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Paleo/Primal freezer meals/quick meals?

7K views 17 replies 12 participants last post by  rhianna813 
#1 ·
Maybe it's pregnancy brain, but I'm having a hard time coming up with freezer meals that are paleo/primal in nature. Before getting pregnant (and the wicked morning sickness set in), I had eaten primal/paleo. However, I also had much more time for food prep, etc than I will with a newborn.

I know I can marinate/roast meats and cut those up and freeze. My issue is what to do about the sides? What veggie side dishes can be prepped either super fast or freeze well?

Thanks!

Ami
 
#2 ·
I came here to post pretty much exactly this! We are not fully Paleo/Primal but so far the ONLY things I can think of to freeze for post-partum meals are carb-heavy. Advice will be greatly appreciated by this pregnant mama!
 
#3 ·
Hmm, lots of views, but no responses.


Well, I haven't started cooking yet, but I will soon. Here's what I've come up with so far:

'egg' muffins
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/sausag...ns/Detail.aspx (similar to these, change spices/inclusions, lots of different tastes).

Crustless quiches/frittatas (similar to above, really, but I would <3 a quiche lorraine)

Cooked/shredded meat (chicken, pork, beef). Then split into bags, pour in whatever seasonings/sauces (bulgogi, chile verde, enchilada), freeze. Then just defrost and warm.

meatloaf

meatballs

salmon patties

coconut based curries (mmm, yellow curry, green thai curry, etc)

sausage patties, precooked and flash frozen then put into a ziplock baggie)

beef stew

veggie pancakes
similar to: http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/hobakjeon
with maybe something like arrowroot powder instead of flour to make it 'true' paleo? Or just adding eggs.

Stuffed cabbage leaves
similar to this, but will switch out rice with root veggies, plus lower tomato sauce so it's not as 'soupy':
http://www.dedemed.com/index.php/Oth...#axzz0yoJMj0f9

No crust pizza
I made this one up, but it's similar to this one:
http://genaw.com/lowcarb/no_crust_pizza.html
except no dairy, and tons more veggies on top, anchovies for dh's side, and I use tomato paste rather than sauce--makes it more pizza, less soup.

For the sides, I think I will go easy on myself and buy things like trader joe's greens mix, romaine lettuce, sweet potatoes, and fruits I can just pick up (grapes, berries, oranges) and eat, and, of course, nuts. Mmmm, nuts.


Hope this helps someone, even if only APBTlover. Of course, if this sparks any ideas, post away!!!


Ami
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the great ideas! I have been thinking about freezing some easy meals but I was stumped. My 4yo is having some health issues and our whole family has been on GAPS/SCD since last december which I don't want to give up due to lack of time. I am planning on a weekly food prep day where I make some grain free baked goodies, ferments, yogurt, stock, etc and make a double dinner so I can freeze extras. That way we are stocked up on the things we need plus an easy meal if needed.
 
#7 ·
I know what you mean...primal food is just so fresh and can be really basic that it's hard to prep too much ahead of time.

I was washing and stripping the leaves from the kale stems last night thinking that *cooking* kale/chard/collards is pretty fast, but prepping takes a while. Besides doing it in the morning for an evening (a possibility for me right now), I was curious how it would hold up to being frozen RAW. I'm thinking most frozen veg you can buy is blanched first. If I try it soon I'll let you know!

We always have frozen veg (broccoli, cauliflower, peas, green beans, spinach, and broc/cauli/carrot mix) in the freezer for days when I need to throw together dinner without any fresh veg. We also keep stocked on frozen fruit (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, mango, peaches, cherries, and sometimes pineapple) for smoothies or for topping yogurt or just pouring raw cream over (when we did dairy...mmmmm).

Heck, I'm so lazy and my kids are so flexible that I'll put frozen broccoli or green beans in their lunch and it's thawed enough to eat by lunch. They actually prefer it a little frozen! *I* think/know it'd be better with fat on it, but they prefer it this way and have plenty of fat in the rest of their lunch.


Then there are always soups...they freeze great and might hit the spot depending on what time of year you'll be in your baby moon.
Ham and cabbage, beef stew, chicken, etc yum

What about roasting or boiling chickens now and bagging the meat into family-sized portions to be turned into enchiladas, chicken salad, chicken soup, bbq sauced chicken, etc later?

HTH!
 
#8 ·
I wanted to add that I also keep the following in the freezer:
meatballs (this recipe is very wet raw and leads to moist, light meatballs full of veg and yummy...I also like to make lamb based like this)
pancakes (banana-egg-cinnamon, coconut flour-based, almond flour-based)
muffins, snack "cakes" (I've made these and will soon try these recipes)
salami, snack sticks, hot dogs (these thaw quickly! we buy from US Wellness)

edited to add: I made the carrot cake from the second link in the "muffin" line and I'm here to report that it's fabulous...probably too fabulous for *me* since I am trying to loose some weight
 
#9 ·
OK, I just remembered two more:
chicken nuggets (I made these with chicken thighs and almond meal like this...I froze a few cooked ones and they defrosted just fine...coating is a little soggy if you don't reheat, but still yummy)
chicken cordon bleu (directions here say you can freeze the raw rolls...)

