Tag: butternut squash

Freezer Stews ~ Comfort Food!

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Freeze It Fresh ..Cook It Slow

❤️ Fall In Love ❤️ With Our Savory Stews ❤️

No time to cook? Start making your own ‘bulk’ freezer food. Healthy, low cost flavor town meals.

Winter Squash+Lentils +Collard Greens STEW

Butternut Squash/Lentil Freezer Stew Recipe

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

▢ vegan + gluten-free
▢ 1 medium yellow onion chopped
▢ 4 large garlic cloves, minced
▢ 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 5 cups) 
▢ 1 – 14 oz can light coconut milk
▢ 3 vine-ripe tomatoes
▢ 3 tablespoons tomato paste
▢ 1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed and drained
▢ 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
▢ 1 teaspoon Ancho chilli powder
▢ 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
▢ 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt
▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
▢ 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
▢ 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
▢ 2 cups chopped collard greens (approx.)
▢ chopped cilantro and sliced green onions, for garnish
▢ cooked brown rice or quinoa (optional)

Instructions

Label a gallon-sized plastic freezer bag with the name of the recipe 
and use-by date (3 months from the day you prep). Add cooking instr.

To your freezer bag, add onion, garlic, butternut squash, diced 
tomatoes, coconut milk, lentils, tomato paste, and spices.
Remove as much air as possible from the freezer bag. Seal and place
in your freezer for up to three months.
When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or in the 
morning by submerging the freezer bag in a bowl of warm water.
Add freezer bag contents to the slow cooker along with 4 cups of
vegetable broth. Top with lid and cook on high for 3 hrs or low 
for 6 hrs, or until lentils and butternut squash are soft,cooked
Stir in apple cider vinegar and collard greens, stir, and let 
stew sit for a couple of minutes to allow the greens to cook.
Portion stew into bowls and top each bowl with fresh cilantro
and green onions before serving. You could also serve this stew
over cooked brown rice or quinoa.</em>

How Long do Frozen Slow Cooker Meals Last?

These meals will last for 2-4 months in your freezer. They’re perfect to prep in advance for busy seasons of life, before having a baby or for family members wanting to incorporate healthy habits… really anytime and for anyone!

Healthy eating in a snap! Busy holiday season and you still want to eat healthy Make freezer chili. Add whatever you want in one gallon freezer bags. They are coming up with reusable freezer bags too. How good is that!

Healthy Tip: In a box or has a bar code – leave it on the shelf!(some veggies/tomatoes have bar codes -at your own discretion)

Why Do You Need Freezer Meals?

Don’t end up with freezer burn or your freezer could end up with a weird stench and we don’t want that!

When buying storage for meal prepping, check to see the guidelines for freezing and heating.

Here are some containers you should look into:
1. Glass containers with lids
2. Silicon Freezing Trays
3. Glass jars

Trays can be filled from 1/2 cup, 1 cup or 2 cup cubes (See Food and Wine) Dishwasher safe. Purchase on Amazon

Freezer Meals

No time to make dinner? You don’t feel like it? Take out is not your only solution. It is time for you to start making freezer meals! Think healthy eating?

Which Would You Pick?

Processed Shepherd’s Pie <—>Homemade “Freezer” Shepherd’s Pie

There is a big difference between freezer meals and store-bought frozen meals. Freezer meals are made by you, so you get to choose exactly what kind of healthy foods and ingredients you put into the recipe. Store-bought frozen meals can be very processed and do not have a huge nutritional value. Your own freezer food gives you complete potion control and foods you love.

FREEZER MEAL BENEFITS

  1. Meal-prepped freezer meals are going to be a healthier alternative to the store bought processed freezer meals. By creating your own freezer meals you will know exactly what foods you are eating and you will know that it isn’t processed food. Plus, at the grocery store you can buy fresh produce to use in the meals you make at home.

2. Ultimately, you will spend less money because you will be making meals in bulk with the food you buy at the grocery store. YOU will less likely grab takeout as often.

