Ingredients: 1 cup brown lentils, picked over and rinsed if needed (lentils that come in a package often don't need to be rinsed) 1 large onion, chopped small 2 tsp. minced garlic (or more) 1 cup + 2 T vegetable stock or broth (canned vegetable broth is fine here) 1 bay leaf 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper 1/2 tsp. Greek oregano 1 tsp. Greek Seasoning* 1 can (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes, drained and slightly mashed 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped 3/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese (I used a full cup)
Instructions: Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Use a 3 quart casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid. Combine lentils, chopped onion, minced garlic, vegetable broth, bay leaf, black pepper, Greek oregano, and Greek seasoning in the casserole dish and bake covered for 45 minutes.
While lentils bake, drain the tomatoes and mash gently inside the can with a fork. Cut seeds out of the bell peppers and finely chop, and crumble enough Feta to make 3/4 cup.
After 45 minutes, take lentils out of the oven, stir in the crushed tomatoes, put the lid back on and bake for 15 minutes more. Then take out again, gently mix in the finely chopped bell pepper and 2/3 of the Feta. Crumble the rest of the Feta over the top and bake 15-20 minutes more, or until the Feta is starting to melt and get lightly browned. Serve hot.
From frozen: I mixed in the bell peppers and feta and did not bake the last 15-20 minutes as indicated in the recipe, so you can do that after thawing. This was at the suggestion of the person who wrote the blog. ENJOY! We really liked it!
*I made my own Greek seasoning from this Taste of Home recipe:
Ingredients
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/4 teaspoon dried minced garlic
Breakfast Burritos! Borrowed from www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com:
"Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 2 cups of cubed potatoes {I used red, blue & white} 4-8 sliced of cooked bacon, chopped {depends on how bacony you like it} 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 8 eggs 1/2 cup cheese of choice 8 tortillas
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the peppers until slightly charred, about 7 minutes. Add potatoes, bacon and red pepper flakes and cook until the potatoes are soft. Season with salt and pepper and remove from pan.
Whisk together the eggs in separate bowl. Reheat the skillet over a medium heat {add a touch more olive oil to the pan if desired}. Add eggs, scrambling until cooked through.
Set up an assembly line and fill tortillas with eggs, potato mixture & cheese. Roll up burrito-style and cool in the refrigerator. When cool, wrap each burrito in plastic wrap and place in a heavy duty Ziploc freezer bag. Freeze.
To heat, unwrap the burrito and place on paper towel. Microwave on high for one to two minutes until the cheese is melted and the burrito is hot. Enjoy!"
Guest recipe by Stephanie Brandt Cornais *Note this recipe makes two complete meals/bags
Ingredients
2 pork roasts, left whole
12 ounce package fresh cranberries or 2 jars (cans have BPA in them) of whole cranberries
1 cup peeled and sliced (or minced) fresh ginger
2 tablespoons rapadura sugar (or honey or maple syrup)
2 tablespoons of quick cooking tapioca (or some other thickening agent like whole-wheat flour or arrowroot powder)
Instructions
Label 2 one-gallon freezer bags.
After chopping, evenly divide all ingredients into the two bags and lay flat in the freezer.
Day of cooking:
Pull one bag from the freezer and lay it on the counter for several
minutes to slightly thaw. Peel away the bag, dump the contents into your
slow cooker along with ½ cup of filtered water, and cook on low for 4
to 6 hours, or until fully cooked.
Remember each slow cooker is different, so the first time you make a
recipe, really watch it closely so you don’t over or under cook the
dish.
Serve with
broccoli sautéed in butter. I cook frozen broccoli this way – no need to
thaw, just dump frozen broccoli into a hot pan with hot butter and it
is delicious.
