Anyone specialize in freezer recipes?

[pbjelly]

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?

[nomikins]

Black Bean Soup

Lentil Soup

Precooked Beans

Precooked Rice

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

[merriweather]

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.

[Tazi752000]

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.

[Plumerias]

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.

[Carbovore]

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!

[Rain]

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.