My Recipes for the April Exchange

So I've done this meatloaf before but not sure if I've posted it here.  Just in case, here it is!

Meatloaf Recipe

Group 1:
2 t. butter
3/4 C onion, chopped
3/4 C scallions, sliced (sometimes I just do more onion if that's what I have)
1/2 C red pepper, diced (this usually comes out to about half a pepper)
2 t. minced garlic

Group 2:
2 eggs
1/2 C. ketchup
1/2 C. milk
1 T. plus 1 t. worchestershire sauce
1/2 t. salt

Group 3:
2 lb. ground beef or turkey
12 oz. pork sausage (not italian sausage) or turkey sausage
3/4 c. dried bread crumbs

1. Melt butter in skillet. Add the rest of group 1. Cook until soft.
2. Beat eggs in big bowl. Add the rest of group 2.
3. Combine all groups well.

At this point, I usually use my muffin scoop and drop meatloaf balls on a cookie sheet covered with foil and freeze. After they're hard, I pop them into a gallon ziplock. 

To cook, take out as many balls as you want, place in a pan, top with some ketchup and bake at 375 degrees for about 30-40 minutes, less time if you let them thaw in fridge overnight - you'd want to thaw in the pan you will bake them in, not the bag. My family is good with about 12 per dinner.

You could also portion into tradition meatloaves in foil bread pans and freeze - definitely let this version thaw in fridge over night. Regular meatloaf sized portion calls for baking 1 hour, 15 minutes or until center is 155 degrees. Let stand 15 minutes before slicing.

So we'll have this as a dinner with rice or potatoes and veggies. Another option is meatloaf sandwiches (Butter bread with ketchup, layer meatloaf and then provolone cheese. Bake, microwave, or broil until cheese is melted.) Another version is meat ball sandwiches with some marinara sauce and cheese on hoagie rolls. To keep it on the healthier side, I always use ground turkey and sausage and it's still very yummy and lower fat than beef.

Fajitas

I've never done this recipe as a freezer meal but we like it as a regular one so I thought I'd try it.

1 1/2 lbs. thinly sliced beef or chicken

3/4 C. Italian dressing

3/4 C. salsa

3 T. lime or lemon juice

1 1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce 

1 medium onion, sliced thinly

1 medium green, yellow, or red bell pepper, cut in thin strips

1 medium tomato, sliced

flour tortillas

1. Combine first 5 ingredients and allow to marinate for at least 6 hours.  (I've done way less, the longer the better, I guess.)

2. Heat a little bit of oil in pan and saute onion until it starts to soften.  Add pepper and cook until tender crisp.  (I always like them soft so I cook them longer.)  Remove from pan.

3. Cook half of meat in hot pan.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from pan and add to veggies.  Repeat with the rest of the meat.  Return all meat and veggies to pan and add tomato.  Stir and cook a few minutes more.

4.  Serve in warm tortillas.  Top with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, etc.

To prepare from frozen:

1.  Allow to thaw in fridge over night.

2. Cook half of meat in hot pan.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from pan.  Repeat with the rest of the meat.  Return all the meat to the pan and add veggies.  Cook and stir until warmed through.

3. Serve in warm tortillas.  (I like to pan fry these tortillas until lightly browned.)  Top with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, etc.

Chicken Piccata

The other recipe I'm doing this month I got from Shelly.  You can also make it with turkey but I've always done chicken.  These are the freezer directions:

In a large freezer bag combine:

1/2 C. flour

1/2 t. pepper

salt

1 lb. turkey or chicken breast, sliced thin or pounded thin

-shake so all the meat is coated in the flour mixture.

In a small freezer bag place:

1 T. butter

In a large freezer bag combine:

1/2 C. chicken broth (I increase to 1 C because I like more sauce)

1/4 C. lemon juice

2 t. lemon zest

1 clove garlic, chopped or pressed

In a small freezer bag combine:

2 t. butter

2 T. capers, drained and rinsed

1 T. fresh or 1/2 T. dried parsley

(I added some quartered artichoke hearts also)

Place all bags in a large freezer bag and freeze.

To prepare:

1. Allow to defrost in fridge overnight.

2. In hot skillet, melt 1 T. butter.  Remove meat from bag and shake off excess flour.  Saute until no longer pink.  Remove to platter and keep warm.

3.  Add contents of sauce bag to hot skillet and heat 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened.  Add contents of butter/capers bag and stir until butter is just melted.

