Say goodbye to last-minute take-aways and hello to yummy and stress-free meals all week long! These tips will save you time and money (and your sanity) when you learn how to meal prep like a pro.   

Prepare for your weekly meal-prep day 

Planning your meals is just as crucial as cooking your dishes. Over the weekend, take out your calendar to see what is on your (and your family’s) schedule for the week to come. Are there any after-school activities planned? How busy are your days? Will everyone be home for dinner? By looking at everyone’s schedule, you’ll be able to gauge how many dishes you need to avoid wastage. 

Then, raid your fridge, freezer and pantry to see what ingredients you already have on hand. By taking stock of what you already have, you can drastically cut your grocery budget and avoid overspending and waste by buying unnecessary items.  

Build a menu 

Build an easy-to-cook menu that uses minimal ingredients but can still pack a punch when it comes to flavour and nutrition. Start off with the base protein (animal protein or beans), vegetables, leafy greens, and some carbs (like rice). Then you can add all the fun things that make it interesting and yummy to eat. Remember to use easy recipes that you already know and plan different meals with similar ingredients to make your menu more budget friendly.  

“Begin with recipes you know really well. If you have a repertoire of four or five recipes that you know how to execute, you’ll always be able to make a reliable, tasty meal. Each week I would suggest that you try to learn a new one – that way, the longer you do this, the more recipes you have at your fingertips. With more recipes under your belt, you can really start to mix and match them each week,” explains chef Dan Marek, director of plant-based culinary and content development at Rouxbe Online Culinary School.  

Stock up on storage containers 

After all your delicious meal prep, make sure that you have enough containers (and fridge and freezer space) to store your meals for the week. Opt for clear containers so you can easily see what is in each one. “I love my reusable containers because they stack really well and make your fridge easy to manoeuvre,” says Marek. “And if they’re clear, you can see what you have going on inside them. I typically put the prepped ingredients in the front and the completed dishes behind those, so I don’t lose track of what I still need to use during the week.” 

Use all your food scraps 

What do you do with all the food scraps? “Keep all of your veggie scraps (especially onion skins and ends, carrot skins, celery hearts, and garlic skins) to make a simple homemade veggie broth,” advises Hong. “Or when you see berries about to go bad, freeze them for smoothies or make a homemade jam,” says Kristen Hong, author of Fridge Love and creator of the Hello Nutritarian wellness blog.  

@plantyou Veggie scrap broth #scrappycooking #earthday2022 #earthday #zerowaste #sustainableliving ♬ I Don’t Want to Be – Gavin DeGraw

The post 4 tips to make meal planning easier  appeared first on MyKitchen.

Our Editor shows you how to get a head start to your week by planning your meals in advance and getting more value for your buck with these delectable meals. 

Asian beef salad 

Serves 4 

This salad works with any veg you might have on hand, like spinach, tomatoes, asparagus or tenderstem broccoli. 

Ingredients

1 packet green beans, trimmed 
2 cups frozen peas 
1 packet bean sprouts (optional) 
Small handful each coriander, mint and basil 
½ cucumber, sliced 
½ prepared roast beef, thinly sliced 
¼ cup coconut flakes, toasted 

For the dressing 

¼ cup sweet chilli sauce 
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar 
1 tsp sesame or olive oil 
1 red chilli, sliced  

Method 

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. 
2. Blanch green beans and peas in water for 1-2 minutes and plunge into ice water. Drain and set aside. 
3. Toss the green beans, peas, bean sprouts (if using), herbs and cucumber on a serving platter. 
4. Arrange beef on top. 
5. Whisk together dressing ingredients and drizzle over salad. Season well. 
6. Scatter coconut flakes over the salad just before serving.

Cauliflower mac and cheese 

Serves 4-6 

Add in some grated broccoli or spinach to up the veggie intake in this dish.  

Ingredients 

2 Tbsp butter 
2 Tbsp olive oil 
1 onion, chopped 
2 cloves garlic, chopped 
3 sprigs each thyme and rosemary 
½ batch prepared cauliflower, broken into florets 
2 cups milk 
1 cup cream 
2 cups grated Cheddar 
1 packet (500g) macaroni, cooked
1 punnet vine or cherry tomatoes 
3 slices crusty bread, torn into chunks  

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. 
2. Heat butter and oil in a pan and sauté the onion until golden. 
3. Add garlic, herbs and ¾ of the cauliflower and fry for 1 minute. 
4. Pour in milk and cream, then simmer gently for about 10-15 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. 
5. Mash cauliflower to create a sauce and stir through the cheese. 
6. Toss pasta through sauce and transfer into a greased ovenproof dish. 
7. Top with tomatoes and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and cheese has melted.

