EVEN MORE MAKE
AND FREEZE RECIPES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WHAT’S IN THIS GUIDE

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1: HOW TO STORE FROZEN FOOD PROPERLY

CHAPTER 2: MAINTAINING A PROPER FREEZER TEMPERATURE

CHAPTER 3: FREEZER TECHNIQUES FOR GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR FOOD

CHAPTER 4: CHOOSING AND USING FREEZER CONTAINERS AND FREEZER BAGS

CHAPTER 5: MEALS THAT WORK WELL WHEN YOU MAKE AND FREEZE THEM IN ADVANCE

RECIPE TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 6: SOUP AND STEW RECIPES

CHAPTER 7: MAIN MEAL RECIPES

CHAPTER 8: SIDE DISH RECIPES

CHAPTER 9: DESSERT RECIPES

CONCLUSION

FURTHER READING

FREE BOOK AND GUIDES OFFER

WHAT’S IN THIS GUIDE

**You asked for even more, you've got it! **

Continuing on from their previous two guides on Make and Freeze recipes, the authors help you continue to save time and money by making the most of your freezer to feed you and your family healthily and cheaply.

In this guide, you will find even more advice, hints, tips and recipes for the beginner cook, to help you create great make and freeze meals that you can store and have ready any time you need a good meal. Save big on your grocery bill as you wean your family off takeout, delivery and convenience foods by packing your freezer with even more mouth-watering main meals, side dishes and desserts that can be cooked ahead, frozen, and then simply thawed, or heated in the microwave or oven.

In this guide, you will earn how to get the best out of your freezer in terms of temperature and usage. Also discover how to store your frozen foods properly for optimum freshness and flavor.  Dreaded freezer burn and waste will become a thing of the past as you learn more secrets to make and freeze meal success.

You will also discover even more recipes for delicious dinners, desserts and more than can all be made and frozen ahead of time, then packed in a lunch box or reheated quickly in the oven or microwave. If you are concerned about cash and what your family is eating when you are not at home, this guide will help you continue building on the foundation you laid with the help of the first two make and freeze recipe guides. 

Healthier meal planning and cooking ahead and freezing gives you peace of mind and even more time to soend with your family every day. Cooking once or twice a month also frees up your time to enjoy the better things in life without skimping on nutrition.  The downloadable list of recipes that comes with your guide will also help you save time and stay organized so that you do not need to dig down to the bottom of the freezer to find out exactly what family favorites are packed in it. It will also help you plan your next supermarket trip and make ahead and freeze cooking session.  

Continue creating even more great make ahead and freeze meals today. Your family never have to know how cheap and healthy these recipes are. They will just be happy with how great they taste.

Audience:
Beginner cooks
Readers wanting more instructions on make and freeze recipes
People interested in getting the most out of their freezer to save time and money.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Mara Michaels is a frequent contributor to the Healthful-Goddess and Nutrition-Goddess.com sites. Erin serves as one of the main editors for both sites. They are the authors of over two dozen cooking and health-related titles.

EVEN MORE MAKE
AND FREEZE RECIPES

Mara Michaels
Erin Kennedy

Eternal Spiral Books

COPYRIGHT 2011, 2012 by the authors.
Third edition with all new material 2013.
All rights reserved.

Published by Eternal Spiral Books
New York, New York
http://EternalSpiralBooks.com

Eternal Spiral Books is pleased to publish a variety of guides to help you transform your life through practical action steps. Topics include finance, health, marketing, self-help, and small business.

Please visit us online for the latest titles, and a free newsletter, free articles and more.

Did you know you can lend books on your Kindle? We at Eternal Spiral Books encourage this so that you can share this guide with family and friends to help them transform their lives as well. To learn more, go to Lending Kindle Books.

INTRODUCTION

As the recession drags on in the United States, everyone is still looking for the best ways to save money and still live well. With gas prices so high in the past few years compared to what many households were accustomed to, feeling the pinch at the pump can often mean more penny-pinching in other areas.

But what if you think you have pared your living expenses down to the bone already? What if you believe you honestly can’t save any more money than you already are? The truth is that you CAN save more. You are actually wasting money, food and precious resources by not making your meals ahead and freezing them.

The statistics are staggering. Americans throw away over $26 BILLION in food every year. Assuming a population of 340 million, that means almost $750 per person in the U.S. That is $3,000 right there for a family of four.

You may think you are not throwing away THAT much, but every week, we are willing to bet that there is probably a head of lettuce, a piece of fruit, some old cheese, a fair few of the children's lunch box items, and so on, all ending up in the bin. What a waste. The price of every single one of those items may not seem like much, but starting adding them up. Then see how much money you could be saving by making meals and then freezing them.  

You probably think you are living frugally, and feeding your family well. Even if you cook for your family from scratch, we are willing to bet that you really do not make the most of what you have. We are sure that you do the 'leftover shuffle'.

All busy parents know this dance, especially moms.  You make a good meal and put the leftovers in the refrigerator with the best of intentions. But however tasty they are, the leftovers soon get shoved to the back or side or plunked on the bottom shelf. Someone suggests take away pizza the next night. You all head out in different directions the following night, to the gym, an Avon party and so on. Those poor leftovers sit there languishing. They go from tasty to trash in only a day or two. More money wasted.

You might decide to eat out. It might be fun once in a while, but if you have leftovers languishing in your fridge at home, it just means more money wasted, plus you are paying top dollar for food, drinks and tips. Even with the takeout pizza, how much are you spending on what is basically flour, water, yeast, tomatoes and cheese? Plus you have to tip the delivery person as well.

You might try to cook ahead for the week, but your spouse and children balk at eating the same thing two nights in a row. You think you will personally eat it up, but even you start to get sick of it, and tired of packing on the pounds as well because you are trying to be a diligent member of the 'clean plate club'.  So the food either goes to waste, or goes to your waist.  It's a no-win situation for a lot of Americans, clearly, since over 68 percent of them are now overweight or obese.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Not if you start to make the most of your meal planning, and the secret weapon of every smart chef: their freezer. Plus, contrary to popular belief, cooking more does not have to mean eating more. In fact, quite the opposite. You can eat well without gaining weight through portion control.  Make and freeze cooking is ideal for this because you are not sitting down to eat a meal served in large quantities in most cases. Instead, you are cooking in advance and then packaging things up to put them in the freezer.

You can of course eat one portion and freeze one, but for the most part, the goal is to cook in advance to have a range of options on hand to eat at home or take on the go for breakfast or in a brown bag lunch. (See our Healthy Make Ahead and Freeze Muffins guide for the ultimate 'fast food' in the mornings, or any time you need something tasty, healthy and portable.) You can plan to cook your make and freeze meals to coincide with lunch and/or dinner one weekend morning and afternoon when you have come back from the supermarket, eat it fresh, and parcel up and freeze the rest. No going back for seconds, and NO leftover shuffle!

This guide follows on from the success of our previous guides in helping you create make-ahead meals that you can cook, freeze, and then use any time you need them. In this guide, you will find tips on how to make the most from your freezer, plus recipes that can be frozen in bulk, or divided up into smaller portions (with a limited number of calories) so that you and your family can eat well at every meal and you and your family can watch your weight as well.

Our first guide Make and Freeze Recipes:  Great Foods You Can Cook, Freeze and Use Quickly and Easily was designed with beginners in mind, to help them get started with make and freeze meals. It also provides over 30 recipes for beginner cooks.  Our second guide, More Make and Freeze Recipes, discusses in detail how to buy a freezer, the benefits and drawbacks of vacuum sealers for foods, and how to freeze a wide range of foods. We also provided more instructions on how to freeze foods well, plus recipes to add to your growing repertoire of make ahead and freeze meals that can be used for any occasion, from dinner at home, to a potluck or even dinner party.

In this guide, we want to discuss more essentials on how to freeze and store frozen food properly. Then we will discuss some of the special considerations to keep in mind with respect to your own meals if you wish to not only use the recipes we will give you, but also use this guide to try to make and freeze some of your own recipes. In this way, you can make the most of your freezer and your food budget, and never do the leftover shuffle and toss again.  You will also find even more recipes to try, with instructions on freezing, storing and reheating and serving after freezing, for best results.

We are always happy to get feedback from our readers-we dedicate this book to you, and please keep more of your questions and ideas coming.

Note on different tastes and food preferences:

Everyone has different tastes when it comes to food, and of course many of these tastes start right in the home thanks to what your parents and grandparents cook.

People have differing views on what constitutes a 'good meal'. Evelyn tells the hilarious story of a young man who wanted to date her coming to her house for dinner. The young man (let’s call him Joe) had phoned and spoken to Evelyn's mother, who promptly invited him over for a meal, thinking him a potential 'good catch' for Evelyn.

Joe showed up dressed nicely, with flowers for the hostess. Evelyn was feeling cornered by her matchmaking mother constantly giving her smug, "Isn't he wonderful?" looks, until Joe said, "What's for dinner. I hope it isn't any of that Wop Slop."

Both women stared at him in shock. Had they heard him correctly?

Yes, they had, because Joe was SO rude he actually repeated it. "There's nothing like good old Irish cooking. Give me corned beef and cabbage any day compared to Wop Slop. I hate pizza and anything with slimy tomatoes on top."

Evelyn said quietly, "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. My mother's mother is from Italy, so we have Italian food most nights of the week. It's lasagna tonight, but since you hate 'Wop Slop' as you put it, we wouldn't dream of insisting you stay."

Joe turned red with embarrassment and tried to stammer his way through an apology and an attempt to stay, but Evelyn's mother was already getting his coat. So much for the 'great catch'. Joe was a narrow-minded bigot and he never dared call the house again.

