Cook once, meals for a week

Set aside three hours on a Sunday and do some pre-cooking for a week of easy dinners.

All it takes is one Sunday afternoon cooking session to have dinner sorted for the week ahead! With our three-part process, simply prepare the base mix recipes, store them in the fridge/freezer, then just assemble and/or finish off cooking on the day for fast weeknight dinners.

Part 1: What to do on Sunday

Before you start, make sure you have…

For cooking

• All ingredients from shopping list (see below)
• Small wooden skewers for kebabs x 16
• Large roasting pan
• Sharp knife
• Blender or food processor

For storage and labelling

• Containers/freezer bags
• Labels and marker pen

Food safety tips

• Wash and dry hands before handling food and after handling raw meat and poultry. Remember 20+20: wash for 20 seconds, dry for 20 seconds.
• Wash knives, utensils, and chopping boards in hot soapy water and dry between preparation of different foods.
• Wash vegetables.
• Place raw meat and chicken in sealed containers at the bottom of the fridge so there’s no danger juices can drip onto other food.

Preparing base mixes

• Bring a pan of water to the boil for Barley mix (see Part 2: Base mix recipes below) and place on stovetop to cook for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare Tomato mince mix (see Part 2: Base mix recipes below) and place half in a pan to brown for the Tasty stuffed capsicums. Add wine and cook for 15 minutes. Mix remaining Tomato mince mix with egg for Cheese and barley beef burgers (Thursday). Chill.
• Preheat oven to 190°C. Prepare Chargrilled vegetables (see Part 2: Base mix recipes below) and place in a large ovenproof dish. Cook for 25 minutes.
• Drain barley. Prepare Barley mix (see Part 2: Base mix recipes below). Divide in 3 portions.
• Prepare Chicken curry mix (see Part 2: Base mix recipes below). Cover, chill and store half labelled ‘Chicken curry kebabs’ (Monday). Place other half in a container labelled ‘Chicken curry pasta’ (Wednesday).
• Add tomatoes to Chargrilled vegetables (as per recipe) for final 5 minutes.
• Prepare Cheesy crumb mix (see Part 2: Base mix recipes below). Divide in 3 portions.
• Remove chargrilled veges and cool before dividing mix into 3 containers.
• With 1 portion of Tomato mince together with 1 portion of Barley mix, assemble Tasty stuffed capsicums (Tuesday, see Final prep steps: Assembly below).
• With 1 portion Tomato mince together with 1 portion of Barley mix, pulsed until roughly blended, assemble Cheese and barley beef burger patties (Thursday, see Final prep steps: Assembly below).

Dividing base mixes

Store prepared base mixes in correct portion sizes (in fridge or freezer as indicated). Label sealed containers or bags accordingly.

Top tips for successful freezing

• Foods to be frozen should be as fresh as possible.
• Cool foods completely before freezing. Freezing food when hot will increase the temperature of the freezer and could cause other foods to start defrosting.
• Never refreeze anything that has already been frozen.
• Make sure you wrap foods properly and put them in a sealed container or bag.
• Freeze items in the quantities suggested so you have no wastage.
• Label foods clearly with a marker pen. Date items if you are not going to eat during the planned week.
• Defrost food thoroughly before cooking. Remove from the freezer the night before cooking the following day and store in the fridge.
• Remove as much air as possible from items being packed in freezer bags.

Shopping list

Fresh vegetables and fruit

• 3 bulbs garlic
• 2 green capsicums
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 bunches asparagus
• 450g cherry tomatoes
• 300g mushrooms
• 600g new potatoes
• 4 sprigs fresh mint
• 3 sprigs thyme or rosemary
• 4 red capsicums
• 1 small piece fresh ginger
• 4 lemons
• 2 carrots
• 1 cucumber
• 100g baby spinach
• 1 mango
• 2 bunches coriander
• 1 large red onion
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 4 courgettes
• 2 bunches broccolini
• 10 spring onions
• 1 ripe avocado
• 100g rocket
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1 beetroot
• 2 baby crispy lettuce
• 6 medium-sized tomatoes
• 4 large shallots such as banana shallots

Meat and poultry

NOTE: Buy meat, chicken and fish with as long a ‘best before’ date as possible.

• 900g skinless chicken breast or thighs
• 900g lean beef mince
• 4 x 120g white fish fillets

Chilled items

• 120g feta cheese
• 100g parmesan cheese
• 4 teaspoons basil pesto

Seasoning and pantry staples

• 3 tablespoons mild curry paste such as korma paste
• olive oil
• oil spray
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons chilli powder
• 1 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon mixed herbs
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 3/4 cup oil-free sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/2 cup sultanas
• 1/4 cup unsalted cashew nuts
• 3 teaspoons Moroccan spice
• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 cup choppedfresh parsley
• Tuscan seasoning
• balsamic vinegar
• 115g wholemeal breadcrumbs
• 250g pasta shells
• 6 x wholegrain rolls
• 6 tablespoons tomato chutney
• 1 egg
• 325g pearl barley
• 200g crusty bread
• 2 tablespoons garlic-infused oil

Part 2: Base mix recipes

Here are the base mix recipes (see Part 3: Your week of dinners below for the daily recipes).

