Batch Cooking for New McDougaller's

[taymariekay]

Hi all,

I'm new here, but have been attempting the McDougall (and MWL) diet for years, and failing. My biggest set back is cravings, food addictions and not being prepared (work full time - though I know that's not a great excuse). I think that I might have my family on board with getting the crap out of the house and them eating what I eat - which is HUGE.

I have Sunday's off regularly, so I want to take advantage and make quite a bit of food for me and the family. I know this step is crucial for my success and getting my family excited.

So my question is - what are good MWL (not just McDougall) friendly recipes that are great for batch cooking in large quantities and that keep for 3-7 days in the fridge/freezer? I want to really have a plethora of foods to eat all week every week so we don't have any excuse not to succeed.

I was thinking soups, casseroles, baking/boiling lots of potatoes, steaming a lot of rice, etc. Anybody have tips? I am not the biggest cook so it will also be challenge for me to get into cooking again.

Everyone's help has been so appreciated!

[Lyndzie]

Here you go! https://www.drmcdougall.com/pdf/Advance ... t_3-13.pdf

I’m a big fan of beans and rice, because I can put the rice in the cooker, open a can of beans, and nuke a bag of frozen veggies and be done. Cook 1 cup rice, when done stir in 1 can drained and rinsed NSA black beans (and a can of drained NSA corn, if you’re feeling fancy!). Add veggies and salsa and dig in.

Another “not” recipe is to cook 1 lb of whole wheat pasta, and drain a can of white beans in a colander, so when you pour the pasta over top to drain the beans get heated. Again, add veggies of choice and sauce and be done.

[sirdle]

I was thinking soups, casseroles, baking/boiling lots of potatoes, steaming a lot of rice, etc. Anybody have tips? I am not the biggest cook so it will also be challenge for me to get into cooking again.

There are many recipes on this site, but I haven't tried them so I can't recommend them.

I recommend you start with Jeff Novick's SNAP meals.

If you are feeling slightly more ambitious, you might take a look at Cathy Fisher's website.

Cheers,

[Willijan]

Here are some of my favorite simple recipes. When I started McDougalling, I was trying more complex recipes. Now, mostly I eat the simple ones, although I also eat some that take more ingredients and more cooking steps. You'll have to see if, as a beginning McDougaller, you like very simple food. For me, it saves time and it tastes great.

1) Make a big pot of rice. It lasts, in my frig, for around 7 days. Actually, I've never had it go bad, but I get rid of it at about 7 days. Then, for each meal, cook some minced garlic with frozen or fresh veggies, such as broccoli, zucchini, green beans, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, add additional seasonings such as cumin, ginger, cayenne, and mix it into the reheated rice (only reheat as much as you're going to eat at that meal.)

2) Bake some sweet potatoes in a batch; store in the frig. Reheat one or more at each meal, add a low-starch vegetable as a side. The way I bake them is for about 40 min., depending on size, and until tender. Then turn off the oven and leave the potatoes in the oven for at least 2 hours to caramelize them.

3) Cook several bags of baby potatoes. I cook them in the Instant Pot for about 5 min., in homemade veg. broth with added thyme and black pepper. Eat with a little Grey Poupon mustard. Add a side of vegetables.

4) Slow Cooker Dahl, from Dr. Esselstyn's book, over a freshly baked Russet potato. The recipe makes a large amount:

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Dahl from Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
Use a slow cooker, cook on the stove top, or use an Instant Pot. My directions are for an IP. This recipe is mild tasting, despite all the garlic and ginger.
2 cups chopped yellow onions
9 garlic cloves, chopped
7 T. peeled, chopped fresh ginger
5-7 cups broth or water
1 lb. yellow split peas

Combine all ingredients in the Instant Pot (or other type of pot). Cook in IP for 12 min. Done! Or cook in a slow cooker for 6-10 hours, or on the stovetop until it becomes smooth. You may wish to decrease the liquid for a thicker dahl, but experiment to make sure it won't burn. Even with only 5 c. liquid it comes out rather thin. Also very good on rice, and probably on vegetables, such as spinach.

[taymariekay]

Willijan, thank you so much for your suggestions!! I will definitely be using them. I do think making a dahl, some thicker soups, will help as a topper for my basic starch meals.

[michaelswarm]

My approach is not batch cooking entire meals, which might require a recipe, but batch preparing my staple ingredients.
Peel and steam large pot of potato sticks. Pack into Tupperware for frig.
Soak and cook slow cooker of beans. Pack into containers for freezer and frig.
Soak and cook brown rice. Frig.
Soak and cook lentils. Frig.
Cut some fruit. Frig.
Maybe make a salsa or cheesy or marinara sauce or salad.
Then meals are quickly served from the frig with maybe some fresh additions: Toasted potatoes, rice and beans, rice and lentils, tacos, spaghetti, vegetable soup, etc.
I allow the kids to help. Saturday is whole wheat bread day, and Sunday is farmers market day. They roll, shape and cook their own bread, and help pluck herbs, peel garlic and cut fruit. I actually took a lot of inspiration from my kids preschool, where they have a standard lunch routine, and allow the kids to help. Monday is beans, Tuesday is cut fruit, Wednesday is tacos, Thursday is bread, and Friday is soup. They learned the days of the week by the meals before learning the actual names.