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.

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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!

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Connoisseur Kids 👦🏼 Arlo and I were lucky enough to be sent an advance copy of my friend Jennifer L. Scott’s new book “Connoisseur Kids”. I’m so HAPPY there is a book out there for parents and kids discussing manners, etiquette and living well in a positive and uplifting way. I hadn’t even opened the package and had a good flick myself before Arlo had taken it from me and settled in to read it. So thankful for and so proud of you @dailyconnoisseur 🎉 If you’d like to pre-order a copy for your own munchkins (release date 10th September), head over to Amazon. The link is in my bio until Friday. 📚 . . . #gifted #connoisseurkids #jenniferlscott #madamechic #etiquette #childrensetiquette #goodmanners #kindness #childrensbooks #newbook #chroniclebooks #bookstagram #kidsbooks #livingwell #lethembelittle #raisethemupinthewaytheyshouldgo #childhoodunplugged #mummyblogger #authorsofinstagram @chroniclebooks #goodmanners #booksforkids #bookstagrammer

A post shared by Alena Kate Pettitt (@thedarlingacademy) on Aug 27, 2019 at 3:12am PDT

Thank you for joining me today. I will see you on Tuesday for the launch of Connoisseur Kids!



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I love seeing what other people buy at the grocery store, don't you? Today, I'm sharing my first grocery haul with you. I went to Trader Joe's and purchased a few of my favorites. I also show you what I make: roast salmon, red split lentils, butternut squash, and salad.



Red split lentils
serves 4 small portions
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 chopped onion
1 cup red split lentils
2 1/2 cups broth (vegetable, chicken or beef) or use water with a bouillon cube
1 1/2 tsp dried herbs seasoning of your choice

In a pan over medium heat, sauté the onion in the olive oil for a few minutes. Add the dry lentils and seasoning and cook for one minute. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cover with a lid. Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the lentils are soft. Add toppings such as chopped celery, chopped tomato (you can also include this in cooking), crumbled cheese, etc. Serve over brown rice. You can also add spinach when cooking. There are many variations.

If you don't have a Trader Joe's near your home, they sell the exact kind on Amazon here. (They are much less expensive at Trader Joe's... if you live near one, I would recommend buying them there instead of on Amazon.)

I hope you enjoy today's video.

News
The manuscript for my new book is due tomorrow! I am finished with the first draft and excited to have some down time. I've been working on this project for months and there is a lot of love poured into it. I'm so excited for you to read CONNOISSEUR KIDS in the fall of 2019.

For more of The Daily Connoisseur, take my eCourses, Creating Your Own Ten-Item Wardrobe and Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living.

Laura writes, "I so appreciate you and the financial e-course! I loved the encouragement and can do attitude!! I encourage everyone to take it, the quizzes at the end of each lecture were fun and helpful!!!"

Thank you, Laura!

Attention writers: my writing teacher, Alan Watt, who runs the LA Writers' Lab, is starting his new donation-based 90-Day Novel tele-workshop in May. For all of the information, visit www.lawriterslab.com. His great class was what got me started in writing. It's a wonderful way to build your discipline as a writer.

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Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic and a cup of tea...

Cultivate the quiet power of poise. #jenniferlscott #madamechic e una buona tazza di #kusmitea

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Comment of the Week
Regarding last week's wallpaper bedroom makeover, Emilia writes, "Jennifer, the wallpaper choices are very pretty, but what I find most beautiful is how 'real' this video feels. I love how the girls' bedrooms are not 'model bedrooms' with perfectly matching furniture and decoration items. I love that the they are having dominoes and the banana teething toy for tea, that the dolls are slightly big for their doll beds, that there is a multiplication table on the wall, that you portray life as it is, imperfectly perfect. Thank you for keeping it real and not massacring your readers with yet more bedrooms just like those on the pages of home decor magazines. I appreciate the liveness and love exuding from these rooms. Emilia"

Emilia, thank you so much. I really appreciated your comment. I get a lot of joy out of seeing my children's "play stations". Childhood play is so sweet and imaginative. Thank you for your kind comment.

I hope you enjoyed today's video. Do you enjoy knowing what others buy at the grocery store? What do you like to get at Trader Joe's? Do you have a good recipe for red lentils? Let us know and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog.

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