Freezer Mashed Potatoes

Thanks to Jessica for the freezer meal ideas. I'm starting to want to do this a little more. Baby steps for me. I recently did the pumpkin puree and froze that and I also got 3 lbs of onions on sale and diced most of those up and froze them. Last week I bought 2 ten pound bags of potatoes for .97 at Safeway and this morning I am working on making mashed potatoes in the crock pot to freeze for later. I am also planning on making country style potatoes (the cubed potatoes) to freeze for later. (just call me Mrs. Ore Ida)

I got the recipe from http://www.onceamonthmom.com/

5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered (I'm just using russet)
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion salt (I think I just have onion powder so I'll just use that and maybe put in some extra salt)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS
Peel and quarter potatoes. Place in crock pot. Add water until potatoes are covered. Cook on Low for 7 hours or high for 4 until a fork can easily be poked through them. Mash until smooth. Add remaining ingredients, beat until fluffy. Place in 2 greased 8x8 pans, dot with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. if Freezing see below.


Freezing Directions:
DO NOT BAKE Instead, cover and freeze. To serve: Thaw. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Double bake time if not thawed. Since I only have one 8x8 pans I am going to use a trick I learned on another website. I am going to line my 8x8 pan with foil and place the potatoes on top of the foil then I will cover and freeze. After about an hour or so I am going to take it out of the pan and put it in a freezer bag and then start again with the other half of the potatoes.

Serves 8-10

Olivia's Penne Pasta with Spinach and Sun-dried Tomatoes

1 14.5 oz. box of Penne Rigate pasta (I use Ronzoni Smart Taste)
2 tbs. salt

1 tbs. olive oil
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 c. black olive juice (from can), reserving the black olives

1 can of black olives, minced
1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes in oil (lightly rinsed), chopped
5 c. fresh spinach, roughly chopped

Prepare the pasta as directed, adding the 2 tbs. of salt to the boiling water. Drain the pasta when it's "al dente", meaning when it's cooked so that it's not too hard or soft, but retains a nice bite. Place in a large bowl.

For the dressing, combine the next six ingredients and whisk well.

Pour over the warm pasta and toss with the olives, tomatoes, and spinach.

Serve warm or cold.

Note:
Please season to taste.

I don't add salt to the dressing because of the salted pasta. You may want to add more.

Churrasco with Chimichurri Sauce, Raisin Rice & Beans, & Grilled Flat Bread

If you'd like to try something ethnic and a little exotic, this is the meal for you. My favorite thing about it is how easy the entire meal comes together so quickly. A favorite way to serve this is as pictured above, everything layered one on top of the other so the flavors meld together.

Nutritional Info
(per 3 oz. serving of steak and 2.5 tbl of sauce)
Calories: 239
Fat: 11.5 g

Churrasco Ingredients

1 (1 1/2 pd) boned sirloin steak (I used Tri-tip)
1 1/2 c cilantro sprigs
1 c white vinegar
3/4 c chopped onion (I used a medium sized red onion)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano (I used dry Italian seasoning)
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
6 garlic cloves, chopped (1/4 c)
3 bay leaves
Cooking spray
Juice from 1/2 a lime.

Directions
Trim fat from steak; set aside.

Combine cilantro and next 9 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag.

Add steak to bag, making sure that the steak is evenly coated, and then seal. Marinate in the refrigerator for 3 hours, turning occasionally (I marinated mine during church).

Remove steak from bag and discard marinade.

Prepare grill or broiler with cooking spray. Grill until largest portion of the meat registers 150 degrees or your desired degree of doneness (we like medium).

Let meat stand for 15 minutes and then squeeze the juice of the lime on top.

Cut steak diagonally across the grain into think slices and serve with the Chimichurri Sauce.

Chimichurri Sauce
I made several adaptations to this recipe, so be sure to check out the special notes below.

Ingredients
1/4 c white vinegar*
1 tbl extra-virgin olive oil (or regular olive oil)
1/2 tsp of salt
6 garlic cloves peeled
3 bay leaves
2 jalapeno peppers (I used 1/2 of one jalapeno and reserved the other half)
1 c of minced fresh parsley*
1/4 cup minced fresh oregano*

*Special Note: I was missing these ingredients so I substituted the following:
1/4 c white vinegar = 1/4 c light sour cream, 2 tbl of water
1 c minced fresh parsley & 1/4 c minced fresh oregano = 1 1/4 c fresh cilantro

Directions
Place the ingredients in a blender, process until smooth.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

Raisin Rice & Beans
This colorful rice dish is so good and packs all your fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins into one dish.

Ingredients
1 1/2 c white rice
2 tsp of salt
2 tsp of garlic powder
1/4 c raisins
1 c frozen corn (or canned), steamed
1 c pinto beans, warmed (or black beans)
1/2 c chopped cilantro
Juice from a 1/2 a lime

Directions
Add rice to medium saucepan over medium heat. Add salt, garlic powder, and raisins. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover for 20 minutes.

