be lumped together in to a "simple solar cooking foods" category.

Corn on the cob

Set out solar pot with enough water to cover the intended amount of corn on the cob and allow it to come to a boil.

Shuck and clean corn.

When water is boiling place the corn into pot and cover quickly.

Allow corn to cook for no less than 45 minutes, more if the amount of corn is large.

If you don't mind the distinct flavor of un-shucked corn, you can leave them covered in the husk and cook them without water. The husks give off more moisture naturally while cooking...Do not try to cook too many at once.

Hints:-Do not try to cook too many ears of corn at once as it will increase the cooking time.
-When cooking large amounts of food it is helpful to have more than one solar cooker in order to cook the food properly and in a shorter period of time. (I personally own four solar cookers, which allows me more flexibility and capacity.)

Hard Boiled Eggs

Solar Cooking Recipes

Eggs are very easy to do and it is not even necessary to use water in order to hard boil them. I do prefer using a little bit of water though when I boil my eggs so as to avoid the darkening or burning of the part of the shell that comes in contact with the metal pot. The Egg though, is not harmed in any way when it does darken.

As with all foods when solar cooking, do not put too much in your pot, whereas this can cause inconsistent cooking results and longer cooking times.

When cooking eggs it is not necessary to preheat your solar oven or pot.

A small amount of eggs can cook in usually an hour, sometimes less.

Seasons of the year can affect your cook times any where you might live.

Fried Eggs

Set your solar pot to preheat with 1tablespoon of butter, oil or bacon grease.

When the temperature in your solar cooker shows about 300° F add your egg to the oil with salt, pepper or favorite seasoning.

Cover, and allow it to cook for about three to five minutes.

Bacon

set your solar oven or pot in the sun to pre-heat, most preferably with the reflector panels attached. Use a dark colored cookie sheet or cake pan, preferably longer than wide. This will depend on the size of your solar oven though. Lay your thawed bacon out in flat, even strips, putting as many as you can tightly fit on the tray.
(The bacon will shrink greatly.)
When the oven shows at least 250° F or more then quickly place your bacon inside and re-cover the cooker. The bacon should take about two hour to cook, sometimes less. Check on it in about an hour and determine whether you want it more or less done.
The solar oven can cook bacon very easily.
*Remember though that pork as well as poultry should be thoroughly cooked so as not to risk sickness.

Baked Potatoes

Solar Oven Cooking Recipes

With potatoes all you need to do is clean the skins well and then lay them in the pot or pan. If you have a transparent lid on your solar pot or cooker the suns energy will cook the potatoes even better due to the dark color of the potato skins. I never cook more than five large potatoes at a time in a pot due to the time constraint. If you can fit a large dark cookie tray into your solar oven then you can lay the potatoes evenly on the tray and by covering them with an oven bag cook them even quicker. I have cooked potatoes almost as quickly in a solar oven as in a conventional oven on an ideal day and with the ideal amount of potatoes.

Idea: If you bake your potatoes with a little added water and allow them to cook a bit longer than you would for baked, you can peel most of the skin and mash them up with a little milk or sour cream, butter and your favorite condiment and have mashed potatoes.

Veggies

We cook a variety of vegetables; from canned to fresh and frozen.

Vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, peas, cut corn, spinach, onions and many others can be cooked in small darkened (enamel, cast iron, painted steel) pots and pans. This can be done covered or uncovered with the results varying slightly between methods.

Broccoli, cauliflower, beans, asparagus, peas in pod etc. can be cooked without water yet still cook similar to steam cooked vegetables.

I will admit that I like to add a small amount of water to augment the steam buildup.

* Broccoli, when cooked in a transparent covered cooker can change from a bright intense green to an olive drab looking color. It tastes better than it looks and there really is nothing to worry about.)

Fruits

Any fruits that you may typically cook for use in desserts or other dishes can also be cooked in a solar cooker, In fact you can even bottle and preserve fruits and vegetables using a method that will be covered on our site in the near future.

