Carol Santee

Carol is the co-author of the Big Book of Freezer Cooking and the author of 30 Day Gourmet’s Slow Cooker Freezer Favorites, Freezer Lunches To Go and Healthy Freezer Cooking eBooks. She is a computer information specialist and works for a computer software company.

Savory Turkey Burgers

Recipes, Soups & Sandwiches, Under 350 Calories Comments Off

May 292010

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I love the flavor of these turkey burgers! They are moist and have just the right amount of “kick” to keep them interesting. To reduce your carbohydrate intake, you can bake and serve these on Portobello mushroom caps instead of using hamburger bus. Yum!

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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	4	8	12	16	20	24
Ingredients
Ground sage	3/4 t.	1-1/2 t.	2-1/4 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 3/4 t.	1 T. + 1-1/2 t.
Chopped rosemary	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Salt	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Black pepper	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Ground nutmeg	1/8 t.	1/4 t.	3/8 t.	1/2 t.	1/2 t. + 1/8 t.	3/4 t.
Lean ground turkey	1 lb.	2 lbs.	3 lbs.	4 lbs.	5 lbs.	6 lbs.
Worcestershire sauce	1 T.	2 T.	3 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 1 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.
On Hand Ingredients
Sweet onion, sliced	1	2	3	4	5	6
Olive oil	2 t.	1 T. + 1 t.	2 T.	2 T. + 2 t.	3 T. + 1 t.	1/4 C.
Mozzarella cheese, shredded	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Hamburger buns	4	8	12	16	20	24

Assembly Directions:
In a large bowl, combine sage, rosemary, salt, pepper, nutmeg, ground turkey and Worcestershire sauce. Mix together with your hands or a wooden spoon. Divide mixture evenly to form 4 balls. Press flat with a hamburger press or by hand between 2 sheets of waxed paper.

Freezing Directions:
Stack patties and separate with squares of waxed paper or freezer paper. Place the stacks in a freezer bag or container. Seal, label, and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Separate patties and discard wax or freezer paper between patties.

Saute onion in olive oil over medium heat until onions are translucscent.

To grill: Coat grill with cooking spray. Preheat to medium (350 degrees). Grill 5 or 6 minutes on each side or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the hamburger read 170 degrees. Top with onions and cheese and continue grilling until the cheese has melted. Remove from grill.

To cook on stovetop: Cook in a skillet over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until an instant-read
thermometer inserted into the center of the hamburger read 170 degrees. Top with onions and cheese and continue cooking until the cheese has melted. Remove from pan.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 317 Calories; 13g Fat (35.5% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 73mg Cholesterol; 589mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1-1/2 Grain (Starch); 3-1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

Chicken and Corn Chowder

Low Fat, Recipes, Soups & Sandwiches, Under 350 Calories Comments Off

May 292010

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The recipe uses a concept that I have seen in a few freezer recipes. The soup is prepared as a concentrate and then diluted on serving day. This practice can save considerable freezer space on serving day. If you are freezing lunch portion, make the soup with the the full amount of the liquid so you can just “pack and go”.

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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	8	16	24	32	40	48
Ingredients
Butter or margarine	2 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C.	1/2 C. + 2 T.	3/4 C.
Chopped sweet onion	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Diced celery	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Chopped carrots	2/3 C.	1-1/3 C.	2 C.	1-2/3 C.	3-1/3 C.	4 C.
Cooked, chopped chicken	1-1/2 C.	3 C.	4-1/2 C.	6 C.	7-1/2 C.	9 C.
Frozen corn	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Frozen peas (optional)	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Frozen green beans (optional)	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Cream of chicken soup	20 oz.	40 oz.	60 oz.	80 oz.	100 oz.	120 oz.
OR Fat free white sauce	3 C.	6 C.	9 C.	12 C.	15 C.	18 C.
Ground sage	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Thyme	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
On Hand Ingredients
Chicken broth	1-1/2 C.	3 C.	4-1/2 C.	6 C.	7-1/2 C.	9 C.

Assembly Directions:
Melt butter in a large skillet. Saute onion, celery, and carrots until tender. Remove from heat and cool. Stir in chicken, corn, peas, green beans, cream of chicken soup (or fat free white sauce), sage and thyme. Stir to combine.

