Vegan Cooking & Cookbooks discussion

Hi all,

Does anyone else do "batch cooking" over the weekend so you can just heat things up for dinner during the week? I try to do this every Sunday--and have to say I really enjoy it. While I feel rushed and disgruntled when I have to make something for dinner every night, spending a few hours cooking on Sunday feels leisurely and fun.

I'd love to know what kinds of things other people make. Today I'm making:
Scrambled tofu (for breakfasts)
Hummus (for lunches/snacks)
Cashew cream sauce to use over steamed veggies (a slightly tweaked version of the "Hurry Up Alfredo" in Vegan Yum Yum: Decadent (But Doable) Animal-Free Recipes for Entertaining and Everyday
Pasta and bean soup w/ sun-dried tomatoes
Crockpot sweet potatoes with onions and coconut oil

Ginny, It's such a fabulous idea. Thanks for posting! I'm still getting used to having leftovers and not eating all I make. I can easily make 2 and sometimes 3 servings at a time, but having more than a couple advance meals might mean I'd eat them in advance. But, in order to eat fewer frozen dinners, canned soups, cups of soups, etc. I might try this sometime, although perhaps on a smaller scale.

Ginny wrote: "Hi all. Does anyone else do "batch cooking" over the weekend so you can just heat things up for dinner during the week? I try to do this every Sunday--and have to say I really enjoy it."

We do this quite a bit. We have done both the cashew cream sauce and the hummus quite often. Last week we made a full pan of scalloped potatoes and a huge pot of curried squash with rice and had servings of both all week long. We also will often make a double batch of our favourite potato kale soup to use for lunches and dinners. All three recipes are posted on our blog if you are interested:

Potatoes: http://tinyurl.com/4hnddac

Squash: http://tinyurl.com/4saalvk

Kale soup: http://tinyurl.com/46enkpx

This weekend, sadly, we had neither the gumption nor the time to make anything, so we will be the rushed and disgruntled people that Ginny describes. I vastly prefer being gruntled to disgruntled. Weekday gruntlement is a small, good thing.

Ginny wrote: "Hi all,

Does anyone else do "batch cooking" over the weekend so you can just heat things up for dinner during the week?"

Yes, we usually try to make our Sunday dinner enough to last a few days' worth of work lunches, etc. This week, for example, we did a Mexican bean and rice dish that is much better the second day. My husband also makes a great vegan jambalaya that we love to eat as left-overs.

Mark, Thanks for those links. I'll definitely be checking them out. All three sound delicious!

Kathryn, Those two dishes sound wonderful too. Are they on your blog? (I'll have to check.)

I'm generally not organised enough to do batch cooking. Also, I easily get tired of leftovers. Sometimes, I freeze leftovers (but then I tend to forget that I have them in the freezer), but often, after a day or two, my leftovers feed my resident raccoon population (I know I should not, but I don't like wasting food).

Lisa wrote: "Kathryn, Those two dishes sound wonderful too. Are they on your blog? (I'll have to check.)"

Jambalaya is, yes, in the archives.

The Mexican rice and beans was just so ridiculously easy I didn't even bother to post it though I suppose maybe I should... It was just a variation on the Mexican Rice recipe in Vegetarian Times Everything Vegan (which I think you have?) but that recipe felt a bit too bland so we added some diced green peppers and paprika and chili powder to kick it up a notch. We also used canned tomatoes instead of the paste.

Kathryn wrote: "Vegetarian Times Everything Vegan (which I think you have?)"

It was a library book for me.

I love playing with recipes. I guess for baking you often have to be more exact, but otherwise I don't think I've ever exactly followed a recipe. I always add more garlic and spices, use different veggies, etc.

I love this idea, Ginny. I'd really like to get with the program someday and do this. Right now I cook every night of the week, but somehow I am too lazy to sit down and make a plan to batch cook :P

Great idea for a thread Ginny!

I usually make my vegetable-tomato sauce once a week consisting of onions, carrot, red pepper, fresh tomatoes, tomato paste, veggie stock and seasonings. I puree it and then us it for pasta, pizza, added to stir-fries with different spices etc.

We often cook grains such as rice and quinoa ahead of time and use them throughout the week as well.

When I make the cashew cream sauce I always save half of it to use later in the week as well, super yum!

