Pumpkin Pasta

This pasta casserole is full of delicious fall flavors.  It has been part of my freezer repertoire for many years and led to my purchase of the titular very large bowl of this blog.  I was trying to make a large batch of this and while it all technically fit in my largest bowl at the time, the bowl was so full that I couldn't stir effectively.  It took forever to mix that batch and made a large mess. Afterwards I got online and purchased my 30 quart bowl that I use for my freezer cooking now.

Adapted from: Veganomicon
Difficulty: Moderate
Category: Heat and Eat
Recipe Column: AM

Three Bean Chili

This is my family's favorite chili, and I have been making variations of it for years.  This is a vegetarian bean chili, but I have made this with beef before and less beans.  This most recent rendition also has pumpkin in it.  I had heard about adding pumpkin puree to chili to add more vegetables and decided to give it a try.  It sounds unusual but the chili is still delicious and doesn't have a particularly pumpkin flavor.  I'm always glad to find ways to incorporate more vegetables into my freezer meals.  It could probably take a whole can of pumpkin.  That's what I had planned on and bought a whole can for the chili, but I really needed pumpkin pancakes before I got around to making the chili. Some of the pumpkin had to be sacrificed for that cause.  Your favorite chili will most likely freeze well too.

Difficulty: Moderate
Category: Heat and eat
Recipe Column: CK

Falafel

These tasty falafels are very easy if you have a large enough food processor.  They are also inexpensive and they are very convenient as they can go straight from the freezer to the pan.

Difficulty: Easy
Category: Freezer to Pan
Recipe Column: AA

Get the recipe here. Form the falafels, but do not cook them.

To freeze:
Freeze the uncooked falafels on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper.  You can do up to two layers of falafel on the same pan.  Separate the layers with parchment paper.  Once the falafels are frozen, transfer them to a bag or container for storage.

To serve:
Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large frying pan.  When the oil is hot, add the frozen falafels in a single layer.  Do not overcrowd the pan.  Cook until brown on both sides.  You may cover the pan at the beginning to help the falafels heat through.  Remove the lid towards the end of cooking to give the falafel a chance to crisp before serving.  Serve with tzatziki or other sauce and a salad.

Tzatziki Sauce
1/2 cucumber
1 cup Greek yogurt
pinch of garlic powder (optional)
dash of lemon juice
sprinkle of dry dill

1. Coarsely grate the cucumber.  Gather up the grated cucumber and gently squeeze excess moisture out of the cucumber before transferring it to a small mixing bowl.
2. Combine all the ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper.