Do you want to save time? If so, keep reading.
It’s Wellness Wednesday here at Inspired Life. Last Wednesday we talked about how we spend our time and the need to redeem our time. If you missed that post, click here. Now I don’t want to just tell you what you ought to do without giving you some practical solutions. So here is a surefire way to cut your cooking time in half. The key is maximizing on inactive cooking time i.e. beans in the crockpot while you are at work = inactive cooking time.
[bctt tweet=”The secret to cutting your cooking time in half? Batch Cooking.” username=”inspiredfully”]
What is batch cooking? Batch cooking is cooking double or more the normal amount of an item then portioning and storing it for later use. The storing can be done in an airtight container and placed in the fridge if it will be used during the week or it can be bagged and frozen for use beyond a week.
Here are some of my staple batch cooked items:
Rice
Can it get any easier? Usually make 1 or 2 cups of rice? Well just double it. Use half today for your dinner and store the other half. There are times I’m storing for use this week such as making rice for dinner tonight then having fried rice on Friday. Since I cook brown rice, which takes nearly 40 minutes; I’ve already saved myself over a half hour of work. If not using within the week, I will bag and freeze. Perhaps I have ‘Chipotle Bowls’ on my meal plan for next week. Bam, the rice is already in the freezer and ready to go. And speaking of Chipotle Bowls, my second staple batch cooked item…
Beans
This is one of the easiest things to make. EVER! Set it and forget it. At any given time I have at least 4 different types of beans in my freezer. Right now I’ve got black-eyed peas, kidney beans, black beans, pintos, and chickpeas ready for making a meal. When I cook them in the crockpot, I don’t season them at all because I may not know at the time what type of dish the beans will end up in. Will the kidney beans be used for Jamaican Red Pea Soup, Indian Curry Kidney Beans or Chili?
Quinoa
I always double quinoa when I cook it because I know I’ll use it sometime soon. In my house we eat quinoa in many different preparations:
~Served hot for breakfast topped with fresh fruit, nuts and maple syrup
~As a side dish
~In patties
~In soups
Casseroles
I try to keep one casserole type dish in the freezer. If I’m ever running late, having a rough day or want to treat myself to a day off cooking, I have something at the ready. This saves me from spending extra money on eating out and saves the extra calories, sodium and fat grams that often accompany convenience food.
The next item is not cooked in advance but prepped and is a huge time saver.
Onions
Most of the dinners I prepare call for an onion. Why not chop them in advance? I throw a few in the food processor to chop then I portion them into small Ziploc bags then place that in a gallon sized bag. You can do the same with celery, carrots or any other diced veggies you use often. It’s a huge time saver.
Here are some items that would serve you well in batch cooking. Let’s cut your cooking time in half. The next time you make any of these items, double the batch and freeze half.
Breakfast
~Scones
~Quick Breads
Lunch
Dinner
~Brown ground meat and portion it to be distributed 3 ways:
Chili
Tacos
Spaghetti
~French Baguette (make and freeze)
~Baked Ziti
So the very next time you cook some rice, beans, or chili, remember to double the batch so you can redeem the time.
As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!
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