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!

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! 

• Happy Eating!  :0)

Tomato, Broccoli & Mozzarella Pasta Casserole

Tomato, Broccoli & Mozzarella Pasta Casserole serves 6

http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-tomato-broccoli-mozzare-153919

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, Squash, and Tomato

Feb 3

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! 

Freezer Meal Recipes: Homemade Lasagna

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/freezer-meal-recipes-homemade-lasagna/

Ingredients

• 24 pieces lasagna noodles, uncooked
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 pound sausage
• 2 jars (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce (I like Prego)
• 32 ounces ricotta cheese
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese Cheese Coupons
• 1 Cup Water
• 4 eggs
• 4 teaspoons oregano
• 4 teaspoons basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

This recipes is for two 13x9 pans of Lasagna.

Heat oven to 350°F.

Brown meat in large skillet on medium-high heat.

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.

Recipes from Meal Swaps #1 and #2

Mom's Slow Cooker Chili
(from http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/02/10-slow-cooker-freezer-meals-in-less.html)

Ingredients:

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.

Chickpea Curry

(adapted from CHICKEN CURRY from mamaandbabylove.com/2011/04/05/freezer-cooking-with-slow-cooker-recipes/)

 

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons curry powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1.5-2 pounds chicken thighs, or breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces (I substituted 2 cans lo-sodium chickpeas)
• 2 cups chopped peeled sweet potatoes
• 2 cups baby carrots
• 2 cup coarsely chopped mango or 2 cans of chopped mango
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 zucchini chopped, about one cup
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chicken stock, 1 cup per bag - make your own 
• .5 cup raisins (for garnish)
• .5 cup peanuts or cashews (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Divide everything into two separate one gallon freezer bags, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freeze
2. 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
3. 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 been better 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!