Challenge: Cook your way through your freezer (part 1)

[rotuts]

Ive of course never been there.  Id have an associate drive around the block  ( a favorite idea of my mother's long long ago  but probably to save

 

the nickel for the parking meter )  so I could drool all over the Red Meats. 

 

the web site was ver polite in not showing me the ' meat counter '

 

and while it would be interesting to see their price lists , you don't go in there unprepared  .

 

Im pleased a place like that still exists.

[Jacksoup]

@ElsieD  I'm using the ham bone from the Christmas ham for ham and navy bean soup.  Also pulled frozen pepper strips out last night for sausage and  Peppers over Polenta. Forgot to take pictures of that.  The peppers were from last years garden and the sausage is Aidell's chicken with apple which is always in the freezer. Even though this is the boyfriend's freezer I feel I should get points since I stocked everything in the first place.  If we ate from what he put in the freezer, it would be yakisoba bowls and burgers.

Edited February 5, 2017 by Jacksoup
Grammar (log)

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, ElsieD said:

Is Cumbrae's really that good?  If it is, I'll have to stop in there next time we are down that way.

OH boy!   Let me count the ways but first let me get approved for a second mortgage just in case.  

[Anna N]

32 minutes ago, Jacksoup said:

@ElsieD  I'm using the ham bone from the Christmas ham for ham and navy bean soup.  Also pulled frozen pepper strips out last night for sausage and  Peppers over Polenta. Forgot to take pictures of that.  The peppers were from last years garden and the sausage is Aidell's chicken with apple which is always in the freezer. Even though this is the boyfriend's freezer I feel I should get points since I stocked everything in the first place.  If we ate from what he put in the freezer, it would be yakisoba bowls and burgers.

 

The like is for the effort to use things out of the freezer not for the bean soup.   Just so we keep things straight.

 

 

[ElsieD]

1 hour ago, Anna N said:

OH boy!   Let me count the ways but first let me get approved for a second mortgage just in case.  

 

Hmmm.  Maybe I'll pass. 

 

[Anna N]

43 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

Hmmm.  Maybe I'll pass. 

 

Go look!  Just be forewarned. Member @Marlene was a big fan as I recall. I have been twice in the company of someone else and I don't believe I bought anything but I was very tempted.  There is a branch out this side of Toronto, I think perhaps in Dundas, but I didn't look it up.  

[Anna N]

Well if I was awarded any bonus points today I will have to relinquish them. When I went to put away my groceries I discovered mushrooms that were still in good shape but I had just bought some. I would never be able to eat all of them before they went south. So I cooked up the older ones and made some duxelles which went into the freezer.  And I had forgotten that I also bought four jalapeños specifically designed to go into the freezer. Shouldn't known I wouldn't get bonus points.

 

 

Duxelles in 1/4 cup portions ready to be frozen. 

 

 

Edited February 5, 2017 by Anna N (log)

[ElsieD]

We had this Pork Tenderloin for dinner.  I made a Peach, apple cider vinegar, mustard and maple syrup glaze for the pork.    

A bit thin on the Ps or Ts, I'll admit.  I promise to do better.

[BeeZee]

Loaded nachos for dinner...turkey (small amt leftover from thanksgiving, shredded and mixed with enchilada sauce) and tortilla chips (topped with salsa, more enchilada sauce, pickled jalapenos, black olive, much cheese melted over). Served with a mix of finely diced seeded tomato, avocado, and scallion mixed together as a relish to spoon on top.

[Dejah]

Started the morning with stuff from the fridge freezer...before something falls on my toes! I have been contemplating an upright freezer. I would have to stop this food hoarding first as I visualize me hobbling around on toe-less stumps for feet! Hey! That would be like "Golden Lilies" of my grandmother's day!

Pulled out a Ziplock with 4 Hot Italian Sausages and a bag of those balls of frozen Spinach. A dozen eggs, some crumbled feta cheese, full fat cream, and a splash of unsweetened almond milk later, I got 18 low-carb frittata muffins for today's breakfast and for next week on-the-go.