4.  Pour sauce over meat and serve over pasta.

Italian Wedding Soup

• 1/2 pound ground turkey or chicken
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder or some chopped fresh onion
• 7 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups thinly sliced escarole/endive/spinach
• 1/2 cup cooked orzo pasta
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot

1. Combine meat, egg, herbs, bread crumbs, and parmesan.  Shape into mini meat balls and place on a cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, saute carrots (and onions if using) in a little olive oil in pot.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Add escarole.  Reduce heat and simmer.

3. Cook pasta according to package.  

4. Add meatballs and orzo to broth and simmer 5-10 minutes.  Serve.

To freeze: Do steps 1 and 2.  Can combine and freeze.  Leave pasta uncooked in separate bag.

To cook from frozen:

Heat broth and meatballs to boiling.  In the meantime, cook pasta. For the orzo I used, cook in salted boiling water for 8-10 minutes.  Be careful draining - those are tiny little things!  Continue with step 4.

Veggie Marinara (aka How Many Veggies Can I Hide in This Sauce?)

I make loads of this and keep in frozen at almost all times. My kids love it, even Miss Picky. They have no idea what's in it. It's just spaghetti sauce. (Award Mom Points here.)

We eat in on Pasta, Spaghetti Squash, Pizza, as a dip for a fresh loaf of crusty bread, dip for Calzones, etc. etc. etc......Love it!

This month, I'm providing while wheat rotini noodles. You can serve it simply with the sauce and pasta. If you'd like to try something different, line a baking dish with foil and spray heavily with cooking spray. Mix slightly undercooked pasta and sauce together and place in baking dish. Top with your choice of cheese and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.


Veggie Marinara
1/2 cup olive oil
2-3 onions -- chopped
4 garlic gloves -- chopped
3-4 celery stalks including leafy tops -- chopped
1/2 of large bag of frozen spinach -- drained, or large bunch of fresh spinach
--washed and roughly chopped

(optional -- Kale - roughly chopped, Broccoli Rabe -- roughly chopped, Eggplant - cooked and roughly chopped, Red Pepper -- chopped finely (can add a little spice - go easy)

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 bay leaves
2 - 32 ounce canned crushed tomatoes
1 bunch fresh parsley
fresh basil - to taste (optional)

Heat oil in large pot. Add onions and garlic and saute' until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 of the salt and pepper and cook until the veggies are soft. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer on low heat uncovered. for 60-90 minutes. It's done when the sauce has thickened. Remove bay leaves. Add spinach and simmer for 2-3 minutes more. Remove from heat and blend using an immersion blender. (This is optional -- it really hides the veggies. You can leave it chunky if you'd like.) Add fresh parsley and basil and simmer for 3-5 minute more. Serve any way you like red sauce.

Freezer directions: Cool to room temperature and freeze in large freezer bag. To prepare, defrost in fridge overnight. Boil pasta according to directions. Warm sauce in saucepan or microwave. Top pasta with sauce. Add cheese if desired. Serve warm.

Salmon with Rosemary and Lemon in Foil

This is one of our favorite ways to eat Salmon...and we eat Salmon A LOT.....It's an Emeril recipe I found on foodtv.com. I make this recipe whenever I'm trying to convert non-fish eaters. It's has about a 90% conversion success rate!

* 1 whole side salmon, scaled, with skin, pin bones removed (2 1/2 to 3 pounds)
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
* 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
* 1 lemon, very thinly sliced
* 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
* 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Rinse salmon fillet under cold running water and pat dry. Cut a piece of foil long and wide enough to encase the salmon when folded over the center and folded up on the ends. Position the foil on a large baking sheet and place the salmon in the center of the foil, skin side down. Sprinkle the salmon with the salt, pepper, and rosemary. Place the lemon slices over the fish fillet along with the sliced onion and garlic slivers. Drizzle the fillet evenly with the olive oil and fold the edges of the foil up over the salmon and crimp to seal. Fold the edges together on both ends to create an airtight package.

Bake the salmon for 15 minutes, or until just cooked through but still moist. Serve immediately, using a large metal spatula to portion fish. Serve some of the accumulated juices spooned over the fish.

Freezer directions: Make just as directed but double wrap in foil before placing in freezer. Let defrost in refrigerator. Takes at least 24-36 hours if the Salmon is thick. Place on baking sheet and cook as directed.

