Coq au vin

3 lbs chicken legs, thighs or drumsticks
1 tbsp vegetable oil
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz mushrooms, quartered
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups basic Chicken Stock
1 cup dry sherry or red wine
½ tsp dried marjoram
½ tsp dried thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
2 cups pearl onions (optional)

After freezing/before serving
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Remove the skin from chicken pieces. If using legs, divide into thighs and drumsticks. 


2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook oil, bacon, onions, carrots and garlic for 5 minutes or until onion is softened and bacon browned. With slotted spoon, remove vegetables to bowel, leaving behind as much bacon and fat as possible. Add chicken to pan in batches, turning to brown well on all sides.


3. Stir in mushrooms, cook until liquid is released. Stir in onion mixture. Sprinkle with flour; cook, stirring, until it forms a paste. Gradually whisk in stock and sherry and stock. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until thickened. Stir in marjoram, thyme, bay leaf and pearl onions, if using. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until chicken is tender and falling off the bone. Discard bay leaf.


4. Stir in parsley, salt and pepper before serving.

* The Best Freezer Cookbook; 100 Freezer-Friendly Recipes, Plus Tips and Techniques by Jan Main

Bittersweet Chocolate Truffles

1 lb imported bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup butter
½ cup whipping cream
¼ cup orange-flavoured liqueur or brandy, or rum, or whisky
Unsweetened cocoa powder

1. In heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering (not boiling) water, melt chocolate with butter. Stir in whipping cream. Set bowl on wire rack to cool.

2. Stir in liqueur. Let stand about 2 hours or until chocolate mixture is thick but not stiff.

3. Sift some cocoa into a small bowl. Take a heaped teaspoonful chocolate mixture and roll into a ball. Roll in cocoa. Repeat with remaining chocolate and cocoa.

* The Best Freezer Cookbook; 100 Freezer-Friendly Recipes, Plus Tips and Techniques by Jan Main

Chocolate Truffle Torte

9 inch springform pan lined with parchment paper

1 lb imported bittersweet chocolate, chopped

½ cup butter

1/3 cup Amaretto, Grand Marnier, rum or brandy

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup crumbled Amaretti cookies (about 20 cookies)

¼ cup confectioner’s sugar

1 tbsp Amaretto, Grand Marnier, rum or brandy

1.       In a bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering (not boiling) water, melt chocolate with butter. Remove bowl from saucepan.  Cool to room temperature. Stir in Amaretto.

2.       In a bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into cooled chocolate mixture. Sprinkle amaretti crumbs over bottom of prepared pan.  Pour in chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate until firm.

3.       Remove springform side. Slide torte, crumb-side down, onto serving platter. In a bowl, beat whipping cream with confectioner’s sugar, if desired, until stiff peaks form. Beat in Amaretto. Pipe rosettes around base of torte, if desired, or simply serve a dollop of whipped cream on each plate.

* The Best Freezer Cookbook; 100 Freezer-Friendly Recipes, Plus Tips and Techniques by Jan Main

Old Fashioned Cheesecake

1 - 8 ounce cream cheese softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt
2 eggs
graham crack crust

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Mix until well blended. Add eggs, once at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Place crust on baking sheet. Pour in filling. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until inserted knife comes out clean.

Topping:  Combine 1 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Carefully spread over pie. Continue baking 10 minutes; cool. Chill 3 hours. Top with fruit.

*The Best Freezer Cookbook; 100 Freezer-Friendly Recipes, Plus Tips and Techniques by Jan Main

Turbinado Cheese Cake

2 - 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup Turbinado sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 Graham cracker pie crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese, Turbinado sugar, eggs, vanilla and lemon juice together until smooth. Pour into graham cracker crust. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool in refrigerator for 6 hours before serving.

Goat Cheese

Raspberry Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients

• 1 (10 inch) unbaked pastry shell
• 1 cup small curd cottage cheese
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries, divided
• 1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Directions

1. Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of aluminum foil. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F.
2. In a blender, combine cottage cheese and milk; cover and process until smooth. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in cottage cheese mixture, flour and vanilla. Beat in eggs just until blended. Pour into pastry shell (pie will be full). Sprinkle with 1/2 cup raspberries; gently press into filling with the back of a spoon.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until the center is almost set (cover edges loosely with foil if browning too quickly). Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Top with whipped cream and remaining raspberries. Store in the refrigerator.