Preparing for the 4th trimester
It's winter. It isn't particularly cold. There isn't snow (to the dismay of my daughter at Christmas). It is, however, grey wet and pretty miserable in London. I have never taken well to the grey and the prospect of months more of this doesn't fill me with joy.
However, as I am preparing for the new baby, I am looking for the positives in the season. Walking the dog in the park, teas by the fire, reading a book with the cat purring on my lap. Comfort food is a big part of this.
I personally love beans. Since I want to prepare some meals to freeze, to ensure we eat well even when sleep deprivation sets in with a small baby, I am going to batch cook some bean and lentil dishes for the freezer. Using the slow cooker or casserole dish also means that after the minimal prep, I can put my feet up and relax, so all the hard work is done for me - ideal at this point in my pregnancy, when baby could come at any moment.
1. Slow cooker black bean veg chilli
Ingredients:
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 butternut squash, roughly chopped into bitesize chunks
1 sweet potato, roughly chopped into bitesize chunks
1 tin of tomatoes
2 tins of black beans
1 tin of cannellini beans
1 tin of kidney beans
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
Dash Worcester sauce
1 teaspoon marmite
1 vegetable stock cube
Method:
Gently fry the onion, garlic and celery in a glug of olive oil. I use a casserole dish, but a slow cooker would work well also.
Add the spices and stir for 1-2 minutes.
Then add the vegetables and coat in the spice and onion mixture.
Add the beans and the tinned tomatoes.
Simmer and add in the stock cube (crumbled up) and marmite and worcester sauce.
Cover and simmer on a low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
It should thicken up gently.
2. Slow cooked black dhal
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon Garamond masala
2 cardomom pods
3 cloves chopped garlic
2cm chopped ginger
1 chopped white onion
300 grams Black lentils
1 tin tomatoes
2 tablespoons cream
`Method:
Best made if lentils soaked overnight or boiled for 30 minutes before cooking
1. On a low heat fry onions until soft in sunflower or rapeseed oil.
2. Add garlic and ginger and fry for 1-2 minutes
3. Add the spices for 1 minute
4. Add lentils and stir
5. Add tinned tomatoes and season
6 add 300mls water and bring to boil
7. Cook on high in slow cooker for 4 hours. If cooking overnight, cook on low for up to 18 hours. Check from time to time to ensure not dried out and stir
Add cream and serve with chopped coriander, yogurt and brown rice or flat bread
I froze 3 portions of this for recovery period. It is my ideal comfort food!
However, as I am preparing for the new baby, I am looking for the positives in the season. Walking the dog in the park, teas by the fire, reading a book with the cat purring on my lap. Comfort food is a big part of this.
I personally love beans. Since I want to prepare some meals to freeze, to ensure we eat well even when sleep deprivation sets in with a small baby, I am going to batch cook some bean and lentil dishes for the freezer. Using the slow cooker or casserole dish also means that after the minimal prep, I can put my feet up and relax, so all the hard work is done for me - ideal at this point in my pregnancy, when baby could come at any moment.
1. Slow cooker black bean veg chilli
Ingredients:
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 butternut squash, roughly chopped into bitesize chunks
1 sweet potato, roughly chopped into bitesize chunks
1 tin of tomatoes
2 tins of black beans
1 tin of cannellini beans
1 tin of kidney beans
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
Dash Worcester sauce
1 teaspoon marmite
1 vegetable stock cube
Method:
Gently fry the onion, garlic and celery in a glug of olive oil. I use a casserole dish, but a slow cooker would work well also.
Add the spices and stir for 1-2 minutes.
Then add the vegetables and coat in the spice and onion mixture.
Add the beans and the tinned tomatoes.
Simmer and add in the stock cube (crumbled up) and marmite and worcester sauce.
Cover and simmer on a low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
It should thicken up gently.
2. Slow cooked black dhal
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon Garamond masala
2 cardomom pods
3 cloves chopped garlic
2cm chopped ginger
1 chopped white onion
300 grams Black lentils
1 tin tomatoes
2 tablespoons cream
`Method:
Best made if lentils soaked overnight or boiled for 30 minutes before cooking
1. On a low heat fry onions until soft in sunflower or rapeseed oil.
2. Add garlic and ginger and fry for 1-2 minutes
3. Add the spices for 1 minute
4. Add lentils and stir
5. Add tinned tomatoes and season
6 add 300mls water and bring to boil
7. Cook on high in slow cooker for 4 hours. If cooking overnight, cook on low for up to 18 hours. Check from time to time to ensure not dried out and stir
Add cream and serve with chopped coriander, yogurt and brown rice or flat bread
I froze 3 portions of this for recovery period. It is my ideal comfort food!
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