Nicola’s top tips to save time
1. Batch cook. Nicola’s husband makes a double quantity of her smoky chilli beans (dubbed ‘daddy beans’ in her home) and freezes dinner2. Cook extra so you can repurpose leftovers. Nicola always roasts extra veges; they are a great base for delicious, healthy lunches and roast pumpkin is a surprise star ingredient in several of her sweet recipes, like her pumpkin caramel slice.3. Keep your fridge and pantry stocked with home-made dips, spreads and snacks to make assembling healthy lunches easy: “With young children, I’m often preparing snack platters or a lunch box to take on an adventure,” says Nicola.4. Create routine. Nicola follows a loose weekly theme (e.g. seafood on Mondays, legumes on Tuesdays). “It allows for plenty of creativity in the actual cooking while still being able to plan ahead for soaking legumes or defrosting meat.” The highly organised might like to prepare a meal plan a week in advance that includes each day’s recipes and any advance preparation.5. Find recipes and techniques that require little active involvement. Nicola’s everyday bread is perfect for sandwiches, keeps for days and doesn’t require any kneading or turning. “I often prepare the dough when making dinner, scoop it into the tin prior to going to bed and bake the bread first thing in the morning”. Easy.
