Tuesday is a good day to do the bulk of my meal prep, because my groceries are delivered in the morning. I can chop and slice at the same time as sorting everything out, and washing the fruit, etc.
I began by peeling a large quantity of fresh root ginger. My freezer supply had run out. As I was doing it, this piece emerged. Anyone who knows me will know my love for quirky veggies! Let me introduce to you Ginger the Ugly Duckling. I don’t think he will turn into any kind of swan.
All the ginger, peeled and ready to be bagged and frozen. When I want to use it, I just take a piece out, and drop it in a small bowl of boiling water and it defrosts pretty quickly, and then it can be chopped or grated etc.
Mushrooms, wiped clean and wrapped in flour sack towels. Leaving them in plastic in the fridge makes them go slimy and revolting.
All my veggies, prepped and ready for the fridge or freezer, or for cooking.
This morning first thing, before the groceries arrived, I made almond milk for the first time. I left some almonds soaking overnight, and then I blitzed them with some water in my high-speed blender and squeezed the liquid through a nut bag. This non-dairy milk is perfect – it is very neutral in taste, and I think my breakfast coffee tasted better than with normal milk! I decided to keep the paste that was left in the nut bag, because it’s full of fibre and goodness, and it can be added to other things I might be cooking.
I sliced the peppers rather than dicing them, so I’ve got the option of using them like that, or dicing them when required. With the lettuce leaves washed and dried, and most of my veggies sliced or diced, when it comes to cooking, all I need to do is get them out of the fridge and they are ready to go.
The cauliflower florets were cooked later.
I saved all the peelings and trimmings and put them in my Ninja Foodi pot ready for pressure cooking. I added some herbs and seasonings for good measure: a bay leaf, dill, and a little of each of onion, garlic and tomato powders.
This is what Chef AJ calls her “pot liquor” and it is absolutely delicious to drink hot or cold. And it’s free! You can also add it to any cooking, of course.
I think I’ve had a pretty productive day. Last week I went overboard with meal prep and exhausted myself by being far too ambitious! Doing it this way, just prepping the veggies in advance, I can do any meal prep during the week, at a more leisurely pace.
The other thing I made today was some ginger stock. After peeling all that ginger, there was quite a lot of skin. (The best way to peel ginger is with a teaspoon.) I wondered if there was any way of using it so I searched online, and discovered that you can boil it up for half an hour in some water, strain it off, and use the resulting stock to steam veggies. This gives them a lovely touch of ginger flavour. Alternatively, you can add a spoonful or two to any dish or sauce for a bit of added flavour, but caution is required because this stuff is pretty potent! I love it that nothing need be wasted!
All is now cleared away. Tomorrow I am hoping to make up the cauliflower and possibly one other dish, depending on my energy levels
