This time I would like to interest you in a very different type of cooking and preparation .
Circumstances forced me to prepare a lot of different dishes for the freezer, so I could use them at a later stage. What I did not have was time. What I do have is a freezer and a slow cooker or crock pot. Should you do not have a slow cooker, you certainly have an oven. All recipes can be slow cooked in a low oven in a casserole as well.
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| my reliable slow cooker |
I got some very useful tips from pinterest. I found that the recipes used ingredients which often were only available in the States, but I adopted the general idea and I have to say it works. I was surprised to see how well and especially how little time it took to prepare a dozen dishes.
Would you believe, within 2 hrs I prepared
10 main dishes and two different vegetable soups. Not bad!
The main idea is, that you prepare all ingredients in their raw state, put them into a freezer bag and add a cooking liquid. All ingredients should be covered by that liquid, so that they would not suffer any "frost bites"
I used for the main meat ingredients chicken breast and loin of pork, you just as easily can use fresh fish, like cod and haddock or beef pieces or meat minced.
For the liquid, I used coconut milk for curry, Baxters mushroom soup for the chicken mushroom casserole, Baxters Consomme for the pork and bean stew, beer and consomme for the pork beer stew, etc.
The options are amazing depending on what you want to do. Once the freezer is empty, I certainly will try out more ideas.
So far I have used two of the prepared dishes. To my delight they were delicious and so, so easy.
I simply took the bag with the pork bean stew out of the freezer, emptied the content straight in to the slow cooker, added 1/2 cup of water, put it on high and forgot it for 6 hours. Every so often the lovely smell wafting through the house, would remind you, that there was something cooking.
Pork and Beans Stew
Ingredients ( 4 persons)
1 pork chop per person cut into small pieces
1 medium onion cut
2 tomatoes chopped
1 red/or yellow pepper cut small
1 tin of Baked beans
1 tin of kidney beans (discard the liquid)
1 tin of Consomme or 150 ml chicken stock cooled
1 Tsp sweet paprika
some pepper
1 to 2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 clove of garlic (optional)
Method
Put all ingredients into a freezer bag and close, after pushing out the air beforehand. Freeze in!
Note: Write the name of the dish on the bag before filling it. Later after a few days in the freezer you will not be able to distinguish between the Pork & Beans or the Pork in Beer Sauce
When you want to use it, simply empty the food into the slow cooker with a little added water. Switch the slow cooker on high and leave alone for 6 hours
If you use the oven, put the casserole in at 150 C. Check after 2 hrs if the food is defrosted, within the 6 hrs you might want to add a little more water. Depending on your oven you might want to reduce the temperature.
Note 2: check the seasoning before serving. I added a little more vinegar to balance the taste
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| Ready for the freezer |
Chicken and mushroom
Ingredients ( 4 persons)
1 chicken breast per person ( if breasts are very big then use two breasts per 3 persons)
1 medium onion
250 g fresh mushrooms
rind of 1 lemon
juice of one lemon
Some black pepper
1 tin of mushroom soup ( I used Baxters)
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a little fresh cream to be used just before serving
Method
Cut the meat into pieces, cut the vegetables. Put all ingredients into a bowl, mix well.
Put all the ingredients into a freezer bag and seal it. Freeze.
When you want to use it, simply put the food into the slow cooker, minus the freezer bag of course, and add a little water.
Switch the cooker on to high and leave it alone for 6 hrs.
The oven option as above as for the Pork and Beans.
Note: these dishes are served equally well with rice, pasta or creamed potatoes.