----My own comments: Having made and eaten this meal this past week, I have to say again, as with other recipes I have used from Stephanie Cornais, this recipe seriously lacked in an edible flavor as written. (I just keep hoping that they will be good because they look and sound so healthy...!) I admit I was suspicious as there are literally only 5 ingredients to this meal (and none of them contained sodium), so I tasted the "sauce"that came out of the crockpot. It was queer, and that's the only way I can describe it. I added both salt and sugar, probably a teaspoon of each, and this helped a lot-- so that I could actually put it in front of my family with any hopes of them eating it! I did not serve this with the ginger pieces, as pictured above, as they are very strong. My sauce also looked nothing like the one pictured above! I think you'd need to stir and break up a lot of the berries first, and add a lot more tapioca or flour than the recipe calls for. So, in short, if you don't expect it to look like the picture above, add at least 1 tsp salt and 1-2 tsp sugar to the list of ingredients, you won't be as disappointed. Oh, I also left it on lo all day-- from 9am to 5 pm-- and it was cooked well.
Good luck! And let me know what you do to this recipe to improve it, if anything.
Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground lamb
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 small onion, minced
2 Tbsp minced parsley
2 Tbsp minced cilantro
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium russet potato, diced into 1/4-in cubes
1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted
1 egg, beaten and seasoned with 3/4 Tbsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
3 (9-in) refrigerated pie shells or 2 lbs pizza dough
Egg wash (an egg beaten with 1 tsp water)
1. In a large, nonstick skillet over hi heat, saute the lamb until it's no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Pour away the rendered fat, then add broth, all spices, onion, herbs, ginger, garlic and potato. Simmer until potato is cooked through, about 10-12 min. Remove the pan from heat and stir in peas. Spread mixture on a baking sheet and let it cool for 20 min. Stir in seasoned egg until blended. 2. Heat oven to 375. Cut pie or pizza dough into twelve 6-in rounds. (I find I can only get 9 out of the 3 pizza crusts.) Divide the filling evenly among the dough portions (about 1/3 cup per pie), making a mound in the center of each round. Brush the edges with the egg wash, then fold each pie in half and crimp the edges. 3. Place the pies on a greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with the remaining egg wash and make a 1/2-in-long slit in the top of each one. Bake the pies until they're golden brown, about 20-25 min. Serve with your favorite mint or fruit chutney.
Make-ahead tip: To save your pies for another meal, freeze them unbaked on a cookie sheet, then bag them up. Bake them as instructed in step 3, adding 10 extra minutes. (FYI, I've found that baking them from frozen does not actually require any extra oven time. When I add 10 extra minutes, they come out burned.)
Saturday, November 16, 2013
"The Best Vegetarian Chili in the World" (from allrecipes.com)
made this week by Kristin Fox
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon salt
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile
peppers, drained
2 (12 ounce) packages vegetarian burger
crumbles
3 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled
tomatoes, crushed
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans,
drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn
DIRECTIONS:
1.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and season with bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender, then mix in the celery, green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and green chile peppers. When vegetables are heated through, mix in the vegetarian burger crumbles. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 5 minutes.
2.
Mix the tomatoes into the pot. Season chili with chili powder and pepper. Stir in the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the corn, and continue cooking 5 minutes before serving.
Hey ladies! This month I thought we could all get cozy with some warm rolls and hot soup! The rolls are baked a little in advance so you only have to pop them in the oven for a bit right out of the freezer. The soup recipe is one that came from a sweet friend of mine from medical school, Julie Jensen. She brought this lovely soup to us when we had just had Lincoln. I had never cared for split pea soup until this recipe. I hope you find it equally satisfying!
Taste of Home Freeze & Bake Rolls
Recipe Yield: 48 rolls
Ingredients
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast (or about 5 tsp.)
1-1/2 cups warm water (110° to 115°)
2 teaspoons plus 1/2 cup sugar, divided
1-1/2 cups warm milk (110° to 115°)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 teaspoons salt
7-1/2 to 8-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Butter, melted
Directions
In a large bowl,
dissolve yeast in water. Add 2 teaspoons sugar; let stand for 5 minutes.
Add milk, oil, salt and remaining sugar. Stir in enough flour to form a
stiff dough.
Turn out onto a
floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise
in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.
Punch dough
down; turn onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into four portions.
