What do you have in your freezer, ready-to-eat?

[Diana (Cda)]

I'm such a dunce still re food preparation <g>. I never developed the skill while a cooked food eater so am looking for ideas.

What kinds of grab-and-go meals do you have in your freezer (even non-freezer items, raw-food equivalents of MREs but healthy and good! It's the concept here that I'm trying to go for <g>.).

Thanks! <g>

[RawExplorer]

I use frozen blueberries and strawberries for smoothies (I like the cooling effect they give). Once my apple trees start producing, I may even try freezing some of them for long term storage, otherwise my only option is dehydrating them which I find not as useful for many recipes I use apples for.

As for grab and go, nothing is more portable than some fresh fruits like bananas, oranges, apples, etc. When I want something more filling I find the best stuff to have on hand that you can just quickly toss together and go are trail mixes made with nuts, seeds and dried fruits.

[green jeanie]

nettle pesto that i made when they were at the peak of picking. can be frozen in ice cube trays and then used in individual servings for recipes

a box of dates...bought in bulk to save money

i think sauces in general could store well. I have thought of doing a big batch of marinara or red sauce bc organic red bells are my favorite and are 1.50 lb right now

i have been thinking about this lately as i am going to be busy working and traveling a lot this spring

last night i froze half of my green smoothie to have out on the mountain trail. half for breakfast, half for lunch.... it was still cold at 2 o'clock

i am also playing with "bars" for my hiking trip today i used a half dried banana and soaked/ dried apricots with walnuts and a little flax to hold it together and made a log of trail yum. I think these will freeze well and i can do big batches to save time.

I'll let you know as i learn

desserts tend to freeze well and so some really healthy snacks can be made but for "meals" it is hard to think of things besides fresh

[Raw Food Bali]

i always have raw chocolate in my freezer i'll make big batches at once, put them in the freezer and then just grab one or two pieces before bed to satisfy the dessert craving.

green jeanie is right, sauces freeze really well. marinara is easy to make in large batches, freeze and then rethaw. either putting sauces in ice cube trays or in single serving jars or tupperwear will allow you to use as you need.

i also keep bee pollen in my freezer because it keeps it crunchy and cool, a yummy treat here in the tropics

almost anything can be frozen, keeping in mind, however that fresh produce will soften and change consistency a bit upon thawing.

good luck!

Leah

[Pirawna]

I always have frozen fruit on hand for my green smoothies. I always have a dessert frozen, right now its carob fudge. I often have a sauce frozen.

Grab and go fruit always on my counter. Heads of kale, romaines, and greens always in my fridge for quick green salads.

celery, parsley and cilantro always on hand for green smoothies.

That's the bare minimum when I am eating simple and not doing foodie gourmet stuff.

[DebB]

I also keep a lot of raw fruit. This year I do plan on freezing organic greens that I get at the Farmer's Market for smoothies and juicing over the winter months.

I love having "Garden Burgers" in the freezer. I make a quadruple batch at a time. They're fantastic. I always (always!) have these on hand. These are still crunchy even after being frozen.

Happy Garden Burger - maraw

makes about 9 patties, 1/4 cup each

50g - 1 rib celery, chopped
150g - 1 whole yellow squash, chopped
50g - 2 T. red bell pepper,
90g - 1/2 C carrots
125g - 1 whole tomato, quartered
50g - 10 raw black olives, pitted
1 C sunflower seeds, ground
1/4 C flax seeds, ground
1/4 C sesame seeds
2 T dehydrated onion flakes
1 tsp. dried savory or parsley
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. sea salt (I use 1 tsp. Celtic sea salt)

Process everything in a food processor (not all at once though, process carrots separately) until desired texture is reached. I dehydrated it at 115 degrees for about 6 hours. It was still a little soft and more "patty-like" at that point. If you would prefer it more dry, then go longer. It makes a really nice pate too. I had a hard time not eating it all when I made it.

Can add fresh cilantro to batter. Have it with tomato and avocado!

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=31650

Deb's notes: I measure mixture using a 1/4 cup measuring cup. 9 patties per dehydrator tray (I use an egg ring as the form - that way they're all the same and dehydrate the same). I do not process this all at once, but rather in smaller batches. The original recipe called for 1 T agave nectar which I omit. I like to make these as flat as possible, and dehydrate until crunchy.

[joherb]

Hi Deb

How do you do your dehydrated onion flakes????

I seem to have an onion thing going on - I live on the onion bread.

Used to love Onion Rings (SAD)

Joherb

[DebB]

Hi joherb ~ I don't make them (never thought of it actually, but - hmmm!). I buy them in with the spices at Costco (Kirkland brand, not organic).

Wow - isn't that onion bread just delicious?? I have to purposely not make it often because I have a hard time controlling portions (shall I say?) wink! *Ü*