Your ideas for quick prep (but not necessarily quick cook) meals

[AlohaMama]

I'm 36 weeks pregnant, exhausted and am rapidly depleting my freezer supply of leftovers. Somehow the nesting/batch cooking desire has passed me by. I need ideas for meals that take minimal preparation/effort. I work at home much of the week, so don't mind if something takes a long time to cook in the oven. Anything which freezes well would be a bonus, and ideally nothing too wintery (no stews etc.) as it's pretty hot where I live right now. If I can be bothered I'll try and get round to at least making a batch of bolognaise sauce but I have no energy to think of any meals now. Thanks for any ideas!

Slow cooker chilli? You can make a big batch, just throw it all into the slow cooker (mince, pre-diced frozen onion, chopped tomatos, chilli puree, garlic puree, kidney beans, pinch of boullion) and turn the slow cooker on to low, for about 6-10 hours (usually depends on how long I'm out for!) Freezes really well, just cook rice, nuke chilli and eat.

I've just started making stir fry marinades/sauces ahead of time. Garlic puree, sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, oil etc Or garlic, ginger, lime, oil and touch of syrup. I then chop the meat, chuck it in a tub with the sauce, seal it and leave it over night. Means I get to do the dinner prep for 2 nights at the same time. The next day I just fry stir fry veg, add the meat and sauce, and add cooked noodles. Next step will be to try doing a batch, adding the chopped fresh meat, then freezing it in tubs. Will let you know how it goes.

Pie fillings to use with ready rolled pastry are also good, can be done as a batch, frozen and defrosted in advance. Put in a pie dish, pasty on top, trim and cook. Be warned though, if you cook the meat, then freeze it, defost and bake into a pie, you cannot re-heat it again. Well, you shouldn't.

Thanks Mango, I'll maybe have a go at chilli.

Any other ideas anyone??

Anything with roast chicken is good ime. So, roast chicken with salad or roast veg and quinoa or sweet corn, coleslaw and jacket spuds.

Jacket spuds are also quick and easy especially with cold fillings.

Don't underestimate a weekly "toast" night. Every Wednesday night for us is eggs or beans or cheese or soup with toast.

We also usually have a night of snacking if its hot - cheese, dips, veg, etc. easy to pre prep.

Can you get smoked salmon? We do a nigella lawson sesame soba noodles dish and mix through some hot smoked salmon. It's delicious and takes minutes.

Curry is good and easy.

Carbonara and other pasta type dishes with a quick last minute sauce. This works for us as dh can distract wee babies whilst I do the last minute prep of veg or sauce or what not. Nigel slater mid week meals series in the guardian is useful for this kind of thing.

Do you have access to a BBQ? Other thing is pre do your dinners when the baby sleeps with salads, potato sale etc and just cook meat once dh is home or get him to do it.

Does your oven make the house too hot? Slow cookers are good if you don't want to heat the house but don't want to slave over a stove in the heat.

Best wishes for e birth!

sorry missed that bit about you working from home and you haven't mentioned a dh. Was obviously projecting what works well with us. Hope advice is useful anyway!

When my DCs were born I stuffed my freezer full of quiches (cooked and frozen by the slice) and kept a bag of salad in the fridge. The good thing about quiche is you can pick it up and eat with one hand if needed (you will become accomplished at eating with one hand).

Healthy home-made pizza also good for the same reasons. And you can vary the toppings.

I'm going to give you my new favourite easy recipe:

Take a punnet of small tomatoes and toss them into a roasting dish. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add herbs (I like rosemary, thyme and bay). Add a packet of sausages and stir up. Pop in oven at 180 degrees. Cook for about 20 - 25 minutes then stir/turn the sausages. Put back in the oven for another 20 - 25 minutes until the sausages are all nice and brown. eat.

if you're lazy and bored, like I usually am, use those instant packets of rice that you microwave or buy ready mash from Tesco!

Oops. Just saw the wintry thing. In which case, I'd just serve it with salad and skip the rice/mash.

Another one that I think is easy and can be as warming or as chilled out as you like is big trays of roasted veg. Cook with garlic, olive oil, chilli (If you like). You can also try other herbs or even something "sweet" like cinnamon. I do mostly easy veg like peppers, onions, courgettes and tomatoes although i do often use butternut as well (preferably pre cut from the supermarket).

Mix it up with some couscous and some goats cheese or feta and serve hot or cold. If serving cold, I'd top up with an extra drizzle of oil and a squirt of lemon. Possibly some chopped mint or parsley too as an extra.

Thanks for all the ideas.

comrade dh was somewhat miffed when reading my post and saying he wasn't mentioned and that he can cook!! he's currently doing lots of DIY so I was trying to make it easy on him!

like the idea of quiches too poppy maybe i'll make a few of those, just as soon as i find the energy!

and thanks bling - I used to have roasted veg all the time but just kind of forgot.

Right time to shop and cook...