Corned beef and cabbage is a pleasant enough dish around St. Patrick's Day, but it certainly does not count as haute cuisine. It also does not tend to freeze well because it is so watery and the meat tends to be so stringy.

Your taste in food will also depend on attitude. Evelyn eventually married a man from a very small town in Ireland who isn't a bigot and adores Italian food and every other cuisine. They love cooking through all of her cookbooks cover to cover together.

Our own husbands are quite adventurous too when it comes to food, and don't mind healthy eating as long as the food is full of flavor.

Mara's mother-in-law is a good plain cook; Erin's can just about boil water, so Erin tends to do a lot of cooking for the family gatherings.

For some people, food is simply fuel, like gas in a car. For others, food and cooking is more of a hobby, a way to explore some of the nicer things in life.

But with the economy in the US still not improving very rapidly, anything you can do to cut costs on your food bill each month means money for other things, like savings in the bank.

With that view in mind, we will not only be focusing on healthy recipes in this guide, but the best ways to make them inexpensively.

One final point we would like to make is in reference to ‘healthy eating’. We like to emphasize fresh, natural ingredients and making from scratch whenever possible. There are far too many ‘open a can of soup’-type recipes online. Anything canned will have a great deal of sodium/salt in them, and new research seems to indicate that the linings on commercial cans (used to coat the inside of the can so that the food will not react with the metal, such as acid products like tomatoes) might have toxic properties.

Yes, it is true that there are pesticides used in the farming industry on fresh fruits and vegetables, but if you buy locally from small farms and wash them well, you should generally be safe. In addition, you might also like to consult the "Dirty Dozen Plus" and "Clean 15" lists from FoodNews.org, which show you the foods most impacted by pesticides, and the least impacted. The lower the number on the list of the Dirty Dozen Plus, the ‘dirtier’ it is. Those are foods they recommend buying organic.

Our final point is that healthy eating does not have to be dull, but every family does have different tastes. The tastes are at least in part also influenced by the kind of food we encounter in society. Fast food is full of salt and sugar. Canned soup is full of salt. Compare your own homemade soup to what comes out of a can, and yes, it might taste a little bland, because you have not put a week's worth of your daily allowance of salt into each serving. You can dress up your food with herbs and spices without loading on the salt and sugar (a common ingredient even in salad dressings these days). 

As with any new recipe book, we recommend you cook the recipes 'as is,' the first time. Make notes, taste and test. Then adapt as needed to suit your family. (Reminder: For baked items like cakes, you should always follow the recipe to the letter the first time, and stick fairly closely to it thereafter unless you are a more experienced cook. Unlike soups, stews and casseroles, baking is more of a fine art/science requiring exact measurements.)  Our recipes aim to be 'foolproof', so that any new cook can get a good result and not waste food and be disappointed, or worse still, disappoint their hungry families.

So let's get started now with how to store frozen food properly, and other essential freezer hints and tips not covered in our previous guides, before moving on to even more make and freeze recipes.

CHAPTER 1: HOW TO STORE FROZEN FOOD PROPERLY

Keeping frozen food frozen is the main purpose of a freezer. This sounds obvious, but you would be amazed at how many people do not get the most out of their freezer because they are using it in less than optimal conditions.

Let’s start by taking a look at several of the most important aspects of properly storing frozen foods in your freezer.

+ The Location of the Freezer

Your freezer should not be in any area that is too hot or too cold. Do not put it too close to your stove or boiler or outside in a shed or in an unheated basement or storage room. Read your instruction manual carefully, or go online to do some research about your model to determine the best place to put your freezer or chest freezer.

People who live in an apartment will have much less space to play with, naturally, but we have found that a chest freezer can work very well almost as an additional countertop if you put a protective cutting board on top of it and never put anything hot directly on the lid of the freezer.

The main thing to remember about your refrigerator and freezer is to keep them as far away from heat sources like your stove as possible so they can work at peak efficiency. If you are going to keep your freezer in the basement, for example, avoid boilers or clothes dryers. If you do keep it in the basement, make sure it is a reasonably heated area, as the unit will not be able to work well if the location is too cold either

+ Situating Your Food Inside

As you go through this guide and indeed start to cook your own recipes and freeze them, you will want to keep track of what is in the freezer so you can do efficient meal planning and make the most of what you have on hand. A list on the outside of the freezer can help. We have created a list of the recipes in each of our guides for you to download, edit as needed, and print out to post on the outside of your freezer. Go to:
http://EternalSpiralBooks.com/even-more-freezer-recipes
password: fastandtasty

Another way to store wisely to make the most out of your freezer is to store and stack food items in the order in which they will be used, if at all possible. If you are using a side door unit, remember that food close to, or on the door will not stay as cold as the food located in the back parts of the freezer. This can lead to freezer burn, so store your most valuable items like meat in the depths of your freezer. Smart stacking will help improve your end results, because one of the main contributing factors to freezer burn is the constant thawing and re-freezing of foods (more about freezer burn later).

If you are using a chest freezer, the items closest to the top will be the most at risk of thawing, so get in and out quickly if you can each time you open the door. You can do this in a number of ways. The best way is to be sure everything has a label on top to say what it is, or you have written the contents on the lid of the container in erasable marker.

Another great way to target your dinner, grab and go is to color code your containers with particular lids, such as red for meat, green for vegetables, blue for fish and so on. You can also stack your food in quadrants or sixths:

+ Breakfast
+ Lunch
+ Dinner
+ Desserts
+ Side Dishes
+ Snacks

would work well, for instance, with differently colored containers for each, depending on how many categories you want to create in your freezer.

Being organized no matter which configuration of freezer you own can help you save time and money and keep foods frozen in optimal conditions to avoid freezer burn.

+ Full versus Empty

Your freezer has to work hard to keep all the food cold. Think of it like a portable cooler full of food. The fewer items in the cooler, the more ice you must put in to keep it cold. When the cooler is full, the cold food helps keep the inside temperature cold, and thus you need less ice. Your freezer works the same way. Keeping a full freezer means less work keeping everything else frozen. Plus it will stay cold longer if your power goes out. We will discuss this more in a moment as we discuss how to maintain a proper freezer temperature in the next chapter.

One final point is what to do when you initially freeze you recipes. Do not stack them then if you can help it. Try to spread them out flat as much as possible for fast freezing. Then stack them once they are solid.  If you are cooking large batches of make and freeze recipes, this might be a challenge, in which case, you will want to either stagger the cooking or make a range of things with different cooling times.

Remember, always let your cooked food cool fully before trying to freeze to avoid condensation and your food getting watery.  Also remember to seal everything well to avoid freezer burn.

CHAPTER 2: MAINTAINING A PROPER FREEZER TEMPERATURE

As we have said, you will first want to make sure that you have put your freezer in the right place in order to give it optimal working conditions. Then you will want to check the temperature settings in your instruction manual.

If you have just bought a new freezer, you will need to allow at least 24 hours for it to get up to full coolness. Then you can gradually start filling it. You will want to start your make and freeze cooking about 36 hours after it has been plugged in to be certain that it will freeze your food well.

The invention of the freezer was a giant step in food preservation because freezing food stops bacterial growth. Having the ability to quickly chill down food and store it at a temperature where bacteria doesn’t grow means that food can be kept for a long time without spoiling.

The bad news is that freezing will not kill off ALL the bacteria present in food, so as soon as the frozen food starts warming up, the bacterial decay will start up again too. This is why you really do not want to keep a lot of cooked food on hand in your refrigerator. Use it, or freeze it, if it can be frozen, or eat it. Otherwise, it will just end up in a landfill, producing even more bacteria and greenhouse gases that damage the environment.

When you get your freezer, or a new refrigerator with a freezer section, be sure to set the settings according to the instructions. This will be especially important for any vents that can be opened or closed between the refrigerator space and the freezer. For example, your refrigerator will often receive cold air from the freezer for a specially chilled bin, such as one designated for meat. If it gets too much cold air, however, the freezer will not work as well as it should, and the food in the refrigerator might start to freeze also.

Be sure to check the factory settings. They might be too cold and make the unit overheat as it overworks, causing it to not operate efficiently.

While water begins to freeze at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, most foods need a much lower temperature, about –10 degrees Fahrenheit, in order to start to freeze properly. The perfect temperature for storing frozen food is 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, many people do not have the luxury of owning two freezers, one they can set for initially freezing the food and another only set to store the food, so a good compromise is around –7 degrees Fahrenheit. This will store food without damaging it and also allow it to freeze quickly to prevent large ice crystals from forming. Smaller ice crystals mean less chance of food dehydration and oxidation, leading to freezer burn.

Therefore, while it is good to store food at 0 degrees Fahrenheit, the freezer should really be colder in order to freeze food quickly and also have more room to fluctuate in temperature when opening the door and especially when adding new foods.

Contrary to popular belief, temperature is not the sole cause of freezer burn, nor is it just because the food’s wrapping might get punctured or torn, though these can be contributing factors. Freezer burn is the result of dehydration of your food by the air. As the moisture leaves the food, it escapes into the air in the freezer. Keeping your freezer at the proper temperature will help to control the level of moisture in the air. The cooler the temperature is in the freezer, the less it will heat up while putting new food in. The less the freezer heats up, the less moisture will be released into the air, and the less the food will dry out.

