Batch Cooking Clubs (make a meal, save money)
Vegan Cauliflower Cheese (The Veg Space)
Batch Cook Clubs are a great idea in these hard financial times. Batch-cooking is basically when you cook for a crowd, freeze everything into portions, then label it and heat and eat a meal, when you feel like it. It’s like going on a big shop to Iceland, but it’s all home-cooked!
Read our post on unique affordable food ideas.
Follow food hygiene rules. You may not care if Fido deposits a bit of fur in your food, but your co-eaters may! Read more on food safety for people and pets.
This covers foods not safe for pregnancy, allergies and choking hazards (don’t serve unpasteurised foods like miso, blue cheese or fresh juice).
Obviously there are caveats with this. Vegans and vegetarians won’t want ‘a little bit of chicken stock’ in their meals. And many people don’t want palm oil. So use rapeseed oil or Flora vegan butter.
If you have a large family (or lots of friends who like the same food), batch-cooking can remain within. You can just batch-cook for yourself, but you’ll need a large freezer, to avoid eating the same meals each night.
Batch cooking clubs are just that – everyone cooks a dish of their choice. Then just like a clothes swap, you turn up and swap all the meals. Keep a few dishes for yourself, and others give you their makes and bakes to freeze. You then end up with a month or so of home-cooked tasty dishes, that costs less than buying ready-meals from supermarkets.
Find recipes to get started at The Veg Space (lentil ragu and vegan hotpot) and The Batch Lady.
An Inspiring Batch Cook Club in Bristol
Batch Cook Club (Bristol) is a good example. You can not only cook and swap meals, but some people let you visit the premises, to teach you how to cook for £5. It also offers Little Lunches (vegan options) on a pay-what-you-can-afford basis.
Of course the big plus here is that it lets lonely older people who feel isolated, to become part of a valued community. Nearly all woman of a certain age can cook very well.
Batch (a prep-head plant-based cookbook)
Batch is a fun book of prep-ahead meals to save money. Ideal for family and friends and potlucks, or if you live alone (so you can freeze in portions) so you don’t have to keep eating the same meal again and again!
Read up on food safety for people and pets. Bin allium scraps (onion, leeks, garlic, shallots, chives) and tomato/citrus/rhubarb scraps (acids may harm compost creatures).
Fully remove tinned lids (or pop ring-pulls back over holes) before recycling, to avoid wildlife getting trapped.
These 80 vegan recipes all are tasty and healthy and affordable, made with affordable ingredients you can find in any store. Plus you’ll learn how to cook ahead, and safely store and freeze them.
Each recipe is written in a no-fuss style and includes cooking adaptations and dietary adjustments, to make the most of every batch. The book is organised into playful sections like Morning, Basic, Fresh, Classy, Saucy, Sweet etc.
Recipes include:
- Creamy Romesco Chickpeas
- Tempeh and Black Bean Fajitas
- To go-to-impress somebody Lasagne
- Creamy Charred Cauliflower Soup (for rainy days)
- Lentil and Roast Potato Hotpot
- BBQ Shredded Tofu Tacos with Grape Salsa
- Flourless Chocolate Pistachio Raspberry Torte
- Jarred Blueberry Margaritas
About the Author
Calum Harris is a fresh young cook who got his first cookbook deal due to a popular Instagram account. Nominated for several awards, Jamie Oliver is a fan (and is often mistaken for being his dad!)
