Freezing Guide

December 28, 2023
Many foods can easily be frozen and pulled out for later consumption. It’s a great way to maintain a “revolving pantry” on hand for emergencies or low energy days. This is also a huge help for expectant mothers, those living far from home, or those who just hate cooking and want to minimize how often they do it without eating the same thing on repeat.

How-to

Allow food to cool to room temp, then transfer to airtight, freezer-safe storage containers. If using bags (such as plastic zip-top bags or silicone bags), remove as much air as possible.

If you can, portion things out into reasonable sizes rather than freezing an entire recipe as-is. For example, divide soup into 1-cup sizes, or slice cake into single-serve portions before freezing. This will make taking out what you need later much easier. See “tools” section below for items that will make this easy breezy.

Liquids

Examples: soup, broth, masala gravy, sauces

Liquids expand when frozen, so always be sure to leave some headroom at the top, about an inch is sufficient. If there’s no allowance, the liquid won’t have anywhere to go and may explode whatever container it’s in.

Doughs & Breads

Bread is easily frozen in the package it came in (if store bought) or you can wrap home made bread in plastic wrap, secure it in a zip-top bag, or even a plastic grocery bag, then toss it in the freezer. You can freeze bread after slicing or before.

Unbaked breads, like pizza dough, can also be frozen in plastic bags. Thaw in the fridge until ready to use.

Cookie dough can be frozen either rolled into a log shape or in individual portions. Cookies can also be frozen after baking.

Cakes should be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and in a deep cake pan, if possible. Cakes can be frozen whole or sliced.

Use

Most items can be thawed safely in the microwave, but the easiest method and the one which retains the best food quality is to transfer the item to the fridge, giving it enough time to defrost before you need it. How long it will take depends on the item and its shape; thinner items will be ready more quickly. Something like marinara sauce in a 32oz jar will take maybe 2-3 days to fully thaw, for example.

Some items can also be used from frozen, such as tomato that are being cooked and incorporated into dishes or ginger and garlic pastes, or even ground beef.

Tools

Several kitchen tools make this task much easier, see below for direct product links. These are not affiliate links.

prep
- jar funnel or canning funnel
- good sized ladle
- silicone spatulas
storage

Silicone portioning trays have been a game changer for me. The original, well-known brand (and the one I initially purchased) I will not link to, as the founders are Zionists, I’m fairly certain. Their web presence conveniently scrubbed all mention of their trips to Tel-Aviv.

Happily, there are many alternatives out there now with the same quality and slightly reduced price. I’ve listed them below:
- 1-cup portioning tray
- 4 cup tray, no dividers
  - good for bigger batches or lasagne
The thing to look for is that the sections are independent of each other (the walls are not attached) so you can easily pop one portion out without affecting its neighbor. Also, look for the wire in the rim, which adds stability and allows for the tight fitting lid.

The other benefit in these 1-cup portions is that items pop out very easily into neat bricks which fit perfectly in gallon size zip-top bags, freeing up the tray for reuse.

Other containers that I’ve used include:
- 1 tsp trays
  - good for storing pureed ginger, garlic, peppers, etc.
- nested silicone cake pans
- glass baking trays
- repurposed glass jars
  - from marinara sauce, jams, jellies, etc.
  - these are great for storing liquids and especially for storing the same type of item that you initially purchased, such as reusing a pasta sauce jar for homemade marinara
- plastic zip-top bags
  - I’ve put virtually everything in these, from liquids, to rice, meats, etc. I dislike plastics, for the most part, but freezing is hopefully not damaging
  - try to freeze items flat and pressed out into a disc, if possible, so that thawing takes less time
- silicone bags
  - I’m looking to replace plastic bags entirely with these soon. Super sturdy, with an airtight seal so even water doesn’t leak (tested); I bought mine from Costco
Notes & Conversions

guide ○ products
Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette

December 23, 2023
credits

Recipe adapted from Foolproof Living.

Ingredients

Amount Ingredient
1 lemon, zest of
1 clove garlic, grated (about 1 tsp jarred)
2 T lemon, juice, fresh (about ½ a lemon)
3 T balsamic vinegar
3 T olive oil
1 tsp salt, kosher^*
1 tsp mustard
½ tsp black pepper
^* or 1 scant tsp of table salt

Process
1. mix all ingredients together
Notes
- use any kind of mustard you have on hand, I prefer stone-ground, spicy brown, but try out horseradish or others
- I prefer dressings that are acid-heavy, but you could increase the oil ratio if you like
dressing uses
- spring mix salad
- chicken or fish marinade
- glaze for roasted vegetables or grilling
- drizzle over artisanal sandwich bread to hydrate and add flavor
Accompaniments // No Cook // Recipe

dressing ○ dump and go ○ italian ○ marinade ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ quick ○ vegetarian

Amount	Ingredient
1	lemon, zest of
1 clove	garlic, grated (about 1 tsp jarred)
2 T	lemon, juice, fresh (about ½ a lemon)
3 T	balsamic vinegar
3 T	olive oil
1 tsp	salt, kosher^*
1 tsp	mustard
½ tsp	black pepper

Mashed Potatoes

December 15, 2023

Credits

Recipe adapted from Iowa Girl Eats.

