Today I am very thankful that I made two hearty soups last week and took the time to freeze some of each for a ‘rainy day’. Most of the time, the items I freeze spend weeks if not a couple months in the freezer and come out on one of those days when I don’t have time to cook. But today the winter cold and dreary skies zapped all my ambition and strength. What a pleasure to be able to defrost a healthy and delectable meal from my own freezer in minutes.
I’ve always loved batch cooking, but since we have removed so many options for ‘take-out’ quick fixes, having things in the freezer has become an absolute necessity. I’ve also put my pantry together with the staples of a quick bowl that I can have from the pantry shelf to the table in less than thirty minutes. Staples like canned beans, brown rice, and quinoa are the bases of my bowls. I try to have greens already cut up in the refrigerator and lots of good frozen vegetables in the freezer to round out the flavors. Frozen sweet corn, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and peas are a must in this house. While my grain is cooking, I throw a vegetable in the microwave and season a can of beans to match the rest of the bowl’s flavor profile. We love Mexican food, so jalapenos, cumin, salsa, avocados, and cilantro are a common garnish. If I’m in an Asian mood, we keep tofu cubes in the freezer that we can add to peas and carrots, brown rice and soy sauce garnished with green onions for a tasty meal. Don’t forget the acid. This was my big rookie mistake in the beginning of my Wholefood Plant Based (WFPB) journey. My daughter had to remind me constantly when I would complain about lack of flavor. Now we have fresh lemons and limes on the counter with a selection of vinegars on hand to ‘finish’ off each dish. The difference is amazing.
What’s for dinner at your house tonight?
“I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil – this is the gift of God.” (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13NIV)
“The goal is to keep working on it. Continue to expand your knowledge base, cooking skills and recipes, and watch your confidence grow until there’s no stopping you.”.” (Rip Esselstyn – The Engine 2 Diet)
“… at least in many people’s minds health food is bland at best. And delicious food is bad for you and probably fattening. It’s not true, of course – I’d argue that health-promoting foods can be utterly delectable if you know how to prepare them.” (Ocean Robbins – Real Superfoods: Everyday Ingredients to Elevate Your Health)
Yours for a Joyful Journey,
Joyice
Batch Cooking for the win!
Cook once eat thrice!