Freezer Series: Ways to use up that freezer stash.

Thought I'd mix it up today, put the next few freezer principles on hold, and throw in a couple of good recipes to help you whittle down those freezer and pantry items you may be trying to clean out.  These are what I made for dinner last night and snacks today, all from stuff I had here that needed to be used up.

The first one is a  Gluten-free White Chicken Chili, from Living Without Magazine.  Click HERE for the recipe.

Items I was able to use up: 
1. pinto beans
2. a jar of tomatillo salsa I had in the cupboard
3. frozen red-peppers
4.frozen turkey stock that I made from our Thanksgiving turkey!

The only note I would make on this recipe is that I thought it needed about 2 c. of additional stock or water...not quite enough liquid.  I swapped pintos for white beans and red pepper for green, because that's what I had on hand.  I love that this chili has so many veggies in it.

And this recipe reminds me...next summer I need to freeze zucchini in chunks for soup, instead of just dehydrating it.  For quick soups like this one, frozen would work better.  I like dehydrated zucchini for long-cooking soups though, in the crock pot.

Overall final opinion on the recipe...two thumbs up...way up!  It was quick and simple to make.  We all loved it.  I ate mine with a dollop of guacamole, because everything is better with guacamole.  Sour cream would be lovely too if you eat dairy.

Next up: Blueberry Buckwheat Muffin recipe I found at www.bestofthislife.com.  (Click HERE for the recipe.)

Muffins are a great vehicle for moving berries, nuts and fruits (and even veggies sometimes!) out of the freezer and into your family!  Who can resist anything in a cute little muffin-y package?   However they can also be a vehicle for a bunch of sugar and insulin-spiking simple carbs...so be intentional about choosing recipes that move your nutritional goals in the direction you want them to go. ;)

The flour in this recipe is simply buckwheat and ground flax seeds. Next time I am going to diversify the flour a bit though--swap in some rice and tapioca flours for a little more lightness to the texture--recipes with just buckwheat as the only flour can be a bit "rough", or "gritty" feeling to me, sort of "scratchy" in my throat...it almost makes my throat a little sore...is that weird?  My family doesn't seem to notice any problems, but I always do.  Anyone else notice that "scratchy throat" effect with pure buckwheat?  Or teff flour?  I notice the same problem with teff.  The old timers and pioneers ate pure buckwheat pancakes, right?  But those people were just a whole lot tougher than me, that's all there is to it...anyway...I digress.   So, bottom line is, I am of the opinion that buckwheat flour is great!  but needs to be mixed with other, less gritty flours.  I'll let you know if I have good success with swapping some of the buckwheat flour in this out for other flours.  And you let me know if you do, ok?

I LOVE the fact that here is NO sugar, at all, in these muffins, so you can really taste the shredded apple and berries.  (The recipe calls for chocolate chips, but I left them out...I don't want the added sugar and I don't really like how the chocolate competes with the sweetness of the fruit--shine berries and apples!  shine!) 

These muffins are tender and moist and chock-full of fiber (beware of the high fiber...if you are not accustomed to a lot of fiber in your diet, don't go crazy and eat a whole bunch of these at once, or you'll be cursing my name!!).  They are not really very sweet, except for the natural sweetness of the berries and apples, but if you want them sweeter you can always drizzle and little bit of local honey on them when you go to eat them, and that just makes them even better!

I love how these stayed beautifully moist for the next morning--these don't even really need any butter or anything on them, but a drizzle of honey is lovely.  They were a hit with the family.  Overall verdict is:  these are a keeper, but with reservations about the "all buckwheat" thing...I will absolutely be making these on a regular basis, but I do think it needs a flour tweak.

Alterations I made:  Switched the almond milk for cashew milk, switched the coconut oil for olive oil.

*Note:  If you use a dark or nonstick pan be sure to always lower your oven temp 25 degrees.

The main thing is to just keep on keepin' on with the freezer and pantry clean out...my next targets:  dehydrated zucchini and kale (from my own tiny, not super-successful, "but-at-least-I-got-some-kale-out-of-it" garden last year) and the whole peppers I have frozen that need to be stuffed...then some millet and quinoa flour, and some frozen white fish...how about you?

I'll be back later this week to wrap up the last of my freezer series with 3 more bits of freezer wisdom I've learned through trial and error, so you don't have to!  ;)