Save time and money by making your own frozen meals, writes Angela Day.
TOP TIPS
Cool foods completely before freezing them. Freezing food when hot will only increase the temperature of the freezer and could cause other foods to start defrosting and bacteria to grow.
Never refreeze anything that has been frozen and then defrosted.
Wrap foods properly or put them in sealed containers or they can get freezer-burn.
Freeze food in realistically-sized portions.
If in doubt, throw it out. Contrary to what many people think, freezing doesn’t kill bacteria. If you are unsure of how long something has been frozen or if items have been defrosted and refrozen, don’t take any chances.
Foil or plastic containers are ideal. Never freeze anything in glass that does not state it is freezer proof. The expansion of liquid freezing could cause the glass to shatter.
Label and date everything clearly. This will help you keep track of meals and how long they have been in the freezer.
Not all foods respond well to freezing - mayonnaise, yoghurt, cream, milk sauces, gravies and custard fillings can separate on defrosting.
Thawing foods at room temperature encourages bacteria growth so defrost in the fridge or microwave.
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Makes 16-18
250g butter
250ml brown sugar
2 extra-large eggs
5ml vanilla essence
600ml flour
pinch of salt
5ml baking powder
5ml bicarbonate of soda
250g white or milk chocolate, roughly chopped
Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. Beat in vanilla.
Sift together flour, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, and add to creamed mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Mix well.
Place balls of dough on a greased baking tray and flatten slightly. Bake at 180°C for 10 to 15 minutes, until light golden-brown. Place on a cooling rack to cool.
TO FREEZE: Place the balls of raw dough in a foil container and freeze. When required remove from the freezer and place the balls of dough on a greased baking tray and bake as normal. It is not necessary to defrost the dough, although it may take slightly longer to bake the dough from frozen.
TIP: Use an ice cream scoop to measure the dough into equal-sized balls. Dip your scoop into hot water before scooping up some dough and placing it on a baking tray or into the freezer container.
CHICKEN AND CHORIZO PIES
Makes 11
SOUR CREAM PASTRY
750ml cake flour
250g cold butter
250g sour cream
1 egg, beaten for glazing
FILLING
15ml olive oil
225g chorizo sausage, chopped
600g boneless chicken thighs, cut in strips
1 red onion, finely chopped
5ml chopped garlic
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
15ml paprika
10ml cumin
1 bay leaf
125ml white wine
375ml chicken stock
PASTRY: Put the flour into the bowl of a food processor. Cut the butter into cubes and add to the flour. Pulse the mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the sour cream and pulse until the mixture forms a ball of dough. Remove the dough from the processor and wrap in cling film. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove, roll out and cut out round bases to fit round foil containers. Fill with a generous amount of filling.
Brush the sides with beaten egg and place another pastry round on top as a lid.
Press the borders with a fork, brush with beaten egg and bake at 200°C for 15-20 minutes until golden. Can be frozen raw or cooked.
FILLING: Heat the oil in a pot and fry the chorizo for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and fry for 10 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, peppers, carrots, spices and bay leaf and fry for a further 5 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until reduced by half, then add the stock.
Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Cool completely before using.
CHICKEN LOAF
Serves 4-6
15g butter
1 red onion, finely chopped
5ml chopped garlic
250g punnet of mushrooms, sliced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
45ml soy sauce
15ml sriracha sauce
500g chicken mince
salt and pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
60ml chopped fresh parsley
olive oil, for brushing
In a frying pan, heat the butter and fry the onion, garlic, mushrooms, peppers and carrots for 5 minutes, until these start to soften.
Stir in the soy and sriracha sauces. Remove and transfer to a bowl.
Allow to cool slightly, then add the chicken mince. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in the egg and chopped parsley and mix until well combined. Place the mixture in tinfoil containers and brush the tops with olive oil.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the container.
Remove and cool. Can be frozen raw or baked.
CORIANDER LIME CHICKEN TACOS
Serves 4-6
500g chicken fillets
30ml olive oil
5ml garlic salt
2ml pepper
tacos, lettuce, tomato and avo to serve
CORIANDER LIME PESTO
250ml coriander
60ml flaked almonds, toasted
5ml chopped garlic
juice of 2 limes
180ml grated Parmesan
2ml salt
60ml olive oil
Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season with garlic salt and pepper.
Heat a griddle pan to hot and fry the chicken for a few minutes each side until cooked through. Remove, cover with tinfoil and rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Combine the chicken, once sliced, with a few tablespoons of pesto. Place some pesto chicken in a taco with lettuce, chopped tomato and avo. Freeze the remainder of the pesto.
PESTO: Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. If too thick, drizzle in some more olive oil. Check seasoning and add more if necessary.
HUNGARIAN MEATBALLS
Serves 6
1kg beef mince
250ml breadcrumbs
5ml chopped garlic
10ml paprika
salt and pepper
60ml olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5ml chopped garlic
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
30ml paprika
250ml red wine
250ml beef stock
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
15ml tomato paste
In a bowl, combine the mince, breadcrumbs, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix well. Form into meatballs.
Heat half the oil in a frying pan and brown the meatballs. Remove and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a pot and fry the onion, garlic, carrots, celery and red and yellow peppers for 5 minutes until softened. Add the paprika and fry for a minute.
Stir in the red wine and cook for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes before adding the meatballs. Season with salt and pepper.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes until meatballs are completely cooked and the sauce is thickened. Cool completely then freeze.
* The Angela Day cooking column is published in The Star, Pretoria News, Cape Argus and Daily News