I like to serve this with a green salad or some saute'd sugar snap peas.

Corn Chowder

Remember when you were a kid and mom or grandma served mashed potatoes with white cream gravy and corn for dinner? Did you ever mix the corn and potatoes and gravy together? Come on....you know you did. I lived for to it. My mom served this almost every Sunday, usual with Roast Beef or Corn-Flake-Encrusted Chicken. As soon as "Amen" was said, I would carefully start mixing the corn into the gravy, and then into the potatoes. Slowly, methodically...aiming for just the right ratio. Mmmmmmm....Pardon me while I wipe the drool off of my chin and the tear from my eye.

This is my grown up version. I have no idea where I first found the recipe. I think I tore it from a magazine or newspaper. I've tweaked it and changed it a bit over the years and have ended up with this. It tastes so much like that cream gravy-potato-corn combo of my youth, with the grown up zing of the basil and a little tomato to brighten in all. It's also nice, light, and healthy since it's made with skim milk and thickened with the potato.


Corn Chowder

6 ears Fresh Sweet Corn (Note: You could also use 3 cups of frozen kernal corn)
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I like to mix half and half)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and bruised
1-2 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 cups skim milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 pound bacon, cut into 1/3 inch dice
1 medium sized onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
4 medium sized ripe tomatoes (I like to use roma tomatoes)
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil

Cut the corn from the cob and set aside. Simmer cobs, broth, and garlic in a pot, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Discard cobs and garlic. Stir in the potatoes and half of the corn. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Using a blender or immersion blender (One of my favorite kitchen items!!) blend until smooth (or leave a little chunky, your call.) Return to the pan, stir in the milk, salt and pepper and set aside. (Not over heat.)

In a saute pan, cook the bacon over low heat until the fat renders, about 6-8 minutes. Add onion and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved soup mixture and remaining corn and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the tomatoes and basil. Stir and let sit for 3-5 minutes. Serve with more fresh basil sprinkled on top. Serve with a nice crusty load of sourdough bread.

Serves: 6-8

Freezer Instructions: Prepare as above. Let cool then freeze in large freezer bag or other container. Let defrost in refrigerator overnight. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to prevent the milk for curdling or scalding. Serve with sourdough bread (or in a sourdough bread bowl) with thinly sliced fresh basil sprinkled on top.

Note: Check the salt and pepper and adjust to taste while reheating. I have found that the seasoning level seems to change with freezing for this recipe, usually getting stronger. I wonder if it's the potatoes/potato starch?? I don't overly season prior to freezing then add more salt/pepper afterwards.

Another Note: You can absolutely substitute soy milk for the milk. I use the original. Don't use the vanilla (did this accidentally once -- not good at all.)

Dill Chicken and Basmati Rice

4 chicken breast
2 T. butter
1/2 C. onion, chopped
2 C. chicken broth
1 T. lemon juice
1 C. uncooked rice
2 t. dill

Melt butter and brown chicken in a large frying pan. Remove chicken from pan and allow to rest.

In same pan, cook onion until tender.

Add broth, lemon juice (in the freezer meal they are already together), and rice. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.

Return chicken to pan, lower heat, and cover. Simmer 15-20 minutes or until rice is cooked.

Sprinkle with dill.

Pesto and Spinach Bake

This recipe is off my other blog and named baked ziti. I changed the name so you know a little bit more about what to expect. We had this for dinner the other night and I swear, we still have enough for 2 more full dinners. This is for all you left over lovers out there!

Ingredients:

Salt
1 pound ziti
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 ounces pesto
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1 (9-ounce) package washed spinach
Butter, for baking dish
2 cups shredded mozzarella, plus more for topping
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan, plus more for topping

DirectionsPreheat oven to 375 degrees F.Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add ziti and cook until al dente. Drain in a colander.

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute onion and garlic. Add the can of diced tomatoes and pesto and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the ricotta cheese, spinach, Parmesan and mozzarella to a large bowl, and stir to combine.

Butter a 4-quart baking dish, add the cooked pasta, then tomato mixture and cheese mixture.

Top with a sprinkling of mozzarella and Parmesan.Bake until completely heated through and golden and crisp on top, about 20 minutes.

For the freezer meal, allow to thaw.

Bake until completely heated through and golden and crisp on top, about 20 minutes. (Mine took more like 50-60 minutes...I guess you could up the temp.)