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Solar Garlic Mashed Potatoes

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You can make mashed potatoes from baked potatoes, so I decided to try it solar style. I set the potatoes out in the solar cooker and almost immediately the sky clouded over and stayed that way all afternoon. Since I had already washed the potatoes and prepped the garlic head for roasting, I put them all in the oven, covered, at 375F since I was baking this afternoon. In about 50 minutes in the oven the potatoes were VERY soft (very important) and the head of garlic nicely roasted and soft. ROASTED GARLIC INSTRUCTIONS . Check the potatoes with a knife.  I would estimate on a sunny day that the time would be about 2 1/2 hours in the solar cooker.  I use the   All-Season-Solar Cooker by Solcook.    Solar Garlic Mashed Potatoes 2+ lb Yukon Gold Potatoes  1 whole head Garlic 1/2 stick (4 Tablespoons) melted Butter 1/2 cup unsalted or low-sodium Chicken Broth 1/2 cup Heavy Cream OR Half-and-Half OR Evaporated Milk 1 teaspoon Salt Just recently I've decided that using a ricer is the absol
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Solar Stewed Apples

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The day started out a little cloudy so I decided to make something that normally doesn't require much cooking, Stewed Apples. Most of the recipes I checked called for 15-20 minutes cooking time. The sky cleared (mostly) later in the afternoon so it was a go. I use the All-Season-Solar Cooker by Solcook.     Stewed Apples  1 3lb bag of apples, peeled, cored and cut in chunks 2 generous Tablespoons (or more) melted butter 1/4 cup Honey or sweetener of your choice to taste 2 teaspoons of Pumpkin Pie Spice    feel free to sub spices of your choice, I like the combination 2 Tablespoons of All-Purpose flour OR  1 Tablespoon of Gluten-Free flour 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract Peel, core and cut apples into chunks. I put them in a bowl of water with a splash of lime juice to keep them from darkening, but that isn't necessary if you'd rather skip this step.. Place the apples in the pot you've decided to use. I used a 3-quart granite wear pot with lid. Add the rest of the ingredi
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Solar Roasted Vegetables

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I truly love oven-roasted root vegetables and wanted a way to emulate that taste in a solar oven. I'm aware you'll get more of a steamed effect in an-all dark pot in a solar cooker so I tried the bottom of my 3qt granite ware roaster with a glass lid from another pot. Here are about 3 big Yukon Gold potatoes (chunked), 2 onions, about a pound of small-diameter carrots (or split lengthwise to cook more quickly), 6 fat garlic cloves, a heavy sprinkling of Cavender's All Purpose Seasoning and a glug of Olive Oil.  I use the   All-Season-Solar Cooker by Solcook.    Tossed, covered with a glass lid and put between 2 4qt. Pyrex bowls, they were set out and cooked for two hours. By over-cooking a bit, the vegetables had the chance to caramelize and did indeed get that 'roasty' taste. There was about 1/4" of vegetable stock in the bottom which was added to the stock I made gravy with.
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Solar Meatloaf Burgers

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I wanted a meatloaf taste but also wanted quick cooking and a 1/4lb serving size so I found a CLASSIC MEATLOAF RECIPE with oats and made burgers from it. The thinner profile of burgers compared to a loaf made it cook more quickly.  I use the   All-Season-Solar Cooker by Solcook.    1 lb. ground beef 1/2 cup quick oats 1/2 finely chopped onion 1 Tablespoon soy sauce 1 Egg, lightly beaten 2 Clove Garlic, minced or pressed 1/2 Teaspoons Salt 1/4 Teaspoon Black pepper 1/4 cup ketchup, you can use more, it's what I had.  If you don't have quick oats, you can make them by pulsing in a food processer. Mix everything but ketchup well and make 4 burgers. Oil or spray cooking spray on inside of pot. Spread ketchup on top. Place in solar cooker (All Season Solar Cooker) for 1 1/2 hours, check with meat thermometer (should be beef-medium) and add time if necessary. Served with Red Cabbage and Apples, from THIS RECIPE . I cook it until it's good and soft. I did them on the stove becaus
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Solar Keto Cornbread

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I'm allergic to wheat and corn so I'm always looking for sneaky ways to get what I want. I found THIS KETO RECIPE that I love and have made several times. It really tastes like cornbread, has a good crumb and is sweet and bready. What's not to love?  I use the   All-Season-Solar Cooker by Solcook.    Solar Keto Cornbread 2 cups of almond meal 2 teaspoons of baking powder 3 room temperature eggs, beaten 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (I used evaporated milk) 3/4 cup of sour cream (I used plain Greek yogurt) 1 stick of melted butter (1/2 cup) 3 tablespoons sugar substitute (I used sugar) 1 teaspoon of sea salt In a medium bowl combine the almond meal, sugar substitute, salt and baking powder and set aside. In a medium bowl combine the heavy cream, sour cream, and eggs and mix until fully combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and gently stir till fully incorporated. Next, add the melted butter, and stir till mixed. Do not overmix, you want to see some small lu
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Solar Black Bean Soup

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My All Season Solar Cooker (ASSC) arrived earlier than expected, before I had done the shopping, so I searched the pantry and refrigerator for an easy entrée to start with. I found 2 cans of Black Beans I'd been meaning to 'do something with'; a can of HEB's equivalent of Rotel (diced tomatoes and chilis) and odds and ends in the fridge. I searched the web and found THIS SPICY BLACK BEAN SOUP and adapted it to what I had.  I use the   All-Season-Solar Cooker by Solcook.    Black Bean Soup 2 15.5 cans of Black Beans 2 cups Chicken Broth 1 10oz. can of Rotel (or store brand equivalent) 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 onion or 1cup chopped green onion 1/2 cup or 1/2 diced green bell pepper 1 cup diced carrots 1 cup or 3 diced celery stalks 6 fat cloves garlic (or more), minced 1 Tablespoon chili powder I used a the largest Texsport Black Ice pot inside two Pyrex 4qt bowls for this setup. In an hour the inside chamber was reading 225 on the oven thermometer I had put in
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Solar Brown Rice

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The detailed instructions that came with the All Seasons Solar Cooker emphasized that just like any new endeavor, cooking is an acquired skill. Learning solar cooking is no exception, so my first effort was a simple pot of brown rice. The advice I got from several sources was to use less water so I used one cup of rice to 1 1/2 cups of water. The normal ratio is double the amount of water to rice. When I set up the cooker as directed, the temperature started rising immediately. It reached 150F in 10 minutes and over 200 in 20 minutes. From that point I let it cook for an hour and a half total time. As you can see I'm using the ASSC in the low-sun position with the lip hanging over the edge of the table. I started it at 8:30am and adjusted the cooker as the sun rose. I felt that the rice came out a little dry, so before storing in the refrigerator I added water and let it absorb for awhile. It tastes great, just like cooking on the stove
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