Green Tomato Kielbasi Soup

OK so this sounds weird, and honestly the ingredient list sounds weird too, but it really does make a good soup I promise. I was worried that the kielbasa wouldn't freeze well but it does. Now I use turkey kielbasa because my husband is a teacher and brings these soups for lunch and I don't need him to be gassy in front of his students. You could substitute regular kielbasa or use ham cut into 1 inch chunks.

Like I said last time I got a lot of green tomatoes in my farm share this past week and have been trying to come up with new and interesting things to do with them. I've only ever had them in salsa or fried. But I use it an almost as many ways that I use a regular tomato, the main difference being that you need to add some sort of acid to it because the green tomato doesn't have its own acidity.

You'll see in the picture that I have 2 whole jalapenos cooking in the soup, but when I make it again I’m only going to use one. I think it’s a little bit over kill and my husband agrees. It’s not bad; I just think it was a little too much. But you can play around with it, or leave it out altogether, it's up to you. Also I use one bottle of beer. I use what I have left over in my fridge but I wouldn't use a Coors or Budweiser, something slightly hoppier would be good. But use what you have, don't go buy a whole six pack for this recipe.

 

Green Tomato Kielbasa Soup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 package turkey kielbasa cut into half-moon shapes

1 bunch sliced scallions, sliced both white and green parts 

2 cloves garlic chopped 

1 12 oz. bottle of beer

2 bay leaves

6-8 green unripe tomatoes, chopped

4 c. low-sodium chicken broth

1 whole jalapeno

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. ground mustard

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried basil

Juice of one lemon

Heat the oils in a large stock pot and brown the kielbasa. This should take about 3-4 minutes. Next add in the scallions and garlic. Cook until they start to caramelizes, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the green tomatoes and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze the pot by pouring the beer in and scraping up all the little brown bits on the bottom. Add in the chicken broth, whole jalapeno salt, black pepper, ground mustard, oregano and basil. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Add in the juice of one lemon and adjust salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 20 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or allow to cool completely to freeze. 

 

To freeze: cool completely then put in freezer safe container and leave 1/2 inch head space to prevent it from popping off during freezing. 

M&M Pretzel Kiss bites

So this recipe is a classic but a goodie. I have no idea where this originated, but I got it from a co-worker when I was in college. When she would go home over the long weekends, she would always come back with containers for us. And best part, they are the perfect snack right from the freezer.

As I was thinking about posting this I did a quick Google search and about a million recipes popped up. But the one thing no one tells you is you can mess up this deceptively easy recipe. Seriously, I know but it is possible. If you let the chocolate sit too long in the oven you can burn it. If you don’t refrigerate them to cool almost immediately, they will turn white. Neither of these are good eats. So even though there are only a few steps to this recipe, you have to follow them or else you'll end up with crumbly messes.

This recipe is easily adapted to as many or as few as you want. I’ve made it in the toaster oven with 6 when I buy a bag of the Hershey’s unwrapped kisses, or I’ve made 2 full cookie sheets at a time so I have snacks easily accessible in the freezer at all times. The ratio is 1 kiss to 1 pretzel and 1 M&M. You can use any flavor of kiss or M&M you have on hand. The flavor combinations are endless. You can also use pretty much any snack pretzel you like but I find the twist or waffle shape work the best because the chocolate melts down into the crevasses and ensures a good bite that won’t come apart when cooled.

I’m a little neurotic when I eat M&M so I sort them by color and make an even number of colors. I also decided to make fall festive ones by only using the red, orange, brown and yellow. But I’m strange when it comes to my M&M eating habits. Weird I know, but it’s a fun fact about me.

M&M Pretzel Kiss Bites

24 pretzel twists

24 unwrapped Hershey kisses

24 M&Ms

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the pretzels on a cookie sheet and place the kiss on top. Put the cookie sheet in the oven for 2 -3 minutes. The kisses will be shiny. Immediately pull from the oven and press the M&M into the kiss. You need to gentle press the M&M in so that the kiss will stick to the pretzel and make one bite. Use a spatula and move the bites onto a plate and place in the fridge for 10 minutes to set. Then I move them to a freezer safe Tupperware and keep in the freezer. I’m not quite sure how long they will last in the freezer because I always eat them with in the month, but I’m sure they can last in the freezer for 4-6 months if you need them to.  

