Weekend Cooking

superficies

I'm just curious about how many foodies around here do major cooking at the weekend for the week ahead. I think that if you work, cooking during the week can be especially difficult. I am usually happy enough to cook during the week, but I like to have the more difficult parts of whatever I'm making pre-cooked. So at the weekends I usually make sure that I have done whatever the bases/basics that are needed for what I plan to cook that week (yes, I meal plan, is the only way for me to shop wisely and eat sensibly!!). This weekend for example I am making:

* Squash and coriander soup--into the freezer; supper on Friday
* Carrot and coriander soup--for Monday's supper
* Potato and leek soup--today's supper to be served with some left over ham from during last week
* Roasting a joint of turkey--some will be used tomorrow for dinner with veg and gravy; some on Tuesday in a tom-based stew; and some on Thursday with pasta and pesto
* A loaf of banana and coffee bread--slice for breakfast every morning
* A plain apple cake for afternoon sugar-hits in the office

I find this both makes me happy (because I actually have time to cook at the weekends) and makes the week easier. Anyone else into ritual weekend cooking?

Thumpette

Impressive organization!

Dont think I was born with that gene. I'm terrible- cant even shop in advance nevermiind cook in advance. I can only decide what I might like to eat at about 4 in the afternoon!

The Sweeper

Am not organised enough either - though I work part-time, so I have a four day weekend, Thursday to Sunday. I'm more likely to do a pile of cooking on Thursday to last me through to Sunday, so I can spend time gardening (have a large project garden with a lot of work to be done) without worrying about the dinner.

Weeknight meals, the wok is my friend. Can usually throw something together from start to table top in about 20-25 minutes.

I will occasionally make large sauce-based meals for repeated eating - chili or bolgonaise sauce.

smallgarden

im always wary of using meat few days later and find stuff that i want to freeze never tastes as good but i like the idea of being that organised

superficies

Well, my working life is insanely busy and this is the only way I can manage to keep myself properly organised Monday-Friday!!
As for using meat a few days old--if you refrigerate it in an airtight container it's fine. There is no difference between this and, for example, eating cooked sliced meat like ham or chicken that you buy cooked and preprepared. I would only ever leave it 4 days max and there's never a problem. Occassionally I'll have to give my cat a little fresh meat bonus cos I've not used everything up, but I have never heard her complaining!!

sharonl

wow, that organisation!!;) I like to cook fresh when I come home during the week, helps me wind down from work, but I tend to do the type of cooking at the weekends that takes aaages to do, like I'll do some baking and make pies or really long slow cooked stews at the weekend that take a bit more time, just cos I like it. But I have to be out on tuesday nights so don't have much time to cook so I allow myself that one to have the crap food night! usally something super quick like fish and chips! but the rest of the time I'll cook from scratch, hate processed packet food:P

sharon

LimeFruitGum

It's nice to get it out of the way on Sunday, so all you have to do is heat it up during the week. Not all dishes suit though, but stuff like marinated meats, or lasagne is perfect.

I would only cook for 2-3 days in advance. By Wednesday I would have had enough of what I had made on Sunday:)

molliesassy

I work Mon-Fri and spend the weekend cooking for the family at home and also stuff for my 2 college student daughters to take back to Dublin, so I know they have something nutricious to start the week off with at least. This weekend I cooked:

• Potato and leek soup
• butternut squash soup
• banana and walnut loaf
• chicken and broccolli pie
• bread
• scones

This as well as duck confit on Saturday night and roast beef for today (leftovers for sandwiches tomorrow) and a custard tart for dessert.
Wow! looks a lot when I see it written down! Would love to be as organised as superficies but cant think further than 2 days ahead.

Eviledna

I like to try and get some baking in at the weekend, around the same time I do the washing for the week:pac:

Tonight I got in some malted brown bread to do our (me&OH) lunches for the coming 3 days, maple and apricot scones to do tea breaks and sweetie urge, low fat chocolate sauerkraut cake (baking experiment! Tasted like...sauerkraut:o) yesterday and I intend to fire up the crock pot each morning for dinner each day.
I'd love to be so organised to cook all weekend, but in truth I bake for pleasure, not for organisation. And my freezer is tiny.

Cleansheets

I thought I didn't have it in me to plan meals ahead either but then something had to give as the daily dinner decision and daily shopping wasn't working either. I have been planning on Monday for Monday to Friday and on Friday for the weekend since January and it's great, have saved a fortune! I started out scribbling the plan on the corner of the shopping list (a menu planner in denial - classic symptom!) that used to get lost so now I've come out as a menu planner and have a wipe clean A4 laminated sheet on the press in the kitchen. Lengthier description on my blog

superficies

Cleansheets--I think you're absolutely right. You do save a fortune. I couldn't do the daily shop anymore--it just took up so much of my time and all too often I'd get lazy and go to a rest, or get a take out, or just eat crap. I actually started menu planning and cooking properly when I went on a mission to lose weight and it has done wonders for me and my whole family's health and happiness. I just got a delivery of Economy Gastronomy in this morning's post as well, and they are also wild into the meal planning and big shop. I absolutely agree!

