I’ve tried many different methods for getting a healthy meal on the table, and am very curious now about DinnerBeat.com. Have thought many times that there must be a site like this – instead of the 3-4 that I have in various places.

My method – I try to cook 1 Day each – Fish/Pasta/Chicken/Veg/Beef-Pork/Salad(summer)orSoup(winter). On the extra day, we’ll have takeout, leftovers, maybe a new recipe, etc. I have 5-6 basic recipes for each category that I know my family likes, and I rotate those across the months. I’ll also occasionally try a new one in a given category, but for the most part, there’s not much room/time for anything but the basics for us these days.

I preprinted grocery lists by category and try to quickly get the shopping done.

Finally, for the days/weeks when our system is down
I have two preprinted grocery lists/recipes in the glove compartment so that I can stop and get the req’d items, and know that I’ll be able to cook a quick meal.

Meal preparation/cooking for me is much more of a necessity/chore than something I enjoy, and sometimes I feel bad that I do it mostly out of obligation to my family.

Cook everything except crock-pot and stir-fries on low heat and put your feet up with a good book and some herb tea until dinner is ready!

We are fortunate to have the space for a huge pantry. I have home canned veggies/beans/soups and berry preserves on hand that can be quickly made into interesting meals. We have lots of staples and not many “prepared” food items, mostly just pastas.

On nights that are busy, we plan to eat simple soups and breads, pasties that I have previously frozen, or I put something in the slow-cooker for the day. I am usually up by 5:30 a.m. and have time to make bread a couple times a week before we all have to leave. Although sometimes I do, for pasties, I usually don’t like to spend the weekend cooking large batches of food. We usually have major chores like getting in wood for the winter, or have planned all day hiking/fishing/hunting trips. On Sunday we will usually have a nice meal with interesting sides, leftovers that can be frozen or eaten during week.

A few years ago we ate one meal each week from a different country. We worked our way south from Greenland, through Europe and the middle east and ended up in the Pacific Isles. We’ve incorporated some of our favorites into our regular meals.

So now I am trying to clear the table completely, shake the day’s crumbs from the tablecloth, set a nice (but simple) table and have everyone turn off their cells, zunes etc etc. While soft music might be good for some, I still think it is distracting to my family and detracts from our conversation about the day.

I really need to get into the habit of cooking meals that can easily be frozen or refrigerated for leftovers. I just hate leftovers. Eating something once or twice is enough for me.

My mom, who was an excellent cook, almost never used a recipe. She’d start with a basic idea, and use whatever was on hand to expand it or flavor it a little differently just for fun. One time a chocolate cake fell apart when she took it out of the pan. She put all the crumbs into a mixing bowl, whipped up something pudding-ish and minty tasting, and made layered desserts for that evening. That was 40 yrs ago, and I STILL remember how good it was.

Cooking outside the box is a fun way to live. Yes, there is the occasional flub, (I’ll never try soup in a pumpkin again) but day to day, it uses up bits and pieces from the fridge or the pantry and is always at least a little surprising. And very uncluttered.

Ruth

My favourite curry to freeze is a 500ml jar of mild Rojan Josh simmer sauce, half a kilogram (about a pound) of beef or lamb or chicken cut into 1 inch pieces, and 3 cups of whatever vegetables are to hand (good way to get rid of ‘stray’ leftover vegetables or get people to each brocolli & cauliflower). Cook in a pan on low simmer for 1 hour. Then freeze in portions. It can be reheated in the time it takes to cook some rice.

Rachel: celery keeps for about 2 weeks in the refridgerator if you cut in into managable lengths and wrap it in aluminium foil.

It may seem like that would increase my grocery bills but what I’ve found is that I throw out far less food than when I was doing a weekly shop and then having unexpected scheduling conflicts that had me going away with work for a few days. I found I would make the extra frozen dinners and then never feel like eating them.

What makes the system work are the basic following tips…

* Go into the grocery store each day with a basic idea of what you need but be flexible. As you’re eating the products straight away you can save a fortune on using discounted items.

