Tuesday's Tip: Putting the Freeze on Chipotles

(Happy Groundhog's Day everyone...I am writing this early, so I have yet to know what good ole' Phil saw this morning, but I am pulling for an early spring!) One of my favorite tools to ease potential dinner time stress, without sacrificing healthfulness, is our freezer. When I mash sweet potatoes, I mash far more than we need, and freeze the extra in a muffin tin. Once frozen, I pop the little sweet potato "muffins" out of the tray, and pop them into a storage bag or container for quick future use. But I recently used this technique in an unconventional way to help me cut down on kitchen waste. A can of chipotles in adobo sauce can liven up many different kinds of dishes. We use them in chilis, tacos and enchiladas, even egg dishes. They also can come in handy when making homemade refried beans as well as soups and stews. But a can of chipotles in adobo sauce is relatively pricey, and usually contains many peppers, far more than can be used in one meal (even for my chili/heat loving husband!). I used to put the can back into the fridge and convince myself that we would use them for another use, before they were past their prime. Now, instead, I freeze the peppers for future use. It works great! I put one pepper inside each mini-muffin tin space: Once frozen, I store for future use. Now I have a dozen little chipotles in my freezer waiting to be used. Now, I just need to find some new inspirations to use them... SPC
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