how to cook all the meals of the week in 2 hours flat?
Cooking in batches, translating “cook in batches” is nothing new. It also appeared with us a few years ago, but the concept is emulated on social networks, especially at the beginning of the year. The reasons ? Are so many! First of all, the new year is always synonymous with good intentions and for families one of those that always comes to mind is to organize themselves in the best possible way. Then, for several years, there has been a real desire on the part of the consumer to eat better and this necessarily entails better control of what is happening on his plate. Finally, batch cooking saves time in the kitchen to allow us to devote ourselves to other activities during the week and in times of crisis, it also allows us to better control our budget since we buy while the essentials, without the risk of allowing certain foods expire. Accounts dedicated to batch cooking abound on social networks and posting a photo of your tupperware filled and ready to be enjoyed throughout the week is not only satisfying, but also brings back clicks. So whether you want to save time, save money, or pay attention to your line, here are the basics to get you started.
On video, these foods to have in the pantry in winter:
Establish your menu in advance
This is one of the keys to getting started. Establish your week’s menu in advance. If you lack inspiration, once again some Instagram accounts are real sources of inspiration: @naturfitbymelanie, a wellness and nutrition coach offers a menu for every day of the week; Even @annegaelle_diet, dietitian and nutritionist, gives many ideas starting with a single ingredient to adapt her recipes to infinity. For vegetarians, we recommend the freethepickle account which offers original vegetarian recipes in real form, and then, we can only recommend the account of @whoogys, this Brussels resident on the rise which offers each other more delicious recipes. Once your menu is ready, create your recipe-by-recipe shopping list so that you have all the ingredients you need in sufficient quantity and without the risk of wasting.
Have all the necessary equipment
Depending on the recipes you choose, you may need specific utensils. The day you decide to start batch cooking (some like to do it on Sundays, others do it twice a week), remember to bring out everything you need to cook. From baking trays, to saucepans, through the food processor or even tupperware jars and containers. To save a lot of time, we can also invest in some kitchen appliances that make our lives easier and save us precious time. In addition to the Thermomix, whose very high price continues to be discussed, there are many other robots designed to save us time. The Domo brand, for example, has launched its Soup genius which, as the name suggests, allows you to make soups in record time, but the peculiarity of this robot is that it has eight different programs. A versatile appliance that not only allows you to make creamy soups, julienne soups, but also sauces to accompany your meals. In the summer you can use it to make smoothies, milkshakes and even crushed ice. A true kitchen companion whose price of just €139.95 pays for itself very quickly. If you don’t have time for batch cooking, you can whip up last-minute weekday recipes without any hassle.
To get it, go here.
Organized
As you may have understood, batch cooking is one of the hobbies of ultra-organized people. To really save time, the idea is to be as efficient as possible. For example, start by peeling as many vegetables as you’ll need. Then, proceed by recipe: cook all the ones that call for cooking at the same time, those that call for steaming together, and simmer the other recipes during this time. Once the cooking starts, keep an eye on everything, to avoid the disastrous scenario where everything would burn, and take advantage of this moment to wash the dishes. Finally, when everything is ready, all that remains is to store the meals in the boxes. Again, there are different schools. Some like to put just one meal in one box, others prefer to use multiple boxes to separate each food item and thus avoid mixing flavors. Whichever method you prefer, remember to label each of your packs with the date and menu to consume them at the desired time. That way, if you’ve overdone it, you can always freeze them at the last minute and bring them out several months later.
Don’t miss out on more lifestyle news sosoir.lesoir.be and sign up now for our themed newsletters by clicking here.