Mollie--looks like we have very similar weekend cooking. Re the banana and walnut loaf--just standard banana bread with some chopped walnuts or? Sounds good. I like to add a shot of espresso or some choc chips to my banana bread (another weekend standard) and it makes for yummy breakfast, but would like to try it with nuts as well.

Cleansheets

I don't actually cook ahead that much but there's generally emergency spag bol, sheperds pie and bratwurst in the freezer. Cooking once and eating twice saves energy of the cook and electricity so I hope to incorporate that a bit more. The Frugal Cook book has lots of good ideas, to waste less food and energy, I picked it up on hols and haven't used the recipes but I've adopted lots of the tips.

molliesassy

Cleansheets, you may have inspired me to try the planner.. I need to get myself more organised. (Love the blog by the way)
Superficies I make a very ordinary banana bread and throw in a few walnuts or pecan nuts. I love the sound of adding coffee, might try that next time.
I am totally with eviledna on the crockpot - I use it all winter for casseroles and curries and each session is enough for 2 meals so I can use it the next day or freeze till later. It's lovely to come home on a cold evening to that lovely smell of a warming casserole

the beer revolu

molliesassy wrote: »

I work Mon-Fri and spend the weekend cooking for the family at home and also stuff for my 2 college student daughters to take back to Dublin, so I know they have something nutricious to start the week off with at least. This weekend I cooked:

• Potato and leek soup
• butternut squash soup
• banana and walnut loaf
• chicken and broccolli pie
• bread
• scones

This as well as duck confit on Saturday night and roast beef for today (leftovers for sandwiches tomorrow) and a custard tart for dessert.
Wow! looks a lot when I see it written down! Would love to be as organised as superficies but cant think further than 2 days ahead.

Surely, with a food orientated parent like yourself setting an example, your adult daughters would be well able to cook proper food for themselves?

Cleansheets

The beer, Mollie's kids clearly have a good thing going on - don't ruin it on them!

Mollie, menu planning didn't work for me before 'cause I tried to do it for a whole week. This didn't allow enough flexibility, for a last minute invite etc. Monday to Friday and Friday to Monday works and it's no big deal to let a meal run on a day if it doesn't get used. Good Luck, would love to hear how you get on and glad you liked the blog

molliesassy

The beer, thank God my girls are excellent cooks but it makes me feel good to give them a helping hand at something nutricious to start the week. However, I dont always cook for them - sometimes just give them the raw ingredients:)
I would love to know what are posters staple mid-week meals? For example, I would regularly do toad-in-the-hole, spag bol, prawn curry, chicken curry, chillie (sp?), beef casserole, shepherds pie.

Minder

Personally I hate freezer meals - I also hate pierce and ping. So I cook every night. Occasionally we have a shop bought pizza that we can add toppings to, but largely it a cook from scratch dinner every night.

If that sounds like a tall order, it isn't. We had a chinese beef curry last week, took no more than 40 minutes from shopping bag to plate. It only has 5 ingredients. A jar of Wing Yip chinese curry concentrate delivers all the flavour. Couldn't be simpler.

Other week day staples include frittatas - any combination of interesting bits enrobed in eggy goodness, with a grilled cheese top. A side salad completes the plate.

Baked penne pasta with parmaesan and mozzerella - dress penne in a tomato stock made from whizzed plum tomatoes, garlic & basil - reduced.

Linguine with tuna, garlic & parsley in a olive oil and lemon dressing.

Jerk chicken and joloff rice - again 40 minutes cooking time is all it takes.

A Nicoise salad; spaghetti putanesca; shorba and warm bread; falafel in pittas with salad and hot sauce; spaghetti carbonara; sausages with polenta; thai chicken curries; grilled lamb chops with spuds or chips & a salad - cumin, paprika & salt on the chops; Pork chops with garlic & fennel seeds again with spuds and a salad - a dollop of quince paste on the side of the plate is lovely; Steak and chips with a greek salad and a glass (or 5) of Malbec (Saturday nights); a hunk of lamb cooked rare and served over stir fried noodles with veg - dress with a thai dressing of chilli, garlic, fish sauce and lime juice.

Hungry now....

superficies

Mid-week staples: a good spanish omelette with salad, turkey skewers, pasta with pesto, turkey gravy and carrots, weekend cooked soups with bread and ham and cheese and salad, OH's special low fat carbonara (!), boozy bolognese (although that's usually at the weekend as it takes 1.5 hours!), beef stew, tomato and turkey casserole, veg risotto (spl?), home made sundried tomato beef burgers and spicy wedges (treat night!)