Green Tomato Chili

So my csa is winding down, only 5 more weeks of veggies, so I need to hurry and cook the and freeze them while I can so I can enjoy the spoils of this year’s harvest as long as possible. This week they sent a bunch of green tomatoes. What to do with them? Hmmm. Well for those of you that have never tried them, they are firmer and less acidic than a regular tomato. So I decided to make a chili with them. The firmness of the green tomatoes works perfectly and doesn't break down into mush. I know. Traditional chili doesn't have beans or a bunch of veggies. Pure and simple meat and I promise I will post that eventually, but while I am getting all these vegetables, I need to take advantage. Meat isn't seasonal, so I can post those over the winter months.

This recipe does use a bit of milk, but you’re making milk-corn starch slurry. The milk will not separate when reheating so it’s ok to freeze this recipe. I promise. That ratio of milk to the rest of the liquid is so small that it is ok to freeze with the milk. I know I said never freeze milk, but there are exceptions to every rule and this is one of those exceptions.

Green Tomato Chili

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 large onion diced

2 clove garlic minced

1 lbs. chicken thigh chopped into rough 1 inch pieces

4-6 green tomatoes chopped

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 red bell pepper diced

2 Tbsp. chili powder

2 Tbsp. cumin

2 tsp. Hungarian paprika

2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed

2 bay leaves

1 Tbsp. salt

1 Tbsp. pepper

8 c. (2 boxes) chicken stock

Juice of one lemon

1 cup milk

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

Heat the vegetable oil in a large stock pot. Sweat the onions, once translucent add in the garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Then add in the chicken and brown the chicken. Once the chicken is done add in the green tomatoes, carrots, and red bell peppers. Cook for 1 minute and then add the chili powder, cumin, and paprika and cook for another minute. Next cannellini beans, bay leaves, salt, pepper, chicken stock, and juice of one lemon. Cover and cook for 1 hour. Then in a separate bowl or I use a large measuring cup mix the milk and cornstarch. Once you've whisked together the slurry so there are no lumps slowly add a ladleful of the hot cooking liquid into the slurry while whisking. This is called tempering and it makes sure the milk doesn't curdle when it hits the hot liquid.  Repeat with 2 additional ladleful’s. Once thoroughly whisked, add back into the chili and whisk. Cook for another hour. Serve or allow to cool completely before freezing.

To Freeze- Place in a freezer safe container and leave 1/2 inch head space and place a piece of plastic wrap on the chili before you place the lid on in order to prevent sticking. Lay flat to freeze. 

I reheat in the microwave for 3-5 minutes depending on the size of the container

Indian Chicken Masala Balls

Chicken Meatballs. Ahhhh. Blasphemy. I know the thought is of a dry flavorless, hockey puck. But really they can be quite tasty. It does take a little bit of work, but the pay off if well worth it. They are a healthy alternative to the beef and are a good way to get the picky eater in the family to eat something a little different, yet familiar. It’s a great way to slowly introduce new flavors into your family’s diet.

Indian food is so flavorful and utilizes fresh spices and herbs as much as possible.  I have used this traditional method to add the flavors because it gives you the most bang for your buck, however, if you can’t find these spices fresh, you can use dried, just rub the spices in the palm of your hand to release the oils. And do not use a coffee grinder that you will actually use to grind your coffee. I have a specific spice coffee grinder that I got at Wal-Mart for 8 bucks, and use it all the time.

These meatballs are great on their own as an appetizer for a party, or good for dinner served with couscous or rice. I've even made tika masala sauce and used these meatballs instead of cut up chicken pieces. They are very versatile, and pack quite a punch in such small package.

