6 Dinners For Less Than $25.00! Multi-Meal Preparation

OAMC ... OAWC ... freezer meal preparation ... multi-meal preparation ... assembly cooking...What do all these terms have in common?

• They are all strategies used to prepare more than one meal in a single cooking session and then store the extras so they can be eaten later.
• They can shorten food prep time by hours to days each month.
• Using one of these strateges can decrease transportation, grocery, and utility expenses more than you can imagine.

I generally do mult-meal preparation once each week and store between 4 and 5 meals. I purchase enough of whatever meat is on sale and double or triple each of 1 to 2 recipes that freeze well.

A few weeks ago, I purchased two 3# bags of fresh chicken tenders. I had 2 bottles of jamaican jerk marinade, a bottle of italian salad dressing, and the fixins for vegetable soup in the pantry.

-- From the first bag of tenders, I divided the chicken equally into 3 freezer bags, poured jerk chicken marinade over them, squeezed as much air out of each bag as I could and placed the sealed freezer bags flat in my freezer.

-- With the other bag of chicken tenders, I used a third of the chicken for chicken vegetable soup which we ate that night with cornbread. I sauteed the rest in italian salad dressing for chicken salad dinners, divided the cooked chicken pieces in two freezer bags and placed the sealed freezer bags flat in my freezer.

--Once all the chicken meals were frozen, I turned them on end like old fashioned album covers.

All 6 dinners took less than 30 minutes to prepare, cost less than $22.00, and used less than 2 inches of freezer space!

Apples, Apples Everywhere!

It’s autumn here in Seattle. Everywhere around us the leaves are turning vibrant oranges and reds as they fall. Football season is underway. Halloween is around the corner…and, apples are everywhere!  Everyone in my family just loves the taste and convenience of apples. I like them too because they keep so long in the refrigerator and can be used in so many recipes!

To celebrate the autumn season, I’d like to share one of my family’s favorite apple recipes - Slow Cooker Applesauce. It’s very versatile as a side dish with warm bread on those crisp fall mornings or with pork chops for a hearty dinner!

SLOW COOKER APPLESAUCE

4 lbs Granny Smith apples (McIntosh apples are good for this too)

½ cup granulated sugar

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ cup water

2 lemons, juiced and separated

Fill a large mixing bowl about 2/3 full with cool water and juice from one lemon. In a small mixing bowl combine ground cinnamon and sugar.

Peel, core and dice apples, and place into mixing bowl filled with water and lemon juice. Once all apples are prepared, pour apples into a colander, and then into a slow cooker. Pour the cinnamon and sugar mixture over the apples and mix by hand to be sure that all the apples are coated.

In a small mixing bowl combine the ½ cup of water with the juice of the second lemon. Pour this mixture over the apples.

Cook on low in the slow cooker for approximately 6 hours or on high for approximately 3 hours, until soft.

Pour into a blender and mix on low speed until the sauce is smooth. Pour into sterilized jars or freezer bags and place in the freezer.

I hope you enjoy this easy recipe as much as we do at my house! Until next time…

Kathy

PS.  If you would like to learn more about the different apple varieties, there is a really comprehensive article by Debra Frick about apples on the web.

More Comfort Food - A New Tuna Casserole

        My husband has loved tuna casserole as long as I've known him...for over 30 years.  When we first began dating, traditional tuna casserole was one of the few dishes I could make well.  But, as you can imagine, after almost 30 years I was ready for a change. So lately, I've been experimenting with this dish to make it "new" again. 

       Here is the new version -- I call it "A New Tuna Casserole".  Try it and let me know what you think!


A New Tuna Casserole

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup, condensed
1 can, Cream of Chicken Soup, condensed
1/2 cup water
3 cups Chow Mein Noodles, divided
2 cans tuna in water, drained
2 cups celery, thinly sliced on an angle
1/2 cups onion, chopped
1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste


Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 3 quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine tuna, condensed soup, water, black pepper, celery, onion, water chestnuts and 2 cups chow mein noodles, and stir until well mixed.

Pour mixture into prepared casserole, and spread remaining chow mein noodles over top of mixture.   Bake uncovered for approximately 30 minutes, or until bubbling and brown around the edges.


Yield:  6 servings


This casserole is great when served with a mixed green salad and buttered artisan bread.

Enjoy!

                                                                               Kathy

The Ultimate Comfort Food...Hearty Beef Tortellini Soup

       Its autumn in the Pacific Northwest - the weather is changing, the kids are back in school, and its the time of year I make lots of hearty soups for the family.  BEEF TORTELLINI SOUP is one quick and easy way to warm up on those chilly, fall days.

               
BEEF TORTELLINI SOUP

1 lb                            beef stew meat, cut into bite sized pieces
1 package                  Mrs. Grass Onion Soup Mix
1 can (15 oz)              tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz)              stewed tomatoes
4 cups                        water
1 (16 oz) package       frozen country style mixed vegetables
1 cup                          dried cheese tortellini
2                                bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon               black pepper
oregano and basil to taste

Place beef, onion soup mix and water in a large stock pot, cover and simmer until meat is tender, approximately 2 hours. 

Add tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, mixed vegetables, pasta and spices.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until pasta is tender. 

Remove bay leaves.

Serve with corn bread or artisan bread.

Yield:  6-8 servings

Enjoy!
                                                                                    Kathy

Welcome to the makings of a great meal!

I am excited to be able to share some of my most entertaining food memories, and a few of the wonderful tidbits the great cooks around me have shared over the years. I do hope you like the stories...And, I hope you find the recipes, money saving ideas, and time saving tips interesting and helpful.

And, I do hope you will share some of your own as time goes by.

Enjoy!
                                                        Kathy