A Favorite way to do apples is by slicing them (three apples) into small pieces, adding about a half cup of water, some sugar (to taste) and cinnamon and placing them in a covered dark pot and allowing them to cook for about two hours or more. (I prefer more) I then add a scoop of ice cream and have my pie without the crust.

Peaches can be done in the same way for a peach cobbler. You can do the crust for the peach cobbler separately in order to have a crisper, more firm crust and then add the peaches on top after they have cooked in the same manner as the apples illustrated above. Or you can combine them from the beginning and have a moister, doughy crust.

Besides the solar cooker, there is of course the traditional and time tested method of them. This does not require a solar cooker but rather an open ventilated surface (screen or mesh); the sun does all the rest and within a day or two you will have a tasty solar treat direct from Mother Nature. How much more natural can you get.

Fruits (continuation)

Many of the more basic foods can be experimented with in regards to method, cook time, and results. Just as you would do in your own kitchen you can try any thing that sounds appealing to you. On our recipe pages we will give what has worked for us and also give some general guidelines and parameters within which to work but the rest is up to you and Mother Nature.

** Most of the above mentioned suggestions have to do with the use of solar box and panel cookers, but if you would prefer to do some of these in the same manner as you would do so over a stove top range then you can easily do this using a parabolic solar cooker which would allow you to fry eggs, bacon and hash browns as well as do French fries, popcorn pasta and much more. For more information on a parabolic solar cooker visit our page Solar Cooker Types

Mild Butter Herb Rice

Before starting this and certain other recipes, please take into consideration the amount of prime cooking time available to you in order to complete the full cooking process. Some recipes require two or more steps in the process of cooking the ingredients and can consume a fair portion of your available ideal cooking time. During the summer time this is less of a factor due to the position of the sun in the vernal sky. Fall, Winter and Spring solar cooking require some adjustment due to the shorter prime cooking hours. For more advice and insight go to our Solar Cooking: When is the Best Time? Page.

Ingredients

2 cups of white rice

4 cups of water

¼ of fresh bell pepper

½ of small onion

2 large cloves of garlic

1 small carrot

½ teaspoon of dry oregano

½ teaspoon of dry basil

1 teaspoon of paprika

¾ of square of butter

1 tbsp of salt

½ tsp of black pepper

Steps

Set you solar pot in sun to preheat with ¾ stick of butter

Chop onion, garlic and bell pepper into fine portions

Grate the carrot into fine portions

After the butter is melted add all fine chopped ingredients into solar pot and all remaining dry ingredients and seasoning.

Mix together well and then re-cover pot and allow ingredients to brown (about 15 minutes)

Add the four cups of water and cover. Let water heat for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Add the two cups of rice, mixing all ingredients thoroughly.

Cover pot and allow the rice to cook for about 30 minutes.

*You can quickly check your rice for doneness and allow an added five to ten minutes of cooking if necessary.

**Do not cook you rice longer than 40 minutes whereas it will possibly turn out over blown or mushy.

Result

Rice should be fluffy, even though it may be a bit moister than when cooked over a burner.

Solar Oven Recipes:

Wheat Bread

Solar Oven Recipes

Ingredients:
4 cups of warm water

2 Tbsp of yeast

½ tbsp of sugar

1 tbsp Salt

1/3 cup of olive oil or canola oil

1/3 cup of honey

11/2 tbsp of dough enhancer

½ cup of wheat gluten

9 cups of wheat flour

2 cups of white flour

Steps:

Place solar oven outside to pre-heat. (This needs to be an oven with sufficient height (space) for bread loaves)

Grease or spray three dark (blackened) bread pans

In a large mixing bowl add warm water, sugar and yeast. (You can use a mixer or you can mix and knead by hand)

Add all the rest of the ingredients, except white flour, to the water-yeast mix.

Mix well on medium speed for about 5 minutes or knead by hand for about 12 minutes to allow the wheat gluten to set in.

As you mix the wheat flour mixture add the white flour as you mix or knead until the dough ceases to be wet or sticky.

(The white flour is used to lighten the weight and density of the bread loaf, but if you prefer all wheat flour, you can do so.)