Cover three portions with plastic wrap. Divide one portion into 12
balls. To form knots, roll each ball into a 10-in. rope; tie into a knot
and pinch ends together. Repeat with remaining dough.
Place dough
knots 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets; brush with melted butter.
Cover and let rise until doubled, about 20-30 minutes.
To serve
immediately, bake at 375° for 15-18 minutes. To freeze for later use,
partially bake at 300° for 15 minutes. Allow to cool; freeze. Reheat
frozen rolls at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until browned.Yield: 4 dozen.
3 carrots, sliced (I actually used parsnips instead since I had them on hand)
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery with leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. fresh black pepper
1 1/2 quarts hot water (I adjusted this to 1 1/4 because after the first batch I found it a bit watery)
2 - 14 oz cans chicken broth (I used fat free)
Directions
Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given in ingredient list
Finish
by pouring in water and chicken broth. Do not stir.
Cover and cook on low for
5-6 hours or until vegetables are soft.
Remove bay leaf.
Mash peas
to thicken soup, if desired.
If you want to freeze any, cool completely and then freeze in freezer bags.
To serve after frozen, thaw completely and reheat on the stovetop! This one
freezes REALLY well.
Nutritional information: Per 1 cup serving: Calories 133; Total Fat 5.3g;
Cholesterol 14mg; Sodium 1465mg; Total Carbohydrates 10g; Dietary Fiber 0g;
Protein 9g.
Hello Ladies!
I am sorry to announce that I will not be able to participate in the meal swaps for a little while. We really have to tighten our budget so we can make it through Thanksgiving and be able to get our children Christmas gifts. I won't be able to participate for a while, but strictly for financial reasons.
We have truly enjoyed all of the wonderful meals so far, and all of the effort that has gone into them!
Thanks for sharing your talent and friendships with me! What a wonderful group of women!!! :0) (and such good cooks too!)
Thanks again, and HAPPY HOLIDAYS to you and your families!
Ellen Ashton
P.S. I can give back the Tupperware that I have too. ;0)
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Curried Coconut Chicken
This recipe is super easy to make, and is delicious over basmati rice. You can add plain yogurt or mix up some Indian "raita" to cool things off if you want. I have not reheated it from frozen, but it is one of our favorite dishes around my house so I am excited to share it with you.
Some modifications that I made were using 2.5 tablespoons of curry powder rather than just 2 and using creamy marinara sauce (can mix alfredo and marinara if you want) rather than straight-up red sauce.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Happy Fall Time Everyone!
I am so excited about this food swap. Everyone's food looks great! I just wanted to post this link about the homemade stir-fry I made. The recipe online is really just for two servings so I tripled the size so that it should serve a family of 6. (The sauce packet looks really small, but I made the meal for my family tonight, and that little bit of sauce goes a long way! I also cooked with just a little bit of sesame oil with the canola oil when I fried up all of the ingredients and my family thought it was a hit!) So,... the proportions should be for each kit: 3 cups rice already cooked, 1/2 cup sauce, 1 lb. chicken, ( I didn't triple the chicken, because I thought 3 lbs. of chicken was a little excessive) and a mixture of vegetables all the same portions as everyone else. I hope you enjoy! :0) The link to the recipe is: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-prepare-your-own-frozen-stirfry-dinners-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-193932 This was made by Emma Christensen, and I thought it was a great idea! I actually bought some nice stir fry sauce at the store and compared it to the homemade sauce, and this sauce wins hands-down. Nothing beats homemade!!!
Here are the instructions for cooking the meal from the freezer to the wok: It's time to wok and roll!
To Heat Up & Serve the Frozen Stir-Fry Meal
Defrost Sauce: Remove the stir-fry dinner from the freezer. Place the sauce in a bowl of hot tap water to thaw.
Heat Rice: Transfer the rice to a microwave-safe container, cover loosely, and heat for 2 minutes. If not fully warmed, continue heating in 30 second bursts until warm. Keep covered and set aside. Alternatively, the frozen rice can be added to the skillet with the vegetables.
