Whenever I cook with ingredients that I don’t use regularly, I almost always end up with extra ingredients that I can’t find the time or purpose for. I hate to waste food. So, very early on, I learned how to make the freezer my best friend. Below I’ve shared a list of fresh and canned ingredients that freeze beautifully for months to a year, without a change in texture or taste. Let me know if you can think of anything else! I will add to this list as I discover new freezer friendly ingredients. Also, I’ve posted many many freezer friendly recipes throughout the years. Just look to the end of each recipe for freezing instructions, as applicable.
Posts Tagged ‘vegetarian’
Ingredients That Freeze Beautifully
In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks, Asian, Breads, Breakfast, Desserts, How-To, Indian, Main Course on June 1, 2014 at amMy Absolute Favourite Fruit: Mangosteen
In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks, Asian, Breakfast, Desserts, How-To on May 22, 2014 at amI love almost all fruit, and mangosteen is, by far, my favourite. If you haven’t tried purple mangosteen yet, I highly recommend that you do as soon as the opportunity presents itself. When I was in Malaysia, I ate an entire bag and every day that I’ve been back, I regret not eating more. That was a year ago!!! Mangosteen are grown mainly in Southeast Asia and the best ones that I’ve ever had were from Malaysia. Disappointingly, in North America, mangosteen can be quite expensive and often not very fresh. So be sure to choose ones with a fresh and green coloured stem, because there are such things as bad and so-so mangosteen.
The purple fruit shown in the middle are the mangosteen
The purple outer shell is inedible. To open a mangosteen, crush the purple shell between the palms of your hands and then pull it apart to open it. But be very careful not to stain your clothes, because the purple dye is almost impossible to wash out. In fact, many hotels in Southeast Asia ban their guests from bringing mangosteen into their rooms. The white flesh on the inside of the fruit is soft, moist, juicy and refreshing and light tasting. Also, there are large seeds within each lobe of the white flesh.
If you get the chance to try a mangosteen, let me know what you think!
Malaysian Layered Kueh Recipe
In Asian Desserts, Desserts on May 15, 2014 at amKueh is one of my favourite Malaysian desserts. It is steamed, mildly flavoured, soft, chewy, and slightly sticky. Here is a recipe for a 7, 8, or 9 layer (your choice), 2 colour kueh. The main flavours to this kueh are coconut and pandan.
How to Make Malaysian Pulled Tea (Teh Tarik)
In Asian, Drinks, How-To, Other Asian Foods on April 28, 2014 at amI am in love with Hong Kong style milk tea (see recipe here), and on a trip to Malaysia, I discovered that I love Malaysian pulled tea, teh tarik, just as much. The delicious teh tarik, which means “pull” tea, is made using sweetened creamer. Some people add evaporated milk as well. What sets teh tarik apart from other teas is the process of pouring the prepared tea back and forth between two containers until the tea tastes and feels smooth, silky, and light in weight. Apparently, you’re also supposed to develop a good froth. The further the distance between your two containers while you’re pouring the tea back and forth, the better your tea will be. Be careful not to get splattered by the hot tea, and wear clothes that you don’t care about, because the tea stains are hard to wash out.
Outside of Malaysia, it can be difficult to find the best tea leaves for making teh tarik. But luckily, I have been surprised by how good some of the instant teh tarik powders are. The brand Boh is very popular in Malaysia and is quite good. My favourite is Aroma Ipoh’s instant ginger milk tea. I found it in a Chinese grocery store in Toronto, ON.
Orange Scented Olive Oil Cake Recipe
In Cakes, Desserts on April 15, 2014 at amThis is another great recipe from the cookbook, The Modern Baker. At first, I was doubtful that this cake would be flavourful enough for my taste, but I was very pleasantly surprised. This sophisticated, citrusy cake is a great finish to a heavy meal. I made it for Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone that tried it really enjoyed it. Even John’s mom, who isn’t normally a fan of cake, liked it. I love that this cake is moist, easy to make, and relatively healthy since it uses olive oil as opposed to butter or vegetable oil. Also, I love the crunchy and slightly sticky crust. This is served as a one-layer cake, but the recipe makes two layers, so you can make these in advance and freeze them for future dinner parties.
Smoked Salmon on Cucumber Rounds Recipe (and a Happy Mistake)
In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks on April 9, 2014 at am
Most people love smoked salmon, so I knew that smoked salmon hors d’oeuvres was a must-have when I was designing the menu for John’s housewarming party. Lemon and cream cheese or mascarpone cheese are standard toppings for smoked salmon and cucumber canapés (see my smoked salmon and lemon mascarpone crostini recipe here). I wanted to use something lighter this time, so I was planning on topping my canapés with sour cream. But in the mad rush to get all of the food out as guests started to arrive, I accidentally piped something else onto my hors d’oeuvres. I didn’t even realize the happy mistake until the end of the night, when I was putting everything away. I lost count of how many of these we made, and we had none leftover. People loved and complimented these, thinking that I had used a light and airy cheese topping. Even I didn’t notice the swap (shame on you, palate). It turns out, that just a small dollop of unsweetened whipped cream works absolutely beautifully (if not better than sour cream, cream cheese, and mascarpone) atop smoked salmon and cucumber. Here’s a toast to happy accidents! I plan to use whipped cream for these hors d’oeuvres again in the future. Now… what am I going to do with all of the sour cream that I bought?
