Dr. McDougall's Online Discussion Board

I'm trying so hard to eat well these days, but I find that the hardest part is to always be prepared in advance. I keep having days where things are busy and I suddenly get to meal time and there's nothing in there that's as fast and yummy as a peanut butter sandwich. I'm thinking if I make several different soups and stews and freeze them in individual portions, it might solve that problem. Does anyone have favorite freezer recipes to suggest?

Black Bean Soup

Lentil Soup

Precooked Beans

Precooked Rice

Also, check Jeff's SNAP meals in his forum.

I don't have recipes, cause I just sort of wing it. But I have an easy way to freeze things.
I bought snack size zipper bags.
Then I lay them on a cookie sheet in the freezer. They freeze quickly. Then I put them in a bigger zip bag, labled with what it is and what the date is. I have frozen red sauce--tomatoes and what ever veggies I have seasoned and run through the processor. Rice, beans etc. They thaw quickly. Which is great because my dh works nights and sleeps days, some times I am not sure when he will get up. SO I am able to pull out a sauce packett, and it is usually ready by the time his pasta is. I am on MWL and he is not so this is an easy way.

One trick is to put cooked rice in canning jars and freeze. Then all you have to do is take the lid off and pop in the microwave for 3 minutes.

There have been previous discussions on this topic, but darned if I can find one of them right now.

There are several recipes in Nava Atlas' Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons that I find freeze well, especially now that fall is upon us, or, LOL, many of us. The page numbers correspond to the 2006 edition:

Curried Red Lentil Soup, p. 27
Moroccan-Style Vegetable Stew, p. 33
Three-Bean Soup with Brown Rice, p. 69
Hearty Barley-Bean Soup, p. 71
Tomato, Lentil, and Barley Soup, p. 72
Curried Lentil, Potato, and Cauliflower Soup, p. 73
Four-Grain Tomato Soup, p. 74

There are others on my list to try. As there is just the two of us, I often freeze whatever soups or stews that I make, as well as the chilis that my husband makes. I don't like the texture of frozen summer squashes or pastas, so I don't freeze dishes that contain those things, personal preference.

We are very fond of Indian cuisine. Dals I always freeze. With them I do as merriweather describes, freeze the quart freezer bags flat, they stack vertically oh so very well in the ice machine bin that we never use for ice.

When we had a house, I always just chopped tomatoes and froze them in the quart bags, pre-measured for soups. I no longer have a garden, so that's not an option, but I do still do fresh corn cut off the cob that way. Ah, summer's taste in the cold of winter,

Have fun.

Soups are definitely the way to go. They are easy and super-healthy. You can make a huge batch with pretty much the same effort as a single serving. Plus you get an awful lot of bang for your buck!

The last notation I have in my notebook that follows this recipe is "Freezes well," although it's been quite a while since I made this.

Tamale Pie
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup creamed or whole kernel corn
2 cups canned or fresh tomatoes
1 cup tomato juice or vegan milk substitute
1 tsp herbal salt seasoning
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 can whole black olives (optional, and will need to be left out by most of us )

Braise onions and peppers in a little water and lemon juice. Add next 4 ingredients, and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add other ingredients. Pour into casserole, and bake 1 hour at 350.

This will be firmer if made a day ahead and refrigerated. Just heat through and serve. Freezes well.