Greek for a Week! ( Weekly menu plan & freezer cooking )

Greek Freezer Cooking - Bulgur Pilaf

Would you like to have a whole week of vegan, Greek meals in your freezer?

It's quick and easy to do!

And, if perchance you aren't Greek, and would rather space these meals out rather than eating Greek for the whole week, try incorporating them into a Vertical Meal Plan

If you don't usually eat vegan, this may well be one of the most frugal week of menus you've ever eaten! : )

Each Meal is served with Salad & Bread

Greek Freezer Cooking - Peas & Artichokes

with the exception of the Bulgur - where the veggies
are eaten on top of the pilaf.

Each of these meals may be made separately by using the Single Batch Yachni Recipe.
There's a shopping list at the bottom for your convenience.
Here's the Week's Menu:

Sunday:
Bulgur Pilaf ( Pourgouri )



Monday:
Greek Peas & Artichokes Yachni
Tuesday:
Greek Bean Soup ( Fasolia Yachni )


Greek Freezer Cooking - Greek Bean Soup

Wednesday:
Greek Okra & Tomato Stew ( Bamies Yachni )
Thursday:
Greek Chickpea Stew ( Revythia )
Friday:
 Greek Giant Beans ( Gigantes ) 
Saturday:
Greek Stuffed Veggies ( Gemista )


To Make the recipes for your freezer:
Cook Two Batches of Yachni Sauce 

Greek Freezer cooking - Greek Chickpea Stew

Then, Measure out ingredients for these menus directly into your freezer containers, and pop in the freezer. These are slow-cooker meals that will be ready to thaw & pop in the slow cooker on the day they will be eaten.
Monday:
Greek Peas & Artichokes Yachni
Tuesday:
Greek Bean Soup ( Fasolia Yachni )
Wednesday:
Greek Okra & Tomato Stew ( Bamies Yachni )
Friday:
Greek Giant Beans ( Gigantes )


Then, Measure out the sauce for this meal. It is another slow cooker meal that can be assembled directly into the slow cooker on Thursday Morning. Just combine your dry chickpeas, sauce, celery & water in the pot ( or in the evening, you can add some celery or spinach a couple hours before serving)
Thursday:
Greek Chickpea Stew ( Revythia )

That leaves Sunday's & Saturday's meals.
For Sunday's meal, it can be prepared ahead or on the day it is eaten - either way it takes about 20 minutes to make - once the sauce is ready, it takes about the same time as a boxed dinner!

 For Saturday's meal, the filling may be made ahead, by cooking the rice, toasting the almonds and assembling the filling for the freezer. On Saturday, you simply cut the tops out of the peppers and pull out the seeds, fill them with the thawed filling, and pop them in the Slow Cooker or Cooking pot to cook them : )

Shopping List for Greek Week

4 (#10) cans Chopped Tomatoes, or 28 (15 oz) cans

4 (12oz) Bags Frozen Onions (or 8 large fresh Onions)
8 Bay Leaves
2 (6oz) cans tomato Paste
1 Package Bulgur (2 cups)
3 oz Broken Spaghetti or Vermicelli
2 Pounds Frozen Green Peas
1 can ( or 1 12oz bag frozen) Artichoke Hearts
2 (12oz) bags Frozen Mirepoix Mix (or 1 cup each, Onion, Celery, Carrot)
3 Cans Great Northern Beans (or 4 1/2 cups home prepared with liquid)
3 (12oz) bags frozen Okra (whole, cut, or a combination)
1 Pound Dried Chickpeas
4 Ribs Celery
5 Cans Butter Beans
6 Bell Peppers
Slivered Almonds to Toast  (1/2 cup)


Greek Freezer cooking - Stuffed Veggies

Chopped Fresh Veggies to serve with Bulgur
 Salad Fixings for 6 days
Bread to serve with meals
Seasonal Fruit of your choice for Desserts

And, check your pantry for these staples:
Dried Parsley
Jar of Minced Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Cumin
Cinnamon

This is being shared on 
Menu Plan Mondays
http://frugallysustainable.com/
Thrifty Home's Penny Pinching Party
Healthy Vegan Friday
Serenity Saturday
No Ordinary Homestead
Rounding Up Favorite Meatless Meals
Food on Friday - Mediterranean





 









      
     

Vat O' Spaghetti Sauce

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce used in Manicotti (coming soon!)
Since I forgot to take a picture of the sauce all by itself.

