Jan 15, 2020
We are celebrating the frigid month of January with a show about freezer cooking. Today’s show just might inspire you to get going with that new Instant Pot you received for Christmas. We are covering the process of preparing those time-saving freezer meals and using the latest kitchen appliances to put nutritious meals on the table for your busy family.
Rachel Tiemeyer is the author of the new cookbook, From Freezer to Cooker: Delicious Whole Food Meals for the Slow Cooker, Pressure Cooker, and Instant Pot. The recipes are easy, delicious, family-pleasing, and nourishing. We’ll dig into Rachel’s new recipe for the humble home cook’s Beef Bourguignon, which can be made in a slow cooker or instant pot. We’ll talk about another recipe that I contributed to Rachel’s cookbook for Barley and Chickpea Soup, which is a vegetarian soup made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot. It’s chock-full of good nutrition and fiber. Rachel is co-founder with Polly Conner of Thriving Home, a down-to-earth lifestyle blog that they began in 2012 as a way to encourage and equip moms at home. Check out their blog for lots of great recipes. Their website is one of the top sites for freezer cooking in the online space. You might remember Rachel from Episode 11 when she visited with us to talk about one of her favorite topics, freezer meals. Let’s jump into more deliciousness with Rachel!
Show Highlights:
- Getting to know Rachel, a busy mom of three who lives in Columbia, MO, and is known as a “Freezer Cooking Evangelist”
- Why freezing prepared meals does not deplete nutrients
- Rachel’s first book, From Freezer to Table, published in 2017; it covers how to prep, package, store, and thaw freezer meals
- How her new book came from the needs of busy families to get healthy meals on the table by using a slow cooker and Instant Pot
- How every recipe in Rachel’s new book can be prepared in either the slow cooker or Instant Pot---and can be used as a freezer meal!
- Why you don’t want to fully cook a freezer meal before freezing
- Rachel’s Beef Bourguignon: A flavorful concoction of stew meat or chuck roast, bacon, aromatics, flour, red wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, soy sauce, thyme, bay leaf, carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes
- Rachel’s specifics in using a pressure cooker or Instant Pot for freezer meals
- Safe ways to thaw freezer meals: in the refrigerator, in a cold water bath, or in the microwave
- Why the Instant Pot keeps food juicier than a slow cooker
- Why chicken is usually overcooked in the slow cooker
- Rachel’s rules for knowing your slow cooker
- Some favorites from the cookbook at the Tiemeyer house: Jack’s Chicken and Dumpling Stew and French Dip Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
- Breakfasts and desserts, like steel cut oats, egg casseroles, and french toast casseroles
- How to use “Pot in pot” cooking
- Liz’s Barley and Chickpea Soup
- A favorite vegetarian recipe in the book: Pumpkin Chili
- A random question from the Mason jar about Rachel’s favorite food
Resources:
Giveaway: One lucky U.S. listener or reader can enter for a chance to win a copy of From Freezer to Cooker: Delicious Whole-Foods Meals for the Slow Cooker, Pressure cooker, and Instant Pot by Polly Conner & Rachel Tiemeyer. Post a comment in the comments section at the end of this post and tell me about your favorite slow cooker or Instant Pot recipe. Or if you're a freezer diva, tell me what you like to cook from your freezer! Giveaway ends on January 29th.
Special FREEBIE page for LHT listeners: ThrivingHome.org/lizshealthytable
Top 10 EASY Freezer Meals – This collection of favorites will get you started right away on stocking your freezer.
Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart – We spent years testing these cooking times (for fresh and frozen meals)!
Weekly Menu Planner – A simple printable to help you plan each week.
Freezer Smoothie Pack Bundle – Stock your freezer with delicious and healthy smoothies.
Check out my "Reduce Your Kitchen Carbon Footprint" blog series. In January, we're tackling COMPOSTING:
Episode 11 featured Rachel's first cookbook, From Freezer to Table: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2017/09/19/freezer-cooking-with-rachel-tiemeyer/
Website: ThrivingHome.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thrivinghomeblog/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivinghome/