The New Once a Week Cookbook

INTRODUCTION

The New Once a Week Cookbook is a step by step guide to creating your own supply of ready meals by cooking batches of food and freezing some for another day. The "once a week" recipes mostly serve fourteen and each one can be made in an evening or an afternoon. This system is ideal for anyone who has very little time to spare, but who has the desire to learn how to cook, rather than buy ready meals.

The Book shows how, with a little forward planning, you can create your own delicious ready meals for a fraction of the cost of the shop bought versions. Lots of meals can be made which only need a Microwave oven to get them from the freezer to the table.

To Sum the system up -easy cooking, -everyday ingredients -delicious results. No expensive equipment is needed and step-by-step instructions make this book a must for novice cooks. The Cook who is juggling work hours and family will find this easy system truly indispensable. In This age of high energy costs the system makes more sense than ever -by cooking once a week you are saving fuel as well as time.

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DEDICATIONS

Firstly, I dedicate this book to my late mother-in-law Nellie, who taught me the basics of how to cook and bake. Secondly, but by no means less importantly, to Mrs Edith Pridham, or Mrs P as she is known in her home town of Callington, in Cornwall. This remarkable lady taught me so much I could not fit it all on one page.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Rob Ashton for his stunning cover image I would recommend him to anyone who is looking for a truly professional photographer. For further information you can visit his website at http://www.massivepixels.com or email him on mailto:info@massivepixels.com. His mobile is 07956 505186. The photographs can be viewed on my website at http://www.onceaweekkitchen.co.uk under images.

Many Thanks to my sons Steve and Richard who have set up the above website and will be updating it accordingly with new information as it happens.

Last But not least, I would like to thank my partner, Brian, for all his help and support. I could not have written this book without him.

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The New Once A Week Cookbook

By Sylvia Shaw

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Published by Sylvia Shaw at Smashwords.com

Copyright 2012 Sylvia Shaw

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Smashwords edition, License Notes

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Food Safety and Hygiene

General Notes

Equipment needed

Store-cupboard essentials

Essential rules for Perfect Cooking

Guidelines for home freezing

Oven temperatures

Metric/Imperial measurements

Abbreviations

CHAPTER 1 -THE ONCE A WEEK RECIPES

Stuffed Jacket Potatoes -vegetarian

Stuffed Jacket Potatoes -corned beef

Stuffed Jacket Potatoes -tuna

Fiery Jackets

Wholewheat Pasta

Cobbler Mix

Chicken and Vegetable Chilli

Braised Steak with Onions

Quick Pastry

Shortcrust Pastry

Turkey Burgers

Beef Burgers

Chicken Jalfrezi

Moroccan Lamb Meatballs

Pork and Mustard Stew

Pizza Dough

Chilli con Carne

Bolognese Style Sauce

Mashed Potatoes

Tomato and Pepper Sauce

Marvellous Mince

Hearty Beef Stew

Ready Rice

Pearl Barley

CHAPTER 2-SUGGESTED COOKING PLANS

WEEK ONE Ready Rice, Quick Pastry, Pasta,

Tomato & Pepper Sauce, Turkey Burgers shopping List.

WEEK TWO: Braised Steak and Onions, Vegetarian Stuffed Jacket Potatoes, Chicken Jalfrezi, Mashed Potatoes. Shopping List.

WEEK THREE: Bolognese Style Sauce, Cobbler Mix, Chicken and Vegetable Chilli, Shortcrust Pastry, Shopping List.

WEEK FOUR: Hearty Beef Stew, Stuffed Jacket Potatoes with Tuna, Shopping List

WEEK FIVE: Moroccan Lamb Meatballs, Stuffed Jacket Potatoes with Corned Beef, Shopping List

WEEK SIX: Pork and Mustard Stew, Fiery Jackets,

Rice or Pasta, Shopping List

WEEK SEVEN: Marvellous Mince, Rice or Pasta or Mash,

Beef burgers, Shopping List.

WEEK EIGHT: Chilli Con Carne, Pizza Dough,

Shopping list.

