Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Chicken & Rice Burritos (Serves 4)

This is another recipe from here (great website!)

4 Whole Wheat Tortillas
1 Cup Healthy Refried Beans
2 Cups Roast Chicken, chopped
1 Cup Spanish Rice (or any rice you love)
1/2 Cup Salsa
1 Cup Monterrey Jack Cheese or Mexican Blend Cheese

Heat tortillas over a gas flame or in a microwave covered with a moist paper towel for 10 seconds.

Spread 1/4 of refried beans on each tortilla.

Cover the beans with 1/2 cup chicken, 1/4 cup rice, salsa and 1/4 cup cheese.

Fold in the sides of the tortilla and roll into a burrito.

Cover tightly and freeze.

To prepare, completely thaw in fridge. Heat in a 350d oven until warm, about 30 minutes.

Pizza Balls

Garlic Pizza Dough

6 fluid ounces lukewarm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Place the ingredients into the pan of a bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Close the lid, select the Dough cycle, and press Start.

When the machine signals the end of the cycle, remove the dough and knead into a tight ball on a lightly floured surface. Let rest for about 15 minutes.

Balls:
3/4 Cup Broccoli Florets, cooked & chopped*
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1/2 Cup Pizza Sauce
Olive Oil
Parmesan Cheese, grated

Additions: chicken, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, olives, pepperoni, pineapple, ham — the sky’s the limit

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Bring pizza dough to room temperature and divide into 16 even pieces.

In a separate bowl combine the broccoli (or whatever addition you choose), mozzarella and pizza sauce.

Roll out each piece of dough into a round, about 3 inches wide, and place 1 tbsp of the cheese mixture in the center.

Take the edges of the dough and bring them to the center, pinching along the edges to make sure they stick together, then roll into a ball.

Place the ball, sealed side down, in a greased pie plate and repeat these steps making the rest of the balls.

Brush each ball with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and freeze.

To prepare, completely thaw in fridge. Bake @ 350d for 25 minutes or until golden.


* You can substitute the broccoli for any additions you desire.

Fettuccine Bolognese (Serves 4)

Another recipe we found off of this website (she has lots of great kid-friendly recipes!)

1 Medium Onion, diced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 lb Lean Ground Turkey Meat
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 Large Carrot, grated
16 oz Can Chopped Tomatoes with juice
1 Tbsp Italian Herbs
3 Tbsps Tomato Paste
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Pkg Fettuccine, cut in half

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, add onions and sauté for 4 minutes.

Add garlic and sauté for another minute.

Add ground lean turkey meat and salt and continue to cook for 4 minutes or until cooked through, using a wooden spoon to break apart the meat and stirring continuously.

Add carrots, chopped tomatoes (with its juice), Italian herbs and tomato paste and stir to combine.

Partially cover with lid and cook for 20 minutes.

Add Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.

Cook for an additional 20 minutes uncovered, until the mixture thickens and the liquid reduces.

During the last 20 minutes of cooking the sauce, bring a pot of water to a boil, cook noodles according to package directions and drain.

Serve Bolognese sauce over cooked noodles.

* Sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months in a sealed container

Mac, Chicken & Cheese Bites (Makes 20 Mini Bites)

We found this recipe at this amazing website

1/2 Lb. Macaroni
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Flour
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 1/2 Cup Milk
1 Cup White Cheddar
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, divided
1/4 Cup Bread Crumbs
1 Cup Cooked Chicken, diced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions (the pasta I used said to cook for 9-12 minutes, so I cooked it for 10 minutes).

Drain the pasta and set aside.

In a small heavy bottomed saucepan melt 2 Tbsp of the butter.

Whisk in the flour and salt and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the milk in a slow stream and whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 3 minutes stirring occasionally .

Add the white cheddar and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and stir until melted.

Pour the cheese sauce and chicken over the pasta and stir to combine.

In a bowl, combine the 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.

Grease mini muffin cups.

Pour about 1/4 cup of the macaroni mixture into the muffin cups, sprinkle the top with the bread and cheese mixture and bake for 15-20 minutes (I cooked mine for 20 mins) or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Cool in muffin cups, remove and serve, or...

*Allow to cool and place in ziploc bag,label and freeze up to 4 months. When ready, place in toaster oven or oven at 300 for 10 minutes or until heated through.

Basil-Balsamic Chops

This recipe is from the great freezer book, Fix, Freeze, Feast. We highly recommend you puchase the book if you do any freezer cooking. This recipe makes 3 entress, 4 servings each.

6 - 8 lbs boneless pork loin chops
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 T honey
3 tsp minced garlic
3 tsp dried basil
2 1/4 tsp black pepper

Rinse and divide chops evenly among 3 1-gallon freezer bags.

Whisk together olice oil, vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice, and honey in a medium bowl. Divide marinade evenly over the pork.

Into each bag measure 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp basil, and 3/4 tsp pepper. Seal and freeze.

To prepare, thaw completely in fridge. Either grill or broil chops until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of pork reads 160d. Discard remaining marinade.

Shanghai Stir-Fry

This is another great recipe from Fix, Freeze, Feast. It makes 3 entrees/6 servings each.

6 lbs Boneless Top Sirloin steak
2/3 cup cranberry juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 tsp minced garlic
3 tsp minced ginger
1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Zest of 1 orange

On hand for cooking:
Vegetable oil
1 (11-oz) can mandarin orange slices, drained
2 tsp sesame seeds

Rinse steaks and trip excess fat. Cutting across the grain, slice each steak into narrow strips. Divide beef evenly amoung 3 1-gallon freezer bags.

Whisk together cranberry juice, soy sauce, and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Divide the marinade evenly over the beef. Into each bag, measure 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp ginger, and 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper. Divide the orange zest evenly amount the 3 bags.

Seal and freeze.

To prepare, completely thaw in fridge. Heat a bit of oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and marinade and stir-fry until well browned, about 10 minutes. Add mandarin oranges and stir to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice.