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

[rotuts]

@ElsieD  

 

what did those CkBr's run you ?   the sale low in my area is at the moment $ 1.66   ( 3 lbs + packs )

 

did you SV them then chill - freeze ?   or just freeze to cook on demand ?

 

Ive stuffed them , and also cooked them plain in the past.

 

the next time they go on sale Im going to try to re-create Tj's  greek-style CkBr's  , bag , SV and freeze

[scubadoo97]

53 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

It has never occurred to me to use my circulator to thaw something.  What a great idea!

I use it all the time to thaw raw meats/chicken that are sealed in vac bags.   Really shortens the time to thaw.  Great for last minute freezer pulls after work

[chromedome]

24 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@ElsieD  

 

what did those CkBr's run you ?   the sale low in my area is at the moment $ 1.66   ( 3 lbs + packs )

 

did you SV them then chill - freeze ?   or just freeze to cook on demand ?

 

Ive stuffed them , and also cooked them plain in the past.

 

the next time they go on sale Im going to try to re-create Tj's  greek-style CkBr's  , bag , SV and freeze

I can't answer for Elsie D's exact sale, but typically in my neck of the woods BSBs go on for $3.99 and once or twice a year for $2.99 (chicken isn't subsidized up here the way it is in the US). 

 

Pork is usually the big bargain up here. I just picked up a pair of whole boneless loins (one for home, one for at my mother's place) at $1.99/lb. It's not my favorite cut, but at that price it's a hella lot of chops and stir-fry for a very small dollar. 

[rotuts]

@chromedome  

 

interesting   down here  , with an eagle eye , one can find whole pork loin for $ 1.49  USD if patient  

 

and that's  whole  i.e.  10 - 12 lbs

[ElsieD]

1 hour ago, rotuts said:

@ElsieD  

 

what did those CkBr's run you ?   the sale low in my area is at the moment $ 1.66   ( 3 lbs + packs )

 

did you SV them then chill - freeze ?   or just freeze to cook on demand ?

 

Ive stuffed them , and also cooked them plain in the past.

 

the next time they go on sale Im going to try to re-create Tj's  greek-style CkBr's  , bag , SV and freeze

@rotuts. They were $3.44 a pound which is inexpensive in these parts.  They were also very well trimmed which isn't always the case when they are on sale.  I just vacuum packed them in sous vide bags, 2 half breasts per package, averaging 12 to 13 ounces per package.  

[rotuts]

skinless  boneless CkBr's are one of the best deals around , if you follow the sale prices.

 

they generally are 4.49 to 4.99 for the same stuff.

 

granted its a potential good deal as you have to add a fair amount to the final dish as you aren't starting w much !

[ninagluck]

my pickled and then frozen char was transformed into tonights dinner

[Porthos]

Right now I would kill for the time to join back in. I am lucky if I can find the time to cook one meal a week at home. Balancing my ren faire involvement with what I need to do in support of my ill FIL has me running ragged.  This is the first time in weeks I have even been able to sit and really read egullet entries.

 

Last Wednesday would be the closest I've come recently. Poached some chicken breasts in broth, then cut them up. Cooked some TJs 3-cheese tortellini, covered the tortellini with some Barilla Alfredo sauce and added the chicken. Not exactly the kind of cooking I wish to do. My Sous Vide rig is put away for now.

[ElsieD]

I finally did the dreaded freezer inventory.  I have all like items together, e.g. Poultry, beef, etc.  My list is about 2 1/2 steno pages but some are one-off items.  What was in the freezer at the time this challenge started and which is still there are:. 1 package of chicken thighs, 2 smoked picnic shoulders, 4 pkgs. pork loin chops, 3 meals of pork tenderloins, some sausage (Italian, merguez, beef). 2 lamb stews,  2 pkgs. bone-in beef braising ribs, 1 piece of smoked salmon, 1 pkg. smoked salmon mousse, 2 dinners worth of scallops.  We also have I meal left of the dreaded perogies.  That is the main stuff although there is also applesauce, squash (11 pkgs!!!) stock, etc.  I figure those sorts of things don't really count for the challenge.

 

Speaking  of challenges, the next one will be to keep the inventory up.  My track record isn't very good.  We are, though, having duck breast tonight which is part of this challenge.  It is a new recipe and if it's any good I'll post the dish.

 

Has everyone else finished cooking and eating their way through their freezer?

 

[Anna N]

My freezer is back to the way I started if not worse.  I am so ashamed.

[kayb]

I am picking up a new (used) freezer Sunday afternoon; a 21-foot upright. Planning to sell the little one. When I transfer everything over, I'll inventory. It may be shameful.

 

Must go to dollar store and buy lots of plastic tubs for organizing things in.

 

May I make the request that anything we grow ourselves and then put in the freezer is not subject to penalty points?

