Make Ahead Meals Sample Recipe- Ginger Tempeh Soup with Ramen and Bok Choy

Hi friends! I’m here today to share an excerpt from my book, ‘Make Ahead Meals: Freezer Meal Recipes that Make Dinner Quick and Easy’. This is a vegetarian recipe that is so flavorful you won’t even miss the meat! Vegetable stock is taken up a notch with the infusion of fresh ginger, and the ramen adds a great texture to the final dish.

Ginger Tempeh Soup with Ramen and Bok Choy

Recipe excerpt from “Make Ahead Meals: 

Freezer Meal Recipes That Make Dinner Quick and Easy”

Recipe yields 2 meals, 4-5 servings per meal

Calories per Serving 209

Storage: 2x FreezerWare Containers, 64oz each

Ingredients:

8 cups (64oz) Vegetable Stock

2 inch piece of ginger, sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

2 tsp Sriracha

2tsp oil

8oz tempeh

1 tbsp ginger, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup scallions, sliced

8oz oyster mushrooms, chopped

1 large bunch bok choy

2 blocks ramen noodles

In a large saucepot simmer the vegetable stock with the ginger slices for 20 minutes, until the broth is infused with ginger flavor.

While the broth is simmering assemble the tempeh marinade. Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, dark brown sugar, and Sriracha together in a medium bowl and set aside.  Cut the tempeh into ½ inch thick slices and heat 1 tsp oil over medium high heat in a large saucepan.   Add the tempeh to the pan and
brown on both sides, approximately 2 minutes per side.  Remove tempeh from the heat, cut into bite
size pieces and add to the marinade.

Wipe out the pan used for the tempeh and add remaining 1 tsp oil and heat over medium heat.  Add ginger, garlic, and scallions to the pan and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.  Add bokchoy and  oyster mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes until softened.  Set aside.

Remove the ginger slices from the broth.  Add the entire bowl of tempeh and marinade along with the pan of sautéed bok choy and mushrooms.  Stir to combine and simmer for 5 minutes to combine flavors.  Pour half of the soup into each FreezerWare container.  Place a block of ramen into each container, seal and freeze.

Serving Instructions

Thaw in refrigerator overnight.  Pour the soup into a saucepan and heat on medium heat until warmed through.

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To download a printable PDF for this recipe you can click this link.  The format for this downloadable recipe is the same format as the book, so you can get an idea of how everything is organized.  I hope you give this recipe a try- it is definitely one of my favorites!

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To purchase a PDF file of this e-Book (for $7.99) directly from myself please click the PayPal button below

To Purchase a Full Color, Hard Copy of this Book (for $21.99) please click the Amazon link below:

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Sample Recipe- Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa

Hi everyone! I’m here today to share another sample recipe from my book, ‘Make Ahead Meals: Freezer Meal Recipes that Make Dinner Quick and Easy’.  This recipe is Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa and is a definite crowd pleaser.  A mixture of ground beef, pork, and veal is combined with sauteed vegetables, mushrooms, sherry, and quinoa before being stuffed into bright red bell peppers.  These peppers are crazy flavorful but still under 400 calories each!

Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa

Recipe from “Make Ahead Meals: Freezer Meal Recipes That Make Dinner Quick and Easy”

Recipe yields 4 meals, 4 servings per meal            

Calories per Serving: 493                                                                                                                    

Storage: 4x 1 gallon Ziploc Freezer Bags, Saran wrap

Ingredients:

16 bell peppers

3lbs of meatloaf mix

4 tbsp butter

4 onions, diced

2 cups of carrots, small dice

2 cups of zucchini, small dice

16oz mushrooms, sliced

8 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp dried oregano

½ cup tomato paste

2 cups dry sherry

4 cups of quinoa, cooked per package instructions

1 cup of fresh parsley, minced

4 eggs

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

1½ cups of parmesan cheese

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Cut off the tops of the peppers and hollow out the inside. Boil each pepper for 1 minute in salted water, quickly submerge in an ice bath, and lay upside down on paper towels to drain.

Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat and add the onions, carrots, and zucchini.  Cook for 5-7 minutes until onions are translucent and vegetables start to soften. Add mushrooms and cook for additional 3-5 minutes until softened.   Add garlic and oregano and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.  Add tomato paste and sherry, raise heat to medium-high, and cook until slightly reduced, stirring frequently- about 3 minutes.  Turn off the heat, mix in the quinoa and parsley, and let cool.

Once cooled, combine the vegetable and quinoa mixture with the eggs, Worcestershire sauce, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and meatloaf mix. Stuff approximately one heaping cup of this mixture into each bell pepper.  Wrap each bell pepper tightly in saran wrap and store 4 in each freezer bag.

Day of Meal Preparation
(for one meal/four peppers, only)

32oz jar, or 3 cups, tomato sauce

½ cup parmesan cheese

Serving Instructions:

Thaw overnight in refrigerator.  Transfer the peppers to a baking dish and cover with tomato sauce. Cook at 350F for 50-60 minutes until the meat is no longer pink and registers 160F on a digital thermometer. During the last 5 minutes of baking sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the tops of the peppers.

