Batch cooking ideas please

Graham_Devon

Razra, thanks for your help via PM. Much appriciated!!!

And dont with the burgers....they weird!!

Horace

G_D if you want mint sauce in Tesco try looking above the freezers that's where they usually hide things like brown sauce, picallili, bisto and other stuff.

Don't give up cooking - I am still learning and when I cooked burgers for the first time from scratch they ended up in the bin, then I tried meatballs which fell apart so that night I had fried mince for tea. I am a hopeless cook and cannot stand the feel of raw meat so I wear kitchen gloves or use tongs.

You can buy cheap utensils, scales, etc in your local Lidl.

BTW please can you post your recipe for Toad in the Hole as my batter always turns out like a biscuit! Ta muchly.

Horace x

misskool

Just read through this whole thread.

When I first started cooking, I ate a lot of pasta with jars of sauce as I was too scared to do much else and too skint to buy anything other than a saucepan. to save washing up, I used to eat it from the saucepan.

Everyone has to start somewhere and everyone makes mistake cooking. The main difference I find is that when you're home-cooking, you know what you're eating and there's nothing nasty in it. when you buy a ready meal from the supermarket, do you not wonder how the food lasts that long in the fridge when someone homemade would have gone off already?

Batch cooking for one is easy, much easier than buying ready meals that are on special I do one big shop, then on a Sunday, I spend the afternoon cooking about 6 different types of things and have either the nicest or strangest combination of food for dinner. Chill anything I will eat in 3 days and freeze the rest. Portioning everything out means you don't over eat as well.

rlm_3

Also just read the whole thread.

G_D, with regard to not being able to find things in the supermarket, it happens to all of us. I like cooking and even enjoy going to the supermarket to do the food shopping but almost every time there's something I can't find. Just ask a shop assistant!

sammy_kaye18

Hi G_D!!! Hope your enjoying the boards. Like with everything home cooking takes practice and your not alone in the quest to batch cook - im still learning after being here over a year but getting the hang of it now even though my freezer is tiny. Has Mr B_E stopped in to say hi yet??? cant remember seeing his posts.

eryn_kathleen

My OH has just been diagnosed with bowel cancer (without going into too much detail, he's quite young and although he'll need surgery the prognosis is good).

With both of us working full time and me trying to finish a PhD I'm finding it really hard to find time for cooking healthy meals. So I was hoping that you lot might be able to suggest some possibilities for batch cooking. He is on a slightly restricted diet, so he can't have:

processed meats (sausages, bacon, chorizo, etc.)
dairy products, and generally I would prefer to avoid substitutes also
red meat should be restricted
no onions (this one makes me sad)
fat intake should be restricted

veggies and fruit, particularly orange and red ones, are good - frozen is fine
some fiber is good but too much is, well, too much
potatoes are okay in limited amounts, wheat bread is okay, rice and oats are good

I do realise that several of these restrictions don't really fit in well with batch cooking, but I could really use any advice that might help... non batch-cooking recipes are welcome too, but anything that's easy to prepare or that freezes well would be particularly appreciated!!

Thanks!

redmel1621

I notice dairy free sorry if ths is a stupid question but is milk out too....

How about a quickie like a tomato based sauce.(dolmio or the likes) just cook up some pasta, ideally twirls or shells then when cooked drain off, return to pan with sauce, sweetcorn, and a tin of tuna heat for few minutes voila....
I use this when i'm short of time (or some variety on this)

Sorry to hear the bad news and I hope things work out.....

Mel x

redmel1621

Just thought of another idea ideal if your working full time.
A slow Cooker, you could then make up a huge chicken casserole, omitting onions etc and chuck in tons of other veg inc the potatoes then either put it on over night, and tub it and out it in the fridge till the eve, or shove it in the morn it will be ready when you get home. he only problem with the 2nd method is you will have to get up about 20mins earlier to prepare it all..

Mel x

D&DD

Hi Eryn so sorry to hear your news must have been a shock to you both but hopefully they'll look after him well for you
There are some great veggie burger recipes on here and Gingham has a veggie meal planner with loads of recipes on it I'll try and find it for you *I'm not very techie*:o
Here you go lots of recipes which can be batch cooked http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=453694&highlight=gingham
If you do need a little dairy substitute if he fancies a cake or anything I can recommend Pure dairy free marg (on sale in most supermarkets)for baking with.
I have a smoothie book somewhere will dig it out as its got sections for different 'needs' eg energy,healthy skin etc etc..
All the best to you both D XX

MushyPeas

Hi Eryn, sorry to hear the bad news but I'm glad to read that the prognosis is good.

I use the BBC's Food website for recipes, perhaps you can search using specific ingredients? Or pop to your local library and pick up some recipe books, they often have good ones on batch cooking.

Sorry I don't have any recipes to offer.

Take care MPxx