Quick and Easy Meal Strategies

Recipes

	A creamy, calming pasta dish A soporific supper from Nigel Slater, perfect for those times when you want to curl up and do nothing for the rest of the night
	Aubergine, okra, corn and tomato stew Home-grown English sweet corn is at its best in late summer. This also makes a delicious cold dish, and if you add vegetable stock, and dice the vegetables small, it makes an excellent soup.
	Cheese Fondue Remember the days of flying ducks, The Good Life and Abigail's Party? Revisit the 1970s with this kitsch classic
	Chicken and apple crunch salad Ready in ten minutes, this impressive looking salad makes a perfect autumnal lunch
	Chilli Toasts Effectively just spicy cheese on toast, these delicious little snacks are the perfect party food - and are particularly nice when you get back from the pub
	Cranachan This famous Scottish 'cream crowdie' dessert is based on a simple oatmeal gruel sweetened with honey, fresh raspberries and, of course, whisky
	Houmous Dip This houmous dip is simplicity itself to make. Serve it with warm pitta bread or ciabatta, crudités or barbecued meats and vegetables.
	James Martin's Sweet & Sour Japanese Wok A stylish dish that you can whip up in minutes

Preparation - Cook Once, Eat Twice, Batch food preparation for busy days ahead

Planning for Leftovers

Freezer stock up

When you have time, prepare extra batches of food items that can be defrosted later
- Casseroles, soups, stews, precooked meats
- "Master Mixes" where you make different food mixes or bases that are added to different meals (i.e. cooked ground meat, onions, peppers and tomatoes mixed and frozen into meal portions to use in spaghetti, chilli, baked potato toppings etc.)
- Breakfast items such as french toast and pancakes
- Snack items such as muffins, loafs, cookies etc.
Prepare main course meals up to a safe point and freeze to complete later
On the weekend, prepare 3 or 4 meals at once
Refrigerate 1 or 2 for the next few days and freeze the rest
Roast a chicken one day and cut up the leftovers to use another day in chicken pot pie or in a salad or pasta
Cut up raw vegetables and freeze in portion sizes
Cut up vegetables and cook in a large batch and freeze excess for another meal
Prepare salad greens ahead of time
Prepare, portion and freeze key ingredients (i.e. 1 cup of grated cheese)