Fix, Freeze, Feast - Kati Neville [8]
PACKAGE MEALS TO GIVE AWAY? If the recipe calls for a baking dish, you can use your own glass or metal pans. But if you decide to give a meal away, it can be a bother for both you and the recipient to worry about the container’s return. In that case, you may wish to use a disposable foil pan. Think carefully about the intended use of the meals you choose and plan to package them accordingly.
FREEZE THE CORRECT PORTIONS? Package your items according to the recipes, or, alternatively, to suit the size of your family. If you have a small family, you may want to divide entrées into smaller portions before freezing. Or you might want to divide the portions as we suggest and plan to have leftovers.
KEEP TRACK OF WHAT’S IN THE FREEZER? Keep a freezer inventory. Maintain it so you know at a glance what you have in the freezer. See the appendix for a form you can use to keep track of the contents of your freezer.
A QUESTION YOU MIGHT ASK: I have limited space in my freezer—can I still use this method? Don’t worry, this method will work even for cooks with limited freezer space. You may be surprised at how much food can fit in a standard freezer. Following are some tips for conserving freezer space.
• Choose recipes for dishes that will be stored in plastic freezer bags rather than in baking dishes. Freeze these entrées flat; once frozen, line them up vertically (as you would books on a shelf).
• Make only one or two recipes at a time.
• Pick recipes with lower yields. Stick to those recipes that make two or three entrées each rather than those that yield larger numbers.
• Consider trading entrées with a friend to maximize variety while conserving freezer space (see our community cooking suggestions, page 214).
Freezer Burn: The result of moisture loss from poorly packaged food, freezer burn creates a fuzzy and grayish-white surface on the frozen item. It’s not harmful, but it can result in an undesirable flavor and texture. Prevent freezer burn by following our freezing tips. Ice crystals are different from freezer burn. Their appearance has to do with how quickly the food has frozen. A cold freezer will create small ice crystals, and the smaller the crystals, the less they will diminish food quality. The ideal freezer temperature is between -5 and 0ºF.
6. HEAT AND EAT! THAWING AND COOKING
We specify in every recipe that you should completely thaw your frozen items in the refrigerator—not on the counter and never in a hot-water bath. Always thaw your food in the refrigerator. Correctly thawing meat and cooking it to appropriate temperatures are the best way to avoid food-borne illness. Skip thawing in the refrigerator only when a recipe indicates that the item can go directly from the freezer to the oven.
Cook all meat to the temperature indicated in the directions. Some meats’ temperatures will continue to rise after you remove it from the oven or grill, so you may remove the meat from the heat source when it is a few degrees below the indicated temperature as long as you are sure it will reach the required temperature before it is eaten.
Once an entrée has been thawed, you must cook it. Never thaw raw meat and then refreeze it. As the saying goes: When in doubt, throw it out!
As for the cooking methods, we have listed what we find works best for each recipe. It’s up to you if you want to alter the method. You may choose to bake a dish for which the recipe calls for grilling, or use the slow cooker instead of the oven. In many cases, an alternative cooking method will work well, but if you want to be sure of success, use the cooking method specified in the recipe.
CHAPTER ONE
CHICKEN MAIN DISHES
This chicken is excellent chopped over salad with red grapes, blue cheese, and sunflower seeds. Consider dressing the salad with our Raspberry Vinaigrette (page 186). Fresh or frozen sweet cherries in place of the raspberries bring out the cherry flavor of the chicken. —KN
CHERRY SKILLET CHICKEN
MAKES 3 ENTRÉES, 4–6 SERVINGS EACH
1 TRAY (ABOUT 6 POUNDS) BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN HALF-BREASTS