Over time, I found that cooking once a week with a view to freezing meals was the best way to save time, money and my peace of mind. This way, I could add salt or spice to some portions before serving, thus keeping everyone happy and healthy. Always make a basic recipe, that way it’s easy to add spices and salt to taste after you have portioned out the kid’s meals. Remove the bread and butter pudding from the freezer and transfer to the fridge to fully defrost, ideally overnight. Once defrosted, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4, cover the baking dish with foil (removing any clingfilm if you used it to wrap the dish before freezing) and transfer to the oven for 20 minutes, until piping hot all the way through. Serve as described above. If you are making spaghetti bolognaise, you will need chopped onions, mince and grated carrots. You also need those ingredients to make, burgers, meatballs, chilli, fajitas and lasagne: one large pot of veg and mince will serve as a base for six different dishes.

Home> Competitions> Win a copy of The Batch Lady: Cooking on a Budget Win a copy of The Batch Lady: Cooking on a Budget Closing Date: 31st January 2023 While the oil is heating, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl, then slowly pour in the water, whisking continuously to a smooth batter as you do.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the flour and toss gently to coat, then add the oil to the pan and toss again. Season with salt, then tip the chips onto the prepared baking sheet and spread out in an even layer. Do you want to save time, money and hassle when it comes to cooking? Do you prefer to feed everyone in the family the same meal? Combat fussy eaters? Get lots of hidden veg into your children? Heat the oil in a large saucepan with a lid over a medium heat, then add the onions, garlic and celery and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes, until soft. These can be cooked directly from frozen. Simply preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/gas mark 4 and line a baking sheet with foil. Lay the frozen fish on the prepared baking sheet and transfer to the oven for 25–30 minutes, until crisp, golden and piping hot all of the way through. Serve as described above. Chip-shop chips Loved the batch cook 10 means in one hour and how to make meat go further and selecting the cuts of meat.

Reheat some chilli until piping hot, then spoon over crunchy tortilla chips and grate over a little Cheddar cheese, finishing with some jarred sliced jalapeños and a couple of fresh coriander or baby mint leaves, if you’ve got them. Sweet potato chilli quesadilla Spread the slices of bread with the butter, then cut in half diagonally so that you have 18 buttered triangles coated in butter. Arrange half of the bread, buttered-side down and slightly overlapping, in a medium baking dish to form an even layer that covers the surface of the dish. If you’re cooking now… Remove the lid from the stew and arrange the raw dumplings over the surface, cover with the lid again and continue simmering for another 20 minutes, until the dumplings are puffed up, light and fluffy. Spoon into serving bowls and serve hot. Fantastic recipes for freezing. I now get a home cooked meal every night. No more ready meals or takeaways. As a busy mum I struggle to meal plan and often too tired to cook when I get home from work.So, whether you’re a part of a huge family, a new parent, a student or living alone, let this book help take the stress out of the weekly shop and help you to get tasty meals on the table that everyone will love, whilst saving you some much-needed pennies in the process.