{whatever wednesday} — batch cooking

okay…

this week has been epic for me.  why? you ask… well, i’ll sum it up in my usual cryptic style :

i’m transforming and it’s really kind of kicking my ass. and as some of you may know, i’m a huge astrology buff, and boy is there some major stuff going on up in those beautiful stars… and it’s totally changing my life!  good stuff, but also a lot of purging.  i’ve been meditating longer than normal, and it actually takes a lot out of me, physically.  which is fine because i’m manifesting some BIG changes that need to occur.  i started to blog about it and realized it was a little heavy for some… so maybe i’ll open those doors again later, but for now we’ll stick to the basics – food and fotos. meanwhile, i’ll continue to lovingly work on this planet from behind the scenes…

you’re welcome.

so, having said all that – i bought a car recently and that means reconfiguring my food budget a little.  it’s a good thing, because it kind of forces me to do what i always said i liked doing anyway… batch cooking ahead of time and packing my lunch for work 4-5 days a week.  it’s so easy to spend 5, 10, 15 dollars a day at work just buying food on-the-go and i’ve found i spend half my breaks just buying food.  so, why not plan ahead, save some money, AND save time in the long run… you know how we roll here at food and foto, we KISS – Keep It Seriously Simple.

i’ll just give myself 3-4 hours on my day off in the kitchen and just work my pots and pans out!  i throw on some music or some bad TV in the background, pour a mimosa, and plan my meals for the week.

here are make-ahead items that will keep for up to 5-7 days in your fridge :

– classic creamy mashed potatoes

– sweet roasted kabocha squash

– steamed madagascar pink rice {something new, for fun}

– hearty garlic cous-cous

– ultra-nutritious steam-sauteed kale

– olive-oil sauteed zucchini

– comforting baked yams

– delicious caramelized cipollini onions

i’ll just eat a few of these as a meal – the rice goes well with the zucchini or kale. i’ll toss the onions in a salad or with the cous cous. but since i’m about 85% vegan, i’ll occasionally throw in a salmon filet or some chicken breast for added protein. the nice thing about batch cooking {aside from saving time and money} is taking the guesswork out of your menus.  when you cook items ahead of time, you can just reheat what you need and put the rest back in the fridge.  i understand it seems daunting to carve out time to COOK in your kitchen. but i promise you it’s valuable.  especially if you work different schedules than your significant other, or if you have kids – they can serve themselves!  i’m single and realize i have a lot of extra time on my hands compared to many other people my age with families.  but i am just such an advocate for batch cooking – it encourages a healthier lifestyle.  also – soup is a great make-ahead meal, as well.

see my lentil soup down there next to thirsty thursday’s collection?!

😉 thanks as always, for reading…

Tags: batch-cooking, cooking, easy, food, healthy, meal-planning, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian, whatever wednesday