Puff Pastry Tarts With Arugula and Cherry Tomatoes (2 Ways)
In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks on April 4, 2014 at pm
For John’s housewarming party, I made three types of puff pastry tarts: caramelized onions with gorgonzola (see recipe here), prosciutto, arugula, and cherry tomatoes with goats cheese, and arugula and cherry tomatoes with ricotta cheese, shaved parmesan, and balsamic reduction. I love the contrast of lightly dressed, fresh greens on rich cheese and puff pastry. I cut these tarts into small squares and served them as finger food, but they would make a great starter to a sit down meal as well.
Like Pomelo Fruit? Then You’ll Love Oroblanco (USA) or Sweetie Grapefruits (Israel)
In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks, Asian, Asian Desserts, Breakfast, Desserts, How-To, Other Asian Foods on March 29, 2014 at amPomelo is a very large citrus fruit that tastes like a sweeter, milder grapefruit (photo not shown). Not only does pomelo taste better than grapefruit, it’s also much much easier to peel and eat. I didn’t think that it could get any better with citrus fruit, but I was proven very wrong when I discovered Israel’s sweetie grapefruit (also known as oroblanco in the USA). When I first tasted it, I thought, this tastes even better than a pomelo, sweeter and juicier, almost like a mix of pomelo and grapefruit. Sure enough, I later learned that the sweetie grapefruit is, in fact, a cross between the pomelo and the white grapefruit. I really hope you’re able to find this in your local grocery store. When picking a sweetie grapefruit, the skin should be green and should smell citrusy. Also, the fruit should be heavy and somewhat soft when pressed.
You peel a sweetie grapefruit the same way you peel a pomelo: Use a sharp knife to cut an X into the top of the fruit. Make sure that you cut all the way through the thick rind. Then peel the rind off in large slices. Then use your hands to pull the fruit apart so that you have two halfs with exposed flesh. Pull each lobe of flesh away from the white pith and enjoy.
Other must try fruits include: mangosteen (see here).
How To Make Chinese Noodle Soups
In Asian, How-To, Rice and Noodle Dishes on March 16, 2014 at amfiBowls of Chinese noodle soup are comforting, warming, easy to make, and are often one pot meals. They’re also a great way to use up leftovers, because you can use any combination of protein and/or vegetables that you like or happen to have on hand. I’ve provided guidelines for making Chinese noodle soup and suggested some popular topping combinations below.
Favourite Fish Broth Recipe
In Asian, Fish / Seafood, Rice and Noodle Dishes, Soups on March 10, 2014 at amThis recipe is a recreation of my family’s favourite fish broth. We surprisingly found the best fish broth at one of the food court vendors in First Markham Place in Markham, ON. My family and I have never had such a delicious and strongly flavoured fish soup. The best part is that they don’t use MSG! Our cousin took us out in Malaysia for the “best” fish noodle soup, and we didn’t have the heart to tell him that our local food court vendor does it much much better. This fish broth will fill your house with a fishy smell, but if you can get over that, you’ll love the broth. I like to use this fish broth when I’m making seafood paella and Chinese noodle soups (see recipe here).
How to Make Danish Pastries (with Cheese, Blueberry or Apple Filling)
In Desserts, How-To, Other Desserts, Pies & Tarts on February 14, 2014 at am
I’ve made delicious danishes from scratch twice now, and they were a huge hit. The cheese danishes are especially good. You could also use half cheese and half fruit for the filling. Although you could use store bought puff pastry, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to make your own puff pastry using the shortcut in this recipe. If you take the time to make a large batch of puff pastry, you can freeze it for future uses.
Authentic and Delicious Hong Kong Style Milk Tea Recipe
In Asian, Breakfast, Drinks on February 9, 2014 at am
Hong Kong style milk tea is one of my favourite types of tea. A good cup of milk tea should be strongly brewed and well balanced with creaminess that isn’t too rich, and sweetness that doesn’t overpower. It should also feel and taste smooth, silky, and light in weight. The secret to making the best milk tea lies in the blend and ratio of different types of black tea. Ceylon tea is a common component. Every establishment guards its recipe. Luckily, it’s not difficult to make authentic milk tea at home. I’ve shared three recipes below. The recipes differ in authenticity, in the amount of work involved, and in the types of equipment required. I made this for my parents the day after they got back from a trip to Hong Kong and they said that it tasted just like the milk tea they had there. My uncle, who travels to Hong Kong 3 times every year, was surprised by how good it was too.
Cooking with Alison 