This is a simple, vegan homemade Spaghetti or Italian Red Sauce that you can keep in the freezer for all your batch cooking or freezer cooking needs. If for some reason you don't have the time or desire to make this one, there's nothing wrong with substituting your favourite store-bought brand in a recipe. But, I find when using store bought spaghetti sauce, I either have to pay too much, or I have to season it when I get it home to make it "just right." This one, you can make exactly to your taste, and control the oil going in.

This recipe is adapted from my Sister, Nancy's, sauce recipe.

Vat O' Vegan Spaghetti Sauce
(optional: Oil may be added to taste. I make mine oil-free)

3 T garlic *

1 (12oz) bag frozen onions, thawed under running water, or 2 large chopped onions**
#10 can crushed tomatoes or 7 (15oz) cans***

1 1/2 Tablespoon basil

2 1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 1/2 teaspoon Salt &

1/2 teaspoon Pepper

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (more to taste - I cook for a small child, so keep heat to a minimum)
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup water (more after cooking)
On high in crock pot 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring once or twice (it can scorch on high) OR simmer on stove top about 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

*I use American grocery store pre-minced garlic from a jar. It is VERY mild. Homegrown, fresh garlic can be much stronger- adjust amount to your tastes.

**If you use fresh onions, you may have to simmer longer till they're tender, or pre-saute them before adding them.

***The Crushed tomatoes I buy are ultra-thick - almost like tomato paste, which gives me a concentrated sauce. (I have been buying the GFS brand lately). I like that, since it takes less freezer space. I dilute the sauce with water till it's the right consistency (easily pourable) at cooking time. If the Crushed Tomatoes you buy are thin/watery, you might choose to stir in a can or two (6oz cans) of tomato paste to thicken them.

This recipe fills my Slow Cooker almost to the top rim (which has been working okay for this recipe)! If it didn't, I might also add things like chopped mushrooms, bell pepper, capers, olives - what have you. If you have a bigger pot, don't hesitate to add your favourite extra sauce ingredients.

Greek Chickpea Stew ( Revythia )

This is another Greek dish that traditionally done, takes hours. This is the traditional way: Use dried, whole chickpeas. Soak them overnight in water with a little baking soda. The next day, put them between two layers of kitchen towels, and roll them with a rolling pin till they split in half. Remove all the skins. Prepare Sauce, and simmer sauce with halved chickpeas on the stove top for about 3 hours, until tender. About halfway through cooking time, add sliced celery OR spinach.

It is my theory that the chickpeas were traditionally split to reduce cooking times and save very expensive fuel.

In modern times, pre-split and skinned chickpeas may be bought, but I have been unable to find any here in the US. (Indian Chana Dal is split, skinned chickpeas, but it is a much smaller chickpea than the European type).

I have hand-split chickpeas before, and, well, either I'm not good at it, or it is a VERY time consuming task for everyone. I decided they taste fine whole ; )

Here is my modern, American method:

Revythia
Soak in refrigerator: 2 cups Chickpeas in water with 1 or 2 teaspoons Baking Soda* added. 
The next day, drain and rinse Chickpeas
Place in Crock
2 Cups Dry, Soaked Chickpeas* (I buy them in the Indian Grocery as Kabuli Chana)
5 to 6 Cups water (depending how soupy you like it)
5 Cups Yachni

Cook in Slow Cooker or Crock Pot on High
for 9 or more hours (it is VERY hard to overcook Chickpeas!)

In the last hour of cooking time, add
4 stalks sliced Celery OR add a bag of Thawed Frozen Spinach (Personally, I much prefer the Spinach : )

Serve with Bread & Salad.

* Baking Soda really helps tenderize the beans, and helps compensate for cooking them in a Tomato-based sauce, which normally would toughen them.

This freezes well.

Slow Cooker Method 2
(not quite as tasty, but if it's what you have on hand, it's not too bad )
3 15 oz cans drained chickpeas
4 to 5 cups Yachni
3 stalks sliced celery
Cook on Low 6 hours.

Tip for dining with Omnivores: this dish is quite hearty and requires no added meat to be filling for anyone, but you can always add a grilled bit of pork or chicken on the side for someone who really wants meat at every meal.

Meal Planning & Bulk Cooking - Horizontal or Vertical?

I love to read cookbooks and cooking blogs. Right now, I'm especially enjoying those writers that focus on Bulk Cooking, Frugal Menus, Freezer Cooking, and Meal Planning.

