Batch cooking and meal preparation

Batch Cooking

Why Batch Cook?

It can take a lot of time to prepare and cook all three meals from scratch every day. With a little planning and forward thinking, we can use the time that we DO spend in the kitchen, productively, so that we can start to build a freezer stash and have a few meals prepped in the fridge for the next two or three days.

Meal planning forces us to think about the week ahead. So, making and committing to a week's meal plan can avoid food waste and help us have a plan to stick with when we get tired and lacking inspiration and have our head stuck in the fridge thinking there is nothing to eat! Allotting some specific time during the week to do cooking is vital.

Batch Cooking Freezer Tips:

• When making a soup, casserole or stew make 2 / 3 x the quantity so that you have portions to freeze and start to build a freezer stash.
• Always freeze in single portions so that you can thaw what you need.
• Ensure that the food has cooled completely before freezing.
• It is best to take out the portions you need and leave them to thaw in the fridge overnight.
• Once thawed, do not re-freeze.
• Use metal or glass containers that can neatly be organized.
• Avoid using plastic containers or bags with BPA for both health and environmental issues.

Freezer Friendly Batch Cooking

Here are some meals that can be batch cooked and frozen in smaller portions:

• Smoothie ingredients in small bags or containers
• Ripe bananas (for smoothies or "nice" cream)
• Pancakes
• Fruit compotes or Chia jams
• Stewed fruit for sorbet, ice creams or crumbles
• Bolognese (either lentil, beef or turkey)
• Chilli (lentil, beef or turkey)
• Cottage & Shepherd's pie (lentil, beef, lamb, turkey)
• Soups
• Stocks (chicken, beef, vegetable & fish)
• Stews & Casseroles
• Fish pie
• Curries
• Tomato sauce
• Meatballs (beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, lentil, beans)
• Black bean / lentil burgers
• Egg & Vegetable Muffins or Frittata slices
• Potato / sweet potato wedges
• Roasted vegetables blended for soups / stews / sauces

Fridge Friendly Meal Prep Batch Cooking

Here are a few ideas of things to do when you have set aside a little time to prep meals for the week ahead:

• Most foods will be ok for 3 days in the fridge, if covered and cooled appropriately.
• When prepping vegetables - pre chop them for roasting, steaming or sautéing to save time.
• When you need to cook them in a day or so. And leave a few raw in sticks for snacks.
• Wash salad leaves and store in the lettuce spinner – this is the best way to keep them fresh for longer.
• Make up a salad dressing to last for the week (such as a Tahini dressing).
• Roast a whole chicken to strip the meat off and use for quick salads.
• Cook up a few portions of quinoa or wholegrain rice to add to salads.

Things to Cook / Prep for the Fridge to Make Meals for a Few Days:

Vegetables for roasting / sautéing / steaming + raw for snacks

Washed lettuce

Potato / Sweet potato wedges (carrots / parsnip / celeriac also)

Quinoa / wholegrain brown rice / pulses to add to salads

Frittata

Overnight soaked oats with stewed fruit

Stewed fruit

Poached fish or chicken

Cooked pulses or grains

My Favourite Batch Cooking Kit

Labels

Pyrex containers

Slow cooker

Stick blender

Large, heavy bottom casserole pan

Ice cube trays

Clip-top jars

As well as my own website (www.ameliafreer.com), BBC Good Food has multiple recipes and many versions of the above.