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00:00All right!
00:02Suzanne and I are back together.
00:04Lead the way, Professor Batch.
00:05Helping families up and down the country
00:07get control of their meal times.
00:10It is fair to...
00:12That is an insane amount of snacks.
00:16As a dad of six kids, I know getting good healthy food
00:19on the table fast can be a nightmare.
00:21Grub is up!
00:23Like feeding the three bears, innit?
00:25With my Batching tips and tricks,
00:27we're going to make those dreaded dinner times
00:29a thing of the past.
00:30Three minutes, your dinner is done.
00:32No fuss.
00:34We'll help struggling households.
00:36Oh!
00:38Could you eat that and not die?
00:39Who find feeding the family stressful.
00:41That chicken's off.
00:43We'll analyse what they eat.
00:45You're only getting a balanced diet
00:4720% of the time.
00:50And what they spend.
00:52I thought that was a month.
00:53And thanks to some clever hacks
00:55and easy-to-follow recipes.
00:57Well done, mate!
00:59We'll save them time.
01:00When in life does someone give you
01:01three weeks of your life back?
01:03And money.
01:04That's a good holiday, isn't it?
01:06Revolutionising their meal times.
01:08What do we think, boys?
01:09Am I done?
01:10Can we have this tomorrow?
01:12If you can't beat it, batch it.
01:15All you can't see is ever going back.
01:18It's life-changing, isn't it?
01:19Definitely.
01:19It's a hug and a ball.
01:21Aw, come here.
01:30Hello, Suzanne.
01:31Or as they say in Wales, Boreida.
01:33Boreida?
01:34What a beautiful place you've brought me to.
01:36Well, welcome to Cardiff.
01:37We're here to meet the Burton family.
01:39They're a big, blended family of six.
01:42Mum, she's on maternity leave
01:43and she's spending hours in the kitchen.
01:46But she's due to go back to work soon,
01:48so she needs to get a better system in place.
01:50I love putting a good system in place,
01:52so we're off to a good start.
01:53Also, to make things slightly more difficult,
01:56two of the family members are celiac.
01:58All the more reason to get organised and get batching.
02:00Well, as they're saying,
02:01well, stop cooking you on.
02:03I'll take your word for it.
02:04Let's go.
02:05Sorry, Cardiff.
02:06That will be my last attempt at Welsh, I do promise.
02:08Put your hands up.
02:11Oh, stop working.
02:13The Burton household is a busy, blended family
02:16with children spanning 16 years.
02:21Parents Becky and Dan have five-month-old Axel
02:23and four-year-old Ezra
02:25and every other week they're joined by Dan's girls,
02:28Fion 12 and Carys 16.
02:31I got Dad back for you.
02:33They definitely keep us on our toes.
02:35Bye, Dan.
02:36Becky and Dan both have busy, full-time jobs
02:38working in governance and tax.
02:41But currently, Becky has her hands full on maternity leave.
02:45Axel, who's five months, is obsessed with me.
02:48He is obsessed with you, absolutely.
02:50Oh, look at that.
02:51Are you enjoying doing your asbestos today?
02:53But it's not just the baby that Becky is juggling.
02:56The moment I do the majority, if not all,
03:00of the cooking and the shopping and the preparing and the list,
03:03and then I'm also breastfeeding.
03:05That's like a full-time job, just feeding my child,
03:07on top of everything else.
03:09Dinner has turned to the bottom of the pan list, I mean.
03:11The mental load that comes with the cooking
03:13has definitely added more stress.
03:16Added charcoal for flavouring.
03:19It definitely creates a challenge, doesn't it?
03:21Not only that, but planning is tricky,
03:23as the family changes from four to six every other week
03:26when Dan's girls are home.
03:27Sometimes we can end up with massive portion sizes
03:30on the weeks we don't have the girls,
03:32and then small ones when we do.
03:34Becky is spending hours in the kitchen
03:36cooking from scratch every day, but with good reason.
03:39We can't really do convenience food
03:41because of all the dietary requirements.
03:43Girls, what do you want for dinner?
03:45Can we have Chinese noodles?
03:46No, because the noodles have wheat in.
03:49Dan's youngest daughter, Fionn,
03:50and their four-year-old son, Ezra,
03:52have both got celiac disease.
03:54Can we have curry?
03:55Yeah, we could do curry.
03:56You're responsible.
03:57If they have a reaction, it's on you.
04:00It's way more complicated than I ever realised
04:03before I had a kid with allergies.
04:06Celiacs get you if they encounter any gluten,
04:08which is found in wheat, barley and rye.
04:10The main offenders are pasta, cereals, cakes and bread,
04:14but traces of gluten can show up in all sorts of places.
04:17We keep our gluten on one particular area
04:19to try and keep the rest of the kitchen as gluten-free as we can.
04:24Becky often makes two different evening meals
04:26to cater for everyone's needs.
04:30It's hard at times, but Becky's cooking is very nice
04:34because she always makes meals gluten-free for me and Ezra.
04:39Bon appetit!
04:40Becky has picked up the slack while on maternity leave,
04:43apart from the nights when Dan returns home with a takeaway.
04:47There are times where you're just exhausted.
04:49The advantage of takeaways,
04:50you don't have to clean up the things you've cooked,
04:52you just eat it and then you can kind of move on.
04:54But when Becky goes back to work, they can't live on takeaways
04:57and there won't be enough hours in the day to continue like this.
