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Ah, the classic unexpected guest dilemma. You know how it goes. An afternoon visit for a cuppa turns into an impromptu dinner, then suddenly you're stuck in the kitchen, unsure of what to whip up. Before you open Uber eats, fear not! I have a solution for you.
The home freezer, often overlooked, holds remarkable money-saving and potential for convenience. With the many demands of turnover in the fridge, we tend to overlook the need to keep our freezers tidy, leading to an overload of mystery unlabelled packages, half-eaten containers of ice-cream and bags of frozen vegetables beginning to resemble tiny glaciers.
FREEZE IT
Lasagne roll ups
Believe me – a well-stocked freezer system unlocks a wide variety of home-cooked meals, helps to save money, and is the perfect way to serve unexpected guests delicious meals with very little effort. Here's how you do it.
Before beginning a new freezer system, it's essential to confront the cold reality of emptying it out, even if that means parting ways with unused food. It may feel like a loss, but long-frozen food degrades in flavour, texture and nutritional value as we continue to pay electricity costs to keep it.
Consider how easily you throw away expired food from the fridge and why you do it; the freezer is no different. If this reality is too painful, commit to eating all the food in your freezer before going grocery shopping.
5-minute chicken curry. Source: Anjum’s Australian Spice Stories
You'll be able to conquer any unexpected guest situation, as well as unlock time and money-saving in one go.
Before batch-cooking, ensure you have containers ready. Opt for the same-sized rectangular containers that stack easily. You will also need masking tape and a permanent marker for dating and labelling. Buy a large variety of proteins that are on sale such as chicken legs, bacon, corned beef, or your preferred vegetable proteins. This method helps save money as you're taking advantage of multiple seasonal sale prices to bank on in the weeks to come.
Hot tip: avoid freezing foods with high water content, for example, salad leaves, cucumbers and watermelon, since the formation of ice crystals can damage the cell walls of the food, resulting in undesirable textural and flavour changes. Cooked potatoes are also best not frozen since the starch content and the cell structure of the potatoes can become grainy or mushy when thawed. If you're not sure about freezing a particular food, a quick Google search comes in handy.
Cook around four of your favourite recipes, aiming for six to eight servings per batch. This will result in around 24-32 individual portions. Smaller portions are easier to re-heat, which helps if you'd like to prepare food for unexpected guests. I find 500ml containers are enough to serve 2 people and 1 litre of dishes like curries, braises and pasta sauces will serve 4 people. Keep in mind this does not include the accompanying carbs. If freezing soups, you will need to double the quantity. Portion your dishes, allow them to cool, label the containers, then freeze them.
When ready to use, simply place your frozen dish into a small saucepan over medium-low heat while you prepare rice, pasta, and any side vegetables you'd like to serve with it. By the time your side dishes are complete, your frozen dish should be hot and ready to serve.
Frozen pea soup. Source: Adam Liaw
I encourage you to embrace a freezer system. You'll be able to conquer any unexpected guest situation, as well as unlock time and money-saving in one go.