Chicken curry mix

Makes 2 portions
Total cost of mix $20.70
Time to make 25 mins

• 8 wooden skewers
• 900g skinless chicken thighs, cut in chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
• 1 small piece fresh ginger, grated
• 1 lemon, juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander, chopped
• 3 tablespoons mild curry paste such as korma paste
• pinch of salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Step 1 Place chicken in a large non-metallic dish. Add remaining ingredients and toss together.

Step 2 Thread half chicken onto dampened wooden skewers for Curry chicken kebabs (Monday). Place in a sealed container and store in fridge.

Step 2 Place remaining half in a container labelled Chicken curry pasta (Wednesday). Leave to marinate in the fridge.

Make it gluten free: Use gluten-free curry paste

Tomato mince mix

Makes 2 portions
Total cost of mix $20.85
Time to make 25 mins

• 900g lean beef mince
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2-3 teaspoons mixed herbs
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/3 cup oil-free sun-dried tomatoes, chopped finely
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 egg

Step 1 Place mince in a bowl and add paste, herbs, garlic, chilli powder, sugar and tomatoes. Mix well.

Step 2 Divide mix in 2 portions. Place half in a non-stick pan and heat until browned, stirring occasionally. Add wine and cook for 10-15 minutes. Set aside for Tasty stuffed capsicums (Tuesday).

Step 3 Mix the other half of mince mix with egg. Chill for Cheese and barley beef burgers (Thursday).

Extra step: On Sunday, assemble burger patties (see Final prep steps: Assembly below).

Barley mix

Makes 3 portions
Total cost of mix $9.60
Time to make 40 mins

• 325g pearl barley
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 100g (1 1/2 cup) mushrooms, sliced
• 2-3 teaspoons Moroccan spice
• 1/4 cup oil-free sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup sultanas
• 1/4 cup unsalted cashew nuts
• 1/3 cup fresh coriander, chopped

Step 1 Cook barley following packet directions. Meanwhile, cook onion with garlic and oil until softened.

Step 2 Add mushrooms and cook for 3-4 more minutes with Moroccan spice. Drain barley and place in a bowl.

Step 3 Add onion and mushroom mix with remaining ingredients and mix well.

Step 4 Divide in 3 portions for Curry chicken kebabs (Monday), Tasty stuffed capsicums (Tuesday) and Cheese and barley beef burgers (Thursday).

Extra step: On Sunday, assemble stuffed capsicums (see Final prep steps: Assembly below).

Cheesy crumb mix

Makes 3 portions
Total cost of mix $7.45
Time to make 10 mins

• 115g wholemeal breadcrumbs
• 2 lemons, grated zest
• 100g freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• pepper

Step 1 Mix all ingredients together. Divide in 3 portions labelled Tasty stuffed capsicums (Tuesday), Cheese and barley beef burgers (Thursday) and Cheesy crumbed fish steak (Friday).

Make it gluten free: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs

Chargrilled vegetables

Makes 3 portions
Total cost of mix $30.40
Time to make 30 mins

• 4 courgettes, halved lengthways
• 2 bunches broccolini
• 6 spring onions, trimmed
• 4 large shallots such as banana shallots, halved then quartered
• 2 bulbs garlic
• 2 green capsicums, deseeded, diced
• 2 stalks celery, halved
• 2 bunches asparagus
• 2 tablespoons garlic-infused oil
• 2-3 teaspoons Tuscan seasoning
• 2-3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 sprigs rosemary or thyme
• oil spray
• 250g cherry tomatoes

Step 1 Preheat oven to 190°C. Place all vegetables except tomatoes in 1 or 2 large ovenproof dishes. Toss in infused oil. Sprinkle with seasoning, cumin and thyme. Bake for 25 minutes, tossing once during cooking.

Step 2 Spray with a little oil and add tomatoes. Cook for 5 more minutes. Cool, break garlic bulbs in cloves and divide vegetable mix in 3 portions labelled Curry chicken kebabs (Monday), Chicken curry pasta (Wednesday) and Cheesy crumbed fish steak (Friday).

Final prep steps: Assembly

Cheese and barley beef burger patties

Makes 6
Total cost $13.63
Time to make 15 minutes

• 1 portion Tomato mince mix (see Part 2: Base mix recipes above)
• 1 portion Barley mix (see Part 2: Base mix recipes above)

Step 1 Place mince mix in a large bowl. Place Barley mix in a blender and pulse until roughly blended. Add to mince.

Step 2 Shape in burgers using wet hands. Place in a container labelled ‘Burgers’ (Thursday) and store in freezer.

Tasty stuffed capsicums

Serves 4
Total cost $25.63
Time to make 10 minutes

• 4 red capsicums
• 1 portion Barley mix (see Part 2: Base mix recipes above)
• 1 portion Tomato mince mix (see Part 2: Base mix recipes above)

Step 1 Cut tops off each capsicum and set aside. Remove seeds and rest capsicums on a board.

Step 2 Mix Barley mix with mince mix then spoon mixture into capsicums. Press mix down to fill. Add capsicum top.

Step 3 Transfer to an airtight container labelled ‘Capsciums’ (Tuesday) and place in fridge.

Part 3: Your week of dinners

Using the Base mixes (see Part 2 above), here are your dinner recipes for the week.

Monday: Curry chicken kebabs

Tuesday: Tasty stuffed capsicums with spring salad

Wednesday: Chicken curry pasta

Thursday: Cheese and barley beef burgers with crusty rolls

Friday: Cheesy crumbed fish steak with chargrilled veges and potatoes