Treasure From the Deep. . . Freezer Finds
Triangular Pulled Beef Burekas
Every six months or so the upright freezer seems to become a mystery box with all kinds of hidden gems. Full of the foods made for a rainy day and then sadly forgotten. To combat this and to make sure that there is room for foods prepared for the upcoming chagim (holidays) those said foods need to be eaten or defrosted and repurposed. In keeping with my weekly dinner menu plan I am making one weeknight dinner and one meal on Shabbat a ‘Freezer Surprise’ meal. Freezer surprise because although I make a concerted effort to label everything, I put into the freezer inadvertently there are many containers without labels.
I took a look into the freezers to assess my options. My DH is not big on soup as a meal, especially when the temperatures are in the 90s. So, no soup. To my pleasure there aren’t as many true mysteries as possible in the freezer. Most packages are labeled well and now it really is just a matter of choosing something that will be the right amount for the two of us. I don’t want leftovers; nothing will be refrozen. Tonight’s find will be Tamales. I will reheat them and serve with a leafy green salad and all of the trimmings for Tex Mex.
When I freeze something, it isn’t always with the intention of defrosting and reheating as is. Often the plan is to use the frozen item in a new dish. Pulled beef might become the filling for burekas or meat pasties. Frozen roast chicken, or the chicken from making soup may become the filling for a chicken pot pie or a stuffing for hollowed out vegetables. The possibilities are really unlimited. Reusing saved foods isn’t a new concept by any means. During the Great Depression, in times of war or when dealing with a limited budget repurposing food has been a cook’s saving grace. The ingenuity of necessity gave us many of the foods we refer to as homestyle classics or family favorites today.
I grew up cooking with my grandmothers, both of whom lived through not only the depression but the second world war. Budgets were tight and food staples were rationed. Yet, they managed to feed their families delicious and satisfying foods. Learning to cook at their heels I was taught to waste nothing. Vegetable scraps went into making rich soup stocks, the bones of poultry and meat went there as well. Cooked leftovers turned into croquettes and baked loaves. My parents also made food go as far as possible. Raising six children while one of them was in school and the other was starting a private practice meant the budget could be tight. Casseroles and entrees that stretched to feed a crowd were common on our dinner table.
Here are a few of my favorite repurposing recipes. Use these as a jumping off point and let yourself get creative!
Pulled Beef Burekas makes 6
Ingredients:
1 package Puff Pastry, defrosted
Defrosted pulled brisket or meat
BBQ sauce of your choice
All Purpose Flour for dusting
1 Egg + 1 tablespoon water, whisked
Sesame Seeds, Onion Flakes or Everything Seasoning, for topping
Directions:
Start by defrosting the meat you plan on using as well as the puff pastry. Make sure the meat you are using is completely defrosted and shredded. If it is dry add some of your favorite BBQ sauce and mix well. Set aside. Unroll the puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin roll two sheets of puff pastry out into rectangles that are one quarter larger than the packaged size. Divide each rectangle into six equal rectangles. With a pastry brush coat the outer quarter inch of each rectangle with the egg-wash. Place 1 or 2 tablespoons of the pulled meat filling into the center of 6 of the rectangles. Carefully top with the remaining 6 rectangles of puff pastry. Seal the edges with the tongs of a fork, making sure to make a tight seal around the whole pastry. Place the pastries on a parchment paper lined sheet pan and brush the surface with the remaining egg-wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or the topping of your choice. Using the fork poke holes into the tops of each pastry to allow steam to escape. Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 350F for 1bout 20 minutes. The pastries are finished when the crust is golden and flaky.
My Favorite Vegetable Stock
Ingredients:
8 to ten quart Stockpot
1 gallon Ziploc bag filled with assorted Vegetable Scraps – peels and scraps from most vegetables will work. Avoid skin and scraps from eggplant and other very strong flavored vegetables. This is a great way to use up fresh herbs and veggies that are still good but not looking their best.
Water
Directions:
Rinse all vegetable scraps and place into the stock pot. Fill the pot with water to about 1 ½ to 2 inches below the top of the pot. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer for about 1 to2 hours. Remove from heat and let cool. Pour through a cheese cloth lined colander into another large pot or bowl. Discard the vegetable solids (these make a great addition to a compost bin). The stock should have a deep color and rich vegetable flavor. Divide into containers and freeze for future use. Freeze in ice-cube molds to add to flavor quickly to sauces and grains. Using vegetable stock in place of water when cooking grains adds a wonderful depth of flavor.
**The bag of scraps can be frozen while you are collecting or if you create a lot of vegetable scraps quickly it can be stored in the refrigerator.