I normally share batch cooking freezer meals with you on the channel so today will be a different change of pace. I'm batch cooking fresh for the entire week. When I cook for the freezer, I tend to make heartier fare: casseroles, chilis, heavy sauces and pot pies. These freeze well and feed a crowd with ease.
Today, you will see how I like to cook lighter choices when I make items fresh for the week. Today's video is a collaboration with my friend Kim from Free to Family. Kim is the Queen of batch cooking! She does batch cooking videos every Sunday and when she asked me to collaborate on one, I said an enthusiastic "yes".
In today's batch cooking session, I'm making seared ahi tuna, white dover sole with lemon and butter, roast chicken with onions and rosemary, grilled chicken sausages, acorn squash with maple syrup, basmati rice, and lentils with kale.
I take a nice, thick ahi tuna filet and marinate it for 30 minutes in sesame oil, soy sauce (a few tablespoons), chopped garlic, and green onions. I seared it for 1 1/2 minutes on each side and then slice.
My favorite way to cook fish is in a foil packet. The fish is always moist and never overcooks. I place one pound of dover sole filets in foil sprayed with cooking spray. On top, I put salt and pepper, one tablespoon of butter, sliced lemon, sliced basil, and green onion. Use whatever herbs you have on hand. I baked this at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
I love making roast chicken. We kept this in the fridge and had it sliced cold all week. It was delicious. I have many different ways I make a roast chicken, but here's what I did today: I rub the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. I fill the cavity of the chicken with a full apple. I place sliced garlic under the skin and top with onions and rosemary. I baked this for an hour and a half at 350 F in the roasting pan on the rack. For the last 20 minutes, I raised the temperature to 400 degrees. Just make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
The acorn squash is sliced in half, de-seeded, and placed in a Bain Marie, or water bath. I fill the cavity with butter and maple syrup and cook this alongside the chicken in the oven. As for the lentils, I sauté chopped onions in the Instant Pot on the sauté feature with some oil. Then, after rinsing and draining the lentils, I place two cups in the instant pot and cover with 8 to 10 cups of water along with a heaping tablespoon of boullion and chopped kale from the garden. I cook on high pressure for 15 minute for soft lentils (for al dente lentils, cook for 8 minutes). Meanwhile, I also cook rice in the rice cooker, and grill sausages on the La Creuset grill pan.
The genius of batch cooking is that you get all of the work out of the way, and get the kitchen messy one time, yet enjoy the meals all week. We really enjoyed the meals this week. We ate the fish first and everything tasted great. I would love to know... do you batch cook?
I hope you enjoy today's video.
News
📍I have an article in Mind Body Green on the importance of laughter for children.
📍I am a featured speaker at the Get Organized HQ Summit with I Heart Planners. Registration is free!
📍PRE-ORDER my new book, CONNOISSEUR KIDS, which comes out September 10th from Chronicle Books.
📍If you haven't taken my eCourses yet, now is a wonderful time to get started. Check out my affordable eCourses: The Ten-Item Wardrobe, Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living, and How to be Efficient at Home.
On Instagram
Share your pictures of Connoisseur Kids using the hashtag #ConnoisseurKids and be featured on my blog. Thank you to The Darling Academy for showing such a beautiful picture of the book!
Thank you for joining me today. I will see you on Tuesday for the launch of Connoisseur Kids!
Visit my newly designed Author Website
*NEW* Shop my Amazon page for a comprehensive list of my favorite things and mentions on the blog.
Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor
Twitter @JL_Scott
Instagram @dailyconnoisseur
Take my affordable eCourses on the ten-item wardrobe, debt-free living, and efficiency at home
Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter
Interested in sponsoring a video on The Daily Connoisseur? Contact me here.
FTC: This video is not sponsored. Links may be affiliate.
4 comments:
I batch cook all the time. Whenever I make a one-pot meal, like Coq au Vin or Boeuf Bourguignon, I always make enough for a family of 4, even though we are just two. We eat half of it that day, and I freeze the rest for when I don't have the time or inclination to cook. I make and have on hand a huge batch of chili, which I portion out and freeze. I also have on hand in the freezer my homemade hamburger patties and a batch of cooked meatballs, and also panko breaded chicken tenders. These items can quickly become various dishes. Also, since we love homemade bread, I will bake a couple baguettes, which I cut in half and freeze. When thawed, then heated in a 400 degree oven for a few minutes, it tastes just as it does when freshly baked.
It all looks delicious! One question, what is your favorite way to reheat your dishes so that they taste like you just prepared them? I have not been very successful doing so, and I'd love a tip or more.
Thanks.
That's an incredibly good-looking slab of tuna! Where do you get that from? I think I could eat that whole thing.
Thank you SO MUCH for the article on laughing with kids!! We played Stone Face at dinner last night and will try the elephant/ball game soon! My daughter just started K3 and is a bit stressed from the big change and I think these games will help so much. Also, your meal planning video was really wonderful. Congratulations on your new book, I just purchased :)
Post a Comment