Ingredients

amount	ingredient
2 lbs	potatoes, Yukon Gold
2 T	garlic, minced^*
4 oz // ½ block	cream cheese
60g // ¼ cup	heavy cream
2 T	butter
2 T	dill, fresh
2 T	parsley, fresh
to taste	black pepper
to taste	salt
~½ tsp	MSG (optional)

^* if using whole cloves, then use 2

process

rough quarter potatoes, add to pressure cooker along with garlic
add water just over covered; salt generously

Pressure: high
Time: 8 minutes
Release: quick

drain water, switch to low saute and insure all water has evaporated, if needed
add all ingredients, mash to desired consistency

notes

I leave the skin on the potatoes, they add a lovely flavor and texture (plus it’s easier, so why wouldn’t you?); I just cut out any egregious potato eyes or suspicious bits and scrub the under water
I often forget to salt the water upfront, it’s not a big deal.
I use jarred, pre-minced garlic for convenience and most of it drains out with the water. You can add more during the mashing stage if you like. If using whole cloves of fresh garlic, the garlic flavor will be much more intense since it will stay in the final dish and get mashed up with the potatoes
all measurements are essentially to taste, I go very liberal with the fresh herbs and black pepper
it takes more salt than you think
mixing too enthusiastically makes gluey potatoes so try not to overmix

Herbs

You can switch up the herbs used to whatever you have on hand. I’ve tried a variety of combinations including:

fresh parsley + dill (as written)
fresh dill only
dried basil + dried parsley (the basil was very good, and I’m interested in trying fresh)

If you have leftover herbs, you can portion them out and mix them into the 60g of heavy cream and freeze them. Then, the next time you make these, just drop the whole block of heavy cream + herbs into the potatoes in step 4.

See the freezing guide for tips and information on freezer-safe food storage.

Accompaniments // Instant Pot // Recipe

american ○ better than takeout ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ quick ○ vegetarian

Mac & Cheese

October 30, 2023

credits

Recipe adapted from The Salty Marshmallow.

ingredients

in the pressure cooker

Amount	Ingredient
1 lb // 16oz // 453g	dry pasta (medium size)
4 cups	water
32g	no-chicken base
2 T	butter
1 T	hot sauce
1 T	red pepper flakes
1 tsp	garlic powder
1 tsp	black pepper
½ tsp	salt

for stir-in

Amount	Ingredient
½ cup / 120g	milk
½ cup / 116g	heavy cream
240g	cheddar, preferably sharp
120g	cheese 2^*
60g	parmigiana reggiano, shredded (or blended)
2 tsp	mustard, stone ground
1 tsp	mustard, hot honey (Inglehoffer)

^*see notes

process

add all ingredients under “in the pressure cooker” to pressure cooker

Pressure: High
Time: 5 minutes
Release: 5 minutes natural, then quick release

add milk, heavy cream, and both mustards, mix thoroughly
add handfuls of cheese, stirring in between until melted, until all cheese is done

notes

any medium size pasta shape will work fine; my favorite is cavatappi
any combination of cheeses can be used, but classic mac and cheese flavor relies on a cheddar-forward profile, the sharper the better (or per preference)
can replace the milk and heavy cream with 1 cup of milk instead (tested)

cheese 2

The original recipe used mozzarella for all 120g of cheese 2, but that was a bit “meh.” This slot is a good place to experiment. The picture below used half Jarlsberg and half shredded Mexican blend. The Jarlsberg adds a really nutty flavor and amazing cheese pull. Also makes a great grilled cheese.

See the freezing guide for tips and information on freezer-safe food storage.

Instant Pot // Mains // Recipe

american ○ better than takeout ○ dump and go ○ freezer friendly ○ low effort ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ quick ○ vegetarian

Marinara Sauce

August 5, 2023
Credits

Recipe adapted from Budget Bytes.

