Freezer Dinners

You know those nights when you're too tired to put together a delicious meal after a long day of errands, shopping or work? At that moment you just want to head out to a restaurant because it's so much easier than spending the next hour cooking but don't- instead I've got the solution that'll save you effort, time and cost- freezer dinners!
Freezer dinners are meals you put together on your free time, and then assemble and freeze until you need them. The night before, you take one out and defrost in the refrigerator and cook as directed. In no time you've got a delicious, healthy and simple meal with very little effort except grilling, baking or roasting in the oven. Today I managed to whip up 5 dinners in 45 minutes that will be ready for use in the next couple of weeks. I'll share two of my easy recipes below and in upcoming weeks I'll share more. Hopefully these will work out for your family as well as they do with mine :)

Fish with Mustard Nut Crust (serves 4 from A Decade of Cooking The Costco Way)
3 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup whole grain mustard
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds, but you could use hazelnuts or pine nuts as well)
4 fish fillets (I use tilapia but any white fish is great)
salt, cayenne pepper
3 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup white wine

In a food processor, mix nuts, mustard, and butter until resembles a coarse paste. Set aside.
Lay 4 fish fillets in a freezable and oven proof container, sprinkle with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Spread nut butter over fish in an even layer and sprinkle with thyme. Pour wine around fish, cover tightly and freeze with the following instructions: Day of cooking- preheat oven to 500 degrees. Bake, uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until the fish is flakey and the crust is bubbly. Serve immediately.


Honey and Mustard Glazed Sausages (serves 4)
5-6 uncooked italian sausages (mild, medium or hot)
1/4 c. whole grain mustard
1/4 c. honey
salt, pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp. chopped parsley

place uncooked italian sausages in a freezer safe and oven proof container. Meanwhile, mix the honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl and pour over sausages. Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley, cover and freeze with the following instructions: Day of cooking- preheat and then roast sausages at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until sausages are cooked through. Halfway through cooking, turn sausages over once to glaze on bottom side. Serve immediately and enjoy

Szechwan Style Shrimp Stir-Fry

This week I've been trying to cut back on calories and fat without sacrificing good taste. I want a recipe that's easy to execute and quick to cook. Hmmm... low fat, low calorie, quick, easy and delicious- sound impossible? Not so with this meal. Try it and you won't be dissapointed. You may even re-think ordering Chinese take out next time

Szechwan Style Shrimp (serves 4)
1 1/4 lb. fresh medium sized shrimp
4 tsp. reduced- sodium soy sauce
4 tsp. grated fresh ginger or 3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. sherry or water
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. chili sauce with garlic (Mae Ploy or similar)
salt, pepper to taste

1 1/2 tsp. reduced soduim soy sauce
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
4 tsp. canola oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 pkg fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
2 c. fresh pea pods or snow peas
1/2 head Napa cabbage, shredded
1/4 c. cashews
3 Tbsp. sliced green onion

Peel and devein shrimp. Rinse shrimp, pat dry with paper towels. For sauce, in a small bowl combine the 4 tsp. soy sauce, ginger, sherry, chili sauce, 1 tsp. cornstarch, sesame oil and salt/pepper. Set aside.
Place shrimp in med. size bowl and season with salt and pepper. Stir in 1 1/2 tsp. soy sauce and 1/2 tsp. corn starch. Set aside.
In a wok or 12 inch skillet, heat 2 tsp of the canola oil over med-high heat. Add garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add bell pepper, and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add peas and stir fry for 2 minutes. Remove ingredients from wok.
Add remaining 2 tsp. canola oil to wok. Add shrimp mixture, stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque. Stir sauce and add to wok. Cook and stir until boiling. Add mushroom mixture and chinese cabbage. Toss to coat.
To serve, sprinkle with chopped cashews and green onions

Fish Tacos

I'm the first to admit that I don't know much about fish tacos except that there's a place in town called Bend Fish Company that makes a pretty good and spicy version. I came across this recipe last summer and tucked it away in my file, waiting for the day I'd get inspired to try it. So glad I did. These fish tacos were so yummy, combining the sweet flavor of mango, the creamy avocados, earthy corn tortilla, flaky tender fish and the sweet/sour radish and red onion pickles. We devoured our dinner and were sad the ingredients ran out. We'll definitely be making these again sometime soon.


Fish Tacos (serves 4)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. chili powder, divided
1/2 sliced red onion
6 thinly sliced radishes
1 lb. tilapia fillets
1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 peeled firm ripe mango, cut into thin slices
1 sliced peeled ripe avocado
fresh cilantro leaves
canola or vegetable oil
1 pkg corn tortillas (6 inch size)
taco condiments: sour cream, salsa, salsa verde etc...

combine the red wine vinegar, sugar and 1/4 tsp. chili powder in a small saucepan, bring to boil. Remove the pan from heat, and stir in the red onion and radishes. Let stand, uncovered, 10 minutes or until cooled
rinse fish, pat dry. Gently toss with 1/4 c. lime juice, 1/2 tsp. chili powder, and garlic in a shallow glass dish. Marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature.
Gently toss mango and avocado in small bowl with remaining 1/4 tsp. chili powder and 2 tbsp lime juice.
Preheat a lightly oiled grill rack or grill pan.* Remove fish from marinade, and grill, turning once, 2-4 minutes per side or until cooked through and golden brown. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm.
Grill tortillas lightly until pale golden and slightly crisp. Transfer to serving plate.
Fill tortillas with fish, pickled vegetables, avocado and mango mixture, cilantro and other condiments as desired.

