September is one of my favorite months, for me it marks the beginning of a new year more so than the month of January. I would imagine it has something to do with all of those years of going "Back to School".  One of the things I like to do to kick off the "New Year" is a little fall cleaning, which normally consists of packing up summer clothes, having the fireplace cleaned, heater serviced, standard preparation for the colder months ahead.  In the kitchen, one thing I love to do time of year is cook my way through my deep freezer.  I have a chest freezer in my basement and without fail every now and then I will "discover" something way down in the bottom that I'd forgotten about.  It could be an extra pack of chicken thighs I bought when they were on sale, a great piece of fish, or those five bags of frozen peas (for some reason I never think I have enough peas). One of the things I like to do before I go stocking up for the winter is to cook my way through my freezer, creating dishes with some of my "discovered "ingredients. 

Cooking from your freezer not only forces you to be a little more creative in the kitchen but will also save you a few dollars, and isn't that the whole point.  It gives you an opportunity to really evaluate your family's eating habits, what's moving and what's not, and it should encourage you to put a little more thought into future purchases and hopefully keep you from making that unnecessary impulse purchase.  

Below I’ve listed some of this year’s freezer discoveries along with ways to use them in your weekly meals - should you find yourself in my predicament.

Here are a few favorite recipes for using those extra freezer finds: Unless otherwise noted follow the recipe cooking instructions as listed.

Broccoli Garlic Quiche – Let frozen broccoli thaw and drain all excess water before adding to quiche filling.

Broccoli Garlic Quiche (Gourmet, September, 2009) Ingredients: finding recipe... finding ingredients... Healthful Info: Quiche is very high in fat so enjoy a small slice with some nonfat or low fat side dishes to balance out the overall fat intake at a meal. Tomato slices or other veggies or sliced fruit are great sides. My Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 More Actions: add comment cancel add comment | view comment (1) close comment | cooking notes close notes | foodie tags close tags | share close share Edit Tags Rename Tag to My Notes: - Private info just for you! Add Comment: Comments: On September 26, 2009, 5:48 pm foodieprincess said: I love a good quiche. Once you get the hang of it you can whip one up at a moment's notice using practically anything you have on hand. Broccoli and cheese is a classic combination, but the addition of Garlic in this version takes the overall flavor to a whole new level, just be sure to have breath mints on hand. On September 26, 2009, 5:48 pm foodieprincess said: I love a good quiche. Once you get the hang of it you can whip one up at a moment's notice using practically anything you have on hand. Broccoli and cheese is a classic combination, but the addition of Garlic in this version takes the overall flavor to a whole new level, just be sure to have breath mints on hand.

Cauliflower Puree – Like the frozen broccoli above, thaw and drain all excess water from the cauliflower, unlike fresh cauliflower it won’t take as long to cook.  Simmer for about five minutes before pureeing and adding additional ingredients.

Cauliflower Puree (Gourmet, January, 2002) Ingredients: finding recipe... finding ingredients... My Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 More Actions: add comment cancel add comment | view comment (1) close comment | cooking notes close notes | foodie tags close tags | share close share Edit Tags Rename Tag to My Notes: - Private info just for you! Add Comment: Comments: On May 20, 2010, 1:05 pm alan said: Bought some yellow cauliflower at the farmers market and this puree was the perfect match for it. Made the puree with a spicy steak (http://www.projectfoodie.com/recipes/adobo-flank-steak-with-summer-corn-and-tomato-relish-12678.html). This steak dipped into the puree was wonderful. Puree probably could have used just slightly less liquid. The cauliflower was 1lb, so I doubled all the liquids. Probably should have not quite doubled the broth. On May 20, 2010, 1:05 pm alan said: Bought some yellow cauliflower at the farmers market and this puree was the perfect match for it. Made the puree with a spicy steak (http://www.projectfoodie.com/recipes/adobo-flank-steak-with-summer-corn-and-tomato-relish-12678.html). This steak dipped into the puree was wonderful. Puree probably could have used just slightly less liquid. The cauliflower was 1lb, so I doubled all the liquids. Probably should have not quite doubled the broth.

Thai–Style Ground Beef – Substitute Red Curry paste for regular hot sauce or Chinese red chile paste if you can’t locate red curry paste.

Thai-Style Ground Beef (Cooking Light, January, 2006) Ingredients: View: finding recipe... finding ingredients... My Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 View: finding recipe... More Actions: add comment cancel add comment | view comment (0) close comment | cooking notes close notes | foodie tags close tags | share close share Edit Tags Rename Tag to My Notes: - Private info just for you! Add Comment: Comments:

Homemade Croutons – You can go straight from freezer to oven on this one, but I find that the seasoning tastes better if I let the bread thaw about half-way and before baking.

Homemade Croutons (Down Home With The Neelys, Episode: Somethin’ Outta Nothin’ , Season: 2) My Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 View: finding recipe... More Actions: add comment cancel add comment | view comment (0) close comment | cooking notes close notes | foodie tags close tags | share close share Edit Tags Rename Tag to My Notes: - Private info just for you! Add Comment: Comments:

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