Challenge: Cook your way through your freezer (part 2)

[Okanagancook]

[Host's note: this topic is part of an extended discussion that grew too large for our servers to handle efficiently.  The discussion is continued from here.]

 

Slowly, it is coming around.  I have quite a bit of compound butters made from fresh summer herbs.  I moved them from a hard to get at drawer to one at shoulder height; separated them into tubs with a list of what is in each tub; wonder of wonders, I am using them almost everyday for something!  Today I made soup with two one cup containers of pureed winter squash and confit onions which I made in the IP.  That was a quick soup.  Tonight we are having a duck breast that has been vac sealed and stored in the freezer since 2013!  Still good.  No freezer burn but clearly TIME to use it.  Pulled out a port/cherry sauce to go with.  For tomorrow we have some homemade Brats out of the freezer along with some red cabbage German style.  

[ElsieD]

27 minutes ago, Okanagancook said:

Slowly, it is coming around.  I have quite a bit of compound butters made from fresh summer herbs.  I moved them from a hard to get at drawer to one at shoulder height; separated them into tubs with a list of what is in each tub; wonder of wonders, I am using them almost everyday for something!  Today I made soup with two one cup containers of pureed winter squash and confit onions which I made in the IP.  That was a quick soup.  Tonight we are having a duck breast that has been vac sealed and stored in the freezer since 2013!  Still good.  No freezer burn but clearly TIME to use it.  Pulled out a port/cherry sauce to go with.  For tomorrow we have some homemade Brats out of the freezer along with some red cabbage German style.  

 

 

More info on the soup, please.  I just checked my freezer and counted 12 servings for two people of squash.  I could use an idea or two.

[Okanagancook]

Let's see, I had two cups pureed squash; about 1/2 cup confit onion (you could sub in some browned onions); confit garlic cloves..about 4;chicken stock; simmered 25 minutes; blended in the Vita mix; added some hot sauce from the fridge and some lemon juice seeing it was quite sweet; S and P.  Take it from there to new heights.

[Kerry Beal]

Boneless skinless Chicken breasts to make Thai red Curry

 

 

 

And it's on Cauliflower Rice

[Okanagancook]

duck breast with a port wine sauce, cauliflower mash, carrots with pistachio butter, wild rice and mushrooms.

butter, sauce and duck from freezer

breast done over low heat for 25 minutes then flipped for a minute or so

[Dejah]

Having been basically off my feet for the last few days, I was able to go up and downstairs yesterday to be driven to work. So, I now have access to continue the challenge of cooking through my freezer!

Had picked up a package of drumsticks on sale at Safeway before Xmas, so we had Lemon-Rosemary grilled chicken legs for supper. Not having been to pick up fresh vegetables for a few days, it was stir-fried dregs from the fridge vegetable crisper.

The new cast iron wok I have gets and stays super hot. Even with the broth added to the veg, and the fact that I couldn't get back to it quickly, the veg. had a "nice charred" flavour to it. Definitely NOT wok hei" but was edible.

                                        

 

[chromedome]

The transition of my mother's freezer from ingredients to ready-to-eat meals continues apace. It now contains several individual packages of scalloped potatoes with ham (one of her favorites), bean soup, venison soup, venison pot roast/veg/gravy, and a quantity of small onions form their garden that I simmered in a marinade and then roasted. Those are for garnish on future roasts, chops, etc. 

 

My father passed peacefully on Friday, so filling the freezer must now alternate with many legalities and practicalities (my aunt and I are executors). 

[Kerry Beal]

1 minute ago, chromedome said:

The transition of my mother's freezer from ingredients to ready-to-eat meals continues apace. It now contains several individual packages of scalloped potatoes with ham (one of her favorites), bean soup, venison soup, venison pot roast/veg/gravy, and a quantity of small onions form their garden that I simmered in a marinade and then roasted. Those are for garnish on future roasts, chops, etc. 

 

My father passed peacefully on Friday, so filling the freezer must now alternate with many legalities and practicalities (my aunt and I are executors). 

I still find the odd plated meal in my freezer that I made for my dad in that last couple of years before he died.

 

Happy memories of his favourite foods when I run across them,

[chromedome]

My father was the cook in the family, so Mom hasn't prepared very many dinners for herself in the last...oh, 40 years or so. She has Parkinson's now, so the tremors won't make it easier for her to re-adjust. She's hardly helpless in the kitchen, and routinely makes her own breakfasts and lunches, but dinners are a bit more work. It'll be a great convenience for her to have them ready-made in the freezer. 

[suzilightning]

IF the power holds.....

I pulled some chicken Italian sausages out of the upstairs freezer to defrost.  Take them out of the casings...saute with some garlic, onion, peppers and then mix with some gf pasta and some red sauce then bake for Johnnybird. 

Also pulled some frozen blueberries to defrost and then they will become blueberry pancakes for the next few days and then up to Poughkeepsie along with some other foods.

[MelissaH]

@chromedome, I'm sorry about the loss of your father. It sounds like you're finding a happy and productive way to stay busy and keep your mother well fed for the near future.

[ElsieD]

@chromedome. My sympathies on the loss of your father.  A sad time.

