Halloween-Style Bean Dip

Halloween is almost here, and you know I'm always looking for ways to use more of our delicious freezer beans!  So here's a easy and fun bean dish that's black and orange, just in time for Halloween! 

Black and Orange Beans
2 cups freezer black beans (see Aug 23,2009 posting)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded colby jack cheese
Other ingredients for toppings, if desired.

Heat black beans in microwave.  Sprinkle cheese on top, heat until melted.  Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, and fresh tomatoes, garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Alternate recipe, heat recipe as instructed, top with sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes, and cilantro to create layer dip.  Serve with Tortilla Chips.

Wendy's Lemon Bars

OK, I admit it.  This isn't a freezer recipe, but it is a FABULOUS, inexpensive, quick, easy dessert and since the holiday food season is imminent, I thought I'd post this one.  You probably have most of these ingredients on hand, so it is a great recipe to use when you're in a pinch.  Thanks to my good friend, Wendy J., for sending it to share!!

Wendy's Lemon Bars
Crust:
3/4 c softened butter or margarine
1 1/2 c flour
1/3 c powdered sugar
Mix with a fork, press into pan and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Filling:
3 eggs
4 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c lemon juice
Mix together well, pour over hot crust, bake at 350 for 15-30 minutes, or until lightly brown on top.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar when its done baking.

Note: Wendy uses a 8x11 size pan.  We've made it in a 9x9 and it works fine, just takes a little longer to bake.

Fried Zucchini and Freezer Zucchini Parmesan

It's that time of year again for us gardeners...so many zucchini, so few recpies.  I decided to fry some last night, and they were delicious.  Here's the recipe.

Fried Zucchini
1 Huge Zucchini...ours was almost 18 inches long (or a few smaller ones)
1/4 cup Kosher Salt (if using Table Salt, use less than half amount specified)
Canola Oil (for frying)
Corn Starch
4 eggs, beaten
Breadcrumbs (optional)

Peel zucchini, if desired.  Cut zucchini into slices or wedges, depending on the shape you want.  We cut ours about 1-inch thick, then quartered the slices.  Sprinkle salt on zucchini slices.  Let stand 30 minutes. Rinse salt off of zucchini.   Use large, sturdy pan or skillet, pour in enough oil so it is about 1 inch deep.  Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat.  Pour corn starch into open dish that allows you room to coat the zucchini slices in corn starch.  Coat slices in corn starch.  Dip coated zucchini in beaten eggs, sprinkle lightly with breadcrumbs, if deisred.  Place zucchini in hot oil.  Let fry 3 minutes, or until batter browns.  Turn over and fry other side until browned.  Remove fried zucchini from oil, place on cooling rack or paper towel-lined plate.  Serve.  Delicious dipped in marinara sauce, alfredo, or eaten plain.  Can be served as an appetizer, or fabulous side dish. 

You can also make zucchini parmesan with these. 
Fried Zucchini (use the breadcrumbs for this recipe)
2 28-oz jars spaghetti or marinara sauce (or you can use my freezer sauce recipe from Sun, Jun 7)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano
1/2 lb Mozzarella cut into large chunks or shredded

Spread 1 cup of sauce in a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Layer half of the zucchini over sauce and sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan or romano. Pour half of remaining sauce over zucchini.  Then put remaining zucchini over sauce.  Pour remaining sauce over top.  Sprinkle 1/4 cup parmesan and mozzarella.  Cover and freeze casserole (or cook immediately).  Thaw completely.  Bake at 375 for 45 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned and sauce is bubbly.

Herb-Crusted Beef Tenderloin

I know this cut of meat is usually expensive, but we bought half of a cow and the butcher sent all kinds of cuts of meat that I had never purchased before.  So I'll be putting the successful recipes for beef cuts up for all to see.  The meat was frozen immediately after butchering, so that's the "freezer" part of this recipe.  :)

Herb-Crusted Beef Tenderloin
Four 4-oz Beef Tenderloin Steaks
1 tsp Whole Rosemary
1 tsp Thyme
4 tsp Minced Garlic
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
4 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

3 Tbsp Canola Oil (for pan)

Thaw steaks 24 hours in refrigerator.  Combine dry ingredients.  Rub on steaks.  Sprinkle garlic over steaks.  Drizzle steaks with 1 tsp vinegar each.  Refrigerate 2 hours.  Heat 3 Tbsp. canola oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Cook steaks 5 minutes, turn and cook 5 minutes or until done (I like steaks medium well, cook less time for medium rare or medium doneness).  Let steaks rest 10 minutes under foil before serving.  Great with garlic mashed potatoes.