Freezing Directions:
Place mixture in a gallon freezer bag or container. Seal, label, and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw in refrigerator over night. Place soup in a large sauce pan. Stir in chicken broth. Heat over medium until hot and bubbly. Serve.

Comments:
If you want freeze this in single serving potions, add the chicken broth to the mixture before freezing in single serving containers.

Nutritional Info: with cream of chicken soup
Per Serving: 197 Calories; 9g Fat (39.6% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 36mg Cholesterol; 770mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1-1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1-1/2 Fat.

Nutritional Info: with fat free white sauce (from the Big Book of Freezer Cooking)
Per Serving: 193 Calories; 5g Fat (22.9% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 32mg Cholesterol; 400mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1-1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat.

Creamy Frozen Mocha Dessert

Recipes, Snacks and Desserts Comments Off

May 012010

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You’ll love this creamy frozen dessert on hot summer days! It has a great coffee flavor with a cookie crust.

Creamy Frozen Mocha Dessert

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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	12	24	36	48	60	72
Ingredients
Instant Coffee Granules	2 t.	1 T. + 1 t.	2 T.	2 T. + 2 t.	3 T. + 1 t.	1/4 C.
Hot water	1 T.	2 T.	3 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 1 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.
Chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Chopped pecans, divided	3/4 C.	1-1/2 C.	2-1/4 C.	3 C.	3-3/4 C.	4-1/2 C.
Butter or margarine, melted	1/4 C.	1/2 C.	3/4 C.	1 C.	1-1/4 C.	1-1/2 C.
Reduced fat cream cheese, softened	16 oz.	32 oz.	48 oz.	64 oz.	80 oz.	96 oz.
Sweetened condensed milk	14 oz.	28 oz.	42 oz.	56 oz.	70 oz.	84 oz.
Chocolate flavored syrup	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Non-dairy fat free whipped topping, thawed	8 oz.	16 oz.	24 oz.	32 oz.	40 oz.	48 oz.

Assembly Directions:
In a small cup, dissolve coffee granules in hot water. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine cookie crumbs, 1/2 C. pecans, and butter. Pat into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Blend in coffee mixture, milk and chocolate syrup. Fold in whipped topping and spread over crust. Sprinkle the remaining pecan on top.

Freezing Directions:
Wrap completely in heavy-duty aluminum foil, or put dessert in a two gallon freezer bag. Seal, label, and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw slightly and serve.

Notes:
14 sandwich cookies = 1 C. crumbs
1 lb. pecans = 3-3/4 cups chopped
One recipe can be made in two 8×8 pans.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 377 Calories; 20g Fat (46.8% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 43g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 33mg Cholesterol; 371mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1/2 Lean Meat; 3-1/2 Fat; 2-1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Fried Rice

Recipes, Sides and Salads, Under 350 Calories Comments Off

May 012010

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This recipe only takes about 10 minutes to make, so it’s very quick and easy! You can use white rice or a mixture of white and brown rice for this recipe. You can also pre-make the entire recipe and freeze it, so you just have to reheat it but it tastes fresher if you make it per the directions above.

Fried Rice

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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	4	8	12	16	20	24
Ingredients
Frozen peas and carrots	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
Cold cooked rice	3 C.	6 C.	9 C.	12 C.	15 C.	18 C.
On Hand Ingredients
Canola oil, divided	2 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C.	1/2 C. + 2 T.	3/4 C.
Eggs	2	4	6	8	10	12
Reduced sodium soy sauce	3 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C. + 1 T.	3/4 C.	3/4 C. + 3 T.	1 C. + 2 T.
Black pepper	1 dash	1/8 t.	1/4 t.	3/8 t.	1/2 t.	1/2 t. + 1/8 t.

Assembly Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the peas and carrots, and rice. Mix well.

Freezing Directions:
Place rice mixture in a freezer bag or container. Seal, label, and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw bag of rice mixture in refrigerator overnight.

Heat 1 T. oil in a large skillet. Dump rice mixture into the skillet. Cook and stir over medium heat, breaking up any chunks of rice, until hot, about 5 minutes. Push rice mixture to the side of the skillet. Add 1 T. oil to the empty side of the skillet and add the eggs. Cook and stir until eggs are thickened but still moist. Combine eggs with the rice mixture. Turn off heat. Stir in soy sauce and pepper. Serve.

