Darina Allen: Three quick and easy batch cooking recipes, including chicken curry

Chicken satay, cannellini one-pot, and gooey hot-chocolate pots - good food that really is on the go!

The Batch Lady makes best use of her air fryer, slow cooker, pressure cooker, oven and of course the freezer.

Ever heard of The Batch Lady, aka Suzanne Mulholland? I certainly hadn’t, until a cookbook of the same name landed on my desk last week. Yet another cookbook I thought… what could possibly be different this time?

Well, for a start, batch cooking is definitely ‘of the moment’ at a time when many of us are stretched to the limit, struggling to keep all the balls in the air in the midst of super-busy lives.

This book has some great tips and new practical ideas for both sweet and savoury dishes to simplify everyday meals. 

In the intro, Suzanne promises that “Every recipe in this book can be made in advance, with no cooking involved until the night you want to eat it. 

You will have minimal washing up; minimal thought needs to go into it and yet you get maximum results night after night."

In this book, her fifth, she shares the secrets of how she has organised her life, so she herself can eat well and put a home-cooked meal on the table for her family and friends.

She makes best use of her air fryer, slow cooker, pressure cooker, oven and of course the freezer.

There’s a chapter on cooking from frozen, how to choose your cooking methods, a basic tool kit, and The Batch Lady Larder – it’s impressive.

Also a very interesting choice of recipes, most of which take no more than five minutes to prepare and can be cooked there and then or popped into the freezer and retrieved for an easy meal whenever you fancy.

Suzanne, whom I’m ashamed to say I had never heard of before, is changing how we cook from scratch, convincing those without time, confidence or inclination to still have a delicious, healthy home-cooked meal whenever they want.

• Recipes taken from ‘The Batch Lady, Grab and Cook’ published by Ebury Press.

Creamy sausage and cannellini bean one-pot

This recipe uses cannellini beans, but they can easily be swapped for chickpeas or butter beans if you prefer.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 35 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 115g frozen diced onions

• 2 tsp frozen chopped garlic

• 350g frozen mixed chopped peppers

• 1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 200g cream cheese

• 60g grated Parmesan

• 1 chicken stock cube, crumbled

• 8 pork sausages

• To cook:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 500ml (2 cups) boiling water

Method

1. If making ahead to freeze: Put the onions, garlic, peppers, cannellini beans, smoked paprika, oregano, cream cheese, Parmesan and crumbled stick cube into a large freezer bag, mix together and freeze flat.

2. Keep the sausages in their packet, or put in a smaller freezer bag, and freeze alongside the bag of sauce.

3. Cooking options from frozen: Hob - Remove from the freezer and leave to fully defrost. Put a tablespoon of olive oil into a large casserole dish and place on a medium heat. Add the pork sausages and brown them all over. Add the contents of the freezer bag, stir well, then pour over the boiling water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

4. Slow Cooker - Remove from the freezer and leave to fully defrost. Turn the slow cooker to the sauté setting and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the pork sausages and brown them all over. Add the contents of the freezer bag, stir well, then pour over the boiling water. Pop the lid on and cook for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low.

5. Pressure Cooker - Remove from the freezer and leave to fully defrost. Turn the pressure cooker to sauté and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the pork sausages and brown them all over. Once browned, add the contents of the freezer bag and pour over the boiling water. Give it a good mix, then seal the lid and cook for 9 minutes. Once cooked, allow the steam to quickly release.

6. If cooking now: Hob - Put a tablespoon of olive oil into a large casserole dish and place on a medium heat. Add the pork sausages and brown them all over, then add the rest of the ingredients. Pour over the boiling water and stir well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

7. Slow Cooker - Turn the slow cooker to the sauté setting and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the pork sausages and brown all over. Once browned, add the rest of the ingredients. Pour over the boiling water and stir well. Pop the lid on and cook for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low.

8. Pressure Cooker - Turn the pressure cooker to sauté and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the pork sausages and brown them all over, then add the rest of the ingredients. Pour over the boiling water, give it a good mix, then seal the lid and cook for 9 minutes. Once cooked, allow the steam to quickly release.