Cook the Chicken: Warm 2 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet (like a cast-iron skillet) or a wok over medium-high heat. When the oil is warm, add the frozen chicken. Spread the chicken into a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken develops golden spots and is warmed through, 4 to 6 minutes.
Add the Vegetables: Add the frozen vegetables to the skillet with the chicken. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are hot and crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
Mix with the Sauce: Pour the warmed sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Stir until the sauce is thickened and coats all the ingredients, about 1 minute.
Serve: Serve the stir-fry over rice. Leftovers will keep refrigerated for up to a week.
Thanks ladies for your hard work in preparing your meals too!
12 ounces farfalle pasta (I used rotini)
1 pound broccoli florets, frozen or fresh
3 large ripe tomatoes, divided
3/4 pound onion, diced (I sauteed these ahead of time so they wouldn't be crunchy)
4 garlic cloves, very finely minced
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
3/4 cup chopped basil leaves, divided
1/2 pound fresh full-fat mozzarella, divided
3 large eggs
1 cup cottage cheese (4% milkfat or greater)
1 lemon, juiced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan, divided
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Heat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish
with olive oil. Heat a large pot of water to boiling and salt
generously. Add the farfalle and cook for 11 minutes or until barely al
dente. Drain and return to the pot.
Steam the broccoli in the microwave or in a steamer basket on the
stovetop, just until tender. Drain thoroughly and chop roughly into
bite-sized florets. Toss with the cooked pasta. Chop two of the tomatoes
into rough pieces, and add them to the pasta. Stir in the chopped onion
and minced garlic, along with the drained chickpeas, and 1/2 cup of the
chopped basil. Tear about 2/3 of the fresh mozzarella into
thumbnail-sized chunks and fold this into the pasta mixture.
Whisk the eggs with the cottage cheese and lemon juice. Stir in 1/2
cup of Parmesan. Stir this liquid into the pasta mixture until well
combined. Stir in the salt and pepper.
Spread the pasta in the prepared baking dish. Slice the remaining
tomato into half-moons and arrange on top of the pasta. Tear the rest of
the mozarella into bits and scatter between the rows of tomato slices.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese on top, and drizzle
with olive oil.
Bake for 35 minutes or until the cheese on top has melted and the
casserole is bubbling. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the
remaining chopped basil over top. Let stand for a few more minutes
before serving.
I haven't cooked this from frozen, but we did eat it the day I assembled these. It was good, but the pasta is a bit overcooked! SORRY! I also read a lot of reviews on the website and decided to saute the onions ahead of time so as not to be eating them crunchy. All the veggies I used were from our local farmshare or from our very own little garden! Next time I'd add more tomatoes. Enjoy!
Rigatoni with Sausage, Pumpkin, and Tomato Sauce (Rachael Ray)
Serves 6
salt and pepper
1 lb. rigatoni
1 cup chicken stock
generous pinch of saffron (20-24 threads)
2 tbls. EVOO
1 lb. sweet or hot sausage (I used sweet since I'm not a fan of spicy foods)
1 lb. pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into small dice (I used half butternut, half squash for variety but won't do that again because the pumpkin cooked faster than the butternut so it's a bit mushy - sorry about that!)
1 onion chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (I used minced)
1 fresno chile pepper, thinly sliced, or 1 tsp. crushed red pepper (I used 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper instead, because I didn't want it to be spicy - I figured people who like spice could always add spice, but you can't take spice out!)
1 can (28-32 oz) san marzano tomatoes (I only used half a can per recipe, because it seemed like a lot of tomatoes!)
grated pecorino-romano, served at the table
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
While the pasta is working, in a small saucepan, heat the stock and saffron. Keep warm.
In a large skillet, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Crumble in the sausage and cook until browned. Add the pumpkin (or squash), onion, garlic, and chile; season with salt and pepper. Partially cover and cook for 7 minutes. Stir in the saffron stock and tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced, 15 minutes.
Add the pasta and reserved cooking water to the sauce and toss. Serve in bowls and top with the cheese.