 

[chromedome]

1 hour ago, kayb said:

I am picking up a new (used) freezer Sunday afternoon; a 21-foot upright. Planning to sell the little one. When I transfer everything over, I'll inventory. It may be shameful.

 

A 21-foot upright? I can only assume you have cathedral ceilings...

 

[ElsieD]

Tonight we ate duck breast, so that is the last of the old batch of that.  I made a recipe that I clipped out of a magazine last fall and it is worthy of a Recipes That Rock 2017 mention.   I will post a link to it over there.

[Okanagancook]

@ElsieDlooks like you have some wild rice mixed in with regular rice.  I love that combo.  Your meal looks very inviting and nice cook on the duckie breast!

[robirdstx]

18 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

Tonight we ate duck breast, so that is the last of the old batch of that.  I made a recipe that I clipped out of a magazine last fall and it is worthy of a Recipes That Rock 2017 mention.   I will post a link to it over there.

 

 That looks wonderful! I still have four duck breasts in the freezer - one will definitely be getting a similar treatment!

[robirdstx]

Here is my updated inventory. Most of the protein items are staples and have been rotated or added since the beginning of the challenge, with the exception of the three pork dumplings, the one link of andouille, the smoked ham hock and the duck breasts. Will have to find recipes/uses for them, although the duck breasts were purchased with the idea to spread them out over a year's time. The first four items in the Misc. list are staples but have not been rotated since the beginning of the challenge, so I will work on that, too. This challenge has proved to be very helpful to me!

 

 

Edited April 21, 2017 by robirdstx (log)

[ninagluck]

from the freezer: monkfish cheeks, first asparagus of the year, nduja. 

[Smithy]

@ninagluck, your creativity never fails to amaze me. When you're finished with your freezer, would you come over and help me with mine?

[ninagluck]

@Smithy, hihi if I am finished with my freezer I might be dead ;-)

[robirdstx]

A new twist on the challenge for me. Our 15 year old side by side refrigerator freezer has decided it no longer wants to keep food frozen in the freezer. We spent the morning shopping for a new unit and happily the new one will be delivered tomorrow. In the meantime, we have moved all freezer items to the lowest part of the freezer, which is still cool but above freezing, and topped them with 4 one gallon size bags of ice. The proteins are all at the very bottom and should be fine. Sure glad I have been cooking through my freezer!

Edited April 23, 2017 by robirdstx (log)

[ElsieD]

Tonight we finished off the chicken thighs.  I made Korean Stewed Chicken with Spinach.  If anyone is interested, this tasty recipe can be found on the Cooking Light website as Dak Bokkeum with Spinach.

[robirdstx]

On 4/23/2017 at 5:14 PM, robirdstx said:

A new twist on the challenge for me. Our 15 year old side by side refrigerator freezer has decided it no longer wants to keep food frozen in the freezer. We spent the morning shopping for a new unit and happily the new one will be delivered tomorrow. In the meantime, we have moved all freezer items to the lowest part of the freezer, which is still cool but above freezing, and topped them with 4 one gallon size bags of ice. The proteins are all at the very bottom and should be fine. Sure glad I have been cooking through my freezer!

 

 

New Fridge/Freezer was delivered today. Yay! Interestingly, the old one decided to work again, but too late, so all of the freezer items were frozen when it came time to make the move to the new unit.

 

 

[Okanagancook]

Today was the day.  Chest freezer needed defrosting and re-organizing.

It wasn't too bad.  Now I have all my chicken together, lamb together, etc. etc.

Next up is the upright freezer in my upstairs pantry.

[rotuts]

I like those blue thing-ies

 

what are they and do they come in various sizes ?

 

S. of the Border ?

 

if I found some that fit  F_B the chest freezer  Id look into them.

[Okanagancook]

There are two kinds of 'blue thing-ies'.  The dividers for the body of the freezer creating different sized compartments if you like.  Mine are six equi-sized compartments.  Then there are the three baskets which hold a lot of food.  All the blue thing-ies came with the freezer.    I keep mostly finished meals/dishes in the baskets and meats/sausage and veggies in the compartments.  The chest freezer only took an hour to clean and re-arrange.

 

The upright took a little longer (most of the afternoon) because it was a really mess.  Now neatly arranged and inventory updated plus a few unlabeled mystery items in the bin.  I use "Numbers" spread sheet to keep track of my freezers so that got a major update and a copy of it made for safe keeping.

 

Today I cooked 8 lamb shanks and two packages of lamb necks.  Bourdain's Daube Provencale was made with the necks.  Turned out very nice.  Three packages for the freezer.  Four of the shanks were cooked with figs from Taste and Technique and the last four were made into a stew from Lucy Waverman.  Another three packages of each for the freezer and one portion for dinner tonight.   This made quite a bit of room in the freezer.....already for our sausage making day in a couple of weeks.