Batch cooking

We are still doing the low carb, time restricted eating plan, but it's a bit sporadic - we've had quite a few appointments lately and the times of them don't always fit in with the time restrictions for eating, so it's a bit hit and miss.  We have tried to do at least 1 or 2 diet days a week....our original intention was for 3, hopefully we will do 3 regularly when things calm down a bit.  

This afternoon I did a batch cook using a 500g pack of minced steak.  I finely chopped 2 large onions and about 600g carrots in the food processor, then gently fried them in some oil left over from a jar of sun dried tomatoes.  When they were softened, I added the mince, followed by a whole punnet of mushrooms, diced up, and a couple of handfuls of red lentils.  Poured in a pint of beef stock made with 2 cubes, with a splash each of balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, and some dried mixed herbs.  Simmered until most of the liquid was absorbed.  I then took out half of the mixture and put it in another saucepan.  

To one pan I added half a bag of frozen mixed veggies (peas, sweetcorn, baby carrots, red peppers and broccoli), a squirt of tomato puree and a tablespoon of gravy granules.  This will be eaten with pasta or rice, or have a topping of mash for cottage pie.

I turned the other half into chilli - having discovered I had no tins of kidney beans left in the cupboard, I used a tin of borlotti beans and one of baked beans....well, a bean's a bean!  Also a tin of chopped tomatoes, smoked paprika and chilli powder.  I generally add a couple of squares of dark chocolate to chilli, we like the depth of flavour it gives.  However, the bar of dark chocolate that was in the cupboard had vanished, mysteriously (I have a vague memory of a comfort eating crisis but don't tell anyone), so I just used 2 heaped tsps of cocoa powder blended with a little water.  We'll have the chilli with rice or a jacket potato or wedges, or salad and garlic bread.

I got 3 tubs out of each - that's a double portion in each tub, so 6 meals for the two of us now gone in the freezer.

We'll never be vegetarians, but are trying to cut down on meat, especially red meat, and eat more veggies.  So 500g of minced steak has been stretched to do 6 meals, with lots of added veggies.