3. Homemade freezer meals are a great option when you are having guests over. If you want to heat up the primary entrée you have in your freezer. Spend time preparing other parts of the meal, like sides, appetizers or desserts. Meals in your freezer that are already made is an easy way to reheat food and have a delicious meal ready to eat in no time!

4. Freezing food that you have meal prepped is a great way to keep food fresh for longer. The shelf-life of food increases when it is stored in the freezer, so you will have delicious meals ready to heat up that can be stored longer in the freezer than it can in the fridge or pantry.

FREEZER MEAL PREPARATION

Making more than one serving is an amazing way have a meal ready now and many meals ready to enjoy in the future. HEAT🔥 AND SERVE 🍲: Having a big batch of a meal in your freezer is a great option

Prepare a ton of different meals and store them into serving size freezer containers. As much as your freezer can hold.

FREEZER MEAL TIPS

IMPORTANT Bacteria in the food before freezing will begin to multiply if you thaw frozen food in hot water.

  1. Some recipes are better to freeze than others.
  2. Let hot food cool down a little before freezing it.
  3. Thaw foods in the fridge, under cool water or on a defrost setting in the microwave.

<–Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie

Butternut Squash: Roasted with Spicy Chick Peas

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A HEALTHY DISH ! The complimentary spices and roasted veggies burst with flavour!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 small butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • 1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
  • 5 garlic cloves (1 finely grated, 4 chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed, patted dry
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of curry powder/paste or vadouvan
  • 2 radishes, trimmed, very thinly sliced (optional)
  • 1 cup parsley, mint, and/or cilantro leaves8
  • 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds (optional)
Roasted WHOLE Butternut Squash

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Roast squash directly on oven rack until a paring knife poked through skin easily slides through flesh, 50–65 minutes. Let squash cool until you can handle. Trim ends, halve lengthwise, and scoop out seeds. Tear or cut squash into large pieces; discard skin (it will come off easily as you tear).
  2. Meanwhile, mix yogurt, grated garlic, and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper.
  3. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Cook chickpeas, shaking skillet often, until starting to brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Add onion and chopped garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in vadouvan (curry powder) and cook, stirring, until chickpeas and onion are coated and mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a medium bowl. Wipe out skillet.
  4. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in same skillet over medium-high. Cook squash pieces, cut side down, undisturbed, until browned and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Turn pieces over, remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper. Spoon chickpea mixture over squash, then dollop reserved lemon-garlic yogurt around.
  5. Optional: Toss radishes, herbs, and pomegranate seeds, with remaining 1 Tbsp. lemon juice in a small bowl; drizzle with a splash of oil and season with salt and pepper. Scatter over squash and chickpeas. Finish with a grind or two of pepper.
Roasted Spiced Chick Peas
(Optional) Pomegranate and Pistachio Nuts …you will be glad you added the pomegranate!
LEMON GARLIC YOGURT TOPPING: Can Be Served On The Side ( No Pomegranate here).

VARIATIONS

Add greens, kale ships, collard greens, swiss chard, etc. Cranberries are a good ubstitute for pomegranate. Add leftover quinoa or feta cheese cubes. Serve as a veggie tacos. ‘Squash’ Burgers (see below). Lightly mash squash to biuld your burger. If you have more people at the table, add spinach to the mix to extend your dish

VEGGIE BURGER: Curry / Squash/ Chick Peas/ Pomegranate/ Cilantro/ Parsley

GOOD EATS:

FOODIES ARE # 1!!!