Notes:
You can find bags of mixed frozen peas and carrots in your grocer’s frozen vegetable section. You could also use 1/2 C. of frozen peas, and 1/2 C. of cooked chopped carrots per recipe instead.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 273 Calories; 10g Fat (31.6% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 38g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 94mg Cholesterol; 510mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 2-1/2 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1-1/2 Fat.

Beef Kabobs

Beef, Recipes, Under 350 Calories Comments Off

May 012010

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This is a great recipe for your summertime grilling parties. We love to make this with zucchini, red peppers, red onions, and cherry tomatoes. The marinade is bold and flavorful. Tip: Make sure you soak the skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes before grilling.

Beef Kabobs

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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	8	16	24	32	40	48
Makes: skewers	16	32	48	64	80	96
Ingredients
Beef sirloin, cut in cubes	2 lbs.	4 lbs.	6 lbs.	8 lbs.	10 lbs.	12 lbs.
Canola oil	1/4 C.	1/2 C.	3/4 C.	1 C.	1-1/4 C.	1-1/2 C.
Reduced sodium soy sauce	1/4 C.	1/2 C.	3/4 C.	1 C.	1-1/4 C.	1-1/2 C.
Worcestershire sauce	1/4 C.	1/2 C.	3/4 C.	1 C.	1-1/4 C.	1-1/2 C.
Yellow, Dijon, or spicy brown mustard	3 T.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C. + 1 T.	3/4 C.	3/4 C. + 3 T.	1 C. + 2 T.
Coarse black pepper	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Red wine vinegar	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Dried parsley	1-1/2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1-1/2 t.	2 T.	2 T. + 1-1/2 t.	3 T.
Minced garlic	1 t.	2 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 1 t.	1 T. + 2 t.	2 T.
Lemon juice	1/3 C.	2/3 C.	1 C.	1-1/3 C.	1-2/3 C.	2 C.
On Hand Ingredients
Green peppers, cut in chunks	2	4	6	8	10	12
Large onions, cut in chunks	2	4	6	8	10	12
Zucchini, sliced	2	4	6	8	10	12

Assembly Directions:
Place beef cubes into one gallon freezer bags. In a mixing bowl, combine oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, pepper, red wine vinegar, parsley, garlic, and lemon juice. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour marinade over beef cubes. One recipe will yield a little over 1-3/4 cup of marinade.

Freezing Directions:
Seal, label, and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before using. Heat grill to medium high heat. Alternate meat and on hand vegetables on skewers until all skewers are loaded. Place on grill and cook to desired doneness. Discard marinade.

Nutritional Info: 2 skewers per serving
Oil was not included in the nutritional analysis.
Per Serving: 303 Calories; 16g Fat (47.9% calories from fat); 28g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 84mg Cholesterol; 512mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 3-1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Hot Pizza Dip

Appetizers, Lowfat, Recipes, Under 10g Carbs, Under 350 Calories Comments Off

May 012010

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This dish is a great appetizer! Tortilla chips are a great choice for “dippers”, but you could also use breadsticks, crackers, or even pizza veggies such as broccoli florets, mushroom halves, green pepper strips, etc.

Hot Pizza Dip

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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	12	24	36	48	60	72
Makes	3 C.	6 C.	9 C.	12 C.	15 C.	18 C.
Ingredients
Reduced fat cream cheese, softened	8 oz.	16 oz.	24 oz.	32 oz.	40 oz.	48 oz.
Reduced fat sour cream	4 oz.	8 oz.	12 oz.	16 oz.	20 oz.	24 oz.
Garlic powder	1/8 t.	1/4 t.	3/8 t.	1/2 t.	1/2 t. + 1/8 t.	3/4 t.
Dried oregano	1/4 t.	1/2 t.	3/4 t.	1 t.	1-1/4 t.	1-1/2 t.
Pizza sauce	3/4 C.	1-1/2 C.	2-1/4 C.	3 C.	3-3/4 C.	4-1/2 C.
Diced pepperoni	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Chopped onion	1/4 C.	1/2 C.	3/4 C.	1 C.	1-1/4 C.	1-1/2 C.
Chopped green peppers	1/4 C.	1/2 C.	3/4 C.	1 C.	1-1/4 C.	1-1/2 C.
Shredded mozzarella cheese	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.

