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A few months ago I came
across a online ad wherein the individual was looking for someone to
make her lunches during an especially busy time of the year. I
replied, met with her, and have been making soups, stews and salads
for her ever since. My regular cooking schedule allows me to make
fresh meals each night with very little leftovers so this was an
entirely new way of cooking for me. It is beneficial for me though
because it stocks my fridge and freezer with soup and salads that see
us through the weekday lunch crisis. I have learnt a few things from
this catering experience which, if you make your meals ahead of time,
might be useful to you.
Multiples: Make cooking and
shopping easier (and cheaper) by choosing recipes that include a few
repeating ingredients. For example, one could make a blended sweet
potato soup, a black bean and sweet potato stew, and a black bean
salad.
Do not stop: Commit to cooking until
all the meals are complete. This will motivate you to work faster and
to make time efficient choices. If you spread out the cooking over
the whole afternoon, you will get bored and cooking will become a
chore.
Store: To store your made
ahead meals you have two choices: fridge or freezer. Store the
majority of your meals in the freezer just in case your plans for the
week changes. There is nothing more disappointing (to the psyche and
the pocketbook) than chucking fridge stored salads!
Recipes: Collect cookbooks that
have a wide variety of interesting soup and stew recipes to aid in
your make ahead meals. I recommend Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special
which has recipes for more than 275 Soups, Stews and Salads.
Variety: If you make an
exceptionally big batch of one type of food you will most likely
experience palate fatigue. Portion, label and freeze the soup.
Develop a rotational plan so nothing languishes in the freezer for a
year!
Do you make ahead meals?
What are your tips?