One of the best ways to keep your freezer cold and keep your operating expense down is to keep your freezer full. A full freezer will stay colder longer and it is easier to keep frozen foods cold rather than try to cool all the air in the relatively empty freezer. While a full freezer will keep food cold for two days during a power outage, a half full freezer will only keep food cold for about 12 hours. Many foods can be kept well even after a power outage, such as vegetables, but any meat and fish should be eaten as soon as possible after the incident rather than kept around for the usual upper safety limit of keeping food in the freezer, generally thought to be about three months.

If you are concerned about food spoilage in the hot summer months and don't want to keep too much on hand, then pantry items such as flour, dry beans or rice can be added to fill up space in the freezer to help it keep running efficiently. A few make and freeze recipes that are meatless should help fill the space in no time. Just be sure to keep your list updated with what you have on hand, and what you need to make. It will also save a lot of time in the grocery store or at the farmer’s market as well if you keep your freezer list well-organized. 

The list for this guide is at:
http://EternalSpiralBooks.com/even-more-freezer-recipes
password: fastandtasty

We provide a recipe list in all of our freezer guides to help you stay on top of your inventory and when you need to make more of your family's favorites.

While many people leave their freezer dial where it was set when it came from the store, it is important to actively look at and adjust your freezer temperature. Make sure it is set between 0 and –10 degrees Fahrenheit, with the ideal temperature to be about –7 F degrees. Take the time to read your guide for best results. If it does not seem cold enough, for example, or starts frosting up, read the frequently asked questions section of the guide or go online for help at the manufacturer's website.

Once you get into the routine of keeping your freezer at a certain temperature and full of great make and freeze recipes, you will be amazed at the difference between the quality of your food and the amount of your electric bill. You will also be delighted at how much time, effort and food you save. The main thing you will wish to learn with respect to make and freeze recipes are freezing techniques that can help you get the most out of your food. Let’s have a look at some in the next chapter.

CHAPTER 3: FREEZER TECHNIQUES FOR GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR FOOD

You can get a great deal out of your food though the use of your freezer one you know how. You can store almost anything in the freezer if you are willing to learn and go through a bit of trial and error and take notes on what works well when you try it, and what does not.

For example, fruits and vegetables can sometimes freeze well, while at other times they will be a disaster. This is because of the high water content of some items and their relative delicacy. So for example, trying to freeze a lettuce would not be a good idea because the leaves are very thin and the end product would be very watery once it was defrosted, but you can freeze berries and even bananas because they are more firm. 

A great way to store fruits and vegetables for future use or eating is to freeze them at the peak of their flavor and color. Freezing will preserve this by putting a sudden halt to the ripening process. We are sure you have had a banana that was overripe to the point of blackness on the outside that you might have ended up throwing away. Believe it or not, it can make a great base for a banana bread or even frozen banana dessert provided it is not completely rotten.

Many vegetables can also be frozen right at home.  If you live on a farm or you have taken to growing your own vegetables in your garden to save money, or you love to go to farmer's markets but tend to overbuy, freezing vegetables is ideal.  Before freezing vegetables, they should be blanched for a few minutes. Blanching is the process of putting them in boiling water. In this case, you would put the vegetables that you wish to freeze into boiling water for about 2 minutes. This allows the colors to come out and the flavors to develop. Once they have been blanched, they should be left to cool to room temperature and then frozen individually, laid out flat on a cookie sheet, for example, before being bagged up.

Laying them out on a cookie sheet and placing the sheet in the freezer for three to five hours can help you flash freeze them and prevent everything from sticking together. Once they have started to freeze, only then should they be bagged together.

Fruits are a little different. Because of the sugar content in most fruits, they tend to get very gritty when they are frozen. However, they can freeze well if you freeze the fruits in simple syrup or a sugar compound with a little ascorbic acid (vitamin C to slow down the oxidation process. Oxidation is the process of a change in the molecules in food due to various factors, including contact with the oxygen in the air.  The oxidation that occurs is usually what discolors the fruit and gives it a brown appearance. Treating the fruit with sugar and Vitamin C can help preserve their great color as well as taste.

If you plan to store large amounts of meat, divide the meat up into smaller portion sizes before freezing. This will make thawing easier for individual servings. Take the meat out of the original packaging, divide, and re-wrap well.  Make sure there are no holes or perforations in the plastic wrap or food bags you use. You might even wish to wrap in plastic first and then slip into a sturdy freezer bag to help cut down on the risk of freezer burn and so that you can re-use the freezer bags again because they will not have come into direct contact with raw meat.  Meat is far too costly these days to treat it casually and just put it in the freezer straight from the skimpy supermarket package. Freezer bags can also add up in price and if you want to live in a more green family, you will want to avoid over-consumption of plastic bags as much as possible and re-use as much as you can instead.

Most typical meats can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days at the proper temperature, but no more than that. Do not leave your fresh meat hanging around in the refrigerator for no reason. For one thing, you really have no idea how long it has been in the supermarket refrigerator or at what temperature it had been kept, especially in the summer.

If you are not planning to use the meat within two days of purchase, freeze, then thaw. If you do not plan to use meat within two months, wrap the meat a second time with heavy-duty plastic wrap or put it into a sturdy freezer bag to avoid freezer burn. Many people love going to the warehouse clubs because they think they are getting bargains, but it is no bargain if you end up throwing the meat away because it looks like a dried up mummy. 

Ideally, plan to cook as soon as you get home from the supermarket. Why unpack it all and tuck it away or try to find room for it when you can start cooking it immediately and have a piping hot meal in minutes? Then cool the remaining portions and store for make and freeze dishes you can eat any time.

Help out your freezer. Keep the long-term storage items in the back or at the bottom, keep your freezer stocked, and practice proper freezing techniques. These simple tips will keep your food fresh and also help to lower your energy bill, yet another way to save money as you eat better at the same time.

One other essential part of using your freezer successfully to eat well and save money will be preserving the food well in proper freezer containers and bags. Let’s have a look at the kinds of items you should have on hand before you start cooking your make and freeze meals.

CHAPTER 4: CHOOSING AND USING FREEZER CONTAINERS AND FREEZER BAGS

Freezer burn is one of the worst things that can happen to foods stored in the freezer. We have all see it, but what exactly IS freezer burn, and what are the best ways to prevent it?

Freezer burn occurs when thousands of tiny water molecules turn into ice crystals within the food. This event causes the food to lose moisture and to take on a "parched" and shriveled look.

Not only does the water escape and freeze, but also, oxygen gets into the pores of your food, causing the once-bright color to fade and the flavor to vanish.

Good food wrapping and storing can help freezer burn become a things of the past so that you can throw away less food. Proper storage in containers or bags suited for the freezer are two of your best weapons for fighting freezer burn.  The expense of plastic containers and proper food storage wrap and bags may seem like a lot of money when you are on a tight budget, but the truth is that they can be seen as an investment, especially if you plan to use them over and over again and treat them carefully.  

There are a number of things to look for in a proper freezer container so that it will do its job and last a long time:

* Air tight
Make sure your container has a good locking system and a rubber gasket or a tight seal that goes all the way around the top in order to seal out air and moisture. This will slow the process of spoiling and also keep the contents inside fresh for a longer period of time because it locks air out of the container and locks freshness in. If the lids do not fit will, consider covering over the top of the container with plastic wrap and then sealing. Even if the cover is a little loose, the clinginess of the plastic wrap can help create a tight seal on top of the container.

* Different sizes
The wider the variety of sizes you have, the less space you waste. By filling a container up as much as possible, though making sure it does not overflow, there is less room for air inside the container, which is what can help trigger the spoilage process with foods. Having different sizes also makes it convenient to stack, store and save different products, and to be able to locate what you are looking for more easily.

* Easy marking surface
A surface that is easy to mark, erase, and mark again is extremely important. Having a good writing surface makes it easy to label what is in each container, especially if the containers are not clear. This also aids in organizing your pantry and freezer, since you can put like items together and even alphabetize them if you would like. If you can’t find a good surface to write on, you can use a streak of chalkboard paint around the container and/or on the lid to make marking easier. You can also use sticky labels and a pen or pencil. Keeping a list of what you have cooked and the date will also help you find what you are looking for and ensure that nothing goes to waste.

* Stacking ability
Many containers these days have locking lids, which means your foods will stack more safely as you lock the bottom of one container into the lid of the other. This is a great way to keep foods together and also keep your freezer from becoming a jungle of mangled frozen foods.

* Square or rectangular shape
A round container is not as stable and tends to fall. Frozen plastic can break easily. To save money on your plastic ware, treat it as you would breakable glass to avoid cracking and any food getting exposed to the air in the freezer.

* Mix and match sizes but differently colored lids
Using differently colored lids in a color-coded system will help you locate what you need more quickly, saving you time and money. You will leave the freezer open less searching for what you need, and therefore keep the food at the right temperature most of the time, avoiding partial thawing and freezer burn. This will also save you money. Think about a color scheme that makes sense to you, such as red for meat and green for vegetables.

* All-purpose containers
Make sure the containers are freezer to microwave safe to table safe. Some containers are good for storage but not sturdy enough to hold up to the microwave. Glass containers with rubber covers will have the advantage of being able to go from oven to freezer to table, but the rubber covers will eventually crack or wear out due to freezing even with careful handling. Glass containers they can also be wrapped well in freezer wrap. If you need to reheat anything in the oven, simply unwrap and pop in the oven.

The main disadvantage of glass containers is that they will be heavier than plastic and can break if dropped. But they are also more sturdy than plastic and a good choice if you are interested in green issues and want to reduce the amount of plastics you use to lower your carbon footprint (see our series of green guides for more information on going green easily in your family).

A good container makes all of the difference when storing your food in your pantry or freezer. If you don’t have a set of decent quality containers, go to the local store and shop carefully, thinking not just in terms of price, but size, color and versatility.  Just remember, they don’t have to be expensive in order to meet all of the criteria.