But, all of the writers I've read focus on what I think of as "Horizontal Meal Planning." They read the calendar across for the next two weeks, or the next month, and prepare a meal for every night.

When I speak to friends, though, that is often not what they want or need. A lot of my friends enjoy cooking. They don't really need or want to be free from cooking every night. But, what they do need is a prepared meal for Church night, Tae Kwon Do night, Soccer night, Meeting night, or Overtime night - so that they aren't stressed on these busy nights and also don't break their budget by eating restaurant food out of desperation.

What I would suggest as an alternative is Vertical meal planning & preparation. If Wednesday nights you have a Committee meeting, Church, or Ballet class - prepare a month worth of Wednesday meals. The nice thing about this method is that you can cook meals that are similar - and therefore much more efficient to prepare. You can choose a Greek, Italian, Mexican or Asian Theme - and prepare a freezer full of meals that all use a similar preparation method.

For instance, using the recipes posted here, you could do the prep work for 4 meals by preparing a Vat O'Yachni, and from it - Greek Style Okra, Green Beans, Bean Soup and Gemista filling in about an hour working time - TOTAL! Each of these recipes requires only the sauce and usually two or three other ingredients. You have the choice of three methods: 1) simmering and freezing, 2) packaging sauce only (best for very small freezers) or 3) packaging sauce with other ingredients for simmering on serving day. Whichever method you use, you've got a meal for your busy nights in the freezer - while having freedom and spontaneity on more relaxed nights.

Soon, there will be enough recipes here to add a second column of easy-to-prepare freezer meals - in case (like most people) you have more than one busy night a week.


I also hope to feature some traditional horizontal menus soon : )

Also being shared on:
Menu Plan Monday

Vat O' Yachni ( Basic Recipe for Greek Batch Cooking )

The last two posts were for dishes with the word "Yachni" in their name. There are lots more dishes that use this sauce as a central component. Once the sauce is made, the dishes become almost instant -  easier than most supermarket meal kits, or meals-in-a-box - but both tastier and healthier.

If you have a big freezer, you can prepare several of these dishes all at once quite easily by making the sauce, and then using the sauce to combine with other ingredients to make several meals in a very short amount of time. Then you can plan to have, say, every Wednesday night become "Greek food night."

If you have a small freezer (the one above the fridge, like I have), then you can prepare the sauce all at once, and each week (if you make several meals at once), or even on the spur of the moment when  you want a Greek-style meal, combine it with just a few other ingredients, and be ready to go - like a meal kit in your freezer!

Most of the meals from this sauce may be made either in the Slow Cooker or on the stove top, according to your preference.

This sauce only requires brief simmering, as it will simmer more when it is cooked with other ingredients for the assembly of the meals.

Here's the plan - you make the sauce the same way as the "Yachni" sauce that was in the Fasolakia Yachni recipe (Greek Green Beans), but just quadruple the recipe. You will need at least an 8 quart pot. If you don't have one that big, then just use the Double Recipe, given further below.

Vat O' Yachni

Saute:

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive oil (or up to 1 cup, depending on your taste)*

2 12oz bags frozen chopped onions (or 6 cups fresh chopped onion)
2 Tablespoons Garlic






Then add:
2 #10 cans chopped tomatoes with juice (or 14 regular cans - 15oz each)
4 Bay Leaves
1/3 cup dry Parsley
6 Tablespoons (one small can) Tomato Paste
2 teaspoons Salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon Pepper

Bring to a simmer, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
Ready for use immediately, or may be frozen in 4 batches (5 or 6 cups per batch) for future use.


Double Batch Yachni
(for smaller freezers or smaller families)

Saute:

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or up to 1/2 cup, depending on your taste)*

1 12oz bag frozen chopped onions (or 3 cups fresh chopped onion)
1 Tablespoon Garlic
Then add:

1 #10 can chopped tomatoes with juice (or 7 -  15oz cans)

2 Bay Leaves
3 Tablespoons dry Parsley
3T Tomato Paste
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Bring to a simmer, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
Ready for use immediately, or may be frozen in batches (5 or 6 cups per batch) for future use.


*To be authentic, these dishes traditionally have a LOT of oil. If you like less or none, it will still taste good (I've made it with none) but it will lack some authenticity.