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To access a printable PDF file of this recipe please follow this link.  The pdf is a direct excerpt from the book, so this will give you an idea of the format and style of the book as well.

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To purchase a PDF file of this e-Book (for $7.99) directly from myself please click the PayPal button below

To Purchase a Full Color, Hard Copy of this Book (for $21.99) please click the Amazon link below:

Amazon

10 Quick Facts About The Book

Hi friends! If you missed my big post yesterday I’ll clue you in- I’ve just released an e-Book all about Freezer Meals! Today I thought I’d share some of my favorite things about my e-Book, titled ‘Make Ahead Meals: Freezer Meal Recipes that Make Dinner Quick and Easy’. Here are my top 10 favorite aspects of the book, which I sincerely hope you will read!

1. The book is a start-to-finish guide for freezer meals.  I really wanted it to be an ‘all-in-one’ instruction book and cook book, so there was a lot of ground to cover (the book is 108 pages total). If you are a beginner looking for a place to start or an expert looking for new recipes- this book is for you!

2. Each recipe uses whole foods, lists the calorie content per serving, and is easy to prepare.  The majority of recipes are under 500 calories per serving and there are no processed ingredients used.  If a recipe calls for salsa, breadcrumbs, pie dough, etc I make sure to include the recipe so you can make it yourself!

3. The recipes are designed for bulk cooking- they each make anywhere from 2-5 meals (each of which serves at least 4).  I also list recipes that share common ingredients so you can make them in the same cooking session; this ensures you are using your time, and spending your money, efficiently.

4. Exact storage containers and freezing instructions are listed for each meal.  Because proper storage and thawing is so important to making sure a freezer meal tastes its’ best, I made sure to include very specific instructions for freezing/thawing each individual recipe.

5. There are a majority of product recommendations; from equipment to spices to storage!

6. I love to have a visual when browsing recipes, so this book includes over 30 full color photographs.

7. I outline 3 different types of cooking sessions, so you don’t feel tied into one method that doesn’t work with your schedule.

8. There are a variety of printables included in the book.  These include Meal Label Templates, a Dream Freezer Inventory List, an Inventory Tracking List, Grocery Shopping List, and even a Sample Grocery List.

9. While the title of the book is “Make Ahead Meals: Freezer Meal Recipes that Make Dinner Quick and Easy”, this book is more than just dinners! There are chapters for breakfast, dessert, and sides/condiments too.

10. A wide variety of different foods are represented. There are Asian, Mexican, Italian, American, and Indian flavors throughout the recipes in the cookbook.  You’re sure to find something even the pickiest eater will love!

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If you’re interested in purchasing this book you can do so below.  I will be back in the next few days with sample recipes from the book and a big giveaway.  Thank you all so much for your support!

To purchase a PDF file of this e-Book (for $7.99) directly from myself please click the PayPal button below

To Purchase a Full Color, Hard Copy of this Book (for $21.99) please click the Amazon link below:

Amazon

Make Ahead Meals: Freezer Meal Recipes That Make Dinner Quick and Easy — Up for Sale!

Hi everyone, welcome to my week-long book release!!!!  I am SO thrilled to finally be able to share my new freezer meal cookbook with all of you.  It’s taken a whole year to complete so I really hope you love it.  I will be stopping by every day this week to share more information about the book, recipes, and some giveaways too!  Make sure you keep checking back 🙂

In the mean time, I’ll leave you with the official “about the book” and the purchasing information at the bottom of the page.  You can purchase the book as an e-Book or a physical cookbook- whichever you prefer.

“Make Ahead Meals: Freezer Meal Recipes that Make Dinner Quick and Easy”

This book is a start-to-finish guide for Make Ahead Meals, otherwise known as freezer, or batch, cooking. This is an amazing concept that will save money, time, and your sanity. By making meals in advance your family will dine on healthy dishes while you enjoy the luxury of choosing when to cook based on your own schedule.

This book introduces you to the concept of Make Ahead Meals and goes over all the great benefits for your family; including saving time and money without sacrificing the quality of your food. There are a multitude of ideas for getting started with freezer cooking, including what supplies you will need and how to keep track of your meal inventory. This book guides you on how to make and serve dinner efficiently and teaches you the best ways to maximize your time. Also included are three different concepts for Make Ahead Meal cooking sessions and
printable inventory tracking sheets, grocery shopping lists and meal label templates.

Once you’re an expert in Make Ahead Meals, you will have over 50 delicious and healthy recipes to choose from to get started. You won’t see any store-bought sauces, condensed soup, or processed foods in this cookbook; all the recipes use whole foods, so you know exactly what you are feeding your family. A few of these mouthwatering recipes include Stuffed Flank Steak with Mushrooms and Red Peppers, Eggplant Caponata Roll Ups, and Pancetta and Sage Pork Cutlets. Each recipe lists the calorie content per serving and also recommends other recipes in the book that share ingredients, so you can make the most of your dollar by cooking similar meals in the same cooking session.

