October Freezer Exchange

It was unintentionally a Forks Over Knives month. One person made the Spinach Vichyssoise from the Forks Over Knives cookbook. Another made the Winter White Bean Salad. (The cilantro pesto was an extremely nice balance to the sweet squash.)

I am always happy to find recipes with specific directions for the freezer. This recipe from Once and Month Mom for Black Bean and Corn-Stuffed Potatoes had wonderful directions for freezing success. I did a batch of Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls. 

On an administrative note, I'm working on a running master list of the recipes that we link to. I hope it will end up being helpful. 

August Exchange

From this months exchange.

Even if our group were to lose interest in exchanging and I couldn't find another set of people to trade with I would still freeze quite a bit. Veggie burgers are a great example. If your family does veggie burgers often, and I don't know a vegan family that doesn't, then perhaps making a large batch once a month a freezing portions would serve you well. Breakfast burritos also are great to make monthly. 

Even if you don't want to end up with six gallons of chili, making a double batch and waiting a week to thaw a eat the other half may serve you well. Freezing like this is all about reducing overall cooking and prep time. You can scale up or down according to your needs, freezer space, and interest.

This month we exchanged:

Spanish Lentils

Vegan Taco File Packet

Split Pea Soup

Spinach Lasagna Rolls with Vegan Spinach Ricotta Filling 

Zucchini Carrot Muffins 

Veggie Burgers

July Vegan Freezer Exchange and the Beauty of Specialty Grocers

Grand Rapids has been breaking one heat record after another this month. But I will be heating up my kitchen a lot less because I have a stash of freezer meals.  The exchange has been a great gift in this heat. 

This month we exchanged:

Beans and Quinoa with Chipotle Raspberry Sauce

Bombay Potatoes Meet Chickpea Tomato Curry

Potstickers

Spicy Thai Tempeh

Wendy brought these.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Concerning Potstickers: 

Many premade potsticker wrappers you find in grocery stores contain egg. So check the ingredients label before you buy. Quite often a Asian grocery will stock vegan ones.  They are wonderful for making pierogi as well. I recommend freezing a single layer flat on a cookie sheet so they do not stick together. Later you can transfer them to bags or containers to save space.

If you have never been to a specialty grocer I would recommend checking one out in your area. You will probably be amazed by the prices and quality of ingredients. I have also found them to be a great source of help and information. Recently, I had bought a new Indian cookbook online and picked out three recipes I wanted to try. I brought it into a local Indian grocer and they walked me through the store getting everything I needed and advising me on what to keep in mind while cooking. They are also extremely good for bulk items. Not only does it lower the cost to buy in bulk but you will be reducing your post consumer waste compared to smaller packages.

April Exchange

This month we exchanged:
Vegan Breakfast Burritos
I combined this and this recipe to make Coffee Muffins
Cold Carrot and Broccoli Soup
Funky Vegan Spaghetti with Marinara and Italian Sausage
Delicious Dal
Curry Stuffed Flatbread made use of this and this recipe
Broccoli and Potato Soup


A benefit of the freezer group that I had not anticipated has been that these meals are easy to give away. We had a family member give birth a few months ago and rather than work to cook a bunch of different meals I just handed over most of that month's exchange. Another friend had a nasty cold that he just could not shake. I guessed what in my freezer he might like best and ran it over to him.


All of the meals come labeled with cooking directions and no dishes to return. (Some groups have casserole dishes and other containers that they trade, reuse or return. Our group has for the most part used Ziploc bags.) Because of this they are particularly suited to being given away. 


Giving a dish away also mollifies the issue of not liking something that you get. Let's say that no one in your family has a taste for breakfast burritos. What do you do with the four servings in your freezer? Just throwing them would be wasteful. Next time you hear that someone is sick, in the hospital, just had a baby, or something else, ask them if they would enjoy it. Chances are they would like it and appreciate the break. Have you ever been the recipient of homecooked meals? What did you get and enjoy?

Vegan Breakfast Burritos for 24 (1 bowl and 1 skillet)

2 bell peppers chopped
1 large red onion chopped
2-3 carrots peeled and chopped

5 med. tomatoes seeded and chopped
1 or 2 blocks firm or extra firm tofu
4 cloves garlic minced
1 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 t chili powder (vary this to how spicy you want it)


2 cans black beans
2 cans kernel corn


olive oil for pan
24 burrito size tortillas

Prep veggies. Saute peppers, onion and carrots in skillet. While those cook prep tomatoes, tofu and garlic. Move veggies to large bowl. Saute garlic , tomatoes and tofu. Mix in yeast flakes and chili powder. When hot move to the large bowl. Add beans and corn to the mix. Stuff and fold into tortillas. Below are pictures of the finished product ready for freezing.