For the freezer meals: I have never frozen this before, but a website I looked at had a very similar meal listed as a successful freezer meal, so I'm hoping it works! I tried to cook the noodles a bit less than it called for because I've heard they can get a bit soggy - so I am hoping the noodles hold up! Everything is cooked, so the meal will only need to be reheated. You can either pop it in the oven and bake it, or drop it in a pan on the stove. Enjoy!
Mix 2-1/2 cups mozzarella, ricotta cheese, spices and egg until well blended; set aside.
Drain
meat; return to skillet. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Add 1 cup water to
empty sauce jar; cover with lid and shake well. Add to meat mixture;
stir until well blended. Spread 1 cup meat sauce onto bottom of
13x9-inch baking dish; top with layers of 3 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the
ricotta cheese mixture and 1 cup meat sauce. Repeat layers twice. Top
with remaining noodles, meat sauce and cheeses. Cover with foil sprayed
with cooking spray.
Bake
1 lasagna right away for 1 hour or until heated through, removing foil
after 45 min. Let stand 15 min. before cutting to serve. Serve that
night.
Cover
the second lasagna with plastic wrap and then foil and put in your
freezer. To prepare after freezing let thaw and cook for 1 hour or cook
from frozen for 1.5 - 2 hours.
TIP:
We added extra water to the sauce so we would not have to cook the
noodles and the extra water would allow them to cook while baking. My
picture shows pre-coooked noodles because I forgot about this tip the
day I made these.
I made some substitutions. I used turkey Italian sausage as
well as beef, but not a full 3 lbs for a single recipe (I tripled).
Instead, I probably had about 1 part beef to 1 part turkey sausage to 1
part random veggies that I had in my fridge...what did I put in there? I
don't remember...chard, leeks, maybe some zuchinni? I can't remember.
Pregnant brain. I also
did half mozzarella and half parmesan. Enjoy!!
Classic Beef Stroganoff
Adapted from the Friendship, Life and Style Blog
http://friendshiplifeandstyle.blogspot.com/
3 pounds beef sirloin steak, sliced ½ inch thick (I used ground beef)
16 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms (4 cups)
3 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup butter
3 cups beef broth
1 tsp salt
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ cup flour
3 cups light sour cream
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped fine (I used dried parsley)
Egg noodles
1.Cut beef
across grain into about 1 ½ x ½ inch strips.
2.Cook mushrooms, onions and garlic in butter in
large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender;
remove from skillet.
3.Cook beef in same skillet until brown.Stir in half the broth, the salt and
Worcestershire sauce.Heat to boiling;
reduce heat.Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
4.Stir remaining broth into flour; stir into beef
mixture.Add onion mixture and heat to
boiling, stirring constantly.Boil and
stir 1 minute.Stir in sour cream and
parsley – do not boil. (Parsley may be added fresh when serving, but then you have to be sure to have it on hand).
For
freezer storage:Let cool slightly.Label quart sized freezer bags with recipe
name and date.Using ladle, spoon into
freezer storage bags.When cooled, lay
flat in freezer.
When
ready to eat, thaw ahead and heat in skillet (do not boil), or thaw slightly in
microwave first.Cook egg noodles
according to package directions.Serve
over hot noodles.
1 lb ground beef (you could also use ground turkey)
1 onion, diced
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup ketchup or chili sauce
1/4 cup water
1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans
1 packet chili seasoning mix
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon sugar
Directions:
Brown ground beef with chopped onion.
While they are browning, combine all other ingredients in resealable
gallon-sized freezer bag. When the browned hamburger and onion has
cooled down, add it to the rest of the ingredients in the freezer bag
and zip closed.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 7-8 hours. Top with shredded cheese and crackers or Frito's corn chips.
Divide everything into two separate one gallon freezer bags, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freeze
To
cook, take out of freezer and set on counter for about 30 minutes, then
dump contents of bag into slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours, or low
for 8 hours
If
you want, you can add 1/2 cup of chicken stock to have more sauce, but
the liquid from the frozen meat and vegetables melting should give you
enough liquid to work with
Every slow cooker is different, so just watch yours the first time you make it.