Ingredients

makes 4 32oz jars

106 oz tomatoes, whole, peeled
300g onion, yellow, diced
110g butter
2 T garlic
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 T sugar
2 T basil, dried
1 T oregano, dried
1 T crushed red pepper
to taste black pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tsp MSG

Process
1. add all ingredients to pressure cooker
2. mash everything up roughly with potato masher, or crush up tomatoes with hands
```
Pressure: low
Time: 30 minutes
Release: natural
```
1. blitz with immersion blender to desired consistency
Notes
- 106oz of whole, peeled tomatoes = 1 giant 10# can from Costco
- can also add negligible amount of baking soda to cut acidity instead of sugar (untested)
- can also slow cook for ~8 hours on low
  - after slow cooking, onions don’t necessarily become translucent, still have some raw bite; consider:
    
    running on high for 4 hours instead (untested)
    
    pressure cooking as above in addition to slow cook
    
    sauteing onions in butter and maybe some olive oil briefly before step 1 (untested)
See the freezing guide for tips and information on freezer-safe food storage.
Base Ingredient // Instant Pot // Recipe

better than takeout ○ dump and go ○ freezer friendly ○ italian ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ sauce ○ vegetarian
Applesauce Muffins

June 22, 2022
Credits

Recipe modified from DrCackle on Reddit.

Ingredients

Makes 12 muffins

Amount Ingredient
240g flour, all purpose
50g sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
80g raisins
105g apple, peeled, finely diced
113g butter, unsalted, melted
380g applesauce, unsweetened

Process
1. preheat oven to 350° F
2. in medium, microwave-safe bowl: melt butter; add raisinsa + applesauce, heat through again if necessary (this is to hydrate the raisins)
3. add all dry ingredients to large bowl and mix
4. to the same bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, including the heated mixture from step #1
5. mix until just combined (batter will be quite thick)
6. lightly spray muffin tin with spray oil and divide batter evenly between tins
```
Bake: 30 minutes
```
Allow to cool on countertop for at least 15 minutes.

Nutrition

Whole Recipe: 867g = 2,409 calories
1 Muffin (73g) = 203 calories

Notes
- these are extremely low sugar, which is how I like them; most people may want to up the sugar and raisins
- recipe can probably handle increasing apple, cinnamon, and maybe even cloves
- these taste very healthy and could pass for breakfast muffins; try experimenting with adding additional vegetables like shredded carrots or zucchini.
See the freezing guide for tips and information on freezer-safe food storage.
Oven // Recipe // Sweets

baking ○ breakfast ○ calories calculated ○ freezer friendly ○ photo ○ quick ○ vegetarian
Mashed Potato Bowl

June 22, 2022

Build a mashed potatoes bowl by adding leftovers you already have on hand. This is a great way to clear out the fridge and use up items on their last legs. Food waste is bad, mkay?

Vegetables

Steamable vegetables like corn, spinach, or broccoli are easiest, whether fresh or frozen. Just pop them into the microwave until desired tenderness is reached.

For fresh vegetables that release a lot of liquid, like onions, mushrooms or bell peppers, you can roast them in the oven or give them some heat on the stovetop, first.

The mashed potatoes themselves can also be microwaved. Add a little bit of liquid (water, milk, or cream) to keep them from drying out too much, if that’s a concern.

Protein

Bulk up your bowl with whatever meat or beans you have on hand, whether that’s chapli kabab, chicken tenders, deli meat, or leftover lentils.

If adding meat, I’d avoid heating it in the microwave, since I hate the taste of microwaved meat. Either heat it separately via another method (stovetop, oven, toaster oven or airfryer), or simply bury it under the piping hot vegetables for a few minutes to warm up.

Toppings

Mix everything up and add gravy or cream sauce to keep things from getting too dry. Other toppings include jams or jellies for a bit of sweetness, chutneys for a chatpata kick, or your favorite hot sauce.

Other suggestions include cheese, fresh herbs, fresh cracked black pepper. Use what you have.

Mains // Meal Ideas // Microwave

american ○ comfort food ○ fusion ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ quick
Bistro Turkey Sandwich

April 26, 2022

Layer balsamic vinegar (or lemon balsamic vinaigrette), boursin cheese, arugula, sliced tomatoes and smoked deli turkey on toasted bread.

Mains // Meal Ideas // Oven

meat ○ photo ○ quick ○ sandwich ○ turkey

Amount	Ingredient
240g	flour, all purpose
50g	sugar
2 tsp	baking soda
1 tsp	salt
1 tsp	cinnamon
¼ tsp	ground cloves
80g	raisins
105g	apple, peeled, finely diced
113g	butter, unsalted, melted
380g	applesauce, unsweetened