After rice is done, pour into a larger bowl. Add corn, pinto beans, and cilantro. Squeeze the juice from the lime and toss well.

Season with additional salt to taste.

Grilled Flat Bread
This is very similar to the recipe my grandma uses for homemade flour tortillas. One day I decided to make one big "tortilla" and grill it with olive oil. Talk about easy and a perfect addition to this meal.

Ingredients
2 c white all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 c of hot water
Olive Oil Spray

Directions
In a medium bowl combine the first three ingredients.

Gradually add the hot water, mixing the dough with your hands as you go. Cease adding the water when the mixture is bound together enough that you can drop it onto a floured surface to knead.

Knead the dough several times and then form it into a large ball. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it's about 1/4 " thick (the shape does not matter, though mine usually end up being a large oval).

Spray one side with olive oil spray and lay this face down on the grill. Before turning, spray the other side too.

Remove from the grill after several minutes on each side. Bread should have a golden crust and light grill marks.

Cut into wedges using a pizza cutter.

Parmesan Risotto

This recipe is amazing! If you have never tried risotto before, you must do so now. Every bite is infused with flavor and the texture of the dish is so creamy. It is a favorite in our house paired with a simple grilled meat of beef or pork chops with roasted asparagus, everything seasoned simply with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

Adapted from "The Best Light Recipe" cook book

Classic recipe (per serving):
Calories: 300
Fat: 15 g

Light recipe:
Calories: 220
Fat: 6 g

Serves: 6-8

5 c low-sodium chicken broth, reserve 1 cup
3 c water
1 medium onion, chopped fine (optional)
1 tsp olive oil (or olive oil cooking spray)
Salt
2 cups Arborio rice (I use regular rice)
2 oz grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 c)
1 tbs unsalted butter
Ground black pepper

Bring the broth (minus the reserved cup) and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan; reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover to keep warm.

Combine the onion, oil, and 1/2 tsp salt in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 8-10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-low, add the rice, and cook, stirring frequently, until the edges of the grains are transparent, about 4 minutes.

Stir in reserved 1 c of chicken broth and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the broth has been completely absorbed, about 2 minutes.

Stir in 3 c of the warm broth and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed, 5-7 minutes. Note: Do not allow the rice to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Continue to cook the risotto, stirring frequently and adding 1/2 c of the remaining broth at a time as needed to keep the pan bottom from becoming dry (about every 4 minutes), until the grains of rice are cooked through but still somewhat firm in the center, 10 to 12 minutes.

Off the heat, stir in the cheese and butter, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately or keep warm by covering with a lid.

Special Notes:
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.

Risotto is extremely versatile, and you can add any number of ingredients to make this a main dish. For example, add peas, chopped asparagus, diced chicken, etc.-

Olivia's Avocado Salad

This dish is adapted from a Barefoot Contessa recipe. It is light, refreshing, and a perfect side to anything fresh from the grill! We served it to the missionaries with fajitas, and they wanted the recipe to make it at home!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Level: Easy
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
• 1 c of frozen corn, steamed and cooled.
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated lime zest

Place the above items in a large bowl.

• 1/4 c freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
• 1 drizzle of olive oil (approx. 1 1/2 tbs)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp of fresh minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp of cayenne or chili powder

Whisk together the above ingredients and pour over the vegetable mixture. Toss well.

• 2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and diced.

Just before your ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Aunt Patti's Thanksgiving Yams

Ingredients:

2 – 29 oz cans of yams

½ cup dark Karo syrup

½ cup dark brown sugar

¼ cup heavy cream or half & half

2 Tbl margarine

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Place yams in baking dish. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile combine remaining ingredients in a sauce pan stir constantly until boiling.

Simmer for 5 minutes.

Pour sauce over yams bake another 15 minutes and baste often.

Jessica's Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Here's the potato salad that I made for Memorial Day.
(Adapted from Taste of Home website)

Ingredients:
5 pounds small unpeeled red potatoes, cubed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 sweet onion, chopped and sauteed
3 dill pickles, chopped
1 1/2 cups light sour cream
1 cup light mayonnaise
3 teaspoons prepared mustard

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Parboil potatoes for approximately 15 minutes or until potatoes can be easily stuck with a fork.
2. Place parboiled potatoes on a greased cookie sheet. I like to use a little olive oil for "grease".
3. Sprinkle potatoes with salt and pepper.
4. Place in the oven for 20 minutes, flipping once.
5. In a large bowl combine potatoes, eggs, bacon, cheese, sauteed onion, and pickles.
6. In small bowl combine sour cream, mayonnaise and mustard; pour over potato mixture.
7. Toss to coat.

*You can serve this salad warm or chilled.