Add the tomato purée and ramp up the heat. The idea is to reduce the tomatoes until they are a really rich and thick tomato sauce. Add some more oil and then fry the onions, carrots, celery and leeks and cook slowly for 10 minutes or until they have softened and started to go golden. When you plan your meals in advance, you will only purchase the items you really need, and not what you think you might fancy in the week. Add the chicken thighs and combine with the onions, then add the dry spices, harissa and honey, stirring well. Showing 1-12 of 32 recipes. Lentil lasagne. Simmer gently for 20 minutes or until completely cooked through. 1 medium, whole, free-range chicken, jointed, 1 bulb of garlic, cut in half horizontally, 2–3 dried chipotle chillies, rehydrated for 10 minutes in 50ml boiling water, Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, ½ avocado, peeled, stoned and chopped, and dressed with lime juice and salt, 100g mixed sprouting beans and pulses, dressed with a little of the pickled onion juice. 2. In uncertain times, it's comforting to have a freezer filled with delicious dishes. Muffins, breakfast cookies or scones: bake a double batch … Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan/Gas 3 and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Pop a lid on the pan and cook for two minutes, or until the steam has started to break the tomatoes up. I use dried adzuki beans (like mini red kidney beans), but you could use a 400g tin of cooked adzuki beans or red kidney beans. Place the oats in a bowl and add the nuts, pumpkin seeds, coconut chips, orange zest and salt. Cook the sauce until the flavour is rich and strong and the sauce has thickened. Make double the quantity of our meatballs, curries, stews and pasta: eat half tonight and freeze half for another day. This recipe for the traditional tomato-based sauce can easily be doubled and, once made, individually portioned into jars or containers and kept in the fridge or freezer for a quick last-minute supper. Batch cooking is a clever way to get a head start on the week, guaranteeing wholesome midweek meals without having to spend that precious after-work time in the kitchen. All you need are the right tools — slow cooker, freezer, basic utensils, and containers –, then choose 4-6 recipes to eat during the week, shop for the ingredients, cook your big batch, freeze it for later, and follow food safety guidelines when defrosting. Meanwhile, put the ghee or butter into a frying pan over a medium heat and, when hot, add the cumin seeds and shallots. Drain the adzuki beans, add them to the pan and cook for another 20 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. When the sauce is ready, return to the pan, season and stir well. Bring to the boil. 15 time-saving batch-cooking recipes 1. Drain, and then allow to steam in the colander for five minutes. First, make the pink pickled onions. You'll always have a snack or side dish on hand with these savory soy sauce eggs. Subscribe to delicious. When the water is boiling gently, carefully add the eggs and boil for six minutes. Add the parmesan, Dijon mustard, capers and tarragon. Get ahead in a busy week by making a batch of your favourite meal then freezing for another day. Make it go further with flatbreads and rice. 300g moong dal (they may be labelled “mung dal” or “split and dehusked mung beans” and can be found in the foreign foods aisle of most supermarkets), 2 green finger chillies, very thinly sliced. Now you can remove the lid and turn the heat back down – cook for a further 10 minutes. Filter This Page Filter Clear All. Loads of our recipes are suitable for batch cooking, but these are our top 10 recipes... … Just prepare the eggs, toasted hazelnuts and parsley breadcrumbs on the day you want to serve, and team the whole thing with basmati rice, flatbreads, couscous or potatoes. Add the minced fresh mushrooms and fry for five minutes or until any water has evaporated and they’re browned. 5. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6. Transfer to an ovenproof dish snug enough for the fish and broccoli pieces to sit in two layers. Whizzed-up breadcrumbs from the end of a loaf can be stored in the freezer. Once the onions are ready, increase the heat, add in all the spices and fry them off for a further two minutes. Get ahead by batch cooking these freezable recipes. We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism. Chipotle chillies (dried and smoked jalapeños) are and now available in most supermarkets and online. Mature cheddar and spring onions give this comforting fish pie recipe rich layers of taste;... Capers give the seafood filling a natural saltiness and the buttery, melt in the mouth... Chicken and okra are cooked in a creamy sauce, made with coconut milk and crunchy... Crusty bread is essential when tucking in to Debbie Major’s hearty