A months worth of dinners in 2 days! {Part 2 - cooking marathon}

OK...I admit. When I said {part 2} was going to come the day after {part 1} I was lying. Sorry! I know you'll forgive me. I have pregnancy brain and cant concentrate on anything for more than 5 seconds these days :)

Alright...here we go.

After you get yourself organized as mentioned in {part 1} of my "making freezer meals" post...its time to cook!!!

The recipes I decided to use are ones I have tried in the past so I know they tasted yummy and would work straight out of the freezer. The first 3 recipes are ones I have blogged about previously so you can click on the links to see them. The enchiladas I just kind of made up so excuse my super non technical recipe.

Artichoke Manicotti with pesto cream sauce

* Note: I tweaked this one a bit since the first time I made it. I decided I was to lazy to make the pesto myself so used store bought and combined it with Parmesan and heavy cream in the blender. I thought it turned out pretty good. I just kept tasting it until the pesto/cream ratio was perfect.

* Another note: I doubled the filling and cream sauce but think that I will triple it next time because I wasn't able to fill as many shells as I wanted.

Chili con carne

Basic pasta sauce

Chicken Enchiladas {here is my attempt at remembering how I made them}

Ingredients:

- 4 chicken breasts
- 2 small cans of diced green chilis
- Sour cream
- 4 cups shredded cheese ( I used the Mexican blend)
- 1 large can of enchilada sauce
- 20 pack of white corn tortillas

1. Bake chicken breasts - place in a shallow baking pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fill pan with water to almost cover chicken then bake at 350 degrees for 40 min or until cooked through. Let cool.

2. Once chicken is cool shred with a fork and place in a large bowl. Mix in green chili's, sour cream and about half of the shredded cheese {this is the part I don't really measure. Just keep adding until it tastes good. I like mine creamy so put in lots of sour cream}

3. Start rolling filling inside corn tortillas, place in bake pans then top with enchilada sauce and cheese. {Tip: its helps to warm tortillas a bit so they don't break when rolling}

4. When cooking from frozen - cover with foil and place in 400 degree oven for about 40 min.

* Note: When I was cooking I only made 2 meals at the same time to avoid confusion. I started off by popping chicken in oven for enchiladas since it took a while to cook and cool then I began on the chili and tomato sauce. Once they were done I started up on assembling the enchiladas and manicotti.

Now its time to package your meals! Be sure everything is cool prior to sealing up containers and placing in freezer.

The manicotti was portioned out 4 per tray.

I packaged the Chili in the round soup containers. Be sure to label and date them!

Enchiladas were in the tins. I was able to fit 3 per pan.

The zip top bags are great for the tomato sauce because they close tight and wont leak plus you can stack them flat in the freezer so they don't take up much space. I measured out 2 cups of sauce per bag. I find that's a good amount for a 2 person pasta dinner.

One other thing I did was buy 5 loaves of the Columbo garlic bread. I sliced each loaf in half then placed in freezer bags. Now we have 10 portions of garlic bread we can easily use to accompany either the chili or pasta dinners.

Now we are all set for a few weeks once the baby comes. But, trust me you dont need to be having a baby to prepare make ahead meals. This is a great plan for every busy household. What could be better than always having a stash of easy no fuss dinners on hand.

Oh, and also this coming week im picking up the share of beef we resesrved a few months ago through the Bay Area Meat CSA. So, in addition to having all of the prepared meals we will have loads of prepackaged grass fed beef to cook too!

A months worth of dinners in 2 days! {Part 1- the prep}

Part 1 - The PREP WORK

Since our little bundle of joy will be arriving soon (3 weeks!) I decided it was about time that I stocked up on freezer meals. I mentioned in a previous post that I wanted to do this but am now just getting around to it.

Believe it or not, it was pretty easy. You just have to be prepared and dedicate the time. It took me about 6 straight hours of marathon cooking but I know the time invested will pay off later when we are sleep deprived. Once the baby arrives all we will have to do is pop the premade stuff in the oven or microwave. That's it!

