Food Prep not meal prep is my jam (see here and here). The difference between the two is that meal prep is making meals ahead of time, while food prep is simply batch cooking elements that you can use later for meals. Clever Cooking by Vicki de Beer is a treasure trove of food prep recipes. She has recipes for everything from curry pastes (hello Thai Green Curry Paste), to sauces, to marinades, to broths to flavour bases. Each recipe comes with freezing instructions so you can make, divide and freeze for use months later. In addition she has a section of recipes that can also be made ahead of time.
Dietary Notes
This is a cookbook for everyone. There are plenty of plant-based recipes – most of the pastes, sauces and pickles are vegan. That being said her recipes include chicken, meats, seafood and dairy. All recipes are savoury.
Best For
Budget conscious cooks who want to save both time and money.
Cooking Level
Beginner -Intermediate – most recipes are really easy and utilise easy to find ingredients. There are a handful that are a bit more complex.
I’m sharing the recipe for her Thai Green Curry Paste. I love Thai Green Curry and find the shop bought pastes to be expensive and when I do make it at home there’s always more than needed for one meal. Her recipe and tips allow you to make a batch and then freeze them in 3 tablespoon measurements which means all you need to do is take out a cube when you’re ready and cook! I use it when I’m making legit Thai green curries or as a shortcut to add flavour to some chickpeas and broccoli prepared in under 15 on the stove.
Thai Green Curry Cubes
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 1 onion peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 large green jalapeno chillies
- 2 stalks roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and roughly chopped
- 8 cm fresh ginger peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 limes zested and juiced
- Small bunch parsley / coriander (leaves only)
- 200 grams coconut cream
- 3 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions
- Make sure all ingredients are roughly chopped. This helps distribute them evenly, resulting in a smoother paste.
- Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend to a fine, smooth paste, scraping down the side as you go. Scoop the paste into a large ice cube tray (3 tablespoons per cube) and freeze until completely set. Once frozen, remove the cubes and store in a storage bag (I use the silicone Lekue or Stasher bags).
Clever Cooking is published by Penguin Random House . It is available here.
