Southern View: February 29, 2024

6
Thursday February 29 2024
Batch cook to save time and effort
MAXIMISE YOUR kitchen
efforts, minimise food waste
effortlessly and skip the daily
hassle of cooking from scratch
with the beauty of batch cooking,
suggest the folks at Love Food
Hate Waste.
Setting aside a few hours on
the weekend or your day off to
cook a couple bulk meals will
save you the daily stresses of
preparing meals from scratch.
Imagine coming home after a
long day to find a freezer stocked
with ready-to-heat meals for
dinner and saving money by not
having to buy lunch for work. All
that is needed is a quick reheat!
Cooking in bulk can also help
you stretch your dollars further
while having the satisfaction of
a well-balanced, home-cooked
meal.
When packing food away,
we recommend cooling before
putting in the fridge, otherwise
they will raise the temperature of
the fridge and this may be a food
safety risk. Always remember to
get your meals in the fridge within
two hours of cooking. Then
transfer into the freezer once
cooled from the fridge, putting
hot food in the freezer may cause
foods around it to defrost, which
may also cause a food safety risk.
Ready to try out batch
cooking? You may already be
cooking meals that work well
cooked in bigger batches, such
as casseroles, chilli mixes, or
spaghetti bolognese, here are a
few more ideas to get the meal
planning started.
Stews and soups: Chicken
stew, potato and leek soup,
gumbo, lentil and coconut soup,
or minestrone are all excellent
options.
Curries: Butter chicken, beef
rendang, vege stalk and kumara,
rogan josh, Thai green or red
curry, a massaman curry, whatever
your favourite is, they are
great options that can be made in
large quantities and frozen.
Casseroles and slow-cooked
meals: Whether it’s a sausage
casserole, shepherd’s pie, a
Moroccan chicken casserole,
casseroles are perfect for batch
cooking.
Chowders: Corn chowder,
fish or seafood chowder are all
comforting options that freeze
and reheat well.
Rice or grain bowls: Prepare
a generous batch of rice or your
choice of grain, such as quinoa,
and pair them with different proteins
and vegetables. Just be sure
to cool your rice quickly so it’s
safe to eat. Risotto and jambalaya
are also great rice dishes that suit
batch cooking.
Baked pasta dishes: Make a
big tray of lasagna, macaroni and
cheese, or your favourite pasta
bakes, and portion into smaller
servings. Try out our versatile
creamy one-pot pasta recipe, use
it as a starting point and add or
swap out ingredients that suit
your household and make it your
own.
Stir-fries: Cook up a variety of
stir-fried vegetables and proteins,
pair them with your favourite
sauces and seasonings, and serve
with rice or noodles.
Creamy one-pot pasta
Ingredients
½ packet (250g) dried pasta
400g cooked shredded chicken
2-3 cups chopped fresh veges or
frozen veges
2 Tbsp oil
About 2 cups stock or water
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper
Optional additions/toppings
Grated cheese
Fresh herbs (basil, parsley, sage
etc.)
Extra veges (steamed, roasted,
fresh leafy salad or crisp slaw)
Method
1. Combine pasta, chicken,
veges, oil, stock or water and
milk in a large pot. Stir to
combine, then bring to a simmer
over medium high heat.
2. Simmer for 10 minutes
or until most of the liquid is
absorbed and the pasta is almost
cooked, stirring occasionally.
3. Season with salt and pepper
to taste.
4. Finish by adding your
choice of toppings and serve
with extra veges if desired.
Cooking tips
• Use these recipes as a starting
point for ideas and inspiration
to make it your own. Using what
you already have in your fridge,
freezer, and pantry and using
them first is a great way to make
your food go further.
• If cooking for a larger
family or members with a larger
appetite, increase the ingredient
quantities.
• Shredded chicken can be
substituted for 2 cans (800g)
drained and rinsed lentils, or 1
can (400g) drained canned fish.
If using canned fish, mix through
at the end.