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

[Beebs]

Last night was Frozen Dumpling Day.  Potsticker Dumplings with Dipping sauce.  Also a couple frozen onion pancakes.

[Anna N]

 I am almost afraid to mention a few more slices of bacon but also a teeny tiny pork roast has made its way from the freezer to the Sous Vide system .

 

 

Swoodles.  Lunch. There are a few more slices of cooked bacon in the fridge. 

[Porthos]

43 minutes ago, rotuts said:

Hoping to have an entire self ready for St.P's day's  corned beef sales.

 

Yup.

 

ETA: Because of wanting to serve corned beef at least occasionally as part of my ren faire feasts I stock up, helped by donations from members of my guild who enjoy my take on corned beef. Last year saw in excess of 130 lbs of corned beef go into the freezer. I cook up 12ish pounds as part of one feast meal. (Reminder that the concept of our feasts is that you get tastes of everything, not portions as if in a restaurant.)

Edited February 10, 2017 by Porthos (log)

[chromedome]

I so wish that was a "thing" here. 

 

Instead, St. Patrick's Day just means it might be available. 

[rotuts]

the traditional St.P's dinner is a wonder to behold and enjoy.

 

the boiled dinner is around in many cultures.

 

lets just say gently simmered rather than boiled.

[ElsieD]

Every year I give thanks that Ottawa or Bytown as it was then known, was largely settled by the Irish.

[rotuts]

but , do they have Green Beer ?

 

BOS does  and I don't recommend  it.

[ElsieD]

5 minutes ago, rotuts said:

but , do they have Green Beer ?

 

BOS does  and I don't recommend  it.

 

Way back when we used to go to a place called the Alexandria, or Alex for short as they always had green beer.  This was at noon, and we would go with a few people and they would all sit and drink green beer.  I don't know what I had but I do know it wouldn't have been beer, green or otherwise as at that time, I didn't like beer and secondly, my job was such that I was face to face with the public all afternoon.  I didn't think they'd appreciate my beer breath.  The Alex was torn down a long time ago and I don't know if green beer is served anywhere in this city anymore.

[chromedome]

1 hour ago, ElsieD said:

Every year I give thanks that Ottawa or Bytown as it was then known, was largely settled by the Irish.

Saint John calls itself "the most Irish city in Canada," but that doesn't translate into inexpensive corned beef in March, unfortunately. Pickled beef in a bucket is always available, but at just under $30/bucket I don't like it *that* much. Also, it's not at all the same thing. 

[Porthos]

I have pulled out a 3.37 pound corned beef and put it in the bottom of the refrigerator to start slowly thawing. It will be dinner Monday night. See the "St.Patrick and his Corned Beef" for details to be posted in a few minutes.

 

ETA: The meal will be Corned Beef in Guinness, red potatoes and carrots. Nope, no cabbage.

Edited February 10, 2017 by Porthos (log)

[BeeZee]

Yay, a large space cleared in the freezer...the 8lb turkey breast (bone in), plastic container with leftover stuffing from thanksgiving, as well as a bag of gravy. Of course now I realize I still have a container of leftover cooked turkey from Thanksgiving...looks like turkey in many forms in my future. Tomorrow will be turkey + twice baked potatoes.

[Anna N]

There doesn't happen to be anything big in my freezer so I am going at it bite by bite. Still I am seeing some progress. I did take up a bit of space today when I put a ziplock bag of sweet potato noodles in there. 

 

 

 Some of my tiny pork loin roast with braised red cabbage. There is enough left for another meal which is a plus on the one hand but  means that I can't take anything else out of the freezer for another day or two.

 

 

Edited February 11, 2017 by Anna N (log)

[ElsieD]

I pulled out Chicken Thighs today and had them as a Korean dish.  Not a single thing that started with a C or a T went into the dish so no bragging rights here.  I thought it was the last package of thighs but then I found another bag that has maybe 6 meal size portions in it.

[Dejah]

I realize now just HOW FAR I had gone down this road of FAD ( Food Addiction Disorder)! I HAVE made a dent in the hoard but even after a week or so, I am still not allowed to buy any new protein.
So, it's Fffffing day in the challenge: Fish and Fennel.
Had picked up 35 lbs of pickerel fillets in November ( I didn't keep ALL of it! Gifted half to neighbors who clear the snow in our driveway all winter and family members too).
The fillets were breaded with low-carb breading and pan-fried in butter. We needed a change up from the ubiquitous cauliflower, so it was braised fennel. I didn't have any ouzo in the house, so I threw in a couple of star anise when I added the chicken stock. I loved it! Hubby loves licorice but doesn't think it should be in the form of a vegetable. However, he ate it along with asparagus, which were on sale at $2.98 / lb. This was a nice drop from the $5.98 / lb last week!

