When it comes to cooking delicious and nutritious food in this crazy-busy modern world, I always say we need to cook smarter, not harder! You know how valuable and important home cooking is, or my guess is you wouldn't be a part of my tribe... but fitting it all in with all the other wonderful (and often time-consuming) activities of life, that's the hard bit. So, we need to think strategically about what we do cook! Here are my tips:
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It's not always the cooking that is time-consuming, often it's the cleaning! Stick to one-bowl wonders like soups, risottos, curries and stews.
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Aim for leftovers that you can reheat later in the week - cook once, eat twice! But having said this, aim for dishes that will taste just as good as leftovers, encouraging you to actually eat them. The fresh salad that will start looking daggy tomorrow is NOT a dish to aim for leftovers, whereas ragus, curries and bolognese sauces actually taste better the next day! If eating the same dish doesn't appeal, repurpose those leftovers - turn the ragu into a shepherds' pie, turn the curry into a laksa.
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Get organised and get freezing... nothing easier than pulling a home-cooked meal straight freezer! Some meals freeze better than others, so stick to 'wet' dishes like soups, stews, curries and pasta sauces. Coincidently, these are often the dishes that work well as leftovers, so cook extra and pack these into serving-size portions in the freezer.
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Choose your recipes carefully. I don't want you spending two hours in the kitchen cooking a lasagne Monday night, to then find yourself eating takeout for the rest of the week! Save the lasagne for a special occasion, and choose quick and easy recipes for every day. Of course, this is where I can really help you! My 'Speedy Budget Busters' and 'Quick Family Dinners' ebooks both contain meals you'll have on the table in less than 30 minutes, and as a subscriber you can download them both free! Subscribe to our newsletter here.
So, having said all that, today's free recipe, my Thermomix Dhal-licious ticks ALL the above boxes! This delicious dhal is creamy, satisfying and delicious, it requires only a TM bowl and chopping board, it serves five meaning there may well be leftovers, and it's even better the next day and freezes well. I think you'll be surprised by how tasty this dish is - I hope it becomes part of the weekly rotation!
Free recipe here.
"Cooking (from scratch) is the single most important thing we could do as a family to improve our health and general well-being." ~ Michael Pollan
Want more quick and easy Thermomix recipes? My bible is 'Quick Dinners' - 45 recipes, full-page photograph for each, hardcover, triple-tested, all delicious meals on the table in less than 30 minutes with minimal fuss (and minimal washing up!). This book's only $30, check it out here. You can also buy the digital copy worldwide for only $11.99, find out more here.
