those fresh every time.
She understands that cooked fish or
chicken fillets don't reheat well, so she
makes those fresh.
The following recipes are freezer-
friendly. They store and heat well later.
They're a change of pace from what you
may normally eat, but can add variety to
a hum-drum diet for two.
CHOLA (INDIAN BLACK EYED
PEAS AND RICE)
From Gloria Handelsman
2 cups (1 pound) dry black-eyed
peas
6 cups water
1 t. canola oil
1 T. mustard seed
1 to 2 t. garlic salt or to taste
1/4 t. ground cayenne pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Rinse the peas and place in a large
pot. Fill the pot with 6 cups cold water
and place over high heat. Bring liquid to
a boil, cook the peas for two minutes
and remove the pot from the heat. Soak
the beans in the water for two hours.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small
skillet over medium-high heat. Add the
mustard seed, cover the skillet with a lid
and cook the seeds until they pop,
about a minute or so. Be careful not to
burn the seeds.
Add the seeds and the remaining
ingredients to the soaking beans and
return the pot to the stove over medi-
um-high heat. Bring the liquid to a boil,
reduce heat, partially cover the pot and
simmer the beans until tender, about a
half an hour or more.
Adjust the seasonings to taste and
serve the Chola over fresh cooked brown
rice or orzo. This recipe serves a crowd.
Freeze the remaining beans in the
portion size you desire. To reheat,
thaw the beans, adding more water if
they become too thick and microwave
until hot.
VEGETARIAN BLACK BEAN AND
WHEATBERRY CHILI
From Gloria Handelsman
2/3 cup uncooked wheatberries
3 cups water
2T. oil
1 onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 ribs of celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
one 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
with juice
one 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
and drained
one 15-ounce can chick peas
(garbanzo beans), rinsed and
drained
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup water
1 T. chili powder
1 t. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
chopped parlsey, garnish
hot pepper to taste
In a large pot, cover the wheatberries
with water and allow them to soak
overnight. Add more water if needed to
cook the wheatberries. Bring the water
to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat
to simmering and cook the wheatberries
at least an hour until they are tender.
Drain the wheatberries, but do not rinse
them.
Heat oil in a large pot and cook the
onions, peppers, celery and garlic until
softened, about 5 minutes. Add the
wheatberries with remaining ingredients
and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and
simmer for 30 minutes or more. Adjust
seasonings and serve with fresh parsley
and hot sauce, if desired. Makes 6 serv-
ings.
Freeze leftovers. To reheat, thaw the
beans, adding more water if they
become too thick and microwave until
hot.
QUICK AND EASY MARINARA
SAUCE
From Annabel Cohen
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 to 2 T. minced garlic
1 diced bell pepper, any color
two 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes
with juice
1 t. dried oregano
2 t. dried basil
1 t. red hot-pepper sauce (such as
Tabasco)
1 T. sugar, optional
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in a large saucepan over
medium-high heat. Add the onions, gar-
lic and pepper and cook until softened,
about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingre-
dients and cook for about 1 hour until
the sauce is thickened. Allow to cool
before freezing. Makes 8 servings.
CHICKEN AND WILD RICE
CASSEROLE
2 T. olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cups sliced mushrooms
3 cups cooked chicken breast
chunks
1 cup plain bread crumbs
2 T. dried parsley
1/4 t. dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup raw brown or wild rice
1/2 cup yellow raisins, optional
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
4 cups chicken broth
Preheat oven to 375E Spray 2 small
casserole dishes with nonstick cooking
spray.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the
onions and celery and cook until the
vegetables are softened, about 5 min-
utes. Add the mushrooms and cook,
stirring, 5 minutes more. Allow to cool
slightly before transferring the mixture
to a large bowl.
Add remaining ingredients to the
bowl and toss well. Spoon the mixture
into the casserole dishes. Wrap dish well
with plastic wrap and label it before
freezing. Place the other casserole in the
preheated oven and cook, covered with
foil, for 60-90 minutes, or until the rice
is very tender. Remove the foil and con-
tinue to cook until the top is lightly col-
ored. Let stand 5 minutes before serv-
ings. Each casserole serves 2.
WILD MUSHROOM SAUCE
Perfect on pasta or fresh broiled or
grilled fish.
2 ounces dried wild mushrooms
(porcini, shiitake, other or any
combination)
2 cups boiling watci
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
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1 T. minced garlic
2 cups sliced fresh white mushrooms
3 T. dried parsley
1 t. tied tarragon
1 cup white wine, any type
1/2 cup half-and-half
Place dried mushrooms in a medium
bowl and cover with boiling water.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and
allow the mushrooms to stand for 30
minutes. Drain well. If the mushrooms
are whole, slice when softened.
While the mushrooms are soaking,
heat oil in a large pot over medium-high
heat. Add the onions and garlic and
cook, stirring occasionally until softened,
about 5 minutes.
Add the fresh mushrooms and wild
mushrooms and cook until the mush-
rooms are softened. Add the parsley, tar-
ragon, wine and half-and-half and cook
until thickened slightly.
Serve half the mushroom mixture
tossed with two portions of cooked
pasta and sprinkled with freshly grated
Parmesan cheese. Allow the remaining
mushroom mixture to cool before
freezing.
To reheat, allow the mushroom mix-
ture to thaw in the refrigerator. Place the
mixture in a saucepan, add a little water
or wine and stir until the liquid is
smooth. Makes 4-6 dinner-sized por-
tions. ❑
• Bread does not freeze well for long
periods. If you find yourself with large
quantities of leftover bread, freeze
some, wrapped very well, and turn the
rest into croutons or toast, which can
keep for up to two months in an air-
tight container.
• Soups may need to be thinned
and flavors adjusted after freezing.
Stirring or whipping in more liquid
(water or broth) and seasonings will
help.
• Casseroles freeze well uncooked.
To eat and freeze, divide the mixture
into smaller ovenproof containers
instead of one large container and cook
one and freeze the other.
To cook the frozen casserole, heat at
lower heat for a longer period of time.
• It's best to use frozen cheese as
parts of other recipes calling for cheese.
Cheeses don't always maintain their
texture when frozen even though its
still "good."
• If you freeze fillets of fish or
chicken breasts, its best to use them as
ingredients in other recipes.
• Most importantly, when in doubt,
throw it out. If you can't remember
buying or making foods in your freez-
er, err on the side of caution.
A
P I
1/26
2001
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