Assembly Directions:
In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, garlic powder and oregano. Spread the mixture in a 9” glass pie
plate. Spread the pizza sauce over the cream cheese mixture. Evenly sprinkle the pepperoni, onion and pepper on top of the pizza sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Freezing Directions:
Cover the top of the cooled pie plate with waxed paper or plastic wrap. Then cover the whole dish in foil. Or, put the covered plate in a one or two-gallon freezer bag. Put the mozzarella cheese in a one-quart freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw dish and bag of mozzarella cheese at least overnight in the refrigerator. Heat dish in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top, and return to the oven for 8-10 minutes. Serve hot with tortilla chips for dipping.

Notes:
1 medium onion = 1 C. chopped
1 large pepper = 1 C. chopped
8 oz. cheese = 2 C. shredded

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 123 Calories; 9g Fat (64.6% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 22mg Cholesterol; 407mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

March 2010 Chewin’ the News

2010, Chewin' the News Comments Off

Mar 122010

Kitchen Fun With Carol

Hello everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed seeing the sampler of our new book, 30 Day Gourmet’s Big Book of Freezer Cooking. Nanci and I approved the book and it is in the process of being printed. It should be available mid-April. We are excited and can’t wait to share it with you! If you haven’t had a chance, click here to check out the sampler.

Pre-order 30 Day Gourmet’s Big Book of Freezer Cooking at the 30 Day Gourmet Store before 5/1/2010 and get free shipping!

Volume pricing available:
1 for $19.95
2-9 copies are $16.95 each
10 or more are $14.95 each.

Order your copy today!

New Website Preview

In the meantime, Nanci and I have been working with our webmaster, Curtis Dicken, on a new web design. We think you will like the new design. There are so many enhancements that we have made. Some of the new features of the website include:

Navigation – We’ve made navigation around our website easier and more intuitive. The latest Cooks’ Corner posting are displayed on the home page so you can see the latest news from our cooking community.

Searching – Whether you are looking for recipes, tips or anything else related to freezer cooking our new search engine will make finding information a breeze.

Cooks’ Corner Message Boards – Manage your profile, search for topics, post topics and comments – we’ve made it all better. We’ve even added an RSS feed for the message boards so you can monitor board activity from your browser or home page.

Design – We’ve spent countless hours improving our design to make it more visually interesting and intuitive.

Images – There are now hundreds of recipe images so that you can actually see the finished recipes.

Recipes – All recipes on the website have nutritional information and links to the matching rcp file.

Newsletters – Now are searchable and easier to find.

Store – Our online store has been upgraded to provide a much better shopping experience.

Members Only – An expanded Members Only section provides over 300 recipes just for book and software owners.

Pantry Challenge

Are you up for a challenge? I saw a news story recently that talked about doing a “pantry challenge” to reduce the amount of money that you spend on groceries. It is a month long challenge where you are supposed to prepare and eat foods that come from your pantry. Your pantry consists of food that is in your freezer or cupboards. They set goals for the challenge such as setting the maximum number of shopping trips for the month, a certain dollar amount to spend for the month, and list of items that you are allowed to buy during the challenge. This would include any perishable items such as dairy (eggs, cheese, milk, etc.), produce, and breads.

You have to be creative in this challenge! If you are not getting your meals from the freezer, you have to be able to cook and create different recipes from what you have in your pantry. This challenge lets me use one of my favorite features in the Advantage Cooking Software. You can go to the Ingredients tab and choose an ingredient, such as “Chicken Breast, boneless”. Then click on the Recipes tab under the list of ingredients. It will show you all the recipes on file that use chicken breast. It’s amazing!

This is the perfect challenge for freezer cooks! I want to clear out my freezer of all the foods we would not normally eat in the summer. I know, we were supposed to eat it during the winter months… But you know how that goes. Sometimes you are just left with food in the freezer at the end of your cooking cycle. Maybe a recipe made more servings than you anticipated or maybe the entree just got buried at the back of your freezer! Either way, this challenge is a good way to clean out your freezer. My family is going to take this challenge for the month of April. At the beginning of May we’ll schedule a cooking day to restock. GFS normally has a great graduation/Memorial Day stock up sale in May that I love to take advantage of – especially the chicken and steak burgers. Yum! They also have large bags of frozen fruit that we like to serve for lunches or for a light dessert. I’m looking forward to cooking on the grill on a regular basis. Aren’t you?!