Form the dough into three loaves and place inside greased pans and cover with towel to prevent drying of dough and to help retain warmth of dough.

Wheat Bread (continuation)

Place in a warm location to help the dough rise more quickly. (I place mine near a sunny window)

Make sure that your solar oven temperature is at least 260° F, preferably 325-350°F(The temperature will drop initially after placing dough inside of oven, but will rise again and finish near its highest level)

When the dough is raised; quickly place all three pans in solar cooker if permissible.

If you do not have a solar cooker that is large enough, then place two in and leave the third one in the refrigerator in the meantime to retard the expansion of the yeast and dough.

Adjust solar oven towards sun.

Set timer at 60-75 minutes for one loaf and 75-80 minutes for two loaves

Result:

Bread should be light golden brown

Flour 101: how gluten works

What’s the big deal with the amount of gluten in flour? In general, higher gluten levels create stronger baked goods, like crusty breads and bagels, and lower gluten levels make softer baked goods, like tender cakes and biscuits. Knowing flours by their gluten levels, and not just their names, is helpful when you need to substitute one for another. You wouldn’t want to use cake flour to make bread, but you can get away with all-purpose if you’re in a jam.

*For a more in depth article on gluten and its vital role in bread making click on: articlestree.com wheat gluten

Easy Chili with Beans

Solar Oven Recipes

Ingredients:

2 (regular size) cans of tomatoes, (whole, crushed, diced, pureed whichever you prefer.)

2 packets of chili seasoning (McCormick or store brand)

1 lb ground beef

3-4 tbsp of dried chopped onions

1 ½ tbsp of Salt

2 beef bullion cubes

4-5 cups of pre cooked beans (pinto or whatever mix you may like.)

1 tablespoon of pepper flakes (if so desired)

Steps:

Pre heat Solar Cooker or Oven (If you want to cook faster consider using two solar cookers)

After 15 minutes of pre heating put your ground meat and ½ tbsp salt into one of the solar cookers and position towards sun. Time for twenty minutes

In a bowl empty the two cans of tomatoes (if using whole tomatoes chop or blend to create small chunks)

Add half can of water from each can into tomatoes (in order to clean out can)

Stir in the chili seasoning packets (1 ½ packets can be used for milder flavor)

Add 3-4 tbsp of chopped dry onions, 1tbsp salt, bullion cubes and pre cooked beans. (The bullion cubes do not need to be dissolved before hand.)

Add pepper flakes if you prefer a spicier chili.

At twenty minutes stir and crumble your cooking ground beef into small pieces and re-cover pot. Reset timer for another 20 to 30 minutes.

Pour all of the tomato/bean mix into the second solar pot and cover, position towards sun.

When timer sounds the meat should be fully cooked, pour out excess grease then crumble meat to smaller size.

Add already cooked meat to chili mixture, stirring and mixing all ingredients well. Recover the pot and reposition towards sun.

Cook for about 3 ½ to 5 hours stirring only once at the most.

*Uncover pot as little as possible in order to retain higher heat levels for better cooking results.

Result:
Chili should be dark in color due to long, slow cooking time. Flavor is enhanced when allowed to stew for longer time.

Home made Macaroni and Cheese

This is a various step recipe, plan time accordingly

Ingredients

1lb ground sausage (choose your favorite)
2 cups macaroni noodles (uncooked)
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
4 cups of milk
4 cups of grated cheddar cheese
Salt to taste

Steps:

Start early by; setting out solar cooker with bowl and five cups of water and salt to pre-heat to a boil. (usually about three hours for this amount)

Set out second cooker with ground sausage in order to brown and cook, break meat up into small portions.

The meat will cook within an hour to two hours, depending on conditions.

In the meantime you can grate your cheese.

When the sausage is cooked, drain the fat and leave sausage covered in pan.

When your water is boiling stir in your macaroni, and then quickly covers the pot and adjusts towards the sun.

The macaroni should take about thirty to forty minutes. If you need to check for doneness, do so after thirty minutes and re-cover the pan as quickly as possible if more cooking is required.

While the macaroni is cooking...

Home made Macaroni and Cheese (continuation)

(This next step can be done in a solar cooker if you have the capacity (additional cooker) and the time, or you can do this step on your electric or gas stove top.)

Melt butter in a pan and stir in your flour.

Add milk and cook over medium heat until sauce just comes to a boil and starts to thicken.

Add salt to taste.

Stir in three cups of grated cheddar cheese and mix well.

Place cooked macaroni in casserole dish and pour cheese mixture over macaroni and add browned sausage and then mix all together.

Top with remaining cup of grated cheese.

Cover with plastic wrap or an oven bag and set the casserole inside of your pre heated solar oven.

Allow macaroni and cheese to cook for at least an hour, but you can leave it longer if you like and it will be fine.

Our kids love the flavor of this slow cooked macaroni and cheese, it seems to mix and enhance the flavors with this method of cooking.

Au gratin Potatoes

Solar Oven Recipes

Ingredients:

8 large potatoes

2 cups of cream of chicken soup

3/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup grated sharp cheese

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 cup grated cheese to put on top of potatoes

Steps:

Preheat solar cooker

Bake Potatoes in solar oven the day before or day of if you have long ideal solar cooking conditions.

When potatoes are finished and soft, peel off skins.

Coarsely grate or you can cube potatoes.

Put into 9x13 casserole dish (clear or smoked glass, black if metal)

Combine all remaining ingredients and mix well in pan.

Top with remaining cheese.

Place in preheated solar oven and allow cooking for two or more hours or until bubbly throughout.

*Note: You can cover potatoes with another inverted clear casserole dish or some other lid that will help to retain heat and moisture inside pan and food rather than into the oven.

Apple Brined Chicken or Turkey

Solar Cooking Recipes

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken or small turkey 10-12lbs (can be cut up if so desired)

Brine

2 quarts of apple juice

1 cup of kosher salt (or regular)

2 tablespoons of dried rosemary

2 tablespoons of dried thyme

1 tablespoon of dried sage

You can use 1 tablespoon of Poultry Seasoning if you do not have the above ingredients.

1tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Steps

In a large pot combine the brine ingredients. Stir vigorously until the salt has dissolved.

Remove the neck and giblets from both ends to the turkey or chicken and reserve in the refrigerator for gravy.
If the turkey has a trussing clamp, leave it in place. Do no truss the turkey. Rinse the turkey or chicken, inside and out, with cold water.

Partially fill a cooler with ice. Open a large sturdy plastic bag in the cooler. Place the turkey, breast side down, in the bag. Carefully pour the brine over the turkey and then add 3 quarts of cold water. Press the air out of the bag, seal thee bag tightly, close the lid of the cooler, and set aside for 18 to 14 hours.

If doing chicken you can put the bag in the refrigerator.

When chicken or turkey has brined for stated time and you are ready to cook:

Set out solar oven to preheat.

*If using a Global Sun Oven you will need to take out the swinging shelf to have room for the turkey.

*Other cookers can accommodate whole chickens inside of the granite ware black roasting pans with no problem.

Apple Brined Chicken or Turkey

(Continuation)

Take chicken or turkey from the brine and lay them breast side down in roasting pan.

Discard the rest of the brine.

Cover the pan with the lid and place inside of solar oven and align to the sun.

Set timer every hour to remind you to slightly rotate the oven towards the sun.

Allow chicken to cook at least two and a half hours at around 300 F

Turkey should be cooked for at least three and a half hours.

*For best results let poultry slow cook for longer periods of time and the meat will literally fall off of the bone.

*If you have only a short time frame for cooking then is sure to check inner meat temperature before serving the poultry.

*Make sure you have ideal sun conditions in order to finish the cooking process; if not, finish in your electric oven.

Chili without meat

Ingredients:

1 can Kidney Beans

1 can black Beans

1 can red beans

2 cans pinto beans

3 cans of whole stewed tomatoes

1 can dice green chilies

1 onion

2 large cloves of garlic

1 package chili mix any brand

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp black ground pepper

1.5 tbsp salt ( more or less if desired)

1 tsp paprika

2 beef bouillon cubes or it's vegetarian equivalent

Steps:

Pre heat Solar Cooker and Pot.