05:01I'll be working from half six in the morning till half six,
05:04so just trying to fit in where I cook,
05:06where I spend time with the boys as they grow up
05:09is a little bit of a panic.
05:11Becky and Dan can't see how to get out of these ruts.
05:14So I would like to get back to the point where cooking is no longer a chore.
05:18It's something everyone wants to help and do as a family.
05:21I think it would be really cool though to make those memories with the family.
05:25They grow up so fast,
05:26so just spending time with him when he's little and young
05:29and wants to talk to you could be massive.
05:34Let's get cracking.
05:36Before we figure out how to help Becky and Dan,
05:38we're going to take advantage of an empty house
05:40and see if it provides any clues to where it's all gone wrong.
05:45Oh, there's a baby in the house!
05:50Eye bags eat all the baby cuddles.
05:52Not much to see on the surface,
05:54but the issues are always found behind closed doors.
05:57Oh, we've got some food.
05:59It's a bit of everything really going on in there.
06:01Bit of a mix and match.
06:03Oh, yeah, we've got gluten-free down the bottom.
06:05The tiniest trace of gluten can make Fion or Ezra ill,
06:09so we'll have to be very careful of any cross-contamination while we're here.
06:14We'll have a little snoop in there, Fred.
06:16Oh!
06:18There's a bit of everything going on in every shelf.
06:20A bit like the cupboards.
06:21I think it just needs a bit of organisation.
06:23It needs a Batch Lady touch, doesn't it?
06:26It does.
06:26Is it the same with a freezer?
06:28Oh!
06:30Ready-chopped onions sealed with a clip.
06:33Not the only one, either. There's another clip there.
06:36Top prizes for this.
06:38But this seems to be the only bit of organisation in the whole kitchen.
06:41Every cupboard just seems quite full of...
06:44Stuff.
06:45..random things.
06:46This could be much more efficient for Becky,
06:49especially when she's already spending so much time in the kitchen.
06:52It feels like everything's just come out and been reorganised.
06:57Are you going to stay in half?
06:57No, no.
06:58I'm just saying that's what I would do.
07:00I'm not the Batch Lady.
07:02I don't know what you're thinking.
07:05Before I get Joe roped into some kitchen organising,
07:09it's time to meet the family.
07:11Hello, everybody!
07:12Hello!
07:13Hello, everyone!
07:14Hello, you lot!
07:15Hello, baby!
07:17So, Dan and Becky, tell us what dinner times in this house are like.
07:20For want of a better word, crazy.
07:22They're always rushed, really busy.
07:24And, yeah, Becky does most of the cooking.
07:26One-handed, most of the time.
07:28It takes quite a long time to do dinner at the moment.
07:31Well, we're going to delve into that a little bit deeper,
07:33so we're going to nick Mum and Dad for a little while,
07:35but I promise, Ezra, we'll bring them back, all right?
07:38All right, see you in a little while.
07:39See you later, everyone!
07:42To understand what we've taken on, and appreciate exactly what the Burton's meal times look like,
07:48we've installed cameras to monitor their cooking and eating habits.
07:52I know everyone dreads this part, but shall we have a little look?
07:55Yeah.
07:56Yeah, it's nice.
07:57The first thing that I noticed is how much you reminded me of me when I had two tiny kids
08:03and constantly did everything one-handed, and you were amazing at this.
08:07I mean, that's one-handed, one-leg.
08:10You're normally at work, so I've got nobody else to have them.
08:14The mum guilt that comes with it as well.
08:16I still just lie here.
08:18You're not giving them the attention that they want or they need
08:20because you're too busy trying to do everything else.
08:23Becky is spending hours in the kitchen cooking fresh, gluten-free food,
08:27as well as other options for the non-celiacs.
08:30You know, it's hard enough thinking about meal planning,
08:33but actually you have to think about so much more than that.
08:35Pre-made sauces and stuff tend to have, like, secret gluten in and stuff,
08:38so you can't just assume.
08:39It's definitely a challenge to make sure that you can, you know, eat safely.
08:43And while Becky is spending hours cooking from scratch,
08:46Dan's go-to is a takeaway.
08:49Oh, no. There's no babes in arms there.
08:51No, no, just me, yeah, yeah, just me.
08:54Oh, dear.
08:55So it looks like there's a lot of eating for you on the hop.
08:57Yeah, generally on the move.
08:59There's definitely room there for improvement
09:01where we can work out a better routine for Dan as well.
09:05Sounds good.
09:06And then there's the weeks when the older girls are at home.
09:10Both girls seem like, you know, they know their way around the kitchen,
09:12so that's good, that's a good step.
09:15But there's some unhealthy missteps too.
09:18Oh, my God, that's so much sugar.
09:22Secretly eating from the fridge.
09:23My teenagers do exactly this.
09:25They just stand in front of the fridge and sort of graze out of it.
09:28Makes sense where the food goes.
09:30Overall, do you think that's a fair reflection of your family
09:32and their relationship with the kitchen?
09:34I don't think I was aware of the secret eating going on.
09:36But apart from that, yeah.
09:37I think it's lovely you are cooking from scratch.
09:40I'm just excited to see how I can make it easier for both of you.
09:44That'd be great.
09:45As well as sneaking a look into the habits in the kitchen,
09:48for the past month we've been monitoring how much money
09:51and time is being spent on their food.
09:54Here we go.
09:57You are spending £227.29 on food each week.
