Bulk cooking. I talk about it often. Here’s how it went down Saturday morning.
Vegetable Stock
These days, it all starts with the stock. Early in the morning I pulled the gallon bag of vegetable scraps out of the freezer and let it thaw on the counter. Last week the bag included: radicchio and romaine lettuce, onion and garlic scraps and skins, half a tomato, and the ends of green beans, celery and carrots. I washed the scraps and tossed them into the pressure cooker with 8 cups of hot water, 2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs of dry thyme and 1 tablespoon of dry, sweet basil. I brought the stock to pressure, lowered the heat and cooked for 10 minutes at pressure and then allowed a natural release. I drained the stock through a cheesecloth, squeezing the excess stock from the veggies with tongs. It made just over nine cups of stock! I left the stock on the counter and dipped into it when I needed stock in my bulk cooking.
Grains
While I was making the stock I tossed 1 cup of brown rice and 1 cup of farro, rinsed and drained, in the rice cooker. I added 1 cup of stock and 2 cups of water and cooked on the brown rice setting. Completely unattended, I had a perfectly cooked grain dish in just about 30 minutes.
Seitan
I tried out a seitan recipe and put all of that great stock to good use. I did this with the big (6 quart) pressure cooker.
Soup
Meanwhile, I got the smaller pressure cooker (4 quart) going with this week’s soup. Okay, the soup ended up being more like “dal” and, well, it rocked.
Porridge
After the grain mix was complete I washed up the rice cooker and added steel-cut oats, millet, water and a bit of salt, on the porridge setting, and soon I had breakfast for the week.
A few hours in the kitchen, well spent! I used half of the food for reheating lunch and dinner this week.
And plenty to freeze.
This is why I choose to spend a few hours in the kitchen each weekend. I get to create recipes and prepare for my week.
I didn’t mean to do everything Saturday morning but, since I did, Sunday I found myself itching to make something else. So I tested a new Happy Herbivore recipe!
Oh, people, I feel so lucky! Here’s the story. When Lindsay returned to the U.S. she had a few days in New York. Lucky me, she popped into a restaurant I was dining in to surprise me and say hello. Squeals and hugs later, I finally remembered to introduce her to my husband. They hit it off and started talking and soon she discovered that he is (half) Hungarian and she wanted to know if he had a family recipe he would like to see veganized. Indeed! Hungarian Goulash.
So good! It was a perfectly warm and hearty meal on a cold, winter Sunday–my husband and I both loved it. You will find this recipe in Happy Herbivore Abroad, due out December 2012.
I have a three-day weekend coming up and I’m already dreaming up things to cook in bulk. How about you? Bulk cooking plans for the weekend?
23 thoughts on “A typical bulk cooking weekend + Happy Herbivore recipe testing”
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So organized!
I got a rice cooker a couple of months ago that looks like the one in your picture (the zojirushi). What setting do you use when you cook rice with another grain. Is it the brown rice setting?
How cool! I cook almost all of my grains on the brown rice setting, unless I’m looking for something thicker — then I select the porridge setting.
You always talk about using a pressure cooker. Could you give me an idea how to cook the stock in just a pot on the stove or better yet a crock pot? I’d really appreciate it! Thanks!
Hi Fran. I blog about what I cook and how I cook it so you are going to find many pressure cooker and rice cooker recipes here. I rarely give advice on a cooking method if I haven’t tried it and therefore cannot vouch for it myself. (Take a look at this post, and the links within, for alternative cooking methods: https://jlgoesvegan.com/alternative-ways-to-make-beans-bread-and-crackers-or-why-i-consider-blogging-a-community/ )
Having said that, in this very post I link to my first stock attempt, via crockpot, so check it out! https://jlgoesvegan.com/kale-lentil-squash-chili-homemade-vegetable-stock/ It was so delicious — I think you’ll love it!
I always do the bulk cooking as well. Vegan soups, stews and salads make great leftovers!!
HH’s cookbook sounds great – I am loving the international themed vegan cookbooks. 🙂
I agree! Love the leftovers … and getting creative with them. I often pour a soup over a bed of spinach or a bowl of grains. So one day it’s straight up soup for lunch and the next it’s a heartier dinner. A little variety in how I serve the bulk cooked foods keeps it interesting.
My goodness you’re a superstar. I have some pantry and freezer stocking to do in the next couple of weeks. Thank you for the amazing inspiration as always. xo
I cannot wait to see what you create! I’m sure it will be bittersweet, back in your kitchen!
I’ve never really tried bulk cooking before, but it looks essential.
It is for me –I can’t be trusted to cook during the week. Bulk cooking keeps me from eating processed foods or dining out too much.
I have a bad habit of eating processed foods or dining out if I don’t have a very specific plan laid out, too, so I think this would be good, especially for lunches on days I don’t have leftovers. Thanks!
I have been bulk cooking for ages and I love it. I don’t know how I even ate before. Great to see your post. It gets me excited for this coming weekend!
I’m so glad, Kathy!
Preparation is key! I am head over heels in love with Happy Herbivore cookbooks!
Agree x 2!
That is great! I bet that makes for an easier week. I work so much and easily fall into eating junk food because I am so busy…I am inspired by your post to try bulk cooking.
I’m so glad to inspire! It really, really keeps me focused on eating wholesome, vegan food (so I can indulge in a little junk on the weekend) 😉
My rice cooker only has cook and warm settings. Would it be a wise move to upgrade to one with more settings or just adjust the times? It also seems to bubble out the top, so maybe I should upgrade. What are some things I should look for? Thanks!
Lori, I don’t have experience with that type of rice cooker but I found this post which links up to recipes to rice cookers with a “cook” cycle: http://www.thekitchn.com/5-things-you-can-make-in-a-ric-111057 I like my rice cooker because it has a timer — that’s one thing I would suggest you look for in a new rice cooker.