There are a couple nice aspects of this recipe. First, while it takes a very large bowl it only takes one normal skillet.  Second, to eat we take one out of the freezer the night before to thaw in the fridge and microwave in the morning. The convenience of the microwave in the morning is great (we cook for 1:20 (my husband has it down to a science) but this may vary depending on your microwave). Third, as far as breakfast goes this is about as healthy as you are going to get. Forth, it is simple to adjust for taste and seasonal preferences. Last and perhaps most important, it tastes excellent.  :)

To evenly divide the veggie mix I spoon out into the tortillas with them folded like this.

Plastic wrap is between all of them accordion style for freezing. 

March Favorites Month

One of our members had a great idea this month--she suggested that rather than have everyone do another new recipe, we would vote for our favorites and divvy up those. There are several benefits to this idea. First, it saves us the research of a new recipe. Second, it essentially guarantees that this month is going to be particualy awesome. Third, it's a nice excuse to try a recipe that another person made before.


I pulled a rough list from this blog, about 25 dishes, and emailed a request for a top three. I was surprised and pleased by the amount of convergence. The winners:

Sweet Potato Burritos- 4 votes

Vegetarian Groundnut Stew- 3 votes

Red Lentil Thai Chili- 2 votes

Vegan Galumpkis and Pierogi- 2 votes

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese- 2 votes 

Lentil Burgers/Quinoa Burgers- 1 each-so I figure some kind of burger got 2 votes.

For the Vegan Galumpkis and Pierogi I did not feel up to repeating the whole process involved in making proper rolls. So I did a modification that I think turned out quite well. With all of the ingredients listed in the recipe I chopped the cabbage (as if making coleslaw) and mixed everything together in a giant bowl. I think it was an improvement for two reasons: first, it was shockingly easy compared to making rolls and second, it became quite a bit more cabbage in proportion to the other ingredients so I feel like we ended up with a healthier dish. 

February Exchange

Ethiopian style beets and my set of spices

When you go vegan you often need to find new restaurants. American food is so often meat based that it is easy to find oneself in a restaurant of another region or culture. This month's exchange definitely had a ethnic food trend.

Ethiopian food is by far my favorite group of ethnic food. In an effort to not get it every night, as I am tempted to do, I am learning to cook Ethiopian food. Included are a couple of the most useful links I've found below.

This month we exchanged:
Veggie Lentil Soup
Red Lentil Thai Chili
Pesto Pizza (made with this pesto)
Dessert Hummus (That's right-dessert!)
Ethiopian Yellow Split Peas, Lentils, and Beets: made with a vegan version of Niter Kibbeh (using Earth Balance) and a Berbere spice mix.
Chana Masala
Quinoa Burgers

Managing Large Batches

Nietzsche approves of the size of this measuring cup.

Cooking for 6 families can feel daunting and could be a barrier for enjoying freezer exchange groups. Here are some tips that I have found useful:

• Copy and paste the text of a recipe into something you can edit--covert all units up to six meals worth at one time rather than having to think about it as you go shopping or while cooking. 
• Shop for ingredients on a different day then you plan on cooking.
• If a recipe contains lots of directions that begin with things like "In a separate bowl..." you may want to rethink the recipe. 
• You do not have to do a one dish meal. Include a side dish, muffins or a dessert. My vote is generally for a dessert. 
• You don't even have to do all aspects of a meal in one day. Split it up as is convenient. Cut and chop veggies the night before. Cook muffins one night and the main dish the next.
• Or, take the opposite route, and plan a day to do everything. In my case this means letting hubs know he's on baby duty for an afternoon.
• Large slowcookers are your friend.
• It probably would not hurt to invest a large cooking pot, bowl, slowcooker or measuring cup.
• Label containers that you are freezing in before you place food in them. 

So, what did I miss? Any other suggestions from your experience?

Ten Minute Asparagus Brown Rice (101 Cookbooks)

Here is a recipe that is very tasty but I am uncertain if this would be good as a freezer meal since rice seems not to do too well after freezing.  I have made this several times and it has turned out very tasty!  I thought I would share it with the group.
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/ten-minute-tasty-asparagus-and-brown-rice-recipe.html

January Exchange

With the new year comes a new semester for some of our group. We have had to change the date and time that we exchange.
Exchanged this month:
Black Bean & Tomato Quinoa 
Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheeze
Spinach & Walnut Strudel and Vegan Apple Crumble
From the book "Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker" we have a Slow Cooked Ziti Casserole. (This is a wonderful cookbook that I recommend to everyone! I have worked out of it for years and have not found a recipe that I didn't enjoy. It's author has written numerous vegan and vegetarian cookbooks and has a nice blog.)
Also see previous posts: Split Pea Soup and Vegan Galumpkis and Pierogi 

The convenience of freezer food is warming me up to the idea of a small chest freezer. I'm also right in the thick of freezing breast milk and making my own baby food. Any recommendations as to make and models would be much appreciated. Upright or chest?

