Freezer Fridays

Freezer Fridays
Every Friday night, my husband comes home from work to a sparkling, just-been-cleaned house and asks the same question: What’s for dinner? And every Friday I steer him towards the freezer and let him choose. Ok, so dinner isn’t cooking when he comes in, there’s no fabulous aroma of a meal simmering on the stove, but he’s a mere twenty minutes away from something that’s guaranteed to be delicious.

My freezer is always packed with the foods I’ve been busy making throughout the weeks with friends. There’s usually a choice of a few kinds of empanadas, dumplings, chicken tenders, ravioli, a chicken parmesan dinner or even lasagna. There’s no need to order take out, spend fifty dollars and wait up to an hour for something that’s not even that good to get delivered. Instead, the oven gets pre-heated just as my husband is about to come home and then he gets to choose his Friday night dinner.

Our end-of-the week routine may seem a little 1950’s to some, but it’s actually a very modern scenario that works. But fear not. I’m not resentful and I haven’t been slaving away solo in the kitchen in a cute little apron, but rather spending worthwhile time with my friends and having fun! The food in the freezer is actually just a huge bonus.

If you’re curious, this past Friday my husband started with a first course of mushroom ravioli (which took less than ten minutes to prepare) while his second course of Smokey Southwestern Vegetarian Empanadas were baking to a golden finish in the oven. The best part: there was hardly a mess to clean up!


Smokey Southwestern Vegetarian Empanadas
Makes 40 empanadas

Each pastry is bursting with flavor and packed with veggies and protein. These hearty, smoky empanadas are a great hors d’oeuvres or meal and will even satisfy your meat eater. Serve them with salsa and light sour cream or guacamole.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 orange pepper, diced
4 ears of corn, kernels removed
1 14.5 ounce can petit diced tomatoes
1 29 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 jalapeno pepper, diced finely (optional)
Juice from 1 lime
Pepper to taste
2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese
40 empanada wrappers

Make the filling:

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil.
2. Sauté the onions and garlic for a few minutes on medium heat.
3. Add the peppers, jalapeno peppers and corn and cook for about five minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, black beans, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, lime juice and jalapeno.
5. Combine well and add the cheese. Stir well and cool.

To Crimp:

1. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of an empanada wrapper.
2. Fold one side over the other and crimp the edges together, using the rope or fork method.
3. Repeat until finished with all of the wrappers and filling.

To cook:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Brush the tops of the empanadas with egg wash (one egg lightly beaten with a dash of water) and bake for 20-30 minutes until golden. Serve with sour cream or guacamole.

To Freeze:

1. Crimp each empanada and lay on a baking sheet lined with wax paper (making sure not to overlap or stack the empanadas.)

2. Place uncovered in the freezer for several hours until the empanadas are frozen solid.

3. Transfer to a freezer bag and seal, squeezing out excess air.

4. To cook, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees, brush the tops of each with egg wash and bake on a non-stick baking sheet for 30 minutes until golden.

Stuffed

One of my friend Lynn’s favorite foods to make is stuffed bread and since I’d never made it before, she invited me to make it with her for her son’s birthday party. It’s an easy, impressive and filling snack that can be frozen ahead of time and simply re-heated the day-of. Plus, it’s a “make-it-your-own way” kind of meal which spells out VERSATILITY, my favorite word. So, of course I was on board for a stuffed bread making demonstration.

We arranged a cooking date during an afternoon when our 4-year old sons could play while we baked.

To save time, we decided not to make the dough from scratch and instead, Lynn picked up eight batches of pizza dough from her favorite Italian market, let it rise ahead of time (a time saving must) and then we each provided our own fillings. She was making pepperoni and mozzarella (a sure favorite among the birthday party guests) while I played around with various veggies that I had on hand, slow roasted tomatoes and turkey sausage.

Since I had never made the bread before, I wanted her to make one first and show me the steps involved. As she began her demonstration, I was amazed at the simplicity of this dish. She stretched the dough and rolled it effortlessly into an uneven rectangle, sprinkled a generous amount of mozzarella cheese and layered pepperoni. As she rolled the cheese and pepperoni covered dough into a long log, she explained her mother’s little trick of pulling it tight as you roll it over. It took less than five minutes to assemble the bread from start to finish. When it was my turn, I layered mandolin-thin slices of zucchini on top of mozzarella and parmesan cheese, rolled away and ended up with a pretty nice looking roll (not quite as tight as hers from so much experience though!)

She brushed hers with a bit of egg wash and I basted mine with butter – a test to see which would make a more golden delicious finish. We popped them into the oven and while they baked, we rolled more together, taking turns on my small kitchen table. When the first batch was finished, we sliced one to taste (and taste and taste.) It was an impressive looking snack, with the layers colorfully swirled together. Before long, Lynn and I we were stuffed (like our bread). And as it turned out, they were all pretty golden and very delicious.

When my daughter came home from school, I served her some as a snack and she was quite impressed with the presentation, asking how I got the fillings to be so beautifully twirled together.

