The Batch Lady

FROZEN VERSUS FRESH

As I covered earlier in the introduction, I am a big fan of ‘cheat’ ingredients to save on time. My most commonly used are frozen onions, garlic, sliced peppers and spinach. If you would rather use fresh, simply use the chart below to work out how much of each ingredient you will need.

Frozen IngredientAmountFresh EquivalentFrozen, chopped onions1 cup1 onion, finely choppedFrozen, chopped red onions1 cup1 red onion, finely choppedFrozen, chopped garlic1 tsp1 clove, crushedFrozen, sliced peppers1 cup1 pepper, slicedFrozen, chopped spinach2 cubes½ bag fresh spinachFrozen, sliced carrots1 cup2 carrots, sliced

THE RECIPES

POULTRY

Versatile, quick to cook and liked by everyone, chicken is a mainstay ingredient of any busy family cook. In my house, it keeps even the fussiest of appetites happy and is the protein that I cook more than any other. In this chapter you will find lots of simple, delicious recipes for meals made with chicken that can be prepared ahead of time and pulled out of the freezer as needed.

As with all the recipes in this book, each meal is paired with another, so you can easily batch two dishes at once – making one for now and one for later. At the end of the chapter you’ll find a plan for cooking ten delicious chicken recipes in one hour, making it possible to make two weeks’ worth of delicious chicken-based dinners in just 60 minutes!

CHICKEN, ASPARAGUS & EMMENTAL PARCELS

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These delicious parcels are perfect for those days when you want the comfort of a pie, but don’t have the time or energy to make one. They can be assembled quickly in advance and then cooked directly from frozen. If you’re vegetarian or trying to cut down on meat, these are just as delicious made with mushroom soup instead of chicken.

PREP: 15 MINUTES

COOK: 25 MINUTES

SERVES 4

2 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry

1 × 295g can condensed cream of chicken soup

½ cup (50g) grated Emmental cheese

8 asparagus spears, cut into 2.5cm (1in) pieces

1 cup (155g) frozen peas

1 egg, beaten, to cook

If you are also making the Chicken Lattices, it is best to make the Chicken, Asparagus & Parcels first to avoid any cross contamination from the raw chicken.

01 Unroll the pastry sheets and cut each in half, leaving you with four roughly square pieces. If the pieces aren’t quite square, trim the longer sides to even them up. Set aside.

02 Put the soup, Emmental cheese, asparagus and peas in a bowl and stir to combine. Now scoop a quarter of the mixture (about ½ cup) into the centre of each of the squares of pastry.

03 Bring up opposite corners of the squares of pastry and press them together to seal in the centre. Now work your way down the seams to seal the pastry and completely enclose the filling.

TO COOK: Transfer the parcels to a lined baking sheet and brush the tops with the egg wash. Cook in an oven preheated to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 20–25 minutes, until crisp and golden. Serve with vegetables of your choice alongside.

TO FREEZE: Carefully wrap each of the parcels in clingfilm, then transfer to a labelled plastic bag and freeze flat for up to 3 months.

TO COOK FROM FROZEN: These can be cooked from frozen. Place on a lined baking sheet and brush with beaten egg. Cook in an oven preheated to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 30–35 minutes, until golden. Serve with vegetables alongside.

CHICKEN, CHEESE & HAM PASTRY LATTICES

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This is one of those recipes that looks much harder than it actually is, all thanks to a bit of pastry wizardry! These are great to have stocked in the freezer, so I usually double the quantity and make eight lattices at once – it only takes a moment to make the extra ones as all the ingredients are already laid out.

PREP: 20 MINUTES

COOK: 35 MINUTES

SERVES 4

1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

4 × 1cm- (½in-) thick slices cheddar cheese

4 slices ham

1 egg, beaten, to cook

01 Unroll the pastry sheet and cut into quarters, leaving you with four roughly square pieces. If the pieces aren’t quite square, trim the longer sides to even up the pieces.

02 Using a lattice cutter, roll over the pieces of pastry, or alternatively use a sharp knife to cut 2cm (1in) slits in staggered rows 1cm (½in) apart. Gently pull the pastry apart so that the lattice shape opens up.

03 Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and evenly space the chicken breasts on it. Place a slice of ham on each piece of chicken, then top each with a slice of cheddar cheese. Finally, top each stack with a piece of the latticed pastry, opening it up so that the top and sides of each chicken breast are enclosed.