And this fab blog is a pregnant/new mom squirreling away primal meals.
 
#10 ·
I'm planning on making a chicken/bacon/broccoli casserole for my friend who is due in NOV. It's quite similar to this recipe, actually.
http://www.joyfulabode.com/2010/09/0...i-cheese-bake/
plus chopped bacon (cook before you fry onions/garlic). and mayonnaise as a thickener.
The chicken is poached before cooking so you actually are just heating it through when you are ready to eat.

and it's sooo good and comforting. as well as super-nourishing, of course!


I've also made variations of this with sausage, cauliflower, really what ever veg and meat combo you like!
 
#12 ·


Can't think of anything to add right off the top of my head.

Everything sounds delish!

V
 
#13 ·
There is an MDA thread going on now on this same topic: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum...d=1#post216431

I shared some of the awesome ideas from this thread there.

Also, I've been making a yummy dish, w/ sliced italian sausage, peppers and onions, all sauteed then cooked in some marinara sauce. Way yummy, and I think it would freeze well. It will def. keep a few days in the fridge. I need to start making more of it all at once and try freezing some.

It also tastes good on top of sauteed butternut squash noodles, along w/ cauli.

Also, has anyone mentioned curries? I'm thinking this awesome curry I make would freeze quite well.

Coconut Chicken Curry

Ghee
1 onion, diced
3 tbs curry powder
1 tbs cumin
1 tbs garam masala
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp garlic powder+ 2 cloves garlic (I'm weird--do this however you want
)
1 tbs lime juice

Cook together until onions are translucent, then add

1 can coconut milk (sometimes an extra half can is necessary)
1 cup bone broth
1-1.5 lbs skinless/boneless chicken breast or thighs, chopped into cubes
And you could use fresh, but for ease I tend to add
1 bag frozen cauli
1 bag of mixed veggies, usually zucchini, carrots, green beans and cauli
1 cup frozen peas (optional--not strictly primal)

With the liquids added, it should be somewhat soupy--everything should be under the liquid. Add more coconut milk and/or broth as needed to taste. (Sometimes I just add a little extra water.)

Bring to a boil then let simmer until chicken is cooked through.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

I like there to be lots of veggies in this, and have def. switched them up--most stuff works. I sometimes use frozen veggies when cooking soups/stews as I don't notice a huge difference and its sooooo easy (and sometimes, more nutrient dense than fresh as they were allowed to ripen on the vine and quickly frozen after, vs. produce that ripened on the floor of a truck on the way to my town.)
 
#14 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Feb2003 View Post
I wanted to add that I also keep the following in the freezer:
meatballs (this recipe is very wet raw and leads to moist, light meatballs full of veg and yummy...I also like to make lamb based like this)
pancakes (banana-egg-cinnamon, coconut flour-based, almond flour-based)
muffins, snack "cakes" (I've made these and will soon try these recipes)
salami, snack sticks, hot dogs (these thaw quickly! we buy from US Wellness)

edited to add: I made the carrot cake from the second link in the "muffin" line and I'm here to report that it's fabulous...probably too fabulous for *me* since I am trying to loose some weight

yummy, thanks for sharing!
 
#15 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by bella_stranger View Post
and mayonnaise as a thickener.
bella_stranger, I have a question about this. Did you mean you've used mayo *as* the sauce? I've done a crockpot dish with mayo and it totally separates (which is fine in that dish since you leave the oil in the crock and it doesn't really affect texture...but the meat is super juicy and coated in a soft 'sauce'!). In this casserole I would try to sub for the sauce and cheese since we're dairy-free. I wonder if some mayo with some nutritional yeast might be good, but I'm thinking it would totally separate. Maybe use chicken broth with arrowroot and a little mayo and cooked onions and or mushrooms...maybe pureeing would help. Ideas?
 
#16 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Feb2003 View Post
I was washing and stripping the leaves from the kale stems last night thinking that *cooking* kale/chard/collards is pretty fast, but prepping takes a while. Besides doing it in the morning for an evening (a possibility for me right now), I was curious how it would hold up to being frozen RAW. I'm thinking most frozen veg you can buy is blanched first. If I try it soon I'll let you know!

Kale needs to be blanched for 30 seconds before you freeze it. (in salted water and then shocked in ice water and squeezed dry). Alternately, you can dehydrate it if you have a solar or electric one, and it will be great for soups later!
 
#18 ·
Thanks for the chicken/broc recipe. I make something similar with cauli and chicken but have been using flour to thicken. I want to switch to arrowroot or corn startch. Maybe experiment with different cheeses too. This is sort of a mac n cheese replacment.

I also freeze greens from the garden like chard, spinach and kale. All freeze great after blanching and can be used for quiche, soups, marinara sauce/ lasagna, or enchilada variations.

Precooked mushrooms freeze well too.

We also like meat marinara sauce over zuchini or broccoli. Since the veggies cook quick, you could just premake the meat sauce and freeze in baggies or jars.

You can do the same with taco meat and add it to salads later for a quick lunch or dinner.

Rhianna
 
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