FREEZE!

After we posted about our goal to freeze meals before Baby A is born, we got a lot of email/comment questions regarding our methods -- especially related to our use of glass containers. We're new to freezing, so our tips aren't our own, and -- at this point -- they aren't even well tested.

H.O.W.E.V.E.R. I bought a book a couple months ago called Put 'Em Up: A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook, from Drying and Freezing to Canning and Pickling. We've followed the guidelines they prescribe and also added some of our own along the way.

Here's the process:

We first gather our quart-sized glass jars (our favorite are wide-mouth, but we've used all of those already) and rinse them with super-hot water. Let air dry.


While the jars dry, we prepare whatever we want to fill the jars with. So far, we've made Pumpkin Chili, 15-Minute Applesauce, and Thai Jambalaya.


Then, we fill the jars. It isn't absolutely necessary, but we purchased one of those canning funnels to aid with transporting our food to the jars. It was less than two dollars, and I'd say well worth it. Far less mess to clean up afterward.


This part is important: We leave 2 to 3 inches of space for expansion from the top of the food to the top of the jar. The reason glass jars explode in the freezer is because, as with anytime a liquid freezes, the liquid WILL expand. If there isn't any place for it to go: BOOM.

Also important: We let everything cool to room temperature before putting on the lids. To speed up the process, I've placed the jars in the refrigerator for an hour or two with good success.


To be extra safe . . . we then take a square of plastic wrap and fold it into a smaller square (that's either double or quadrupled over) to serve as a temporary lid. We secure the plastic wrap with the medal jar top, but not too tightly. This way, if something expands like CRAZY, it'll have at least some room to escape.


We gather all the jars and head to our lovely basement where our new upright freezer is located.

Note: You don't need a fancy upright freezer to freeze foods. We bought one because we're participating in a frozen farm share program this winter and wanted more space for storage. The thing set us back around $300.


If you don't have a dedicated freezer or you have a chest freezer, simply stack your jars inside and let chill overnight. You can then replace the tops of the jars with the metal inserts the following day, once everything is solid.


If you do have a freezer, chances are it may have coiled shelves that are incredibly cold. We never set our to-be frozen jars on these coils. Instead, we stack 'em in the door shelves to avoid the bottom freezing much faster than the top. Again, it's one of our weird, made-up methods . . . but we feel safer doing it this way.

We wait a good 24 hours before returning to the jars to replace the temporary tops with the metal lids. And at that point, we move the jars to the coiled shelves.


Oh, and don't forget to use a Sharpie to write the date on the top of your food! Most frozen items last 6 full months. It's glorious. So far, we have 12 quarts of chili/jambalaya (which, for us, equals 12 meals) and 4 quarts of applesauce (so about 4 weeks' worth).


What should we freeze next?!

Veteran food-freezers: Are we missing anything? Any tips to add to this process? And do you have other methods you prefer over freezing in glass? We'd love to hear your thoughts. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Thai "Jambalaya"

Wednesday night after work I decided to take a 15 minute nap because I felt e.x.a.u.s.t.e.d. I woke up over 2 hours later in total darkness -- completely disoriented. And still tired. All signs point to some sort of sickness (cold or worse) on the horizon.

I've eluded it long enough . . . but that doesn't mean I don't absolutely hate how pre-sick Ashley feels.

Itchy.
Sneeze-y.
Achey.
Groggy.
Bitchy. (OK. That might not be directly related.)
And, if you haven't noticed, I still can't get my contacts in!

I haven't exercised in two days either. And tomorrow, I'm supposed to run my first race since early October. A 10K. In the freezing cold and snow. Not exactly friendly conditions for my current physical state.

What's the DEAL, 2011?


Ever since we made vegan jambalaya, we've been somewhat obsessed with adding roux to our soups and stews. The roasted, nutty flavor it adds to the stock is out-of-this-world incredible. So much so that on that night when I was feeling particularly icky, I took the time (it isn't the quickest recipe) to make it again.

As per usual, we didn't have the right ingredients . . . so, we improvised.

THAI "JAMBALAYA"
(ever better than the original)
Print this Recipe!

What you'll need . . .

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups sweet potatoes, skinned and chopped
• 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, rinsed, stemmed, and sliced
• 1 to 2 red peppers, chopped
• 1 large (28 ounces) can whole tomatoes (with juice)
• 28 ounces of vegetable broth
• 1 inch fresh ginger, minced and squeezed (more info below)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons lemongrass (optional, more info below)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup homemade peanut butter
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

THE ESSENTIAL ROUX

What you'll need . . .