Indian Chicken Masala Balls

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

4 tbsp. coriander seeds

2 tbsp. cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

3 green cardamom pods

5-6 whole cloves

1/2 c. cashew nuts

2 lb. kg ground chicken

1 small onion chopped

5-8 fresh green chilies

2 tbsp. red chili flakes

5 cloves garlic,

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

3″ piece ginger

1 egg, well beaten

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup plain bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat a 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil in a small frying pan. Add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, and cashew nuts. Stir for a minute on low heat until you can spell the spices giving off their aroma. Be careful not to burn the spices it can happen pretty quickly. Cool the toasted spices and place into a coffee grinder. Grind the roasted ingredients. Now in your food processor put in the ginger, garlic, onion, red chili flakes and green chilies; grind into a coarse paste. Next add in the chicken, egg, salt and pepper. Mix together to form a smooth paste.  Gently mix in 1 tbsp. of olive oil by hand, but do not squeeze the paste mixture. This will make the meatballs tough. Now shape the meat into balls the size of golf balls.  Place the meatballs into a bowl with bread crumbs and place them in individual, miniature muffin tin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Traditionally the balls are deep fried in oil, which gives them a fantastic crunchy coating on the outside. If you do plan on deep frying them, make sure the oil is piping hot before frying. Place on a cooling rack with paper towels underneath to drain off the excess oils and cool completely. 

You could also skip the bread crumbs all together and grill the chicken meatballs. Just be sure the grill is well oiled and piping hot. Make the balls lemon sized instead of golf ball sized. Place on the grill close the cover and walk away for 5 minutes. I mean it. If you try to remove it or open the grill before this, the chicken will stick to the grill and fall apart. After this turn and cook total about 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Anyway you cook them, they all freeze well. Simply freeze the meatballs in a single layer in a Ziploc bag. Squeeze out all the air and lay flat to freeze completely.  When reheating either place in the toaster oven, regular oven. Serve on their own with a chutney or place in curry or a creamy tomato sauce.

Asian Inspired Sweet and Sour Meatball Freezer Bag

Finally, after blogger was not letting me post and then my poor baby, who was teething so bad he wouldn't take naps for the last two days, I get 15 minutes to post and continue our meatball around the world journey. I came up with this Asian Inspired Sweet and Sour Meatball recipe to make Asian cooking not so far out of reach. You don't need any special equipment or food that you don't have in your pantry or can’t find in your local grocery store.  

This is just a little something different. It is sweet from the pineapple juice and honey, and sour from the vinegar and ketchup. This sauce also works great with chicken tenders, or breasts cut up into chunks. This dish is served great with rice. I prefer brown rice, but really any will do. 

You may notice that scallions have been in practically every recipe the last few days. It’s because the scallion was the crop of the year. Seriously I have received at least 1 bunch of scallions a week since last May. The weather has been so perfect for them that I have had to find as many ways to use them as I can. If you don’t like scallions, or it’s not the season feel free to omit the. 

Asian Inspired Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2 dozen meatballs

1 8 oz. can of pineapple chunks in juice

1 large carrot cut into 1 inch chunks

1 red pepper cut into 1 inch chunks

1 8 oz. can of water chestnuts drained and cut in half

2 stalks scallion thinly sliced

1 cup beef broth

1 cup honey

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup ketchup

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. Salt 

1 tsp. Pepper

2 Tbsp. corn starch 

1/4 cup cold what

Get a large Ziploc bag and write on it: Pour contents of the bag into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. Mix together 2 Tbsp. corn starch and 1/4 cup of water and add into the slow-cooker. Gently mix and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes.  Now in the bag, place the meatballs, the pineapple chunks (reserve the juice), carrot, peppers, water chestnuts and scallion. In a separate bowl whisk together beef broth, honey, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, and juice from the pineapple, salt, pepper and ground ginger. Once well combined, pour over the meat and vegetables Seal the bag, squeezing out all the air before fully sealing. Lay the bag flat to freeze. When ready to use take out the night before and thaw in the refrigerator. Follow the instructions on the bag.

