The Wonder Box Cooker - Peace of Preparedness

The Wonder Box Cooker
peaceofpreparedness.com
For more info: www.ecowonderoven.com
Recipes and instructions originated from a booklet published by Compassion of South Africa in
1978,1979 and 1980. Compassion registered name Wonder Box and the logo of the kneeling
figure. This information may be freely quoted, acknowledgments being made to Compassion
Wonder Boxes work like vacuum flasks. In these days when we are being warned of worldwide
shortages of food and fuel, this wonder box and it's simplicity is designed to keep food at the
temperature needed for cooking. Using very little fuel you only use about 15 minutes of energy
to bring the food to the required temperature and then put it into the Wonder box. It makes it as
though it were a thermos. On the flip side it will also keep ice-cream cold for about 4 hours.
Brief Instructions:
Boil your food on the stove for 10 - 15 minutes until the food is heated right through. (In practice
this is too long.)
Use any cooking pot, provided it does not have a long handle, but do not use a large pot for a
small amount of food. The W'box does not work well if there is a large air space. Remember that
the more food or liquid that you have in the pot, the longer and better it will cook.
Put the lid on the pot before you remove the pot from the stove so the lid can also get hot. Make
sure the nest in the bottom cushion is ready to take the pot and that it is nearby so you do not lose
heat carrying the pot around. Place pot into the nest of the Wonderbox, making sure that the
sides are snug against the pot, so there are no air pockets. Quickly cover the pot with the top
cushion, making sure there are no gaps or air pockets. Make sure that no one peeks inside. If this
happens, heat will escape, and the food will not cook properly.
Do not leave the Wonderbox on a metal surface while it is being used. Metal is a good conductor
of heat and may draw off some heat through the bottom.
When cooking anything like a roast or a whole chicken, the liquid around it can boil before the
meat has reached the same temperature. Make sure the liquid covers the meat and it has come to
a boil. Meat must be covered with liquid! The cooking time seems to be 3-4 hours, or all day. It
is sure to never burn.
Note: We had a chicken that was put in at 9:30 in the morning before church. This single dad
prepared the chicken by placing it into an oven-cooking bag. He added spices to the chicken
closed the bag completely (no added moisture was added to the bag) then brought the pot of
water with the chicken in, to a boil and put it all in to the Wonderbox. We ate with him at
4:00pm and as he tried to carve the chicken that was well cooked; the steam was ‘rolling’ off the
chicken. It was still so hot he worked with forks to carve it. Nb: the opening to the bag was left
protruding from under the lid.
The Wonderbox was designed for cooking meals, but it can also be used for keeping food hot,
cold or frozen for 3-6 hours depending on what it is For example, frozen meat will stay frozen
longer than a tub of ice cream.
The cushions filled with polystyrene can be washed with hot water and soap and hung on the line
to dry.

Wonder Box Recipes
Yogurt
2 cups dry skim milk powder 2 quarts warm water 1/2 C plain yogurt w/active
cultures
Mix well, heat to scald, cool to luke warm. Add 1 cup of yogurt or product saved from this
finished recipe may be used to start a new batch. Refresh monthly with commercial starter. Mix
well, put into a gallon glass jar with a lid and place into the Wonder box. Leave undisturbed for
12-14 hours. It will thicken more after refrigeration. May be used plain or add your favorite fruits
to flavour.
Porridge
2 c quick oats 4 c boiling water salt to taste
Stir oats into boiling water, put lid on and place quickly between cushions of the W’box for 15
minutes or more. Stir before serving
Rice
2 cups rice 3 ½ c of salted boiling water.
Place quickly into W’box, and leave for 40 minutes or longer until ready to eat.
Vegetables
Potatoes or root vegetables may be cooked in their skins. Bring them to a boil in a pot full of
water and place quickly between cushions of the W’box for about twice as long as you would
normally cook them. They may be left all day without overcooking and can be more easily
peeled after cooking
Try waterless cooking by using the crisp kind of bags used for cooking roasts, etc. Submerge the
bag into the water and bring to a boil. The bag should be left with opening protruding out from
under the lid. Place quickly into W’box.
Chicken and other joints of Meat
Place chicken into an Oven cooking bag with desired spices, and close bag. Place in pot of water
with chicken in it bring to a good boil. Quickly place into the W’box and place top cushion on.
Leave alone for at least 3-4 hours.
How to Steam Bake Bread in a Wonderbox Oven
For questions regarding how to steam bake bread or how to use your wonderbox
Please contact me: Noelle Kei,crunchygreenjello@gmail.com
Bread recipe:
4 cups flour (I have used: ½ white - ½ wheat; 3C whole wheat - 1C white
1 tsp salt added 1 cup of warm water 1 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar ¼ cup of warm water
Dissolve salt in 1 c. warm water and yeast and sugar in ¼ c. warm water, then mix all ingredients
together in a bowl until moist (add a little extra water if needed). Knead the dough on a floured
surface for about 10 minutes and transfer dough to *baking container.
There are several different ways to steam bake bread in a wonderbox oven. I have used a cereal
bag with Reynolds bag method, and I have also used mason jars to bake my bread. I will describe
the two methods below.

