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24 June 2008

Baby watch - need meal ideas! [More:]No baby yet. Mrs. tr33 is due in two days, but at the last check-up the doc said he wasn't seeing a whole lot of action yet. I know these things can go quickly sometimes, but if nothing else we have an appointment scheduled for inducement next Monday evening.

So, I know life will get crazy. And I'm teaching two nights a week this summer in addition to the full-time gig. So time is at a premium for me. And I'm also the full-time cook.

I've made a few things for the deep freezer for quick meals - enchiladas, a potato casserole. But I'm running out of ideas. So much veg food doesn't freeze well, and it's summer so we don't eat a lot of soup/vegetarian chili, which does freeze well.

So, MeCha friends, any suggestions for vegetarian meals that are nicely suited for the deep freezer? Mrs. tr33 wants to try her hand at making some things over the next few days as well (she's off work after today), so the easier the better. She's not so handy in the kitchen!
Most soups and stews will freeze well -- vegetarian chili, vegetable soup, that sort of thing. They lose texture when thawed and reheated, but they still taste good. A good pot of beans, same thing.

Stay away from cheese. There's no way to put this delicately: Mrs. tr33 is going to have problems pooping for quite a while after delivery, most likely. Throwing cheese into that situation is throwing gas on a brush fire.
posted by middleclasstool 24 June | 08:09
I just now saw the no soup/chili thing. Sorry!

You might consider keeping baggies of chopped vegetables on hand for throwing together a quick salad. Tamales also freeze well.
posted by middleclasstool 24 June | 08:15
Hmmm, tamales. Good one!
posted by tr33hggr 24 June | 08:20
Lasagne, eggplant lasagne, and baked ziti were our go-to frozen meals right after we had both kids. I never noticed a problem with cheese, personally. Two days! Such an exciting time...
posted by iconomy 24 June | 08:28
Anecdotally (Mecha parents back me up on this??) some of my friends have suggested to hold off on the dishes that are heavy on the beans. Makes the baby super-gassy and miserable (assuming breastfeeding).
posted by gaspode 24 June | 08:58
Yeah, I was going to suggest casseroles like lasagne, macaroni, ziti, etc. etc. They are the perfect freezer food, hands down. That's why they're so popular as gifts.

I see that you've already made some casseroles. Just keep throwing stuff in a pan!
posted by muddgirl 24 June | 09:05
You guys are awesome. I shall be the pasta king!
posted by tr33hggr 24 June | 09:22
Oooh, I just had a good idea - tofu pot pie. Here's a recipe. A bit complicated, but it'd be easy to simplify that.
posted by muddgirl 24 June | 09:50
Pizza freezes well too. You can buy the dough already made from most pizza places, usually a buck each.
posted by iconomy 24 June | 10:02
Like everything else, babies taste real good with some sriracha.

Mmmmm. Spicy babies.
posted by mudpuppie 24 June | 12:58
Motherloaf, it's like a meatloaf without meat, although i use some ground turkey. Freezes and stores well and easily resurrected. It's a pain in the ass without a food processor that shreds or something that chops for you, in which case it's fast and easy.
Shred onions, carrots, celery, garlic, onions, mushrooms, ground meat or substitute.
Add left over risotto or i suppose any rice.
And whatever else you want, say quinoa or breadcrumbs.
Don't forget salt and pepper, herbs and spices you like, maybe.
Add egg. Mix with gorey handed vengence.
Wad into a baking pan. Top with a tomato sauce or good ketchup.
Bake at 400 for an hour.

It lasts forever and is always surprisingly good and comforting. i think the risotto is the key.

Stock up on easy to throw together noodles. Lately i've been crazy for noodle salad, which is pasta and vegetables like bell peppers and cabbages and herbs.
The dressing is simple to whip up, especially if you have a hand blender: soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, brown sugar, lime juice, garlic, ginger and lots of cilantro or a hot pepper or what have you.
i could pour it over just noodles and be pretty happy but i shredded carrot, cabbage, radish and green onions the other day and it was great. Stores well for a day mixed up or keep the dressing and veggies separately stored for days to combine. It's nice for summer.

You can take an afternoon to prep enough stuff to not have to do more than reheat or combine for weeks.

Good luck and fingers crossed.
posted by ethylene 25 June | 05:48
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