I know we could just buy frozen dinners or order take out but making the meals yourself is much healthier and saves money.

The plan:

1. Buy containers so you can portion out the meals. I love the ones they have at Dollar Tree. I get the aluminum trays, plastic soup containers and zip top bags. I noticed that at Dollar Tree only certain types of the plastic containers are microwave safe so be sure to read the label. I spent $15 on all of the packaging and have a few left over if I decide to make more meals later on.





2. Go shopping! Have your list prepared for what you need at the grocery store. If you forget anything its going to put a cramp in the marathon session. FYI- the grocery bill for all the meals I made was $122. Not bad.


3. Got freezer space? Hopefully you have an extra freezer in the garage like we do. :)

Stay tuned tomorrow for the recipes so you can make your grocery list and get started!

Fall is here!

I know, I know...Ive been lagging on blogging. I have a good excuse though. I got a job! After 8 months of being unemployed I'm now back to the working world. Don't worry, I'll try not to let it cut into my cooking time. We still have to eat right??

While you are waiting for my next great recipe how about a cup of cocoa? Fall is here! Time to get cozy and enjoy the start of cooler weather before the Holiday craziness begins







Things I have coming up....preparing for baby and making freezer meals. Also, my most favorite crock pot recipe.

What are you eating????

As you know (well, at least most of you) I've worked in the food safety industry for the past 10 years. Its a line of work that I am very passionate about and I find it really interesting.

One thing I like to do is keep my friends and family abreast of the latest issues. When you don't work in the industry you may not hear about the latest news and be aware of the risks we take everyday just by having a simple meal. I'm not trying to scare people but I do think it's important to be educated about the things you are eating.

One of my favorite resources for up to date Food Safety News just came up with a widget so I thought it was an awesome thing to add to my blog. Now you can find all your food safety info right here on STK! Knowing about the things you eat is key to a healthy life so I hope you find it useful. Plus, its great party conversation.

Pork and Stilton

This is one of our favorite recipes. I cant believe I haven't blogged about it before!

A little background...many years ago H wanted to make me dinner. He found this recipe and gave it a go. Unfortunately, it turned out pretty bad, the sauce curdled and it was a big mess. We wanted to make it again and it turned out to be another FAIL. Ugh, so frustrating. It's an easy recipe but for some reason it kept turning on us but we were determined to conquer it. On the 4th try we finally got it right! Woohoo!

Don't let my story deter you...it is easy. The trick is to simmer the port/broth down until its slightly thick then once you add the cream DO NOT let it come to a boil. The original recipe says to boil it but that is a big mistake and where we went wrong initially. The cream will burn and when you add the Stilton it will cause it to curdle. The magic word for this recipe is SIMMER, SIMMER, SIMMER.

Serves 4

I N G R E D I E N T S:

1-2 pork tenderloins
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup full-bodied port
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping (heavy) cream
1/4 pound Stilton cheese, crumbled (Can be found at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. Stilton is a strong blue cheese)
2 fresh jalapeno chilies, halved lengthwise, stemmed, veins removed, then finely diced


I N S T R U C T I O N S :

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Use a small sharp knife and trim the surface fat and silvery membrane from the pork.

Place the oil in a 12" pan and brown each tenderloin on both sides over medium-high heat.

Transfer the the tenderloins to a roasting pan. Bake until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees, about 15 - 20 minutes.

Discard any accumulated fat from the frying pan and deglaze over medium-high heat with the port and broth. Allow the liquid to reduce to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to MEDIUM before next step.

Stir in the cream then add the cheese and chilies and cook until the cheese melts. Never allow the sauce to come to a BOIL. Maintain over medium heat only.

Once tenderloin is cooked through, remove from oven and allow to rest for at least 5 min. Slice the pork across the grain, fan equal portions onto 4 plates and spoon the sauce atop the meat.

Serve with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables.

Enjoy!