10:03I thought that was a month.
10:06I thought maybe £100, but yeah, that's a lot.
10:09You're actually spending £160 a week in the supermarket.
10:12The rest of that you're spending on takeaways or eating out.
10:16Five shops a week and complex food prep
10:19is also stealing hours away from the family time.
10:22You're spending 19 hours and 10 minutes
10:25cooking, preparing food and eating food.
10:29Yeah, I see your whole days.
10:30Yeah.
10:31As for hitting their five a day, it's a table of two halves.
10:3548% of the time you are hitting that intake.
10:38Becky, you're actually hitting it 70% of the time.
10:42Dan, unfortunately, you're slightly bringing it down on what you do.
10:47How does that bring you down?
10:49How does that make you feel, Dan?
10:50A bit guilty, to be honest, because like, yeah, obviously,
10:53you know, I want to set a good example.
10:54I'm trying to be healthy and clearly that's one area that I'm struggling with.
10:58To see the stats, it was a bit surprising how much we spend,
11:00which is incredible.
11:02It's a lot of time that's like half a full-time job,
11:04but the most shocking for me, you know, maybe not so much for Bex,
11:07whereas the nutrition element clearly not quite as nutritious
11:10as maybe I thought I was.
11:12Don't beat yourself up too bad, because we've seen worse stats than that.
11:16Oh, yeah.
11:16Yeah, and you are doing so many of the right things already.
11:19This situation can definitely be safe,
11:21and the good thing is, once we do it now,
11:23it'll be done for when you go back to work,
11:25and we'll have it all in order.
11:26It'll be perfect.
11:27That'd be great.
11:28Yeah, thank you.
11:38The burdens of a busy blended family.
11:41Hi, guys.
11:42Let me feed these, and then I'll feed you.
11:44Cooking in our house is crazy the majority of the time.
11:48The pressure is on mum, Becky, to provide allergen-free meals.
11:52Fion, who has celiac disease.
11:54Ezra, who has celiac disease.
11:56She is spending hours shopping for, preparing,
11:58and cooking complex meals from scratch.
12:02Becky and Dan are not alone.
12:046% of kids have some kind of gluten allergy or intolerance.
12:08Everyday situations just become challenging.
12:10It adds more stress than you'd ever think.
12:14I want to show Becky how she can reduce those 19 hours a week
12:18feeding the family,
12:20and have a system in place by the time she goes back to work.
12:24Grandma has the baby, the kids are at school,
12:26and Dan is at work,
12:27so I'm first going to show Becky how to remove the chaos
12:30from this kitchen.
12:32This is a long and narrow space,
12:34so storing things in the wrong place wastes time and energy.
12:37All those things that you keep having to run back and forth
12:40will make sure that the food that you use all the time
12:43as you're standing at the hob is right there for you.
12:46Yeah, that would be great, thank you.
12:47And I want to make the utensils easily accessible too.
12:50I think we can get a pot and just fill them up in here
12:53because you've got a lot of space here.
12:56This is ideal for Becky's one-handed cooking.
12:58Let's just clear it out.
13:00We'll decide where everything's going.
13:01Hello, you two. How are you getting on?
13:03Good.
13:04You all right? Well, listen, Dan's at work,
13:06so Becky, I'm going to borrow you to go shopping,
13:08but you're all right to hold down the floor, isn't you, Suzanne?
13:11The story of my life, Joe.
13:12Right, come on then, Becky, let's go.
13:13Come on, then. See you later.
13:15Bye.
13:16Typical, left on my own again.
13:20Becky's been neap into the shops around five times a week,
13:23eating into valuable time with her family.
13:25Ready? You hold on to that? Yes. Thank you.
13:27Let's do this.
13:29I've got an efficient aisle-ordered list
13:31to get us in and out and the weekly shop done in one go,
13:34starting with a fruit aisle.
13:37Dan does not eat a lot of fruit and veg,
13:40so we need fruit that's convenient for him.
13:42We need something that is naturally sealed, like a banana.
13:45Oranges are really good as well.
13:47Dan needs to improve healthy eating at home and on the go,
13:50so let's chuck in some apples and plums too.
13:52He might think that's a lot of healthy stuff.
13:55Well, you might need to push him into it slightly.
13:57Maybe we'll start slowly.
13:58Yeah, there's no I in team, is there?
14:01Becky's struggling to cook inexpensive,
14:03celiac-friendly meals that work for everyone.
14:06Naturally gluten-free cooking
14:08will help reduce the time spent prepping double dinners.
14:11Veg is a great place to start.
14:13This is a gluten-free zone.
14:16You can have whatever you want on this aisle.
14:18There'll be no cross-contamination.
14:20This is all good food that you can eat all your family together.
14:24And my top tip? Potatoes.
14:26There's so much you can do with it.
14:28You can mash it.
14:29You can fry it.
14:30You can chip it.
14:31You can roast it.
14:32It's exactly the same with a sweet potato.
14:34Also, sweet potatoes, unlike your average spud,
14:37have plenty of nutrients and count towards your five a day.
14:41Ready? I'll chuck them to her.
14:43One, two.
14:44Quick, quick, quick, quick!
14:45I can't go that far!
14:47I think that should be enough.
14:49We've got enough potatoes to last us forever.
14:51Pasta is a go-to for Becky and her family.
14:54Most of the time we have to have two different types of pasta.