                          
Had some Hot 'n' Sour Soup base in the big chest freezer. Added some Shrimp, pork neck bone meat, chicken, and tofu, and it was a hearty lunch.
                         
Had also pulled out a bag of Steak. That would have been supper with a big Salad. However, it might be tomorrow's supper as that soup was pretty filling, and it is now 9:21 PM.
So, we ended up using leftover chicken from earlier in the week and had Salad for supper. The chicken was part of the challenge, and I added Saskatoon berries that I had froze in the summer to the salad. The rest of the berries will be made into muffins tomorrow...maybe...

                      

It was a day of "S", and my fridge freezer is a tad "safer" for it.

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Still trying to eat the Masbahet El Darweesh, so nothing pulled out of the freezer except for a large container of chocolate ice cream with only a little left. Even though it was a small amount, and kind of old with some ice crystals here and some dehydration there, even though the carton was over-wrapped with a tortilla bag because a gallon freezer Ziplock is too small, the container was taking up a lot of space. I sliced a banana into it for dessert, and freed up the most space so far!

[Anna N]

Ground beef and some peas from the freezer over cauliflower rice.  Be damned if I can figure anything to alliterate.  Still it was my idea of comfort food even if the cauliflower rice stood in for real rice  or mashed potatoes.  

 

[Beebs]

Do I get a high-five for resisting putting more stuff in my freezer, despite incredible odds against me to do so?  Went to the recently-opened T&T (Asian supermarket) near my neighbourhood last week.  Frozen dumplings! Frozen onion pancakes! Frozen fish balls!  Through sheer will-power, I did not purchase One. Single. Frozen. Item. 

 

Anyway, Super Bowl weekend was for gaining major FCO points. Unfortunately, some of our guests got snowed in, so I nixed a couple dishes that would have used up a bunch of stuff.  I randomly on purpose pulled out frozen Chick Peas, and made red Pepper hummus, served with Cucumber slices, bell Peppers & Pita.

 

Puff pastry veg tart was one of the nixed items, but that will be dinner tonight, since I've already thawed the puff. So Puff pastry, caramelized onions, kabocha Pumpkin, Parmesan tart.  The parmesan is from the freezer too!

 

Ehhh....but the leftover pulled pork will probably go into the freezer..... 

[Anna N]

10 minutes ago, Beebs said:

Do I get a high-five for resisting putting more stuff in my freezer, despite incredible odds against me to do so?  Went to the recently-opened T&T (Asian supermarket) near my neighbourhood last week.  Frozen dumplings! Frozen onion pancakes! Frozen fish balls!  Through sheer will-power, I did not purchase One. Single. Frozen. Item. 

 

Anyway, Super Bowl weekend was for gaining major FCO points. Unfortunately, some of our guests got snowed in, so I nixed a couple dishes that would have used up a bunch of stuff.  I randomly on purpose pulled out frozen Chick Peas, and made red Pepper hummus, served with Cucumber slices, bell Peppers & Pita.

 

Puff pastry veg tart was one of the nixed items, but that will be dinner tonight, since I've already thawed the puff. So Puff pastry, caramelized onions, kabocha Pumpkin, Parmesan tart.  The parmesan is from the freezer too!

 

Ehhh....but the leftover pulled pork will probably go into the freezer..... 

 Anyone who can visit an Asian store and return without anything to go into the freezer must surely get bonus points. And your alliteration skills put me to shame.

[Dejah]

The Superbowl steaks got eaten tonight. Think I'll go the Beef steak and Broccoli with cheese route. Steaks were from the freezer. Vegetables were from fresh. A colleague brings spices back for me every time she and her husband travel - about 3 trips a year.
                           
                            
The steak was the tail end piece of a whole tenderloin. It had some gristle and fat, and I had hoped to braise this and other collected pieces. That didn't happen. They were fine grilled on the cast iron pan. Had enough protein for two, plus some for my lunch salad tomorrow.

[lindag]

OMG, I am totally out of control now, I just realized.

Yesterday while watching something on TV I saw an ad by a local appliance store for a small-ish chest type freezer for $208.

And, for about 30 seconds I actually considered it.