Chili con carne

I found this Chile Con Carne recipe on Epicurious and I just had to try it. It has over 200 reviews and 92% of people said they loved it. Sounds like a winner to me!

For those of you who don't know about Epicurious...you should check it out! It's where you can find recipes from Gourmet, Bon Appetit and other yummy cooking magazines. There is even an iphone app which is really cool...I actually came across this recipe on my phone while at the grocery store. Its great for those times when you don't know what to make for dinner.




Recipe from Gourmet Magazine - February 1990
Serves 6
(Note: items with ** are those that I have changed from original recipe)

2 large onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 carrots (Chop most of carrots in mini chopper and then coarsely chop the rest by hand) **
2 pounds boneless beef chuck **
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon crumbled dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1- 29 ounce can tomato sauce **
1 - 14 ounce can beef broth **
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2- 16-ounce cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained **
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped **

In a kettle cook the onions in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are softened, add the garlic, carrots, bell pepper, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the chuck and cook it over moderate heat, stirring and breaking up any lumps, for 10 minutes, or until it is no longer pink. Add the chili powder, the cumin, the paprika, the oregano, and the red pepper flakes and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the tomato sauce, the broth, and the vinegar, bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer it, covered, stirring occasionally, for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the meat is tender.

Add the kidney beans and salt and black pepper to taste, and simmer the mixture, uncovered, for a few more minutes (until beans are warmed through)

Serve with garlic bread, corn bread or chili cheddar shortcakes

We loved this recipe. Its definitely a keeper! Oh, also this can be frozen for up to 2-3 months and reheated.

Pear Galette

I received an abundance of pears in our CSA box last week so decided to try making a galette. If you haven't seen one before its like a free form pie or tart. It turned out great and looked impressive plus it was really easy!

The recipe I used is actually for a plum galette from Martha Stewart. It worked out nicely using the pears and I think you could do apples too. A combo of pear, plum and apple might be great as well.

Prep: 30 minutes
Total: 1 3/4 hours

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ice water
1/4 cup whole, skin-on almonds, toasted
5 to 6 plums, halved, pitted, and sliced 1/4 inch thick. Keep slices together. (**see cooks notes below)
1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream


In a food processor, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, butter, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup remaining ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Don't over mix. Remove dough from processor and shape into a disk; wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour (I kept it in fridge overnight).

Meanwhile, wipe bowl of food processor clean and add almonds, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons flour; pulse until ground to a coarse meal. (**see cooks notes below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet; sprinkle almond mixture over dough. With a spatula, transfer plums to dough; press lightly to fan out, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold edge of dough over fruit. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Brush crust with cream; sprinkle galette with 2 tablespoons sanding sugar. Bake until crust is golden and underside is cooked through, about 60-70 minutes.

* Cooks notes:

- I purchased almond meal from Trader Joe's rather then grinding up my own. It was much easier. I took 1 cup almond meal and combined with 1/4 cup sugar and 2-3 tbs flour then spread that on dough before layering on fruit. This is important because it soaks up the juices released from fruit and prevents crust from being soggy on bottom.

- You can substitute pears or apples for the plums. To prep the pears I sliced off stem and bottom part of fruit then sliced in half. I used a small melon baller to scoop out center part with seeds.

- Sanding sugar can be found at most craft or party supply stores in the baking section. Its nice to have some on hand because it adds a special touch to the final look of the pastry.

- I sprinkled toasted sliced almonds on top of the galette once it was done baking. This is optional but thought it looked pretty.

Enjoy!

Crunchy shrimp w/ toasted couscous and ginger-orange sauce

I cant believe I haven't blogged about this recipe before. Its pretty much one of our favorite things to eat. If it were up to H we would have it every week. The orange-ginger sauce is to die for!

There are several steps to this recipe and it will take you about an hour but its worth it. Trust me. As long as you can multi-task you will have no problem.

Recipe from Cooking Light (Jan 2006 issue)

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Sauce:
1 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

Couscous:
1 cup uncooked couscous
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Shrimp:
20 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 3/4 pound)
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups trimmed watercress

Preparation:

To prepare sauce, bring 1 cup orange juice to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat; cool completely. Stir in 1 tablespoon cilantro and next 7 ingredients (through red pepper); set aside.

To prepare couscous, place couscous in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; cook 3 minutes or until toasted, stirring constantly. Add 1 1/2 cups broth, 1/2 cup orange juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; add onions, almonds, and butter, stirring until butter melts. Keep warm.

To prepare shrimp, combine shrimp and egg white in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Combine the panko, 1 teaspoon cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and black pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add shrimp to the bag, and seal and shake to coat.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; arrange shrimp in a single layer in pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until done.

Place 3/4 cup couscous on each of 4 plates; top each with 1/2 cup watercress and 5 shrimp. Drizzle each with 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce.

Notes:

- To shave off a little time I use the pre-grated ginger that comes in a tube. You can find it in the produce section of grocery store. Its usually near the fresh herbs. Also, I toss the cilantro in my mini chopper rather then chop it by hand.

- Its a good idea to double the amount of panko. I find the 1/2 cup is not enough to completely coat all shrimp.

- Make sure to get the OJ for sauce reducing and toast the almond slices in oven right off the bat. Sometimes I forget to do it and end up rushing at the end to get it all done.

- Don't forget the watercress! Its definitely adds to the flavor if dish.

Best banana bread on earth, really?

While doing research for our trip to Maui a few weeks ago I kept seeing a place called Julia's Banana Bread being mentioned. Apparently they claim to have the best banana bread on EARTH. Could this be true? I must try this bread! While H and I were driving around the west side of the island on some pretty sketchy roads (Well, sketchy for me, not H)




We came across the roadside sign for this banana bread mecca so decided to stop and check it out. Here is me with Julia the baker and our magic bread. For some reason, I look super super happy...maybe it was just pregnancy cravings.


We broke it out once back to the hotel and let me tell you...it was pretty dang good. Really moist and banana-y. Its was also super dark in color (almost black) which is unlike most banana breads I've tried.

Fast forward to today....I wanted to try to recreate this super bread for myself. Using the basic banana bread recipe from Americas Test Kitchen and tweaking it a bit (extra butter, vanilla and tossing in a touch of molasses) I think I managed to make something pretty good. Its really moist and has a nice flavor but its not super dark like Julia's. I have no idea how she does that! I thought the molasses would do it but it didn't. Anyone have any ideas?

Here is the Americas Test Kitchen recipe (in my cooks notes at the bottom you can see the extras I added)

2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/4 cups walnuts, toasted, chopped coarse (about 1 cup)
3 bananas, very ripe, soft, darkly speckled, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 x 5 inch loaf pan; set aside. Combine first five ingredients together in large bowl; set aside.

2. Mix mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Lightly fold banana mixture into dry ingredients with rubber spatula until just combined and batter looks thick and chunky. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan; bake until loaf is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTES:

I doubled the vanilla, added 2 tbs extra butter and 1/4 cup molasses. Also, I removed the walnuts totally.

There is nothing worse then a dry banana bread so keep an eye on it. Remove from oven the second its cooked through!

Pimping my pantry

I found these free printable labels on the Decor8 blog and decided to pimp out my pantry. Who doesn't want their flour and sugar bins to look cute? Maybe its just me.

You can find the .pdf template HERE. I printed it out on 8.5 x 11 sticker paper, cut them out and voila! Cuteness!

{Image via Decor8)

I love a freebie as much as the next girl...seems like lots of websites and blogs are offering free printables to make your life easier (and more organized). Here are some of the ones I've been holding on to just in case I need a super cute gift tag or mailing label spur of the moment.



Printable mailing labels (via Creature Comforts)

Printable gift tags (via Paper Crave)

Paper & Cake - printable party ware



Enjoy!!