14:57So you have to have the normal pasta
14:59and then the gluten-free pasta for the celiacs.
15:01So things like gluten-free pasta are double the price of normal pasta.
15:04That definitely adds a lot to our shopping.
15:06In fact, shopping gluten-free is 35% more expensive than a standard shop.
15:12So what we need to do is stick to foods that are naturally gluten-free, like this rice.
15:16So you're not playing the premium on it like you would with gluten-free pasta.
15:20Let's chuck it in, shall we?
15:21Right, we're on the last knockings now.
15:24Freezer aisle and then we are done.
15:26As we've seen from our Snoop,
15:27we're not teaching Becky anything new about Suzanne's favourite, frozen vegetables.
15:32Yeah, I am quite lazy. I feel like cutting onions is pretty pointless.
15:36No, don't say that! It's not lazy!
15:38Especially if you've got a baby on your arm.
15:39True.
15:40And we'll chuck some of these in and we are done!
15:44Good job!
15:46And done in one shop, not five, and food for the whole family.
15:50I think that this has been pretty successful, don't you?
15:53Yes.
15:54It's much quicker with you helping with you this.
15:56Well, unfortunately I can't be with you the whole time, can I?
15:59There you go, alright.
16:00Thank you very much.
16:01Thanks so much.
16:01You can hold on to that.
16:03Right, let's go!
16:04Let's get batch cooking!
16:07I wonder how Suzanne's getting on sorting out that kitchen all by herself.
16:12Hello, hello, hello. How is everybody?
16:14Hello, how did you get on?
16:16Yeah, I think we've done alright today.
16:17Yeah, excellent.
16:18We've streamlined the whole process.
16:20Talking about streamlining, I streamlined your kitchen for you while you were out.
16:24So, you've got some nice...
16:26Oh my God, loads of rain now.
16:27...leaves here with all your batching equipment ready to get going.
16:30We've sorted your cupboard out here so you've got all the things that you need for cooking right to hand.
16:35Also, you're gluten free. Bits and bobs are all up here.
16:39Often people have all their food in one part of the kitchen, but separating out the frequently used items is
16:45more efficient.
16:46I've added your utensils up here so that you can just grab them when you're one-handed with baby on
16:51hip.
16:52The change that Suzanne made will definitely make it more streamlined.
16:55Everything's right by where I need to cook. It's really good.
16:59Becky has taken on the lion's share of the cooking while on maternity leave.
17:03But my hacks and tips will need to be sustainable for when she goes back to work.
17:08So I want to find out more about what that looks like for the Burtons.
17:13You're usually full-time working, are you?
17:15Yeah, so I do compressed hours. I do four days of like nine and a half hours.
17:19And then one day off to look after the kids.
17:23Nine and a half hours work and then getting home, feeding everybody.
17:26Yeah.
17:27That is a lot.
17:29Yeah, the mental load that kind of goes with it.
17:31You've got like 20 lists in your head like make sure I do this for school and this needs to
17:35be paid.
17:36And then the food aspect of it and everything.
17:38So I got into doing batching at about exactly the same stage as you are.
17:42I had one just going to nursery and I had one about your size, yes.
17:46And I never felt like I was quite doing my job right, bringing up the kids right.
17:51And I just felt like overwhelmed, cooking from scratch every single day.
17:55Batching isn't really about the food.
17:57For me it's about lightening the mental load.
18:00And that was the best time to get into batching for me because I could batch on a Sunday morning
18:05and just get myself ready for the week ahead.
18:08Yeah, that's why I'm really hoping you can help us, I guess, to understand how we can do that kind
18:12of thing.
18:13So many of us have been in this situation before.
18:16I certainly have.
18:17Baby in arms, toddler at feet.
18:19It is hard work.
18:20I think you're doing an amazing job.
18:23You really are.
18:24I mean you are juggling a little bit of every bit of somebody's life.
18:29Babyhood, teenagers, it's all going.
18:31You are so cute.
18:33I want to batch you up and take you home with me.
18:36I do.
18:37Rather than batching the baby, it's time to introduce Becky to the first of many recipes.
18:43We're aiming to streamline the Burton's cooking so all the dishes will be naturally gluten-free.
18:49This will prevent Becky from having to cook multiple meals and reduce costs by avoiding specialist gluten-free products.
18:56And all my recipes can be batched and frozen, giving Becky or Dan a quick meal on another day.
19:03Sausages, is that a family favourite?
19:04They do love sausages but because there's so many of us we do have to have quite a few packets
19:09of sausages so it can get quite pricey.
19:11When you're feeding a large family it's about bulking out with pulses, beans, lentils.
19:17And that's exactly what we're going to do here.
19:20This sausage and bean cassoulet is protein rich and excellent value.
19:24We're going to double bubble this.
19:26Okay, so we're making one for now and one for the freezer.
19:29Becky can also control how many portions are in the freezer so she's not over or under cooking when the
19:35girls are at home.
19:36One in the freezer for five or we'll put one in the freezer for three then you don't have any
19:40waste.
19:41This is a super quick dish so let's get frying those sausages.
19:45These are gluten free of course.
19:47And then prep the veg.
19:48You can either choose to peel a carrot or just wash it.
19:51I quite often just have a clean scrubber and scrub them, saves me peeling.
19:54To save more time we're going to chop everything in the food processor.
20:00Great for hiding veg as well.
20:05Oh my god that's so much quicker.
