Turn your hand to batch cooking

Which is why she’s developed her new book, The Batch Lady: Rapid Dinners, an interactive guide to batch cooking your way out of mundane weeknight meals.

She helps you fill the freezer with nutritious dishes – from chilli honey salmon bites to a cheesy mixed bean bake and cinnamon buns with cream cheese frosting – that you can just ‘grab and cook’, and claw back some time and inner calm in the process.

Super greens soup

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

280g frozen peas

115g frozen diced onions

100g fresh spinach or 4 cubes frozen spinach

140g frozen broccoli florets

2tsp frozen chopped garlic

Large handful fresh basil

1 vegetable stock cube, crumbled

Salt and pepper

360-720ml boiling water

Method:

IF MAKING AHEAD FOR THE FRIDGE OR FREEZER

Place all of the ingredients in a large labelled freezer bag and seal. Freeze flat.

HOB: Tip all the frozen ingredients into a saucepan. If making soup, add 720 millilitres of boiling water. If making pasta sauce, add 360 millilitres of boiling water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for eight to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Blend until smooth and season to taste.

SLOW COOKER: Tip all the frozen ingredients into the slow cooker. If making soup, add 720 millilitres of boiling water. If making pasta sauce, add 360 millilitres of boiling water. Cook for three hours on high, or five hours on low, or until the vegetables are tender. Blend until smooth and season to taste.

IF COOKING NOW

HOB: Put all the ingredients into a saucepan. If making soup, add 720 millilitres of boiling water. If making pasta sauce, add 360 millilitres of boiling water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for eight to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Blend until smooth and season to taste.

SLOW COOKER: Put all the ingredients into the slow cooker. If making soup, add 720 millilitres of boiling water. If making pasta sauce, add 360 millilitres of boiling water. Cook for three hours on high, or five hours on low, or until the vegetables are tender. Blend until smooth and season to taste.

Herby chicken, leek and mushroom casserole

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

100g unsmoked diced pancetta

100g sliced mushrooms

120g frozen chopped leeks

3tsp frozen chopped garlic

Handful fresh parsley, finely chopped

Handful fresh tarragon, finely chopped

1 chicken stock cube, crumbled

100g cream cheese

Salt and pepper

1tbsp olive oil

Method:

IF MAKING AHEAD FOR THE FRIDGE OR FREEZER

1. Place the chicken and pancetta in a large labelled freezer bag.

2. Put the rest of the ingredients into a medium freezer bag and seal.

3. Slide the smaller bag inside the large bag and seal. Freeze flat.

HOB: Remove the bags from the freezer and leave to fully defrost. Place a large, deepsided casserole dish on a medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the chicken and pancetta and brown all over. Add the rest of the ingredients and 240 millilitres of water and mix well. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes, stirring regularly, until the chicken is cooked through.

SLOW COOKER: Remove the bags from the freezer and leave to fully defrost. Turn the slow cooker to the sauté setting and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the chicken and pancetta and cook until browned all over. Tip in the rest of the ingredients, pour in 120 millilitres of water and mix well. Pop on the lid and cook for three hours on high, or six hours on low, until the chicken is cooked through.

IF COOKING NOW

HOB: Place a large, deep-sided casserole dish over a medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the chicken and pancetta and brown all over. Add the rest of the ingredients and 240 millilitres of water and mix well. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes, stirring regularly, until the chicken is cooked through.

SLOW COOKER: Turn the slow cooker to the sauté setting and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the chicken and pancetta and cook until browned all over. Tip in the rest of the ingredients, pour over half a cup 120 millilitres of water and mix well. Pop on the lid and cook for three hours on high, or six hours on low, until the chicken is cooked through.

White chocolate, raspberry and pretzel cookie dough

Ingredients:

(Serves 6-8)

180g soft butter

200g soft light brown sugar

1 egg

1tsp vanilla extract

200g plain flour

1tsp baking powder

170g white chocolate, chopped into small chunks

80g fresh raspberries

30g salted pretzels, lightly crushed

Method:

IF MAKING AHEAD FOR THE FRIDGE OR FREEZER

1. Put the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.

2. Add the egg and vanilla extract, then whisk again. Sift in the flour and baking powder, then mix with a large spoon. Fold through the white chocolate, raspberries and crushed pretzels.

3. Place the cookie dough in a labelled freezer bag and seal. Freeze flat.

OVEN: Remove the bag from the freezer and leave to fully defrost. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Squish the cookie dough into a 22 centimetre ovenproof pie tin or skillet and cook for 25-30 minutes. It should be golden on the outside and soft in the middle.

AIR FRYER: Remove the bag from the freezer and leave to fully defrost. Preheat the air fryer to 180°C. Squish the cookie dough into a 22 centimetre air fryer-safe pie tin or skillet. Place the tin or skillet in the air fryer and cook for 13-15 minutes, covering with foil if browning too quickly. It should be golden on the outside and soft in the middle.

IF MAKING NOW

Follow the method in the ‘if making ahead’ section up until the end of step 2.

OVEN: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Squish the cookie dough into a 22 centimetre ovenproof pie tin or skillet and cook for 25-30 minutes. It should be golden on the outside and soft in the middle.

AIR FRYER: Preheat the air fryer to 180°C. Squish the cookie dough into a 22 centimetre air fryer-safe pie tin or skillet. Place in the air fryer and cook for 13-15 minutes. Cover with foil if browning too quickly. It should be golden on the outside and soft in the middle.

The Batch Lady: Rapid Dinners by Suzanne Mulholland is published in hardback by Ebury Press