Pork Meatballs

This is another delicious addition to my collection of meat patties/meatballs that work so well as summer meals.  They're delicious and convenient.  They would also be great as the meat in a Bahn Mi Sandwich.

Difficulty: Easy
Category: Freezer to Pan
Column: EI

Head over to The Garlic Diaries for the meatball recipe.  The only change I make is that I use soy sauce instead of fish sauce as I am not a fan of fish sauce. Make the meatballs, but don't cook them.  You'll freeze them raw, and cook when you're ready to eat.

To freeze:
Place the raw meatballs on a sheet pan lined with parchment.  You can do up to two layers on a tray, separated by parchment.  Freeze them until solid, then transfer to a container or bag for storage.

To serve:

Coleslaw
1 bag coleslaw mix
10 basil leaves, sliced
5 mint leaves, sliced
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 green onion sliced
1/4 cup rice vinegar
5 tbsp mayo
4 tsp sweet chili sauce (available in the Asian section of the grocery store)

Sweet chili sauce
Lettuce leaves (romaine or butter lettuce)
Lime wedges

1. Combine the coleslaw mix, basil, mint, cilantro, green onion.  Combine the vinegar, mayo and sweet chili sauce.  Toss the dressing and vegetables together.
2. To cook the meatballs heat a frying pan over medium heat and coat with a thin layer of oil.  Add the meatballs to the pan.  Cover the pan with a lid to help the meatballs cook.  Flip the meatballs occasionally, so they brown evenly. Cook the pork until reaches 170 degrees.
3. Drizzle some sweet chili sauce over the meatballs and toss to coat.
4. To serve, make lettuce wraps by filling the lettuce leaves with coleslaw and meatballs, and squeeze the limes over everything.

Poolkogi (Korean BBQ Beef)

I used to know a Korean woman who made this whenever she had people over and it was always delicious.  I am still working on perfecting my cooking technique, but this is still tasty and makes a good freezer meal.

Difficulty: Easy
Category: Some Assembly Required
Recipe Column: BS

Get the recipe here.

To freeze:
Prepare the meat and place in the marinade as instructed in the recipe.  Divide the marinade and meat into containers or bags freeze.

To serve:
Thaw the meat in the marinade.  Remove the meat from the marinade and cook according to the directions in the recipe in step 6.  Serve the meat with rice, lettuce and vegetables such as slices of peppers, cucumber spears and carrots.  Place the meat, vegetables and rice in lettuce leaves and wrap them up.  There is also a sauce recommended for to accompany this dish.  We tried it and didn't care for it, so we stick with the plan meat and veggies with the rice.

Chicken Wraps

These are a pretty tasty summer meal.  One big advantage for this dish is that it already has a lot of vegetables cooked into it before freezing. They're easy to prepare and easy to reheat and serve.

Difficulty: Easy
Category: Simple Side
Recipe Column: AI

Get the recipe here:

Asian Lettuce Wraps

To freeze:
Cool the chicken mixture and divide between desired number of containers or bags.  Freeze.

To serve:
Thaw the chicken in the refrigerator overnight.  Reheat to 140 degrees in a frying pan.  Serve with rice and Boston butterhead lettuce leaves.