20:07Easy to do one handed as well on the little one.
20:09Remove the cooked sausages and add some stress free tear free frozen chopped onions to the pan along with the
20:16veg.
20:17Just chuck it straight in?
20:18Right in, yep.
20:20Perfect.
20:22Next we add chopped tomatoes and the butter beans.
20:25Any type of bean or even chickpeas could be used here, whatever you have in the cupboard.
20:30And you can see at the moment you know we haven't added sausages and look how much volume of food
20:35we've got going on.
20:37Quickly grate a stock cube for added flavour and there's enough sauce for two family meals.
20:42So we're doing the hard work once and we're getting the benefit of it twice.
20:47Pop the cooked sausages back in and simmer for 20 minutes.
20:51Plenty of time for me to show Becky another of my speedy side dishes.
20:55Ever use canned potatoes?
20:57Never use canned potatoes.
20:59These are my rapid roasties.
21:01If you're in a hurry, you're just opening them up and using them straight away.
21:05These guys are a blank canvas for flavour.
21:08We're coating in oil and any herbs and spices of your choice.
21:11I'm using oregano and garlic granules.
21:15You could do paprika, you could do anything you want.
21:18They'll be lovely little crunchy balls of flavour.
21:22Then just 20 minutes at 200 in the air fryer.
21:25They can go straight on your plate or be batched and frozen once cooled.
21:30Now, time to try our cassoulet.
21:32Joe, Dan?
21:33Oh wow, that's good.
21:35I'm not going to taste it because it's my recipe, so I could maybe have the baby.
21:40Now we know the real reason you're here, Suzanne.
21:44God, that's really tasty.
21:45That is lovely.
21:46And that's got four of your five a day.
21:49Four?
21:49Four?
21:49Four.
21:50How has it got four?
21:51We've hidden lots of edge in there.
21:53And the good thing is about cooking meals that are naturally gluten free
21:56is it's not costing you any more money
21:59because you're not buying specifically gluten free products.
22:02Yeah, it's also a lot easier not having to think about different pans and different pots all the time.
22:06Becky and Dan have a whole other meal ready to go for when it's the five of them.
22:11All they need to do is defrost it in the morning and reheat it for dinner.
22:14It was super fast.
22:16I could literally just shove that in the oven, play with the kids.
22:1820 minutes later, it's ready to put on the table.
22:20I would say more, but I'm really enjoying it.
22:24This one's gorgeous.
22:26Are you talking about me again?
22:32Well, now me and the gorgeous Joe.
22:35Thank you, Suzanne.
22:36Are heading to our test kitchen because I've got a great snack to show you.
22:40My homemade chicken tenders.
22:42Perfect for a treat.
22:44What I love is you can make them, put them in the freezer, grab out of anything you want.
22:49Nice. I'm excited.
22:51Now my goujons have a slightly unusual coating.
22:55Tortilla chips. Are you having a snack?
22:57No.
22:58We need three separate bowls.
22:59For smashed up tortilla chips, the beaten eggs and some flour.
23:04Tortilla chips are made from corn.
23:06So my tenders can easily be celiac friendly if you use gluten free flour.
23:11And I'm going to add some Cajun seasoning just to give that flour a lovely taste.
23:16And then it's the messy bit.
23:17I knew I was going to end up with a dipping job.
23:20I'm using pre-cut mini chicken fillets to dip into the flour, the egg and then the corn chips.
23:26My tip is that I always have a wet hand and a dry hand.
23:32I'm holding the wet chicken in one hand.
23:34Yeah.
23:35And then I'm going to keep that wet hand for the egg wash.
23:38Then I use my dry hand for the coating.
23:41I wish you'd have told me before I started.
23:43Because I've basically breaded my fingers.
23:47If you don't have tortilla chips, my goujons work with corn flakes or even crisps.
23:53Oh nice.
23:53This is stuff I've got in my house.
23:56Oh no.
23:57You didn't follow the rules.
24:00I forgot my top tip.
24:01High five.
24:02This is a stage that you can batch your tenders.
24:05Flash freeze on a tray to stop them sticking together and then bag them up.
24:10Shall we put one away and have one for now?
24:12No I think let's taste them all.
24:14Stop it.
24:15Come on then.
24:16Cooking from fresh they need 18 to 20 minutes at 200 degrees.
24:21They look amazing.
24:23They look quite cool and they're different colours.
24:24And my kids would love this with chips and salad where I'd love it just on a nice salad on
24:30top.
24:30Chicken tenders are your lobster.
24:33Right shall we get it tasting?
24:34Yeah.
24:35Dip dip.
24:38Oh yeah.
24:40That really works well doesn't it?
24:42And you can make endless versions.
24:44Lovely.
24:45What a fantastic idea.
24:46Cheers.
24:47Cheers.
24:52Back in Cardiff I'm continuing my mission to show the Burton's that they don't need to spend hours in the
24:57kitchen to make delicious and nutritious gluten free food.
25:02And to make sure Danny's ready for Becky's return to work we've got him in the kitchen too.
25:07This is a super quick recipe.
25:09He'll have it done before he can even reach for the takeaway menu.
25:13I've got a really good recipe that I want to show you that I think you can both make.
25:18My spiced beef skewers are once again entirely gluten free and cook in just five minutes.
25:25Sounds good.
25:26Sound good?
25:26Yes.
25:27Joe.
25:27Yes.
25:28We're looking for the veg to be chopped into chunks.
25:31OK.
25:31For a kebab.
25:33Again we are doubling up our batch.
25:35Such an efficient use of time and of course saves on the washing up.
25:38It means a meal for next week is done and in the freezer.
25:42That's it.
25:43Just go for it.
25:44Dan and Becky are making the marinade using oil, paprika, garlic and onion powders, ginger and peanut butter.
25:51Do you ever do cooking in the kitchen together?
25:54Is it bringing back good old memories?
25:55There's no arguments yet.
25:57There's plenty of time for that mate.
25:59Then we cut the steak into one inch strips.
26:02Steak can be quite expensive but you actually don't need that much because we're going to be adding the onions
26:06and the peppers.
26:06So you still get to have a premium ingredient that you're making it go further.
26:11Add the steak, onions and peppers to the marinade.
26:14And we're all going to get our hands dirty now.
26:16Sounds good.
26:17You can change the protein to chicken or halloumi.
26:20And the veg you could swap to mushrooms, courgettes or tomatoes.
26:25Whatever you fancy.
26:26We're putting half the batch into bags and they can go straight into the freezer for another day.
26:32Ready for that quick easy meal when you come in from work.
26:35Sounds great.
26:35To serve, once defrosted, they just need to be assembled and cooked.
26:39Which we can now do with the rest of the batch.
26:42Now I've soaked these skewers. Do you know why I've soaked them?
26:46I know, I know.
26:47Go on.
26:48You don't want to burn the wood so you get the wood wet.
26:52Yes.
26:52You get the gold star today.
26:55Hey.
26:56If you're in a hurry, this is a great recipe because it's four minutes either side.
27:00Oh, super fast then.
27:01Super fast.
27:02And talking about super fast, I want to show you a great side to have with this.
27:06This is my Mexican rice.
27:08This is my Mexican rice.
27:08A simple way to make rice a bit more exciting and more nutritious too.
27:12Add a can of kidney beans and chipotle paste.
27:16This is going to give that lovely Mexican flavour.
27:19Then add sweet corn and water.
27:22Three cups for every two of rice.
27:24This is the perfect ratio.
27:26Don't mess with it.
27:27And cook for 12 minutes.
27:28There we go.
27:29Leave it five or ten minutes once it's done.
27:31Never take the lid off.
27:33Just leave it on and you'll be able to fluff it up.
27:35It'll be perfect Mexican rice.
27:37And that's not all.
27:38You can even batch some for later.
27:40This is rice you can actually freeze.
27:43Lots of people think you can't freeze rice, but you can.
27:46There's just two rules.
27:47Wash the rice before you cook it and cool it quickly.
27:51By spreading them out, we're getting rid of all the lumps.
27:54We don't want to retain any heat.
27:56Put it in the freezer once it's cooled.
27:58Take it back out after about an hour.
27:59You'll be able to bag it up and it's as easy as that.
28:03Frozen rice goes to prove that nothing's impossible for the batch lady.
28:06Right, why don't you two go and drug the kids and we'll get ready for the food, shall we?
28:10Let's do it.
28:11Left to defrost in the morning, this is a meal that older kids can make in just 15 minutes.
28:17Tuck in, guys.
28:18Let's have one.
28:20And the best bit, of course, it's gluten free.
28:23Yeah, this tastes really, really nice.
28:25Number two, is it?
28:27Yeah.
28:28Yeah, it's nice that everybody can enjoy without any messing around.
28:31Fiat straight away went for seconds, didn't she as well?
28:33She did.
28:33I like the rice.
28:35Oh, nice.
28:35It actually took like no time at all.
28:38And plenty left in the freezer now, so it's going to be even quicker the next time.
28:42Yeah.
28:42Is this a good start to your batch in life?
28:44I think it's a great start.
28:53In Cardiff, we've been helping the Burtons, a big blended family with complex dietary needs.
29:00I like the rice.
29:02Oh, nice.
29:02It has.
29:03Suzanne's been showing Becky quick, naturally gluten free recipes to give her more time with
29:08her young boys.
29:09Shove that in the oven, play with the kids, 20 minutes later it's ready to put on the table.
29:13Becky will go back to work soon.
29:16So for this family to succeed, Dan will have to up his game and avoid those quick fix takeaways.
29:22I can only go in one place, can't I?
29:24You can go across as well if you wanted to go across.
29:26Dan is a big fan of board games and is attempting to show me how to play.
29:31I basically get two of these pieces and then I'd put one here.
29:33While I find out more about Harry wants things to change at home.
29:37How important is your family to you?
29:39My family is massive to me.
29:40I come from a big family and obviously now got four kids as well.
29:45But the challenge has been, life is so busy, you're just trying to eat as you go and, you
29:49know, invariably just taking the easy options.
29:52You are eating quite a lot of unhealthy food and snacking a lot.
29:57I'm still in the kids to make their lunches before bed and then I don't do the same.
30:01And I feel guilty that a lot of the prep, the thought, the shopping and all that has
30:06just fallen on Becky to do.
30:08And it's unfair, especially with the various dietary requirements, it's a challenge.
30:11Well that's why we're here, because we're going to change all this, aren't we?
30:15Before you know it, Becky will be coming home from work and you'll be getting her
30:17something out of the fridge to make her for dinner, you know?
30:20Yeah, yeah, exactly.
30:21And Karis is almost at uni age.
30:22She wants to learn, which is good.
