Derval O'Rourke's fit-foodie column: Simple dishes to make in big batches
I like recipes that don’t need much more than a big pot and a small bit of enthusiasm to get it made!
This week’s recipes are simple dishes to make in a big batch and eat that day but also freeze for later.
Having recipes that are easy to cook in bulk makes eating well so much easier.
I keep my freezer stocked with pre-prepped soups, dinners and bread.
Most weeks I cook from scratch three or four times but the rest of the week I depend on batch cooking to get me through.
November is a time when motivation starts to wane for staying fit.
This week I’m talking about whether tracking devices, like the fit bit, actually make a difference, or whether they are just another fitness fad.
Does knowing your daily steps really make a difference to your overall health?
This is great to make in a big pot. The ingredients are simple and the result is a healthy, tasty dinner.
This is ideal to divide up and pop into your freezer. Try to take the time to double the ingredients list.
10 minutes
20 minutes
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1-2 red chillies, optional depending if you want it fiery.
- 800g minced beef
- 2 tins chopped tomatoes
- 600ml chicken stock, good quality
- 200ml white wine
- 600g wholewheat spaghetti
- salt and pepper
- 4tbsp parmesan
- Basil, roughly chopped
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
Add the onion, garlic and chilli and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until softened.
Add the mince and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes, wine and stock.
Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, prepare the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package.
Divide the cooked spaghetti between warmed serving bowls.
Sprinkle with parmesan and basil and serve.
There is a series of books called Chicken Soup for the Soul, they tell stories that are inspiring and uplifting. Well this is my actual chicken soup for my soul.
Soup is one of the simplest ways to eat well. Cooked in bulk from scratch means you know exactly what’s going into it and you have a few days of meal options.
Feel free to double the quantities to give yourself extra for the freezer.
10 minutes
30 minutes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 celery sticks, cut into small pieces
- 2 carrots, cut into small pieces
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 3 free range chicken fillets, diced
- 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
- Half butternut squash, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
- 1 litre chicken stock, good quality stock
- 2 tbsp dried mixed herbs
- salt and pepper
Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the celery, carrots, herbs and onion. Cook for 8-10 minutes.
Season with a little salt and pepper as you cook.
Add the chicken, potatoes, butternut and stock. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove from the heat and ladle the soup into warm serving bowls.
What goes better with chunky chicken and vegetable soup but brown bread?
I was recently told by a lady that she makes my brown bread three times a week because everyone in her house loves it.
She makes the loaves on a Sunday night, leaving one fresh and freezing the other two for the week ahead.
I was so delighted with the compliment that this week I’m sharing that recipe. It’s so simple.
5 minutes
45 minutes
1 loaf
- 240g wholemeal flour
- 120g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 350 ml buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 50 g mixed seeds
- 1 tbsp honey
- 20g porridge oats
Preheat the oven to 180 and lightly oil a bread tin. Mix the flour, baking powder, mixed seeds and salt in a bowl.
Using a wooden spoon mix through the buttermilk, egg and honey. Mix well until the ingredients are combined.
Pour the bread dough into the pre-prepared bread tin. Top the bread with a drizzle of honey and sprinkle over the oats.
Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown. Tip the bread onto a wire rack and leave to cool.
I recently travelled to America to surprise a friend for her birthday. On a layover in Manchester airport I made an impulse purchase of a fit bit charge HR watch.
In the past, I was reluctant to engage in the world of tracking and monitoring my health goals but recently I started to get curious. I’ve noticed more and more people wearing the devices, I wondered was I missing out?
I chose the fit bit charge HR because I recognised the brand, it sat comfortably on my wrist and I liked the look of the watch plus the price seemed reasonable at just under €100.
The watch was easy to set up and I started wearing it straight away. When I got to America my friend noticed my watch and immediately said “Wow you have a fit-bi**h too, do you love it?”
It turned out my friend had a fit bit for the past year and she found it very motivating. Herself and her husband both have one and they nicknamed it the fit-bi**h because they claimed their watch was judging them on the days when they didn’t do enough steps.
I’m now a convert to the world of monitoring. I’ve been wearing the watch for a few weeks and I’ve found it really useful.
The two main features I like are the steps and the sleep functions. I’ve my fit bit set to a goal of 10,000 steps a day.
This is really doable if I go out for a walk but if I’ve had a busy day at the computer I notice that I might have taken very few steps.
Considering how sedentary most of our lives have become it’s a great way to monitor movement. The watch has made me more conscious of my daily activity.
I’ll park further from the door if I’m going to the shops or it’s made me choose to ditch the car and stroll to the shop on some occasions.
The second function I love is the sleep monitoring. The watch tracks how many hours I sleep and how many of those were restless.
I love to sleep! I think most of us sleep too little and this monitoring sleep is a real eye-opener when it comes to hours and quality of sleep. The fit bit does way more than just steps and sleep.
I’ve used it a little for monitoring my heart rate. Having the function on the watch has made me research my heart rate during workouts and to keep an eye on my resting heart rate. This is something I wouldn’t have bothered with before using the fit bit.
There is a function to input food and evaluate your daily nutritional intake, to be honest I have zero interest in that function. I’m wary of that way of approaching food.
I like to enjoy food and the thought of inputting data regarding my eating doesn’t interest me. It’s a function some people may benefit from if they are monitoring their intake and might have a goal like weight loss.
The fit bit isn’t a magic wand to the perfect work/ life health balance but it’s definitely a good way to track health.
There are lots of competitors out there and I’d advise looking at all the options and seeing what suits your needs best. I’d definitely give my fit bit a thumbs up.
