MoniDew
05-20-2009, 12:29 PM
I do quite a bit of "batch" cooking. I buy mass quantities of certain things (like when chicken thighs are on sale for $.69lb or something) and cook the whole batch. Some items are always a good buy, like beans, potatoes, cabbage, or eggs. Lots of nutrition for a good price. Refrige/freeze in whatever portions are sensible for the way your family works.
The way our family works is, we have 4 adults on totally different schedules and no one eats together. So we have mass quantities stacked up in the 'fridge. When they come home and are hungry, they go make themselves a plate.
Ideas for batch preparations:
Side Dishes
Bean salad
Tabbouleh salad
Fruit salad
Rice salad/pasta salad/potato salad/coleslaw/you-see-where-I'm-going-with-this-idea salad
Proteins
chicken thighs/breasts
salmon fillets (on sale)
hard boiled eggs
hummus (garbanzo bean dip)
Chicken/Egg/Tuna/Salmon salad
Veggies
Baby carrots/carrot sticks
celery sticks
red bell pepper strips
chopped tomatoes
diced onions
trimmed broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
(the person can then cook or not cook the veggies, as desired)
Green Salad
a large container of washed and spun salad greens - no dressing
a quart sized canning jar of homemade salad dressing
A creative person can cut up a chicken breast, throw it on top of the salad greens, add a few veggies and spoon on a dressing.
Or saute onions & peppers, strip the chicken breast and roll up in a tortilla,
Or make a super-quick chicken salad/egg salad sandwich.
Check your containers to make sure they fit in your fridge and in your dishwasher. Large, shallow (about 3-4" deep), rectangular containers with resealable lids seem to work the best. Train the 'fam' to burp the containers after they scoop out their portion. Spend an afternoon making whatever a week's supply would be in your household.
The way our family works is, we have 4 adults on totally different schedules and no one eats together. So we have mass quantities stacked up in the 'fridge. When they come home and are hungry, they go make themselves a plate.
Ideas for batch preparations:
Side Dishes
Bean salad
Tabbouleh salad
Fruit salad
Rice salad/pasta salad/potato salad/coleslaw/you-see-where-I'm-going-with-this-idea salad
Proteins
chicken thighs/breasts
salmon fillets (on sale)
hard boiled eggs
hummus (garbanzo bean dip)
Chicken/Egg/Tuna/Salmon salad
Veggies
Baby carrots/carrot sticks
celery sticks
red bell pepper strips
chopped tomatoes
diced onions
trimmed broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
(the person can then cook or not cook the veggies, as desired)
Green Salad
a large container of washed and spun salad greens - no dressing
a quart sized canning jar of homemade salad dressing
A creative person can cut up a chicken breast, throw it on top of the salad greens, add a few veggies and spoon on a dressing.
Or saute onions & peppers, strip the chicken breast and roll up in a tortilla,
Or make a super-quick chicken salad/egg salad sandwich.
Check your containers to make sure they fit in your fridge and in your dishwasher. Large, shallow (about 3-4" deep), rectangular containers with resealable lids seem to work the best. Train the 'fam' to burp the containers after they scoop out their portion. Spend an afternoon making whatever a week's supply would be in your household.