You have to stop thinking that fresh and raw are the same thing. If we define fresh as the closest condition to live, then in many cases frozen wins. In fact, fish that are flash frozen (immediately after capture and kept at a proper frozen temperature) are considered by many – including us – as being much better than fresh or raw.
Alton Brown
Good Eats 3, 2011

I couldn’t concur more with Alton Brown. Although I try to buy much of my fresh food from local sources – fruits and vegetables, raw milk, eggs, meat, and more – there are things I just can’t buy fresh locally. So do I feel bad when I put frozen peas in my shopping cart or buy frozen salmon? The answer is a definitive no.

As I’ve mentioned before, Food Network star Nigella Lawson has no problem with frozen peas. And now Alton Brown confirms my suspicions…food frozen at the peak of freshness is pretty darn fresh!

And when it comes to planning a family meal, nothing streamlines the preparation time than having a stash of frozen “fresh” foods on hand.

- Frozen peas and carrots along with a scrambled egg thrown into some leftover rice and topped off with some soy sauce makes a delicious yet easy fried rice.

- Frozen salmon can be poached on the stove top with some salt and pepper, dried herbs, and a few lemon slices…and be on the table in a matter of minutes.

- Frozen fruit can be thawed and used as a topping for homemade waffles or spooned over ice cream for a refreshing dessert.

What are some of your favorite frozen foods that help to make preparing a meal fast and easy?

Love,

Mary