Bags of flavour
Planning ahead using Borders-based Suzanne Mulholland’s methods means you can have delicious homemade food ready to go at any time
In her new book Grab and Cook, Suzanne Mulholland, aka The Batch Lady, is championing ways to help put satisfying, wholesome food on the table every day. Fast. Most of these recipes take no more than 5 minutes to prepare and can be cooked there and then or popped into the freezer and grabbed out for an easy meal whenever needed.
Grab and Cook recipes use all raw ingredients and there is no prior cooking involved before freezing, you are simply preparing the meal and then freezing leaving you with a fridge or freezer full of delicious homemade meals. By using environmentally friendly, re-usable freezer bags, filled with pre-chopped raw ingredients, Suzanne is helping those without the time, confidence, or inclination to still have a healthy, quality home cooked meal whenever they want.
Creamy sausage & cannellini bean one-pot
I love an easy sausage one-pot, and this one ticks all the boxes. Serves four
1 cup (115g) frozen diced onions
2 tsp frozen chopped garlic
2 cups (350g) frozen mixed chopped peppers
1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano scant 1 cup (200g) cream cheese ¾ cup (60g) grated Parmesan 1 chicken stock cube, crumbled 8 pork sausages
To cook:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups (500ml) boiling water
If making ahead to freeze
1 Put the onions, garlic, peppers, cannellini beans, smoked paprika, oregano, cream cheese, Parmesan and crumbled stock cube into a large freezer bag, mix together and freeze flat.
2 Keep the sausages in their packet, or put in a smaller freezer bag, and freeze alongside the bag of sauce.
When ready to cook
1 Remove from the freezer and leave to fully defrost.
2 Put a tablespoon of olive oil into a large casserole dish and place on a medium heat. Add the pork sausages and brown them all over. Add the contents of the freezer bag, stir well, then pour over the boiling water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
If cooking now
1 Put a tablespoon of olive oil into a large casserole dish and place on a medium heat. Add the pork sausages and brown them all over, then add the rest of the ingredients.
2 Pour over the boiling water and stir well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Hot chocolate pots
These hot chocolate pots are so decadent, and are totally delicious. Split them open and you get hot chocolate spread encased in sponge – so yummy. They are amazing to have in the freezer for when the sweet craving strikes. You will need four metal or ceramic ramekins.
Serves four
140g butter, at room temperature, plus 1 tsp to grease the ramekins scant ¾ cup (140g) caster sugar 2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (110g) plain flour
30g cocoa powder
4 heaped tsp chocolate spread (I use Nutella)
If making ahead to freeze
1 Grease all four ramekins with the teaspoon of butter and set aside.
2 Put the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and whisk until light and fluffy. 3 Add the eggs, vanilla, flour and cocoa powder, and whisk again until you have a lump-free batter.
4 Half-fill each ramekin with the batter.
5 Spoon 1 heaped teaspoon of chocolate spread into the centre of each ramekin, then cover with the rest of the batter.
6 Wrap each ramekin with cling film and tin foil, and place in the freezer.
When ready to cook
1 Preheat the oven to 160C. Unwrap the ramekins and cook the frozen puddings for 25 minutes. Either run a knife carefully down the side of each and tip out onto a plate, or serve as they are in the ramekins.
If cooking now
Follow the method in the ‘making ahead to freeze’ section up until the end of step 5.
1 Preheat the oven to 160C.
2 Cook the puddings for 19 minutes. Either run a knife carefully down the side of each and tip out onto a plate, or serve as they are in the ramekins.
Raspberry, white chocolate & pecan brioche bake
This decadent brioche bake is so delicious, and the perfect weekend brunch for friends and family! Serves four to six
8 butter brioche rolls (approx 280g) 1 cup (130g) frozen or fresh raspberries
120g white chocolate, cut into rough chunks
½ cup (50g) pecans, roughly chopped
4 eggs
½ cup (120ml) double cream 1 cup (240ml) whole milk ¼ cup (60ml) maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla extract
If making ahead to freeze
1 Tear the brioche rolls into pieces and put them into a large labelled freezer bag along with the raspberries, the chunks of white chocolate and the chopped pecans. 2 Put the eggs, double cream, milk, maple syrup and vanilla extract into a mixing jug. Whisk together with a fork, then pour into the freezer bag. Give everything a good mix and freeze flat.
When ready to cook
1 Remove from the freezer and leave to fully defrost. Preheat the oven to 180C. Pour everything into a lightly greased, medium-sized ovenproof dish and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until golden.
If cooking now
1 Put the eggs, double cream, milk, maple syrup and vanilla extract into a mixing bowl and whisk with a fork. 2 Tear the brioche rolls into pieces and add to the mixing bowl along with the raspberries, the chunks of white chocolate and the chopped pecans.
3 Mix and leave to sit for 20 minutes. 4 Preheat the oven to 180C. Pour the mix into a lightly greased ovenproof dish and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until golden.