Oops! What’s for dinner?
Even as a professional feeder there are times, more than you might think, when the cupboard is bare – well, the fridge, really. It matters not a whit that the markets are bursting with fresh produce if your own crisper drawer contains only sad, shriveled things rolling around, or bags whose contents are no longer recognizable come dinnertime. During high catering seasons I learned: stock the freezer! recipe jump
At this moment in my life I could technically make a weekly menu, write a list, shop and cook accordingly, but that just isn’t my style. As a result, I still have those little uh-oh moments occasionally. That’s when the adventure and spontaneity kick in, though! When you “live to feed” it’s like a pop quiz or a your very own reality show revealing a challenge. Yes, I might have frozen enchiladas, but that’s a different kind of “emergency.”
As a lifelong nutrition hobbyist, I have relied on the freezer to ensure that I am never without veg to make it easy being green. Yes, fresh is often best, but not always. In some cases frozen can be considered nutritionally superior. A little brick of spinach may actually have more nutrients than a bunch at the grocery store, believe it or not, as nutrients can diminish with shelf time. Of course farmer’s markets have less traveled options making them ideal, but life is not always ideal.
I always have frozen peas, spinach and green beans in the freezer, always. With them I can always conjure up something satisfying. I think we can all agree that a real vegetable is preferable to instant noodles with an ingredient list that is life-defying.
A new staple in my “always” collection is frozen broccoli, although it will never be featured in a stir-fry or be particularly perky. It’s certainly fine in a soupy-stewy thing, having been robbed of its vim and vigor in the freezer, which does limit the roles it can play. Previously it was an “also ran” for me that I would buy from time to time for “just in case,” but it generally languished in the freezer.
A while back though, I had one of those, “omagosh the crisper drawer is barren,” moments, and spied the broccoli in the freezer – hmmm. I have an all-star “broccomole” recipe that blends steamed broccoli, sautéed garlic and onion with nutritional yeast. Sadly, I didn’t come up with the catchy name for it until after my vegetable cookbook came out. So, staring into the freezer after the oops revelation, a light bulb went off: mashed broccoli!
I steamed the frozen florets and got out the masher. I added nutritional yeast and a splash of olive oil, then mashed away with some elbow grease (perhaps a good dish to make when needing to let off some steam). It isn’t smooth like potatoes, but is nearly impossible to dislike. It can go on the side of something else, inside a tortilla for a “fusion” burrito, or plop it on toast for a humble feast. You may even like it enough to start planning to make it.
I have on occasion taken a brick of spinach and grated it straight from the freezer to add a little green at the last minute to something, but you have to really want to do that. Green beans will give official vegetable identity to a pasta dish, and peas are loaded with protein making them even more desirable in a pinch. In fact peas were my fail-safe dinner when dead on my feet and too tired to cook. A little pot with a little water, a sprinkle of dill, and a wee pat of “butter” left me a well fed feeder.
My favorite Oops dinner though, is Sabaneh, or Egyptian Spinach and Chickpea Stew, which I serve with rice. That I can make it in 15 minutes, makes it all the more lovable.
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 2 tsp. coriander
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 box or bag frozen spinach, defrosted if possible
- About 1/2 cup water or broth
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas (garbanzos)
- juice of 1/2 lemon, optional
Instructions
- Heat a saucepan over medium high heat. Add just enough oil to coat the pan, then add onions and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and let cook briefly, then add tomato and coriander. Sauté until tomato is well softened.
- Add spinach and broth. When heated through, season with salt, then taste and adjust seasoning.
- Add chickpeas and let simmer 5 minutes. Just before serving add lemon juice.
Notes
This recipe has fed me (and others) well at the last minute on countless occasions. Like most “peasant” dishes it’s immensely satisfying. I have made it with canned diced tomatoes in the dead of winter, and fresh in the summer. The lemon juice is nice, but it’s not “make or break” - only use fresh, though.
This was so easy and so tasty! I love that it’s simple, quick and healthy. I think I ate 3 bowls of it. I couldn’t stop! I left out the lemon because I forgot, but I didn’t miss it. I’ll definitely be making this recipe on a regular basis.
Well, you have made my day, thanks! Glad you love it as much as I do. I only have a lemon on hand about half the time myself.