Zhuzh it up!

Substitute the ham for slices of prosciutto and change the cheese to slices of mozzarella for a more luxurious result.

TO SERVE: Brush the top of each pastry lattice with beaten egg, then transfer to an oven preheated to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 30–35 minutes, until golden, juicy and tender. Serve hot with vegetables of your choice alongside.

TO FREEZE: Transfer the uncooked lattices to a labelled freezer bag and freeze flat for up to 3 months.

TO COOK FROM FROZEN: Remove the chicken lattices from the freezer and allow to defrost completely, then brush with beaten egg and cook as described, left.

CHICKEN, TOMATO & CHORIZO PASTA BAG

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Pull this bag out of the freezer in the morning and you can have a hearty evening meal on the table in the evening in the time it takes to cook a pan of pasta. Make this alongside the ’Nduja pasta bag and you’ll have two tasty, sustaining meals ready to go in next to no time.

PREP: 10 MINUTES

COOK: 15 MINUTES

SERVES 4

splash of olive oil

1 cup (115g) chopped, frozen onions

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 5mm (¼in) slices

¼ cup (115g) bacon lardons

¼ cup (120g) frozen, diced chorizo

½ cup (120ml) Red Pesto (see here) or 100g store-bought, sundried tomato pesto

70g sundried tomatoes in oil, drained

3¾ cups (300g) penne pasta, to serve

01 Heat a splash of olive oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat, then add the onions and chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes.

Clear away the chopping boards and knives from prepping the raw chicken and clean the kitchen worktops, then make this and the ’Nduja Pasta Bag alongside each other on the hob. The stages are very similar, so it is very easy to make both dishes at the same time.

02 Once the chicken has browned, add the bacon lardons and chorizo and stir through, then cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Stir through the pesto and sundried tomatoes, then remove the pan from the heat.

TO COOK: If you are making this to serve now, simply cook the pasta in boiling water according to packet instructions, until tender. Stir the pasta through the chicken and pesto mixture, then divide between serving bowls and serve warm.

TO FREEZE: Set the chicken and pesto mixture aside until cooled to room temperature, then transfer to a labelled freezer bag and freeze flat for up to 3 months.

TO COOK FROM FROZEN: Remove the bag from the freezer and leave to completely defrost in the fridge. Once defrosted, transfer to a pan and cook until piping hot. Cook the pasta in a separate pan, then combine as described in the To Cook section, left.

’NDUJA PASTA BAG

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’Nduja is a spicy paste made with pork and chilli from Calabria in Italy. You will find it beside the jars of pesto in the supermarket.

PREP: 10 MINUTES

COOK: 15 MINUTES

SERVES 4

splash of olive oil

2 cups (230g) frozen, chopped onions

1 tsp frozen, chopped garlic

4–5 tbsp ’nduja spread

1½ cups (300g) cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 smoked sausage, sliced

4 cups (400g) rigatoni pasta, to serve

4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

01 Heat a splash of olive oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat, then add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3–4 minutes.

02 Add the ‘nduja to the pan and stir until the onions are coated, then add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

TO COOK: If you are making this to serve now, stir in the smoked sausage and keep warm while you cook the pasta. Stir the cooked pasta through the ‘nduja and sausage mixture, then divide between serving bowls, scatter with Parmesan and serve warm.

TO FREEZE: Set the mixture aside until cooled to room temperature, then stir through the smoked sausage and transfer to a labelled freezer bag. Freeze flat for up to 3 months.

TO COOK FROM FROZEN: Remove the bag from the freezer and leave to completely defrost in the fridge. Once defrosted, transfer to a pan and cook until piping hot. Cook the pasta in a separate pan, then combine as described in the To Cook section, left.

MEXICAN TRAYBAKE

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This tasty recipe requires no cooking on the day that you assemble it for the freezer. It can then simply be defrosted and popped in the oven on the day that you want to serve it. What could be simpler?

PREP: 5 MINUTES

COOK: 25 MINUTES

SERVES 4

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 5mm (¼in) slices

1 × 30g pack taco or fajita seasoning

1 × 300gjar tomato salsa

2 cups (280g) frozen sweetcorn

1 × 400g can chopped tomatoes, drained through a sieve

1 cup (175g) frozen, sliced peppers (optional)

1 cup (90g) grated cheddar cheese

3 handfuls tortilla chips, crushed

TO COOK: Put the chicken in the base of a large baking dish, scatter over the taco or fajita seasoning and give the mixture a stir to coat the chicken in the spices. Add the salsa, sweetcorn, chopped tomatoes and peppers to the dish and stir again to combine. Scatter over the cheese, followed by the crushed tortilla chips. Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese topping is golden and bubbling.

