Freezermeal Friday: Shepard's Pie

Hey now! Here's a shocker, did you know there are several different ways to spell "shepard"...The way I spell it may or may not be one of them. I saw it mostly as "shepherd", but that's like, SO hard to type, that it just took me 3 tries. So guess what? Screw it! It's "shepard" to me! This is another great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. This is a nice, healthy, lower fat comfort food, since all the fat comes from turkey and olive oil, and the rest is veggies.

Today is probably the nicest day (almost) so far this spring. It's really beautiful outside, and you can tell that everyone is in such a great mood because it's warm. My superintendent Ismael was hangin' on the stoop next to mine, and he seemed pretty happy. Guess what he did next? Carried some packages up to the 3rd floor and put them in my apartment for me so that I didn't have to make 400 trips up and down with the packages and the baby. How nice! I mean, he'd be as helpful even if it were cold, but I think the weather helped his mood. Great stuff!

I'm just in the best mood today, and am getting a lot done. Too bad Mike will be home in 3 hours and probably ruin it all. (Ha! JK Mike - oh wait, I forgot, you don't read my blog anymore...so you won't even see this!)

I've gotten a lot done today:

1. Grocery Shopped


2. Got $.99 Whole Foods Organic Sale apples (about 7 lbs) for homemade applesauce and lunches


3. Got a case of mason jars to jar said applesauce


4. Made mashed potatoes


5. Made shepard's pie


6. Made myself breakfast and lunch


7. Blogged about 1-6

Here's your recipe for the day! OK, and do you want to know something ridiculous? As soon as I got done spreading the potatoes, I realized I forgot to add frozen corn and peas...like the best part. So, anyways, please don't follow in my footsteps. I am an idiot. On a lighter note, I just saw the commercial for tonight's SuperNanny, and man, is she bringing it. There's a "sex-talk" involved, which is all I needed to know. I guess I'll make Mike go down to one of the college dining halls to watch NCAA basketball.

I've included the measurements in pieces of vegetables you need (6 carrots) and cups (4 cups), which means you could EASILY make this entire thing with frozen vegetables. That would be so EASY + FAST + THRIFTY of you!

don't forget the peas and corn like I did!

From here on, the spacing is doubled, and I have no clue why, sorry.

Shepard's Pie

(you can easily make this vegetarian by omitting the turkey and adding a few extra veggies!)

serves 6

1 lb. ground turkey (on sale at Whole Foods - $2.99)

1 lb. carrots chopped (organic - about 5 medium - 4 cups - $.75)

2 stalks celery chopped (about 2 stalks - 1 cup - $.20)

1 medium onion ($.07)

1 c. frozen peas (organic - $.50)

1 c. frozen corn (organic - $.50)

2 cloves garlic ($.04)

2 t. dried basil ($.12)

1 t. dried parley ($.06)

1 t. dried oregano ($.06)

1 1/2 t. salt (<$.01)

1/2 t. black pepper ($.03)

2 T. olive oil ($.24)

1 T. cornstarch ($.06)

1/2 c. water ($.00)

4 c. mashed potatoes (about 6 medium potatoes $1.00 Haymarket + 1 T. olive oil ($.12) + 1/2 t. salt (<$.01) + 1/4 c. milk or soymilk (organic - $.09) = $1.22)

Total is $6.85 that's $1.14/serving, yum!

1. In a medium covered pot, over low heat cook until softened:

• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• basil, parsley, and oregano
• chopped carrots
• chopped celery
• chopped onion
• chopped garlic

2. When celery and onion are translucent (I like to keep the carrots a bit firm to the bite), add the ground turkey, and cook until browned.

3. When turkey is browned, add frozen peas and corn (unless, like me, you're deciding to forget to do that).

4. When meat is browned, mix 1 T. cornstarch with 1/4 c. water and add to pot, stir and let cook until thickened a little bit.

5. Pour meat and vegetables into a dish, and top with mashed potatoes. Rough up the top of the potatoes to make nice little peaks that will get nice and brown and crunchy.

6. Let the dish cool. Then freeze. I think the easiest way to do this is to wrap the entire dish in plastic and then again in aluminum foil. If you put it in bags it'll get all messy, but still taste great nonetheless!