30:24She's keen.
30:25So I think it's good to kind of give them the skills they'll need for the rest of their life.
30:29Yeah.
30:29We'll have you cooking as a family if it's the last thing we do.
30:32And absolutely eating healthy.
30:33That would be great.
30:35And there's no time like the present.
30:37Bye.
30:38Bye.
30:39Karis and Fiona are at their dads half of the time.
30:41And Becky and Dan are hoping that they will help a little bit more in the kitchen when
30:45Becky goes back to work.
30:48I would love to help Dad and Becky.
30:49I feel like if I had easier recipes to follow, then I could help them a lot more.
30:55Well, we've got the perfect solution.
30:58We know that Dad quite likes a takeaway.
31:01So I thought we should do a fake away.
31:04Oh, yes.
31:04Come on.
31:05We're making buffalo shredded chicken.
31:07Like all the recipes so far, this is naturally gluten free and to help save the family time,
31:12it's a slow cooker meal.
31:15What's great about this is that you just literally throw it all in the one pot and you leave it
31:21to cook and do its magic.
31:23It's super versatile too.
31:25Add sides for an evening meal or serve it with a wrap or salad for lunch.
31:29Ideal for preventing Dan from eating on the go.
31:34We start with frozen chopped onions and mixed peppers.
31:37Both great time savers and they keep all their nutrients.
31:41Feel free just to throw that whole bag in and you can just, that's it.
31:46Chuck it in there.
31:47My kind of cooking, I like it.
31:49We're adding six whole chicken breasts on top of the veg.
31:52You could use thigh if you wanted to.
31:54Thigh would help keep the cost down as well, but breast shreds a lot easier.
31:58Then in with the hot sauce, we've checked this one is gluten free.
32:03This shortcut means you're not faffing around with lots of different flavours and spices.
32:07It's all done for you.
32:09I like spice, but I know Fion doesn't really.
32:11You just add yoghurt, the rest of us usually are fine with it.
32:14You know my top tips already.
32:16I was just about to say.
32:18Alternatively, if you want to avoid spice altogether,
32:21you could just use pre-made barbecue or teriyaki sauce.
32:24Just give it a little mix around.
32:26That is how easy this is.
32:28OK, the slow cooker is going to do all the work for you.
32:30Three hours on high or six hours on low.
32:33And put the lid on.
32:36The pulled chicken can be served with rice or nachos,
32:39but we're going for sweet potato fries,
32:41naturally gluten free and helping Dan out with one of his five a day.
32:46Have you ever had dirty fries before?
32:47I think so.
32:48Chips on the bottom and then you load it with all different things.
32:51We just coat in olive oil, paprika and oregano.
32:54That's it.
32:55This could be any combination of herbs or spices to your taste.
32:59Now we need somebody to get their hands in there.
33:01Let's both do it, come on.
33:02That's it, give it a go.
33:04Bake them in the oven 200 degrees for 35 minutes.
33:09Here we go.
33:10Three hours later and the chicken's ready.
33:13I'll have a go and I'll go and give me a fork.
33:16Shredding the chicken makes it go further and makes it easier to batch.
33:20Look at the volume of that now.
33:22Exactly.
33:22Look how thick it all becomes.
33:26I'm batching in individual portions so they can pull out as many as they need,
33:30depending on who's eating that evening.
33:33And Dan can use them for his lunches too.
33:36And then whatever's left, we're going to make it into our dirty fries.
33:39Sounds good.
33:40All together, this meal has three of your five a day
33:43and is, of course, gluten free.
33:45I want one of these.
33:47You want the chippies, yeah?
33:49This is really nice.
33:51Is it something you think you could do again?
33:53Yeah, absolutely.
33:54I think it was...
33:54It seemed really straightforward, especially using a slow cooker.
33:57I'm pretty proud of myself because I think it's gone really well.
34:00I think that I'll be able to help more.
34:02It's really good because me and Dad got to talk a lot
34:04while we were making the food
34:06and obviously we don't really do that very often, if at all.
34:09Yeah, it was really good to spend some quality time with Karis
34:12because I don't have that many more moments now
34:14before she's a full-grown adult.
34:16I think this could be an every Friday meal.
34:18I think it's a good chance.
34:19The future's bright, the future's batching.
34:22That's a good one.
34:23We'll keep that.
34:24We'll keep that.
34:25Well done.
34:29Now I've got the ultimate batching dessert
34:31to show Jo in my test kitchen.
34:33A super easy ice cream, great for all ages.
34:37People think you might need an ice cream machine
34:39or it's going to be hard to do.
34:41That's what I thought, that's what always put me off.
34:42I've got a no-churn, two-ingredient ice cream that you can make.
34:46Those two ingredients are condensed milk and double cream.
34:51Anybody else just goes like that?
34:53No, I'm giving it to some.
34:55Whisk these together.
34:57O-M-G.
34:59Until soft peaks form.
35:02Perfect, well done.
35:03And that's it.
35:04Just pour into a dish with a lid, ready for the freezer.
35:08At this stage, this is a quick and easy gluten-free dessert too.
35:12You could put anything you want in this.
35:14You could leave it plain, you can make it sweet, or...
35:17Oh, here we go.
35:18So I'm loving all the different flavours that are on social media at the moment.
35:22You can have a tomato soup ice cream, you could have a beans ice cream.
35:25I assume you're going to put something crazy in it.