Open and drain all cans of beans and rinse in bowl of water.

Lightly blend or chop tomatoes in a blender, do not puree.

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl or pot.

Dilute bouillon cubes in small amount of water.

After mixing thoroughly put all ingredients into the pot or pan that will be used to cook in.

Transfer to solar cooker and orient to the sun.

Allow to cook for minimum of three up to six hours...the longer the better.

(* I cooked this in my Hot Pot, adding some height to my reflector panels using a windshield reflector, and had my chili at a stiff, rolling boil for most of the duration of the cook time.)

Refried Beans Deluxe

Solar Cooking Recipes

Ingredients:

4 cans of refried beans (or four cups of your own homemade if you know how)

1 small onion

2 large cloves of garlic

1/2 bell pepper (any color)

1 can of dice green chilies

1 tsp of dried paprika

1/2 tsp of dried basil

1/2 tsp of dried oregano

1/8 tsp of ground black pepper

1/8 tsp cumin

1 tbsp of salt (or to taste)

1 tbsp of vegetable oil (or other)

Steps:

Set out solar oven or cooker, along with pot, to pre heat.

Dice or chop Onion and Garlic together in chopper.

Chop with a knife your bell pepper

Combine your onions, garlic, bell pepper, and green chilies in your solar oven cooking pot, along with the Oil and other dry ingredients; mix together well.

Return your pot to the solar cooker and set time for twenty minutes in order to cook and brown the onions and peppers.

When browned, add refried beans and mix all ingredients well.

Re-cover pot and return it to solar oven, set oven towards sun.

Adjust your solar cooker every one to two hours.

This recipe is usually ready in less than two hours on a good day, but I like to allow three to five hours of long, slow cooking to allow the flavors to meld and enhance.

Serve with fresh salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and tortilla chips as spoons.

Fresh Salsa

Solar Oven Recipes

This salsa can be made two different ways and taste just like the real thing either way you choose. One used fresh tomatoes and chilies (which require a little more time) the other used dice tomatoes and green chilies from a can (quicker) but tastes very fresh nonetheless.

Ingredients:

1-2 cans of dice tomatoes and green chilies (Western Family is very flavorful)

1/8-1/4 of an onion

1/2 large cloves of garlic

1/4-1/2 of a bunch fresh cilantro

1/8 tsp of black ground pepper

Slight sprinkle of very fine ground oregano (rub between fingers to grind)

Slight sprinkle of very fine ground basil (rub between fingers to grind)

Slight sprinkle of cumin

1 tsp of lemon juice

1 tsp of vegetable oil (or other)

Salt to taste

For fresh tomatoes; use three to five large tomatoes finely diced and one yellow chili pepper (Hungarian or banana etc.) finely diced. *Include seeds for a spicier salsa.

Steps:

Finely chop onion and garlic cloves

Place in bowl and add cans of tomatoes

Chop Cilantro with a knife by bunching and pinching as you cut the cilantro; this will assure a finer and smaller leaf.

Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir and mix well.

Cover and allow sitting in refrigerator for a couple of hours so that the flavors mix and enhance.

This salsa is very popular with our solar cooking classes and goes well with many solar cooked recipes such as refried beans, , tacos, enchiladas, Chili etc.

Onions (sautéed)

Solar Oven Recipes

Ingredients:

2-4 medium size onions

 1 tsp of dried paprika

 1/2 tsp of dried basil

 1/2 tsp of dried oregano

 1/8 tsp of ground black pepper

 1 tbsp of salt (or to taste)

 1 tbsp of vegetable oil (or other)

 Pinch of cumin

Steps:

Set oven out to preheat.

Slice onions in to desired thickness

Place in pot and add all remaining ingredients.

Mix well to coat all of the onions with the oil and seasonings.

Place in solar cooker and orient towards sun.

Allow to cook for at least two hours, ideally three to four hours for more tender and flavorful onions

Roast Pork (marinated)

Marinated Beef or Pork Roast and Baked Potatoes

Solar Cooking Recipes

The roast needs to sit in the marinade for about 12-18 hours, thus it will need to be prepared the day before cooking.