*Note: we didn't grill our fish. Instead we sauteed it in a pan on the stove. Next time we make it, I'll definitely try using the grill

Baked Shrimp Scampi

We've all had shrimp scampi that's been cooked on the stove. I'm a big fan of easy to make, delicious dishes and I came across this recipe in Ina Garten's new cookbook Back To Basics. The lemony and garlic flavor really shines through with the delicate shrimp and is complemented by the crunchy panko crust. It's so good. It's going back for seconds, so good. Super simple because you don't have to babysit it on the stove, you just assemble everything, pop it in the oven and finish off with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice just before serving. We served our scampi over a bed of couscous, but you could always serve it with the traditional pasta.

Baked Shrimp Scampi (serves 4)
1 1/2 lbs raw shrimp *
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. white wine
salt and pepper to taste
1 stick butter, softened at room temperature
4-6 garlic cloves
1/8 c. minced shallots
2 Tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (plus more for a finishing squeeze)
1 extra large egg yolk
2/3 c. panko

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Peel, devein and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on (*I used a smaller count shrimp since thats what we had on hand, so I didn't butterfly it). Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, salt and pepper. Allow to sit at room tempaerature while you make the butter and garlic mixture.
In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, salt and pepper until combined.
Place shrimp in a single layer inside a 14 inch oval gratin dish. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Place under the broiler for a minute or so, to brown the top. Squeeze a fresh lemon over the finished dish and serve.

Citrus and Curry Baked Mahi

WOW. Just one word to describe the incredibly delicious smells emitting from the oven as the mahi mahi baked to perfection. Curry powder... lemon and lime zest.... chopped shallots.... and olive oil... all working in harmony to create a dish that was fantastic. The curry fragrance that filled the house during the baking made me so hungry, I just couldn't wait to sit down and eat. Eating more fish for health is easy to do with a recipe like this one. Try it, and you'll be saying wow too :)

Citrus and Curry Baked Mahi-Mahi (serves 4)
1 cup olive oil
zest from 1 lemon and 1 lime
squeeze of lemon and lime
1 med-large shallot, minced
1/4 of a fennel bulb, minced (yes, my new favorite ingredient!)
salt, pepper to taste
1 T. curry powder
4 mahimahi fish fillets (or any white fish your prefer)

Put all ingredients into a gallon sized ziplock baggie and let marinate in the refrigerator at least 12 hours but not more than 24 hours.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place fish fillets onto a baking rack over a sheet pan. Make sure all your marinade is scooped on the fish fillets. Bake for 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Enjoy!

(serving suggestion: serve with rice, quinoa or other favorite grain)

Maple Grilled Salmon with Cirtus Salsa

Let's get one thing straight here. Other than Ahi I don't care much for fish. I never order it in the restaurants (unless it's raw Ahi or blackened Ahi or Ahi prepared in a similar fashion), and I rarely prepare it at home. I love other types of seafood- crabs, lobster, shrimp, mussels, calamari, octopus... but fish, not so much.
That is, until recently. More specifically, January 1, 2010. I've been trying to cook and eat more fish. Why? Simply because of it's many health benefits- mainly the Omega 3 fatty acids and low fat, high protein content of fish.
Well, today I found another winner. A 9 out of 10 scoring. A two thumbs-up, please make this again sometime soon vote. A this is so good I'm going for seconds and thirds recipe. Really. The subtle sweetness of the pure maple syrup with the citrus-y zing from the oranges and grapefruit, the salty bite of capers, the fresh mint and slight spice from the red pepper flakes.... what can I say other than simply delicious. Please try it and tell me what you think.

Maple Grilled Salmon with Citrus Salsa (serves 4)
4 salmon fillets
4 T. pure maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste
2 T. capers, roughly chopped
2 T. fresh mint leaves, chiffonade
sprinkle of red pepper flakes
1 T. chopped parsley
2 green onions, finely sliced
segments only of 1 orange and 1/2 grapefruit
2 T. olive oil
zest of 1/2 lemon, and 1/2 orange
1/8 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Prepare the citrus salsa: Mix together capers, mint, red pepper flakes, parsley, green onions, orange and grapefruit segments, olive oil, orange zest, lemon zest and lemon juice together in a bowl. Set aside.
In the meantime, heat a large grill pan on med-high heat, oiling with olive oil so fish won't stick. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste on salmon. Brush with pure maple syrup. Repeat with other side of fish.
Cook fish for 4 minutes on each side (or until done), flipping once. Serve immediately with citrus salsa spooned over the top of the salmon.

Steamed MahiMahi with Fennel, Parsley and Capers

Today I decided to try out a new ingredient- Fennel.
I've been hesitant to try this bulbous root because
1. I've been told it tastes like Licorice.
2. I don't like licorice
But this is a new year, and with the start of a new year comes the resolutions that inevitably follow. One of my resolutions was to try out new foods, so here we were, the fennel bulb and me.
As I sliced the fennel for my recipe, I decided to try a small slivered half moon piece and low and behold! I was pleasantly surprised to find out that while it does taste like licorice, it also has a clean, slightly lemony taste as well. I've decided that I like raw fennel, but enjoy cooked fennel even better. If you've never tasted fennel before, I recommend you try it, you never know when your taste buds will surprise you :)

Steamed Mahi Mahi with Fennel, Parsley and Capers (2 servings)
2-3 pieces of mahi mahi fillets
1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 T. chopped parsley
1 T. capers
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 med. onion, sliced
2 T. olive oil
salt, pepper to taste

Salt and pepper both sides of your fillets, and set aside. Add all remaining ingredients to a large pan and add water, just to cover. Heat on med-high until boiling and then lay the fish fillets on top of vegetables. Cover with a lid, reduce heat to low and simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until fish fillets flake easily with a fork.
Serving suggestion: serve with brown rice. Lay fish fillets over rice and scoop the cooked fennel, onions, capers and parsley alongside. You can drizzle the fish and rice with some of the poaching liquid if desired.