Once a month cooking

Barneysmom

Saffy, do you thaw it then heat in the oven, or do you microwave from frozen?
I'm not sure the best way to do it?

Trow

I thaw my chicken in a basin of cold water - it thaws faster and is still safe.

CoD_2

I just leave things out for a few hours to defrost, or cook from frozen (but you have to really check it's cooked through then)

Saffy255

Barneysmom wrote: »

Saffy, do you thaw it then heat in the oven, or do you microwave from frozen?
I'm not sure the best way to do it?

If it's particularly warm, I'll leave it to defrost in the fridge (and if it's still a tad frozen at night, I'll defrost in the micro) then heat up in the micro while rice / pasta / spud is cooking

Fab cos I know I'm getting a half way decent meal, but non of the hassle.

Monthly cooking works great for me cos I'm dead lazy when I get in from work. In teh winter I'll do stews and casseroles and bung them all in the freezer.
:cool:

Barneysmom

Thank you, that's really handy to know.
So it's much better to make a huge batch then freeze in small portions, to eat as and when.

Hardup_Hester

I used to do 'once a month cooking' when I worked full time & had all 4 kids still at home. I did find it a mammoth task but the following month was easier as a result. I tend not to do it now there is only 2 or 3 of us, I just double up everytime I cook & find that much easier.

Barneysmom

Yes, hat's what I do now.
The kids have left home, but I still peel enough spuds etc for four
I don't think I could do a whole month's in one day, but maybe a fortnight?
In

EssexHebridean

The idea of doing this seems sensible enough, but you need a heck of alot of freezer space to be able to cope with it, plus possibly a bigger kitchen than I have as worktop space is rather at a premium here!

I do batch cook regularly though - I had a free range chicken last week that did a Sunday roast for two of us, then went on to produce four pots of stock, five and a half pots of chicken curry, and a leftover chicken breast which will make risotto for the two of us. I cook spag Bol in a big batch and freeze into portions too - also mashed potato I nearly always cook double quantities. Works well for us as we often get in late and tired and can't be bothered cooking. Much less tempting to stop at the chippy or the chinese on the way home if you know there is something easy to prepare sitting in the fridge defrosting - we're not "ready meal" people in the slightest - wouldn't give house room to something like that, but the home made versions are a different matter altogether!

lucielle

If you don't have many containers to freeze food in, try this: put your food that you want to freeze into a freezer bag, then place the bag into a container. The food takes on the shape of the container ie soup, then once it is frozen it can be removed and is easier to stack in your freezer, leaving your container to be used again.
L

Saffy255

Barneysmom wrote: »

Yes, hat's what I do now.
The kids have left home, but I still peel enough spuds etc for four
I don't think I could do a whole month's in one day, but maybe a fortnight?
In

I live on my own so the space isn't an issue - I have the fridge freezer and a sep freezer I got from Freecycle.

I prob cook 3 dishes each time and get 4 meals from each one. I won't have one of them every night, but they're there if I work late, or need something to take to work, or is I can't be bothered.

Now... can anyone help me on rice... when I microwave it the day after, or after defrosting, it goes really dry and hard.... any suggestions???