This Sauce Makes these Recipes:
 Bulgur Pilaf ( Pourgouri )
Greek Bean Soup ( Fasolia Yachni )
Greek Chickpea Stew ( Revythia )
Greek Giant Beans ( Gigantes )
Greek Green Beans ( Fasolakia Yachni )
Greek Okra & Tomato Stew ( Bamies Yachni )
Greek Peas & Artichokes Yachni
Greek Stuffed Veggies ( Gemista )
Indian Chickpeas in Ginger Sauce over Rice
Indian Spiced Blackeye Peas over Rice
Red Lentil Soup - Moroccan or Sephardic Styles
Stuffed Eggplant
Tofu Creole

Greek Bean Soup ( Fasolia Yachni )

Last night, we had a children's party to go to at Church, and we were all going to be getting in late. I didn't want to have to start cooking when we got home, and I also didn't have much time to prepare something before we left.

So, I put this in the Slow Cooker before we left, and when we came home four hours later - it was delicious!






Greek Bean Soup in the Slow Cooker (Fasolia Yachni)

1 12oz bag frozen mirepoix mix, thawed in a sieve under warm, running water*
4 cups "Yachni" sauce
3 15oz cans Great Northern Beans, WITH their liquid
Water (1 or 2 cups - to the right thick-soup consistency)

Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low 8 hours. (This could also be made on the stove top - cooking for 45 minutes to an hour)

That's it!

Serve with a nice, crusty bread and salad.

* If you prefer, you can use 1/2 cup sliced carrots, 1/2 cup sliced celery & 1/2 cup chopped onion

Tip for dining with omnivores: This is a hearty vegan dish - a meal in itself. But, many omnivores really want some non-vegan food on the table, no matter how hearty the meal. If  that is the case in your house, a nice addition to this meal would be a plate of cheese, crackers, and summer sausage slices.

Check out: Vat O' Yachni - so you won't have to make the sauce EVERY time you want to make a delicious Greek Dish!

This was shared at:
Soup Swap

Greek Green Beans ( Fasolakia Yachni )

 

Yesterday's lunch was one of the many traditional Greek vegan meals. Greek Orthodox Christians often eat a vegan diet during "fasting" times- such as Lent, Advent, and Wednesdays and Fridays, so the Greek culture offers many delicious vegan meals.

 

Many Greek vegetarian meals are made with a traditional tomato sauce, (formally called Orientale Sauce) and the dishes have the word "Yachni" as part of their name. Preparing them the traditional way involves making the sauce from scratch, then adding it to the other ingredients, and simmering or cooking.

 

In the interest of simplifying these dishes, I make a BIG batch of sauce (which I like to improperly call "Yachni") and then I'm ready to easily prepare a wide variety of Greek Dishes.

 

First, here's the little batch, so you can try it. Also, if you're cooking for one or for a small family, this may be as much as you want to make at once:

 

Basic Yachni Sauce

 

Saute:

1 1/2 Tablespoons  to 4 Tablespoons olive oil (Traditionally, Greek cooking uses a lot of Olive Oil. For a more authentic dish, you can add even MORE Olive oil than this. For a less authentic, but still tasty and healthy dish, Oil may be reduced or omitted.)

 

1 ½ cup chopped onions (1/2 of a 12oz bag of frozen chopped onions works well!)

 

1 tsp garlic

 

 

 Then add and simmer for about 15 minutes:

3 (15 oz cans chopped tomato

1 or 2 bay leaves

2 Tablespoons Parsley

Salt & Pepper

2 T tomato paste

 

After simmering, the sauce is ready to use.

Fasolakia Yachni,
One batch "Yachni" sauce (you should have 5 to 6 cups)

2 bags frozen Green Beans  (for a total of 2# Green Beans) Rinsed in sieve under warm water to thaw

 

Cook in Slow Cooker or Crock pot on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours.

 

Alternately, on stove top: Simmer in a pot for 2 hours, until Green Beans are VERY tender

*These are not traditionally Crisp-Tender sort of dishes, but if you prefer your veggies Crisp-Tender, it's your choice.

 

 

To Serve: This dish is great served with Greek Olives (such as Kalamata or Oil Cured), Crusty Bread, Raw Onions,  and Salad. Having a nice dip on the table, such as a hummus will also add variety, and protein to the meal.

 

Tip for dining with Omnivores:

This is a great Vegan Main dish, but it is also a great side dish to serve with any meat-and-potatoes meal!

 

Coming Soon:

Vat O' Yachni!

Other delicious Yachni -type dishes, based on this sauce . . . .