[Dejah]

Challenged meals the last couple of days:

Grill tenderloin steak with mashed celeric and salad  in lovely new blue and white bowls - gift from a colleague. First time eating celeric and we loved it - a lovely changeup from mashed cauliflower.

                                      

 

Last night's dinner was Lemon-dill Steelhead trout in foil. Eaten with gai-lan and green beans.

 

                                     

 

                                                                                  Freezer content - about 2/3 down in meat!

 

[ElsieD]

Tuesday night we had pork chops (only 5 more pork chop dinners to go!) with roasted carrots and smashed spuds.   Yesterday we had a top sirloin roast (last one) with Yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes and squash (11 more to go).  In the gravy went the last two veal jus cubes.  We're getting there.

[Beebs]

Must have been Pork Chop Tuesday!  We had Pork chops, too - which weren't from the freezer - with Pineapple salsa. The pineapples were from the freezer.  And ice cream & Pie for dessert.

[ninagluck]

this morning I pulled something from the freezer and it turned out to be rabbit liver. From the drawer stuffed with sauces and fonds I took a container with fesenjan sauce. served it with persian noodle rice, not much new space, but every little helps!

[Smithy]

Did you make that fesengan sauce yourself, @ninagluck?  I'm always looking for more things to do with pomegranates, although it will have to wait since our season is finished.

[ninagluck]

yes, I did it myself, onions, walnuts, pomegranate molasses, s+p, water. nowadays it seems that pomegranates are available all year over here

[Smithy]

3 minutes ago, ninagluck said:

yes, I did it myself, onions, walnuts, pomegranate molasses, s+p, water. nowadays it seems that pomegranates are available all year over here

 

Only the pomegranate molasses, without any fresh pomegranate added? Did you make the molasses yourself?

[ninagluck]

I get very good pomegranate juice here and just cook it down to a thick consistency, voilà, molasses. and no, the fresh ones go on top when the dish is finished

[cakewalk]

A few years ago, when I was first introduced to pomegranate molasses, I read a lot about fesenjan. I very much wanted to make some. But the recipes varied so widely in terms of ingredients and cooking time and method that I sort of backed away from it, and then forgot about it altogether. Maybe it's time to just close my eyes and choose one. Thanks for this reminder. 

[ninagluck]

@cakewalk go for it, it is delicious. this one is easy https://persianmama.com/chicken-in-walnut-pomegranate-sauce-khoresht-fesenjan/

 

[chromedome]

On 19/03/2017 at 2:33 PM, ninagluck said:

this morning I pulled something from the freezer and it turned out to be rabbit liver. From the drawer stuffed with sauces and fonds I took a container with fesenjan sauce. served it with persian noodle rice, not much new space, but every little helps!

 

I pulled a few packages of cut-up rabbit from my mom's freezer for stew, and found that one of them had the livers and hearts in with it. So I went ahead with the stew, but ate the livers and hearts on toast for my lunch. I just sauteed them and topped them with caramelized onions, though. I was hungry.

[Dejah]

Been such a slacker for photos - my excuse? Too busy with end-of-term prep. and still hobbling a bit from the leg-issue from a couple of weeks ago.

Tonight, I was late getting home from an acupuncture treatment after work. Had pulled out a bag of boneless chicken thighs on my way out to work.

Needed something quick for supper, so Butter Chicken it was. While the chicken simmered, I fried up slices of tofu and steamed a handful of green beans.

The green beans were tossed into the chicken just before scooping up.
I LOVE fresh mint leaves on dishes like this.

                                             

[blue_dolphin]

This pertains to my fridge, not the freezer compartment but since it's the same appliance, I thought I'd post here in the hopes that publicly posting this list of fresh produce will make me accountable to use up as much as possible without having things go bad.   I'm going to print this out and track my inventory.

 

What sort of one person household needs to have this much produce on hand??? 

 

Fresh Produce Inventory as of 3/24
Refrig:
Scallions, 1 bag
Red onion, 1/2
Yellow onion, 1/2
Shallots, 2
Leeks, 1
Mushrooms, Shiitaki, 3 small
Carrots, multicolor, 2 lbs
Carrots, baby, 1/2 lb
Rutabaga, 1.5 lb
Turnips, white, 2 small
Beets, red, 4 small
Jerusalem artichokes - 3.5 lbs 
Parsley, flat leaf, 1 bunch
Cilantro, 1 bunch
Mint, 1 small packet
Dill, 3 sprigs
Arugula, 7 oz bag
Kale, ~ 10 oz
Brussels sprouts, 7 oz
Avocado, 1
Hot house cucumber, 1
Red bell pepper, 2
Green bell pepper, 1
Jalapeño peppers, 1 lb
Serrano peppers, 3
Habanero peppers, 5

Oranges, cara, cara, 2
Grapefruit, pink, 2
Tangerines, various, 4 lbs

Strawberries, 1/2 small basket
Cranberries, 12 oz
Apples, 3 med

 

Room temp
Tomatoes, 4 small
Tomatoes, cherry, mixed colors, 16 oz
Jicama, 1 med
Red onions, 3 large
Yellow onions, 3 large
Garlic, 2 heads
Butternut squash, 1 small
Sweet potatoes, white, 3 lbs

 

Wish me luck!