Hawaiian Haystacks.

Hawaiian Haystacks

3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup THRIVE freeze dried onions, rehydrated
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups THRIVE freeze dried chicken dices, rehydrated
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth
Cooked rice
Toppings of your choice (olives, tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, green onions, pineapple, mandarin oranges, chow mein noodles, etc.)

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook for about one minute, stirring, until fragrant.
     Sprinkle the flour over the onions and garlic and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for one minute, stirring continuously. Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat. Add the chicken, salt and pepper. Continue simmering, stirring the sauce frequently, until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
     Serve the chicken sauce over rice with toppings of your choice. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Adapted from a recipe found at Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Salsa Verde Tostadas.

I got brave with this recipe and used some TVP. When I opened the can, though, I wasn't too sure about it. I planned on doing a 50/50 mixture but instead used 1 3/4 cups freeze dried chicken and 3/4 cup chicken TVP. You could probably also use freeze dried cheese and beans in this recipe.


I adapted this recipe to our tastes from one found at Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I'm not sure how many servings this recipe is supposed to make. The original recipe called for 4 flour tortillas. We like corn tortillas better and I could have topped probably 10 of those with the amount of chicken mixture the recipe makes. I also adjusted the amount of cheese because we like more cheese than the original recipe used. You may want to adjust the number of tortillas and amount of cheese according to how much you want to pile on your tortillas. Also, the flavor of the chicken or pork will intensify if marinated for a couple hours, not necessary but probably worth it.

Salsa Verde Tostadas

Corn or flour tortillas (4 or more)
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 1/2 cups THRIVE freeze dried chicken or chicken TVP
1 cup green salsa (salsa verde) plus more for serving
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Toppings of your choice (lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, olives, etc.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange tortillas on a baking sheet. Toss cheeses together in a small bowl, then sprinkle evenly over tortillas. Bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.
     Meanwhile, rehydrate chicken. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, salsa verde, cilantro, beans and cumin. Spoon mixture evenly over the tortillas and bake until heated through, about 8 minutes.
     Serve with toppings and additional green salsa.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches


1 1/2 cups THRIVE freeze-dried chicken
1/2 cup THRIVE celery
1/3 cup THRIVE onion
3 cups water
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper

Combine chicken, celery, onion and water in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and simmer until reconstituted (about 10 minutes). Put the mixture in a colander and let the water drain for about 10 minutes. Make sure to get all excess water out. Set aside in the refrigerator until cool.

Combine the cooled chicken mixture with mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon onto bread or crackers.

Sweetened Condensed Milk.

Here is a handy recipe for sweetened condensed milk. Lately I like to drizzle this on fruit (especially strawberries) or make Brazilian Lemonade.

Sweetened Condensed Milk


1 cup THRIVE instant milk
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon THRIVE butter powder
1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Yield: about 1 1/2 cups.


Brazilian Lemonade


4 juicy limes
1 cup sugar
6 cups cold water
6 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. (This step can be done ahead of time.)

Wash limes thoroughly. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths.

Place 1/2 of the limes in a blender and add 1/2 of the sugar water. Place the lid on the blender and pulse 5 times. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you'll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp from the strainer into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk.

Taste test the lemonade. If it is bitter, add some more sugar and maybe a little more sweetened condensed milk. Serve immediately over lots of ice. This does not keep well so you'll want to drink it all right away, which shouldn't be a problem because it's so yummy! Yield: 4 servings.