As for freezer bags, aim for sturdy reusable ones. The ones with the zippers come in a range of sizes and can be perfect for storing a wide variety of foods. To be certain you are preserving your meat well, for instance, you can bring the package home from your shopping trip and slip it right into a freezer bag to give extra protection against freezer burn. Do not reuse bags that have come into contact with raw meat, particularly poultry. Instead, you might want to take the meat out of the original packaging and wrap in plastic, then put in the freezer bag.

Freezer bags also work well for storing your own fruits, vegetables, and make-ahead muffins. Look for ones that are clear and have a surface on which you can write. You might also want to find ones with different colored zippers to help keep track of what you have inside. Or, use a sticky label and pen to keep track of the contents. You might think you will remember what you have put in each bag, but the longer you keep your freezer door open, the more the quality of your frozen food can become compromised.

Once you have your containers, pens, labels and freezer bags organized, it is time to start meal planning and then cooking. Let’s look next at the kinds of meals that work well when you make them and then freeze them in advance.

CHAPTER 5: MEALS THAT WORK WELL WHEN YOU MAKE AND FREEZE THEM IN ADVANCE

At some point, life catches up with everyone. We get into a routine, a rut if you will, and we end up eating the same thing over and over each day. We eat the same things for lunch and dinner almost mindlessly, then grab takeout and order delivery pizza as a treat, one that soon becomes a habit.

Most smart householders know that taking a good brown bag lunch every day to work or school is one of the best ways to save money on the food you eat each day (see our guides on brown bag lunches and Thermos lunches for more information). Cooking for yourself instead of resorting to fast food, takeout or convenience foods from the supermarkets refrigerator and frozen sections is also a great way to save money and eat well at the same time.

It does not have to be a terrible chore to cook every night.  Every meal of the day will start to become simpler once you are organized and begin to plan ahead. A new popular trend for people on the go is called "monthly cooking." Taking a day, or a weekend, each month, you can prepare all of your meals for the rest of the month.

This may sound like a huge effort, but just think about how much time it will save during the rest of the month if you can just grab a healthy breakfast and get your day going. Of course, if you live in a larger family, you may have to cook every two weeks, but the principle is the same: Come home from the store, and rather than pack away all of your groceries, take out any other ingredients you need, such as seasonings, and start cooking up batches of meals to make and freeze.

Monthly cooking (or cooking ahead in batches, if you prefer) can simplify your life, but there is more thought that goes into it than you may initially believe. Some meals freeze really well, while others will be a disaster in your freezer.

Let’s take a look at a few meal ideas for each part of the day which can freeze well enough to satisfy your craving for something filling and delicious for the whole week or month without turning into a watery, tasteless mess.

* Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast foods are usually difficult to think about freezing. For instance, how would you feel about frozen eggs? This probably does not sound so good, though there are a lot of these items in the supermarket these days. A more obvious choice will be bread-based products instead.

Pancakes and waffles are a great breakfast food to freeze. Once you cook them, freeze them individually on a baking tray. Once frozen, place all of them in a giant Ziploc zippered bag. In the morning, you can grab a couple, throw them in the toaster, drizzle some syrup on them, and you have homemade pancakes in less than two minutes for a fraction of the cost of the ones in the store, and with none of the harmful ingredients.

Another breakfast idea is to freeze sausage or bacon. Of course, it is important to cook the food first, leaving it just under the appropriate doneness so that when it is reheated, it will finish cooking the rest of the way. Then about 30 seconds in the microwave will defrost and reheat it, for a handy side dish with those pancakes, or a quick addition to a 30-second microwaved poached egg or a 2 minute scrambled egg before you head off for your busy day.

Muffins can be a meal all by themselves. They can be sweet, or savory with vegetables in them. Children love them because they are like cupcakes, and they can defrost in a microwave in less than 30 seconds and are very portable. Wrap them in a paper towel or a small baggie as you head out the door. For more information, see our guide on healthy muffins you can make and freeze:
Healthy Make Ahead and Freeze Muffins

* Lunch/Brunch

Lunch can be easy when you have great foods on hand at home. You do not need to have a sandwich every day in your brown bag lunch. Instead, pack great meals for you children and partner that will make them eager to see what you have packed for them, and actually eat it rather than throw it away.

Brunch is a popular meal at the weekends. Consider cooking a quiche in advance, portioning it out, and then sending it off in a brown bag lunch for it to be eaten cold, or hot at work or at school if your children have access to a microwave in their cafeteria.

Some foods, like burritos and any type of pocket sandwich, can easily be cooked in advance and only need a slight reheat, or can be enjoyed at room temperature. Other foods, like personal pizzas and rice, bean and cheese burritos, are usually layered and frozen before cooking so they get the fresh taste cooked in when preparing. Then you can pop them in your conventional oven to bake them for about 15 minutes so they will be piping hot and bursting with flavor, but you can also cook them in advance, and cool them. Then freeze them on a cookie sheet for an hour or so before slipping them into a freezer bag. In this way, you have all the convenience of frozen foods or takeout pizza, but without all the artificial ingredients or cost. After all, pizza is just water, flour, yeast, tomato sauce and cheese.  What could be easier? If you do not want to or do not have time to make your own crust, get some long Italian-style loaves of bread and make French bread pizzas. Cut into serving-sized wedges, freeze and wrap.

Feeding the children great brown bag lunches can be a real challenge (see our guide on the subject for more ideas) but it can also be hard coming up with great lunch ideas when they are home from school at the weekends and during the vacations. Having a well-stocked freezer of your own homemade lunches ensures you do not have to spend a lot of time in food preparation so you can enjoy your vacation or holidays more. And if your children are old enough, it also means they will have a great range of health choices to help themselves to any time they need a meal or snack, without you having to worry about what junk food they might be eating.

* Dinner

Dinners are usually the most common type of frozen meal. Almost anything that can be baked can be frozen, either uncooked or partially cooked. For instance, casseroles can be cooked, and then frozen. Pasta dishes like lasagna should be partially cooked, layered and then frozen, and then left to finish cooking in the oven when ready to eat. Of course, leftover lasagna is never really terrible if you reheat it in the microwave, but it will be quite moist. You will want to avoid overheating so the noodle part does not become too mushy.

Remember that a microwave heats from the inside out, so heat the food for the stated time and then let the food stand for a minute or two to let the heat radiate outwards. In this way, you will avoid overcooking when you really just need to be reheating.

A few other great ideas for frozen dinners would be beans and rice, soups, and even some pies. There are a wide variety of foods that can freeze well and make life much more convenient when it comes to preparing food for the entire family.

In this and our other make and freeze guides, we have tried to give you several meal ideas and recipes for about a month’s worth of meals that you can stock your freezer with. Of course, your family will also have a lot of their own favorites. We hope you will also use this guide as a stimulus to try making your own make and freeze meals. They are better for you, far cheaper per pound than convenience foods, and best of all, you will know exactly what is going into them because you have made them yourself from scratch.

There will be no need to worry about too much sodium, a real concern for people with high blood pressure and heart health concerns. You will not need to worry about artificial flavoring, preservatives, colors, or sweeteners (see Carolyn Stone’s guides on the latter two topics for more information on the dangers of these items).

If your child has allergies, or suffers from ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) you will definitely want to limit all food that you do not cook yourself in order to avoid worsening symptoms. ADHD in particular has been linked to certain ingredients, pesticides and artificial colorings in foods. (See Annabelle Stevens’ guides for more information on ADHD and how you can help your child succeed in school and out of school).

You will also want to make sure your child does not become one of the 33 percent of American children who is overweight or obese, with children as young as nine starting to suffer from the same medical conditions normally only found in people over age 40. (See Evelyn Trimborn’s guide on the risks of childhood obesity for more information).

If cooking ahead and freezing your own healthy meals sounds like a great plan to you, and you have your freezer containers and other supplies at the ready, then it is time to get started with our recipes in the next chapter. Here is the table of contents for the recipes:

RECIPE TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 6: SOUP AND STEW RECIPES
BEEF CHILI SOUP

HOMEMADE CHILI POWDER CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER SOUP
ELEGANT BEEF CASSEROLE
EASY FREEZER CORN CHOWDER

CHAPTER 7: MAIN MEAL RECIPES
CHICKEN AND SPINACH SAUTE
TURKEY AND VEGETABLE CASSEROLE
FREEZER TO OVEN TO TABLE LASAGNA
PORK AND THREE BEANS

CHAPTER 8: SIDE DISH RECIPES
MAKE-AHEAD TOMATO SAUCE
RAINBOW VEGETABLE SALAD
EASY PRE-COOKED RICE
EASY BANNOCK BREAD
CRISPY POTATO PANCAKES

CHAPTER 9: DESSERT RECIPES
PEACH MERINGUE ROLL
FAST AND EASY CHERRY CHOCOLATE BARS
EASY APPLE CINNAMON PIE
HOMEMADE PECAN PIE
MOIST LEMON CAKE

CHAPTER 6: SOUPS AND STEWS

Soups and stews are a hearty way to get maximum nutrition from your foods. Everything goes into one pot and cooks together. Nothing is lost in boiling water or left behind in the pan. Because of their high liquid content, soups and stews can also help you feel full faster and stay satisfied longer. Best of all, they can help you stretch a small portion of protein such as meat into a complete meal, to save you even more money as you help your family feel more satisfied.

BEEF CHILI SOUP

Ingredients:
2 Tbsps olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 small red chili pepper, seeded and chopped
or 2 teaspoons of chili powder (see the recipe for homemade chili powder below)
1 1/4 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 Tbsp flour
8 cups homemade beef broth or low sodium beef stock
2 (14 oz.) cans of red kidney beans
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Method:
Place the oil in a soup kettle.
Place the kettle on the stovetop over low a low flame.
When the oil is hot, stir in the onions and cook 5 minutes, or until just beginning to soften and turn clear.
Add the green pepper and chili pepper. Cook 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add in the meat. Cook for 10 minutes, turning it over every minute or so with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the meat has browned on all sides.
Sprinkle the flour over the top of the mixture and stir to blend in.
Cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in the broth.
Increase the flame to high.
Bring the mixture to a brisk boil.
Reduce the heat back down to low. Stir well.
Simmer the soup for about one hour, or until the meat is fork tender.
Stir in the red kidney beans, salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes longer to let all the flavors mingle.
Remove the soup from the heat.
Serve with crusty bread, and perhaps rice or noodles.

To freeze: Let soup cool fully to room temperature. Spray or oil your containers to prevent staining. Store the soup in freezer containers for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Place your container in the microwave and heat for three to five minutes or until piping hot.

Makes 8 servings

Some people like to store their soup in freezer bags so that they can cram every inch of their freezer.  When freezing soup in freezer bags, remember to be sure they are cooled fully and also leave a little room for expansion. Liquids will expand when frozen and you don’t want the bag to burst, leaving your soup all over the bottom of your freezer.

The chili pepper is optional in this recipe if you are not fond of extra spicy soup, or can be adjusted to 2 chili peppers if you like your soup hot and spicy. Reminder: Always handle with gloves on. If you touch the juice, run your fingers or hands under cold water until the burning sensation subsides. 

Preparation Time: about 2 hours, simmering on low heat
Post-freezing cooking time: about 3 to 5 minutes in the microwave
If you freeze it in a freezer bag, you will need to thaw it and reheat it for about 5 to 7 minutes in a saucepan.

Homemade Chili Powder

Use in the soup recipe above if you do not want to use spicy chili peppers. It can be used to liven up any dish you would like to make Mexican-style, or in a variation of the pork and three bean recipe later in this guide.

This can act as the basis for your own secret family recipe.
Adjust the seasonings to suit your family's tastes.

Ingredients:
1 tsp paprika
2 tsps ground cumin seed
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp onion powder (NOT onion salt)
1 tsp garlic powder (NOT garlic salt)
1 dash celery salt

Method:
In a jar with a lid or airtight plastic container, add all the spices and mix well.
Cover tightly and store for up to three months. This recipe is a great way to save money on expensive seasonings.
Buy your cumin and other spices in bulk and use them for your various ethnic dishes.
You can also freeze spices in airtight bags or containers to give them a longer shelf-life.

CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Ingredients:
2 Tbsps of olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
4 celery ribs, chopped fine
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
15 Cups vegetable broth or low sodium stock
2 heads of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets

When ready to serve the soup:
4 to 8 ounces heavy cream or half-and-half (optional)

Method:
Heat the oil in a large soup pan over low heat.
Stir in the onions. Cook 5 minutes or until just soft.
Stir in the garlic, celery and bay leaves.
Cook 5 minutes or until the celery is soft.
Add the potatoes.
Sprinkle with the salt and pepper, stirring to blend well.
Cook the mixture for 5 minutes.
Pour the broth into the pan.
Adjust the heat to medium high and bring to a boil.
Continue to cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are just starting to soften.
Stir in the cauliflower and cook 15 minutes longer,or until the cauliflower is soft but not watery.
Remove the bay leaves. (Do not eat them, as they can cause upset stomachs.)
Pour the soup into the blender or food processor.
Blend until smooth.
When blending the soup, if it seems too thick, add a little more vegetable broth and blend again.
Continue doing this until the soup is the right consistency for your taste.
Serve hot with crusty bread on the side and a salad for a filling lunch. Use as a starter for cold winter evenings.

Variation: For a more luxurious and elegant soup: After the soup is hot, stir in the cream. If you are weight-conscious, use half-and-half instead of cream, or skim milk or unsweetened soy milk for all the creaminess with none of the fat.

To freeze:
Let the soup cool completely then transfer to freezer containers.
This soup will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To reheat: Place the container in the microwave and heat for three to five minutes, stirring once every minute to heat it through completely.

Makes 8 servings

Preparation Time: about 1 hour
Post-freezing cooking time: About 3 to 5 minutes in the microwave

ELEGANT BEEF CASSEROLE

This recipe adds a few gourmet touches to the usual beef stew recipe.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsps flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 lbs beef stew meat
2 Tbsps canola oil, divided
2 Tbsps brandy
2 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 celery ribs, chopped into 1/4-inch slices
3 carrots, chopped into 1/4-inch rounds
1 bouquet garni
1 lb mushrooms, washed well, with the ends cut off and then coarsely chopped
1 1/2 Cups dry white wine
1 Tbsp red currant jelly
5 cups beef broth or low sodium beef stock

Method:
Preset the oven to 350F degrees.
In a mixing bowl, toss together the flour, salt and pepper until well combined.
Add the beef and toss to coat completely.
Place 1 Tbsp of the canola oil into a skillet.
Place the skillet over medium heat.
Add the meat and cook, turning often with a wooden spoon or spatula, for 8 minutes, or until completely browned.
Remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon into a bowl and set aside.
Stir the brandy into the skillet.
Scrape the pan with the wooden spoon or spatula to make sure nothing is sticking to the pan.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the remaining oil and onions.
Cook 5 minutes, stirring often, or until the onions are soft.
Add in the garlic.
Stirring constantly, cook 1 minute.
Add the celery, carrots and bouquet garni.
Cook for 8 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
Stir in the mushrooms.
Adjust the heat to medium high.
Add the wine and let the mixture bubble for 3 minutes.
Stir in the red currant jelly.
Grease a large casserole dish with a cover.
Transfer the mixture to the casserole.
Remove the bouquet garni.
Stir in the beef broth, cover and bake for 1 hour or until the meat is fork tender.
Remove the pan and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with potatoes and green beans, for a hearty and even festive meal.

To freeze: Allow to cool to room temperature.
Place in freezer containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Let the stew thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Place in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Stirring often, warm for 10 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 8 servings

If you want to make this with lamb, switch the jelly to mint jelly and do not add it to the stew, but rather serve it on the side.

Preparation Time: about 1 1/2 hour
Post-freezing cooking time: About 3 to 5 minutes in the microwaveor 10 minutes heated on top of the stove

EASY FREEZER CORN CHOWDER

Ingredients:
2 Tbsps canola oil
2 onions, chopped
6 potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp pepper, divided
1 bags of frozen corn kernels (about 24 ounces)
5 cups vegetable broth or low sodium vegetable stock

4 to 8 ounces heavy cream or half-and-half (optional)

Method:
Pour the oil into a large saucepan.
Place it over a low flame.
Stir in the onions and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until soft and starting to turn clear.
Add the potatoes.
Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper.
Cook the potato mixture for 5 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon.
Stir in the broth.
Adjust the heat to medium high.
Bring the broth to a brisk boil.
Reduce the heat to low.
Simmer the chowder for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
Pour the corn into the saucepan.
Heat for 10 minutes or until the corn is tender but not mushy.
Remove the pan from the heat.
Stir in the remaining salt and pepper.
Allow the chowder to cool to room temperature.
Pour the chowder into freezer containers and store for up to 3 months.
Makes 8 servings.

This is a great chowder to have on hand for those cold winter nights. Divide it into individual servings for those nights when everyone has to be somewhere and will be eating at different times.

Add a side of vegetables and a slice of fresh bread, plus a handy dessert out of the freezer and the meal is ready whenever they are.

To freeze: Package up into small containers (1 to 2 cups of soup each), sprinkle on some croutons or crumbled up crackers, and freeze. It can be eaten hot or cold and  therefore works well as a handy soup bowl any time.

Variation:  If you would like a creamier based to your soup, cook the recipes as written, up to where you add the corn. Once the potatoes are cooked, process the soup in a food processor until smooth. Add the 4 to 8 ounces heavy cream or half-and-half. Process again. Return the soup to the pan, then add the corn. Stir well to combine. Continue with the recipe, cooking on low heat, and stirring often to prevent sticking, until the corn is heated through but not mushy and the soup is the desired thickness. You can also use skim milk or unsweetened soy milk. 

Preparation Time: about 40 minutes, simmering on low heat.
Post-freezing cooking time: Thaw and eat, or heat in the microwave for about 3 minutes, stirring half-way through.

CHAPTER 7: MAIN MEALS

One of the biggest challenges in any household is eating right and trying not to eat the same old things all the time. Hopefully, the recipes in this chapter will help you with both issues.

CHICKEN AND SPINACH SAUTE

Ingredients:
2 Tbsps flour
1 tsp paprika
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 3/4-inch pieces
6 Tbsps canola oil
2 red onions, diced
6 garlic cloves, peeled minced
2 (14 oz.) cans chickpeas, drained well, or dried chickpeas you have soaked and then boiled
3/4 Cup dry white wine
12 large plum tomatoes, cored and chopped finely
1 1/4 pounds baby spinach leaves
1 tsp salt
 2 tsps black pepper

Method:
In a mixing bowl, toss together the flour and paprika until well combined.
Add the chicken pieces and toss until well coated.
Place the oil into a large skillet.
Place the skillet over medium heat.
Add the onions and garlic.
Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
Stir in the chicken and cook, stirring often, for 8 minutes, or until the chicken is starting to brown.
Stir in the garlic and chickpeas.
Cook 2 minuts.
Pour the wine into the skillet.
Cook the the mixture until it bubbles, about 3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low.
Simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in the spinach and cook for 3 minutes, or until it starts to wilt.
Remove from the heat and stir in the salt and pepper.

