No matter how much you love to cook (and especially if you don't!) preparing a home cooked, nourishing meal every day is a big ask! Luckily, there are lots of shortcuts for making these kinds of meals a staple for you and your family.

Today I am featuring one of my favorite tips- make a double batch when you cook, and freeze some for later!

This strategy works better for certain recipes, and these two are particularly good.

Pozole is a Mexican delicious stew and it's on my family recipe rotations once a month. It's also our New Years tradition, but you can enjoy it any time. Add your own variations of thickness and toppings. If you don't have time to make the tomatillo base (another great freeze for later candidate), substitute chili powder. It will change the taste, but it will still be delicious.
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Soupa Toscana is another of my go to meals. My daughter never complains when I make soup, and she loves to add a grilled cheese sandwich on the side.

You can use the pressure cooker or instant pot for both of these recipes. If you don't have one of these, do yourself a favor and get one! It cuts down cooking time by more than half, even 3 or 4 times, depending on what you're making. I have definitely been saved by my pressure cooker on more than one occasion. No dinner planned- no worries- you can cook frozen chicken in under 30 minutes. Dinner, done!

​Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings - makes a great side dish
Author Michaela Vais

Ingredients

• 1 cup (190 g) dry green lentils (see notes)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 large (200 g) finely diced carrot (see notes)
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 tsp fresh ginger grated
• 1 red or green chili pepper (seeds removed)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 3 cups (720 ml) vegetable broth
• 1 cup (240 ml) canned coconut milk (see notes) 
• Salt and black pepper to taste
  
  

Instructions

• Sort and rinse the lentils for 15 minutes in warm water, removing any shriveled ones. Soaking makes them more easily digestible. Drain the water afterward.
• Meanwhile, finely dice the carrot, onion, chili, ginger, and garlic.
• In a large saucepan or pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Then add the chili, garlic, ginger, and carrot. Stir and reduce the heat to low.
• Next, add all the seasonings, the lentils, and vegetable broth. Stir, bring to a boil, and leave it to simmer for about 15 minutes.
  For even more flavor, temper the spices with a little more oil in the pan for 1 minute (until deep and fragrant) before adding the lentils and stock.
• Stir in the canned coconut milk and cook for about 10-15 minutes to thicken and slightly reduce until the lentils are tender. Optionally, puree 1/4-1/3 of the dal for a creamier result.
• Before serving, give the dahl one last taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference. Then serve with rice, naan (flatbread), and garnish with parsley and optionally non-dairy yogurt. Enjoy!
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Notes

• I typically use green or brown lentils, which cook in about 20-25 minutes if soaked beforehand.
• You can also use sweet potato instead of carrot.
• It's possible to use any plant-based cream (like soy cream, oat cream etc.) instead of canned coconut milk. However, in my opinion, this lentil dal tastes best with coconut milk. I reduced the amount to 1/2 cup.
• Optionally, add a squeeze of lime/ lemon juice when serving to brighten the flavor.
• Recipe serves 4. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
  
  

Nutrition
Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 452mg | Potassium: 733mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1245IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 6.1mg

I used these two recipes to create this dish:
https://veggiedesserts.com/red-lentil-dahl/
​https://www.noracooks.com/red-lentil-dahl/

I recently made this chili and loved it. I substituted ground turkey for beef. It's even better after a couple of days when the flavours have developed.
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/beef-and-bean-chili 

Here is the recipe, from Ralph S Great Divide Indianapolis IN

Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large red onions, chopped
5 tablespoons chopped jalapeño chilies with seeds
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 1/3  pounds ground beef (15% fat)
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 x 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
2 x 15 1/4-ounce cans kidney beans, drained
1 x 14-ounce can beef broth

Sour cream
Grated cheddar cheese
Chopped green onions
Chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:
Step 1
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until brown, about 6 minutes. Add jalapeños and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add beef; sauté until brown, breaking up with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, and paprika, then mix in tomatoes with juices, beans, and broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until chili thickens and flavors blend, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Skim any fat from surface of chili.

DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before continuing, stirring occasionally.

Step 2
​Ladle chili into bowls. Serve, passing bowls of sour cream, grated cheese, green onions, and cilantro separately.

Try this comforting warm soup for this weather,  also known as caldo de pollo.

Ingredients
1 lb chicken- frozen, fresh, or rotisserie 
1 tbsp oil 
1 onion, diced - set some aside to use as garnish
2 garlic cloves 
2 celery, chopped 
2 carrots 
6 red potatoes 
1 cauliflower, loosely chopped or riced
2 stalks of corn 
Chicken broth or water- enough to cover ingredients
Salt and pepper to taste 
Cilantro
Preferred seasoning (basil, thyme, or Italian seasoning work well)

Directions
Stovetop:

1. Use a deep large pot over medium high heat. Heat oil and satay onion until translucent, then add garlic and cook for another minute.

2. Add chicken and the rest of the veggies and cook for 2 minutes. 

3. Add the broth and bring to boil. Cook for 30 min until flavors have blended. 

4. Garnish with cilantro and diced onion.

Instapot:

-Follow the directions above, but cook for 15 minutes in the pressurized Instapot.

This is a super easy recipe. You can use either fresh, frozen, left over rotisserie chicken. I use my Instapot because it cuts the time in half. 

Enjoy this soup anytime. I usually keep some in the freezer for about a week to have a quick and healthy meal on hand.