Aloo Baingan

April 22, 2022

Credits

Recipe adapted from Tea for Turmeric

Ingredients

Amount	Ingredients
50g	oil
245g	onion, chopped
1¾ tsp	salt
300g	tomatoes
1 T	garlic, minced
1 T	ginger, minced
1	serrano pepper
1 tsp	cumin seeds
1 tsp	cumin powder
½ tsp	coriander powder
½ tsp	turmeric
½ tsp	black pepper
¼ tsp	cayenne
400g	potatoes, diced
360g	eggplant, diced
½ tsp	chaat masala
½ tsp	coriander seeds, crushed
¼ cup	cilantro, fresh, chopped
1 T	lemon juice, fresh
~2 cups	water, as needed

Process

sauté onions and salt in oil until golden brown
add tomatoes, ginger, garlic, serrano pepper; saute until fragrant and tomatoes begin to break down
add all the spices listed from cumin seeds – cayenne; cook for a few minutes
add potatoes and eggplant, cook down until the oil starts separating from the tomato gravy; at that point, add a ½ cup of water and keep cooking until potatoes and eggplant are tender
add chaat masala, crushed coriander seeds and turn off heat
add cilantro and lemon juice

Nutrition

Per 100g of salan: 118 calories

Notes

ground spices can burn easily, so it’s good to have them measured out and set aside so they can be added in one go in step #3
in step #4, you can cover the pan to help steam the vegetables and speed things along
keep ~2 cups of water on standby and add as necessary to deglaze pan, add steam, etc. at ANY point in this cooking process; use about a tablespoon or two at a time. you may not use all of it.
cook until potatoes and eggplant have reached your preferred consistency

Mains // Recipe // Stovetop

better than takeout ○ calories calculated ○ desi ○ pakistani ○ photo ○ vegetarian

Dahi Pallay

April 22, 2022
Ingredients

dumplings (pallay)

Amount Ingredient
~½ cup gram flour (besan)
as needed water
1 tsp cumin seeds
to taste salt
as needed oil for frying

Yogurt (dahi)

Amount Ingredient
1 container yogurt
as needed milk
2 potatoes, medium
1½ cups chickpeas, cooked
⅛ – ¼ tsp cayenne peppper
1 tsp cumin seeds
to taste salt

Process
1. score potatoes (for easy-peel) and set to boil in salted water
  - OR set on trivet in Instant Pot with a cup of water for (8-10 minutes)
    
    can also cover with water in Instant Pot (without trivet)
  - OR pierce with a knife and microwave until cooked through (5-10 minutes)
2. mix the yogurt with milk to thin out until desired consistency is reached (keep it thinner than you want the final dish to be since the pallay will soak up the liquid and thicken the overall mixture, as will refrigeration)
3. add spices, chickpeas; whisk and set aside in fridge
4. prepare the pallay batter by adding all the ingredients to a bowl and mixing until there are no lumps; you may need to scrape some lumps against the bottom and sides of the bowl to crush them. use as much water as needed to get a runny consistency, something like crepe batter.
5. heat frying oil in wok, sauce pot, or something deeper than a frying pan, preferably
6. drain potatoes, peel, and refrigerate until they’re easy to handle; cubing hot potatoes is a hassle and causes crumbling/smushing
7. when the oil is ready, dollop blobs and strings of batter in and fry in batches until light or golden brown. vary the shapes so you have some dumpling shapes and some thinner strings or dots. dump fried pallay into large mixing bowl. repeat until all batter is used up.
8. cover fried pallay in water for 1-2 minutes; check to see that even the hard pieces have softened up, then drain completely and add to yogurt mixture
9. cube chilled potatoes, add to yogurt mixture
10. mix until everything is thoroughly coated; refrigerate and serve once fully chilled
Notes
- recipe as written is a bare-bones base to build off of; but I often like it just like this
mix-ins & toppings
- tomatoes
- thin-sliced onions
- some like to sweeten this dish with a little sugar (to taste)
- a drizzle of tamarind chutney adds sour / tangy notes
- dahi palla are often served with chaat masala sprinkled on top as a garnish and to add color
Mains // Recipe // Stovetop

calories calculated ○ cold ○ desi ○ mom’s recipe ○ pakistani ○ photo ○ vegetarian

Amount	Ingredient
1 container	yogurt
as needed	milk
2	potatoes, medium
1½ cups	chickpeas, cooked
⅛ – ¼ tsp	cayenne peppper
1 tsp	cumin seeds
to taste	salt

How-to

Liquids

Doughs & Breads

Use

Tools

prep

storage

credits

Ingredients

Process

Notes

dressing uses

Credits

Ingredients

process

notes

Herbs

credits

ingredients

in the pressure cooker

for stir-in

process

notes

cheese 2

Credits

Ingredients

Process

Notes

Credits

Ingredients

Process

Nutrition

Notes

Vegetables

Protein

Toppings

Credits

Ingredients

Process

Nutrition

Notes

Ingredients

dumplings (pallay)

Yogurt (dahi)

Process

Notes

mix-ins & toppings