* I keep a stock of deli items etc marinated feta, chargrilled mushrooms / eggplant, olives, capers, parmesan cheese, salami – these have a long shelf life and can be used in salads, risotto’s, pizza, pasta etc

* Other items I keep on hand are
– one or two GREAT salad dressings
– fish sauce, soy sauce, palm sugar, lime juice
– Single serve fresh herb satches that can be kept in the freezer for up to six months.
– jasmine rice; aborrio rice; pasta; asian rice noodles; rice paper
– in the freezer – package of frozen chopped onions

* Meat, chicken etc – any uncooked gets frozen in individual portions.

* Lunches get made while I’m cooking dinner that night. And the meals for the two days will have some relation to each other but not necessarily be the same. Best way to illustrate this is to give an example.

Buy: 1 salmon steak (make sure it’s a nice big one)
1 pack of mixed lettuce leaves.
1 pack of veg stock

Chop salmon steak into three equal portions.

Dinner first night – grilled salmon with salad,
Next days lunch – cold grilled salmon rice paper parcels
Dinner second night – risotto with salmon (cut into small pieces and cooked in the risotto), mushrooms, eggplant and parmesan cheese
Second lunch – Lettuce with deli stuffs from fridge.

** I don’t necessarily cook from receipes as I tend to find I have to buy a heap of ingredients I’ll never use again but what is really really useful is taking note of flavour combinations you enjoyed eating at a restaurant then experimenting at home.

A side benefit I’ve found I’m eating a lot better since trying this way of shopping as nearly none are my foods are pre-processed or packaged. Hope’s this helps someone. My biggest bit of advice is to fit your shopping / cooking eating system around your lifestyle not the other way round.

Some things I’ve found that helps:
- Freeze fresh produce. Ham, bacon, half bottles of wine, shallots, mince, herbs, things which which I am forced to buy whole bunches of/cheaper to buy in bulk I will chop up finely, label and seal in ziplock bags, flattening the bag to make what’s inside as thin as possible. Then they are all ready for the day when I need half a glass of wine in my risotto or a tsp of basil. I don’t have to defrost the whole bag, just snap off a piece of whatever I need.
- I buy my meat in bulk, then cut them up into servings for one when I get home. Loins of lamb get divided up into mini-roasts with olive oil, rosemary, mint and honey. Meat and marinade goes into zip lock bags in the freezer and then in the morning I just let whatever I want to eat defrost. At night I just have to place the mini roast in a baking dish with vegetables (or not), and I have a great meal for one half an hour later. I also do this with chicken satay skewers, portuguese chicken pieces etc.
- I am not such a stickler to menus and recipes which means I can be more flexible with ingredients. leeks and onions are interchangeable, and most herbs go well with most meats, and if you have run out of breadcrumbs to coat your schnitzel, bashed up potato crisps work just as well. Who knows, you may discover a new family favorite ;p
- I’m not afraid of making “big meals” like roasts, lasagnas, curries etc. Usually I will have friends around happy to take the leftovers, or I reinvent the dish for the next day. Lasagne topped with mashed potato the next day makes an awesome shepherds pie

I have two more:

(1) Don’t cook or turn on a stove/microwave. Find a meal or two that you can eat without heat. Fresh fruit and vegetables (raw); nuts and seeds; nut butters; cereal; and yogurt are possibilities.

(2) Use canned goods. For example, in a pinch, my wife and I mix canned chicken, chili, corn, and spinach, add black pepper and garlic powder, heat it up, and surround with large corn chips. It is quick and tasty. Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s sell most of the canned goods, which are more healthful than they used to be.

After packagaging them up – I do NOT label them! Then as I come through the door at the end of the day – the proveribal “honey I’m home, what’s for dinner” I’ll say to myself and with a great smile – pull out a dish and have a surprise meal waiting for me!

I’m a great kidder – and after a long day – it’s nice not to make a decision.
(ps- ok I may return one to the freezer and select another!)

I like to plan for the following week on Friday, shop on Saturday at the farmers’ market and health food store and then start the weekly prep on Sundays. Breaking it up makes it some much easier to navigate for me and doesn’t feel overwhelming.

I tend to make a few dishes on Sunday — yesterday it was sweet potato bisque soup, fresh tuna burgers and a saute of fresh veggies. That will keep us going for a few days. I have an easy pasta meal planned for tomorrow and quinoa stew for Wednesday when I’ll have more time to cook.

All the pre-planning makes the execution during the week nice and easy.