These tips are for the many times you arrive home exhausted from work or school. You’re starving and need to make dinner. However, the 20 minutes it’ll take to boil pasta is just too much. You can’t order delivery because you can’t afford to do that again. Instead of giving up and eating peanut butter, having these five precooked ingredients in the freezer will help make so many meals.
1. Beans
Beans are an excellent source of nutrition.My personal favorites are kidney, pinto, garbanzo and black beans. Canned beans, however, have an incredible amount of salt which is not good for you. Additionally, I find the saltiness can sometimes over power other flavors/spices I may want to add. I usually only cook with dry beans to address both these issues. The process of cooking dry beans is long so I’ll cook a lot at a time and then freeze it.
To cook them. I soak them overnight or until they’ve doubled in size. Then I boil them until they’re the right texture, adding different spices and seasonings to my liking. When they’re done, I use a little for my meals of the day and then freeze the rest. To freeze, I usually put 1 or 2 cups of the beans in a freezer safe container or bag. When I need to use it, I’ll just heat it up in the microwave until it’s about room temp.
If beans aren’t a regular part of your diet, they should be! Try this simple pinto bean or cuban black bean recipe
2. Tomato sauce
Similar to beans, I find most canned spaghetti sauces are too salty. The ones that aren’t, are too expensive. Therefore, I make my own. It’s really simple to make your own. Try this recipe from Wine and Glue or this one from Will Cook for Smiles to get you started. Then, add more herbs or seasonings to your liking. You can can them, but canning pots are large and take up a lot of space. It also requires more time. Use the tomato sauce to make your regular spaghetti and tomato sauce. If you want to get creative, try one of these 50 recipes to make with tomato sauce.
To freeze, I’ll put 2 cups in a freezable container. When I need to use it, I’ll run the container under some warm water enough for the block of tomato sauce to come out. Then, put it in a pot until defrosted and a sauce again
3. Rice
Rice is great. I mean there’s not much more to this. I don’t like to keep constantly cooking it because I hate waiting for it to cook, especially when I’m hungry. Additionally, the pot that it cooks in is usually a nightmare to clean.
To freeze, I’ll put a serving of about 2 cups in a freezable container or bag. When I need it, I microwave it, taking it out every 30 seconds to break up the frozen clumps, until it’s all warm. I mean some rice dishes are meant to be cooked with leftover rice like fried rice or rice pudding.
4. Pasta
Similar to rice, I hate waiting for it to cook when I’m hungry. You have to wait for the water to boil and then the pasta to cook. Save yourself from running out of patience by cooking a bunch at one time and freeze it. To freeze and reheat, follow the same instructions at the rice. While you’re reheating the pasta, use some of that tomato sauce that you also froze from #2 on this list to make a full meal.
5. Pre-portioned stock
Stock is magical. Chicken stock, beef stock, vegetable stock, or seafood stock. I find most regular stocks that come in those containers from the grocery store are too salty and the low sodium ones have little taste. I usually make stock myself with the scraps of bones and vegetables. If you want a shortcut, take the low sodium stock that you buy at the grocery store, and add herbs and seasoning to your liking.
I usually freeze them in pint containers. When I need it, similar to the tomato sauce, I’ll run the container under warm water until the block of stock pops out. I’ll then heat it on the stove until it’s liquid again. Stock is the base for so many soups or sauces. It also adds so much flavor to things like a stir fry or pasta.