Ingredients:

2-4lb Pork or Beef Roast

Marinade

1 large lemon (2tbsp lemon juice)

1 tbsp vinegar (white or dark)

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp of vegetable oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/8 of an onion, sliced

2-3 tbsp of salt

2 cups of water

Steps:

Combine all of the ingredients in any deep, narrow pot.

(The reason for such is so that the roast will be fully covered or submersed in the marinade.)

Stir well until all dry ingredients have dissolved or hydrated, especially the salt.

Place roast in pan; cover and then place in refrigerator.

Clean and scrub your potatoes intended for baking.

Pre heat oven on day you intend to cook the roast.

(If this is to be a large meal, use two cookers; one for the roast and the other for the potatoes.)

Pull your roast from the marinade and place inside your black enamelware pot; along with about four table spoons of the marinade.

Roast Pork (marinated) (Continuation)

Place your potatoes inside of your other black cooking pot and cover with lid.

(I have cooked up to ten small potatoes with no problem in one pot; just make sure to allow for enough time.)

Place all pans inside of solar cookers and orient towards sun.

The longer the food is allowed to cook, the more tender it will be.

(I let my last roast cook from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and it turned out very moist and succulent. Baked Cinnamon Apples

Baked Cinnamon Apples (Pie without the crust)

Solar Oven Recipes

Ingredients:

4-6 Pie Apples(or any variety)

Ground Cinnamon

White or Brown Sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp of corn starch

1/4 cup of water

Steps:

Set solar oven out to preheat

Peel and slice apples to desired sized

Add ground cinnamon to taste

Add sugar or brown sugar (depending on like)

Add 1/4 cup of water

Mix and stir together

Cover pot and place inside solar cooker and orient to sun

Set timer for two hours

When timer rings, mix corn starch into an 1/8 cup of cold water to dissolve, add vanilla

Retrieve pot from oven, close lid to prevent heat from escaping.

Stir starch mixture into Apples

Re-cover pot and return to oven, orient to sun.

Allow to cook for at least another hour...or longer if you like.

Serve hot with Ice Cream Gingerbread Cookies

Solar Cooking Recipes

Ingredients:

1 cup of white sugar

1 cup of molasses

3/4 cup of butter flavor shortening (or regular)

1/2 cup hot water

2 eggs

6 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp vanilla

Steps:

In large bowl, mix together sugar, molasses, and shortening until smooth.

Rinse molasses out of the measuring cup with hot water.

Stir in eggs

Combine flour and rest of dry ingredients

Stir batter to form soft dough.

If too sticky add more flour if needed.

Cover dough in bowl and refrigerate at least an hour.

Pre heat solar cooker to as high as possible

Roll out dough to a 1/4 inch thickness on a floured surface.

Cut into desired shapes

Place cookies onto very, very lightly cooking sprayed dark sheet.

Bake for 10-15 minutes

Take finished cookies off of tray within a minute to avoid sticking

Ice with favorite icing

These cookies are very easy to make and bake in a solar cooker and usually do not need more than fifteen minutes.
We eat gingerbread cookies often in the summer.
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Sopaipilla (Chilean Fry Bread)

Solar Oven Recipe

Ingredients

4 oz. Manteca (Lard)

5 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

7-10 oz. of banana squash (or similar squash, ex. butternut)

1 tbsp. Salt

Steps

Steam or boil banana squash until soft in solar oven (45-60 min.)

(Save some of the squash water for later)

Mash or lightly puree squash into a mush

Melt the Manteca (lard) in solar cooker

Mix dry ingredients together

Add Manteca and squash to dry ingredient along with 1/4 cup (or more if needed) have squash water.

Mix all ingredients together until soft dough forms

Roll out onto floured table and continue mixing (kneading) by hand until dough is not sticky.

Pinch off 2 or 3 inch pieces of dough and form into balls

Roll flat with a floured rolling pin

Fry to a light golden brown in heated cooking oil (about 1 min.)

