NOTE TO READERS: We make our recipes to serve 6 adults.
Italian/Mediterranean:
Shrimp Scampi
1 pound large (16-20 count) shrimp, shelled* and de-veined, tail-on for presentation if you want
Salt and garlic salt
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
3/4 cup white wine
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 box of pasta
You Provide:
3-4 garlic cloves, slivered, or 1 Tbsp minced garlic (optional)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Prep Day – Combine seasoning with shrimp in gallon freezer bag. Put wine in separate pint freezer bag. Put butter in separate pint freezer bag. Combine into one bag. Freeze.
Serve Day – Heat a sauté pan on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter melts, foams up and subsides, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté for a minute, or until you see the edges of some of the garlic just beginning to brown. As soon as the garlic begins to brown, add the shrimp to the pan. Then add the white wine and stir to combine and coat the shrimp with the butter, oil, and wine. Spread the shrimp out in an even layer in the pan. Increase the heat to the highest setting and let the wine boil vigorously for 2-3 minutes. Turn the shrimp over, or toss them so the cooked sides are mostly facing up, and boil the wine for another minute. Remove from the heat, add the parsley and toss to combine. Add the lemon juice and black pepper. Serve alone, with crusty bread, over pasta (provided), or over rice (for gluten-free version).
Italian Mac and Cheese
1 pound penne noodles
1 pound Italian bulk sweet sausage
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped
6 crimini mushrooms, sliced
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 (10-ounce) sack, 2 1/2 cups, shredded Italian 4 cheese blend, available on dairy aisle
1 can diced tomatoes, drained well
1/2 cup Parmesan
Prep Day: In a nonstick skillet, brown & crumble sausage. Drain cooked crumbles on paper towel lined plate. Return pan to heat and add EVOO, butter, garlic and mushrooms. Season with salt & pepper. Saute for 3-5 minutes, until mushrooms are lightly golden. To mushrooms, add flour & stir, cooking 2 minutes. Whisk in stock, then stir in cream. Bring cream to a bubble, then stir in 2 cups of 4 cheese blend. When cheese has melted, add tomatoes. When sauce comes to a bubble, remove from heat and adjust seasonings. Cool and freeze in freezer bags.
Serve Day: Thaw sauce, combine with cooked pasta, transfer to baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and grated Parmesan over the top and brown under hot broiler.
Asian – Indian:
Honey Ginger Chicken with Noodles
adapted from mealsandmovesblog.com
for the marinade:
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 TB honey
1 TB ginger
1 TB low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp chili garlic paste (found in the asian section of the market)
1 tsp garlic
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed into 1” pieces
for the sauce:
3/4 cup rice vinegar
2 TB honey
1 TB ginger
1 TB low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp garlic
for the rest of the dish:
1 package soba noodles
1 cup green onions (about 7-8 onions), diced
1 cup bell peppers (any color), diced
You Provide:
2 TB toasted sesame oil, divided
salt & pepper, to taste
fresh cilantro for garnish
Prep Day: whisk together marinade ingredients (except chicken). add chicken to marinade. coat well and add to freezer bag. whisk together the sauce ingredients. bag it. chop onions and peppers. bag it.
Serve Day: thaw bags. cook noodles. heat a skillet over medium heat. add 1/2 TB toasted sesame oil. add chicken and cook through. discard remaining marinade. remove chicken from skillet and set aside. return skillet to medium heat and add 1/2 TB toasted sesame oil. add onions and peppers to skillet. sauté for 3-4 minutes until onions and peppers begin to wilt. remove peppers and onions from skillet and set aside with the chicken. return skillet to medium heat and add 1/2 TB toasted sesame oil. add sauce to skillet and cook until it thickens to a glaze—it will reduce by at least half. while sauce is reducing, combine cooked noodles with remaining 1/2 TB toasted sesame oil, chicken, onions, and peppers. pour glaze over noodles and toss to coat. season with salt and pepper, to taste. serve immediately with a bit of chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Pineapple Ginger Flank Steak
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 pounds flank steak
Prep Day: Whisk together the first 5 ingredients in medium sized bowl. Label Ziploc bag, place flank steak inside the bag. Empty contents from bowl into bag, seal, and freeze flat.
Serving Day: Thaw overnight. Remove steak and discard marinade. Place steak on preheated grill and cook until steak is still slightly pink on the inside – about 10 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the steak. Remove steak from grill and slice against the grain before serving.
Southwestern/Latin American:
Taco Chicken Bowl
Adapted from Budgetbytes.com
1-1/2 lbs. chicken breasts
16 oz. salsa
15 oz. can black beans, drained
8 oz. frozen corn
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp cumin
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt cracked pepper to taste
2 c dry rice
8 oz. shredded cheddar
You Provide:
1/2 bunch cilantro (optional)
Prep Day: Label bags Put all ingredients except cheese, rice and cilantro into a gallon size freezer bag. Put cheese into quart size freezer bag. Put rice into sandwich bag. Freeze chicken mixture and cheese.
Serve Day: Put chicken mixture and 1/4 cup water into slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hrs. Near the end of cooking time, cook the two cups of rice. Simmer in 5 cups water for 15 min. Let stand for 5 min. Fluff with fork. If cooking one cup at a time, use 2-1/2 cups water. After 8 hours of cooking, stir with a fork to shred chicken. Build taco bowls by placing rice on the bottom, then the taco chicken mix, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro.
Northerly Nosh 