Freezer meals can be the most convenient dinner meals but are daunting to make. Last October when we did our first Whole30, I decided to make some freezer meals. It was my first time trying it out and I was about as inefficient as possible. This time around I thought the steps through much more and was able to make 10 meals in 3 hours. If you can have uninterrupted time, this could be done in 2 hours.
My first step was to come up with the recipes to cook. I knew I wanted to do a mixture of different meats and use what we already had frozen so I ended up with 2 chicken recipes, 2 beef recipes, and 1 pork. I decided this time around it would be easier to just make 2 of each meal, so 5 recipes x2. Here's what I decided on. All meals are gluten free, paleo, and Whole30 compliant.
Paleo Minestrone Soup
Brazilian Curry Chicken
Enchilada Chicken Stew
Squeaky Clean Boeuf Bourgignon
Thai Curry with Beef (I used panang curry instead)
I then made a spreadsheet with the ingredients that I would need. I left off spices since I had all of those already. I ended up with a master shopping list that I then doubled.
When I went to the store I spent $33 which included some produce for the week too. All the meat I already had in my freezer.
Here's my process:
- Write the recipe name, date, and additional instructions on your large freezer Ziplocs before you start in sharpie. Make sure this includes cook time!
- Line up your Ziploc bags on the counter propped open with the duplicates together.
- Have all the printed recipes next to you on the counter.
- Start with veggies so your bags have weight to them and stay open. Chop, slice, dice or cut according to one recipe. Make sure to cross of whatever you've just done from the recipe. This may not seem necessary at the beginning but later on you won't remember where your at.
- Next add in spices. If you add a bit extra that's okay. I find that some of the spices often stick to the bags when your emptying them out.
- Now is liquids. At this point you need to use your discretion on if the liquids will fit or not. It's okay to just write "Add 1 can of diced tomatoes and 1 can chicken broth" to the front of the bag. Just make sure the can's to add are items you stock on hand all the time so you'll have it when you need it.
- Add frozen meat or seared meat, according to the recipe.
- Remove as much air as possible and seal Ziplocs. Place in freezer for another day!
- Clean-up! I don't clean-up as I go since that just adds more time. I've found that when I did clean-up as I went, I put away items I ended up needing for another recipes. I do toss dirty dishes in the sink but that's about it.
Tips:
- Grocery shop the day before otherwise it's very overwhelming. Most items don't need to be refrigerated so just leave it all on the counter.
- Do like items together. Peel all your carrots, turnips, etc at the same time.
- Use a food processor or blender to "dice" your onions to save time. Make sure to read each recipe though to see if you need to slice or chunk them instead.
- Most of these recipes don't require the meat to be pre-cooked so if it's already frozen, you don't need to do anything else to it. To make sure I don't forget it, I place my sealed frozen meat inside my large ziplocs with the other ingredients.
- When you put it in the freezer, laying them flat on their side takes the least space but make sure it will fit in your slow cooker that way.
I survived the Whole30 except for the fact that I stopped on day 28. My biggest hurdle was eating out either at restaurants or other peoples houses. It's very apparent to me that unless someone else eats Paleo, they don't understand what foods I can eat. I only made it to day 28 because it was my sisters birthday dinner at my parents house. I was told I could eat everything. The ribs were coated in BBQ sauce which contained sugar, there were potato chips, the twice baked potatoes contained cream, and the dessert was creme brûlée. There was a fruit salad which was great but as hard as I wanted to, everything wasn't Whole30 compliant. I did choose not to add extra BBQ sauce but in the end, did that really make much of a difference?
So day 1 post Whole30, I was craving sugar. I think knowing that I can know have it makes it even more tempting. I decided a batch of Peanut Butter Cookies was the way to go. After 1 cookie, I felt like crap. The good thing is that I didn't eat another cookie and can now see how the sugar effects me so quickly.
This week when sitting down and planning my menu, I didn't even realize all but one of my meals was Whole30 compliant again. For the most part, our dinner meals do meet the Whole30 guidelines with the occasional added sweetener. I really wanted Butternut Squash Risotto this week, so we are having it! I did find that I have the ingredients for these meals without going to the store which will help clean out my fridge, pantry and freezer and save me money. I do still need to go to the store for bananas and milk for baby boy but otherwise it should be a low cost week.
