With batch cooking, there's a bit of work at the outset and then the rest of the week is a breeze. Photo / Getty Images
Batch cooking on a day off and freezing portions in the freezer for the week is undoubtedly the epitome of domestic organisation, and makes for fuss-free dinners for those nights you’re too busy or tired to cook.
Having bags and containers of ready-to-go food is not only a godsend at the end of a working day, but ensures you’re eating wholesome, home-made fare instead of stopping for takeaways or ordering delivery. Time, money and health are good reasons to put some effort into stocking the freezer. Of course you need to look forward to dinner, so we’ve compiled some tips and tricks to break the monotony so your taste buds will always have something flavoursome to anticipate.
Dhal
Dhal is a freezer’s best friend — it’s tasty, filling, good for you and can be frozen for up to six months.
Recipe to try
Dhal with crispy onions and naan bread recipe
Ways to eat
- Thin with a little water and eat as a soup with a quick tadka on top — cumin seeds, garlic, green chilli and chopped onion fried in butter or ghee
- Swirl through yoghurt and garnish with chopped coriander, lime and chilli
- Serve with rice or roti
- Stir through some spinach and garnish with chopped avocado and a squeeze of lemon
Meatballs
With meatballs, you can either freeze them in a tomato sauce, ready to be served with spaghetti (or on mash) or freeze them separately, which gives you a bit more scope to flavour them up a bit differently with your accompaniments.
Recipe to try
Ways to eat
- Serve in classic fashion with a tomato sauce on spaghetti
- Serve in a burger bun, with melted cheese and pickles
- Serve in a wrap with hummus, jalapenos, chilli sauce and spinach leaves
Meat or vege stew
Stews do quite well when frozen because their flavours are able to mature even further. Most stews will keep well for up to three months in the freezer. Just be aware that if you’re including potatoes in a stew, they get a bit watery on thawing and reheating.
Recipe to try
Tomato, roasted pepper and chickpea stew recipe
Ways to eat
- Vegetable stew, like the one above, can be used as the base for baked eggs for a lazy weekend brunch
- Use it as a filling for pies using frozen puff pastry, or cover it with mashed potato and bake for a variation on a cottage pie
- Serve it on creamy polenta
More freezer staples
- Not all meals reheat well but, along with the above, these meals are super freezer friendly: lasagne, curry, chilli con carne or vegetarian chilli, soups and saucy pasta dishes. Potato, rice and pasta accompaniments should be made fresh, though, because these carbs lose their appealing texture on thawing and reheating (the exception being pasta in a saucy dish like lasagne).
- Falafels are another good option — either pre or post frying. Top tip: freeze items like this on a baking tray in a single layer, then pack into food bags and label so they don’t all get stuck together.
- Pesto and tomato sauces are great to have on hand to thaw, reheat and stir through pasta. Save room by keeping these in (leakproof) bags — and label them with a date.
- If you’re making pizza dough, make extra and after a first prove, roll out and freeze between sheets of baking paper.
- And then don’t forget those flavour enhancers and seasonings that can be frozen too — put soft herbs in ice cubes and cover with oil, freeze citrus slices or squeeze the juice and freeze in ice trays, chillis, too, can be frozen but are best used in cooking rather than anything fresh because they become a little mushy when thawed.