Nadiya: My tips for saving time and money in the kitchen

Using your time and ingredients wisely is key, explains the celebrity chef…

In Nadiya Hussain’s new BBC Two series Cook Once, Eat Twice the food star aims to help people to spend less money on food and less time in the kitchen by reducing food waste and cooking in more creative ways.

“Lots of people have a desire to be more frugal and to cut down on their food waste, I’m really hopeful that the new series and cookbook [of the same name] will help guide people into that direction, because it becomes really addictive when you start trying to make something out of very little – trying not to waste food is really good fun!”

Nadiya shares her top tips…

1. Free up time by batch cooking

“I’ve always batch cooked; I don’t think I’d have been able to function if I didn’t. When my kids were much younger, I was a very active mum and always wanted to spend a lot of time with them – whether that was taking them out or doing activities in the house, so if I didn't batch cook or think ahead, I wouldn't have that time with them.

“I still really value the time which batch cooking frees up and I batch cook now more than ever. The kids are older but they still need to eat! If I know I'm not going to be home for the next two days, I know there's dinner in the fridge for them.”

“I make the same type of dishes as I did when the kids were little. My favourites are curries, lasagne, soup, bolognese, pies, chowders, all the classics.”

2. Cook multiple meals in one go

This is great for saving time as well as using up the same ingredients in several dishes, says Nadiya. “If you are creating a dish and you think you're going to be in the kitchen for an hour while it cooks, then why not make another dish at the same time? Why don't you put on a curry or bolognese, which you can then divvy-up and pop into the freezer? Because if you're already in the kitchen and one stove is on, you might as well have the other stove on as well and cook two at the same time. That way, you've got dinner, but then you've also got portions of other meals cooked for later in the week, which will save you time.”

3. Get creative with food waste

“Ingredients such as bread, bananas, milk and cheese are some of the most thrown away ingredients. But on the show, you’ll see fun ways of using them up.”

“I really enjoy learning how to use up scraps of ingredients – so for example - the tops of strawberries that you would just throw out? You could heat up some vinegar, infuse the strawberry tops and make a delicious, sweet strawberry vinegar, which is so, so good in vinaigrettes.

“You could even use garlic peel to make garlic salt – you just toast it in the oven and then mix it with salt, people wouldn't think garlic peel retains so much flavour, but it really does.”

4. Turn leftovers into brand-new dishes

It’s not just about using up the odds and ends of ingredients though, says Nadiya. It’s about turning a leftover meal into a brand-new dish.

“I love the joy that leftovers bring, because you don't have to eat the same thing twice. You can reinvent them.

“There are so many ways you can make the most of your dishes – for example in the show and the book there’s a delicious peanut chicken and broccoli tray bake and then I show how you can take any leftovers and make a chicken noodle soup with them the following day. So, I think anyone who wants to really jazz up their leftovers will really enjoy the show. I’m hoping it will make people feel like they can be inventive.”

5. Don’t fear failure in the kitchen

When you’re trying to produce recipes that use ingredient scraps or leftovers which would otherwise be destined for the food bin, don’t be afraid of failure, says Nadiya, because if it doesn’t work out then you’ll know what mistakes to avoid next time.

“I'm the first to admit that I make mistakes all the time. I wouldn't be where I am if I didn't make mistakes. The whole point is to learn from them and know how to rectify them. And that has been a huge lesson for me. Even as far back as Bake Off, I had to make mistakes to know how to fix them in the tent. So that's why you practice, practice, practice.”

So, says Nadiya, don’t be disheartened if those experimental dishes don’t quite work, you’ll be one step closer to getting the perfect dish next time and save more money in the future.

6. Always keep budget-friendly store cupboard staples in the freezer and cupboard

If you’re turning your leftovers into something new, it will help to have some cheap ready-to-use ingredients on hand to bulk them up and add flavour without taking more of your time says Nadiya.

“I love tinned ingredients, especially lentils because dried ones can take a long time to cook. The same applies to tinned potatoes and vegetables – I'm a huge fan because they are such a fast-track ingredient. The same goes for frozen veg, they’re also amazing time savers.

“I also love tinned tomato soup, it’s a great base for both curries and bolognese – I use it all the time.

“Other essentials are dried spices and herbs because they always come to life when they rehydrate in whatever it is that you're cooking them in.”

7. Storage is key

If you’re cooking with leftovers, the key is to make sure they’re stored carefully so you can continue to enjoy them, says Nadiya.

“Practise good food hygiene and make sure everything is cooled completely before you put it in the fridge.” And don’t be fooled into throwing away food because it’s reached its best before date.

“I think people look at the best before date and think, ‘that's the day that I've got to chuck it away’. But ‘best before’ means just that, it's not going to be as good as it was, before it reached that date, but it’s still edible. Best before is different to ‘use by’,” explains Nadiya.

8. Don’t forget desserts

The idea of ‘cook once eat twice’ isn’t just for main meals, you can batch cook desserts too. “Bakes are a good place to start, because they freeze well, as do brownies and of course, cookie dough is great to freeze too.”

*Watch Nadiya’s Cook One Eat Twice, on BBC Two Tuesdays at 19.30, from 17 September or catch-up on iPlayer.

Originally published September 2024