OAMC..make that OAWC

OAMC - Once a Month Cooking is quite the endeavour, so I have embarked on what I am calling Once a Week Cooking.
Using my fabulous little chest freezer, my bulk meat purchases from JW Foods and local produce from the last few weeks of local markets, and now from my Saturday morning organic market (at Waldorf School) I have been able to piece together a variety of easy and healthy dishes.

The past few weeks have included (recipes to follow):
- Freezer Meatballs - turned into sweet and sour meatballs with Pineapple
- Whole wheat pancakes with blueberries - doubled and frozen
- Sheppard's Pie - with frozen corn and peppers from earlier in the season, local garlic and onions
- Potato Gratin - a definite learning experience, i learned that the potatoes need to be cut much thinner than I did!
- Scalloped Sweet and White potatoes
- Sweet potato squash
- Pan Seared Steak tacos


FREEZER MEATBALLS
- 3lbs of ground beef
- 3 eggs
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 cup of bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- spices to taste (ie salt, pepper, italian blend, crushed peppers, etc)

Preheat oven to 400F.
Mix all ingredients until well combined.
Using a small ice cream scoop or 1tbsp measuring spoon shape meatballs and place on lined cookie sheet.
Cook for 10 minutes until meatballs are browned
Remove meatballs from oven and let cool. When cooled to the touch place meatballs (cookie sheet and all) into the freezer for 1 hour.
After 1 hour place frozen meatballs into a resealable bag and intothe freezer.
The meatballs will now be individually frozen for easy use.

SWET AND SOUR MEATBALLS
Approx 20 Freezer Meatballs (thawed in fridge for 24 hours)
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained with juice reserved

1/3 cup water

3 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 large carrot, diced

1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Mix enough water with the reserved pineapple juice to make 1 cup.
In a large pot over medium heat, combine the juice mixture, water, vinegar, soy sauce, and brown sugar.
Stir in cornstarch, ginger and seasoning salt, until smooth.
Cover and cook until thickened
Stir pineapple chunks, carrot, green pepper and meatballs into the sauce.
Gently stir to coat the meatballs with the sauce.
Simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes

WHOLE WHEAT PANCAKES (this recipe makes approx 20 pancakes)
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp baking powder
2 eggs (well beaten)
2 cups milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup of blueberries (other berries, choc chips, etc)

Stir together flour and baking powder
Add eggs, milk and oil - stir gently as to not overwork the batter
Cook on preheated pan until bubbles start to form and edges start to look dry (whole wheat pancakes dont bubble up like other pancakes)

SHEPHERD'S PIE

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 onion chopped

1-2 cups vegetables - peppers, corn, peas

1/2 cup beef broth

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice

1 1/2 - 2 lbs potatoes (3 big ones)

2 tablespoons butter (1 stick)

2 cups of mile

Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).

Sauté onions iuntil tender over medium heat (10 mins). If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put any carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat has initially cooked
Add ground beef and sauté until no longer pink. Add salt and pepper. Add worcesterchire sauce. Add half a cup of beef broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist.
Mash potatoes in bowl with butter and mile, season to taste.
Place beef and vegetablesin baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well.

POTATO GRATIN
4 whole Russet Potatoes, Scrubbed Clean
2 Tablespoons Butter, Softened
1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream (i used all milk - sauce didnt thicken properly)
1/2 cup Whole Milk
2 Tablespoons Flour
4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
1 teaspoon Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Freshly Grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Grease bottom of a baking dish.

Slice potatoes, then cut slices into fourths (make sure to slice thinly - to make sure cooks properly).

In a separate bowl, whisk together cream, milk, flour, minced garlic, salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

Place 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour 1/3 of the cream mixture over the potatoes.

Repeat this two more times, ending with the cream mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown and really bubbling. Add grated cheese to the top of the potatoes and bake for 3 to 5 more minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Allow to stand for a few minutes before serving