You will notice as you go through this book that I use many different ingredients, from ready-made, shop-bought mash to frozen veg and herbs. I’m all about time saving so I want the fastest way to make a meal – if it requires something shop bought, then so be it. I figure that my made-in-advance, home-cooked meal with the odd shop-bought ingredient is much better than me not cooking at all.
EASY CHEATS
‘Cheats’, as I like to call them, are my saving grace. I’m a big believer that experts generally know best. If my dishwasher is broken then I call a plumber – I would never attempt to fix it myself! The same applies if I need to use pastry in a recipe – I leave it to the experts and simply buy the ready-rolled variety. It saves me time and stress. It’s quicker, I know the recipe will work and I won’t waste any ingredients. (Besides, I’m rubbish at pastry!)
That said, I’m a no judgment type of gal. If you want to make your own mash or pastry, then by all means go ahead. If you prefer to chop fresh onions instead of buying frozen, then do. Just remember that it will take longer to make the recipe than it would if you used the ‘cheats’ listed.
PASTES
I tend not to use many jarred sauces, but I do love concentrated pastes as they really pack a punch of flavour, especially curry pastes. When I am feeding my family, it’s really important that the meals I serve taste the same every time that I make them – kids really notice if a recipe is different from the last time – and pastes are brilliant for this. I’m not an expert in Thai or Japanese cuisine, and this is another example of a time that I would rather leave it to the professionals! From a health standpoint, concentrated pastes are generally a lot better to use than large jars of ready-made sauces, which can have lots of hidden sugars.
CHOPPED, FROZEN VEGETABLES
I’m a huge advocate of pre-chopped, frozen vegetables for many reasons. Obviously, they save a lot of time as someone else has done the hard work for you but they are also usually packed and flash frozen within an hour of being picked, so they retain all their healthy nutrients. They are also often cheaper than fresh, which, given the work that has already been done for you, still astounds me. They will keep in the freezer for ages, so you don’t have to worry about using up the veg languishing in the back of the veg drawer and you always have a ready on hand.
The one downside is that they come in plastic packaging, but many fresh vegetables nowadays do too. The good news is that the frozen-food industry has pledged to go plastic-free and is looking to change packaging.
The only two vegetables that I prefer to use fresh are broccoli and mushrooms, as they just don’t freeze well. Otherwise, I’m a freezer fan all the way!
If you prefer to use fresh veg, then go ahead – just be aware that the meals will take longer to prepare because of the extra chopping and peeling involved.
CHOPPED, FROZEN HERBS
Fresh herbs are so lovely, but they’re expensive and have a short shelf-life. Because of this, I always have a ready supply of frozen herbs in my freezer which are cheaper than fresh and keep for as long as you need them. Most supermarkets have a good range of frozen herbs but, if you can’t find them where you live, just substitute them for fresh or dried.
READY-MADE MASH
This is my biggest time-saver of all, and I have to say I’m a huge fan! Ready-made mash isn’t just convenient, it also freezes far better than homemade, which has a tendency to separate and become watery in the freezer. Store-bought, ready-made mash has been made in a large churner, so tends to keep its lovely, fluffy texture once frozen and defrosted.
READY-ROLLED PASTRY
Ready-rolled pastry is a great time saver and, most importantly, it always works! It also freezes really well. If I’m making a chicken pie, for example, I simply freeze the pie filling alongside a roll of puff pastry, then reheat the filling in the oven, with squares of puff pastry alongside. Everyone gets a spoonful of pie filling crowned with a beautifully puffed, golden square of puff pastry. All the joy of a pie without any of the hassle!
READY-ROLLED PIZZA DOUGH
Shop-bought pizzas are expensive and often disappointing. Making your own at home is easy, fun for the kids and you have complete control over the toppings! I use packs of ready-rolled pizza dough, which are great for making pizzas and also my Calzone recipes.
STORECUPBOARD INGREDIENTS
As well as the ‘cheats’ that I always fall back on, I always keep my cupboards stocked with a few essential ingredients that are versatile, store well and are packed with flavour.
DRIED HERBS AND SPICES
Jars of dried Italian seasoning, mixed herbs or oregano are great to have on hand. I use these in a lot of my recipes, so it’s good to get the large jars if possible. I also use a lot of fajita or taco seasoning to add instant spice to any Mexican or Cajun-inspired dishes, such as the Cajun Pork Steaks here. You can buy the seasoning in individual sachets or jars and it’s a good idea to stock up on a few so that you always have a ready supply on hand.
STORECUPBOARD SUNDRIES
The other essentials that pack a lot of bang for their buck and, therefore, crop up a lot in my recipes are Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, tinned tomatoes, passata and condensed soup.
As you work through the recipes in this book, you will see that there are certain tools that are used time and again to speed up the batching process. In truth, there are only a couple of things that are really essential, but it is worth investing if you are going to be adopting this way of cooking.
MEASURING CUPS
Cups are a brilliant time-saver as they save all the time spent painstakingly weighing your ingredients. Instead, you can simply scoop the ingredients into the right-sized cup and pop it straight into your dish. I have listed cup measurements first in all of my recipes (though there are of course gram measurements, too), to try and get you into this way of thinking. It’s important to be aware that 1 cup is a standard measurement, so don’t just grab the mug that you make your morning coffee in! What you really need is a set of large measuring spoons in cup sizes. They are available from my website (details here) and other retailers. For more information on using cups, see here.
FREEZER BAGS
Freezer bags are great space savers, as you can freeze everything flat and thus get more in. They also prevent freezer burn as you can take all the excess air out of the bag before sealing. Lastly, they help food defrost quicker as they are thin and flat, so you don’t end up with a huge block to defrost as you would do using a tub. Most brands are now washable and reusable