August Swap Details

It's that time again! Time to think about what you'll make for the freezer swap in August. We'll meet on August 13th at Elisha's house. Below are the category assignments for the month. Don't forget to post your recipe and/or cooking directions to the blog. Thanks! Looking forward to it!

Beef: *Traci

Beef with pasta: Suzanne

Chicken: Kay Ann

Chicken with Pasta: Elisha

Soup/Breakfast: *Melanie

Other: Josie

Grill: Elizabeth

Grill: Pat

Pizza

Here are instructions for the pizza I brought to the July exchange. Get ready, it's complex:

Bake approximately 30 min. at 350 degrees.

Think you can handle that? :-)

You may want to check the bottom of the crust as it's baking to make sure it's getting done. I went a little over 30 minutes because I like a little crisper crust.

For anyone interested, I got all ingredients at Piqua Pizza Supply Company. You have to buy in bulk (minimum of 10 crusts) but when making a large order (or if you want to freeze them), I think it's worth it! You can also get the sausage pre-cooked if you're short on time. I didn't think the prices were too bad either. They don't have a website that I know of, but you can google it for phone number and directions.

Shanghai Stir-Fry

This has become a family must-have since making this last month! It's from my new favorite cook book, Fix, Freeze and Feast . It's super simple to do and delicious to eat. If you want to add Chinese vegetables or lo mien noodles, it's simple to add them at the end. Yum!

Shanghai Stir Fry

(Makes 3 entrees, 6 servings each)

Ingredients:

1 Tray (about 6 lbs) of boneless top sirloin steaks

2/3 c. cranberry juice

1/2 c. soy sauce

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

3 t. minced garlic (9 cloves)

3 t. minced ginger (I used paste)

1 1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes

zest of one orange

On Hand for Cooking Each Entrees:

2 t. vegetable oil

1 (11 oz.) can of mandarin orange slices, drained

2 t. sesame seeds

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

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

3. Seal and freeze.

To Cook one Entree:

1. Completely thaw in the refrigerator.

2. Pour off the marinade and reserve. Heat oil in a large skillet over med.-high heat. Add beef and stir-fry until well browned, about 10 minutes. Remove beef from pan and keep warm. Add marinade to the skilled, reduce heat, and simmer for 3 minutes. Return beef to pan. Add mandarin oranges and stir to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve over rice.

Sausage and Rice Breakfast Bake

Looking for a new breakfast recipe is always a challenge. So when I found this one on a web site and was intrigued by the extra ingredient of Krispy cereal, I had to try it! It was super easy to prepare in mass quantities and baking/serving was a snap too! Bonus was that my kids ate and ate and ate it! It was even good warmed up the next day! Sounds strange to be putting cereal into a casserole, but they actually take the place of the bread cubes and give it good texture. It was a hit all the way around!

Sausage and Rice Breakfast Bake

4 1/2 c. Rice Krispies (reserve 3/4 c.)
1 lg. onion, chopped
3 c. cooked rice1 lb. cheese, grated (reserve 1/2 c.)
2 1/2 lb. breakfast sausage
5 eggs, beaten
2 cans cream of chicken soup

Brown onion and sausage. Drain. Spray 9x13 inch pan with Pam. Layer half of the rice, Rice Krispies, sausage mixture, and grated cheese. Repeat. Mix eggs and soup, pour over casserole. Sprinkle with reserved cheese and Rice Krispies. Freeze.

To serve:
Thaw casserole completely. Bake 45 minutes at 325 degrees. Enjoy!

Strawberry Soup

Here's Pat's recipe adapted from this recipe. It's quickly become a summer favorite! Yum!

Strawberry Soup

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
4-3/4 cups strawberries
2-1/3 cups and 1 tablespoon plain yogurt
1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons orange juice
1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons white sugar
1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons water
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions:
In a blender, combine the strawberries, yogurt, orange juice, sugar, water and cardamom. Puree until well mixed. Put into Large Zip-Loc Bag. Freeze flat.

To Serve:
Thaw and serve in six individual servings. Enjoy!

Nachos

Nachos

I made nachos for the July meal exchange. I'm pretty sure everyone knows how to reheat meat and cheese for nachos, but I've never posted on a blog before, so I'm writing my very basic instructions for practice!

Nacho instructions:

1. Thaw both bags.
2. Heat meat and beans in saucepan or microwaveable dish.
3. Snip a corner of nacho cheese and squeeze out into microwaveable dish. Heat.
4. Open bag of chips. Top with meat and beans, nacho cheese, and other toppings (sour cream, tomatoes, salsa, olives, etc.)

I would have included some fresh salsa or tomatoes, but ours are all still green right now!

Suzanne

Urban Garlic Chicken

*This was the dish I chose to make for our Freezer Swap this month. After I put seven of them together for the swap, I decided to cook mine for dinner! My favorite method is to cook it in my microwave in my PC baker (with lid) and it was DELICIOUS! The chicken was tender and moist and browned (in the microwave?!). My children loved it and the youngest asked for repeated helpings (he can be finicky!). It was SO good--and SO easy! Great summertime meal--hot, but no heat in the kitchen!

Urban Garlic Chicken

Adapted From Fix Freeze and Feast

1-5lb. Whole chicken

1/8 c. olive oil

1 T. Red Wine Vinegar

4 cloves garlic

½ T. dried thyme

1 t. salt

½ t. black pepper

1 carrot peeled and cut in half

1 celery stalk cut in half

½ onion peeled and quartered

1. Rinse chicken under cool water. Remove giblets from cavity and discard. Pat chicken dry with paper towel.
2. Combine oil, vinegar, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
3. Place chicken, breast side up, on a work surface. Gently loosen skin on breast and legs by working your fingers between the skin and meat. Using half the marinade, rub under and over and the skin and in the cavity. Put the chicken in a 1 gallon zip-loc bag.
4. Put all vegetables in a one quart zip loc bag and then directly into the larger bag with the chicken.
5. Seal and freeze.

To Cook:

Oven:

1. completely thaw in the refrigerator
2. preheat the oven to 325 F
3. Place chicken, breast side up, in a greased baking dish. Put vegetables in cavity. Roast for about 1 ½ hours, or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 180 F.

Crock Pot:

1. Don’t thaw! J Put chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker (must have a

removable insert). Cook for 8 to 10 hours. Drain juices, reserve and cool. Place

the uncovered crock in a 350 F oven. For 15 minutes to brown the skin.

Meanwhile use the reserved juices to make gravy or a sauce.

Microwave: (My method of choice!)

1. Put thawed chicken in the Pampered Chef Covered Baker (with lid) breast side up.

Put vegetables in the cavity. Cover with baker lid and place in microwave on high

for 30 minutes. Check temperature at the end to be sure it is 180 F when inserted

into the thigh. Enjoy!