Freezer Food

There's something about pregnancy that's got me prepping like doomsday is coming! I think it's the faint echo of the naysayers insisting that life is about to get 386.9 times harder as well as my own uncertainty! If there's the option to remove one decision, task or chore to let my future self get on with figuring out how to keep the tiny human alive then I will take it!

I'm not a huge fan of stews, one pots or casseroles which is what most freezer meal recipes consist of so I opted for sauces and marinaded meats as well as rubs and spice mixes.  I wanted everything to be extra nutritious as my worst-case-scenario head was whispering that my day's would be so hectic I might forget to eat until dinner. Yes it sounded unlikely even to me! But extra vegetables never hurt. We are totally prepared for baby!

With that in mind, I filled our freezer with delicious meals and sauces ready to be pulled out at a moments several hours notice!

1. Extra veg for pasta and chicken. I used this recipe and it tastes delicious.

2. A Standard Romesco sauce - 2 roasted peppers, 150g toasted nuts, garlic and a few tomatoes. The beauty of this is that it requires nothing more than a whizz in the NutriBullet. It's amazing with chicken, white fish or roasted vegetables.

3. Mojito Chicken - yes you read that right, make a mojito without the sugar and add a chicken fillet, voila.

4. Seville Chicken - this is inspired by the lazy citrus filled days of a summer in Andalucia. Juice and zest a lemon and an orange, add 1 teaspoon ground coriander, a little oil and some mint.

5. Spaghetti Bolognese - I swear by this recipe they call this the best ever Spag Bol and I've tried quite a few recipes as well as modifying this one, nothing beats it! Do what it says!

6. Apricot Chicken Curry - add steamed chicken fillets and tinned apricots to a simple curry base (onion, garlic, curry powder, natural yoghurt and lemon juice).

7. Black Salmon Rub - I love this! It tastes like you made an effort! 1 teaspoon each paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika and chilli powder. I made a pot of this, ready to be rubbed on some lovely salmon fillets and shoved under the grill.

8. Thai Steak - Strips of steak in lime juice, soya sauce, chilli and grated ginger. Not really a recipe but super tasty when stir-fried with broccoli, french beans and green pepper.

9. Hairy Bikers Curry - I love the Hairy Biker's Curry Book, its full of amazing recipes and tips! I made a few of their spice mixes which will require nothing more than yogurt, meat and a pot.

10. Chicken Kievs - for this instead of bread crumbs I used ground almond mixed with grated parmesan, garlic powder and dried oregano.

11. Breaded fish fillets - breadcrumbs, lemon zest and Italian Herb seasoning make a yummy crust, I also added some chilli flakes. Yum!


Freezer Tips.
For anything in a marinade I butterfly my chicken fillets before I freeze them so that they are quicker to defrost and cook. I also try not to overlap the meat for the same reason.

For the breaded dishes its important to freeze each piece of meat separately or you'll end up with a massive lump of meat which turns into a soggy mess when you defrost it. Just spread them out in a single layer for a few hours before bundling them all together in bags or boxes.

It's also worth having ginger root, chillies and an ice tray of lemon or lime juice in your freezer. It makes it so easy to make a stir-fry.