Mom-To-Be Freezer Meal - Soups and Stews II

In my last post about soups and stews, which can be found here: http://one-eighty-loosed-a-kaboose.blogspot.ca/2013/05/mom-to-be-freezer-meal-soups-and-stews-i.html instead of me writing it out again or copying and pasting if you'd like to read more on that.

I sang praise to how easy it is to freeze soups and prepare soups from frozen. I wrote how I choose to freeze and package my soups (and stocks) and I really do believe that the muffin tin method is the easiest method, especially if you want to be able to make single serve portions.

The following soups are quite good, although personally, I wouldn't make them often.

Irish Beef Stew
This stew freezes really well.
Ingredients:
1/2 - 1 lb stewing beef
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 11.2oz bottle Guinness Draught (I actually haven't used this any time I've made this stew and it turns out fine, but I imagine it would add a new dimension of flavour.)
1 cup red wine (virgin wine works well if you don't have the alcoholic kind)
5 cups beef stock
1 tsp dried thyme (or a couple sprigs fresh.)
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp ketchup
3 large russet potatoes, peeled
2 large carrots (or 20 baby carrots)
1 yellow onion
2 tbsp butter
Fresh parsley

Directions:
If your beef is in large chunks, chop into small bite sized pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat the oil on med-high heat in a large stock pot and add the meat. Cook the meat for several minutes on each side, using tongs to turn over individual pieces so the meat gets nice and brown.

When your beef is browned, add the Guinness, red wine, beef stock, thyme, bay leaves and ketchup. Stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer while covered for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

While beef is simmering, chop your potatoes and carrots into bite sized pieces, and finely chop the onion. (If you have a picky eater in the house and have to pick out the inions afterward... sad, I know, you can quarter the onion instead, so the onion is easier to pick out.) In another pot, melt the butter on medium-high then add the potato, carrot and onion. Stir the vegetables so that they are coated with butter and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that the vegetables get caramelized. Try and time it so your vegetables finish at about the same time that the simmering beef ends.

Add the vegetables to the beef and broth. Simmer another 20 minutes with the lid on. Ladle the stew into bowls and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley.

 

Roasted Carrot & Cilantro Soup
This soup freezes really well in small batches and can last up to three months in a deep freeze.
Ingredients:
2 lbs carrots, peeled and uniformly sliced
2 tsp vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp cumin (I think I used about 1 - 1 1/2 tsp cumin, I might use 2 tsp next time)
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 small new or nugget potatoes, about 2/3 lb (I think I used about 2 cups russet potatoes)
8 cups chicken stock
1 cup cilantro (lightly packed, stemps cut off)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss sliced carrots in 2 tsp vegetable oil, salt, pepper and cumin. Roast in centre of oven for 30 minutes, turning once in between. Removed when slightly caramelized or blackened. Set aside.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, saute onion on medium heat in 2 tbsp oil. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into large chunks. Once onions have turned slightly translucent, add potatoes and saute for about 10 minutes.

Add the stock and turn the heat up to high. Once boiling, lower to a simmer. Keep simmering until the potatoes are almost done, about 10-15 minutes, then add the roasted carrots. Cook just enough to bring the carrots up to temperature, then remove from heat.

Pour soup into blender or food processor in batches (or use an immersion blender). Add in your cilantro at this point. Blend until it becomes as smooth as you like.  Return to saucepan and reheat.