Satay chicken curry

This is one of my favourite curries. The mild coconut peanut sauce is so delicious, and it's the perfect balance of sweet and savoury.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 50 mins

Total Time

 55 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 650g skinless and boneless chicken thighs

• 350g frozen mixed sliced peppers

• 3 tsp frozen chopped garlic

• 3 tsp frozen chopped ginger

• 1 onion, finely sliced

• 3 tbsp crunchy peanut butter

• 1 tbsp mild curry powder

• 1 tbsp runny honey

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• juice of 1 lime

• 1 tbsp frozen chopped coriander

• 1 chicken stock cube, crumbled

• 1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk

Method

1. If making ahead to freeze: Put all the ingredients into a large freezer bag, mix well, then freeze flat.

2. Cooking options from frozen: Hob - Remove from the freezer and leave to fully defrost, then pour into a large saucepan or casserole dish. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Pop the lid on the pan and cook for 45-50 minutes, stirring often. Once cooked, shred the chicken using two forks.

3. Slow Cooker - Remove from the freezer and leave to fully defrost, then pour into the slow cooker. Pop the lid on and cook for 4 hours on high, or 8 hours on low. Once cooked, shred the chicken using two forks.

4. Pressure Cooker - Remove from the freezer and leave to fully defrost, then pour into the pressure cooker. Seal the lid and cook for 16 minutes on high pressure, then allow it to naturally release. Once cooked, shred the chicken using two forks.

5. If cooking now: Hob - Put all the ingredients into a large saucepan or casserole dish and mix. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, pop the lid on and cook for 45-50 minutes, stirring often. Once cooked, shred the chicken using two forks.

6. Slow Cooker - Put all the ingredients into the slow cooker and mix. Pop the lid on and cook for 4 hours on high, or 8 hours on low. Once cooked, shred the chicken using two forks.

7. Pressure Cooker - Put all the ingredients into the pressure cooker and mix. Seal the lid and cook for 16 minutes on high pressure, then allow it to naturally release. Once cooked, shred the chicken using two forks.

8. To Serve: Serve with fluffy rice, fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime.

Hot chocolate pots

These hot chocolate pots are so decadent and are totally delicious. Split them open and you get a hot chocolate spread encased in sponge - so yummy.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 10 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 140g butter, at room temperature, plus 1 tsp to grease the ramekins

• 140g caster sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 110g plain flour

• 30g cocoa powder

• 4 heaped tsp chocolate spread

Method

1. If making ahead to freeze: Grease all four ramekins with the teaspoon of butter and set aside.

2. Put the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and whisk until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs, vanilla, flour and cocoa powder, and whisk again until you have a lump-free batter.

4. Half-fill each ramekin with the batter.

5. Spoon 1 heaped tsp of chocolate spread into the centre of each ramekin, then cover with the rest of the batter.

6. Wrap each ramekin with cling film and tin foil, and place in the freezer.

7. Cooking options from frozen: Oven - Preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas Mark 3. Unwrap the ramekins and cook the frozen puddings for 25 minutes. Either run a knife carefully down the side of each and tip out onto a plate or serve as they are in the ramekins.

8. Air Fryer - Preheat the air fryer to 160°C. Unwrap the ramekins and cook the frozen puddings in the air fryer for 20 minutes. Either run a knife carefully down the side of each and tip out onto a plate or serve as they are in the ramekins.

9. If cooking now: Follow the method in the 'making ahead to freeze' section up until the end of step 5.

10. Oven - Preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas Mark 3. Cook the puddings for 19 minutes. Either run a knife carefully down the side of each and tip out onto a plate or serve as they are in the ramekins.

11. Air Fryer - Preheat the air fryer to 160°C. Cook the puddings in the air fryer for 15 minutes. Either run a knife carefully down the side of each and tip out onto a plate or serve as they are in the ramekins.

12. To Serve: Serve with a dusting of icing sugar and some ice cream or double cream

Seasonal Journal

Ballymaloe Festival of Food

Applications are now open for Food and Drink producers to join this year's Ballymaloe Festival of Food, taking place over the weekend of May 17-19, 2024. Email [e-mail] if interested.

Sonny’s Deli, Cork

Check out Sonny’s Deli located on 3 Albert Road in Cork City. Open Monday – Friday from 8am – 3pm (click and collect).

Instagram: @sonnysdeli