                                                    

[Jacksoup]

Pork tenderloin with pomegranate glaze, Pasta with Pesto.  Broccoli with anchovies, garlic and chilies.  The alliterative items, pork and pesto were from the freezer.  My son's plate before and after.  He and his gf did all the clean up and were pretty funny cuz they're tipsy.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

 

I had my thawed pork chop with a baked sweet potato and lima beans.

 

I know exactly how I came to have an obscene amount of food for one person in the two over-the-fridge jam packed freezers. The closest place I can buy any food at all is a vegetarian Indian grocer. It's a half mile walk one way, and they sell no meat of any kind. A mile and a half away, is an Asian grocer, that carries some limited meat. Everything I walk after must be carried back the same distance in a backpack. When I get a rare ride to an actual supermarket, I can't suppress an understandable inclination to buy everything I can cram into both freezers while I don't have to pack it back on foot. Then it comes back out one beef patty or chop at a time. I need to speed up my adjustment to my new circumstances, but it sure is hard.

[Jacksoup]

@Thanks for the Crepes I feel unbelievably lucky to be able to drive to Trader Joe's, Safeway, Whole Foods and Asian, Indian, Mexican and so many ethnic groceries.  I need to go more often just to enjoy my luck.  Trader Joe's is the only one I go to regularly because they have my favorite wine.

[ninagluck]

I pulled out thai spiced Patties (leftovers in the filler from sausage making), served them along with a spicy Pomelo salad. I am on a good way since weeks, thank you @Anna N again!

[Anna N]

 

More of the tiny pork loin roast served with sweet potato, parsnip and onion "latkes"  and some sour cream doctored with sriracha and gojuchang.  Pork which was cooked Sous Vide is easily cut with a fork. 

[kayb]

7 hours ago, Anna N said:

 

More of the tiny pork loin roast served with sweet potato, parsnip and onion "latkes"  and some sour cream doctored with sriracha and gojuchang.  Pork which was cooked Sous Vide is easily cut with a fork. 

That's pretty! Looks like it would taste good, too!

 

@Thanks for the Crepes, I live about three blocks from a supermarket I don't patronize much, because it's pricy, and about 10 blocks from one where I do most of my shopping. I can't imagine how I'd manage walking to either and toting my purchases home. I admire your perseverance.

 

 

[ElsieD]

Tonight we had Pork Chops which became schnitzel.  Served with Corn, twice baked Potatoes and mushroom sauce.  I think that's the last of the chops although it's hard to know for sure as the freezer is still pretty full.  I need to do an inventory.  The one thing I do know is that there is several years' worth of squash in there.

Edited February 12, 2017 by ElsieD (log)

[Dejah]

It's a Beef weekend.

Pulled out a 1.5 lb package of ground Beef and a 1/2 lb of ground Pork : made a double batch of Cowboy Chili Casserole. Ingredients included Beef, Pork, Peppers, and eaten with Ciabatta Bread. Had half a container of grape tomatoes that have been sitting on the counter for a couple of days. Tossed them in when the pan went into the oven. They still looked "raw" and so pretty, but OUCH! The insides were liquid and HOT! Have enough for lunches for a couple days next week or they could go into the freezer? Or NOT...

                               

                               

 

We had containers of outdoor Xmas decorations to take to the farm house for storage. I browned some Beef tenderloin trimmings and threw them into the slow cooker. Added some Chinese cooking wine, big knob of ginger, star anise, dried orange peel, and chunks of onion in with splashes of soy. By the time we got back to the city, 4 hours later, it was smelling might good. Added some carrots and deep-fried Bean curd and braised some Chinese cabbage, and supper was ready! It looks much like a dog's breakfast, and all the gristle cooked down...no chew, but still tasty.
                               

[lindag]

On ‎2‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 11:11 PM, Jacksoup said:

@Thanks for the Crepes I feel unbelievably lucky to be able to drive to Trader Joe's, Safeway, Whole Foods and Asian, Indian, Mexican and so many ethnic groceries.  I need to go more often just to enjoy my luck.  Trader Joe's is the only one I go to regularly because they have my favorite wine.

I miss the days when I'd go to TJ's, order up 8 cases of wine and have them loaded into my SUV.

Nowadays the nearest TJ's to me is a 3-½ hour drive in good weather.  No more TJ wine for me.

[ninagluck]

Camerones from the freezer, Cedro lemon, salicornes, only 3 components, but extremely tasty

[rotuts]

@lindag  

 

Ive done that .  some time ago 12 was the most Ive gotten at one time.  wine that I liked in the Table Wine category that was

 

expected to sell out.

 

Id say the trip would be worth it , on occasion , for > 1`2 cases  , in your case.