The Well-Stocked Freezer

It’s tough to create meals by working from your pantry and refrigerator alone. This is my final post on stocking your pantry, and refrigerator. Sometimes, you need a workhouse, like your freezer, to do some extra hard-working storage for you. Here are 13 things to add to your grocery list of things to store in your freezer for the not, quite so last minute meals. Still, I’m posting a recipe that you can still make at the last-minute, using frozen food stuff.

1. Frozen berries — your choice
2. Frozen peas. The make great ice packs.
3. Bread, or bread dough. Bread is best frozen rather than refrigerated.
4. Pie-crusts, store-bought, or make your own
5. Shrimp
6. Chicken breasts
7. Ground Beef
8. Bacon
9. Sesame, Poppy and ground flaxseeds. (They go rancid in the cupboard once ground.)
10. Walnuts, almonds, pistachios — your choice.
11. Edamame. (This is such a great protein source, I don’t even list it with vegetables)
12. Ice Cream
13. Frozen vegetables — your choice.

Awesome chicken tenders

• Two tablespoons Sesame Seeds
• 2 teaspoons thyme
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup of flour (whole wheat will work.)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 6 Frozen chicken breasts

1. Mix sesame seeds, salt, dried thyme, dried oregano, flour and Parmesan cheese into a pie plate.
2. Pull the chicken breasts from the freezer, and run warm water over the package so that you can get the packaging off.
3. Rinse chicken breasts in cold water.
4. Pour light olive oil in a large pan, and heat pan over medium heat.
5. Using a good sharp knife, cut the frozen chicken into strips, or bite-sized squares. Much easier to cut when frozen.
6. Dip the chicken strips into the egg mixture, then dredge through flour mixture.
7. Once oil is hot, cook strips until golden on each side.
8. Cut through to check to ensure there is no pink.
9. Done.

This meal is great when served with spaghetti marinara sauce, a bowl of edamame, with, what else, a bowl of ice cream!