Over the past couple of weeks I have been eating through all the bought-in components of meals and almost 'ready meal' style things in the freezer ... garlic Kyiv's, fish portions and the like ... so I have now made some space to be able to make up batches of the meals that I want to eat on a regular basis.
The first one that I chose to cook up was a batch of Deliciously Ella's Chickpea, Quinoa and Turmeric Curry. It's a recipe that I've used for years and is always a favourite. It also made a good dent in my stash of out of date tins in the top cupboard.
I added another tin of potatoes to the mix after taking the photo as I do like the potatoes in this curry, and using up the tins meant that I didn't have to do the peeling, chopping and cooking potatoes part of the recipe to start me off. 😀
It's a really simple recipe, and once everything is in the pan it can just be left to it's own devices while you get on with something else. I do add the chickpeas right at the start of cooking, not later like the recipe suggests, as I like them to get a bit softer, and I also use frozen pellets of spinach to cut costs a bit.
It makes a huge pan full of curry, so I had one portion straight away, cooking enough rice for another meal after this one.
Once the curry was completely cooled I made up a 'homemade ready meal' with the rest of the rice to pop into the fridge, and portioned the rest of the curry out between four takeaway style containers which all went into the freezer.
Now I'm pondering on the next batch of ready meals ... I think it will be a lentil Bolognese style mix. This could be eaten on pasta, on a baked potato or used as the base for a shepherds pie. Having some tasty home-cooked meals all ready to go will make for easy cooking evenings when we have to get busy with new home renovations in the coming months. While I don't mind an occasional 'real' takeaway, this will really help to keep costs down.
Sue xx
Delicious and I needed the reminder to use a bag of quinoa in the back of my cupboard. Love having lots of choices ready in the freezer, sometimes I want to eat healthy but haven't got the oomph to spend time in the kitchen. So much cheaper too.
ReplyDeleteI think this is actually one of the few recipes I use quinoa in, I need to expand my repertoire a bit. It's far too easy to grab something snacky when you are not in a cooking mood isn't it. I am aiming to get away from this ... well I can try!!
DeleteI made a butter bean and green veg curry last night to use up the veg in a tasty way. So delicious in the cold weather! Catriona
ReplyDeleteOoh, that sounds good. I love butter beans added to homemade tomato soups, they make it so creamy.
DeleteI once joked with somebody that most nights during the winter I had a 'ready meal' for supper (curry, bolognaise, lasagne and so forth) but she was horrified and did not "get" that these were all dishes I had made from scratch, portioned into the freezer, and had ready for when I did not want to cook a full meal after a busy day.
ReplyDeleteYour ready meals are lovely, far cheaper and much better than something in a foil tray from the supermarket.
Oh I do get frustrated when people don't understand when I am trying to explain, they are usually the 'non-listeners'. They are so intent of thinking of what they are going to say next, usually something derogatory, that they don't or can't comprehend what you are telling them.
DeleteI hope to get a little selection of four or five different meals available, a ready made lasagne would be a good one, I hadn't thought of that!
A couple of different "curry" types for rice, a couple of tomato-based for pasta, lasagne, a bolognaise-style sauce to go on jacket potato and a fish pie - then you would be set for a full week :-), xx
DeleteGreat ideas, thanks. xx
DeleteThe ‘weary thrill’ of wondering what to cook for dinner is spirited away when the freezer door opens and reveals all those marvellous ready made meals.
ReplyDeleteOur freezer usually has soups galore….great for ‘cool’ summer days as well as cold winter ones.
That is a BRILLIANT way of describing it!! I still have a couple of soups that I did recently, and it's definitely soup weather at the moment.
DeleteSounds delicious. I like the idea of having home cooked "ready meals" in the freezer. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I think it looks so much better than lots of garish packaging in the freezer doesn't it.
DeleteExcellent ideas.It's good to be saved the task of preparing from scratch every time.
ReplyDeleteAlso, which really appeals to me, it cuts down on the washing up of lots of pots etc. Less pans to wash can only be a good thing. :-)
DeleteThat's a delicious looking curry, I like the tip about adding the chick peas straight away, I really don't enjoy them with too much bite.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
Snap, if I want them crunchy I'll roast them, but in a curry or similar I like them nice and creamy. 😀
DeleteThat curry looks delicious. I must look up the recipe if I can as it's so much easier to batch cook now the weather has turned yukky and we don't go out so often. Usually, once we've been shopping/ walking /visiting I'm too knackered to cook and Gray's suggestion is always toast or beans on toast ! I can make a big quorn lasagne which will give 4 portions...mmm...thank you for the inspiration Sue :)
ReplyDeleteAngie
The recipe is in the photo, you can just expand the size to read it.
DeleteIt is nice to have a meal to come back to isn't it, but there's definitely something to be said for beans on toast every once in a while. 😀
I love chickpea curry but like you I prefer them softer. I went shopping with my daughter today, she made a lentil casserole last night for herself and adult daughter. Poppy loved it but probably would have turned up her nose if she had been told what they were having before hand!!
ReplyDeleteSometimes it worth trying something that you might normally refuse isn't it. I've enjoyed sauces in the past that have some whizzed up mushrooms in, which I usually hate. 😀
DeleteI love chana masala! I can't look at a can of tinned potaties wthout thinking of Bob Mortimer who calls them "trapped potaoes". xxx
ReplyDeleteChana Masala is lovely ... as long as I slightly overcook the chickpeas. 😄
DeleteHaha... from now on tinned potatoes will be known as 'trapped potatoes'. 🤣
Your curry looks awesome. I have never made chickpea curry and now I want to give that a try. Will need to look up a recipe. I make lots of lentil curry so this would be a very nice change of pace.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
If you click on the recipe photo you will be able to make it much easier to read. 😀
DeleteI feel I should get into the batch cooking habit. I regularly cook once and eat twice, which works well.
ReplyDeleteIn a way that is batch cooking, just on a smaller scale. While my freezer is so full I have resorted to this over the last few days. It still saves on washing up doesn't it and that is a big thing for me. :-)
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