 Also read: Potato and leek soup with roasted nuts and cauliflower

Roast vegetable biryani 

Serves 4 

To feed a bigger crowd, add in cubed chicken breast fillets or drumsticks and thighs to the rice mixture before roasting.  

Ingredients 

1 cup plain yoghurt 
1 packet curry paste of your choice 
1 lemon, juiced 
Salt and milled pepper 
Prepared rice and lentils 
½ batch prepared cauliflower, broken into florets 
4 salad tomatoes, chopped 
½ onion, finely diced 
Handful fresh coriander, chopped 
1 Tbsp white vinegar 
4 eggs, boiled and halved  

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
2. Line a deep 20cm ovenproof dish or cake tin with baking paper. 
3. Whisk together the yoghurt, curry paste and lemon juice until smooth. Season well. 
4. Layer rice, lentils and cauliflower in the ovenproof dish or cake tin in alternating layers. 
5. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Cool slightly. 
6. Toss together the tomatoes, onion, coriander and vinegar to create a sambal. Season. 
7. Unmould biryani and top with sambal, boiled eggs and drizzle with yoghurt dressing.

Creamy chicken pie 

Serves 4 

Add decadence to this dish by swirling cream cheese or sour cream through the filling. 

Ingredients 

Glug olive oil
2 onions, chopped 
3 cloves garlic, chopped 
3 Tbsp butter 
2 Tbsp flour 
1 cup milk 
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard 
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables 
½ prepared roast chicken, shredded 
Salt and milled pepper 
Handful fresh parsley, chopped 
4 sheets phyllo pastry, defrosted 
1 egg, whisked  

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
2. Heat oil in a large pan and sauté onions for about 4-6 minutes. 
3. Add garlic and fry for another 2 minutes. 
4. Add butter and once melted, whisk in flour until smooth. 
5. Add milk ¼ cup at a time while whisking, until the sauce has thickened slightly. 
6. Stir through mustard, vegetables and chicken and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes. Season well and stir through parsley. 
7. Transfer mixture to a greased oven dish. 
8. Arrange phyllo pastry on top of filling and scrunch up pastry. Brush with egg. 
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until pastry is golden and crispy. Serve while hot.

Cook’s note 
Bulk this up by adding chicken pieces or beef or lamb stewing meat. 

Coronation chicken pasta  

Serves 4 

Swap out the peach halves for Turkish apricots or any other dried fruit, if you prefer. 

Ingredients

1 packet (500g) fusilli or macaroni 
1 cup buttermilk 
1 Tbsp turmeric 
1 Tbsp mild curry powder 
2 Tbsp chutney Salt and milled pepper 
½ prepared roast chicken, shredded 
1 can (400g) peach halves, drained and chopped
Handful fresh coriander, chopped  

Method 

1. Cook pasta according to packet instructions. Drain and rinse. 
2. Combine buttermilk, spices and chutney to make a dressing. 
3. Toss together cooked pasta, chicken, peaches and coriander, then coat with dressing. Season well. 
4. Serve immediately

Cook’s note
No buttermilk? Simply add 1 Tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup milk, stir and set aside for 10 minutes 

Reuben’s sarmie  

Serves 6 

Swap out roast beef for any leftover shredded chicken or wilted greens for a vegetarian option. 

Ingredients 

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar 
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and milled pepper 
12 slices sourdough or ciabatta, buttered 
Softened butter for spreading 
½ prepared roast beef, thinly sliced 
Prepared beetroots and onions, thinly sliced 
2 ½ cups grated Cheddar 
Fresh herbs for serving 
Cocktail onions for serving 

Method 

1. Whisk together the vinegar and mustard, then season. 
2. Place 6 slices of bread, buttered side down on a board, then layer the beef, beetroot, onion and cheese. 
3. Drizzle with dressing and sandwich together. 
4. Toast each sandwich in a medium-hot pan or sandwich press for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden and the cheese has melted. 
5. Secure with a wooden skewer and garnish with fresh herbs and cocktail onions, if using.

Last minute solution 

If time isn’t on your side, you haven’t had the chance to meal prep and are looking for a quick fix, then relying on items that pack loads of flavour (like a curry or harrissa paste, or even a pesto or relish) is a must. They’re not only simple to make, but can turn a simple snack into a moreish meal in an instant. 

All-purpose curry paste  

Makes 1 ½ cups

Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. 