Serve with potatoes, rice, pasta or couscous and a salad.

To freeze:
Let the mixture cool completely.
Spray your containers with cooking spray to prevent any staining from the tomatoes.
Store in freezer containers in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To reheat:  Remove the food from the container and place it on a plate. Heat 3 to 5 minutes in the microwave, stirring once.
OR, thaw completely in the refrigerator.
Place in a deep baking dish, cover and heat in a preheated 350F degree oven for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 8 servings

Allowing the wine to bubble for 3 minutes will give the alcohol in the wine time to evaporate but still give your food a nice taste. Therefore, this is a family-safe recipe.

Variations:
If you would like to make this recipe Indian style, substitute curry powder for the paprika.

To make it Thai style, omit the paprika and substitute chopped potatoes for the tomatoes.  Instead of the white wine, use coconut milk and 2 tablespoons of chunky peanut butter (provided that no one in your house is allergic to nuts). As an alternative, you can also add a tablespoon of green or red Thai-style curry paste to make it Thai-style. Each curry has its own unique taste, so this one dish can be served at least 5 different ways.  These variations will help prevent your family from feeling as if they are having the same thing all the time. Experimenting with these different variations will also give your meals a restaurant feel without the restaurant prices.

Serve with a starch suited to the flavor variation you have chosen, such as pasta, rice or Thai-style glass noodles.

Note: If your family run a mile at the very idea of spinach, be sure to cook it down until it is completely wilted. You can also use the frozen spinach briquettes (about the size of a piece of coal for your barbecue. Add them to the dish and cook for about 5 minutes until they are thawed. The spinach in these briquettes is chopped so finely, in will disappear into the recipe, and even if your family sees it, they might think it is seasoning. In any case, it will be a lot tougher for them to try to pick out. 

Preparation Time: about 40 minutes, simmering over low heat
Post-freezing cooking time: about 3 to 5 minutes or 15 minutes reheated in the oven.

TURKEY AND VEGETABLE CASSEROLE

Ingredients:
2 Tbsps olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
4 turkey breast fillets
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 onions, sliced thinly
2 carrots, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
2 cups low sodium chicken broth

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
Heat the oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat until the butter has melted. Be careful not to burn it.
Add the turkey.
Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
Cook, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Place the browned turkey fillets in a casserole dish.
Scatter the vegetables around and over the turkey fillets.
Pour the broth over the top.
Cover the dish and bake 40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender if you try to cut them with a fork.
Remove from the oven. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Serve with potatoes, rice or egg noodles.

To freeze: Remove and let the turkey and vegetables cool to room temperature.
Place in freezer containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw: Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
To reheat, transfer to a large pan and heat over medium heat until piping hot about 10 minutes
Or if you are in a hurry, put the container in the microwave for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring once halfway through the cooking to heat thoroughly.

Makes 8 servings

Serve this delicious dish garnished with a little fresh parsley and lemon zest. Be sure to pour some of the sauce over the top of the food in each container before placing it in the freezer to keep the turkey from drying out.

Preparation Time: about 1 hour, 40 minutes of that time with the dish in the oven
Post-freezing cooking time:  3 to 5 minutes in the microwave, 10 minutes on the stove after it has been thawed out overnight

FREEZER TO OVEN TO TABLE LASAGNA

Ingredients:
6 Tbsps olive oil
3 onions, chopped fine
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
8 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsps tomato paste
3 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained, or about 25-30 plum tomatoes, washed well and cored
2 tsps oregano
4 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp pepper
3 tsps pesto, or about 6 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
3 1/2 cups milk
1 (8 oz.) pkg. low fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 lb. oven-ready lasagna noodles (non cook noodles such as Barilla or Ronzoni)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Heat the oil in large saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in the onions.
Cook 5 minutes or until soft.
Crumble the beef into the saucepan.
Cook for 5 minutes or until browned.
Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, oregano and bay leaves.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low.
Simmer 20 minutes.
Stir in the salt and pepper.
Remove from the heat and set aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat.
Stir the flour into the butter until completely moistened.
Briskly stir in 2/3 cup of the milk until the mixture is smooth.
Add the remaining milk and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat.
Stir in the cheese. Heat through, stirring constantly, until completely melted.
Prepare a large baking pan by lining it with foil and greasing it with cooking spray, for easy clean ups.
Cover the bottom of the prepared baking pan with a layer of the no-cook lasagna noodles.
Spread the meat sauce over the top of the noodles, working it to the edges so that everything is covered.
Spoon some of the cheese sauce over the meat sauce.
Add a second layer on top of the first.
Repeat with the meat sauce, then the cheese sauce.
Add a third layer. 
Add the meat, and finish with the cheese on top.
Bake the lasagna in the over for 35 minutes, or until the top starts to get brown.
Remove from the oven and let stand 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Serve with Italian bread and a side salad.

To freeze:  Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. You can freeze the entire pan if you do not want to eat this right away, or want to have something easy on hand for a potluck or family meals that will serve a large number of people. 
Or, slice into desired portion sizes and put into freezer containers. You can also slice into desired sizes, and freeze the whole pan. Then lift out the foil and wrap each slice in waxed paper, followed by tin foil. Be sure each piece is completely covered to avoid freezer burn or absorbing tastes from the freezer.

To serve after being frozen:
The slices can then be used cold as a substitute for sandwiches (thaw overnight in the refrigerator) or as a fast, easy microwave meal. Unwrap the foil. Keep the wax paper on it to prevent the noodles getting too dry. Place on a plate.  Heat for 3 minutes and let stand for 1 to be sure it is heated through from the center outwards and there are no icy bits. Unwrap and eat.

If you have frozen the entire lasagna, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. You can serve cold or leave it out for 30 minutes or so to let it come to room temperature.
To cook the whole lasagna from frozen, remove the frozen lasagna from the freezer.
Place in a preheated 350 F degree oven.
Bake the lasagna for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is nicely browned.

Makes 8 servings

This tasty lasagna is so easy to throw together and even easier to pull out on a busy night. There is no need to thaw before baking. Just turn on the oven and put it in as soon as you get home from your busy day. Get washed and changed and set the table, and it will be ready by the time you've finished your essential little chores. Take it out and let it stand 10 minutes to rest and cool while you put together your additions to the meal. Add a salad and some garlic bread and you have a meal the whole family can enjoy in no time. Remember, cheese can be very hot, so if you have very young children, you might want to slice it into portions/cut it up into smaller pieces and let it stand for an additional 5 minutes.

Variations: Instead of beef, use ground turkey. Instead of meat or poultry, use the same amount of your favorite vegetables: celery, carrots, mushrooms, eggplant. Note that mushrooms will make it more watery, so you might want to cook them first and then add them to the pan with the other ingredients. If using whole, fresh tomatoes, allow 10 to 15 minutes of additional cooking time to thicken the tomatoes down to your desired consistency.

Preparation Time: about 20 minutes
Post-freezing cooking time: A whole lasagna about 30 minutes, smaller portions, 3 to 5 minutes in the microwave

PORK AND THREE BEANS

Ingredients:
6 Tbsps vegetable oil
3 onions, chopped
6 ribs celery, chopped into 1/4-inch slices
2 lbs lean pork, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tsp paprika
1 (14 oz.) can cannelloni beans (white kidney beans), drained
1 (14 oz.) can lima beans, drained
1 (14 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
Juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Method:
Place the oil in a large heavy-duty saucepan and heat over medium heat.
Stir in the onions and celery.
Cook 5 to 6 minutes or until soft.
Stir in the pork.
Cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until no longer pink.
Sprinkle the paprika onto the meat and vegetables.
Add all 3 cans of the beans and stir to combine well.
Stir in the garlic well and cook the mixture stirring constantly for 1 minute.
Add the wine and let the mixture bubble for 3 minutes.
Pour in the stock and lemon juice stirring to combine well.
Season the mixture with the salt and pepper.
Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 20 minutes.
Cool completely before storing in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To use, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Place in a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring often, until heated through.

Makes 8 servings

You can also reheat this dish in the microwave. Place the contents in a microwave safe dish. Heat on high for 3 minutes, stir and continue heating an additional 2 minutes or until heated through.

For different tastes, you can vary the beans. Other suggestions include dark red kidney beans, pink beans or black beans for a more Mexican-style dish. If you wish to make it more Mexican, use chili powder instead of the paprika (see the recipe for your own chili powder above). This dish will also work well with beef if you omit the lima beans and use black beans.

To make this dish more economical, soak dried beans and then boil them. Plan other meals around the beans you boil to get the most out of your cooking time. While the beans are boiling, you will be cooking other make and freeze meals.

Preparation Time: about 40 minutes
Post-freezing cooking time:

CHAPTER 8: SIDE DISHES

MAKE-AHEAD TOMATO SAUCE

Italian sauce can be used for everything from pasta to pizza.  This is a quick and easy sauce you can dress up with vegetables and other seasonings to use as needed.

Note: Used the canned tomatoes if you are in a hurry. Use fresh if you have the time to cook them down to your desired consistency of sauce.  You can chop them or even food process them to whatever degree you wish in order to get a chunky versus smooth sauce.