CHAPTER 3 -PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Savoury Pasties

Cheese and Onion Pasties

Stew and Dumplings

Meat and Potato Pie

Stuffed Jacket Potatoes with Baked Beans

Chicken Jalfrezi with Rice or Naan

Pork and Mustard Stew wit h Mashed Potatoes

Turkey Burgers in Buns with Jacket Wedges

Beef Burgers in Buns with Jacket Wedges

Pizza

Moroccan Lamb Meatballs with Rice

Turkey Meatballs with Rice

Pasta with Bolognese Style Sauce

Cottage Pie

Pasta with Tomato and Pepper Sauce

Chicken and Vegetable Chilli with Rice

Stuffed Peppers

Beef Cobbler

Yorkshire Puddings with Stew

Steak and Mushroom Pie

Lasagne

Chilli with Pasta

Jacket Potato Meals

Bacon and Sweetcorn Quiche

Leek and Blue Cheese Quiche

CHAPTER 4 -SAUCES AND BATTERS

Basic white sauce

Parsley Sauce

Cheese Sauce

Onion Sauce

Cheat’s Cheese Sauce

Mushroom Sauce

Yorkshire Puddings

Toad in the Hole

Sweetcorn Fritters

Pancakes

Crispy Batter

CHAPTER 5 -FISH AND SEAFOOD RECIPES

Spicy Crabcakes

Smoked Mackerel Pate

Tuna Pasta Bake

Fish Pie

Salmon Fishcakes

Oven Baked Fish with Breadcrumbs and Parsley Sauce

Perfect Prawns with Pasta

Salmon en Croute with Parsley Butter

Grilled Swordfish

CHAPTER 6 -MEAT-FREE RECIPES

Stilton and Vegetable Bake

Leek, Parsnip and Pasta Bake

Pasta with Pesto

Easy Lentil Curry

Leeks and Mushrooms in Cheese Sauce

Cauliflower and Broccoli Pasta Bake

Vegetable Lasagne

Stir Fry for One

Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon

Plain Omelette

Cheese Omelette

Mushroom Omelette

Spanish Style Omelette

Veggie Burgers

Posh Broad Beans

Spicy Indian Pancakes

Microwave Vegetable Stacks

CHAPTER 7 -SOUPS AND STOCKS

Stocks

Soup Accompaniments

Leek and Potato Soup

Minestrone Soup

Broccoli and Stilton Soup

Hearty Bean Soup

Lentil and Tomato Soup

CHAPTER 8 -SALADS AND DRESSINGS

Blue Cheese dressing

Vinaigrette

Honey and Mustard dressing

Sour Cream and Chive dressing/Dip

Coronation Dip

Green Salad

Gemstone salad

Coleslaw

Pasta and Bean Salad

Avocado, Orange and Watercress Salad

Greek Style Salad with Feta and Olives

Potato Salad

Green Herb Butter

Garlic Butter

CHAPTER 9 -STEAKS AND CHOPS

Beef Steaks

Peppered Steak

Pork Chops

Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Garlic

CHAPTER 10 -ROAST DINNERS

Guidelines for Roasting Meat and Poultry

Roast Beef with Yorkshire Puddings

Roast Chicken with Cheat’s Stuffing

Roast Pork with Stuffing and Apple Sauce

Roast Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic

Pot Roast –Brisket of Beef

Honey & Mustard Roast Ham

CHAPTER 11 -BAKING

Barbara’s Ginger Sponge

Fruit Scones

Cheese Scones

Eccles Cakes

Cookies

Best Ever Buns

Triple Chocolate Cake

Fruity Flapjack

Fruit Delight

Parkin

Bran Loaf

Carrot Cake

Frosting for Carrot Cake

Smooth Butter Cream

Victoria Sponge

Sweet Pastry

Nellie’s Rich Fruit Cake

Royal Icing

CHAPTER 12 -DESSERTS

Fruit Salad

Microwave Sponge Puddings

Baked Apples

Fruit Fool with Meringues (Eton Mess)

Fruit Crumble

Baked Cheesecake

Tiramisu

Sherry Trifle

Rum Cream Sauce

Carole’s Christmas Pudding

Madeleine’s Easy Cheesecake

Hot Bananas in Rum

CHAPTER 13 -EASY PEASY DINNER PARTIES

Guidelines for stress free dinner parties

Easy Peasy Dinner Party One -Dijon Pork

Easy Peasy Dinner Party Two -Trout with Fennel

Easy Peasy Dinner Party Three -Italian Chicken

Easy Peasy Christmas Dinner -Roast Turkey

About the Author

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FOOD SAFETY AND HYGIENE

The Following are high-risk foods: raw or cooked meats, fish, poultry or shellfish, raw eggs or products containing them such as mayonnaise or mousses.

Cooked Rice is also a high-risk food as it contains spores that are not destroyed during cooking, the rice should be eaten or frozen within 24 hours of cooking.

Some soft cheeses may contain Listeria.

Never serve dishes containing raw eggs, such as ice creams, mayonnaise, mousses or hollandaise sauce to the following vulnerable groups: babies, pregnant women, the elderly, recuperating invalids.

Wash all fruit, vegetables, rice, grains, pulses or lentils in cold running water as they may contain soil, dust or pests that can cause harm.

Wash food preparation surfaces and spray them with a sanitising product, carefully following the instructions for use.

Have a bowl of hot soapy water at hand before you start to prepare food, so you can wash your hands without touching the tap or the washing up liquid container.

Always wash your hands after visiting the toilet and after blowing your nose.

Do Not touch your face, hair, nose or ears while preparing food, to avoid contamination by bacteria.

Avoid coughing and sneezing while preparing food.

Use tea-towels only once then put them in the laundry.

Use disposable dishcloths and replace them daily.

Cover any boils, spots, pimples or cuts with colourful plasters before touching food.

Wash all raw fish, meat or poultry in cold water before cooking. Pat the food dry with kitchen paper and spray the area with sanitizer to prevent the splashes contaminating other foods. Then carefully wash your hands.

Reheat cooked food only once then discard any leftovers.

Use separate colour coded chopping boards for raw and cooked meats, fish, salads and vegetables, to avoid cross contamination. Wash them immediately after use preferably in a dishwasher.

