Roasted Vegetables

Best part of this recipe (if you can call it that): someone else does the work for you! Frozen vegetables are a great ingredient. They're picked at the peak of freshness, and already trimmed and cut up for you!

• Open a bag of frozen vegetables (almost any variety will work -we like broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots).
• Scatter them on a cookie sheet.
• Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on the vegetables.
• Roast for about an hour at 375 degrees.

You can change up the temperature and cooking time if you're using the oven for something different. It's very loose. Oh, and make extra, it always disappears fast around here! We typically eat 2 "family size" bags for 2 adults and 1 toddler.

Fragrant Sticky Chicken

The original recipe required you to cook this all in a pan, but the chicken was under cooked and the glaze burned. So I played around with it a bit and it worked out pretty well! Really delicious served over brown rice.


1/3 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 T. grated gingerroot
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1/4 c. honey

Combine soy sauce, broth, ginger, and honey. Mix well, then add chicken breasts. Pack into freezer bag and freeze.

To thaw and cook: Thaw chicken in marinade overnight in the refrigerator. Empty bag into baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Once chicken is cooked through, remove from liquid. Pour marinade into small pan and reduce by half. Pour over chicken and serve.

Tomato Paste

This isn't really a recipe, but it's a great utilization of the freezer. You have a recipe that calls for 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. So you buy the tiny little can, but still end up only using a tiny amount of it. You may put the rest in the refrigerator for later, but you'll be hard pressed to use it up before it goes bad.

Measure out the remaining tomato paste in tablespoon sized globs. Flash freeze the globs on wax paper on top of a cookie sheet or big plate. Once frozen, toss the little rounds into a bag. Next time you're cooking and only need a tablespoon or two of tomato paste, just toss them in. No need to defrost; they'll melt as soon as they hit the pot.

Freezing Tips

A lot of people have asked me the best way to freeze certain things. So here are my favorite ways of doing things.

Whenever possible, I like to use freezer bags. Freezer bags work best for things like soups, stews, pasta sauces, mashed potatoes, cooked rice dishes, etc. When preparing, be sure not to overfill the bag. Squeeze the air out of the top as you seal it. When placed flat, it should be no more than a couple inches thick, otherwise freezing and thawing can take a long time. Lay them flat in the freezer (stack them if you need). Then once frozen, you can either leave them stacked, or you can line them up like books on a bookshelf. To defrost throw them in the microwave for about 5 minutes on low, just until the contents can be broken up into big chunks. Then empty into a saucepan and heat slowly. Bags also work well for marinated meats. Put the marinade and meat into the bag, squeeze out the air, and freeze. To thaw, I prefer to put them in the refrigerator the night before since the microwave can cook the edges of the meat. If you forget to pull it out the night before, you can put the bag in a bowl or sink full of cold water.

Flash freezing works well for individual type things such as meatballs, mini-meatloafs, cookies, etc. Place them on a cookie sheet separated by a few inches. Freeze. Then toss into a freezer bag. If you were to throw these into a freezer bag before freezing, they would stick together .

Casseroles are always the most challenging to figure out. Here is what I have discovered works best: line the appropriate baking dish with foil. Leave extra foil hanging over the edge, enough to fold over the top. Fill the dish with your casserole. Fold the foil over the casserole and freeze. Once solid, pop it out of the dish and wrap in a second layer of foil (the two layers help to prevent freezer burn). When you are ready to eat: remove the outer layer of foil and place the casserole back into the same dish that you used when preparing. Put it in the fridge to defrost over night. When ready to cook, remove the top layer of foil and bake. This technique is great because you don't have to lose your dish to the freezer for weeks or months, no buying expensive foil pans, and clean up is a breeze since your dish is lined!

Things like burritos, breakfast sandwiches, and quesadillas do best wrapped individually in foil. These are things that are nice to be able to quickly grab and toss into the microwave. Plastic wrap would work well too, but I loathe plastic wrap. It always sticks to itself and I can't get it apart without a battle. It's just not worth the fight. Just remember to remove the foil before microwaving, unless you are looking for a fireworks show!

Breakfast Burritos

These are great to keep on hand in the freezer. They're very easy to make and super cheap. They also heat up quickly and are easy to eat in the car. I make mine at least 20 at a time, since they always seem to disappear fast. You could also try adding other ingredients like jalapenos, onions, or even hashbrowns.


1lb Sausage
12 Eggs
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Salsa
20 Tortillas

Cook up the sausage
Scramble and cook the eggs
Fill tortillas with sausage, egg, cheese, and salsa. Fold up burrito style.
Wrap in foil
Freeze

To Thaw: Remove foil, microwave 2 minutes.

Asian Peanut Butter Pork

This recipe came from my friend, Amy. YUM! I used boneless pork chops for this instead of tenderloin since they were on sale. The meat was so tender it just fell apart. The next day, I shredded up the leftovers (not hard since it was falling apart already!) and put it on whole wheat buns. It was like an Asian pulled pork sandwich.

1.5-2lbs pork tenderloin
1 onion, sliced in rings
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons water
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts (garnish; optional)
1 lime, cut in wedges (garnish; optional)


Whisk brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, water, garlic, and peanut butter. (Next time I may use the blender since it took a while to get the peanut butter to incorporate. Or you could melt the peanut butter slightly in the microwave)

Put the pork and sauce into a gallon sized freezer bag and freeze flat.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Use a 4-6 quart crock pot. Put onion slices into the bottom of your crock pot. Put the pork on top. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4-6. The pork will be more tender the longer you cook it. 1 hour before serving, flip the meat over in the crock pot to allow the other side to soak up the peanut buttery goodness. Garnish with chopped peanuts, and serve with lime wedges. The lime juice mixed with the peanut butter is delicious.

Macaroni and Cheese

So good! Even better if you add a bag of peas and a couple cups of diced ham (find it in the deli aisle), though Alex prefers it plain. I usually double the recipe, and when I'm mixing together all the different parts, I divide it in half. I add the peas and ham to one half and leave the other half plain. Sometimes I make it in two different pans. Other times, I just put the ham/pea variety on one side of the pan and the plain on the other.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
1 pound elbow macaroni
4 cups coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (about 12 ounces)
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

In a heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat. Add flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes.

Add milk in a stream, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking.

Add mustard, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer sauce, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

In a kettle of salted boiling water cook macaroni until just al dente, about 7 minutes, and drain well.

In a large bowl stir together macaroni, sauce, Cheddar, and 1 cup Parmesan.

In a small bowl stir together bread crumbs and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Freeze at this point: Line 2 9x9 baking dishes with foil, with extra hanging over edges. Transfer macaroni to dishes and sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture. Fold foil over the macaroni. Freeze. Once frozen, remove from dish and wrap in another layer of foil. Label.

To thaw: Remove outer layer of foil. Place into baking dish. Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Remove foil from top of casserole before baking.

Bake macaroni in middle of oven 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.

Blueberry Oat Bars

These are great right out of the freezer! Or you could leave them out on the counter for a little while until they come to room temperature.


1 3/4 cups Quick Cooking oats -- uncooked
1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
3/4 cup Brown sugar -- firmly packed
1/2 cup Chopped nuts (I like slivered almonds)
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt (optional)
3/4 cup Margarine or butter -- melted
2 cups Fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup Granulated sugar
3 tablespoons Water
2 tablespoons Cornstarch
2 teaspoons Lemon juice

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease 9x9-inch glass baking dish.

Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, nuts, baking soda and salt. Add margarine, mixing until crumbly.

Reserve 3/4 cup mixture; press remaining mixture onto bottom of prepared dish. Bake 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine blueberries, granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil, simmer 2 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.

Combine remaining 1 tablespoon water, cornstarch, and lemon juice; mix well. Gradually stir into blueberry mixture; cook and stir about 30 seconds or until thickened.

Spread over partially baked base to within 1/4 inch of edge; sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until topping is golden
brown.

Cool on wire rack; cut into bars. Stack and store in plastic storage container.

Lentil Sausage Soup

One of my absolute favorite comfort foods. Adelaide loves it too, she just shovels it in. The depth of flavors is awesome.


1 pound French green lentils
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups diced yellow onions (3 large)
4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (2 leeks)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 large cloves)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups medium diced celery (8 stalks)
3 cups medium diced carrots (4 to 6 carrots)
3 quarts chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 pound kielbasa, cut in 1/2 lengthwise and sliced 1/3-inch thick
2 tablespoons dry red wine or red wine vinegar

In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onions, leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are translucent and tender.

Add the celery and carrots and saute for another 10 minutes.

Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and drained lentils, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, or until the lentils are cooked through and tender.

Check the seasonings. Add the kielbasa and red wine and simmer until the kielbasa is hot.

Freeze flat in freezer bags.

To thaw: Defrost slightly in microwave. Empty bag into saucepan and heat.

White Chicken Chili

This is absolutely delicious, but watch out: it is seriously spicy! I consider myself to have a pretty high tolerance for heat, and this is spicy for me. The original recipe actually called for twice as much cayenne. Ouch! Feel free to use even less if you prefer things more mild.


1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (4 ounce) can diced jalapeno peppers
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
3 (15 ounce) cans white beans

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, jalapeno, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Freeze flat in freezer bags

To thaw: Defrost slightly in microwave. Empty bag into saucepan and heat over stove.

Serve with shredded cheese (recommended: Monterey Jack).

Shepherd's Pie

This is Alex's favorite freezer staple. I don't think I ever make enough because it's always the first thing eaten every month. Luckily, this recipe easily doubles, triples, even quadruples.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1 rib celery, sliced
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1/4 cup canned low sodium beef broth
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups Mashed Potatoes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, optional

Prepare Mashed Potatoes and freeze in a quart sized freezer bag.

Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, garlic, half the salt, and oregano. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. (Tip: Substitute 1 bag of frozen onion, carrots, and celery for fresh.)

Stir in the tomato paste and cook until mushrooms are soft and tomato paste has turned brick red.

Stir in the meat, the broth, the remaining salt, the Worcestershire, and some pepper, breaking up any large clumps of meat, cook until the meat is no longer pink.

Freeze flat in 1 gallon freezer bag.

Thaw: Overnight in refrigerator or in microwave on low heat.

Transfer the meat and vegetables to a 9x13 dish and spread the mashed potatoes over the top.
Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake until potatoes brown and the juices bubble around the edge, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Honey "Dump" Pork Chops

It really doesn't get much easier than this! Just dump it into a bag and you're finished. You could also use any other cut of pork.


6 boneless pork chops
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 dash pepper

In bowl, mix all ingredients except chops thoroughly.

Place pork chops and marinade mixture in freezer bag.
Seal and freeze flat.
To serve: Thaw completely (either in fridge overnight or in microwave on low for 5 minutes).

Dump chops and marinade in baking dish, bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes, or until meat is 160 degrees in center. Or grill.