This is one of the meals I froze before Sarah was born. The first time I served it with edamame and I think that is best. Regardless of which veggie you choose, pair it with brown rice and it is almost as good as a Teriyaki Chicken Bowl! AND Moses will eat the chicken - that's a big deal around here!
Warm marinade ingredients in the microwave until honey is melted, about 1 1/2 minutes. Pour over chicken in freezer bag, label and freeze. When thawed, pour into baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover, turn chicken and bake an additional 30 minutes.
Freeze in: 1-gallon freezer bag
Makes 4 servings
From Once a Month cooking by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg
Again, this is one of those recipes where everyone has their own version. This just happens to be mine!
INGREDIENTS: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound cubed beef or pork 1 onion, coarsely chopped Salt and pepper 1 32 ounce container chicken broth, plus 2 cups 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained 4-6 potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Green chile, to taste (We use fresh roasted chile, peel it, coarsely chop, and leave the seeds. If you prefer, you can buy frozen green chile that is already prepared; however you may want to add some crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper if you want the heat.)
DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the meat. Salt and pepper generously. Cook until no longer pink. Push meat to the side of pot and add onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until onion is transparent. Add the broth, tomatoes, chile, potatoes and garlic powder. Cover and simmer over low heat until potatoes are cooked through. About one hour. Taste and add any additional seasonings. Serve with tortillas or, our favorite, Mimi's cornbread (recipe to come!).
It would putting it mildly to say that "pregnancy nesting" has kicked in. I am BEYOND nesting and I cannot stop cooking and freezing food. Jer thinks it's hilarious and has been (nicely) teasing me that I am preparing for a seven year famine! What can I say?! Welcoming this third baby just might bring exactly that! :)
Anyway, in in effort to multiply the fruits of my labor, I've been pouring through gads of recipes in search of tasty meals that freeze and reheat well. This King Arthur Beef Barley Soup fit the bill but beyond that, it was amazingly good! Nothing like the canned stuff! Although it was a bit cumbersome to make (lots of cooking/cutting/and clean-up) it made about 2 gallons of soup. Definitely worth it's work in finished weight!
If you're interested, I chose to pair it with King Arthur Flour's Soft White Dinner Rolls, but any soft dinner roll or crusty loaf would be just great!
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise
2 pounds beef chuck stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks and patted dry (I increased this to 3 lbs because we like more meat!)
1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 quarts beef stock or broth
1/2 pound medium pearled barley, rinsed in cool water and drained (NOT THE QUICK COOK!)
2 yellow onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
6 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch slices
6 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes, drained (I cut these up before adding)
DIRECTIONS:
NOTE: I didn't want to use my 10 quart stock pot-I feel like it takes too long to cook in and it cooks unevenly. Instead, I chose to use 2-5 quart stock pots. I cooked half of the meat in each pot and then added 2 1/2 quarts of broth to each pot. I split the rest of the ingredients between the pots as well and it worked just great!
I also chose to dredge my meat in flour (seasoned with s&p) which the recipe does not call for. I liked the end result. The broth seemed thicker than it would have otherwise been. I would definitely do that again!
Heat 1/2 cup olive oil over medium heat in a 10- to 12-inch skillet. Add the garlic and cook until golden. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard the garlic. Working in batches, add a single layer of beef cubes to the skillet and sear on all sides. Remove each batch with a slotted spoon, and sprinkle with black pepper. Leave the remaining oil in the skillet, and set it aside.
In a 10-quart soup pot, bring the stock or broth to a simmer. Add the browned beef and rinsed barley, cover, and return to a full simmer. Reduce heat and cook gently for about 1 1/2 hours.
Return the skillet to medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat and add the onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Stir in the oregano and thyme. Cover the skillet and cook over very low heat for about 15 minutes.
Transfer the vegetables to the simmering soup, then add the chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 15 minutes before serving. Yield: about 22 servings.
Ingredients:
