Cooking with a Nissan Thermos

[akblack10]

Tropical Storm Isaac has brought clouds to Central Kentucky so my solar cooking plans for this weekend are on hold... <br />fear not, the "Nissan Thermos" to the rescue..... see link below.....<br /><br />http://www.apocketfullofwanderlust.com/2012/09/cooking-in-thermos.html

 

[ice_maiden]

I did some experimentation and a blog post on this a while back. It is really a pretty cool way to cook if your in a limiting situation. Works good with dehydrated foods too

 

[Seraphim]

We've been playing with it as well. Oatmeal and raisins came out great LOL.<br /><br />Dried beans and rice worked...<br /><br />Lentils next.

 

[Bootsand]

That bean concoction looked amazing.&nbsp; Thanks for posting, I MUST look into the possibilities of a thermos!

 

[akblack10]

Seraphim, I forgot to mention I added lentils to my dish today, they were leftover from the Bean Curry dish I made a week ago. &nbsp;They came out great!<br /><br />

 

[Seraphim]

Did they require soaking before you cooked them?

 

[akblack10]

No need to soak lentils before cooking in the Thermos, but dried black beans should be soaked first!<br />-AK

 

[Seraphim]

Thanks. I may be slow, but I'll get there eventually lol. Just made some bean soup with chipotle tomatoes. Spicy.

 

[gypsydreamer]

edited

 

[ice_maiden]

I use a <span id="post_message_1274852019">thermos brand thermos... but I will suggest if you are going to buy one that you get a wide mouth version.... makes them easier to clean... and it have to be the metal kind ... the better the thermos the better this works<br /></span>

 

[akblack10]

A wide mouth thermos will lose heat quicker each time they are opened, but true, they are easier to fill / clean. &nbsp;I own a Nissan, great quality but it's a smaller mouth, my solution is to use a small kitchen funnel to aid in filling! &nbsp;If you get one, get a good quality one that retains heat!<br />-AK

 

[Seraphim]

We have a Thermos brand 40 oz with a wide mouth. We're cooking for two people. You may want a smaller one. A canning funnel fits in perfectly. Once I open it, there's rarely leftovers *grin*

 

[ice_maiden]

Gypsy you can make you own from scratch of course but "Bear Creek" makes some pretty good soup mixes that work well this way... They cost about four dollars a package .... each package makes 4-16oz thermos of soup. Just divide the soup package into 4 equal ziplock bags and you have four lunches or dinners for about a buck each<br /><br />And that 16oz wide mouth is what I have. I always roll mine in a towel and lay it on it's side to cook....that way the heat has a shorter distance to rise.

 

[yesican]

<p>Wonder where I put my thermos...gonna have to try one of these recipes.&nbsp; Rae</p>

 

[akblack10]

One of my favorite recipes is a can of white meat chicken, a can of "Rotel" &nbsp;(tomatoes and habaneros), and a can of black beans. &nbsp;Bring the ingredients to a boil and then place them into the Thermos! &nbsp;Great healthy meal. &nbsp;On Thermos size, remember, even if you travel alone and think you might only need a small 16 oz thermos, I recommend one big enough for two people. &nbsp;That way you can invite someone over to eat and show-off your awesome cooking skills! &nbsp;After a day, if you want to re-heat the meal, simply boil a few cups of water and add to the thermos and there you have it... another tasty meal!<br /><br />

 

[ice_maiden]

Yes I have done pasta in a thermos and with can cheese.... you have easy mac and cheese<br /><br />

 

[Pikachu711]

<p>I never gave much thought to cooking in a thermos much consideration. I'm going to give it a try here at home one day for a hot&nbsp;lunch at work.<br /><br />Thanks for this great tip!</p>

 

[VanFan]

I am a fan of thermos cooking, and a finger wagging busy-body!&nbsp; Please be very careful about maintaining safe food temperatures with leftovers.&nbsp; Food borne illness on the road is no fun!<br /><br />Vickie

 

[josephusminimus]

I'm trying it with black beans and wild rice in a large pump-type motel coffee thermos I bought for $.50 in a thrift shop.&nbsp; Using that thermos [Everest brand] because it's the only one I own with a wide mouth.&nbsp; Tried it in a smaller Thermos brand, old style thermos a few days ago cooking something else after I read the thread, and while the food cooked fine I had a lot of difficulty getting it out of the thermos.&nbsp;

 

[josephusminimus]

I'm bumping this because it's the most useful, cheap and easy cooking technique I've ever seen.&nbsp; I've used it with a variety of thrift store thermos bottles, even a stainless steel [59 cent] coffee pitcher-like affair.&nbsp; Haven't found one yet it didn't work with, and most of these aren't even stainless steel.<br /><br />As nearly as I can figure almost anything can be cooked this way.