Batch Cook #1 Roasted roots and braised lentils

One base recipe, three ways to use it

Meal prep is a phrase that fills me with dread. Don’t get me wrong, the notion of cooking multiple meals for the week ahead is a good one, but box after box of plain poached chicken and broccoli is not my idea of a good dinner. Batch cooking can bring on a similar feeling of fatigue, with several containers of the same dinner filling up your freezer. It’s a big win to save time and have a back up, something quick to turn around for tea when you’re home later than planned or just can’t be bothered. But the monotony of a repeated dish can make it feel inconsequential. I want to breathe new life into leftovers, because when they’re good, they’re really good.

This is the first installment in my monthly Batch Cook series. Each episode will have a base recipe that you can make and enjoy as it is, plus two follow on recipes that transform the first meal into something different. There’s no need for boredom here.

I chose batch cooking for a series because it makes your life easier and it’s one of the most practical ways to save on waste in the kitchen. Building on a base recipe means you need less ingredients, and the follow on recipes only require a few extras.

Foundations: roasted roots, braised lentils and salsa verde (of sorts)

You’ll have to forgive me for my first recipe actually being three recipes, but they are all very simple, mini recipes. And together they’re worth a lot more than the sum of their parts. Roasting up a big tray of vegetables won’t be a new idea to many of you, it’s a good way to cook off lots of veg that need eating. Braising dried lentils while they roast offers a cheap and nutritious element that acts as both a carb and a protein - flexibility that I love. You could cut a corner here and use tinned or jarred lentils instead, but if you do I suggest choosing the higher-value kind as they should offer yielding discs rather than mushy pucks of lentils. I’m a fan of beluga lentils with their dark mottled casing and smooth, creamy texture, over the standard green variety. They are more expensive canned but if you’re cooking from dry still very good value. Just avoid red lentils which will completely collapse as they’re usually split so much thinner.

The salsa verde (of sorts) is the magic of this dish. I say ‘of sorts’ because it’s not the traditional parsley based sauce but sits along the same lines, adding a bright, herbaceous note. It combines rosemary, which happily grows all winter, with capers, lemon zest, garlic, spring onions in a blanket of olive oil. It adds punch to a very simple dish roasted veg, lentils and a protein. I served the foundation recipe with mutton chops but it would be great with roast chicken, chops of another kind or baked halloumi (this recipe of mine for Delicious magazine is an ideal match, and you could make it with regular honey, rather than fermented, for ease). The base recipe is vegan so you could keep it that way with your accompaniment.

Transformation

Bitter leaves are at their finest at this time of year, so a chicory salad (an exciting one) had to be on the cards for the leftovers. Lentils give leaves some weight and beluga lentils hold their own once cooked, offering a tender bite in this salad. The salsa becomes a salad dressing with the addition of mustard, more lemon juice and olive oil.

The second leftovers transformation combines the roasted veg, cooked lentils and even their braising liquid in a blended soup. It will be thick like dal (also lentils) but you can thin it down with water as you heat it through to get to the consistency you like. Top with a dollop of yogurt if you like and spoon over the remaining salsa. Warming and bright.

The Recipes

Roasted roots with braised lentils and salsa verde (of sorts)

Serves 6

• 1.5kg root vegetables (I used 4 carrots, 4 parsnips, 2 sweet potatoes and 2 beetroot), cut into 3-4cm chunks

• 1½ tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp caraway seeds

• 1 litre vegetable stock

• 250g lentils (I like beluga, but green or brown would also work - not red or split), rinsed

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 lemon, juice

SALSA

• 2 spring onions

• 4 sprigs rosemary (or 2 large), leaves stripped from the stems

• 2 tsp capers

• 1 garlic clove

• 1 lemon, zest

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Heat the oven to 180°C fan. Coat the vegetables in the oil, scatter over the caraway seeds and season with salt and pepper. Spread them out across two baking trays and roast for 35-40 minutes, turning halfway, until tender and golden.

(You could also roast the veg in an air fryer - they’ll probably take 15-20 minutes but you may need to cook them in batches or for longer depending on the size of your air fryer. If you are turning the oven on, consider toasting some nuts or baking a dessert at the same time to make the most of the energy used.)

2. Meanwhile, bring the stock to the boil in a large saucepan and add the lentils and bay. Simmer gently for 25-30 minutes, until soft enough to crush between finger and thumb.

3. While everything cooks, finely chop the spring onions, rosemary and capers for the salsa. Finely grate the garlic and lemon zest and add this too. Stir in the oil and season with salt and pepper.

4. Drain the lentils, catching the cooking liquid in a bowl. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon over the lentils and stir through. At this point you can serve the lentils, roasted veg and salsa as sides, boxing up and chilling the leftovers, as well as the lentil cooking liquid. It will all keep in the fridge as is for 3 days.

Bitter leaf lentil salad

Serves 2

• ⅓ of the roasted vegetables

• ⅓ of the cooked lentils

• 2 bulbs chicory, leaves separated

• 30g baby leaves, watercress or spinach

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• ½ tsp dijon mustard

• 2 tsp lemon juice

• ⅓ of the salsa

• 4 tbsp cottage cheese or soft goat’s cheese (optional)

1. Bring the roasted vegetables to room temperature 30 minutes before you assemble the salad, or pop them in a microwave or air fryer for a few minutes to warm through. Add to a large bowl with the lentils, chicory and leaves.

2. Whisk the oil, mustard and lemon juice together then stir through the salsa. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss together to coat everything. Divide between two bowls and dot over the cottage or goat’s cheese if using.

Lentil soup with salsa

Serves 2

• ⅓ of the roasted vegetables

• ⅓ of the cooked lentils

• Leftover lentil cooking liquid (about 300ml)

• A squeeze of lemon juice

• ⅓ of the salsa

• Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

• Yogurt, to serve (optional)

1. Combine the roasted vegetables, lentils and cooking liquid in a blender and add 250ml water. Whizz until smooth then pour into a pan. Cook over a medium heat, stirring regularly, to gradually warm through. It will be a fairly thick soup, but you can add a little extra water if you’d prefer it to be looser. Taste and season, adding a squeeze of lemon juice too. Ladle into bowls and top with the salsa and a drizzle of oil. It’s also nice to add a spoonful of yogurt.

Use it up

If you have root vegetables that have been sitting in the fridge for too long, getting sad and soft, pop them in a bowl of cold water in the fridge for a few hours. They’ll rehydrate and crisp up again, ready to eat or cook.

Don’t bother peeling your root veg unless particularly gnarly. Instead use a veg brush to give them a good scrub in some cold water.