Hi, all! This is Krysten, filling in for Emily, who’s back next week after a glorious spring break.
I love the freezer, a totally unsexy but incredibly useful appliance. Mine is full of all kinds of treasures and foundations for so many meals: shrimp (preferably wild!); ground turkey; boneless, skinless chicken breasts; ice cream.
The freezer is a blessing (there are always dinner ingredients on hand) and a curse (the cooking ruts come fast and furious). And while I love a creative challenge, I sometimes find myself staring at bags of frozen broccoli at a total loss. If you, like me, are living this freezer-focused life — or if you’re just a hungry person looking for easy, affordable dishes — these five recipes are a great place to start. And if you’re looking for even more brilliance, Sohla El-Waylly teaches you how to make the most out of frozen fish (without defrosting!) in her latest “Cooking 101” video. (See: Millie Peartree’s coconut curry fish.)
Let me know how it goes. Find me on Instagram, where I’m cooking, sewing and hugging my dog.
2. Broccoli-Walnut Pesto Pasta
You don’t even need to defrost the broccoli for this recipe from Genevieve Ko; just add a few minutes to the boil time. The tender florets are then blitzed with garlic, mint and oil to become a silky sauce for your favorite cut pasta.
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3. Coconut Rice With Shrimp and Corn
Thawed frozen shrimp works wonderfully in this dish from Samantha Seneviratne. They simmer in coconut milk alongside (frozen) corn kernels and rice, then brightened up with lime zest and basil for a simple one-pot meal layered with flavor.
4. Sazón Chicken Breasts
Sazón is a staple of my pantry and makes an excellent marinade when combined with orange juice, garlic and olive oil, as in this recipe from Von Diaz. These flavorful breasts are great to keep on hand to bolster salads or to simply serve with rice and sautéed greens for dinner.
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