Cereal bag/Reynolds bag method:
After kneading your bread, place the dough into an oiled (Pam spray) cereal bag (wax paper
like/plastic cereal bag that's the inner lining bag found in a cereal box). Twist the end tight and
secure the bag with either a twist tie, rubber band or hair tie. Place the cereal dough bag into a
Reynolds bag and secure bag shut so that water will not seep into the bag. (If your bag is not
sealed tight enough or cannot withstand the heat of boiling water you will end up with soggy
bread and will have to start over). Carefully place your bag of dough into a pot of warm water
(the same pot you will be placing into your wonderbox) and let it sit there to rise.
When your dough has finished rising, turn your burner (or other heat source) on and boil the bag
of dough for 10 minutes. If your Reynolds bag has expanded too much (making it impossible to
place a lid on the pot) you will have to untie the bag and let out some of the air. Retie the bag and
place the lid on the pot for the last few minutes of cooking so that you can capture the steam and
heat. You may need to keep your hand on the lid to prevent it from opening. I have found that
silicone pot holders work best for helping to secure a lid when you transport your pot from it's
fuel source into the wonderbox. After boiling your dough, place the pot with its lid on,
immediately into the bottom cushion of your wonderbox. Secure your wonderbox top cushion
and let your dough steam bake for approximately 1 hour 45 minutes. No peeking! The bread will
be moist and crust less. Perfect for children who refuse to eat crusted bread. There is no harm in
leaving your bread to steam bake longer. If you forgot the time, or return home later than
planned, your bread will still retain it's moist texture and will not become dry or overdone. That's
the beauty of a wonderbox. It's a very forgiving non-electric slow cooker.
Mason jar method:
I am not a fan of plastic therefore the mason jar method has been my preferred way of steam
baking bread. I have read of others using recycled fruit/vegetable/juice cans but I am not a fan of
BPA lined cans either. I have used half pint/pint size and quart sized WIDE MOUTH mason jars.
Be sure to oil the inside of the jars with either spray Pam or simply wipe the entire inside of the
jars with your choice of oil. After you have kneaded your dough, divide the dough amongst your
jars. To speed up the process of getting your dough to rise, place your jars (no lids) into a stock
pot and carefully add warm water to @1-2 inch below the bottom lip of the jars. If needed, add
an extra jar or glass baby bottle to the pot to prevent your jars from tipping over and ruining your
dough. Place the stock pot lid onto the pot and let your bread rise. When your dough has finished
rising, carefully secure either a canning jar lid, reusable BPA free mason jar plastic cap, or tin
foil with a rubber band placed around the top of your jar. Your goal is to keep moisture and
water out of the jars so that your dough will properly steam bake. Carefully boil your jars for 10
minutes. Be sure to cover your stock pot (or smaller size pot if using smaller sized jars) with the
lid and keep closed for the last few minutes of cooking. When your dough has finished boiling,
carefully move your lidded pot and place it directly into the bottom cushion of your wonderbox.
Cover the pot with the top cushion of your wonderbox and let your dough steam bake for
approximately 1 ½ hours. No peeking! When your bread is finished steam baking carefully
remove jars (they will be hot so either use a silicone pot holder or canning jar lifter) to remove
jars from the stock pot. Remove the lid and turn your jars upside down onto a cooling rack. If
your bread does not slide out easily, use a non-serrated knife or metal frosting spatula to gently
coax your bread out. You will have mini sized loaves of bread perfect for the kids to eat. You
can either slice the bread or just dig in. Enjoy!
I recently read on a blog of someone using an asparagus steamer to steam bake bread. It will hold
two loaves of bread. Follow the same directions as the mason jar method. I would steam bake the
dough for at least 2 hours though. Here is a link to what this blogger used.http://www.williamssonoma.com/products/all-clad-stainless-steel-asparagus-pot/
I am going to research a cheaper,
but similar pot.