chowder recipe made using... Chetna Makan’s vegetarian cauliflower curry is a great recipe to share – serve with warm... That’s right! Heat the oil over a high heat in a large saucepan. Pour in the stock, stir and then return the chicken pieces and garlic bulb halves back to the pan and add the bay leaves. Recipe from The Borough Market Cookbook by Ed Smith (Hodder & Stoughton, £25). And in the current climate of things, it's pretty handy! Secret tomato sauce. This is your batch cooking game plan to help prepare for a healthy week, broken down into a 5-step approach to keep things simple. You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. Toast the breadcrumbs, either in a preheated oven, 180C/Gas 4, for eight minutes, or in a hot frying pan until they are golden brown. 1 of 35. Halve the eggs and lay them gently on top of the stew. Season, place in a pie dish and allow to cool. I used two red chillies and it was just right for us. Mash with the butter, milk, nutmeg and seasoning. Overnight oats – make several jars, these will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge. Fish pie. We have sent you an activation link, to last you through the week, and beyond. Put it into a large saucepan with the chilli and oil and sauté on low heat for two to three minutes or until the garlic has softened. Place the dried adzuki beans in a bowl, cover with a few inches of cold water and leave to soak for four to 12 hours, or overnight if you can, then boil in fresh water for one hour. Try it with our recipes for pies, curries, stews and soups. Spend Sunday afternoon making this and you’ll be rewarded with a week’s worth of comforting dinners that simply require reheating in the oven. Find out more, The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. This vegetarian pasta bake recipe is fast enough for midweek cooking. Caramelise the vegetables in the purée for one to two minutes. Use two forks to shred the chicken, removing all the bones. Easy Toasted Muesli. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Cook over a low heat for one hour or until the sauce has reduced and the lentils are cooked. A comforting meal for a winter’s night. This stew can be enjoyed as is, or is great for batch cooking and freezing so you always have a home-cooked meal to … In 2017 I fell pregnant again. Combine the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, then pour into the oat mixture and stir well. Best ever baked meatballs. When you’re having a productive weekend, batch cooking meals in advance can save you time, money and a lot of takeout on those nights where cooking just isn’t going to happen. 2. Check the fish for bones then cut into 3-4cm chunks. There are 100’s of free recipes here to choose from, simply find a recipe and click on the image, you can choose to add the ingredients list to your chosen shopping bag before clicking the method button at the top of the recipe to see a step by step guide on creating the recipe. Season the chicken pieces and then brown them in batches. Cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes. Double up the quantities and keep it in a jar or airtight container ready to enjoy over Greek yogurt or simply with a splash of milk for breakfast. Batch cooking lets you prepare meals ahead, saving you lots of time and money. “We’ve been making this recipe as a family staple forever,” says McEwan. Batch Cooking for beginners! This post contains affiliate links. Enter the email address associated with your account, and we'll send you a link to reset your password. Did you know that we here at Stay at Home Mum have been Big Batch Cooking or Freezer Cooking for over ten years now – and we even have a published book about how to go about it! Make double the quantity of our meatballs, curries, stews and pasta: eat half tonight and freeze half for another day. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a deep casserole on the hob over a high heat. 1 small romanesco broccoli (400–500g), outer leaves removed and florets cut from stem, 25g brined capers, drained and roughly chopped, Leaves picked from 5 sprigs of tarragon, roughly chopped, 300g un-dyed smoked haddock, skinned and pin-boned. Recipe from Slow by Gizzi Erskine (HQ, £25). Use the tip to pick out the large bone in the middle and any others that are visible. Recipe from Sirocco by Sabrina Ghayour (Mitchell Beazley, £25). Buy The Batch Lady: Simple, freezable, and budget friendly Sunday Times best-selling cookbook with easy store cupboard recipes kids will enjoy! Combine the fish and the drained and cooled broccoli with the crème fraîche (it might not seem as though there’s enough sauce, but it will thin out as it cooks). Let the granola cool before storing it airtight for up to two weeks. Cook straight from frozen. Stir well. While frying the onions, push them to one side of the pan and make space for