Menu Planning
Week of 2/2/15-2/9/15
Monday: Baked Trout Saratoga with Carrot & Parsnip Puree
Tuesday: Leftovers, Hubby is gone
Wednesday: Paleo Shepard's Pie from Quick & Easy Paleo Comfort Foods: 100+ Delicious Gluten-Free Recipes
Thursday: Braised Beef, Artichokes, & Peas from Mediterranean Paleo Cooking: Over 150 Fresh Coastal Recipes for a Relaxed, Gluten-Free Lifestyle
Friday: Chorizo Meatloaf with mashed sweet potatoes
Saturday: Butternut Squash Risotto (made without the cheese)
Sunday: Crockpot French Onion Soup from The Paleo Kitchen: Finding Primal Joy in Modern Cooking
Lunch can be one of the most challenging meals of the day. I find that it's the meal I often forget to plan so it's left up to chance most the time. Leftovers are the easiest lunch solution. The problem arrises when my husband takes them all or they just don't sound good for lunch. My go to lately is a protein filled salad. I will make different versions of chicken salads or egg salads a couple times a week that usually last 2 days. This helps give a variety and use up extra veggies we have around. Another good option is to make a soup that can be eaten or frozen for later. Our freezer in the garage has pre-portioned soup in freezer containers that can easily be reheated.
I've recently discovered dill and how wonderful this fresh herb tastes. I've been adding it to everything, including my eggs. When I went to make my egg salad the other day the dill was a perfect companion to it for an extra mustard taste. Fresh dill lasts in the fridge for several weeks if it has a paper towel wrapped around it.
Dill Egg Salad over Tomatoes
Serves: 2
1 tomato, sliced in 1/2 inch slices
4 eggs, hard-boiled and diced (I used my egg dicer)
1/2 cup cooked ham, diced
2 TBLS mayo (I made an avocado based mayo which was in the fridge)
1-2 tsp yellow deli mustard
1 tsp white vinegar
1 1/5 TBLS fresh dill, chopped
1/2 tsp celery salt
salt & pepper, to taste
1. Slice the tomato and arrange on a plate.
2. Mix all ingredients together. If they don't bind well enough, add a bit more mayo.
3. Put the mixture on top of the tomatoes and top with some more dill and black pepper.
This will last in the fridge for one day. After that it gets too watery and looses the flavors.
I don't know of anyone that doesn't care how much they spend on food. Some people might spend a lot more than others but there's always that point that's too much. One of the largest complaints I've heard about eating Paleo or Whole30 is the expense. One of my friends told me "it's just too expensive to eat that way." I'm of the mentality that you should be putting the healthiest food into your body as much as possible. If you don't buy all the junk, you actually don't spend that much.
I know buying fruits, vegetables and meat that's fresh means more trips to the store and less coupons. I've come across a few different tricks on how to save but maintain eating fresh healthy items.
#1- Buy in bulk- We buy a whole pig and half a cow each year. When I buy in bulk the cost averages out among the cuts. We paid about $5/lb for grassfed beef last year which is more costly for ground beef but much less for steaks.
#2- Ask for case deals- Several of the local produce stores I go to offer between 5-15% discount for purchasing a full case. I purchase items that I know will last a long time and store them in the garage through the winter. In the summer, my garage fridge is filled with these items too. Good items to buy is sweet potatoes, onions, or fruit.
#3- Make the most of each item- I freeze bones, onion peels, carrot ends, leek greens, and celery to make my own stock. My breakfast hash usually consists of vegetables that are starting to fade, to ensure they get used. If my bananas are getting too spotted for my taste, I'll dehydrate them for snacks or homemade larabars.
#4- Freeze, Freeze, Freeze or Can, Can, Can- I purchased a pressure canner this year which has been amazing but otherwise I was freezing everything. I now am able to pressure can my stock every couple weeks and leave more room in my freezer for items that can't be canned. In the summer and fall I have many canning parties. This past year I canned peaches, pears, applesauce, tomatoes, and stock. I'm sure this year there will be even more. I throw our leftovers after a couple days in the freezer in lunch size servings to easily pull out. I freeze leftover gravy or cauliflower base to pull out for later. I also freeze berries for smoothies.
#5- Plan ahead- Just going to the grocery store and seeing what looks good isn't a good plan. When I have a list, I'm much more likely to stick to it and not pick up extras. I do find myself rethinking dinner choices if I'm unprepared for the price of a main item but otherwise, I know what I'm getting. If you get to the store and you needed 5 zucchini and they were 3x the price as last week, try to re-evaluate and switch out your meals. Also, looking at the ads before going doesn't hurt. Then you know what's on sale and can work your meals around that. I often go to 2 or 3 stores if there are specific items I know are much cheaper.