Ingredients:
4 Tbsps olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 (28 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, or about 25-30 plum tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp oregano
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsps pesto or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil leaves

Method:
Place the oil in a heavy-duty saucepan and place over medium heat.
Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds, stirring constantly.
Add the tomatoes and tomato paste.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Stir in the oregano and bay leaves and simmer the mixture for 25 minutes.
Stir in the salt and pepper and cook 2 minutes longer.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pesto or basil well.

To freeze: Oil your freezer containers.  You can also line them with plastic wrap. When you are ready to thaw, you can lift out the frozen block of sauce.
Let the mixture cool completely before storing in containers.

To use, defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Or reheat in the microwave for about 5 minutes. Never reheat it in the plastic if you wish to preserve the appearance of your plastic containers. Tomato sauce will otherwise badly discolor your plastic ware.

Makes 8 servings

You can double this recipe as needed. Reminder: This is a great way to make the most of in-season tomatoes. The sauce can keep for up to 6 months.

Preparation Time: about 30 minutes
Post-freezing cooking time: about 5 to 10 minutes

RAINBOW VEGETABLE SALAD

Ingredients:
6 cups frozen broccoli florets
6 cups cauliflower florets
OR 2 large bags of California blend frozen vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
6 oz. black olives, such as pitted kalamata olives
1 cup low-sodium Italian dressing or your favorite dressing
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (as garnish)

In a large bowl, combine broccoli, cauliflower, red onion, and olives. Toss to combine.
Add cherry tomatoes. Toss again.
Add the dressing of your choice and toss to coat.
Leave overnight to marinade and for the vegetables to defrost.
Toss a few times as it sits in the refrigerator.
Serve as a side dish for any occasion that requires a great salad for a large number of people.
You can also halve this recipe for a family meal.
Any leftovers will keep up to 3 days or can be frozen in individual serving containers and defrosted as a salad that can be taken anywhere for lunch.

Serves 16, or 8 if you want to use it as a main course with bread and cheese on the side. It goes well with chicken, pork and fish dishes.

EASY PRE-COOKED RICE

There is no need to pay a premium for microwavable rice bags when it is so easy to make ahead and freeze.

3 cups rice
Water

Cook as directed in rice cooker or in pot on stove according to the package instructions.
When the rice is done to your desired tenderness, immediately rinse in a strainer, using cold water in order to stop the cooking process.
Rinse until the rice is cool to the touch.
Fill a couple of quart-sized Ziploc baggies with 2 cups of rice each.
Flatten out to remove the air.
Makes 4 bags of rice.

You can also create 1-cup bags for individual portions.
Use smaller baggies like sandwich or snack ones.

Just take out of the freezer in the morning and put it in the refrigerator until you start cooking.
Then add to a dish such as a stir-fry or heat in the microwave.

You can use brown, jasmine or yellow rice in the same way.

Fried Rice:

If you want to make your own fried rice before you put it in the freezer to have some variation, while the rice is still hot, add one green onion per cup of rice, 1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables, a beaten egg and a teaspoon of low sodium soy sauce. Be sure the rice is still hot when you add the egg. Stir well to heat through and 'coddle' the egg.  Let the rice cool fully before packaging up into portions.

Rice Pudding:
You can also use this rice for a fast instant rice pudding. Heat 4 ounces of skim milk or soy milk and a dash of vanilla. Add the pre-cooked rice and cook for about 5 minutes until heated through and thickened. Serving suggestions: add raisins, cinnamon, and perhaps even apple chunks

Serves: About 8 single servings of rice.

Note: If you use a rice steamer, you can also cook the rice in advance, season with your favorite seasonings, and either eat as is, or freeze to eat at a future date. Don't forget to label everything carefully.

EASY BANNOCK BREAD

A bannock is traditional Scottish flat bread similar to Native American fry bread. It is a fast and tasty alternative to biscuits or pancakes.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsps baking powder
2 Tbsps sugar (or less, if you prefer your bannock less sweet)
2 pinches salt
1 cup water, at room temperature

Method:
Wash your hands well.
Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together.
Add just enough water to wet the dry ingredients to form a firm dough that you can handle without it sticking everywhere like glue.
Using your hands, form the dough into 4-6 large, thick patties.
Fry on lightly oiled frying pan, turning when the bottom is golden, about 5 to 8 minutes.
You may also bake in the oven, 350 F for about 10 to 15 minutes.

These are best served warm as soon as they are cooked, but they will also work well from the freezer.
To freeze:
Freeze, already cooked or baked, in a labeled freezer bag with the air squeezed out as much as possible.

To serve:
Bring to room temperature by removing the bannock from the freezer bag so it does not get soggy. Letting it rest on the counter for a few hours. You can speed up the process by toasting, baking or microwaving the bannock for about 15 seconds or until the desired temperature is reached.

The toaster will work best if you like them crispy. You may need to toast them for two cycles to get them completely unfrozen and warm enough. Wrap in a paper towel and they can be eaten on the run for breakfast. Serve on the side of any meal if you want to use this as a substitute biscuit, or enjoy as a snack any time. If desired, spread with honey, jam, butter, or peanut butter.

Makes about 8 bannocks.

Cooking Time: 10 to 20 minutes
Post-freezing reheating time: 1 to 2 minutes

CRISPY POTATO PANCAKES WITH CHEESE AND RED PEPPER SAUCE

You might like to start this recipe a day ahead to really get the full benefit of all the flavors before eating and/or freezing, but it will be well worth it.

Ingredients:
3 cups shredded potatoes (like Eastern or golden potatoes)
1 green onion (scallion), finely chopped
2/3 cup mild goat cheese, crumbled
1 Tbsp cumin powder
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Salt (optional)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups plain panko breadcrumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk

Sauce:
2 red peppers
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1/4 cup black olives, chopped
1 Tbsp lime juice

Method:
Wash your hands well.
To make the potato pancakes, combine the potatoes, goat cheese, green onion, cumin and black pepper in a large bowl.
Form the potato pancakes into 1-inch rounds, using with a heaping tablespoon of the mixture.
Place each pancakes on a cookie sheet as you create it.
Refrigerate the pancakes at least 1 hour or overnight to set.

To make the sauce:
Roast 2 red peppers over a gas flame or under a broiler, turning every minute or so until the peppers are done on all sides. 
Place the roasted red peppers in a plastic bag.
Wait at least 30 minutes or until they are cool enough to handle.
Through the plastic bag, rub the peppers to help start to peel off the blackened skin.
Remove them from the bag and rinse them well. Peel off any other blackened parts you might have missed.
Chop up the peppers.
Place the chopped peppers in a medium bowl.
Combine the chopped peppers with the cilantro, green onions, black olives and lime juice.
Refrigerate the sauce at least 1 hour, or overnight.

When you are ready to eat or freeze:
Combine the egg and milk in a small bowl.
Place the panko breadcrumbs on a platter.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Line a cookie sheet with paper towels.
Heat the vegetable oil in a 10-inch frying pan over medium flame for about 4 minutes.
Dip the potato patties in the egg mixture first.
Then dredge on the platter to coat both sides of the potato pancake in the panko crumbs.
Fry the pancakes in 2 batches in the hot oil, 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
Line a plate with paper towels.
When each pancake is cooked, lift out of the pan with a spatula and placed on the paper towels.
If you wish to keep the pancakes warm until the entire batch is cooked, or want to make them crispier, place in the heated oven and continue cooking until the whole batch is fried up.
Top each potato patty with a tablespoon of red pepper sauce and serve immediately.

Or, wait until the patties cool completely. Place in a freezer container or sturdy freezer bag.
Put the sauce in a separate container. It can be used with this recipe, or as a quick pasta sauce or dip. Just defrost whenever you are ready to use by microwaving for about 30 seconds. When you want to reheat the patties, put them in a toaster oven for about 10 minutes until thawed and crisp. They are so tasty that you don't even need the sauce!

Do make the sauce, however, if you would like to use this as a main course. You can create multiple batches, then eat one and freeze one.

Serve with salad, green vegetables and some additional cheese of any variety.

Yield: About 16 potato pancakes per batch

Cooking Time: 10 to 30 minutes, spread out over 2 days
Post-freezing reheating time: 30 to 5 minutes for the pancakes and sauce. Up to 10 minutes if you want to heat in a conventional oven or toaster.

CHAPTER 9: DESSERT RECIPES

No meal in our houses is complete without dessert. Here are some homemade ones that will save you money at the bakery and help you keep track of your calories at the same time.

PEACH MERINGUE ROLL

Ingredients:
4 large egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup + 2 Tbsps sugar
1 cup of almonds, sliced
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
1 pound of fresh peaches, chopped into 1/4" chunks (you can also use frozen or canned, in which case, drain well of all juice)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 F degrees.
Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper.
Place the egg whites and salt into a mixing bowl.
Beat on high until stiff peaks form when the beaters are lifted out of the bowl.
Beat in 1 Tbsp of sugar at a time and continue beating until the mixture is shiny.
Spread the meringue evenly over the bottom of the jellyroll pan.
Spread the almonds over the meringue.
Bake 15 minutes or until firm to the touch and just barely starting to brown.
Place a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface and dust it lightly with confectioners’ sugar.
Invert the warm meringue onto the parchment paper and let cool.
Place the whipping cream into a bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.
Spread the beaten cream over the cooled meringue.
Scatter the peaches evenly over the cream.
Starting with the short side, roll the meringue over the filling.

Dust with confectioners' sugar, slice and serve. Or wrap in parchment paper first, then in tin foil and freeze.

To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, dust with confectioners’ sugar and slice.

Serves: 8

This is a handy dessert you can enjoy any time and which is a great option any time you need to bring a dessert to a potluck supper or other event. It looks and tastes like you slaved over it for ages or that it cost a lot in the bakery.  Blueberries, raspberries or cherries can be used in place of the peaches.