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Flavour! (easy recipe)

3 Comments

There is  a wonderful supply of beautiful squashes, pumpkins and other  gourds available now.  Every upscale restaurant seems to have butternut squash soup on their menu.  I started experimenting with different flavours for my squash soup and liked the slight bite when I added lemongrass and ginger.  Not to mention the health benefits!  I added an apple to give this soup a lightness. And, it can easily be served before a main course without feeling too full.  It is especially good with homemade crackers (see instructions below).
print_recipe
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INGREDIENTS
butternut-squash-soup-ingredients4 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
a 2 1/2 lb. squash,   peeled  and cubed
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 large apple peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger  (divided)
1 tablespoon finely chopped lemongrass
Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add onions and carrots. Cook stirring until tender and the onions translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the squash, celery, and apple and cook another 5 minutes. Add the ancho chile, 1 tablespoon of ginger, lemongrass and  pinch of salt and stir into the mixture.
3. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Then ~ Reduce heat, cover and simmer another 45 minutes.
4. Add the final tablespoon of the ginger for that extra “bite” of flavour. (optional)
Puree the soup using an immersion blender right in the pot. Or, blend in batches, using a blender or food processor.
~ Add salt and pepper to taste.~
Note: If you are serving this soup to children, then you may want to leave out the “spicy” ginger.
IMG_1709

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT EVERY TYPE OF SQUASH
Butternut, acorn , spaghetti, delicata and kabocha squash all belong to the winter squash family though most start to pop up at grocery store and farmer’s markets in the early fall.  Edible pumpkins also belong to this group, along with less familiar squash varieties like hubbard, turban, sweet dumpling, banana and buttercup. While each squash has its own unique taste and texture, these are versatile vegetable.  Most can be used interchangeable and they can be baked, roasted, steamed, sauteed or microwaved.   When shopping for squash, look for squash that’s firm and heavy for its size.  You may be able to buy squash that’s already peeled and cut up.  This will be more expensive than whole squash but can be a real time saver.

Shop for pumpkins grown for eating rather than carving.  These include sugar pumpkins, pie pumpkins, sweet pumpkins, cheese pumpkins and heirloom varieties.  Store winter squash in the refrigerator or in a cool dry place.  They will keep for weeks or a month or longer.

ACORN and delicata squash have edible skin and indeed much of the nutrients are just under the skin so it is advantageous to eat the skin.  Butternut squash can be peeled with a vegetable peeler. Squash with harder skin should be cooked as is and the flesh scooped out later.
SQUASH SEEDS can be scooped out before cooking and most are edible as well as nutritious.  Rinse the seeds, pat them dry and bake them with salt and olive oil at 300F (150C),  stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.  When you think of a seed having the power to grow a plant,  think of the nutrition value they can impart.

PASTA REPLACEMENT: After spaghetti squash is cooked it’s flesh can be pulled out in spaghetti-like strands. This is a wonderful no carb gluten free replacement for pasta as well as a good vegetarian filling for tacos and other dishes.
didyouknowGinger helps to reduce nausea from many causes; pregnancy, postoperative nausea and more. Ginger reduces inflammation and possibly lessen arthritis pain.  Some studies have shown that ginger was more effective that the over-the-counter drug Dramamine for treating motion sickness!

Ginger extract has been used by osteoarthritis patients to relieve pain.

 

“TASTY” GOURMET CRACKERS
I have admired the appearance and flavour of those lovely crackers on the restaurant tables.  You can buy them for a pricey sum at gourmet food shops. I decided to make my own GOURMET CRACKERS and used tortilla wrappers as well as pita bread. You can get rice tortillas at a whole foods store. Other options are whole wheat, spinach flavoured or other flavoured wraps.
DO IT YOURSELF (DIY): Slice the wraps with a knife as pictured below. Brush the wraps with olive oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds, steak seasoning, or salt, herbs (fresh or dried) and/or spices and baked at 375F for 10 minutes, these are yummy crackers for soups, dips or snacking!   Your kids will love them too!

Tortillas, pita bread, black and white sesame seeds, steak seasoning, olive oil

1. Tortillas, pita bread, black and white sesame seeds, steak seasoning, olive oil

slice into wedges

2. Slice into wedges

Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds, herbs, salt or seasoning

3. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds, herbs, salt or seasoning

bake at 375F for 10 minutes

4. bake at 375F for 10 minutes

 

Serve with soup, dips, snacks for just pennies a piece! Yum!

Serve with soup, dips, snacks for just pennies a piece! Yum!