Freezer Black Beans

We love beans...if they taste good. My kids can get past the texture if there's enough flavor (like in chili). Here's my recipe for Black Beans. They are simple to make, but they do take time (soaking and cooking in the crock pot). Be patient, the time is worth the result. Enjoy!
Freezer Black Beans (inspired by Chevy's Restaurant)
INGREDIENTS
Soaking Water, 2 lbs Black Beans
10 cups water
2 cups chopped onion (or 1 cup dried chopped onion)
4 Tbsp garlic (or more if you like it a lot)
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp chile powder
2 tsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt (or 1/2 Tbsp. Table Salt)
DIRECTIONS: Wash, sort, and rinse beans. Soak beans overnight. Drain and rinse beans. Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on High 2 hours. Then cook on Low 8-10 hours (until tender). Turn off crock pot. Let beans cool 1 hour. Label freezer containers (you can use mason jars, Ziploc freezer bags, or plastic freezer containers available in the canning section at the grocery store) with contents, date, and quantity. Measure beans into containers, close, and freeze. To use, thaw in refrigerator or microwave. Use in recipes that call for canned white beans. I like to measure the beans into 2 cup measures. That's about the right size for my family, and pretty close to a 14.5 oz can. You can also buy pint containers and freeze them in pints.

Carribean-Style Beans and Rice

I was serving Salsa Chicken (2008 posting) the other night and was searching for a great side dish to go with it.  Here it is!  After making it, I realized this could have easily been our main course.  So delicious, and more than 11 grams of protein per serving with almost no fat.  Plus, it was cheap.  Most of the ingredients I needed were in my garden, and the rest were in my pantry and freezer. :)  Enjoy!

(from The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook), adapted by Avalie

3 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 heaping Tbsp minced garlic
1 cup coarsley chopped tomato
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 pint Freezer Black Beans (today's posting), thawed and drained (or sub one can black beans plus extra garlic)
2 cups cooked rice

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium high heat until hot.  Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until tender.  Add chopped tomato, salt, crushed red pepper, and cumin; saute 2 minutes.  Stir in cooked rice, cilantro, and black beans; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.  Serve with shredded cheese, if desired.  Yield: 4 servings, 1 cup each.  If you want to freeze this after preparation for a quick and easy side dish, simply freeze single portions in freezer bags.  Reheat in microwave.

Hawaiian-Style Teriyaki Chicken

When we lived in Hawaii, this chicken was one of my favorites. I've been searching for an authentic recipe for the past few years, and I think this one is the best. We served this at a Luau we had for some youth, and it was delicious! Note that it calls for bone-in chicken thighs with skin, which is a very inexpensive cut of chicken. I was able to get it on sale two weeks ago for 69 cents a pound.

Ingredients:
5 lbs chicken thighs, bone in, with skin
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Tbsp Cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp water

Sauce:
1/2 cup Sugar
1 cup Water
3/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 inch piece Ginger, smashed (or substitute ginger powder)
1 clove Garlic, smashed

COOK AND EAT DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sauce ingredients in pot and bring to boil. Turn off heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Let cool. Divide sauce in half. Marinate chicken pieces in half of sauce. Reserve other half of sauce for baking pan. Marinate chicken for at least an hour, up to overnight, turning at least once. Heat oil in heavy skillet over high heat. Sear chicken pieces in skillet, working in batches. Place seared chicken pieces in baking pan, skin side down. Stir cornstarch slurry into remaining dipping sauce. Pour sauce over chicken. Bake 60 to 70 minutes, until cooked through. Pour sauce over chicken. Enjoy!

FREEZER MEAL DIRECTIONS:
Combine sauce ingredients in pot and bring to boil. Turn off heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Let cool. Divide sauce in half. Marinate chicken pieces in half of sauce. Reserve other half of sauce for freezer bags. Marinate chicken for at least an hour, up to overnight, turning at least once. Label freezer containers. Heat oil in heavy skillet over high heat. Sear chicken pieces in skillet, working in batches. Place seared chicken pieces, skin side down, in baking/freezer container (disposable foil pan) or Ziploc Freezer Bags. Stir cornstarch slurry into remaining dipping sauce.
Pour sauce over chicken. Remove air from bag, or cover pan with foil and freeze. When ready to eat, remove chicken from freezer and thaw 12-24 hours in refrigerator (if you're using a freezer bag, make sure to put it in a pan while it thaws, or you may have a big mess in your refrigerator). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake chicken 60 to 70 minutes, until cooked through. Enjoy these "ono grinds" (delicious food) with rice, macaroni salad, green salad, and pineapple. Add my Kalua Pork recipe for a full-scale authentic Hawaiian Luau!