Cooking time: about 20 minutes

FAST AND EASY CHERRY CHOCOLATE BARS

Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks of butter, cut into small pieces
9 oz. semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces (like Baker's chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips)
2 Tbsps light corn syrup
1 lb whole meal biscuits, crushed (such as English digestive biscuits, or graham crackers)
2 Tbsp fresh cherries, pitted and chopped
1 Tbsp pecans, chopped

Method:
Butter an 8-inch square pan on the bottom and up the sides. Or, line the pan with foil and butter the foil for each clean ups.
Place the butter, chocolate and syrup into a large saucepan.
Place the pan over low heat and stirring constantly, cook for 5 minutes until melted and smooth.
Crush the biscuits in a plastic bag with a rolling pin.  When crushing the biscuits, be careful not to crush them too finely. The biscuits give these bar cookies their main texture.
Remove the pan with the chocolate mixture from the heat and stir in the biscuits, cherries and pecans.
Press the mixture into the buttered pan. Even out with the back of the spoon or your hands.
Refrigerate until completely cool. Then cut, wrap and freeze.
Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Makes 6 servings

These little bars make a great afternoon snack. Pull one or two out the freezer and let thaw over the morning to enjoy in the mid-afternoon with a cup of piping hot coffee.

 They are also ideal for a brown bag lunch treat. You can vary the fruit, such as raisins, craisins, dried cherries or blueberries. You can also change the nuts (walnuts, almonds, peanuts) and the chocolate can be dark or white. Experiment with various combinations to find ones your family likes best. They will certainly not complain about being your taste testers!

Preparation Time: about 10 - 15 minutes

EASY APPLE CINNAMON PIE

Ingredients:
1 prepared 9-inch pie crust dough, room temperature
4 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled and sliced
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Method:
Preheat the oven to 425 F degrees.
Lightly flour a flat surface and roll the pie crust as thin as possible.
Place the dough into an 8-inch spring form pan.
Fold the edges of the dough into a roll to form an edge.
Prick the dough on the bottom a few times with a fork.
Place a piece of parchment paper over the dough and weigh it down with dry beans or pie weights.
Bake 10 minutes or until solid. .
Remove the pie crust from the oven, but leave the oven on.
Remove the weights and parchment paper and let the crust cool.
When the crust has cooled, arrange the apple slices in the crust, overlapping each other a little bit.
In a bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon.
Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the apples.
Place the pieces of butter on top of the coated apples.
Bake 12 minutes or until the apples just begin to become caramelized in texture.
Let stand for 30 minutes before serving.
Reminder: Cooked fruit can be hot and burn young mouths.

To freeze: Let cool, wrap the whole pie and freeze. Or cut into slices.
Defrost overnight or for an hour per individual piece in the refrigerator before serving.

Makes 8 servings

This is a handy apple pie far cheaper than the frozen pies in the supermarket. It is ideal to get ready ahead of time for the holidays or to have on hand if you need something for a potluck. 

If you want your dessert warmed, place the thawed tart in a preheated 375 F degree oven for about 15 minutes or until heated through.
Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top for a special treat.

Preparation Time: about 30 minutes
Post-freezing time: about 15

HOMEMADE PECAN PIE

Ingredients:
1 (9-inch) pie prepared pie crust
1/2 stick butter
2 Tbsp of light corn syrup
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 cups of pecan halves (not chopped)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees.
Place the pie crust into an 8-inch spring form pan and trim off any extra.
Place the pie crust in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
Prick the crust with a fork and line the crust with parchment paper.
Place pie weights or dry beans onto the parchment paper to weigh it down.
Bake the crust 12 to 14 minutes or until just starting to brown.
Remove the weights or beans and bake an additional 5 minutes.
Remove the crust from the oven. Remove the weights and parchment and set the crust aside for the moment.
Reduce the temperature of the oven to 325 F degrees.
In a saucepan, place the butter and syrup.
Place the saucepan over a low flam.
Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the butter is completely melted.
Remove the pan from the heat.
Stir in both types of brown sugar.
Fold in the pecans.
Add th eeggs.
Stir until well combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust.
Bake 35 minutes or until the filling is set in the center.
Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least an hour. Warning: Pies such as this with a high sugar content can easily burn mouths.

To serve: Serve as is or with a dollop of whipped cream.

To freeze: Cool completely before wrapping and freezing in slices. Or freeze the whole pie.

To serve after freezing:
Whole pie:  Serve at room temperature, or heat from frozen in a preheated 325F degree oven for 25 minutes.
If you warm the pie, let it set for 10 minutes before slicing. Be careful, as the high sugar content can make this pie very hot and it can burn young mouths.

Or defrost the pie in the refrigerator overnight.

Makes 6 servings

If you like pecan pie, you will love this tasty but lower calorie version of this Southern favorite.

If you are in a real hurry to throw this pie together, substitute a jar of caramel topping for the butter, syrup and brown sugars. If you are using the topping, then reduce your baking time to 20 minutes or until it looks set. Do not overcook.

Cooking Time: About 1 hour for the crust, filling and complete pie
Post-freezing time: Thaw overnight or heat from frozen about 20 minutes.

MOIST LEMON CAKE

Ingredients:
5 Tbsp of butter at room temperature
1 cup white sugar
Zest from 2 lemons, grated finely
Zest from 1 orange, grated finely
3 large eggs, separated into yolks and whites
3/4 cup flour
1 cup of milk
Juice from 2 lemons
2 Tbsps lemon curd (such as Dickinson's brand)

Method.
Preheat the oven to 325F degrees.
Place the butter and sugar in a bowl.
Beat together until creamy.
Add the lemon and orange zest.
Add the egg yolks and beat until well combined.
Beat in half of the flour and half of the milk until blended in well.
Beat in the remaining flour and milk.
Fold in the lemon juice.
Place the egg whites in a medium bowl.
Beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Fold the egg white mixture into the batter.
Spread the lemon curd over the bottom of a 1 qt. ovenproof, freezer-safe dish.
Pour the batter over the curd.
Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown and set in the center.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for an hour.
To serve, invert the pan. Continue to cool, then slice.

To freeze: Cool to room temperature, freeze for an hour, then wrap in foil.
To serve: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator for a whole cake. Or heat individual pieces in the microwave for about 15 seconds.

Makes 8 servings.

If you want to heat this cake, put in in a preheated 350F oven for about 20 minutes. Check to be sure it is not getting too brown. If it is, cover the top with foil and lower the temperature to 325F. To test if it is done, insert a metal knife into the center of the cake. Then remove it. If you touch the tip of the knife a knife and it is hot to the touch, the cake is warmed through and can be served.

Cooking time: about 40 minutes
Post-freezing cooking time: about 20 minutes, or 20 seconds per piece in the microwave

CONCLUSION

So there you have it, a range of recipes that you can make and eat, and then freeze the leftovers, or make and freeze and serve any time you need a piping hot meal in minutes. For those of you who say that they do not have time to cook, we hope we have demonstrated how easy it can be to spend a day or evening cooking up several recipes, parceling them up, and filling your freezer in preparation for a hectic week or month.

We are all busy, there is no doubt about it, but we all need to eat. Nothing is more important than good nutrition for us, and above all, our children. How can they ever learn to cook or make smart food choices if they don’t see us setting a good example at home?

We also know that what we eat fuels our bodies, and provides us with many of the essential nutrients we require to stay healthy. Thanks to the modern wonders of the freezer, we can indeed enjoy a good meal any time. However, we certainly do not need to pay top dollar for it. Nor do we need to generate the vast amounts of waste involved in the frozen food or fast food industries.

We can buy local produce from the farmer’s market, free of pesticides, all much fresher than anything that you can find in the supermarket. You can get everything from free-range chickens and eggs, turkeys and pork from kindly raised pigs, to turkey and beef, even wine and cheese to round out the meal and eat freshly. You may pay a little more than in the supermarkets or warehouse clubs, but you can also afford to because you will be throwing away a lot less food thanks to tighter meal planning and more delicious meals that everyone will love. If you shop at a farmer's market, you will also be stimulating the local economy. You will also be helping with green issues because the food at the farmer's market will be free of pesticides and will not have required a lot of gasoline to drive it to the market.

With Americans throwing away more than $26 BILLIONS in food every year, that is almost $750 per person in the U.S. That is $3,000 right there for a family of four. What could you do with that money instead? Save it in an emergency fund? Take a couple of trips to Disney World? Split it and do both, one trip, and more savings.

It is up to YOU. You CAN make it happen. Set yourself a challenge starting today to see how much you can save with better meal planning and make and freeze recipes. Then see how much happier your family will be, and less hyper, eating all natural foods that you have cooked yourself at home, hopefully with the help of this guide.  

Don't forget, go to:
http://EternalSpiralBooks.com/even-more-freezer-recipes
password: fastandtasty

to download your copy of the titles of the recipes in this guide so that you can organize your freezer and know exactly what you have on hand, how long it has been there, and what you are running low of in terms of your family favorites.

Happy eating, and happy saving,

Mara M.
Erin K.
January 28, 2013

FURTHER READING

Make and Freeze Recipes: Great Foods You Can Cook, Freeze, and Use Quickly and Easily (Food Matters)

More Make and Freeze Recipes

Healthy Make Ahead and Freeze Muffins (Food Matters)

Easy Brown Bag Lunches on a Budget: How to Pack Great Lunches Everyone in Your Family Will Eat and Still Save Money (Food Matters)

33 Easy Thermos Lunch Recipes (Food Matters)

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