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09.27.2004

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freeze!
how to make the most of your freezer
 
by Yee-Fan Sun |
1 2 3

Gourmet snobs like to sniff their noses in disdain at the mere mention of using anything other than the very freshest food stuffs available, but those of us who live in the real world of tight budgets and crazy schedules know better: frozen goodies can be your best friends. Though it may be true that nothing beats the taste and texture of farm-fresh fruits and vegetables in season, few of us have the luxury of making a daily trip to the farmer's market or grocery store. Keeping your freezer well-stocked can make the difference between cooking up a tasty, cheap, nutritious meal yourself, or reaching for the nearest take-out menu.

Still, if a peek inside your freezer reveals a mountain of supermarket frozen pizzas, crinkle-cut fries, and jalapeno poppers, trust me: you could really be putting all that ice box space to much better use. Check out our guide to what frozen goodies to stock up on, and how to start making your own heat-and-serve frozen dinners…

ready-froze
Let's face it: the vast majority of what you'll find in the frozen food aisles of your friendly neighborhood supermarket is either mighty bad for your girlish figure, or just plain bad. Still, there are a few pre-packaged frozen goods that are worth stocking up on. Here are a few of my favorite essentials…

frozen spinach: I do like the taste of fresh spinach better, but frozen spinach is just so easy to use, as you don't have to go to that bother of rinsing and de-stalking and cooking and draining; you can pretty much toss a handful of spinach as is into whatever you're making.
frozen peas: Frozen peas are infinitely tastier than their canned incarnations; I like to have them around to add to fried rice, risotto and paella. Petite peas tend to be sweeter and more tender than the regular green peas.
frozen blueberries: Having frozen blueberries on hand ensures that I can pretty much always whip up some sort of a yummy dessert or baked good without having to run out to the store to buy ingredients. Blueberries are great for making pie, cobbler, and muffins, or cooked into a sauce for pancakes, crepes, ice cream, whatever.
good vanilla ice cream: Classic vanilla ice cream, preferably made with real vanilla beans, makes the perfect base for a no-effort dessert.

scamper on for more freezing tips

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