7. When you are ready to enjoy this delicious dish, let it thaw a bit in the fridge (like, put it in the fridge in the morning), then bake it at 350 until it's bubbling, probably about 20 minutes. Then crank it up to 400 to brown the potatoes.

scrimpyTips:

- I use cornstarch and water here instead of broth to form a gravy. Some people use beef or chicken broth, but I don't think you need to spend the money. All the flavors from the turkey and vegetables are in the oil at the bottom of the pot, so all you need to do is add a thickener, in my opinion.

- You can use any type of ground meat for this dish. Actually, I think you could use any leftover meat.

- You could easily make this vegetarian, which I mentioned before...I just don't know if anyone reads my pre-recipe ramblings.

- Remember to keep the heat low and the cover on the pan, that way the moisture from the veggies comes down to help them cook and form a little broth at the bottom. Doing this allows you to use less fat.

- I would looooove this with mushrooms added. Talk about yum.

- You could add some breadcrumbs mixed with butter on top, too!

All Hail the first Freezermeal Friday!

my camera isn't too good with food pics (neither am I)


Welcome to Freezermeal Friday! I'm so excited you're here and I hope to help you prepare a healthy, organic meal that you and your family can enjoy in a pinch. This serves 4 hungry adults over brown rice ($.81).

Black Bean Confetti Chili

1 28 oz. can organic tomatoes ($1.67)
1/3 bag dried organic black beans (about 2 1/2 c. prepared) ($.66)
2 cloves garlic ( $.04 - Haymarket 5 heads garlic/$.75)
1/2 medium onion ($.07 - Haymarket bag of 13 onions/$1)
1 T. olive oil ($.24)
1 T. salt (<$.01) 1 dash black pepper ($.06)

1 t. dried basil ($.06)

1 t parsley ($.06)

1 1/2 t. cumin ($.28)

1T. chili powder ($.06)

1/4 t. cayenne pepper ($.06)

1 c. frozen organic corn ($.99)

1. Finely chop the onion and garlic and add it with the oil, salt, pepper, basil, and parsley to a pot on low heat. Half of this medium onion chopped is about 3/4 c. Keep the top of the pot on to keep the moisture in, if you don't the moisture will evaporate and your onions and garlic will burn. Here is a picture of what I consider a medium onion:

Here is another picture portraying what I consider to be the easiest way to peel an onion:

I cut off the ends, slice the outermost layer, and then peel it off, along with the skin! (God, looking at these pictures makes me realize how badly I need a manicure. Good thing my mom is taking me out for one when I visit her in NY next week - thanks Mom, love you!).

2. Cook the onions and spices and garlic and oil until the onions are translucent.

3. Add can of tomatoes and stir together. Add cumin, chili powder, and cayenne (which can be omitted or increased for personal preference).

4. Simmer the tomatoes and spices for 10 minutes and then add the beans. Continue to simmer for about 20 minutes on low, or until the consistency is to your liking.

5. This makes about 4 servings for dinner for adults. To freeze, portion out in your bag(s) of choice, and bring them to room temperature by either leaving them out (maybe on the windowsill with an open window) or putting them in a cold water bath (make sure those bags are sealed well, or you'll be damn sorry).

6. Oh, I should've mentioned this before, but if I go back and add it the whole recipe will be ruined because I'm on my fiance's computer that is a little messed up --- LABEL THE BAGS WITH SHARPIE - include date the food was cooked, how many portions are in it, and what it is.

7. Lie the bags flat (so they take up less room and are easier to manage in the freezer) and allow them to freeze. Lying them flat also allows them to freeze quicker, reducing the chance that the food in the middle will grow bacteria before it's frozen.

There's your first scrimpy Freezermeal! I hope you enjoy it. Here's some tips to make it even better:

• You can add a pound of any type of ground beef to this. Just brown it in a pan and add it to the tomatoes with the beans. It will then serve 8 I think...right? (if you do this let me know how many hungry adults it serves)
  
• I love to add sour cream and hot sauce on top of mine.


• It's good on over orzo pasta, too.


• You could add chunks of grilled chicken to it, too.