African Pineapple Peanut Stew

Here is a recipe that I make often that turns out delicious.  I thought I would share it because I am not sure how well it would freeze.  I found it when I was reading about Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type on the internet.

African Pineapple Peanut Stew
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch kale or swiss chard (4-5 cups)
2 cups undrained canned,crushed pineapple(20-ounce can)
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
sea salt to taste
crushed skinless peanuts
chopped scallions
How to make it:
Sautee onions and garlic in oil for about 10 minutes stirring frequently until lightly browned.
While onions are cooking wash kale, discard large stems, stack leaves on cutting surface and slice crosswise into 1 inch thick slices.
Add pineapple and its juice to the onions and bring to a simmer.
Stir in the kale or chard, cover, and simmer about 5 minutes, until just tender.
Mix in the peanut butter, soy sauce, and cilantro and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add sea salt to taste.
Serve over your favorite grain and top with crushed peanuts and chopped scallions.

Vegan Split Pea Soup

During the holidays I decided to cook my January freezer meals.  I was wrestling with a creamy cashew macaroni and vegan split pea soup.  I have made both of these meals but I went with the vegan split pea soup since I have made it several times and it turns out great.  It is packed with lots of tasty veggies and very hearty.  Here is the recipe for the vegan split pea soup:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vegan-Split-Pea-Soup-I/
The funny story with this meal is that I thought my husband said he didn't like ham in split pea soup.  So I tried this vegan split pea soup, which we both enjoyed.  So I have been making it ever since.  One day when my husband was around I was telling someone about the recipe and the reason I had made it.  Well my husband tells me that he doesn't mind ham in his split pea soup.  We continue to enjoy the veggie version of split pea soup and don’t miss the ham.

Vegan Cabbage Rolls for 24

We had a long vacation weekend so I thought I'd get a step ahead for this months exchange. In honor of my polish grandmother I've decided to make galumpkis (cabbage rolls) and pierogi for the group. For the galumpkis I did the following:

Recipe:

1 large head cabbage in as nice a condition as possible
Stuffing:

4 cups uncooked rice

5 med onions diced

3 med carrots grated

2 packages Boca Crumbles

garlic powder to taste

thyme to taste

black pepper to taste

Sauce:

2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes

2 small cans tomato paste

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

In a large pot of boiling water submerge whole cabbage for 5 minutes. Coat casserole dishes with a little oil.

Cook rice. Saute onions and carrots. Mix together in large bowl. Mix in Bocca crumbles. Add spices to taste. 

Take out cabbage and remove as many leaves as are pliable. You will probably need to cut out a fair amount of thick core. Spoon out stuffing and roll leaves. Place in casserole dish. Repeat until finished.

In separate bowl mix sauce ingredients and spoon onto the stuffed leaves.

Cover with foil to freeze or bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Stuffing

I slaved away at these tomatoes.

Labeled with Name, Date, and Cooking Instructions

They tasted wonderful! I hope the group enjoys them as much as we did.

Pierogi goodness was also done, but with such a simple recipe it's not really worth recreating. 

December Exchange

With holidays and vacations we had a smaller group this time. One thing I learned this month is to avoid changing an agreed upon date and time if at all possible! Even with a smaller set to schedules to coordinate it still can throw a wrench into things. After many an email we found a time that worked for everyone. I was quite thankful to the rest of the group for being so gracious about it. But I suppose that this is kind of what an exchange group is about-helping each other out.

We exchanged: a variation of Quinoa Barley Veggie Soup, Pumpkin Muffins, Black Bean Soup, Veggie Jambalaya, Cornbread Muffins and Moroccan Lentil Stew.

November Exchange

I did not know what to expect going into November. I have never been part of an exchange before and while I've cooked vegan for a while some of our group are omnivores. I did not know half of them personally and was a little anxious if this would be worth the effort. It is common in freezer exchanges to require that people not experiment with new recipes on the group but with people so unused to cooking freezer friendly vegan in such large quantities we kind of threw that one out. 


But as initial emails started going back and forth about what recipes people found or what dishes they made my mouth began to water. The group seemed to be really excited about what they were finding. In asking people to cook outside their comfort zone we ended up with some awesome results. 


I made spiced carrot lentil burgers, winter squash coconut curry soup and orange cranberry muffins. Here are some burgers and soup in progress:

Also exchanged:
Vegetarian Groundnut Stew
Chocolate Banana Muffins
Roasted Bell Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa
Hearty Pumpkin Soup
Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Sweet Potato Burritos
and Black Bean Sloppy Joes


Sounds awesome doesn't it? Just making the list makes me hungry. I'd say for an afternoon of cooking I ended up with a plethora of delicious, healthy, and cruelty free food. 


Any recipes look like you might give them a try? Let us know how they go.