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup white-whole wheat flour

METHOD

1. First, stick a big stock pot on the stove and pour your olive oil into it. We're starting with the stew -- but you'll also be cooking the roux. So, pay careful attention. And if you have help (in the form of a friend of family member), it's helpful!
2. Over medium-high heat, add in the onions, garlic, and bay leaves to the stock pot. Cook for several minutes -- until the onions are glassy.
3. In the meantime, you can start the roux. All you do is pour the olive oil into a shallow pan (or a heavy skillet works best, according to the book) and wait for the oil to get to a hot, but not too hot temperature (shouldn't be smoking). How you tell? Test it out by pinching a small amount of flour into the oil. If it smokes -- the oil is too hot. If it floats, it's good to go.When the temperature is just right, add in the flour and stir continuously.
4. Back to the stew. Add in the mushrooms, sweet potatoes, and peppers. Season with the cayenne, ginger (just squeeze the juice from the minced in there), lemongrass (I have a tube of the herb I bought at Wegmans), salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 or so minutes.
5. All the while, you should continue stirring the roux. (See, that's why it's helpful to enlist a friend to do that part for you!)
6. Add the tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer. Then cover and let cook for 15 minutes. (Keep stirring that roux!)
7. Turn the heat down on the roux. Pour it into the stew. Also add in the peanut butter. Stir and cook uncovered for another 5 minutes. Then mash the tomatoes a bit with your spoon.
8. Remove bay leaves before serving. Tear in some basil leaves for extra taste. We ate ours with some 5-Minute Naan.

This version of the jambalaya is my favorite of the two we've made. (EDIT: Reader Rhiannon wrote us to say we might better call this dish gumbo. Though Moosewood's recipe -- which is our original inspiration -- doesn't include rice as a key ingredient, traditional jambalaya is actually made of 3 parts: meat, veggies, and rice. Thanks, Rhiannon!) I think it was something about how the sweet potatoes soaked in all the spices. Add more or less cayenne pepper to adjust the heat . . . and no matter what it's called, you'll be smitten with this stew.

What do you do at the first sign of sickness? I usually head to bed earlier and pop some zinc. Fingers crossed it will work! We'd love to hear your tips and tricks. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Sort-Of Jambalaya

When you look below, I almost guarantee you'll think something like: "Woah! That's a lot of ingredients!" And the steps may look intimidating, too. But stick with me. I promise. It's all worth it.

This recipe is actually as easy as it is satisfying. It takes about 30 minutes after you have all your ingredients assembled.

SORT-OF JAMBALAYA
(Adapted from the Sundays at Moosewood cookbook)
Print this Recipe!

What you'll need . . .

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups parsnips, sliced diagonally, 1/8 inch thick
• 2 cups chopped broccoli
• 2 cups fresh okra, chopped
• 1 large (28 ounces) can whole tomatoes (with juice)
• 1 can (14 ounces) vegetable broth
• 1 can (14 ounces) water
• 1 can (14 ounces) corn kernels, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon dill
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Dash of cloves
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup homemade peanut butter

THE ESSENTIAL ROUX

What you'll need . . .

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup white-whole wheat flour

METHOD . . .

1. First, stick a big stock pot on the stove and pour your olive oil into it. We're starting with the stew -- but you'll also be cooking the roux. So, pay careful attention. And if you have help (in the form of a friend of family member), it's helpful!
2. Over medium-high heat, add in the onions, garlic, and bay leaves to the stock pot. Cook for several minutes -- until the onions are glassy.
3. In the meantime, you can start the roux. All you do is pour the olive oil into a shallow pan (or a heavy skillet works best, according to the book) and wait for the oil to get to a hot, but not too hot temperature (shouldn't be smoking). How you tell? Test it out by pinching a small amount of flour into the oil. If it smokes -- the oil is too hot. If it floats, it's good to go.When the temperature is just right, add in the flour and stir continuously.
4. Back to the stew. Add in the parsnips, broccoli, okra. Season with the dill, paprika, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 or so minutes.
5. All the while, you should continue stirring the roux. (See, that's why it's helpful to enlist a friend to do that part for you!)
6. Add the tomatoes, corn, broth, water, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer. Then cover and let cook for 15 minutes. (Keep stirring that roux!)
7. Turn the heat down on the roux. Pour it into the stew. Also add in the cocoa powder and peanut butter. Stir and cook uncovered for another 5 minutes. Then mash the tomatoes a bit with your spoon.
8. Remove bay leaves before serving. We ate ours with some 5-Minute Naan.

Honestly, it's worth the extra effort to make the roux. Not only does it thicken the "jambalaya" (though, we didn't exactly use the traditional ingredients -- which involve celery, green peppers, carrots, etc.), but it adds such a unique, amazing flavor. Sort of like freshly roasted peanuts. That's why I added some homemade peanut butter. I'd never really had that sort of taste mixed in with the veggies and tomato base.

I loved it. So did Stephen. And this stew keeps beautifully. Though, ours only lasted until lunch the next day.

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