Making homemade "fast food" on Sunday

[K8-EEE]

I love to take some time on Sunday and make some stuff for the freezer to have throughout the week.

One thing I love to do is make a big pot of brown rice (I make it in the crock pot, it takes 3 hours on High!) and freeze it in cupcake pans. Then they are in pre-measured half-cup portions for quick dinners. 1 cup of frozen rice + two cups of fresh veggies in the steamer come out perfect in 8 minutes.

Am also making grilled eggplant parmesan and making sure there is some chicken and fish and fresh corn tortillas in the freezer. I am following a wheat-free diet with a minimum of processed ingredients, but I find if I take some time on the weekend to prepare and plan, weekday meals are almost as easy as take-out - and definitely healthier and less expensive.

[NYC_SKP]

1. I love this, need more recipes!!!

I often do large batches of yummy cabbage onion tomato soup, like 4 gallons, and freeze it.

I hadn't thought of muffin pans for serving control, brilliant!

[K8-EEE]

4. Do you eat chicken?? If so try this for quick weekday dinners:

I love roasted chicken but, get a family pack of boneless chicken breast because that cooks fastest! Do two or three different marinades, some ideas:

Pound the chicken thin, marinate in garlic, lemon, white wine, olive oil, for Chicken Picatta

Cut in bite-sized pieces, marinate in soy sauce, ginger, garlic, chili oil for Asian stirfry

Puree chipotle chilis, mix with garlic and salad oil for a Mexican chicken broil

Freeze these flat in 1 quart freezer bags. Then just thaw in the fridge the night before, they will thaw and marinade at the same time and cook quickly after work in broiler or a hot skillet. Add veggies or salad and maybe some of the frozen rice and you're all set!

[Dalai_1]

2. Great idea!

I did not know rice would freeze well.... I used to use muffin tins for meatloaf and freeze.

[K8-EEE]

5. Yes you can't even tell it was frozen, and you can put the cupcake portions in one ziplock bag

after they are frozen -- you don't have to keep the cupcake pan in there!

[K8-EEE]

7. PS: You can also nuke the rice in the microwave

I forget about that because I have gotten kind of anti-microwave but it works well!

[cr8tvlde]

3. Hard veggies and economic use of oven

wrap up white potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams and beets each in foil .... can put in an acorn squash as-is just prick with fork. Bake at 425 for 45-50 minutes ... same heat will bake as many as you need. Those that make it to the next day, two or three or even four in refrigerator, are ready for other purposes.

White potatoes for frying with onions, mashed with sour cream/butter, sweet potatoes...mashed or just heated up...beets as is...squash with a little cinnamon and butter.

I have found that my son will eat one of those in the frig, especially the sweet potato or yam, as a snack, and it's cheap but healthy.

[K8-EEE]

6. Sweet potatoes make great snacks for kids!

My daughter loves sweet potato cut in wedges and cooked with a bit of oil brushed on, in a convection oven.

Speaking of squash, did you know that winter squash cooks perfectly in the crockpot overnight? You just have to poke it with a fork and put a couple of cups of water in,

[cr8tvlde]

13. Great idea and much less energy...thanks...n/t

[rox63]

8. Great ideas in this thread

Thanks - I'll have to try these.

[spinbaby]

9. Salads, too

Ever since I've discovered the jar method for salads, I've been making them ahead. You just take a quart-sized mason jar and put your dressing of choice on the bottom--I used lemon and olive oil yesterday. Then you add protein--tuna, garbanzo beans, hard-boiled egg, whatever--and your sturdier vegetables such as carrots and radishes. Top off the jar with lettuce--the goal is to keep the lettuce out of the dressing--and refrigerate. To serve, just upend the jar.

Makes great salads. I'm still experimenting with how far ahead I can make them.

[NMDemDist2]

10. how long will lettuce hold?

and i bet the protein is well marinated with the dressing yum!

[K8-EEE]

11. that is brilliant!

I love salad but the thought of washing andchopping up everything at the end of the day just seems brutal sometimes!

[xmas74]

12. Supposedly five to seven days.

I haven't tried it yet but it's been on my pinterest for quite a few months.

http://www.salad-in-a-jar.com/how-to-make-salad-in-a-jar-2

I don't know if this site has it but you can also make your own homemade yogurt and then layer it with fresh fruit and either homemade jelly/jam or drizzle with a bit of honey for sweetness. Either way, it's still healthier than most snacks.

Oh, they also have a recipe for steel cut oatmeal in a jar that lasts five days.

[spinbaby]

15. That's a site for a vacuum machine

You don't need to vacuum pack--just stack the salad in the jar and it's good for three days--at least the ones I've been making have been fresh for three days. Haven't experimented with four days yet.

[lemurian sistah]

14. It takes...ten minutes.

[spinbaby]

16. Hiya!

Welcome.

If you can make a salad in ten minutes, you're a much faster chopper than I am. I usually spend about half an hour making salads for dinner plus a couple of jars of salad for later.

[auntAgonist]

17. What a GREAT thread, thanks k8-EEE

I'm going to try a few of the items suggested.




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