TO FREEZE: Put the chicken in a large, labelled freezer bag and scatter over the taco or fajita seasoning, rubbing the sides of the bag to coat the chicken in the spices. Add the salsa, sweetcorn, chopped tomatoes and peppers to the bag and give everything a shake to combine. Freeze flat for up to 3 months.

TO COOK FROM FROZEN: Remove the bag from the freezer and allow to defrost fully in the fridge. Once defrosted, tip the mixture into a large baking dish, scatter over the cheese and crushed tortillas and cook as described in the To Cook section, above.

CAJUN PORK STEAKS WITH PEPPERS

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This is such an easy recipe that I always double up and store two batches in the freezer for a no-fuss midweek meal. If you don’t like pork steaks, simply substitute for chicken or beef. This is great served with Made-in-Advance Baked Potatoes (see here), some ready-made mash or a packet of microwavable Mexican rice.

PREP: 5 MINUTES

COOK: 30 MINUTES

SERVES 4

2 tbsp plus 2 tsp smoky Cajun rub (available in the spice aisle)

2 tbsp olive oil

4 pork loin steaks

2 cups (350g) frozen, sliced peppers

1 × 400g can chopped tomatoes

01 Put 2 tbsp of the smoky Cajun rub in a bowl with the olive oil and combine to form a paste. Pour the oil and spice paste over the pork steaks and use your hands to ensure they are well coated. Set aside.

02 In the same bowl that the spice paste was made in, combine the remaining smoky Cajun rub and the chopped tomatoes.

TO COOK: Lay the spice-coated pork steaks in a large baking dish and top with the sliced peppers, then pour over the spiced tomato mixture. Transfer to an oven preheated to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 and cook for 25–30 minutes, until the pork is tender. Serve hot.

TO FREEZE: Put the spice-coated pork steaks in a large, labelled freezer bag, followed by the peppers and spiced tomato mixture. Give the bag a shake to combine the flavours, then freeze flat for up to 3 months.

TO COOK FROM FROZEN: Remove the bag from the freezer and allow to defrost in the fridge. Once defrosted, tip the mixture into a baking dish and cook as described in the To Cook section, left.

THREE WAYS WITH CAJUN PORK STEAKS

Now that you’ve prepared your Cajun Pork Steaks, what are you going to do with them? Below are three simple ideas for different ways of serving them that will keep mealtimes feeling fresh and different every time!

CAJUN PORK STEAKS WITH MASHED POTATOES

1 × quantity Cajun Pork Steaks with Peppers

1 × 400g pack ready-made mashed potatoes

2 cups (300g) frozen, mixed vegetables, to serve

01 Prepare the pork steaks as described here.

02 When the pork steaks have almost finished cooking, heat the mashed potato and frozen, mixed vegetables in the microwave according to packet instructions.

03 Serve the pork steaks with the mashed potatoes and cooked veg alongside.

CAJUN PORK PANINIS WITH CORN ON THE COB

1 × quantity Cajun Pork Steaks with Peppers

4 panini rolls, sliced open

4 corn on the cob

2–3 large tomatoes, sliced

sliced gherkins, to taste (optional)

01 Prepare the pork steaks as described here.

02 When the pork steaks have almost finished cooking, put the corn in a pan of boiling water and cook for 5–10 minutes, until tender.

03 Slice the cooked pork into bite-sized pieces and spoon into the panini rolls, then top with a few of the cooked peppers, a couple of slices of tomato and some gherkins, if using. Serve hot with the corn on the cob on the side.

CAJUN PORK STEAKS WITH NOODLES

1 × quantity Cajun Pork Steaks with Peppers

2–3 nests dried noodles

mixed salad leaves, to serve

your choice of salad dressing

01 Prepare the pork steaks as described here.

02 When the pork steaks have almost finished cooking, cook the noodles in boiling water according to packet instructions.

03 Drain the cooked noodles and divide between four serving bowls, then top each with a Cajun pork steak and a spoonful of cooked peppers, plus any juices from the pan. Serve hot with a bowl of dressed salad leaves alongside.