And I love soup and chili so I often make a batch of one of those and eat it all week.

Batch cooking is a must! I usually make casseroles two or three times a week so I don't have to cook dinner every night. It gives me a break, so I can read :)

I couldn't do it all in one night though! I have way too much to do already. The laundry doesn't do itself you know.

What are some of your favourite casseroles Laura? I never make casseroles but I think I'd like to try a few.

Lee wrote: "What are some of your favourite casseroles Laura? I never make casseroles but I think I'd like to try a few."

Depending on ingredients, of course, kids often love casseroles. I did and I still do. I'll like to know some of your favorites too, Laura.

I never make casseroles either, but I don't know why. Unless you consider Baked Macaroni and Cheese a casserole. :p

You guys, I'm not much of a casserole-maker either, though I grew up cooking and eating them in the south. Following is the link to a favorite from those days that I lightened and veganized just last week because the green tomatoes at the Farmer's market looked so perfect. Called Green Chilies Casserole, it's not one that I've seen anywhere except my mother's recipe box: http://www.thebloomingplatter.com/veg.... I hope you might enjoy!

Yum, Betsy, your cookbook is on my short list. And I love casseroles though I tend to make stovetop, not oven baked dishes.

Lisa wrote: "Yum, Betsy, your cookbook is on my short list. And I love casseroles though I tend to make stovetop, not oven baked dishes."

That so sweet, Lisa, thank you. Here's a tip, though: when I finished the stovetop prep, I thought: you know, I don't really need to bake this. But I wasn't quite ready to eat, so I popped it into the oven. They way I would adapt it is to either fold all of the cashew cheese into the mixture in the skillet and, once heated through, just serve it up. Or, I would fold in half, as the recipe directs, heat the other half and drizzle it over the top. For efficiency, though, I'd probably just add it all at once. A dollop of sour cream would still be good on top; it doesn't need to bake at all. Cheers!

Betsy wrote: "Lisa wrote: "A dollop of sour cream would still be good on top; it doesn't need to bake at all."

Thanks, Betsy. Actually, when I was an omnivore and a lacto-ovo vegetarian, I never liked dairy sour cream, so I've never had any desire to try a vegan sour cream; I'm sure I wouldn't like it. Thanks for the stovetop tip!

Lisa wrote: "Betsy wrote: "Lisa wrote: "A dollop of sour cream would still be good on top; it doesn't need to bake at all."

Thanks, Betsy. Actually, when I was an omnivore and a lacto-ovo vegetarian, I never l..."

Do you like cashew cream? Yum! A couple of weeks ago, I had the good fortune to eat at the restaurant Gracias Madre in San Fran and they top their dishes with it. Fantastically good!

Betsy wrote: "Do you like cashew cream? Yum! A couple of weeks ago, I had the good fortune to eat at the restaurant Gracias Madre in San Fran and they top their dishes with it. Fantastically good!"

Betsy, I usually do like cashew creme, and Gracias Madre is my second favorite restaurant in San Francisco, Millennium being my favorite. I love Gracias Madre! So glad you got to eat there. My favorite thing is their quesadilla appetizer, big enough for a full meal. Their flan is also outstanding.

http://www.gracias-madre.com/web/

http://www.gracias-madre.com/web/menu...

Lisa wrote: "Betsy wrote: "Do you like cashew cream? Yum! A couple of weeks ago, I had the good fortune to eat at the restaurant Gracias Madre in San Fran and they top their dishes with it. Fantastically good!"..."

Yea! Great minds think alike--ha...those restaurants are mine too and, guess what? The sweet potato quesadilla on the appetizer men is what I ordered! I couldn't believe the size! So, I happily ate leftovers for lunch. I'll remember your flan recommendation when I go back! I love that cilantro "cream" they drizzle with the cashew cream over the top. "Thank you, Mother" indeed!

Betsy, So funny that you happened to get my favorite dish there. I've had many of their appetizers and entrees but since I tried that, I have a hard time ordering anything else. Definitely consider getting the flan for desert next time you're there. Thank you mother, indeed!!! Gracias Madre rocks!

I need to try this cashew cream sauce everyone keeps talking about...

One of our favorite Sunday fixes is baked tofu. It lasts four meals for the two of us. We load the sandwiches up with avocado, tomato, onion and veganaise.