My challenge rules:

Buy only dairy, produce, breads, and lunchmeats.
Try to cut at least 50% off my grocery bill. The money will be set aside to pay for my May cooking day. Any extra can be used to pay off debt or give to charity.
Try to limit my shopping to once per week.

Another take on this challenge is to base your freezer cooking day solely on what you have in your pantry and your freezer. Nanci wrote about this in the April 2006 newsletter. This is a great option if you have lots of meat left in the freezer from stocking up on sale days. Or you can concentrate on sides and desserts like Nanci did. Either way, the pantry challenge will save you money.

Follow me on the 30 Day Gourmet fan page on Facebook®. I’ll post weekly shopping and menu updates for everyone. Feel free to join me in the challenge. I would love to hear from you!

Contest Winner

Our Freezer Cook of the Month is Jolene. Jolene had a great posting on the message boards about her last cooking day. She has a great tip for filling quart sized bags.

Well I’ve went and bought a boat load of meat to replenish my empty freezer. And I’m doing it a little at a time, making sure my meat don’t spoil waiting on me. Anyway, I usually do one batch of a recipe and divide it up 2-3 times depending on what it is since it’s DH, 4 year old DD and my pregnant self to cook for. This is what I got done yesterday…

2 bags of marinated chicken in freezer
3 pounds of ground beef browned in fridge (not sure what to do with it yet)
3 bags of zippy spaghetti sauce in freezer
4 bags of master cube mix in freezer
1 1/2 baked chicken pieces in fridge (had the other half chicken for supper)

I’ve still got 6 pounds of ground chuck, 15 pounds of skinless boneless chicken breasts and 3 whole chickens in the fridge. Debating between a few recipes yet.

I discovered a new trick (for me at least) to filling quart sized freezer bags, I’m sure it would work on gallons too. I took a quart jar, and a funnel used for canning and filled the quart jar up with sauce and then dumped it in the bag. It worked so well! I always make a mess and spend a lot of time cleaning the bags when I’m done filling them. This time I knew just how much was in there too, 1 quart exactly. I also did this with the master cube mix and the funnel is wide enough the meat falls right in the jar. Yeah, I’m proud of myself and thought I’d share.

What a great start and a great tip! This is another example of how you can adapt the 30 Day Gourmet cooking methods to fit your life style! Jolene will be receiving a free copy of our new book, 30 Day Gourmet’s Big Book of Freezer Cooking. Congratulations, Jolene!

You too can get in on the winning by posting your funny story, good deed, cooking tip, assembly day story, favorite recipe, etc. on the Cook’s Corner Message Board under the appropriate category, or click her to email it to me.

Bonus Recipes

Spicy Baked Fish

I am always looking for good fish recipes. We try to eat fish at least once a week. The great thing about fish is that it cooks so quickly. If your fish is defrosted, you can have dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes (depending on the sides you make). I like tilapia for this recipe. It has a nice light flavor. You could use cod or Pollock as well.

Yellow Rice

Rice is one of our favorite side dishes. There are so many things that you can do to it! We have been trying different flavored rice at our house. Yellow rice is a great side dish to have on hand. You can freeze it fully cooked or as a “mix” to be prepared on serving day.

Closing Comments From Carol

I hope you enjoy the recipes and the preview of the new website. Next month I hope to show you the updated version of the Advantage Cooking Software.

We’re looking for your recipes and for your stories of your cooking days.

You can post your recipes on the 30 Day Gourmet Facebook® fan page or click here to send me an email. Or do you have any other topics that you would like me to cover? Click here to send me an email. I enjoy hearing from you!

Have fun in your kitchen!

Carol

Yellow Rice

Low Fat, Recipes, Sides and Salads, Under 350 Calories Comments Off

Mar 122010

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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	4	8	12	16	20	24
Ingredients
Finely diced green pepper	1/4 C.	1/2 C.	3/4 C.	1 C.	1-1/4 C.	1-1/2 C.
Finely diced onion	1/4 C.	1/2 C.	3/4 C.	1 C.	1-1/4 C.	1-1/2 C.
Ground turmeric	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Cumin (optional)	1/8 t.	1/4 t.	3/8 t.	1/2 t.	1/2 t. + 1/8 t.	3/4 t.
Salt	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Long grain or basmati rice	1 C.	2 C.	3 C.	4 C.	5 C.	6 C.
On Hand Ingredients
Canola oil	2 t.	1 T. + 1 t.	2 T.	2 T. + 2 t.	3 T. + 1 t.	1/4 C.
Water or chicken broth	2 C.	4 C.	6 C.	8 C.	10 C.	12 C.

Assembly Directions:
Add green pepper, onion, turmeric, cumin, salt, and rice to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Each recipe makes approximately 1-1/2 C.

Freezing Directions:
Divide rice mixture evenly among quart freezer bags. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw in refrigerator. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat until hot. Add rice mixture and stir to distribute the seasonings. Cook the rice for one or two minutes or until the seasonings become fragrant. Add water to pan and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer covered, without stirring, until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender or about 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and serve.

Comments:
You can also fully cook the rice on cooking day. Follow the serving directions. Allow the rice to cool and place in freezer containers. Seal, label and freeze. To serve, microwave on high for 6 minutes or until hot.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 182 Calories; 3g Fat (16.6% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 301mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 2 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Fat.

Spicy Baked Fish

Low Fat, Pork and Fish, Recipes, Under 350 Calories Comments Off

Mar 122010

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Recipes	1	2	3	4	5	6
Servings	4	8	12	16	20	24
Ingredients
Dried basil	1/4 t.	1/2 t.	3/4 t.	1 t.	1-1/4 t.	1-1/2 t.
Cumin	1/4 t.	1/2 t.	3/4 t.	1 t.	1-1/4 t.	1-1/2 t.
Dried oregano	1/4 t.	1/2 t.	3/4 t.	1 t.	1-1/4 t.	1-1/2 t.
Paprika	3/4 t.	1-1/2 t.	2-1/4 t.	1 T.	1 T. + 3/4 t.	1 T. + 1-1/2 t.
Garlic powder	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Onion powder	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Dry mustard	1/2 t.	1 t.	1-1/2 t.	2 t.	2-1/2 t.	1 T.
Black pepper	1/4 t.	1/2 t.	3/4 t.	1 t.	1-1/4 t.	1-1/2 t.
Italian seasoned bread crumbs	1/2 C.	1 C.	1-1/2 C.	2 C.	2-1/2 C.	3 C.
Frozen tilapia fillets	1 lb.	2 lbs.	3 lbs.	4 lbs.	5 lbs.	6 lbs.
On Hand Ingredients:
Olive or canola oil	2 T.	1/4 C.	1/4 C. + 2 T.	1/2 C.	1/2 C. + 2 T.	3/4 C.

Assembly Directions:
Combine basil, cumin, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, and black pepper in snack size bag. Place bread crumbs a second snack size bag. Remove 2 t. of the seasoning mixture and add to the bread crumb bag. Seal both bags and place inside a quart size freezer bag.

Freezing Directions:
Seal and label quart freezer bag. Attach quart freezer bag to bag of frozen fish. Freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw. Drain any liquids from the fish. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a shallow container thoroughly mix the oil with seasoning mixture until combined. Place crumb mixture in another shallow container. Coat fish on both sides with oil/seasoning mixture then dip one piece at a time in the crumbs flipping over to coat both sides. Place fish on baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until fish easily flakes when touched with a fork.

Comments:
This fish has a nice flavor. You can adjust the amount of cumin to control the spiciness of the fish. This is great served with wild or yellow rice.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving: 214 Calories; 8g Fat (34.8% calories from fat); 23g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 49mg Cholesterol; 459mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch); 2-1/2 Lean Meat; 1-1/2 Fat.

February 2010 Chewin’ the News

2010, Chewin' the News Comments Off

Feb 012010

Kitchen Fun With Carol

Hello everyone! I am sorry it has been awhile since we have sent out a newsletter. Nanci and I have been spending our time working on the new Big Book of Freezer Cooking. Nanci and I spent a good part of Martin Luther King King Day weekend working together on the book. I have been working with Nanci since 2002 but this was the first time that we met. It was great spending time together!

We have some good news! We have finished the book and it is currently at the printers. It has been a lot of work but I think you are really going to enjoy the new book.

Some of the new features of the book include:

Layflat binding (hardcover with a spiral inside binding)
Process info including pictures and meal planning tips
Color photos (pictures of EVERY recipe and all in COLOR)
More recipes (more than 150!)
Healthier ingredients
More ethnic recipes
Updated Tally Sheet

You can download a free 15 page sample of 30 Day Gourmet’s Big Book of Freezer Cooking (The actual book is 234 pages.)

