Recipes: Cooking Ahead Part 2

After a holiday delay, here are the recipes for Cooking Ahead Part 2: Cooking day for beginners. Please remember that this is a wheat-free menu, so textures are slightly different for some dishes than you may be used to.

Meatballs (all amounts are approximate, I just guest mate):

1lb ground meat (any type works)

½ cup oats (instant, or toast them in the food processor for a few seconds)

Squirt of mustard

1-2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 small onion, chopped finely

1 egg

Medium ziplock freezer bags

1.       Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2.       Use a teaspoon/cookie scoop to measure even amounts of the mixture, form into balls and place on a cookie sheet/baking pan
3.       Bake at 350^oF for 25-30 min
4.       Cool and flash freeze* before bagging

*Flash freezing is the process of freezing items quickly, usually in a single layer. It work really well to prevent a big lump of frozen food from forming and will allow you to pull out only as much of each item as you need.

Shepherd’s Pie

1 bag frozen veggies

4-6 large potatoes, boiled and mashed with a little butter + milk

2-3 lb ground beef

1-2 small onions chopped

4-5 personal sized aluminum pans with lids (don’t use glass dishes as they can shatter)

1.       Brown ground beef with onion, a shake of garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and a bay leaf. Drain fat and remove the bay leaf.
2.       Once cooled layer ground beef, frozen veggies, and mashed potato into the pans.
3.       Write instructions on the lid and place in the freezer immediately.

Instructions: Bake at 400 ^oF for 45min-1hr until heated through. (Optional: sprinkle with grated cheese before baking)

Meatloaf:

2 lb ground meat (never frozen!)

1 egg

1 onion chopped

1 cup oats

Salt and pepper

1-2 tsp Italian seasoning

1-2 tsp garlic powder

¼-1/3 cup ketchup

1.       Combine ingredients in same bowl used for meatballs.
2.       Divide mixture between the 4 pans, cover, label with instructions and freeze immediately

Instructions: Bake at 350 ^oF for 1 hour or until cooked through.

Chili

1 lb ground meat

1 can kidney beans

1 can chickpeas (or replace with 2 cans of mix beans)

1 onion chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

3 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 bay leaf

2 tsp Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

1.       Put all ingredients into a pot or slow cooker, cook on low heat for 2-4 hours (stove top) or 4-6 hours (slow cooker).
2.       Cool and package into ziplock bags (freeze flat)

Beef Stew

2 lb ground beef

1 onion chopped

Italian seasoning, bay leaf, garlic powder

1 bag carrots, diced,

2-4 diced potatoes

Other veggies as desired

Bouillon (to taste)

1.       Brown ground beef with onions and spices, drain fat
2.       Add beef and other ingredients to a pot and just cover with water. Add Boullion according to direction (usually 2 tsp per cup or water)
3.       Simmer on low for 2-3 hours.
4.       To  thicken, use a few tsp of cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup cold water.
5.       Cool and freeze in ziplock bags

Sole with Garlic Butter

5 frozen sole fillets

5 small slices of butter (about 2cm x 2 cm)

Garlic powder

Tin foil

1.       Tear 5 square sheets of tin foil large enough to encase sole fillets, write instructions on the back of the tinfoil with a permanent marker.
2.       Place each fillet(still frozen) in the centre of a piece of foil, top with a piece of butter and shake of garlic powder.
3.       Roll opposing edges of the foil together to form a package and freeze immediately.

Instructions: Bake at 400⁰F for 30-40 min or until fish flakes

Salmon with Herb Butter

4 frozen Salon fillets

4 small slices of butter (about 2cm x 2 cm)

Garlic powder, basil (or favourite herbs)

Tin foil

1.       Tear 4 square sheets of tin foil large enough to encase salmon fillets, write instructions on the back of the tinfoil with a permanent marker.
2.       Place each fillet (still frozen) in the centre of a piece of foil, top with a piece of butter and shake of garlic powder and desired herbs.
3.       Roll opposing edges of the foil together to form a package and freeze immediately.

Instructions: Bake at 400⁰F for 30-40 min or until fish flakes