This, mind you, would be a third freezer in my house.  The other two are full sized uprights.  In addition, I have a large side by side. 

And...I live alone and cook most days for just myself.

I think I have a problem.

 

[rotuts]

@lindag  

 

don't look here

 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Amana-7-0-cu-ft-Chest-Freezer-in-White-AQC0701DRW/205046744

 

I got this for 100 $$  last spring  w free delivery for some reason.

 

its F_B 

 

I got it to use  ( at that price a steel ! )  to help defrost  F_A  an unright

 

it didn't work out that way .....

 

[lindag]

heh, heh, heh.

 

[blue_dolphin]

I confess that this thread makes me want a freezer.  I have a side-by-side fridge with annoyingly narrow little shelves and a space-hog ice maker.  Still, that should be plenty for someone who lives alone.  More than plenty.  And yet, I want more.

Specifically, I'm looking for one pre-filled with ham bones, duck confit, smoked chicken legs, pork shoulder roasts and plenty of shrimp and scallops.....

[BeeZee]

I removed the ice maker to make more room in the freezer. Not a big user of ice cubes.

[chromedome]

3 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

Specifically, I'm looking for one pre-filled with ham bones, duck confit, smoked chicken legs, pork shoulder roasts and plenty of shrimp and scallops.....

 

I suspect you're in the right place. Coming to terms with the current owners of said freezers would be the issue.

[Beebs]

4 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

I confess that this thread makes me want a freezer.  I have a side-by-side fridge with annoyingly narrow little shelves and a space-hog ice maker.  Still, that should be plenty for someone who lives alone.  More than plenty.  And yet, I want more.

Specifically, I'm looking for one pre-filled with ham bones, duck confit, smoked chicken legs, pork shoulder roasts and plenty of shrimp and scallops.....

 

I will trade my frozen dumplings for someone's duck confit & scallops....

[ElsieD]

Tonight we had Fish, specifically haddock with a vadouvan/lime sauce.  With it we had oven French Fries and asparagus.  Not shown is TJ's mango ginger chutney.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

I took out a Chicken leg quarter to thaw last night and decided to make spicy Greek braised chicken for dinner tonight. I also had some raw eggplant and zucchini slices that wouldn't fit in the Mahasbet Al Darweesh I made the other day, and they were in surprisingly great shape, so those were added to the dish too. First I salt and peppered the chicken and set it aside. Then salt and pepper for the zukes and eggplant, and I shook those up in a bag with wheat flour. I fried the slices in hot oil and removed to a plate. Then the chicken got the flour treatment and was lightly fried golden in the same pot. It too went to wait on the plate while I fried onion rings and garlic in still the same pot. Deglazed with a little dry white wine, added a can of whole tomatoes undrained, a 2" Cinnamon stick, a bay leaf, and a little crushed red Chili flakes.  Chicken went back in and the dish got simmered for 45 minutes. I added the fried zucchini and eggplant for the last 10 minutes of cooking.

 

This was served with a red leaf lettuce salad dressed with lemon-tahini and Barilla "White Fiber" thin spaghetti. There was enough left over for another meal tomorrow.

 

The spaghetti had been in the pantry over a year with me afraid to use it, remembering my one prior attempt at whole wheat pasta. I knew I'd have time while the chicken dish simmered to boil up a few strands of the pasta to test, and it was absolutely fine. Unlike the first healthier pasta I tried which was brownish and had the texture of sawdust, this "White Fiber" stuff was white with a smooth texture just like regular pasta. So this is what I used for dinner, and I'm not askeered no more. 

[chromedome]

1 hour ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

Unlike the first healthier pasta I tried which was brownish and had the texture of sawdust, this "White Fiber" stuff was white with a smooth texture just like regular pasta. So this is what I used for dinner, and I'm not askeered no more. 

That kind basically *is* regular pasta, with added fibre (inulin, IIRC). 

 

You don't get the various other benefits of true whole grain pasta (B-vitamins, etc) but it's at least a modest improvement nutritionally, and as you say the texture and flavor are unobjectionable. My late wife was a big fan.