Cooking Instructions - February 2006 Menu

When thawing freezer bags be sure to place them in a bowl or baking dish in the fridge in case of leakage.

Beef Daube Provencal (Thaw in fridge) 2 ziplock bagsOven: Empty large ziplock into casserole dish. Add 2 cups of water. Cover partially. Cook for 2-3 hours at 325° or until meat is tender. Discard bacon and bay leaves. Add olives and tomatoes and heat through. Slow cooker: Empty large ziplock into slow cooker. Cover and cook for 8-10 hours on low or until meat is tender. Discard bacon and bay leaves. Add olives and tomatoes and heat through. Serve with noodles, mashed potatoes or bread and a salad.

Eggplant Parmesan 1 foil container.  Thoroughly thaw casserole in fridge. Remove plastic and foil wrap. Preheat oven to 350°. Place in oven and bake at least 40 minutes or until heated through, and bubbling around edges. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes or so before serving. Serve hot or warm. Serve with crusty bread and a salad.

Fennel Rosemary Grilled Salmon 1 ziplock bag. Thaw in refrigerator over night. Grill: Preheat grill. Remove salmon steaks from plastic wrap. Over low to medium heat, grill steaks for 10 minutes on one side. Flip and grill for 5 – 7 minutes or until meat flakes easily with a fork. Oven: Preheat oven to 450°. Place steaks in single layer in greased pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until meat flakes easily with a fork. Serve with rice and steamed broccoli.

Grilled Chicken a l’Orange  (Thaw in fridge) 2 ziplock bags.1. Preheat grill. 2. Make sauce: combine all ingredients in sauce pan and cook, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly. Reduce to half, about 5 minutes. 3. Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Cook chicken on grill for 3-5 minutes per side. Place on preheated platter. Pour sauce over and serve with remaining sauce on side.Serve with rice, steamed snow peas and carrots.

Indonesian Chicken in a Peanut Sauce 2 ziplock bags.Thaw in fridge over night. Slow Cooker: Place contents of large ziplock into slow cooker. Cover and cook, on low for 5-7 hours or on high for 2 ½ - 3 hours, until vegetables are tender and juices run clear when chicken is pierced. Add peas and vinegar. Cover and cook on low for 10 minutes, until peas are warm. Stove Top: Place contents of large ziplock in sauce pan. Simmer gently  for 20-30 minutes until chicken is tender and juices run clear when pierced. Add the peas and vinegar contained in small ziplock. Heat gently until peas are warmed. Garnish with green onions and peanuts. Serve with rice.

Mushroom Spinach Quiche 1 ziplock bag. Thaw egg mixture in fridge, in a bowl, overnight. Leave pie shell frozen until ready to use. Preheat oven to 375°.  Remove pie shell from freezer bag. Remove wax paper. Gently pour egg mixture over top of cheese in pie shell. Place in oven and bake 35-40 minutes until middle is set and top is golden. If pie shell edges are beginning to get too brown, cover gently with strips of foil. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with a leafy salad and buttered toast triangles.

Pork Medallions in Sun dried Tomato Sauce  1 ziplock bag. Thaw ziplock in refrigerator. Remove pork from ziplock. Pour sauce into pan. Simmer 2 minutes. Add pork to pan and simmer until pork is cooked through, about 5 -7 minutes.Serve with rice or egg noodles and steamed vegetables.

Red Lentil and Carrot Soup with Coconut (Thaw in fridge) 1 ziplock bag.Slow Cooker: Add ingredients of ziplock bag to slow cooker. Add 6 cups water. Cover slow cooker, and cook for 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high until carrots are soft and mixture is bubbling. 30 minutes before serving, stir in coconut milk and cook on high until mixture is heated through. Stove top: Add ingredients of ziplock bag to sauce pan. Bring to the boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, until lentils are soft.  Add coconut milk and cook for 3-5 minutes until heated through but not boiling. Serve with an Indian bread such as naan or with a green salad for a light meal.

Saucy Pork Chops with Cranberries 1 ziplock bag. Thaw in refrigerator, if desired. Slow Cooker: Place contents of ziplock bag into slow cooker. Cook, on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours, until pork is tender. Transfer to warm platter and serve immediately. Oven:  Place contents of ziplock bag into casserole dish. Add ½ cup chicken stock, orange juice or water. Bake covered, 45 – 60 minutes, until pork is tender. Baste with sauce occasionally. If desired, serve with rice, steamed green beans or other vegetable and a tossed salad.

Southwestern Shepherd’s Pie 1 foil container. Thaw over night in fridge. Place foil pan in pre-heated 350 degree oven and cook covered  for 1hour then uncovered for ½ hour more until topping is golden and hot. Serve this with a steamed green vegetable and crusty rolls.

Thai Chicken 1 ziplock bag. Thaw completely in fridge. Preheat oven to 375°. Place chicken in a shallow pan or baking dish with sauce. Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown and juices run clear when poked with knife.  Sprinkle with additional green onion if desired and coriander or parsley.  Serve with rice, noodles or one of our rice side dishes.

Spinach Ricotta Manicotti 1 foil container. Place frozen manicotti into preheated 350 degree oven Bake covered for 45 minutes or until heated through and cheese is bubbly. Serve with crusty bread and crispy romaine salad.