Some of you have asked about freezer meals. What I know is that most foods can be frozen for later use. I very often freeze leftover meat and chicken. I pick it apart after the first meal enjoyed and freeze it that way. Then it’s so simple to take out as little or as much as I want at some future point and it defrosts easily. I can easily add it to whatever vegetables and starches that I desire. Work smarter, not harder while practicing zero waste cooking.
I don’t even remember how I prepared the first meal we enjoyed using these country style ribs (which are not really ribs at all, BTW). It was before I started taking pictures of food because my primary interest in food is eating it, not taking pictures of it…which I have now begun to do for your benefit.
I do remember that I slow cooked it and the following day picked the meat apart and slathered some with barbecue sauce for sandwiches. The remainder went into the freezer for later because it was a lot of meat. A huge package had been on sale, so that’s what I had bought and cooked. I most often cook the first meal relatively ungarnished so that I have more latitude to create something completely different with it next time. I think that’s an important element to zero waste cooking. And it’s part of what I call a no-plan meal plan.
The meal pictured above was made almost entirely from the freezer: cooked pork, bell pepper strips and tortillas. Cabbage, as we know, has an extended shelf life in the fridge, as well as the onions. So as far as I’m concerned, it’s basically a pantry meal. Seasoned with:
- garlic
- cumin
- oregano
- smoked paprika
This dish bore no resemblance to the other two meals we had with the same protein. I consider that success. Zero waste cooking for multiple interesting meals!
See No Boring Leftovers for more on this subject.
Great ideas!!!!!! leftover chicken, i chop up and freeze for soups or dishes!
“I most often cook the first meal relatively ungarnished so that I have more latitude to create something completely different with it next time.”
I am 100% on board with this.
Ok Karyn, from your inspiration I am going to make Mahi Mahi with blueberries. Sounds Crazy? Well that’s what’s in the freezer! It might taste good.
Yes, blueberries could make a wonderful sauce for fish, which I absolutely love!!! Sauces for fish! Hooray! What else do you have on hand to balance out the flavors?
I might consider adding an acid and going in the direction of a sweet and sour. What about an herbal component? I always keep a jalapeno in the freezer. I could imagine chopping a little bit of that up and making a chutney…
Great post Karyn. Helps me to be in the “work smarter not harder camp”! 🙂
Good idea freezing meat. Had leftover meat and vegetables that I threw in with ramen soup. Delicious