For most meals we make enough for leftovers to have for lunch at least. But I would like to do more "batch cooking." For those who cook ahead for the whole week, do you freeze these items? It's the storage that I've wondered about, especially considering freezer space and we prefer glass storage to plastic or freezer bags.

Cassie wrote: "I need to try this cashew cream sauce everyone keeps talking about...

One of our favorite Sunday fixes is baked tofu. It lasts four meals for the two of us. We load the sandwiches up with avocado,..."

Do try it! And there is so many versions. You can kind of just start with a basic recipe and play because sometimes you'll want it thinner and sometimes thicker with various flavor notes played up or down. Have fun! A big batch of baked tofu is so smart. Glass storage is so much better for health/environment--bravo to you. I typically find that food keeps FAR longer than guidelines suggest, so I don't freeze much. I find that when food--even labeled--goes into the freezer, I forget about it and leave it in there way too long. But, it's smart and I don't think there is anything in the Green Chilies Casserole recipe link I provided that wouldn't freeze well. I think, though, if there was air space between the surface of the food and the lid of the glass storage lid, I would cover the surface of the food with foil, waxed paper, or something. Happy cooking!

I will have to look at the Green Chilies Casserole, too, it sounds wonderful. I agree, food does often keep longer than suggested dates.

Cashews are wonderful :) I've substituted cashews or cashew butter for peanuts in African recipes and the sauces are so creamy!

Happy to have discovered this thread!

One issue with freezing tofu is that freezing it changes its consistency. It gets more "meaty" which some eaters like, but I don't. When I have leftovers that include tofu, I keep them in the refrigerator only.

Yeah, I still haven't tried freezing tofu yet. But we probably won't with the baked tofu, since we get through it pretty quickly in the fridge ;)

Cassie wrote: "I will have to look at the Green Chilies Casserole, too, it sounds wonderful. I agree, food does often keep longer than suggested dates.

Cashews are wonderful :) I've substituted cashews or cashew..."

Thanks, Cassie. Hey, I'd love to know what a couple of your favorite African recipes are. That's a cuisine I'm not terribly well versed int.

Cassie wrote: "Yeah, I still haven't tried freezing tofu yet. But we probably won't with the baked tofu, since we get through it pretty quickly in the fridge ;)"

Cassie, I love freezing tofu to get that meatier texture, but I do it before I bake it. I was taught to freeze it, thaw it, press it to remove the extra water, marinate if you like, and then bake, saute, or whatever. But I like it unfrozen too.

I tend to be a bit impatient. In the past I sometimes pressed (a mess of pots on top of plates...with some tumbling). For the most part I do a little squeezing and then start chopping or crumbling. Haha, that's probably why I still haven't gotten around to freezing it. I'll send a couple of recipes we've enjoyed your way soon Betsy!

Cassie wrote: "I tend to be a bit impatient. In the past I sometimes pressed (a mess of pots on top of plates...with some tumbling). For the most part I do a little squeezing and then start chopping or crumbling...."

Your "true confession" is so familiar. We can all identify. Only in my case, add to that scenario a not-so-great dane who once stuck her head in the sink and ate a huge hunk of my favorite tofu from the Asian market, while draining, right before a dinner party! I once read that pressing it between two cutting boards, propped at an angle in the sink is a good way to go. Doesn't solve the great dane problem, but it might work for you! When I've planned ahead, I've found that pressing the frozen/thawed tofu takes 5 seconds and doesn't fall apart. The texture transformation is remarkable. Can't wait for those recipes but NO pressure!

Lisa wrote: "Betsy, So funny that you happened to get my favorite dish there. I've had many of their appetizers and entrees but since I tried that, I have a hard time ordering anything else. Definitely consider..."

Another fun coincidence. I saw somebody eating something that I had to have, asked her what it was, and it was the sweet potato quesadilla! Something else we didn't order, but that was so good and the people at our table let us try some of theirs(!) was a spicy zucchini, onion and "cheese" casserole-type dish. Really tasty. My friend ordered the gorditas (yum) and one of the mole dishes, but the mole was a little to sweet/cinnamony for me. (But those things are all about personal preference which is why there are so many hundreds of versions of that sauce, right?) The flan would be a treat, as dessert--other than sorbet--is almost always non-vegan in restaurants around here.