 In addition to a wide variety of dinner recipes there are also chapters for vegetarian meals, breakfast, dessert, and sides/condiments.  The recipes included in this cookbook range from kitchen basics, such as Classic Meatloaf with a Tangy Ketchup Glaze, to unique and flavorful recipes from all around the world, such as the Ginger Tempeh Soup with Ramen and Bok Choy.  Whether you want recipes for a Mother’s Day brunch, fancy dinner party, or a quick family supper, Make Ahead Meals has you covered!

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ETA: To see more posts about the book and sample recipes please click these links

10 Quick Facts about the Book

Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa Recipe

Ginger Tempeh Soup with Ramen and Bok Choy Recipe

To purchase a PDF file of this e-Book (for $7.99) directly from myself please click the PayPal button below

If you’re interested in the hard copy of the book, this is what it looks like.  It’s full color, 108 pages, and great quality 🙂

To Purchase a Full Color, Hard Copy of this Book (for $21.99) please click the Amazon link below:

Amazon

10 Days Until Release Date!

My freezer meal guide/cookbook, Make Ahead Meals, is done! I am so excited; I’ve been working on this for over a year and cannot WAIT to share it. The book itself is completed; I’m just working on finalizing the formatting and the selling platform. As of right now, the book will be available to purchase on March 17, the e-Book (pdf file) will be $7.99 and a full color cookbook from Amazon will be $19.99. During the week of March 17th I will have a week full of posts explaining the book in more detail, so make sure you check back! If this is the first you’re hearing about my book- it is both a guide to making freezer meals and a cookbook.  If you’ve been thinking about getting into freezer meals or are looking for some new recipes for stocking your freezer- this is the book for you! See you in 10 days for the big release!

Update on Make Ahead Meals Cookbook

Hello everybody!  I’m sorry it’s been such a long time since my last post.  I have been quite busy though and the e-Book is still in the works! I’ve got a few last recipes to test and some finishing touches on the book and then I’ll be done, yippee!  I will tentatively say that the book will be complete by the end of February, but I will be sure to keep everyone posted on progress!  Until that time, here are some photographs from the book, yum 🙂

Mushroom and Red Pepper Stuffed Flank Steak

Spicy Garlic Salmon

Rustic Curried Chickpea and Potato Tart

Welcome to Make Ahead Meal Recipes

Hi friends! Welcome to my blog, Make Ahead Meal Recipes! This blog will function as a companion to my new e-book, ‘Make Ahead Meals: Freezer Meal Recipes That Make Dinner Quick and Easy”. I will be sharing details about the book, recipes, and some product suggestions along the way. My new book will not be on sale until July, however I’d like to share some of my favorite aspects of the book with you today.  For an official “about the book” please see HERE. 

I thought this first post would be a good time to go over some of my favorite aspects of the book.  It’s a bit more detailed than the ‘official’ blurb about the book so I hope this gets you excited to read it!

Versatility

All of the recipes in the book are broken down by protein- so there are chapters for Chicken, Beef, Pork, Meatloaf Mix, and Seafood. There are also chapters for Vegetarian, Breakfast, Dessert, and Condiments/Side Dishes so I promise you can cook for virtually anyone or any occasion with these recipes. Each chapter contains a minimum of 5 recipes and each recipe lists the calorie content per serving and the exact storage units to use in order for your meals to taste their best.

Health

As noted above, all of the recipes show you the calorie content per serving. It was important for me to keep health as a main focus of this book, so most of the recipes are under 500 Calories per serving (with the exception of a decadent Chocolate Oreo Pie, yum, and a few others). Don’t get me wrong- it’s not a “health food book” (not that there’s anything wrong with that!), it’s simply a yummy recipe book that remembers that vegetables exist and keeps the fats relatively low, while not sacrificing flavor. Also, the recipes only utilize whole foods- no store bought stir fry sauces, seasoning packets, or processed foods. Anytime there is a recipe that calls for a typically store bought ingredient (such as pie dough or salsa), I give instructions so you can make it yourself if you so choose.

Efficiency

In addition to delicious meals I also wanted to ensure you have the tools to make and plan your meals efficiently. To this end I have included Freezer Inventory, Grocery List, and Freezer Meal Label printables (among others). I also cross reference recipes that share ingredients, so you can plan your cooking sessions to utilize the most of your time and money.

Quality

As you can see above, the photographs in the book are stunning.  In addition to these professional photographs the recipes in the book detail how to make high quality yet simple to prepare meals. Each recipe went through rounds of taste testing to ensure it is ‘just right’ and will freeze beautifully. This book is detailed and thorough; it contains over 100 pages of helpful tips and easy to follow instructions.

I can’t wait to share my new book with you! I’m just finishing up some recipe tests and photography and then it will be available for purchase soon 🙂