the garlic bulb halves. To get you started, here are 30+ big-batch breakfasts you can make ahead. Meanwhile, heat a saucepan over a medium heat, then pour in hot water from a kettle. Label your batch meals with the contents and date it was made. Double up the bake quantities for future lunches or dinners. The recipe also makes for a great family cooking activity. Remove the sardine bones by splitting them, belly and back, with a small knife. Pesto Chicken Stew. Meanwhile, decant the crème fraîche into a large bowl. Check the seasoning, and serve with plain basmati rice or naan bread, together with some pickle and yogurt. This flavourful stew works well when cooked in bulk and frozen. Baked egg cups or muffins: Mix eggs and veggies together (you can add meat as well), then bake in muffin tins, jars or ramekins. After the first week you could make 1 meal as your batch cook and keep rotating the different things you now have in your (probably quite full) freezer for a different option each day. Most options are vegetarian as lunch is such an easy time of the day to get in loads of serves of vegetables. 50 Big Batch Cooking Recipes for the Freezer. ... 3. Serve with pasta for a delicious quick dinner during the week. Subscribe to the digital edition of delicious. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Serve straight away. From a tomato stew you can repurpose in a variety of ways to a vegetable lasagna that will taste great for days, here are eight essential time-saving recipes. These delicious batch cooking recipes are freezer friendly – perfect for planning ahead. 5 field mushrooms and 4 shiitake mushrooms, blitzed to mince, 1 parsnip, 2 carrots and 1 medium swede, cut into small cubes. Subscribe to delicious. After the cooking time has elapsed, add the preserved lemons and apricots to the stew, stir well and cook with the lid off for a further 30 minutes. Our Top 10 Batch Cooking Recipes Freezing our recipes. Add 50ml tepid water and whip or whisk together with a spatula or balloon whisk. Freezable recipes. To make the mash, pop the root veg into a pan of cold water. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside while you reduce the sauce. Cook Once. The next time that burst of weekend energy strikes, make the most of it with these tasty recipes that will keep you fed, and stress-free, all week long. 6. Top with the cheeses and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and piping hot. Whether it’s a chilli, curry or risotto, create a big batch meal to free up your time, reduce waste and help save money. 2. : Shop Once. Add these, along with the water you rehydrated them in (pour through a sieve or discard any sediment), the lentils, stock and Marmite. This recipe requires overnight soaking time for the dried beans, so it works well as a weekend project to be defrosted on the day you want to use it. We've included 'batch tips' along with each recipe, explaining which elements of the dish can be made in bulk and frozen, and which can be prepared as the rest of it heats up. 1. Ensure the components are evenly distributed (particularly the leaves). Blanch the florets and diced stem in boiling water. Drain through a sieve then leave under cold running water until cool. 8 large bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed, 8 preserved lemons, some halved, some sliced, 20g flat leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped. Scale up for the pickled onions to use in other dishes. please click this link to activate your account. Best batch cooking recipes to freeze. Top batch cooking tips: 1. If that’s too much bother, use tinned beans. Pour over the tomatoes and the oil from the sardines, and turn up the heat to bring it to the boil. Cook for another five minutes, or until the shallots start to brown, then add turmeric and garam masala. We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future. You might need to add a little extra hot water in order to make the dal a bit thinner. So why not do a bit of batch cooking this weekend? Not all food freezes well and to make it super simple, if one of our recipes can be frozen you’ll... Our Top 10 Batch Cooking Recipes. The following recipes are filling, healthy and wonderfully varied so you won't end up eating the same thing day in, day out. Once the chicken is browned, set it aside on a plate. Combine the toasted hazelnuts with the breadcrumbs and chopped parsley, sprinkle the mixture on top and serve. Break the sardines into chunks and stir into the sauce. Fishcakes. Recipe from Cooking on a Bootstrap by Jack Monroe (Bluebird, £15.99). Now you can stay up to date with all the latest news, recipes and offers. Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/Gas 7. Six ingredient breakfast pie Wash the dal until the water runs clear, then drain, place in a deep saucepan and cover with 1½ litres of water.