I’m excited to have three stuffed breads wrapped and waiting in my freezer. I may pull them out to reheat for a summer picnic lunch with a salad, or maybe I’ll slice one up for friends one day for lunch. All I know is that they’ll come in handy one day soon and I’ll appreciate the time spent with Lynn all over again!

Simple Stuffed Bread

What I like most about this recipe is that you can stuff the bread with whatever you like, making it as healthy as you wish. The only thing you need to be careful of is not to over or under stuff. It’s a fun food to play with – shrimp scampi, garlic and basil, onions and mushrooms – you name it!

Pizza Dough
Mozzarella Cheese
Thinly Sliced Pepperoni
Crumbled Sausage
Thinly Sliced Zucchini
Parmesan Cheese

Let pizza dough rise.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Roll the dough out on a floured surface approximately 8 x 11.
Sprinkle desired amount of cheese onto the dough.
Lay fillings (pepperoni, sausage or veggies) on top of the cheese.
Roll the dough tightly from the 8 inch side upward until you have a plump log.
Brush the top with melted butter or egg wash.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
To freeze, place uncovered on a baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until hardened (a few hours). Wrap well in aluminum foil and keep in the freezer. To re-heat, place straight from the freezer into the oven and bake on 375 degrees until heated – 45 minutes to an hour.

FMNT (Frazzled Mother No Time) Seeking Helpful Friend

I was completely frazzled, freaked out and stressed. I had too much going on. It was late in the day on Thursday and I hadn’t yet found the time to make the darn carrot muffins I had promised to bring for the teacher appreciation lunch the next day. It was one of those days when I was trying to do absolutely everything – a jog, dress fitting, some work, stop at the pharmacy, shop for a mother’s day gift for my mom – in the few hours I had while my 4-year old was in his half day of school. I bet many of you can relate!

I had a visit scheduled with my friend Debbie at the end of the day, but truthfully, I was totally drained. So, when I walked into her house just past 5:00 pm and found her on the computer answering e-mails, I snapped at her, huffing that I had to get home to make carrot muffins and maybe this wasn’t a good time to hang out. She looked at me, astonished, and gave me a hug. “Why didn’t you bring your ingredients over so we can make them together?” she asked.

OMG!

What’s wrong with this picture? I was a text book frazzled mom and I’m supposed to have it all under control, right? I’m the girl who cooks with her friends all the time for every reason. But somehow, I was too busy to even think about with whom I’d be able to make my carrot muffins. The be all-end all solution to my life’s craziness (Cooking With Friends) had actually slipped my mind. I had a brain freeze.

As soon as she pointed out this oversight, I was out the door, on my way to my house (a few short blocks away) to gather ingredients. While I was packing things up, I grabbed some chicken breasts and shredded cabbage—dinner for our kids—since I knew I’d be there a while. As I was driving back to Debbie’s house, car loaded with muffin tins, flour and carrots, I took in some slow, deep breaths as the stress began to ease.
When I got back to Debbie’s, I started measuring for a double batch so that she could have some as well. Debbie couldn’t have been more helpful, chopping pineapple, washing dishes and cleaning countertops, as we made my carrot muffins together. And then, while the muffins baked, we sautéed some garlic rosemary chicken, along with shredded cabbage. Our kids ate together as they often do, with a muffin along side.

Oh man, did I feel good walking out of Debbie’s house with trays of carrot muffins. All I had left to do was squeeze some cream cheese frosting on the next morning. Mission accomplished!

My brain freeze turned out not to be such a bad thing after all. I was reminded what other moms feel 24-7 and why I adopted the Cooking with Friends lifestyle ten years ago. It just works.

The recipe for the Carrot Muffins is our featured recipe this month: http://www.cookingwithfriendsclub.com/index.php?/recipes/featured/

Running up that hill

While jogging alone the other day, chugging my way through the park, I thought how nice it would be to have a friend by my side. Someone to chit-chat with and give the little nudge I would need to sprint up the approaching hill; someone to talk me into doing another loop; a friend to give me a gentle push.

And then it occurred to me. Wouldn’t we rather have a friend with us for so many things we do in life? Shopping, exercising, eating, exploring, traveling – cooking! Cooking with our friends should be as natural as doing anything else with a friend. Why not have someone by our side in the kitchen, offering encouragement in making a new dish, combining a few spices or simply trying to create healthy meals our kids will like and not push away?

A study conducted by UCLA in 2009, entitled “Friendship Among Women,” revealed that hanging out with our friends “can actually counteract the kind of stomach-quivering stress most of us experience on a daily basis.” It also suggests that “women respond to stress with a cascade of brain chemicals that cause us to make and maintain friendships with other women.”

So, we learn, it’s good for our health to be with our friends. Great news! But with all of life’s demands and time constraints, how do we fit it into our lives when there’s so much else to get done?
The answer is, we invite them into the routine of life and make them a part of what needs to be done. My friends and I will often help one another re-arrange a playroom, clean out a storage closet or give advice on renovations, all while hanging out and cooking together in the kitchen, the place we’re most comfortable together. We’re just a part of each other’s every day routines.

So, life isn’t solitary, it’s social and while we are accomplishing life’s basics, we’re also doing something that’s good for our health. Isn’t that nice!