16 – Bulk Cooking & More Recipes

Cooking in bulk is one of the keys to effective meal prep and a successful week.  Has it been hammered home yet?  There is not anything that makes a food BAD for bulk cooking, but some foods cook better than others in bigger batches.  Many times these foods keep in the fridge better and longer too.

What makes good food?

Stick to simple things when it comes to bulk cooking your food. This way you will have more meal options when you start to assemble meals later in the week. This means keeping ingredients as plain as possible. 

For example, making a huge amount of sautéed chicken teriyaki limits your options, but making a big batch of plain grilled chicken leaves the door open for possibilities later in the week. 

Save your added condiments and seasonings for the day you plan to actually eat the food.

 

Top Bulk Cooking Foods

 

Grains and Potatoes

You can boil any grain on the stove top in a big pot. Some kinds to think about are quinoa, wild and brown rice.

If you have a rice cooker, use that to cook your grains. Much easier! 

A great option for sweet and white/red potatoes is roasting in the oven.  Chop, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and bake at 350-400 degrees for about 40-50 minutes.  Poke with a fork and when a fork passes through easily they are done. 

 

Beans/Legumes:

These work the same way as grains, although it’s a good idea to soak all beans and legumes the night before you’re going to cook them. If you don’t soak them, it’s not a deal breaker, but it takes longer for them to cook.

Some kinds to think about are any sort of lentils, black beans, or chickpeas.

 

Chicken, Steak, or Fish:

If you have an outdoor grill/bbq, fire it up and cover it with meat. If not, you can use a grill pan on the hob. Look for the biggest kind you can get for highest efficiency.

If you prefer to saute your meat, consider using a big metal wok, which is what many Asian restaurants use to cook big batches of meat very quickly. Remember to keep the condiments and marinades aside so you are less limited with leftover options.

Baked chicken or fish is another easy way out.  Baked chicken breasts and thighs might be the most versatile protein on the planet.  Lay them on a pan, drizzle oil, sprinkle with salt and butter and bake for 20-30 minutes at about 400 degrees.  Fish can be a little trickier so just follow the directions on the package.  Either way, learning to use the oven is a great bulk cooking time saver. 

 

Roasted or Sauteed Veggies:

Many people find roasted or sautéed veggies more flavorful than when they are raw or boiled.  When you sautee something the cooking time is longer which allows the sugars in the caramelize giving the vegetable a sweeter taste. Boiling veggies eliminates many of the nutrients from the veggie, stealing away some of their health benefits.

To bake, lay chopped, washed veggies out on a big pan and drizzle a little olive oil on top and roast them for about 20-30 minutes.  Give them a poke with a fork and when they start getting tender take them out.  Harder vegetables like carrots are going to take longer to cook than soft vegetables like asparagus or mushrooms.  

The same process can be done in a big wok or large pan with sides.  Throw all the veggies in with a little oil, salt, and pepper and toss them around ever so often so they cook evenly. 

Kinds to think about are asparagus, peppers, carrots, courgette, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, butternut squash, onions.  

 

Hard Boiled Eggs:

The only limit you have with  eggs is the size of your pot.  The bigger the pot the more eggs you can boil at once they’re a great on the go snack.  Protein, vitamins, minerals and healthy fats in an easy to eat fashion.  

Hard boiling eggs and getting the shells to fall off effortlessly is somewhat of an art.  

Here is how to do it:

  1. Place the eggs in  layers in a pot of cold water mixed with salt and 2 teaspoons of baking soda.

  2. Bring the eggs to boil.

  3. Let simmer for 12 minutes.

  4. Remove and immediate submerge in ice water or run cold water over the eggs to cool them.

  5. Allow eggs to completely cool, then peel.

 

If you want to try blowing the shells off and impress your friends at your next party check out this video by Tim Ferriss How to Peel Hard-Boiled Eggs Without Peeling

 

Review: 

 

  1. Bulk cook grains, beans, potatoes, veggies, protein, and eggs.

  2. Store in the fridge; combine to create healthy, balanced, delicious meals.

  3. Keep ticking off your habits by planning your meals ahead and find some time to do some bulk cooking. 


Bulk cooking isn’t just for single ingredient foods.  Using things like chilis, soups, and egg bakes can help you eat well despite not having any time to cook. 

 

Eggs and Veggie Casserole 

 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage (leave out if you are vegetarian)

  • 1.5 cups diced sweet onion (about half a large onion)

  • 8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (optional: consider cutting down the portion or eliminating)

  • 1 cup diced green pepper

  • 2-3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions (about 6 onions)

  • 12 eggs

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

  • 1.5 teaspoon dried parsley

  • 1 teaspoon pink salt

  • 1 teaspoon dried basil

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

 

Optional:  Switch out any veggies you like or dislike.  Yellow squash, courgette, red onions, spinach, it all works.  

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook sausage, onions, mushrooms, and garlic until sausage is no longer pink and mushrooms have given off some of their liquid, about 10 minutes.  Stir throughout.  

  2. In a 9×13 pan coated with coconut oil or butter, combine cooked ingredients, peppers, tomatoes, green onions and 1 cup of cheese.  

  3. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, parsley, salt, basil, and pepper.  Whisk thoroughly to combine, then add a cup of cheese and whisk again. 

  4. Pour egg mixture over all the ingredients.  Store covered overnight or cook immediately.  

  5. Bake casserole, uncovered, for about 60 minutes, or until the egg in the middle is just set and the edges are lightly brown. 

  6. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. 

  7. Use for breakfasts all week long.

 

Spicy Vegetarian Chili

Make a big batch of veggies  either on the hob or, even easier, in a crockpot/slow cooker.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano

  • 1 tablespoon salt

  • 2 stalks celery, chopped

  • 2 green bell peppers, chopped

  • 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped

  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 2 (4-ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained

  • 3 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed

  • 1/4 cup  powder

  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper

  • 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained

  • 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained

  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans

  • 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn

  • Optional: Spicy V8 Juice

 

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and season with bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender, then mix in the celery, green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and green chile peppers. When vegetables are heated through reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 5 minutes.

  2. Mix the tomatoes into the pot. Season  with  powder and pepper. Stir in the kidney beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the corn, and continue cooking 5 minutes before serving.

  3. If you want your chilli a little soupier add in a bottle of spicy vegetable juice.

 

Ginger Steak & Mushrooms

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 lb thinly sliced flank steak or sirloin

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

  • 16 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced

  • 8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, 

  • 6 cups kale, chopped

  • 1 TBS coconut oil 

 

Ginger Marinade Ingredients

  • 1.5 cup beef stock

  • 6 TBSP rice wine vinegar

  • 2 Thumb size ginger, minced

  • Sea Salt

  • Freshly Ground Pepper

 

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Add all the marinade ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine.

  2. Add the steak to the marinade, gently toss to combine, refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

  3. Heat some coconut oil on medium heat in a large saute pan.

  4. Remove the steak from the marinade (keep the marinade).

  5. Add steak and garlic to the pan and saute 3-4 minutes or until steak is cooked.

  6. Remove the steak and set aside.

  7. Add mushroom, kale, and leftover marinade and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

  8. Return the steak to the skillet.

Serve immediately and store leftovers.


Remember, these are all IDEAS – you have your own unique tastes, if you have something to share, let me know, post it in the Facebook group or let the other ladies know in class. 

Don’t forget to check in with me if you need any further help!