When the Freezer is Full...

We had no space left in the freezer. Or should I say in either freezer. We have a second refrigerator in the garage, and both freezers were packed without an inch to spare. I told Hank we couldn’t have any meal that didn’t involve at least one item from the freezer.

#1 – One (of two) containers of mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving became Shepherd’s Pie. Hank asked how I think of such things, and was amazed it was so good! I’ll definitely make this again with the other container.

There wasn’t much to this recipe. I sautéed a small chopped onion and some chopped mushrooms I happened to have in the fridge. Then I browned a pound of ground lamb, and added a Tablespoon or so of tomato paste (also from the freezer*). Salt, pepper, some herbs – whatever was in the fridge – a Tablespoon of flour stirred into the fat, and then a bit of white wine to deglaze the pan. I divided the meat among four Le Creuset French onion soup crocks, topped each with a layer of mashed potatoes, dotted the top with butter, and baked at 400°F for 30 minutes until bubbly. Let cool a bit before digging in!

#2 – Also from Thanksgiving, I had half a dozen cider doughnuts that didn’t get eaten, which I had cut into quarters and put into the freezer. (I like to get them from Guido’s Fresh Marketplace in Pittsfield, MA or Bartlett’s in Richmond, MA.) I decided to try making a cider doughnut bread pudding. I put the doughnut pieces into a gratin dish and whisked up a quick custard with a cup of milk, ¼ cup of heavy cream, two eggs, ¼ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and a pinch each of salt and nutmeg. I poured this over the doughnut pieces and sprinkled vanilla sugar on top. This took about 45 minutes in a 350°F oven. Next time I may even buy cider doughnuts just to make this!

#3 – Finally, I had some cooked rice in the freezer. Thanks to my friend, Terri, who told me it was possible, I now freeze leftover rice, adding to the container until I have enough for fried rice! For about 3-4 cups of leftover rice, I bought a pound of ground pork, but you can also use any ground meat, chopped meat or poultry leftover from dinner, cubed tofu, or none of the above! I love the flavor of shiitake mushrooms in fried rice, so I will always buy some when I make this, but for the other vegetables, I’ll use leftovers if I have them. If not, julienned carrots, broccoli florets, frozen peas, chopped bok choy, bell pepper, are all good options. (I’ve started buying roasted red peppers from the olive bar at Guido’s Fresh Marketplace whenever I need them because I can buy only as much – or as little – as I need.) NB: You MUST use cold rice for this. Freshly cooked, warm rice will not work well. It need not be frozen, but it definitely can’t be warm!

Before you begin cooking, make the sauce. For this amount of rice and meat (3-4 cups, 1 pound), I’ll use ¼ cup Shaoxing wine (or water), 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, and a dash of sesame oil.

You can cook this in a wok or a large frying pan. Heat some canola oil and start by sautéing one thinly sliced shallot (or 2-3 scallions, white and light green parts, cut in 1-inch pieces, or some thinly sliced onion, if that’s all you have) and peeled, finely chopped fresh ginger. (I love ginger so I will use close to an inch, but do as much or as little as you want.) Once these have begun to brown, add garlic, minced or through a garlic press. Again, you can decide how garlicky you want to make this. (Now is when you should add spicy heat if you like it – dried peppers, crushed red pepper flakes, or sambal olek are some possibilities.) If I’m including julienned carrots, I’ll add those now because they take longer to soften. The meat goes in next, and when it’s brown, add the other vegetables and mix to combine and warm through or cook, depending on whether your vegetables are leftovers or fresh. Add the rice, and stir until everything is well-combined. Make a space in the pan and pour in 2 beaten eggs. Stir to combine. Finally add the sauce and stir to mix well.

For this most recent batch, I was pretty happy because I also had some fresh pineapple and cilantro in the fridge to stir in at the end, but it’s certainly fine without it.

*When we use less than a can of tomato paste, I put the rest into a plastic bag and press it thin. Then I can break off only as much as I need and I don’t have to open a whole can.