• To reheat, just soak bag in hot water and dump the frozen brick into the pot and warm over low until hot. I don't have a microwave but I'm sure micorwave defrosting it wouldn't be too difficult. You could also leave the bag in the fridge in the morning and it would probably be soft by the time you got home.


• Excuse the picture, but we ate it last night and I forgot to take the picture. There's rice all mixed in and it just doesn't look as pretty without the dollop of sour cream (and garnish of chives). My bad, OK people? I have a baby...so that's my excuse, I'm busy! PLEASE excuse the formatting problems, too. Again - I don't have my computer and this one's keyboard is broken!

TOTAL: $5.07/4 servings which is $1.27/serving. Not bad. If you're not into organic this would be, like, half the price...but go organic, it's better for you!

Buying and Using Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

Hi my friends, good morning! It's Thursday, which is good because:

1. The office and 30 rock are on...oh, and Kath and Kim, that's show's OK too (especially the episode where they're obsessed with Winona)
2. Friday is tomorrow
3. If you're in college, you don't have class, and you can go out and get drunk tonight
4. The garbage gets taken out
5. Um, that's it

I wanted to talk to you all about the benefits of using frozen fruit and vegetables. During the winter months here in the Northeast, there is really no way to get a variety of fresh, local, organic vegetables. Sure, there are some things that are at Whole Foods that are from the area, but there isn't much. What's a Bostonian to do? We have 2 options:

1. Pay out the you know what for vegetables and fruits that have been shipped who knows how far (very bad for the environment, and not that good for us, either because the nutrition degrades as they sit and sit)
2. Buy frozen fruits and vegetables (which are a steal no matter what month it is, really...)
   
   I'm going with number 2 and here's why:
   
3. Frozen fruits and vegetables are frozen at the peak of ripeness and then sent to the store. This means that you are getting optimal nutrition and flavor from what you're purchasing.
4. Buying frozen makes it much, much more affordable to buy organic. I get 12 oz. bags of frozen organic wild blueberries for $2.69 at Trader Joe's. Buying that many fresh organic during the winter would easily cost 3 times as much.
   
5. Frozen fruits and veggies don't go bad as quickly as fresh, meaning you can keep them on hand longer and stock up on them when they go on sale. They will get freezer burn, though, so try to use them within a month or two of purchase.
6. Frozen vegetables are great for a quick meal in a pinch.

Here's some ideas for using frozen veggies:

• You can throw a medley in a pan and have a delicious stir fry (I'll share my recipe with you) in no time at all. Throw atop some whole wheat spaghetti or soba, and you have quick, easy, and CHEAP organic noodle bowls. Trader Joe's also carries Thai rice sticks for $1.99. SO GOOD.
• You can also just throw a whole bag in a steamer and have an instant side dish to make sandwiches into a dinner.
• I'll buy a corn, pea, carrot medley and use it in pot pie filling. I just saute onions, garlic, oil, and spices, then add flour and milk to create a white sauce. Dump in the frozen veggies, and voila! Veggie pot pie filling.
• You can also toss bags of frozen vegetables into soups and stews
• They are great for making baby food. I toss a12 oz bag of organic365 WF sweet peas ($1.99) in my steamer and have more than a week of peas for Dylan after tossing them in the food processor. You'd pay over a dollar for one small jar of organic pea baby food.

Ideas for using frozen fruit:

• You can easily make peach, blueberry, or strawberry pies using bags of frozen fruit (so much cheaper than fresh!)
• Toss them in the blender or magic bullet or vitamix (these things sound awesome...I want a vitamix!) with some soymilk and water for a delicious smoothie.
• Toss frozen blueberries in pancake mix and muffins.
• Snack on frozen cherries, berries, or mango chunks. This is great for those on a diet, because they're frozen and take a while to eat, and you can have a huge cup for under 90 calories.
• Cook with sugar and make toppings for pancakes, cakes, and ice cream.

When using frozen fruits and vegetables, the possibilities are endless. I hope I've motivated you to use your imagination and see what you can come up with. It'll save you a ton of money, and hopefully get you eating more organic fruits and veggies!

What's your favorite thing to do with frozen fruits and veggies?