January batch cooking menu

How to make a Batch Cooking for the month of January.

The Batch Cooking or ” cooking a few hours for the whole week ” is here to stay, and quickly spread over the dining scene.

A method that many mothers or grandmothers have been doing all their lives, from time to time has taken a great role.

The new habits of life, where time is money, and the tendency to eat as healthy as possible, make it a “movement” to become more consolidated every day in Spanish homes. For my part, I will try to do my bit to make it easy and cheap to carry it out, without dying in the attempt.

The purpose is to offer you a monthly Batch Cooking , adapted to seasonal products, so that eating is as healthy as possible and also to purchase it is well priced. I will prepare a weekly type menu, which you can adapt to your needs and lifestyle.

We begin the task with the month of January , where we all have the great purpose of cleaning our bodies and purifying all the Christmas excesses.

In this month of January we will find perfect seasonal products for it, with many vegetables, fruits and vegetables at our disposal. Without forgetting the protein part, with the meats and fish available in the market.

An idea of ​​organization could be

• On Friday, in a free time we have, we plan the recipes, write them on paper and the same with the list of ingredients.
• On Saturday morning we go shopping. The best fresh products can be found in a market, and the rest of the ingredients are going to the supermarket.
• On Sunday morning (or Saturday afternoon if it suits us better), we get down to business and we are ready for the rest of the week.

This planning is an idea, because then each one has his things and we will have to organize ourselves as best we can. The important thing is to plan, do things without haste and above all, not procrastinate …

Preparation of the Batch Cooking for January

I propose a series of first and second courses , which you can combine to your liking, and consume at lunch or dinner. Someday you may eat or dine away from home, but no problem, since this system is flexible . Another advantage of Batch Cooking.

For breakfasts and snacks , I recommend pieces of seasonal fruit, such as citrus, kiwi, apple or bananas .

The yogurts unsweetened are a good complement, and if you do you add some dried fruit or berries, and have a delicious bite to start the day.

If you are looking for a little spark, a great option is to prepare a basic sponge cake with some fruit or vegetables that is in season.

Winning proposals would be a yogurt sponge cake with orange , a carrot sponge cake or one of my favorites, the apple sponge cake with nuts .

Planning the weekly Batch Cooking

• All recipes are on the blog, with a detailed step by step, necessary ingredients and cooking tips are complications.
• Anyway, to facilitate the task, I leave you at the end of the article the complete shopping list . All the necessary ingredients for the weekly menu that I propose below.
• All this prepared in 4 hours. In my case, I prepared a recipe at the same time, which has been less time.
• You can download our free menu planning template to write down our suggestions, print the shopping list and organize your meals better. It can be printed and put in the fridge with magnets so you can see it at all times.
• I recommend a dinner recipe, usually lighter and a more forceful one. As long as it is … frozen, nothing is thrown away here.

MONDAY

Homemade chicken soup

It is very easy, with the ingredients prepared, you will only have to do all the steps, except add the noodles or pasta before eating the soup.

Baked cod with potatoes

On Mondays fish plays at home, remember that we do the shopping on Friday or Saturday. Cod is one of my favorite fish and this can be prepared on Sunday to eat on Monday without problem.

TUESDAY

Cream of leeks

We make this cream as is, it lasts perfect in the fridge until Wednesday.

Rice With Chicken And Vegetables

We prepare the accompaniment of the rice and the day we go to prepare the food, in 18 minutes we have a delicious freshly made rice.

WEDNESDAY

Vegetable lentils

A classic from our kitchen and blog. We always prepare lentils to eat vegetables on Wednesdays. We like to make in quantity and then freeze what is left over.

Baked pork loin with apple

A delicious and very easy way to prepare meat. It can be eaten cold, warm or hot. It also holds very well in the fridge for several days. With the leftovers come out some sandwiches to die for, or of course, some croquettes.

THURSDAY

Spinach with prawns

Very easy to prepare and if you buy frozen shrimp, you will make the recipe even faster.

Beans with chorizo

Classic on Thursdays, another hearty dish to eat, that we are in the middle of winter. It can also be frozen without problem.

FRIDAY

Vegetable soup

There is no richer soup for dinner, rivals onion soup. It is very simple as long as you buy a pack of vegetables cut into julienne strips. They usually sell it in almost all supermarkets.

Macaroni with ratatouille and mushrooms

Here it is a matter of making a preview of the meal on Friday. Prepare the sauce and sauté the ingredients, chicken and mushrooms to have as a single dish. Accompany with your favorite pasta or white rice.

Tips for a perfect batch cooking

1. Include in your weekly menu at least  two types of vegetables  to serve as a garnish and select  3 varieties of fruit  that you like, to include in your preparations or for dessert.
2. Seize the day. If you are using the oven to make a meat, you can put some vegetables in the lower part of the oven.  Take advantage of all the resources  using steam from one cooking to keep another hot.
3. Plan to consume two  spoon stews , a meat dish   and two  fish   (or vice versa).
4. Think of dishes that include the same  base ingredients (tomato, peppers …)  and use what is prepared on different menus. This also applies to legumes.
5. Find out how many days the foods that make up your menu can be  in the fridge  and which ones you will have to freeze.
6. Batch cooking combines  legumes, vegetables  and  proteins . In this combination is difficulty and virtue.
7. When storing, use  stackable glass containers , to be able to reuse them. Vacuum packaging will also be a good option.
8. Separate daily rations  in  lunch boxes  so that you only have to heat them the day you are going to consume them.
9. Some of the vegetables that hold up well in your fridge for several days are  broccoli ,  cauliflower,  or  carrot.
10. This practice will make you eat healthier and avoid snacking between meals or impulsive meals. Looking at it from any point of view, all are advantages.

Shopping list for the January Batch Cooking.

• 3 celery sticks
• 1 cabbage
• 12 cloves of garlic
• 6 leeks
• 14 carrots
• 8 onions
• 4 red peppers
• 3 green peppers
• 3 zucchini
• 13 tomatoes
• 200 g. fresh mushrooms
• 2 kg of potatoes
• 150 g. green beans
• 700 g. fresh spinach
• 1 sprig of fresh parsley
• Fresh chives
• 3 apples
• 400 g. brown lentils
• 300 g. round rice
• 500 g. white beans
• 300 g. tomato sauce
• 1.5 liters of chicken broth
• 150 ml. of liquid cream
• 150 g. of butter
• 300 ml. white wine
• 100 g. Noodle
• 500 g. macaroni
• Half chicken (whole)
• 200 g. chicken wings
• 3 sausages
• 200 g. cured bacon
• Ham shavings
• 1 Kg. Of pork loin (1 piece)
• 1.5 kg of fresh cod fillets
• 16 fresh prawns

To season, season and flavor we will need a good number of ingredients, which I will set aside since you may already have most of them at home.

• Wheat flour
• Sugar
• Fine salt
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Black pepper
• White pepper
• Saffron
• 3 bay leaves
• Paprika
• Fresh or dried rosemary
• Nutmeg
• Dried oregano