With the recent concerns of Covid-19 in Malaysia, the biggest concern would be – how are we going to feed ourselves if we are supposed to avoid public places, especially grocery stores and restaurants? Fret not! There are actually many recipes you could prepare that can freeze well in any refrigerator, you don’t have to stock up solely on the ready-made frozen food made available, you could easily prepare your OWN freezer-friendly meals!
1. Beef Stir Fry
Ingredients: Sirloin steak, cornstarch, onion, red pepper, garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, water
How To Freeze: You could freeze it up to 4 months in a freezer bag.
How To Thaw: Place the freezer bag in your fridge overnight.
How To Reheat: It’s better to reheat on a stove and not in a microwave as the beef will get hard.
You can definitely freeze beef if you’re bored of chicken all the time. You don’t have to cook the beef before freezing. All you have to do is add all of the ingredients in a freezer bag, and ensure that you mix all of them together. It’s as simple as that. To consume, stir fry them in a pan over the stove.
Image credit: simplyrecipes.com2. Soy Honey Garlic Chicken Marinade (Or different kinds of chicken marinades)
Ingredients: olive oil, garlic, honey, soy sauce, salt, pepper, diced chicken breasts
How To Freeze: Prepare them in a freezer bag which you can find at any grocery stores.
How To Thaw: The best way is to keep them in the fridge overnight. However, you could rinse it in a bowl with cold water for a few hours. Ensure that your freezer bag is made of good quality to prevent any of the sauce from leaking out.
How To Consume: You could simply bake them in the oven or stir-fry them in a pan.
Chicken is probably every family’s staple. Preparing a variety of chicken marinades is not only easy, but you get to enjoy different flavours too. Just prepare your rice, freeze some vegetables such as beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and eat together with the chicken!
Image credit: allchickenrecipes.com3. Tuna Pasta Bake
Ingredients: Olive oil, garlic, onion, tomato, tomato paste, water, Italian mixed herbs, salt, black pepper, tuna of your choice (tuna in olive oil would be a better choice), spiral pasta (or any type of pasta), shredded mozzarella cheese
How To Freeze: Place the necessary ingredients in a foil or baking dish and cover it with aluminium foil. Take note to measure around 4 cups of water in the sauce.
How To Thaw: Simply leave it out for a few hours.
How To Reheat: Pop it into an oven for 30 minutes or so.
For something a little different, try baking tuna pasta. This dish is very convenient and can be frozen up to 2 months. Make the sauce with garlic, onion, tomato, water, herbs, salt and pepper and place the pasta inside once it’s done. Add the tuna (gently!) and stir it all together. Lastly, top it off with cheese!
Image credit: cookidoo.co.uk4. Shrimp Fried Rice
Ingredients: Rice, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, pepper, olive oil, shrimp, garlic, onion, carrots, peas, corn, pineapple
How To Freeze: Store the rice into freezer bags and freeze them up to 3 months.
How To Thaw: Preferably, it should be thawed overnight to ensure the rice isn’t that hard.
How To Reheat: You could heat it up in a pan or a microwave. Don’t forget to add a little water if you’re reheating it in the microwave!
Rice – every Malaysian’s favourite! You are able to freeze rice meals as well! All you have to do is cook the fried rice like you normally would. Mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and pepper, set them aside. Then, stir fry the garlic and onion first, and add the carrots, corns and peas. Place the rice, pineapple, shrimp and sauce in the pan, stir them all together.
Image credit: delish.com5. Egg Drop Soup
Ingredients: chicken broth, ginger, soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, eggs, salt, black pepper, green onions (to be sprinkled after cooking)
How To Freeze: Make sure to cool the soup completely before you begin freezing it in freezer-safe Tupperware or containers.
How To Thaw: It would be best to transfer the soup to the fridge from the freezer overnight.
How To Reheat: You could reheat the soup either on the stove or in the microwave.
Yes, you can even freeze your favourite soups! Almost every soup recipe is freezer-friendly. For this soup, boil the chicken broth and ginger together, then add the soy sauce, cornstarch (after whisking) shortly after. Remove from the stove and add sesame oil. While it’s still hot, add in the eggs, sprinkle salt and pepper. For a final touch, top it off with green onions.
Image credit: 12tomatoes.com6. Thai Chicken Curry
Ingredients: Skinless chicken breasts, coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, fish sauce, brown sugar, bell peppers, red onion, beans, onion, olive oil
How To Freeze: Place the curry in a large freezer bag or a freezer-safe container.
How To Thaw: It’s best to thaw the curry overnight, or you can also leave it out for several hours.
How To Reheat: Make it hot on the stove or microwave – either would be fine.
You got that right, even curries can be frozen as well. In a pot, add the olive oil and onion and saute them for a few minutes. Place the chicken in the pot and cook for several minutes. Then, add the coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, fish sauce, brown sugar and let it boil for roughly 5-10 minutes. Add the vegetables in and stir them all together.
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Image credit: thespruceeats.com
With these meal ideas, you could even try many other recipes, as these dishes include the common food that freezes well. Save yourself the trouble of the endless grocery trips and plan ahead!