Use separate utensils for raw and cooked foods and wash them immediately after use.

To Prevent contamination by hazards such as chemicals, bacteria or pests-never leave food uncovered.

Keep pets out of the kitchen.

Store raw foods in the bottom of the fridge to prevent drips contaminating cooked food.

Cold food must be stored below 5C.

Frozen food must be stored below 18C.

Food must be cooked to a core temperature of over 80C, check this by inserting a probe. If you do not have a probe check that the juices are running clear by inserting a meat fork into the centre of the food. If the juices look pink or red, cook the food for a further 15 minutes and check again, making sure you have washed the fork.

Fish needs to be cooked until it is opaque, over 80C.

Cook food thoroughly to kill any bacteria or parasites such as worms, which are often present in raw meat or fish.

It Is Not recommended by health & safety experts that meat or fish be served pink.

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GENERAL NOTES

**Please Note the once a week recipes will work for two people if you cook once a week. If there are four people in the family you will either need to double up the recipes or cook twice a week. To Get the system up and running you may need to cook twice a week for the first few weeks to build up your stock. After that you can adjust the recipes and frequency to suit your individual circumstances**

This Book does not make allowances for special dietary needs such as allergies. Some of the recipes do contain nuts. Any allergy sufferer should consult his/her Doctor before trying out these recipes.

The Cooking times have been based on an electric fan oven and an 850Watt Microwave oven.

As Ovens vary in performance, refer to your Appliance manual for information on cooking times for particular foods.

As Freezer performance is based on star ratings, and appliances vary, you should consult the manufacturer’s Operating manual for guidelines on how long frozen foods can safely be kept.

Calorie and fat content values are approximate -information on these was derived from Collins Gem Calorie Counter and the USDA database, which gives complete analysis of food ingredients.

All Recipes are printed in Metric measurements but where Metric and Imperial measurements are quoted -use one or the other, do not mix the two as they are slightly different and this may affect your results.

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ABBREVIATIONS

kg = kilogram

g = gram

cm = centimetre

" = inch

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EQUIPMENT NEEDED

Freezer

Microwave

Cooker

Large pan or stockpot, about 10 litres in size

Large pan 3.5 litres

Freezer containers

Good quality freezer bags/containers

Freezer tape and marking pen

Various wooden spoons

Rolling pin and Pastry brush

Colander

Sieve

Potato masher

Sharp knives for chopping

At least 4 chopping boards of different colours

Cheese grater

Garlic press

Baking tins

Bun tins

Ovenproof dishes

Whisk

Potato peeler

Apple corer

Electric hand blender

Sharp scissors

Mixing bowls (various sizes)

Small saucepan

Frying pan

Omelette pan

Wok

Measuring spoons and jug

Heavy based griddle pan

Soup Ladle

Weighing scales

Stiff brush for scrubbing potatoes

Meat Probe

Fridge/Freezer thermometer

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STORECUPBOARD ESSENTIALS

Stock cubes or Concentrate

Tomato Puree

Sea Salt in Mill

Black Peppercorns in Mill

Ground white pepper

Mustard Powder

Smooth Dijon Mustard

Wholegrain Dijon Mustard

Chilli Powder

Curry Paste

Curry spices (buy one a week)

Plain flour

Self-raising flour

Wholemeal flour

Gravy browning

Fruity Sauce

Worcester Sauce

Wholewheat Pasta -shapes, lasagne sheets and spaghetti

Organic Brown Rice

Caster sugar

Granulated sugar

Soft brown sugar

Icing sugar

Golden syrup

Dried Fruit -Sultanas, Currants and Raisins

Pine nuts

Tinned tomatoes

Tinned kidney beans

Tinned chickpeas

Tinned cannelini beans

Tinfoil

Baking Parchment

Clingfilm

Soy Sauce

USEFUL FREEZER ITEMS

Good quality Garden Peas

Chopped Spinach

Sweetcorn

Broad Beans

Green Beans

Frozen Raspberries, Blueberries, Fruits of the Forest

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ESSENTIAL RULES FOR PERFECT COOKING

If You Are cooking a dish that is all in one pan such as a stew, buy the leanest meat you can find, as all grot must be removed before cooking. By grot I mean any bone, fat, skin, sinew or gristle. If you buy cheap fatty meat there will be a lot of waste, both of time and money. Cut off any nasty bits with scissors or a sharp knife. Be diligent at this stage of preparation as it is the one most important rule. Even a chicken breast has some grot -I call it the core which is a small area in the thick end of the underside of the breast with maybe a bit of bone and some sinew -cut it out -be ruthless. Anyone who gets a mouthful of food containing grot will be put off by it. This careful preparation will ensure that your dishes are always perfect, with no nasty surprises lurking in them to put people off. Children, particularly, are put off meat by discovering grot in their meals. If you get into good habits early on, this will become second nature, and your meals will always be of a high standard. If you like the flavour that the fatty bits impart to the recipe, cook them separately in a pan and strain the juices back into the main dish.

Carefully peel all vegetables such as carrots, onions, swedes, potatoes or parsnips.

Vegetables that do not require peeling such as peppers, tomatoes, celery or courgettes must be washed carefully in