NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

June 10, 1999

Prairie Fare: A Mixable Feast

I got mixed up the other day. It happened when I was exploring the Internet and clicked on the "mixes" link at the Web site for the Searchable Online Archive of Recipes (http://soar.Berkeley.EDU/recipes/). I was treated to more than 300 recipes for mixes—some dry, some containing various liquids.

Everything from bread mix to cappuccino mix, from salad dressing mixes to homemade Mexican meat mix, from New Orleans Gumbo mix to something called a "Russian Refresher" mix, a tea-like concoction. Many of the recipes were quite interesting while others were somewhat unclear and ... well ... out there.

For instance, there was a recipe for a buttermilk and onion mix that I imagine would make a pretty good salad dressing, except that the recipe didn't include any mention of liquids. It was simply a blend of dry buttermilk powder, onion and garlic powder, dried minced onion, salt (optional), dried parsley and ground pepper. After reading it, I got to thinking that the mix would make a tasty cream cheese spread.

Then there was the recipe for "burger mix," which consisted of garbanzo beans, soybeans, lentils, split peas, brown rice, rolled oats, whole wheat bread crumbs, cornmeal and baking soda. The directions said to whirl these ingredients in a blender until powdery (a noisy process, the directions said, so everything must be raw). To make "burgers," you add 2/3 cup of hot liquid per cup of mix and let the combination sit for 15 minutes before forming into patties and browning. It appears that the hot liquid can be just about anything: water, tomato juice, wine—even barbecue sauce.

While the burger mix recipe may not exactly be your cup of Russian Refresher, the recipe that follows can serve as the base for many tasty, quick—and inexpensive—meals. For example, combine 3 cups of Whole Wheat Master Mix, 1 egg and 1½ cups water and you've got pancake batter, enough for about 15 4-inch griddle cakes.

Whole Wheat Master Mix
Yield: 14 cups

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons baking powder
4½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
1¼ cups nonfat dry milk powder
¼ cup sugar
5 cups all-purpose flour
5 cups whole wheat flour
1 pound margarine

Procedure:
Stir baking powder, salt, cream of tartar, dry and milk and sugar into unsifted flour and mix well. With two knives, a fork or a pastry blender, cut in the margarine until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. (The more finely divided the margarine, the more tender your baked products will be.) Place mix in container with a tight lid and store in the refrigerator for up to three months.

What's Your Take on This, Julie?

Lava lamps, baggy jeans and moss-green furniture are back in style. Even the world of food preparation is going "retro." Make-your-own mixes were popular about 20 years ago, and now they're in focus again on the high-tech Internet freeway. Trendy or not, mixes make sense because they can save you time and money with just a little planning.

Food preparation has become a high-speed endeavor as family structure has changed during the years. More women work outside of the home, and less time is available for food preparation in dual-income households. Americans spend about half of their food dollar on food they eat away from home according to USDA statistics. Americans are also eating on the run. According to another national survey, Americans eat one meal in 10 in their cars.

Food preparation in the home has changed accordingly, but you can still prepare nutritious meals for your family if you streamline food preparation. Start by organizing your kitchen so food, utensils and equipment are arranged conveniently for efficient work. Plan a week's menus in advance, but read recipes ahead of time to be sure you have the ingredients. To reduce costs, try using the grocery store ads as a basis of your menu planning. And keep a note on the refrigerator to jot down items as you need them.

"Speed scratch" is a term that describes combining ready-to-use fresh foods with packaged or processed foods. The result can be homemade items that are nutritious, easy and fast. Whole Wheat Master Mix is a chance to do your own brand of speed scratch food preparation. Without added ingredients, a cup of Master Mix contains about 600 calories, 27 grams of fat and 7 grams of fiber. This fiber-rich mix can be used to make pancakes, dumplings and biscuits in short order.

If you're a dumpling fan, add ¾ cup of milk to 3 cups of mix, stir and drop by tablespoonful over boiling soup or stew to make about 18 dumplings. Simmer for 12 minutes and enjoy. To make six 2-inch biscuits, use 1 cup of the master mix and ¼ cup milk. Mix and knead on a floured surface. Roll, cut and bake 10 minutes in a 450 F oven. Or use the same dough (in appropriate proportions to your family size) to make hot dog wraps, pizza crusts or meat pie crust.

Experiment a little with Whole Wheat Master Mix. If there are children in your home, involve them whenever possible in food preparation. They'll learn about math from the measuring and science from the transformations during baking or cooking. They'll also be more likely to eat the product that they helped prepare.

While you're eating, share some stories about the good old days.

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Sources: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136 and Julie Garden-Robinson (701) 231-7187

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