* *These were a big hit at our solar cooking class during the summer.

*Note: Frying can only be done by using a parabolic solar cooker since panel and box cookers cannot reach such high temperatures.

Solar Cooking Recipe:

Pumpkin Dessert

Ingredients:

1 can of Pumpkin (29 oz.)

3 eggs

4 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice

1 cup of evaporated milk

3/4 cup of sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 yellow or white cake mix-dry

1 cube of butter-melted

Steps:

Pre heat solar oven to 350 F... if possible

Mix all ingredients together except cake mix and butter.

Pour into greased 9 x 13 pans or into two to three loaf pans.

Sprinkle cake mix over the top of pumpkin mix.

Drizzle melted butter over top of mix.

Bake at 350 F for at least one hour in solar oven

The dry mix will cook into the moist pumpkin batter and will brown a little on top, depending on solar oven.

*This is very high moisture content dessert so may require more time than indicated.

* * Dessert recipe share by Helena Chamberlain of St. George, Utah (Solar Cooking Student)

Solar Oven Recipe:

Carmel Nut Pudding Cake

Solar Oven Recipe

Ingredients:

2 TBS soft butter

1 c. sugar (white)

1 c. milk

2 c. flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. raisins (opt)

1/2 c. chopped nuts(opt)pecans or walnuts

Syrup (Pudding)

2 c. brown sugar (light or dark both work well)

4 TBS. margarine/butter

3 1/2 c. water

Steps:

Preheat solar oven to at least 350 F if possible

In mixing bowl combine butter, sugar, milk, vanilla

Add baking soda, nutmeg, salt and flour; mix together and then add raisins and nuts.

Mix well with electric mixer (or beat well by hand). It well is thicker than regular cake batter.

Spread the batter in an ungreased 9x13" cake pan.

For Syrup (Pudding)

In large sauce pan--bring to boil: 3 1/2 c. water, brown sugar, margarine/butter

When this comes to boil, pour over the cake batter. (syrup is very liquid, but cooks into the cake well)

Cook in a regular oven at 375 degree oven for 30 min. or sun oven for 1 1/2 hrs.

This serves well with whipped topping or vanilla ice cream.

Solar Cooking Recipes:

Blueberry Quick Bread

We were hungry for pancakes, but didn't want to fire up the stove, so we improvised this recipe to have something that tasted like blueberry pancakes as a mid-morning snack at work, but without the maple syrup and butter. We baked it the afternoon before, and chilled it overnight. It's simple, delicious, and packed with fresh blueberries.
Ingredients

1 egg

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1/2 cup water

1 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 dry pint fresh blueberries (frozen can be used, too, thawed)

Handful of flour to dust blueberries

Steps:

In a medium bowl, beat the egg with the oil and water. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients.

Make a well in the dry ingredients, and add the liquids.

Mix until the batter just starts to come together.

Dust the blueberries with flour, and stir in until they are evenly distributed.

Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan or round roaster

Place in preheated oven for about an hour, or until slightly browning on top.

Return from Solar Cooking Recipes: Blueberry Quick Bread back to recipes page

Cooked dried cereals and grains

(Barley, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, wheat): 2 hours. Start with usual amount of water. Next time adjust to your taste. If your sky conditions are less than ideal, you may have better luck if you preheat the water and grain separately, as suggested for pasta. This is especially helpful if the grain is either very slow to tenderize (brown rice, hulled but not pearled barley) or gets mushy easily (quinoa, millet). To learn about using barely-sprouted grains and beans, which take to sun cooking very well, see Sprouting.

General guidelines:

§ After a bit of experience, you’ll see how readily you can adapt your present cooking and baking to solar cooking. Using the solar cooker can actually reduce the total amount of effort in meal preparation. Also cooking outside in the summer allows you to eliminate extra heat in the house. With solar cooking, you start your meals early in the day and then relax. At lunch or later in the afternoon or evening, when you’re tired after a day of work, the sun will have cooked your food.