Sample includes:

Cover
Table of Contents
Introduction
Freezer Cooking Rewards
Beef Kabobs
Fried Rice
Hot Pizza Dip
Creamy Mocha Dessert
Index
Back Cover

Click here to download your FREE sample copy of 30 Day Gourmet’s Big Book of Freezer Cooking!

Winter Bargains

Our family eats a lot of produce every week. Winter can really take a toll on your food budget because you can no longer buy seasonal/local produce. One of my strategies this winter has been to shop to clearance racks at my local grocery store. I have been able to pick up some great bargains that have really stretched my budget.

Take a look around your local grocery store. More than likely you will find several clearance areas. I typically look through the bakery clearance area. Most of the time I can find loaves of Italian bread or French bread for less that $1 a loaf. This is great for making homemade garlic bread, French Bread Pizzas, or Iowa State Fair Guinea Grinders.

I also take a look at the meat isle. Most of the time there is either a “Manager’s Special” section or I will look for meat that is marked down because it is close to its sell-by date. The closer the date, the more it is marked down. Generally it is 20 to 40 percent off. If you find these types of sales, be prepared to cook or freeze the meat within the next 24 to 48 hours. I only buy what I can use or freeze immediately. For example, this week I was about to find CAB ground chuck for a little more than $1 a pound. What a bargain! I made hamburgers the for dinner the day I bought it. The rest was browned for grinders, chili, and Hamburger and Rice Soup (see recipe below).

Some of by best deals lately have come from the produce department. Our local store has a rack with discounted produce. Generally Wednesdays are the best days to find these bargains. I have found strawberries for .30 a quart, colored peppers for .20 each, oranges for .05 cents each, zucchini for .20 a pound, etc. I ended up making several batches of Zucchini Carrot Muffins and Cranberry Orange Muffins. I made some stir-fry and fajitas with the peppers. Planning is everything when shopping this rack. You have to know what recipes you can make with the produce you are buying before it goes bad.

So how do you save money on groceries? Post your favorite tip on the 30 Day Gourmet Facebook® fan page or click here to send me an email. I would love to share your tips with the rest of our readers.

Contest Winners

Our Freezer Cook of the Month is Chella. Chella had a great posting on the message boards about her last cooking day.

Here’s what Chella made:

Carolyn’s Chocolate Chip Cookies 30 dozen ( rolled in balls, flash frozen, then put into bags 2 dozen at a time)
10 Pizzas
1 Chicken Swiss Casserole
1 Chicken Enchilada Casserole
1 White Trash
1 Spaghetti Sauce with meat
1 Sloppy Joe
1 Haceinda Casserole
1 Stromboli
1 Ham and Cheese braid
1 Chicken Pot Pie
1 Chicken and Noodles
1 Taco Chili
1 Jambalaya and Rice
1 Cheeseburger Soup

What a great cooking day! At the end of her posting she notes that she was preparing to have another cooking day the next day for breakfast and snack recipes. Way to go Chella! It is great to hear how you can adapt freezer cooking to fit your life style!

I was unable to reach Chella before the newsletter went out, so we will have to meet her next month. You too can get in on the winning by posting your funny story, good deed, cooking tip, assembly day story, favorite recipe, etc. on the Cook’s Corner Message Board under the appropriate category, or email it to me at carol@30daygourmet.com to be entered in our contest.

Bonus Recipes

Bread Bowls

A couple of years ago I had soup in a bread bowl at a book club meeting. It was such a wonderful way to enjoy a good bowl of soup. I’ve always want to try making my own. These are simple to make if you are familiar with making bread. My husband did a great job cutting the tops. He used a pineapple corer to make the uniform sized opening. Or you can just slice off the top and hollow out the insides by hand.

Hamburger and Rice Soup

Hamburger and Rice Soup

January was National Soup Month so I put together this soup recipe. It is hardy, thick and full of vegetables! We love soup in the wintertime. I always have my freezer full of single serving soups for lunches.

Closing Comments From Carol

I hope you enjoy the recipes and the sampler of 30 Day Gourmet’s Big Book of Freezer Cooking. Next month I will show you some of the upcoming changes to the 30 Day Gourmet website. I think you will love the new look.

We’re look for your recipes and for your stories of your cooking days.

Have fun in your kitchen!

Carol

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