Batch Cooking Sunday

So, when I think about batch cooking I'm thinking about loads of veggies that I can roast/ bake/ steam on the weekend that I can use as a base for my meals during the weekdays. It makes weekdays much easier and also prevents bad food choice that happen when you're hungry and low on time. It's also a way to get a rainbow into your diet (and remember each colour contains a different phytochemical essential for health and wellbeing) and is just a huge time saver.

Although I may be batch cooking a load of veggies it does NOT have to be boring. I season all the vegetables differently making them taste different and delicious. I also tend to batch cook a pot of quinoa that I cook in some bone broth to use as a base for my meals. If you have all this sorted you can just grab and go.

Here is how I do it:

1- Cauliflower:

Chop up some cauliflower into florets and sprinkle them with some turmeric and black pepper then add a glug of olive oil and mix. turmeric in best absorbed with the addition of black pepper which is why I have added it but also makes it tasty.

2- Beetroot

Scrub and wash the beet then wrap them in a little foil and cook in the oven for about 90 minutes. Remove. Once cooled gently peel the outer skin off and chop up the beets. Add a tbp of aged balsamic vinegar to this and coat the beets with it.

3- Broccoli

I tend to buy tenderstem broccoli only because it's easier to chop up (sheer laziness) and I just steam the broccoli. Once they turn a bright green in the steamer I switch it off and remove the broccoli from the heat and let it cool.

4- Sweet Potato

My favourite! I make the most of these and we usually just snack on these and they go super quickly! I sprinkle some paprika on them and then coat them with some olive oil and salt and bake them in the oven for about 30 minutes or until cooked (soft in the middle and lightly toasted on the outside)

5- Courgettes

Sprinkle some italian seasoning, salt and olive oil

6- Mushrooms

These are so yummy just baked/ grilled in the oven and just need a little bit of garlic salt and some pepper.They will half in size by the time they are cooked as they release a lot of water so you can put a lot on the tray ...

7- Asparagus

I put these in a dry pan and then them char on both sides before removing them. If you haven't tried them like this you must! It gives them an intense nutty taste which is delicious - you cannot compare it to the taste when steamed or boiled.

8- Carrots

I just like these simple and roast them with just some salt and olive oil. Easy!

And there is nothing wrong with a little olive oil and the heat of the oven. Yes, it's an oil that should be used for dressings but it is so full of flavonoids and antioxidants that studies show it can take the heat of the oven without being oxidised - just incase you're reading this and wondering!

Once you're reading to have you're meal, whether it's at home, at work where ever, first pile the quinoa on your plate and then add a selection of veggies (remember you're aiming for a rainbow) and then go ahead and pimp it further ....

ADD more protein (eggs or chicken or fish or hummus or tofu)

ADD some avocado for those essential fats and

ADD some probiotics foods like sauerkraut or kimchi to keep your gut happy.

Easy, simple, fuss free cooking that entails eating the rainbow and keeping your gut happy ... Food is medicine