Extra tips:
I have to tell you, I was so excited to try this recipe out. The ingredients are 'whole foods', the food in the bags was so beautiful... it had to be good, right? Well, I was disappointed that it was bland -- it definitely would have beenbetter with about 1 teaspoon salt added. Maybe it was the lo-sodium chicken stock I used? And when we made it, I forgot to add the garnish at the end, so maybe that would have helped. Anyway, I will try others of her recipes in the future because I like the idea of using minimally processed foods.
The other thing I didn't realize until looking into making swap meal #3, was that recipes from mamaandbabylove are meant to make 12 servings! No wonder she said to divide it up into 2 bags! And no wonder it easily fed my family of 2 adults and 3 kids + 4 adults we had for company + leftovers! Keep this in mind if you use her recipes in the future!
This is why I say I'm still getting the hang of this serving-size thing. The sixsistersstuff site doesn't mention how many servings their recipes make (and I haven't made my own chili yet, so I still don't know from experience...), so that is a fore-warning for swap #3 recipe from me (beef stew): I hope it makes at least 6 servings!Everytime I just follow a recipe it has been a stab in the dark as to the serving sizes, so this is my official and last apology for the craziness of my meal sizes!
OK! That's it!
Hearty Beef Stew
(from Sixsistersstuff.com, or http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/09/slow-cooker-freezer-meals-make-8-meals.html)
Ingredients:
1 pound beef stew cubes
4 carrots, sliced
4 red potatoes, cut into large cubes
1 package dry onion soup mix
2 cans 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup (I used 1 reduced sodium, 1 reg sodium)
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (10 oz) package frozen green peas
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. Mix together and zip bag closed. When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on LOW for 7-10 hours (or HIGH for 5-6 hours).
Happy Tuesday! I am sharing the recipe that I used for the homemade frozen pizzas from the great site called favoritefreezerfoods.com. I par baked 10 pizza crusts as well as assembling the pizza topping "kits" in about four hours, which I didn't think was too bad considering I don't have a Little Caesar's hidden in my pantry. I know my family eats more pizza than I would like to admit, so hopefully this quick and easy crowd-pleaser will work for your families!
Pizza Dough Recipe (makes 2 medium pizza crusts)
2 ½ tsp yeast (or one package)
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water
1 tsp salt
2 ½ cups flour
1 Tbsp garlic powder
¼ cup olive oil
Start by proofing your yeast. Heat the water until it’s warm to
the touch but not hot, then add the yeast and sugar. The sugar helps the yeast
grow, salt prohibits yeast growth so don’t add the salt yet.
The yeast will start to foam if it’s still good. This can take up
to 10 minutes but if you know your yeast is good you can skip this step.
Mix the flour, salt, garlic powder together. Now add the olive oil
and the warm water and mix together.
I usually use my kitchen aid mixer with the bread hook. If you
don’t have one you’ll have to knead the dough by hand.
Mix or knead until the
dough is smooth and elastic, it shouldn’t stick to your hands, mixing bowl or
countertop.
If the dough is too sticky add more flour, if it’s too dry add
more water.Try not to overwork the dough.
Shape the dough into a ball and let the pizza dough double in size
for about 30-45 minutes.
Place the dough in a bowl and lightly coat in olive oil to keep it
from drying out, cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
Keeping the dough someplace warm helps it rise faster. If your
kitchen is cold turn your oven on to the lowest temperature for two minutes
then turn off the heat, turn on the dome light and put the bowl of dough in the
oven.
It should be warm but not hot when you stick your hand in there.
You also might want a metal pan just in case.
After the dough doubles punch it down with your fists to remove
all the air and preheat the oven to 500 F (250 C). Prepare your sauce, cheese
and other toppings as the dough rest for 10 minutes or so.
Cut the dough in half and then roll. Top as desired or leave off
topping and par bake the crust for the freezer.
I don’t have a pizza peel or pizza stone so I use a cookie sheet
to bake the pizza on.
A par baked crust will take 3 minutes, just until the outside
starts to cook, the middle is still raw and it’s not golden yet.
