The last thing many of us feel like doing after a busy day is cooking up a gourmet feast. The good news is, cooking healthy and tasty homemade meals doesn't have to be difficult or time consuming.
Here are some of our "real life" tested tips to make mid-week meals that are ready in a flash:
Frozen vegies are your friend
They're pre-cut, affordable and just as nutritious as fresh. They can be the star of your wok dish, bulk up a curry or casserole or be chucked on the plate as an afterthought. Some of our favourite ways to use them are
- Peas + carrots + corn in fried rice
- Frozen spinach will stay incognito in a lot of pasta sauces or can shine in an omelette
- Frozen edamame is a hit in Asian salads
- Stir-fry mixes make noodles a breeze
- Frozen broccoli and cauliflower are a great side to your steak
Eggs anyway
Use ready-cooked sachets of brown rice from the supermarket. They're more expensive than cooking your own, and have a lot more packaging, but are very convenient when you need an easy meal.
Big batch bol
Make a big batch of Bolognese sauce and freeze into meal-size portions. I like putting it in ziplock bags because they stack nicely in the freezer that way (and can be re-used). We've got recipes for a meat or vego version. When you need a quick meal defrost the sauce in the microwave, cook some pasta (or microwave some potatoes... or make some toast) and slap it all together. You could even go for an old Italy meets Mexico vibe and turn the bol into burritos. Genius!
Kooky couscous
Couscous is a super quick and easy grain to prepare - add boiling water, cover, leave for a few minutes and voila, ready to go! Try this quick tuna couscous for a meal that's on the table in 10 minutes. Bonus points if you can find the wholemeal variety. It's just as good and I promise I'm not just saying that because it's higher in fibre ;)
Home-cooked microwave meals
Curry, soup, pasta sauce, tagines, casseroles and stews all do very well in the freezer. Cook up big batches for maximum efficiency and to save on dishes! Spoon meal-sized portions into freezer-safe containers or zip-lock bags and freeze for a rainy day.
Kids in the kitchen
Don't be afraid to ask the kids to help with the prep. It will probably take more time initially but they'll be learning valuable life skills and eventually they'll be actually helping! See this guide for age appropriate meal prep and cooking tasks.
