'Fit-It-Freezer-Fast' Meal Idea: Lasagna Pasta

Several weeks ago I prepared one of my fiancés favorite dishes- homemade lasagna. Aside from using more than 10 distinct cheese varieties, artisan organic pasta, and over 15 herbs and spices, is my ‘special blend’ of stewed tomato sauce that makes this dish a hit. The meat and sauce preparation requires nearly 80 minutes of marinating and simmering and makes all the difference in creating a hearty, authentic tasting Italian cuisine.

Needless to say, this dish is not a meal I would even consider cooking during the work week, which is why I purposely make a larger quantity of sauce than I’ll need to use for the lasagna. I’ll typically freeze the leftover sauce in freezer bags or storage containers to use to create other meal ideas when I’m in a pinch for time but want to enjoy a flavorful meal. Before leaving for working I’ll simply take out a container (typically 32 ounces of sauce or more) and leave it in the sink or fridge to defrost. When I arrive home all I have to do is boil wholegrain bowtie noodles, top them with the heated lasagna sauce, and sprinkle an Italian shredded cheese blend overtop the pasta to create a hearty meal that only requires 2 pots and 20 minutes!

Here are several pictures of the preparation and final product:

 (I froze the sauce a cottage cheese container!)

(Twenty minutes later, dinner is served!)

(I prepared enough to take as lunch for the next day!)

What’s great about preparing additional quantities of freezer friendly foods such as sauces, vegetable blends, meat stocks is that you’re able to quickly reproduce a meal that typically involves time intensive processes such as slicing, marinating, and simmering without the cumbersome task of gathering ingredients and using multiple dishes. Plus, it typically doesn’t require extra dishes or time to make ‘just a bit more’. I still have another container of lasagna sauce which I think I’ll use as a base  for a crock-pot chili stew or Italian sauce…or perhaps a lunch time lasagna sub meat sauce or nacho dip? See, the possibilities are endless! I'd love to hear some of your 'fix-it freezer fast' ideas, please comment below!



Lunch Idea: Grilled Chicken & Bacon Mixed Green Salad

Summer is definitely “salad season” and as one of my favorite foods, I’m always recreating menu salads at home. What’s great about salads is that the combination of dressings, fruits, cheese, vegetables, meats and greens are virtually endless throughout the year making the preparation of this entre a creative one! And if that weren’t awesome enough, salads are a great low-calorie way to fill up on tons of nutrient rich vitamins such as vitamin c, iron, calcium, and vitamin k with very little effort. They are also a rich source or carotenoids, lutein, and provide lean protein and dietary fibre and are an excellent meal or snack option.

Here’s a quick “Grilled Chicken/Bacon Mixed Green Salad” I prepared for lunch today.  This is definitely a salad that “eats like a meal” and one that my “meat-a-tarian” boyfriend has approved! This salad is a quick prep for a day-time guest lunch or family dinner meal.

Ingredients:

Four Cheese Mix Blend (shredded Monterey jack, cheddar, quesadilla and asadero)

Red and Baby green romaine salad blend

Cucumber

Tomato

Purple Onion

Bacon

Chicken Strips

Salad dressing

                                       

Preparation:

Cook chicken strips and 2 slices of bacon in skillet using medium heat. Slice vegetable toppings to preference. Allow bacon to cool and crumble into small pieces. Add salad toppings onto plate of mixed greens. Add favorite dressing and enjoy!

From fridge to feast, this salad takes less than 20 minutes to prepare! I like to use the nutritional calculator at http://nutrition.saladworks.com/nutrition/CYO  which allows you to enter your ingredients and calculates the nutritional information of any personalized salad you create! Salads are a quick, accessible, and healthy way to compromise on calories, not flavor. Seconds please!