Frozen Food Makes a Comeback

How many times have you purchased fresh produce, or even meat or fish, with every good intention of using up every last bit, only to have it expire, limp, wilted, and/or lifeless, before you have a chance to use it? It happens to the best of us — perfectly good food can go bad in the back of the refrigerator, forgotten behind stacks of takeout boxes and juice. Say goodbye to these situations with Ghillie James' cookbook, The Foolproof Freezer Cookbook.

With more than 100 recipes in the book, James aims to help busy cooks save time during the week with make-ahead meals that are great for everything from a quick dinner to feeding spur-of-the-moment houseguests on a Friday night.

Most of the recipes are designed to take the cook right up to the point of being able to throw the dish on the stove or pop it into the oven to heat, making it easier to cook ahead for the week on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Prep, freeze, and then simply reheat or bake later on in the week; no more takeout.

In addition to these well-designed recipes, James offers invaluable tips on how to freeze the season's best produce and meat, allowing you to save money at the store, as well as how to freeze leftovers and repurpose them for another dish. There's also a handy guide in the beginning of the book showing how long-popular types of raw meat and fish, cooked foods, and produce can last in the freezer, and also a list of freezer-friendly seasonal produce featuring recipes from the book — handy, say, for when you want to figure out just what to do with all those frozen tomatoes in the middle of winter.

So give the freezer a second chance. You'll save time, cut down on wasted food, and cook more — all of which means more money stays in your wallet. 

Beef Wellington

The classic recipe gets a modern update.

Madeira Sauce

It's the perfect accompaniment to beef and lamb.

Eggplant and Lentil Moussaka

Here's a vegetarian twist on a traditional Greek dish.

Will Budiaman is the Recipe Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow him on Twitter @WillBudiaman.

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