How to start batch cooking

Spending two hours in the kitchen on weekends to prepare all the meals for the week, such is the concept of batch cooking. Among its advantages? Save time, less waste and a variety of meals.

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Video by Juliette Le Peillet

After a long and tiring day at work, you don't necessarily want to cook on the way home. And because we often don't have the time or energy to think about the dinner menu, we often go quickly by cooking a pasta dish or ordering a ready-made meal at a local restaurant. But that was before I discovered the solution: the batch cooking. The concept ? Spend two hours in the kitchen on weekends to anticipate all the meals of the week.

5 advantages of batch cooking that you will appreciate more than anything!

  • A great time saver

Thanks to batch cooking, you will save time! Instead of spending an hour cooking each evening, batch cooking allows you to cook all your meals at once: while one dish is cooking, you prepare another recipe. Result: you gain in freedom and you can enjoy your children when you come home or take the time to pamper yourself and relax.

By planning your meals for the whole week, you also avoid waste. Since you only buy the ingredients you need for your recipes, you only use the foods you need and in the right amounts. You will see, you will be throwing away much less expired product! Yes, the ones you forget in the back of the refrigerator. Finally, if you have too many carrots or have cooked too much rice, you can use those leftovers for another recipe.

With batch cooking, you also save money! Indeed, since you decide your menus for the whole week, your shopping list will then be all ready and will contain only what you need to cook. This saves you buying unnecessary things and especially wasting time on the shelves wondering what to eat tonight.

  • Varied and homemade meals

Batch cooker is healthy, seasonal eating. We forget the dishes already ready and we favor homemade, you will see it is much better! Preparing menus several days in advance will make it easier for you to introduce seasonal vegetables and fruits into your diet. At stake ? Varied and balanced meals every evening that will please the whole family!

  • A markedly reduced mental load

Just having to reheat dinner on the way home means less stress! The mental load of the meal will be significantly reduced and you will be much more serene (e)! No longer having to ask the question " What are we eating tonight ? Is also a real liberation for our brain. You can then think of something else and go about your business quietly.

Batch cooking, where to start?

1. We take the time to get organized

Batch cooking requires good organization so that everything is ready when you start cooking. Before going into the kitchen, we take a few minutes to plan all the meals for the week using a diary or a slate to attach to the wall, so that everyone can take a look. In fact, batch cooking is also an opportunity to bring the family together to think together about the menus for the week. The more we are around the schedule, the more ideas there will be! A good way to satisfy everyone's tastes and desires.

2. We equip ourselves with conservation boxes

The secret to successful batch cooking? Good food preservation! Preparing meals in advance requires being able to store them well to prevent them losing their flavor. Before embarking on the adventure of batch cooking, we advise you to equip yourself with airtight containers. Tupperware, vacuum cans, glass containers… you’re spoiled for choice! Choose them according to the number of servings you are going to prepare in order to optimize the space in your refrigerator.

3. We invest in a super refrigerator

(paragraph in partnership with LG)

And since you are ready to reorganize yourself, then now is the time to think about buying a really high performance fridge. A refrigerator with an ad hoc volume and ultra-reliable freshness capacity. The LG GBB72MCUFN refrigerator * is the device for you!

First, because its technological performance allows foods to retain their crunch, their colors, and their flavors, without having to worry about their placement. No need to tie any knots in the brain when you have cooked your meals or when you come home from shopping, thinking about where to arrange things according to their nature. This device guarantees top cold uniformity.

In addition, it optimizes the humidity level and, finally, another major advantage, its advanced technology compressor generates little noise and allows controlled energy consumption. You can even change the temperature remotely from a dedicated app on your smartphone.
And last but not least, the design of this refrigerator contributes to the elegant style of your kitchen and top-notch internal organization.
So you can store your meals without worry for the week!

More info here

Menu: Your recipes day by day to practice batch cooking

On Monday : coral lentil soup, carrots and coconut milk

  • Boil salted water in a saucepan.
  • Cut the carrots into slices and heat them when the water is boiling to pre-cook.
  • Chop the onion and crush the garlic, brown them in a skillet with olive oil.
  • Rinse the lentils several times and pour them into the skillet. Drain and add the carrots to finish cooking, add salt and pepper.
  • Cover with water and cook for about 20 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.
  • When the lentils and carrots are tender, the soup is ready to mix.
  • When ready to serve, add 10 cl to 20 cl of coconut milk or leave it available so that everyone can dose according to their tastes.

Tuesday : pasta gratin with mushrooms and chicken

  • Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water.
  • Meanwhile, cut the chicken into small pieces and brown it in a pan with a little butter. Once it is golden brown, add the mushrooms, then the crème fraîche.
  • Let the sauce reduce for a little while.
  • Mix with the pasta and divide in a gratin dish.
  • Sprinkle with the grated Gruyere.
  • Leave to brown in the oven for ten minutes.

If you have any pasta, consider making a salad for the next day!

Wednesday : vegetable tian with quinoa

  • Rinse the quinoa in plenty of water.
  • Cook it in 50 cl of water for 5 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil, the chopped herbs and set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 180 ° C. Cut the washed and quickly dried tomatoes, zucchini and eggplants into strips. Slice the red onion once peeled.
  • Oil a gratin dish and spread the quinoa with the cooking water over the entire bottom. On top, store the vegetables vertically in the dish and alternately. First, leave aside the chopped onion which will be added at the end, to be planted between strips of vegetables.
  • Then sprinkle the vegetables with Provence herbs and salt. Drizzle with olive oil.
  • Bake for 50 minutes. Enjoy hot or cold with a green salad!

Thursday : velouté of leeks and potatoes

  • Brown the leeks (well washed and sliced) with a piece of butter, then add the potatoes.
  • Stir and add 1/2 liter of water and 1/2 liter of milk. Salt and pepper, and cook for 1/2 hour.
  • Mix the soup, then add a little crème fraîche and chopped basil.

For a complete meal, you can accompany the soup with a fried egg or scrambled eggs with a slice of cereal bread.

Friday : sautéed beef with peppers and onions

  • Cut the meat into thin strips.
  • Wash and halve the peppers. Remove the tails, seeds and white skins, then cut them into thin strips.
  • Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic.
  • Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a wok and brown the chopped onion and garlic.
  • Add the strips of peppers, salt and pepper, then pour in the water.
  • Cover the wok and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
  • Place the beef strips in the wok and brown them for about 5 minutes or until they are colored.
  • Stir frequently and finish cooking for a few minutes.
  • Enjoy with basmati rice or Chinese noodles.

See also: A week of balanced menus (video)

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Video by stupefy

Batch cooking: 5 books to guide you

In 2 hours I cook for the whole week: 80 homemade meals, no mess and with seasonal products – Caroline Pessin

If you want to get into batch cooking, we recommend this bestseller written by Caroline Pessin! It is the perfect guide for those who wish to change their habits and free up their evenings. For each week, find shopping lists, the menu for the week, the schedule of preparations and the actions to be carried out for the last minute preparation.

Marmiton: 365 recipes for the whole year, Playbac editions. The referent site for cooking brings us in this book a bunch of recipe ideas on a plate. Depending on the season and for all occasions, you will have in this book a wealth of information to find inspiration. Easy and convenient. To order here.

It's decided I batch cook– Sandra Thomann and Delphine Constantini

Do you want to eat healthy, without breaking the bank and without spending all your evenings there? The solution: batch cooking. In this book, Sandra Thomann offers us a real introduction to the method with 8 weeks of menus, designed over the seasons, and gives us all her precious practical advice for a top organization!

And for vegetarians: It's decided I batch cook veggie, also at Larousse. Sandra thomann (from the blogKitchen Addict ) offers recipe ideas and menus that respect the seasons.

My first steps in batch cooking– Keda Black

Perfect for beginners, this book will take you step by step to adopt batch cooking at home. Everything is explained very clearly to help you best integrate this concept into your daily life. You will find 15 typical Sundays there, so at least 75 recipe ideas. But also "bullet" pages to photocopy from the organizer of the week or even memo sheets for the main rules.