#6- Prioritize your eating- It is extremely rare for us to eat out anymore. We have dinner out only once or twice a month. With this choice, we can save a ton of money and allocate it towards our groceries instead. Also, it's not the same eating out when most places we go we can't eat many of the items. We've found some all gluten free restaurants around Portland which has been a lifesaver but otherwise, it's disappointing when there are only a handful of menu options that someone Paleo or gluten free can eat.
With a child that's one, many times my day becomes hectic right at dinner time. Making meals that I'm able to prep earlier in the day or are quick are key for me. The other night I was craving curry but know that I only like it with rice. To try something different, I pulled out my new Paderno World Cuisine A4982799 Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer
. The spiralizer came with 3 different attachments and this time I tried out the flat noodle. Overall, I was very happy with how it turned out and that I was able to prep and cook in less than 30 minutes!
Zucchini Noodle Chicken Curry
Yields: 4 servings
2 tbls coconut oil, divided
2 chicken breasts, diced
2 medium zucchini
1 sweet potato, peeled & medium diced
2 turnips, peeled & medium diced
1/2 cup cabbage, shredded
1 onion, large dice
1 bell pepper, large dice
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1-2 tbls curry paste, red or panang
5 red thai chilis
Cilantro, for garnish
1. Heat 1 tbls coconut oil in wok on medium-high heat. Add the chicken and saute until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Add the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil to the wok. Add in sweet potato, turnips, cabbage, onion, and bell pepper. Cook until sweet potatoes are no longer crunchy and can insert a fork through them. Make sure to stir occasionally.
3. While the vegetables are cooking, spiralize your zucchini. If you don't have a spiralizer, you can make thin slices of the zucchini lengthwise with your knife.
4. When the vegetables are mostly cooked, add in the curry paste. The more curry paste you add the spicier it will get. If you prefer a spicy sauce, then add the full 2 tablespoons. Slowly add the coconut milk, making sure to mix it with the paste to remove any clumps. Add in the thai chilis.
5. Add chicken back into the wok. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat.
6. To serve, put zucchini noodles in the bottom of a bowl. Top with the curry and cilantro.
I didn't cook the zucchini in this dish because it kept a slight crunch that way. Alternately, you could put the zucchini noodles into a pan of boiling water for a couple minutes to cook them.
I still feel that the Whole30 has been going very well for me. Although my husband isn't doing it as well, he's supportive and not eating chocolate in front of me. I've still curbed the cravings I was having for sugar and avoided it completely. Although this morning I did wake up remembering my dream was all about eating donuts and cake.
I've just sat down and spent about 15 minutes coming up with menu for this coming week. I'm down to less than $100 in our food budget for the rest of the month so I need to utilize the freezer and what's in the fridge all that I can. I also know that I will need to buy milk and probably some more eggs so it's going to be close if I can meet budget this month. One of my tricks is to meal plan to the end of the month to control costs. In order to do this, I have to be strategic that I'm only using items next week that can last. Here's what I'll be cooking!
This Week
Monday- Thai curry with zucchini noodles
Tuesday- Chicken Bacon Alfredo (I didn't make this last week), Chili for tomorrow
Wednesday- Leftover chili, hubby gone
Thursday- Simple Herb Crusted Salmon, collard greens, mashed cauliflower
Friday- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
Saturday- Spicy Chicken Tagine from Mediterranean Paleo Cooking: Over 150 Fresh Coastal Recipes for a Relaxed, Gluten-Free Lifestyle
Sunday- Paleo Shepard's Pie from Quick & Easy Paleo Comfort Foods: 100+ Delicious Gluten-Free Recipes
Next Week
Monday- Pressure Cooker Mexican Beef If you don't have a pressure cooker, Michelle has an oven version as well. This is the best beef we've ever had!
Tuesday- Fiona's Green Chicken with Sweet Potato Wedges (I have the marinade frozen from a double batch last time)
Wednesday- Frozen leftovers (soup), Hubby gone
Thursday- Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Friday- Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup with Sausage (freezer meal)
Saturday- Baked Trout Saratoga *contains wine, Carrot & Parsnip puree, peas