Ingredients 

1 bulb garlic 
4 lemongrass stalks, sliced (optional) 
6cm knob ginger, peeled 
6-8 red chillies, deseeded 
2 Tbsp tomato paste 
5 dried lime leaves (optional) 
1 Tbsp ground turmeric 
3 Tbsp coriander seeds 
3 Tbsp cumin seeds 
Salt and milled pepper 
¼ cup canola oil  

Method 

1. Combine the garlic, lemongrass if using, ginger, chillies and tomato paste in a food processor. 
2. Add the lime leaves, and remaining spices. 
3. Blitz until smooth and season. 
4. Heat oil in a large pan and fry paste for 8-10 minutes until fragrant. 
5. Spoon into a jar, cool and seal.

3 ways with curry paste  

• Heat the curry paste in a pan with some oil, toss in cooked pasta, left over shredded beef or chicken and ½ can coconut milk or cream. Season well. 
• Fry the chicken breast cubes in curry paste and oil. Scatter on top of nachos and top with cheese. Bake until golden and the cheese has melted. 
• Fry onions in the curry paste. Add flaked haddock or mackerel, 1 can chopped tomatoes and 1 cup stock. Simmer gently. Place into an ovenproof dish and top with creamy mashed potato, bake until golden.

Words by: Chad January
Photography: Fresh Living Magazine

Also read: Budget-Friendly One-Pot Wonders

The post 7 meals that are easy on your pocket appeared first on MyKitchen.

With the potential ‘Janu-worry’ woes on our minds, we’ve compiled a quick list of simple ideas on how to stretch your budget, even with those few weeks of school holiday left.   

Prep, planning, perfect  

Planning your weekly meals is the best way to ensure you stick within your budget range and avoid the outcome of mindlessly adding groceries to your cart that you don’t need. Log the groceries that you need on a physical or mobile shopping list and tick through them as you go. This way, you won’t forget anything and can spend more money on other important things.  

Also read: How to meal-plan like a boss

Money on the table  

It’s easy to swipe and tap cards, but keeping tabs on money spent can be difficult. Because you don’t physically see the money going out of your account, you might not realise just how fast you’re spending it. Plan ahead to draw the cash you’ve budgeted for food and stick to the amount. Keep your slips once you’ve paid and make a note in a special receipt book of how much you have le to spend. This gives you a clear idea of what you have left.  

Mental maths  

Adding the grocery prices to your phone calculator as you shop will help you to make sure that you don’t lose track of how much you’ve placed in your cart. Make sure that you only buy what you planned for – sometimes it’s easy to be swayed by flash sales of ingredients that you’d never usually purchase.  

Bulk buy  

Buying in bulk is still the way to go for saving cash. If there are sales on fresher produce (like meat) then they can still be bought and frozen until needed. It may feel like a bit of a big financial ask in the moment, but doing this consistently helps in the long run because you’ll end up in shops less. Take a few extra seconds to compare prices of the same product – you may even save a few rands when opting for a no-name or less expensive brand.  

Go DIY  

Although it might seem tempting, try to cut back on buying pre-cut veggies and staples, as these are usually marked up. While it’s true that some extra time is needed for prepping whole butternut, beetroot or onions, you’ll benefit from having fresher produce to use as you need it. 

Words by: Sjaan Van Der Ploeg 
Photographs: Shuttershock 

Also read: Time-Saving And Budget-Friendly Family Meals

The post Shopping on a shoestring  appeared first on MyKitchen.

By Jana du Plessis

Another dinner is done and you’re sitting with leftover rice and a few stray pieces of broccoli that will inevitably end in the garbage bin before the end of the week. So how do you cook meals without wasting any food or paying through your teeth for perfectly portioned pre-cooked options? Let us show you.

Plan to fail or fail to plan

Planning is key to maximising your bucks in the kitchen. When cooking a dish, always think ahead of other things you can prepare with the same ingredients. It’s kind of like batch cooking, just slightly more refined. Instead of mixing and matching a variety of cooked ingredients, you plan to transform certain foods into a whole new eating experience.

The method in this madness

To help you out, we have compiled a week’s meals by shuffling the same set of ingredients and sprucing them up with fresh flavours here and there:

Batch cook: Rice, chicken, stir-fry veg

Monday: Rice + stir-fried veg + chicken

Tuesday: Chicken + pasta + quick tomato sauce 

Wednesday: Rice pilaf  + optional protein

Thursday: Chicken + potato skins + dip 

Friday: Rice + fresh salad ingredients + hard-boiled eggs

Saturday: Stir-fried veg + tortilla wraps (for quesadillas)

Sunday: Rice pudding

The post The secret to low-cost meals? Set up a meal plan appeared first on MyKitchen.