§ Most food, with the exception of cookies and open-faced cheese sandwiches, are cooked in containers with the lids on. The dark, speckled Graniteware pots are the best for most of the cooking and baking in the solar cooker. (The 9-inch round roaster makes a beautiful round loaf of bread). Be sure to use hot pads when removing the pots from the oven; the pot will be very hot!

§ If this is your first attempt at solar cooking, start with something easy such as chicken, rice, zucchini, or quick bread such as banana bread. Baking potatoes is also easy, but don't wrap them in aluminum foil; just put them in a dark covered pot without adding any water.

Food such as roasts, stews, casseroles, poultry, potatoes, carrots, pot roasts and rice are almost impossible to overcook; therefore, the timing on the food is not critical.

Chicken will still be juicy and will fall of the bone when solar cooked four hours instead of the needed two hours. The major advantage of solar cooking is the flexibility in cooking times. You can remove the food any time after it is done.

In cooking fresh fish, you can judge when the fish is cooked thoroughly when juice begins to drop. If you cook fish on a rack, it is easy to see this change. Then check to see that the fish is cooked to the bone in the thickest part.

For best results, do not overcook the following food: green vegetables, cookies, cakes, and bread.

§ Use dark covered pots or pans with tight fitting lids. With rare exceptions (e.g., cookies) the lid is kept on the pot while cooking. Dark baking pans can be purchased in pairs so one can be turned upside-down for a lid. Secure with binder clips.

§ The golden rule of solar cooking is: GET THE FOOD ON EARLY, AND DON’T WORRY ABOUT OVERCOOKING.

§ You do not need to stir food while cooking. However, it’s OK to check the food if you quickly replace the lid.

§ Place the hard-to-cook or larger quantity items in the back of the cooker where they will receive more direct sun. When using several pots, place the easy-to-cook food in the front of the cooker.

§ The solar oven will be hot! Use potholders when removing lids or pots.

§ To keep the food hot after the sun goes down, add several bricks or heavy stones when you begin cooking. To maximize heat retention, lower the reflective lid onto the glass, and cover the cooker with a blanket.

Many meals may be cooked without refocusing, and you will learn by experience. Just face the cooker so that halfway through the cooking time the sun will be right in front of the cooker with the prop stick casting a shadow on the proper stick holder. With lots of food, or on less than fully sunny days, refocus the oven once or twice.

§ To bake cakes or bread in a solar box cooker, preheat the cooker for at least ½ hour before adding the food.

If you are cooking a large amount of food, it will cook more quickly if distributed between two or three smaller pots instead of one large pot.

§ Several small, uncovered bowls may be placed inside a large covered pot to cook.

Leftovers are easily reheated in the solar cooker.

§ Most recipes take slightly less liquid when cooked in a solar oven.

§ Time for cooking depends on the temperature of the food as it is placed in the oven, as well as the brightness of the day.

§ Allow plenty of time. Foods hold well in the solar oven without scorching or drying out.

§ Focus oven and check food about once an hour when you're just getting started. Later, you'll relax and tend the cooking only once every two or three hours.

§ Most recipes calling for a hiOR_INFemperature will do fine if you give them more time.

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Thursday, 9 May 2013

Vietnam, Hoi An Solar Cooking Recipes

Beef Stew

Easy Baked Beans

Spaghetti and Pasta

Fruits, Vegetables and More

Mild Butter Herb Rice

Solar Oven Recipes:

Wheat Bread

Wheat Bread (continuation)

Easy Chili with Beans

Home made Macaroni and Cheese

Home made Macaroni and Cheese (continuation)

Au gratin Potatoes

Apple Brined Chicken or Turkey

Apple Brined Chicken or Turkey

(Continuation)

Refried Beans Deluxe

Fresh Salsa

Onions (sautéed)

Roast Pork (marinated) (Continuation)

(I let my last roast cook from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and it turned out very moist and succulent. Baked Cinnamon Apples

Serve hot with Ice Cream Gingerbread Cookies

Sopaipilla (Chilean Fry Bread)

Solar Cooking Recipe:

Pumpkin Dessert

Solar Cooking Recipes:

Blueberry Quick Bread

General guidelines: