Favorites from the July 2020 cook!

COVID doesn't have to cramp your cooking style.  Here are our favorite freezer recipes that we made in late july:

Pork apple cheddar burgers: https://tidymom.net/apple-cheddar-pork-burgers/

So, we often do burgers....  formed raw on sprayed cookie sheets.....then store in a gallon zip.  These were SO good.  The cheese oozes out and forms a dark, fried, cheesy skin....  the pork and apple made a nice sweet counterpart to the cheese....  Cooking tip: Cook straight from frozen on low heat and let that cheesy crust develop.  Wait until liquids are oozing through the top of the burger before flipping.

Cajun potato soup:https://12tomatoes.com/slow-cooker-cajun-potato-soup/?utm_source=glp-12t&utm_medium=social-pin&utm_content=link&utm_term=&utm_campaign=slow-cooker-cajun-potato-soup 

The first attempt at this soup didn't turn out well....cut the Old Bay in HALF at LEAST....maybe even start with less and ramp up.  The seasoning is salty as is.   it sounds odd to use shredded hash browns, but this is one of the best comfort foody soups out there.  the spicy sausage is also awesome. Reheats easily....

Pastrami grilled cheese sandwiches

We recently purchased an air fryer and have been making pseudo-grilled cheese sandwiches in the device.....  if you want to do Reuben-style...freeze 3 ounce portions of pastrami or corned beef, freeze tiny "pucks" of sauerkraut (we freeze in mini muffin tin), and use thousand island or make your own....  assemble bread, spread., pastrami, and Swiss cheese on one side....  bread on the other.  Spray exposed side of bread with canola or grapeseed oil.  When the device tells you to flip, spray the other side of the bread slice with oil, assemble sandwich, flip, and spray the bottom of the spread, pastrami, Swiss side with oil.  When done, open, and add sauerkraut.  YUM!

Updated Once a Month (Freezer) Cooking Recipes

So I largely (now) get my recipes from Pinterest, and I can determine if they will work for freezing, or if I need to modify them for freezing.  I created a new board of freezer cooking recipes.  I will be working to update the modifications for using the recipe for freezer cooking in the next few weeks?

https://www.pinterest.com/leannaaker/food-i-ve-made/freezer-cooking-recipes/

Favorite Recipes from the December 2019 Cook

Well, since we're all sort of isolated at home right now, thought I might update the blog with our favorite recipes from our December 2019 cook (which should run out the end of this month.

1).  Kung Pao Chicken (https://thewoksoflife.com/kung-pao-chicken/)

So, it is always amazing when you use authentic spices...how much better a familiar dish can be!  The Sichuan pepper powder really makes this dish. I find myself now searching for recipes that use this spice. 

When we make this to freeze, we mix it together with the rice, although we have also done rice frozen into muffin tins for individual portions, too.  Best tip on the peanuts is to either:  1) freeze the dish and add the peanuts to the Ziploc afterwards to keep them from getting soggy, or 2) don't use raw peanuts and just keep them on hand to add as you reheat.









2). Irish Lamb Stew with Guinness (https://www.cookingcurries.com/irish-lamb-stew-guinness/)


There are a couple of things that puts this recipe on our recipe list every few cooks.  One is that the fire-roasted diced tomatoes add a nice kick (but not too much) to this hearty stew.  The other is that we frequently buy a half or a whole lamb, and you can use the "strange" cuts for the meat for this one (e.g., rib plates, etc.).  We are not fans of very thin soups, but even this thin broth packs such a punch that we don't end up skimping on the stock like we do for some recipes.  Oh yeah, and if you make your own lamb stock, it is even more delicious!  The Guinness adds a nice acid punch.

Reheating this one is a breeze.  Everything stays nice and most, and nothing really overheats or breaks down on the reheat.

Never Too Many Breakfast Ideas

So we've recently made several batches of these homemade breakfast egg muffins (think like the frozen Jimmy Dean ones, but better).

General menu:
18 eggs
2 cups half n half
8 oz. cheddar (I like farmstyle cut cheddar)
meat (a lb. of sausage or bacon or....)
veg (2 green peppers or broccoli, or....)

green onions to top
salt and pepper to taste

Yield: A few more than 24 muffins (use silicone muffin tins)

Assemble:  Liberally spray silicone tins (yes, they're nonstick, but you will have better traction removing your breakfast muffins).  Spread a scant layer of meat on the bottom, followed by scant layer of veggies and cheese.  Pour in a beaten mixture of egg, half n half, and seasoning.  Cover with green onions.  Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Fresh out of the oven bacon, broccoli, and cheddar breakfast muffins

Flash freeze on a cookie sheet and then store in a gallon bag.  Serving:  2 muffins.

Reheat:  1:15 on full power....these reheat really nicely!

Top 10 Freezer Soup Recipes

It is always a good time for soup!

Though almost all soups make good freezer meals, some work better than others.  Potato pieces take a long time to heat, cream-based soups can break, and seafood soups can get over-cooked on re-heat.  Each of these recipes we have had success making and reheating.  In some cases, we have learned how to reheat soups that otherwise would not have done well with freezer cooking.




1) Turkey lima bean stew

This recipe is simple, has very few ingredients, and has awesome comfort-foody character and acid (with the white wine).  The lemon really does make it.  This is one of our go-tos.  If you have a pressure cooker, it won't take as long, or you can just remember to soak the lima beans the night before.  I would recommend not using frozen lima beans.  This is an easy soup to reheat.




2) Spanish chickpea soup

Though I tend to like rich, thick stews, this thinner soup is just delicious.  The saffron really adds a certain something that bumps this soup up.  Again, use dried chickpeas, as the texture of a reconstituted dry bean holds up well to the cook, freeze, and reheat.  Also, this soup brilliantly calls for red potatoes, which are starchier and hold up better in the reheat.  The chorizo provides an awesome heat (we often substitute any spicy sausage).  Reheat at less than 100% to adequately reheat everything without making the potatoes mushy.


3) Creamy Tuscan white bean soup


This soup is vegan, as it uses toasted ground cashews as a creamy base.  If you've never tried this, now may be your time to try a vegan soup, because it is delicious!!!!  The sun-dried tomatoes add that kick of flavor.  Combined with the basil and sage, this feels like awesome Italian comfort food.  Because kale holds up well, this soup reheats nicely.



4)  Wazzu tailgate chili

This is my go-to chili recipe.  Wow! If you're wondering if the jalapeno and habanero are BOTH required, I can just tell you that I've made it without the habanero, and it isn't quite the same.  The beer adds a nice acidity, and the cornmeal thickens it up.  The use of 2 proteins:  beef and pork makes for a nice complexity of flavor. Man, there is a bowl FULL of spices added to this, too.  A killer chili.



5) Caribbean stewed chicken with red beans and rice

This is rich, with chicken thighs as the protein. Put that together with some red beans, and this is SUCH comfort food.  With the ginger, ketchup, and other ingredients, this finishes with such a nice, sweet flavor.  Again, this is a champ for reheating....



6) Chicken and brisket Brunswick stew

This is such an easy recipe, using canned and frozen ingredients, but man is it packed with flavor.  I don't know what it is about corn in soup, but the combo of the meaty brisket and corn makes this recipe.  I'm always a fan of a couple of proteins (chicken and brisket/beef) in recipes, and this one doesn't disappoint.




7) Lasagna soup

OK, maybe you might think this is a little too much of a gimmick, but you feel like you are eating a lasagna as a soup.  Italian sausage and tomatoes, yum.  The recipe refers to a "cheesy yum"....freeze this in ice cube trays and put a cube on the bottom of your soup (or the top) when you reheat it in the microwave.  Delicious!






8) Chickpea with basil pesto soup
I'm not sure what it is, maybe the celery combined with the punch of pesto?  You can be as lazy (purchasing pre-made pesto and freezing it in ice cube trays) or as adventurous (make your pesto and freeze it) as you like.  As with the other suggestions, use dried chickpeas rather than canned.  You'll be far happier with the texture after cooking and reheating.  The pesto provides such a nice brightness.


9) Colorado green chili

Can you say "charred chilis?" Oh my word, that is what makes this soup.  Char them on your gas stove or grill, remove the skin, and relax into a killer soup. Hunks of pork make this a robust chili.  You'll feel like you're eating in New Mexico.  The masa harina (a corn flour) thickens this up nicely.  An easy reheat, with nothing to baby along the way.



10)  Bacon, shrimp, and corn chowder

Worried about reheating shrimp?  You have a couple of options...  Buy precooked shrimp and add at the tail end of reheating.  Alternatively?  Reheat at 50 or 40% in 2-3 minute increments and stir.  This chowder has a lovely seasoning with the bacon, and like many good soups, a portion of the soup is blended for thickness.

Creating a Shopping List Part 2: Logistics of Organizing the List

After you have maximized ingredients, storage tools, and money, you need to actually make the list and go shopping.  In this post, I will talk about how I make the shopping list.

Step 1: List Recipes, Scaling, and Servings
The first thing to do is to put the name of the recipe, how much you want to scale it, and the number of servings.  I try to scale recipes to hit 8-16 servings, depending on freezer space.  Determining the number of servings up front also helps me figure out how many dishes I might need.  For example, in the list below, I am making 16 servings of lasagna (8 dishes for the 2 of us) and tamale pie (I am doubling it, and the recipe doesn't state servings but I know I have at least 16 dishes, so I am good there.) Also, notice the spicy tuna salad wrap ( x 12!!!!).  The recipe was for a single portion, and I want several.

The list with recipes, scaling, and expected number of servings

Step 2:  Paste in recipes and scale appropriately.  Paste in the recipe and double or triple as you determined.

Step 3:  Combine the elements while rearranging for how you shop at the grocery.

So once you have pasted your 12-15 recipes and their ingredients, you'll have a lot of duplication.  For example, you'll have 2 cups of chicken broth in 6 different places in 6 different recipes.  While condensing, I also organize the list by categories based on how I shop at the grocery.  The categories are:  1) produce, 2) pantry, 3) meat, 4) cheese and dairy, 5) frozen, and 6) spices.  I usually shop in this order upon entering the grocery.  Here is the sample meat list from a recent list:

You'll notice I refer to "bags" of chicken thighs.  These are huge bags from Costco.

When you combine, you may end up with odd quantities.  For example, when combining multiple recipes, you may end up with "32 tablespoons" of something.  I find this chart useful for scaling:

Step 4:  Check your list with your pantry items.

This is the fun part.  Take your computer to your spice rack/drawer, pantry, and freezer, and eliminate items.  Note that you can only do this once you know how much of an ingredient you need. 

Step 5:  Highlight ingredients you might be able to find at specialty stores.

Highlight any ingredients that you think you can purchase at places other than the grocery, either to save money or because they are specialty items (e.g., at Asian markets, Costco, Cash n Carry).

Below is a part of my list (the pantry portion) with the item highlighted that I would expect to get at Costco.

Pantry portion of list with items highlighted that could be purchased at specialty markets.

Step 6: Shop!  I usually shop in this order:  Produce at the Asian market, Costco, Cash n Carry, and then home to drop off.  I do the grocery last because then I know what I was able to get and not get.  Invariably, there is some item that eludes shopping (e.g., pomegranate seeds, kaffir lime leaves, harissa etc.).  At least you can get cooking while you hunt down the item or order it off of Amazon prime.

Remember, when shopping, it is OK to go over on ingredients, because these can either:  be frozen or go into a stone soup at the end.  For example, if you have 1/2 lb. too much meat, and 1/2 can too much tomato paste, that is a happy accident.

Happy list-making and shopping!

Breakfast, Breakfast, Breakfast!

Don't forget the most awesome meal of the day when thinking about your freezer cooking:  BREAKFAST!  Once a month cooking works great for a number of breakfast foods, and because we're often in a hurry in the morning, having good food ready to warm up from the freezer makes the meal that much easier.

So this post will cover five of our breakfast staples:

• Breakfast sandwiches
• Breakfast burritos
• Bacon cheddar scones
• Baked Oatmeal bars (veggie)
• Cashew-ginger granola (veggie)

So you may notice that I don't link to a recipe for some of the foods.  That is largely because what you use for these is largely your choice.  Let's start with those first, and I'll share with you what I typically use.

Breakfast sandwiches
These are SUPER easy, and based off of the following recipe: http://www.homebeccanomics.com/2011/09/14/make-ahead-and-freeze-breakfast-sandwiches/

Here's what I use:

12 English muffins
12 Slices of cheese (your choice..we like pepperjack)
12 eggs
12 slices of meat (such as ham, turkey, bacon, or sausage patties)

Assemble the sandwiches minus the eggs.  Assemble them on paper towels, as this is how you will freeze and reheat them.

Partially assembled sandwiches, minus the eggs.

For the eggs, work with them 4 at a time.  Lightly scramble the eggs with a little salt and pepper.

Working with 4 eggs at a time.

Put them in a hot, smallish pan.  (While you're waiting for them to cook, crack 4 more eggs). Wait until the whites have start to set on the top, then slice the eggs into quarters and flip them.  Cook for maybe one more minute (you can peek under the eggs with a spatula to see if they're done.

See the whites just starting to set on top?

This is after I sliced the eggs into quarters and flipped them.

Assemble the eggs into your sandwiches, then wrap them up in a paper towel and put them in gallon ziploc bags.  To reheat, place the paper towel covered sandwich in the microwave for about 1:20. The paper towel keeps in the moisture, and even the egg reheats nicely. :-)

Sandwich assembly with eggs on top.

Sandwich all snug in its blanket, awaiting reheating. :-)

Breakfast burritos


For our typical breakfast burritos, here is what we use:

12 eggs
1 bag of frozen, cubed hash browns (I like the O'Brien kind with peppers and onions)
1 lb. of chorizo sausage
couple of handfuls of cheese (sharp cheddar is nice)
12 large tortillas (love the sun-dried tomato wraps).

Directions are really simple...  cook the hash browns until ALMOST done...add the chorizo and cook it until done.  Add in the eggs, scrambling until they appear set...then throw in a few handfuls of cheese.

We assemble these by laying out the tortillas in between aluminum foil sheets you can get at Costco or other restaurant supply places.

Aluminum foil sheets will save you a ton of time!

Stacks of tortillas alternated with aluminum foil.

Put about half a cup of filling onto one of the tortillas, wrap 'em up, and then stick the wrapped burritos right back into the tortilla bag!

Use about a half cup of breakfast burrito filling per large wrap.

Put the wrapped burritos right back into the tortilla bag! 

Reheating burritos is easy, but does require a few tricks.  First of all, learn about the power settings on your microwave.  I find that if I do 1:30 on 50% power and then flip the burrito over and do another 1:30 on the other side, I have a nicely reheated burrito.  The reason I don't do full power is that the tortilla either petrifies to the plate, or the loose end of the tortilla gets too chewy.  Also, reheat the burrito with the loose end on top first, then flip it over.  Otherwise, the loose end gets twice the heating down next to the plate as it flops open. :-)

Bacon Cheddar Scones

If you've never made scones, you're missing out, and they're super easy to do.  Furthermore, you can make sweet or savory scones.  

A foolproof recipe can be found here: http://www.annies-eats.com/2010/04/08/bacon-cheddar-scones/

Let me walk you through a few pointers.  First of all: BACON.  It's tasty, and...it's messy.  If you've never baked your bacon in the oven, man, you are missing out on a way to make bacon cooking pleasant.  Cover some rimmed cookie sheets with heavy duty aluminum foil (makes cleanup far easier).....lay out your bacon, and cook on 400 for about 20-25 minutes.

So much easier to cook large amounts of bacon for freezer cooking!

Next, the scone dough: If you are using a stand mixer, the buttermilk step can be tricky if you don't know what you're looking for.  Too much buttermilk isn't a disaster, but you'll end with denser muffins rather than fluffier scones.  Pour a little bit of buttermilk in at a time until the dough pulls away from the side of the mixer bowl.  There should be very few loose crumbs in the bottom, but a few is ok.  Also, the dough really shouldn't stick much to your hands. 

Scone dough should just barely pull away from the side of the mixer bowl.  

Flour a clean countertop, lay your dough out, and form it into a nice circle shape by smushing it flat, and pressing against the outside edge to form the circle.  Then use a knife to cut 8 equal portions.

Scones!!!

Lay your scones on a cookie sheet, and do a quick egg wash with one egg and a few tablespoons of water.  This will help them brown on the top.

Check out those finished scones!

To reheat these, just one minute on high power (maybe a little more depending on your microwave).  Delicious!


Baked Oatmeal Bars
So where are the sweet recipes you say?  I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but these are the perfect amount of sweet and hearty.

Here is the recipe: http://www.the36thavenue.com/baked-oatmeal-bars/#_a5y_p=3535998

The recipe tells you most of what you need to know.  Do spray the baking dish with canola oil....otherwise it is quite the mess.  I get 16 bars out of this recipe!

Melty chocolate chips on top.  Gooey oats.  Yum.

Cut into about 16 pieces and wrap in foil!

Cashew Ginger Granola
If you have never made your own granola--it's fun, easy, and you can include all of the things you like.   This is one of my favorite recipes:  http://www.marthastewart.com/344897/cashew-ginger-granola

Follow the directions and spread the goo out on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.  Then bake until it looks golden brown.  When you take it out of the oven is when you add the ginger:

Before.....

After, mixed with the candied ginger.

 You can store this in an airtight container, or if you want to make a large batch....freeze it!

Granola, ready for breakfast.

There are a number of breakfast recipes we like....  more can be found on the recipe page.