Betsy wrote: "Lisa wrote: "The flan would be a treat, as dessert--other than sorbet--is almost always non-vegan in restaurants around here."

I haven't had sorbet in years. There are so many vegan ice creams and many local vegan bakeries around here. Most restaurants have vegan cakes & cookies & pies & other desserts, and often vegan ice cream too. Even the vegan Japanese restaurant, in addition to more traditional but vegan desserts, has vegan chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream. Oh well, at least sorbet isn't plain fruit, which is what I usually have to have for dessert (luckily, I like it and it's healthy) when I rarely find myself in a non-veg*n restaurant.

You are soooooooooooo lucky to have so many options!

Betsy wrote: "You are soooooooooooo lucky to have so many options!"

I am. I live in vegan haven!

Lee wrote: "What are some of your favourite casseroles Laura? I never make casseroles but I think I'd like to try a few."

My kids favorite is vegan chili/spiral pasta casserole. I serve it with cornbread and steamed carrots. There's also a cheesy brocoli and pasta I make. I just find a good recipes from vegan books and try them out.

Betsy wrote: "You guys, I'm not much of a casserole-maker either, though I grew up cooking and eating them in the south. Following is the link to a favorite from those days that I lightened and veganized just l..."

That sounds so yummy. I must try that one. Thnx :)

Vegan chili/spiral casserole sounds good to me too!

Laura wrote: "Lee wrote: "What are some of your favourite casseroles Laura? I never make casseroles but I think I'd like to try a few."

My kids favorite is vegan chili/spiral pasta casserole. I serve it with c..."

The chili-spiral casserole, cornbread and carrots all sound so delightfully homey!

You guys just inspired me to be 5 minutes less lazy than I was planning on being. I'm making black bean soup for dinner and instead of buying sour cream, I will make some basil-cashew cream from my cookbook that I've been meaning to try. I'm sad I don't have cilantro though.

Jayme wrote: "You guys just inspired me to be 5 minutes less lazy than I was planning on being."

Jayme, Next time definitely the cilantro will make it even better! Hey, hooray to us for making you 5 minutes less lazy. ;-)

It's sooo good, Lisa! I'm glad I made it.

Jayme wrote: "It's sooo good, Lisa! I'm glad I made it."

Maybe you and others here will inspire me to be less lazy. Eventually.

Jayme wrote: "You guys just inspired me to be 5 minutes less lazy than I was planning on being. I'm making black bean soup for dinner and instead of buying sour cream, I will make some basil-cashew cream from my..."

There's something so satisfying about making things like that "from scratch," the taste being only one of them!

I do a lot of batch cooking. I do it during the weekend but also during the week. We have a large freezer in the garage so I will make a batch of chili, soup, or stew and just freeze it in pre-measured portions. It's great because if miss a weekend of cooking, we can just grab stuff from the freezer. I prefer fresh cooked meals, but it is a nice to have a backup.

I usually prep some meals in advance on the weekend but not for the entire week as we simply don't have enough space in the fridge for it. Besides, I'm home and enjoy cooking daily actually.
I do however mostly cook more portions than just for us 4 people (1 of which, our youngest, not really being 'into' my food as he's the pickiest eater on earth *sigh*), so I 'feed the freezer' with many leftovers.
What I do regularly is soaking beans and then freezing them in 1-2 c portions as well.

Betsy,
I agree with you a 100%, nothing better than cooking from scratch! ^_^

How does everyone store batches in the freezer? For years I have not used freezer bags (I try to avoid plastic), but I'm considering because of the space saving factor. Suggestions?

Cassie wrote: "How does everyone store batches in the freezer? For years I have not used freezer bags (I try to avoid plastic), but I'm considering because of the space saving factor. Suggestions?"

I sometimes use foil but usually use Pyex type glass containers/freezer okay type.

Lisa wrote: "Cassie wrote: "How does everyone store batches in the freezer? For years I have not used freezer bags (I try to avoid plastic), but I'm considering because of the space saving factor. Suggestions?"..."

That's the way I usually go too. I think the main space hog is Jars with broth or other things. Once a few jars get in there it's hard to make space for the glass, pyrex-like, containers.