Remove the pizzas from the oven and let cool on a wire rack completely. wrap with plastic wrap or waxed paper individually, and then cover both crusts with foil. Put in freezer on a flat surface until needed. Assemble pizza toppings kit if desired. Idea to follow...
Pizza Kit Assembly:
I used a gallon size Ziploc bag to contain all the topping ingredients for the two pizzas. I put three cups of grated mozzarella in one gallon bag and rolled it up. I then put 2 cups of sauce into a different sandwich size Ziploc and sealed it. I quartered five large slices of Canadian bacon and sealed in another sandwich size Ziploc, and pepperoni in another. I put all the separate baggies into the "kit" bag and called it good...
The Best Part... Baking and EATING!
To get these babies ready to eat, throw it (gently) into your refrigerator or counter top to thaw, and when the crust is softer again, top it with your handy-dandy pizza kit and BAM! Toss them in the oven @ 400 degrees for 15-20 min. until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is lightly browned around the edges.
Then, your home will be filled with the smell of homemade bread and the family fav will be on the table in no time! So in the immortal words of "Little Ceasar" himself,... "PIZZA! PIZZA!"
*Thanks to favoritefreezerfoods.com for the idea!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
For these little cuties, I found a recipe from iheartnaptime.net. What a fun site, and soooo many desserts. Sounds like a kindred spirit. (Don't tell me you don't remember that phrase from "Anne of Avonlea"?!?) It's pumpkin justified by chocolate!!! What's not to love!?!
Ingredients
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp milk
1 TB vanilla
1 11oz bag chocolate chips
Instructions
Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir into the wet ingredients. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Stir for about one minute.
Add vanilla and chocolate chips and stir until combined.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop cookies on by the spoonful. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.
Whew,... you're gonna feel sorry for inviting me to contribute with my long windedness. I have one last request to contribute: The Vegetarian Enchiladas:
Yeah,... it's a Martha Stewart recipe, and that is the third of three recipes that I have contributed that are from other people or blogs. THERE'S NO NEED TO INVENT THE WHEEL HERE PEOPLE!!! Be prepared, cause a big ol' picture is coming up! *(I do have to say that in my recipe, I accidentally forgot to put in the frozen spinach and they turned out just fine. Cooked spinach still reminds me of "Swamp Thing." Anybody want any frozen spinach? Maybe those who are younger than me and have no idea what movie I am talking about?...) :0)
Vegetable Enchiladas
Get a freezable Mexican meal rolling in no time with a no-cook filling and a sauce made from pantry ingredients. Jack cheese and a combination of black beans and corn tortillas give this meatless dish complete protein.
6 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
16 corn tortillas (6-inch)
Cook's Note
Prepare enchiladas through step 3; top with cheese, and cover baking dishes with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Place sauce in an airtight container. Freeze enchiladas and sauce for up to 2 months. To bake from frozen: Thaw sauce in refrigerator overnight (or microwave on high 2 minutes, stirring once halfway through). Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove foil and plastic wrap from baking dishes, and pour sauce over enchiladas; cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes; remove foil, and bake until bubbly, about 15 minutes more. Cool 5 minutes before serving.
Directions
Step 1
Make sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add 1 teaspoon cumin, flour, and tomato paste; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Whisk in broth and 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Step 2
Make filling: In a large bowl, combine 2 cups cheese, beans, spinach, corn, scallion whites, and remaining 1 teaspoon cumin; season with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil two 8-inch square baking dishes; set aside. Stack tortillas, and wrap in damp paper towels; microwave on high for 1 minute. Or stack and wrap in aluminum foil, and heat in oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Top each tortilla with a heaping 1/3 cup of filling; roll up tightly and arrange, seam side down, in prepared baking dishes.
Step 4
Dividing evenly, sprinkle enchiladas with remaining 1 cup cheese, and top with sauce. Bake, uncovered, until hot and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; serve garnished with scallion greens.
Enjoy all three ripped off meals!!! (Although I did give credit where due, didn't I?) :0) Happy Eating!