Meatball Stroganoff Freezer bag

Beef stroganoff is a staple in my mother-in-laws house, so I don't dare mess with it. But it can be difficult to get the texture of the meat, just right. It either ends up too tough, or chewy. So I started making this meat ball stroganoff instead of trying to figure out how to get the meat just right. It’s delicious over buttered egg noodles, or roasted potatoes. 

I know what you’re thinking, dairy doesn't freeze. Here's the secret. You’re not freezing any dairy. You freeze almost all of the ingredients first. When you cook the stroganoff in the slow cooker, you add the dairy for the last 30 minutes. It comes out rich and thick every time. 

Meatball Stroganoff

24 2 inch meatballs

2 lbs. sliced white mushrooms

1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 stalks green onion, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

2/3 c dry red wine

2 c beef stock

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

2 Tbsp. dry mustard

2 Tbsp. whole grain mustard (stone ground)

2 tsp. brown sugar

1/2 c water

1 c sour cream

4 Tbsp. corn starch

1/4 c cold water

Get a large Ziploc bag and write the following:  Pour all the contents into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 1-3. In a bowl, whisk the sour cream, cold water and cornstarch together. Whisk 1 cup of hot cooking liquid into the sour cream mixture, then stir the mixture into the slow cooker and cook for 30 minutes on high (just long enough to cook some buttered noodles and grab a glass of wine). Now put the meatballs, mushrooms, onions, and green onion in the Ziploc bag. In a small bowl whisk together the soy sauce, red wine, beef stock, tomato paste, dry mustard, whole grain mustard, brown sugar and water. Once well combined, pour into the Ziploc bag, seal 3/4 of the way and squeeze the air out. Seal and lay flat to freeze. 

When ready to cook, remove from the freezer the night before and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning pour in the slow cooker and follow the directions on the bag.

Caribbean Meatballs with Rice and Peas

As promised here is the next freezer bag using the meatballs from earlier today. I have a ton of these recipes and will continue to post variations through out the weekend. There is just something about a good meatball that makes me think comfort. But meatballs are so much more than just spaghetti and red sauce, although that is good. Every culture has their version of meatballs. 

Here is my version of Caribbean meatballs. Is sweet and spicy and goes perfectly with rice and peas. I’m posting the recipe for rice and peas underneath, however do not freeze the rice. Rice, in general  does not freeze well. Rice tends to become freezer burned and if you do try to reheat it, It will be mushy. You could also serve this meal with any rice.

Caribbean Meatball Slow Cooker Bag

12 Meatballs http://frozendinnerdiva.blogspot.com/2012/10/meatballs.html

3 Tbsp. Jerk Sauce

1 c. beef broth

1/4 c. coconut rum

1 Tbsp. honey

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1 8 oz can pineapple chunks in juice

1 stalk of scallion chopped (green and white)

Get a large Ziploc bag and write the following on it. Pour the contents into the slow-cooker and heat on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 1-3 hours. Combine the jerk sauce, beef broth, rum, honey, thyme and juice from pineapples. Whisk together. Put the meatballs, pineapple chunks, scallions and sauce in the bag. Zip the bag 3/4 of the way and squeeze the air out. Seal the rest of the way and then squish around to make sure the meat balls get completely coated with the sauce. Lay flat to freeze. When ready to use, remove from the freezer the night before and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Place in the slow-cooker for 4-6 hours on low.

Rice and Peas

1 Tbsp. oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 c. of long grained white rice

1 13 oz. can coconut milk + enough water to make 4 cups of liquid

1 15 oz. can red kidney beans drained and rinsed

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 scotch bonnet pepper (whole, stem and all do not chop up)

Heat the oil in a large sauce pot. Add the onion and garlic and sautée until golden brown. Add in the rice and toast for 1 minute. Pour the liquids, beans, thyme, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Add rice and stir for a minute. Reduce heat to Medium-Low. Place whole scotch bonnet pepper on top of liquid and cover tightly for 30 minutes or until rice is cooked. Remove scotch bonnet pepper before serving. Do not attempt to freeze