With baby H (we shall now call him G since he does have a name) also came a change to how we eat. Gone are the days where we could cook together when Eric arrived home, then sit down to a Netflix evening with a warm meal. Now G dictates when we eat... Once the initial wave of baby visitors and food deliveries wore off, Eric and I found ourselves with a 4 week old baby and not much time to cook. So, after 2 weeks of Eric frantically grilling when he got home, then eating in shifts, or ordering delivery, we missed our old habits of healthy primal meals. So, I decided it was time to take advantage of the weekends and make enough meals to last us the following week. This Sunday marked our first attempt, and an hour and a half later we had a baby that was still napping (!) and four meals that we'd prepared together. They are now sitting in the freezer ready to be thrown in a crock pot and reheated. Can I say how excited I am?!
Since G will wake up any minute, here they are, some more modified than others. They make great non-freezer meals too, so don't be shy about using them as such!
Salisbury Beef and Noodles
- 2 pounds Ground Beef
- 1/4 cup Brown Mustard
- 1/4 cup Ketchup
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 diced medium onion
- 1 diced red pepper
- 1 can beef broth
- 2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder, mix with a little broth to make paste
- 1 pound noodles cooked and drained
Brown meat until slightly pink, then drain grease and add 2 tbsp butter to meat. When melted, add onion and pepper, and potato (if using). After 3-4 minutes, add beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and mustard. Stir to scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a gentle boil and add the cornstarch mixture. Allow them to simmer in for 10 minutes or until sauce is thick. Either set aside to let cool and then freeze (this option you make the noodles when you reheat the dish), or serve meatballs over a platter of noodles.
Reheat instructions: Crock pot on low for 2-3 hours, until heated through
**modified from Pioneer Woman
Easy Chicken Chili
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans
- 1 (15.5 oz) can kidney beans
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 10 oz package frozen corn kernels
- 2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes w/chilies
- 1 packet taco seasoning or make your own
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 oz can chopped green chili peppers, chopped
Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, diced tomato, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker and mix well. Nestle the chicken in, cover and cook on LOW for 10 hours or on HIGH for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in.
If freezing, I recommend mixing ingredients raw and then thawing and putting in crock pot when ready to use. But if it's something you plan to eat that day, just follow instructions above!
**minimally modified from Skinny Taste, only addition is an extra lb of chicken… if want fully primal cut out beans and corn and sub in kale!
Tomato Sauce with Spicy Sausage and Pasta
- half of a yellow onion, diced
- 4 carrots, diced
- ½ bag frozen peas
- ½ bunch kale, chopped
- 12 ounces spicy Italian sausage (casings removed - just the ground meat)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup red wine
- 28 ounce can tomato sauce
- ¼ cup balsamic
- pasta of your choice, cooked and drained
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat with the onion, kale, and carrots. Saute for until the vegetables are soft. Add the ground sausage, peas, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. When the sausage is fully cooked, add the wine to get the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes and balsamic - simmer for 10-20 minutes while the pasta is cooking (if not freezing meal). Freeze or add to pasta and enjoy!
Reheat instructions: Crockpot on low for 2-3 hours, until heated through
**modified from Pinch of Yum
Mediterranean Chicken
- 2 rotisserie chicken, cut into bite sized pieces, skin removed
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 large potato, diced
- ½ bag frozen peas
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and potato and cook until softened, about 5-8 minutes. Pour in everything else except chicken and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Add chicken, lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. When sauce has thickened, add lemon juice, stir a few times, and remove from heat. Serve with rice or couscous, or cool and freeze for later.
Reheat instructions: Crockpot on low for 2-3 hours, until heated through
That's it, enjoy!
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