Pork and Green Chili Casserole

1 lb ground pork
1 15 oz can pinto beans
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small can green chiles
1.5 cup salsa
1 cup cooked rice, white or brown
1 tsp cumin
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (or more!)

Cook pork. Stir in all other ingredients, except cheese, and heat until just bubbly. Put in pan. Spread cheese on top and bake at 375 for 30 to 35 mins, or until bubbly.
*If frozen, thaw completely and bake as directed.

White Bean Chicken Chili - October

Ingredients
1 T olive oil
1 chopped sweet onion
2 cloves of minced garlic
2 t cumin
1 t oregano
2 1/2 c chicken broth
3 c cooked chicken (shredded or cubed)
30 oz northern white beans (drained)
30 oz northern white beans (un-drained)

Directions
Cook onions in olive oil until tender. Mix in garlic, cumin and oregano. Stir, while cooking, for three minutes. Mix in broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Freezer Meal Directions
Thaw. Reheat thoroughly in a saucepan.

Ground Beef and Broccoli

Broccoli Dish
Ingredients:

Broccoli
Onion
Garlic
Ginger
Turmeric powder – A pinch
Salt – As reqd
Grated coconut
Mustard seeds – A pinch
Oil – A little

Method
1. Grind grated coconut,crushed garlic,ginger,turmeric and little water
2. Chop up broccoli
3. Heat oil
4. Splutter mustard seeds.
5. Add onion and saute.
6. Add ground coconut mix and saute for some time.
7. Add salt and stir well.
8. Add broccoli and stir well.
9. Close the pan and cook well on a low flame til broccoli is cooked and there is not much water left in pan.

Ground Beef Dish
Ingredients:

Ground meat - I prefer ground turkey but used ground beef for the freezer meal.
Vegetable oil
Mustard seeds
Onions
Tomatoes
Kidney Beans
Garlic
Ginger
Coriander powder
Cumin powder
Garam masala powder
Salt
Lime juice - dash

Method:
Heat the cooking oil
Add mustard seeds, and when they start to sputter
Add onions. Fry till they turn a pale golden colour.
Add the ginger and garlic and fry for 1 minute.
Add spices - coriander, cumin, garam masala and heat them.
Add tomatoes
Brown the meat
Add salt
Add kidney beans
Turn off the heat, add a dash of lime juice

Rice:
I used parboiled rice.

Pickle:
Store bought tender mango pickle

Thawing and Reheating Instructions:
Thaw all the packets, and you may heat all the packets in the microwave

OR

Heat broccoli in saute pan and remove excess water.
Heat ground beef on stove top and add 1/4cup more water (if you desire).
Steam rice for a few minutes till warm.

Simple Grass-fed Beef Lasagna

15 oz ricotta cheese

2.5 oz parmesan cheese, grated

1 egg, lightly beaten (Lippert Family Farm free range) 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

6 cups Ragu tomato sauce

12 no-boil lasagna noodles

1 pound mozzarella, shredded

1 pound ground beef (Lippert Family Farm grass-fed) 

1. Mix ricotta, 1 cup parmesan, egg, salt, pepper until well combined.

2. Brown ground beef, then add sauce.

3. In 9x13 baking dish spread 1/4 cup meat sauce, place 3 noodle on top and drop 3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture down the center of each noodle, then spread it to an even thickness. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of mozzarella. Spoon 1.5 cups of the sauce evenly over cheese. Repeat this layering two more times. 

4. For final layer, place the three remaining noodles on top. Spread the remaining 1 1/4 cups sauce over the noodles. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and then the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Chicken Fajitas

1 tsp Chili Powder

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

1 TBSP Cornstarch

1/4 c Water

3 TBSP Olive Oil (divided)

1 Whole Chicken Breast cut into 1/2" strips (I used ~12 oz chicken strips: 9 oz onion/pepper mix.)

1 Green Bell Pepper (I used red and green peppers.)

1 Medium Onion

2 TBSP Fresh Lime Juice (I used lemon juice.)

I placed the spices blended in one baggie, cheese blend in another baggie, and chicken/pepper/onion/lemon juice/water/cornstarch and 2T of oil in another baggie.

TO REHEAT/PREPARE:

1. THAW either in microwave OR overnight in fridge.

2. MIX spice blend with chicken baggie.

3. HEAT ~1T oil in pan.

4. ADD chicken/spices to pan.

5. COOK ~6 minutes. Chicken will be cooked through and tender.

6. SERVE with tortillas, cheese, and any other condiment you may enjoy ~ guacamole, salsa, tomato, sour cream, rice, beans. We put rice in fajita tortilla. The girls LOVE them with a touch of sour cream. I especially like the sour cream as it makes a great 'glue' for the rice, chicken, cheese, pepper and onion! LESS MESS ~ YEAH:)

Bruschetta Chicken - September

Breaded Chicken
1 lb chicken
1 c crushed croutons
1/4 c grated Parmesan
1 t oregano
1 egg
1 clove of garlic
2 T flour

Bruschetta Topping
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T basil, minced
1/2 t salt

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and complete these three steps. First, combine croutons, Parmesan and oregano in a bowl. Next - in another bowl - whip the egg and minced garlic together. Finally, sprinkle flour onto a plate.

Taking one piece of chicken at a time, coat with flour and dip into the egg mixture. Then coat that piece with croutons, and place it onto a baking dish. When each piece of chicken has been breaded, add the bruschetta topping. Bake for 20 minutes.

Black Bean Chili with Wheat Berries Burrito (Kimberly's Recipe!)

1/4 c cooked wheat berries
2 c black beans
1 onion, diced
minced garlic cloves

28oz tomato sauce + some water (couple of cups)
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
salt (to taste)
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro

Drain beans & wheat berries, then combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid to a thick sauce, then reduce the heat and continue simmering, covered, for a total of 30 minutes. Add the cilantro and simmer for 5 minutes more.

* After cooling, I put the filling into flour tortillas with some grated sharp cheddar cheese, then wrapped in foil, then bagged. *

To cook burritos:
Thaw or reheat straight from the freezer.


Microwave:
Remove foil, defrost, and reheat. (I can nuke 'em for 1-2 minutes.)


Oven:
Bake in foil at 375 for 30 minutes if frozen, 300 for 30 minutes if thawed.