35:28I want to do yeast extract and toast.
35:33To make this work, I've toasted some breadcrumbs and added sugar and butter.
35:37And I've just made them like sweet little bits of toast.
35:41OK.
35:41Just mix that through and then into the freezer.
35:44Leave it overnight and it's ready to try the next day.
35:47Lucky for you, Joe.
35:49I made one earlier.
35:50I feel so lucky today.
35:52So there you have it.
35:53Yeast extract and toast ice cream.
35:55You're either going to love it or hate it.
36:02Mmm.
36:03I love the little crunchy bits.
36:05It's not my go-to combination when it comes to ice cream.
36:08But I do see there's an appeal for someone out there.
36:12That someone is just not me.
36:15Now, I've got something that might be more up Joe's street.
36:19My hack for making one of those fancy top-end ice creams at a fraction of the price.
36:24You've got a lot of kids.
36:26Yeah.
36:26Like you do.
36:27It will add up.
36:28It's going to add up.
36:29Those little tubs are going to cost a lot of money.
36:31You can either make your own base or use a large tub of shop-bought vanilla ice cream.
36:36Let it soften slightly.
36:38Then add whatever you fancy.
36:40We're going with brownies, caramel sauce and chocolate chips.
36:44You can make it however you want that's going to suit your family.
36:47That sounds better.
36:49And now to taste.
36:52Mmm.
36:55That's nice.
36:55That's bitter.
36:56You'd never know that wasn't one of those luxury, expensive brands, would you?
37:00Yeah, well done.
37:03I'm taking it.
37:10When we arrived at the Burton's, Becky was spending hours upon hours in the kitchen painstakingly
37:16preparing multiple meals from scratch.
37:18To equip the family for when we leave and get them fully ready for Becky's imminent return
37:23to work, I've created a 28-day meal plan to get them started.
37:28And it is all gluten-free.
37:31You don't have to worry anymore about making two separate meals.
37:34We've covered breakfast, lunch and dinner with the aim of streamlining Becky and Dan's
37:39time in the kitchen.
37:40We've added in some batching elements for you.
37:42So, for instance, the kebabs.
37:44You have them in week one and then you're just pulling them out of the freezer for an
37:47easy meal on week three.
37:49That's going to help you as well with that end of month week.
37:52You're going to have plenty in the freezer.
37:54Looks really nice.
37:54Sounds fabulous.
37:56Time-consuming meals with multiple gluten-free and wheat-based components have been replaced
38:01with things like Cajun salmon and rice.
38:04Yeah, this will make going back to work super easy and hopefully give me some time back
38:09with the boys, so that'll be great.
38:11And to help Dan with his quick fix lunches and takeaways, we've added some healthy pasta
38:15salads.
38:16Are you feeling more confident?
38:18Absolutely.
38:19I think, yeah.
38:20Let's get the girls involved as well.
38:22I think it's going to be brilliant.
38:23Amazing.
38:24Well, Suzanne, I feel like our work here is done.
38:27Aww.
38:27But we'll be back.
38:28We'll be back to checking on you.
38:30Make sure you're still on your batch cooking journey.
38:34I've now got all the recipes that I need to be successful.
38:38Can you believe all of these are gluten-free?
38:40No.
38:40It's all about enjoying the moments that we've got and, you know, having fun with it.
38:44And I think that's going to be really good for the future.
38:47Right.
38:47I think that was a job well done, didn't you?
38:49They're going to be amazing.
38:50Such a nice family, weren't they?
38:51I feel like they're going to thrive with our batch cooking.
38:54They really will.
38:54Feel it in my bones, this one.
38:56Where'd you park the bloody car?
39:07When we first met the Burton family, mum Becky was spending 19 hours preparing food every
39:13week.
39:14Scared of making her celiac kids poorly, she was painstakingly preparing every meal from
39:19scratch, missing out on valuable time with her family.
39:24To reduce Becky's time in the kitchen and prepare the family for when she goes back
39:28to work, we left them with a 28-day meal plan full of naturally gluten-free recipes that
39:34are quick and easy, and many can be batched in advance.
39:38Nice.
39:39That's how we're looking through the rest of it.
39:40If they stick to the plan, they could be saving time and money and boosting their nutrition
39:45all at once.
39:47Let's work out next week then, Shireen.
39:48It's been over two weeks since we left them, and Becky and Dan are already getting
39:52stuck into the batch cooking way of life.
39:55When are you in the office?
39:56Tuesday, Wednesday.
39:57Okay.
39:58If we want to do some batching, we can do it on the weekend.
40:00I'll take the kids up to us.
40:01Yeah, mix it up.
40:02Grabbing just ten minutes to sit down and plan their week is going to save them hours
40:07overall.
40:08You love salmon?
40:09I do love salmon.
40:10Cajun salmon then, serves three, but you get two fillets in a pack, so if we get three
40:15packs then I can batch one and put it in the freezer as well.
40:17I like that.
40:18It seems they're already getting the hang of this, and Dan is doing his bit too.
40:23I mean you can't go wrong with that, it's seasoning olive oil and salmon.
40:27You're right, I don't think I can go wrong with that.
40:29They're using our meal planner to make economical, healthy meals that everyone can enjoy.
40:34Asian swarma tray bake.
40:36Oh that would be a good one for the freezer.
40:38Before, Becky was shopping five times a week, and Dan's quick fix lunches and takeaway nights
40:43were hooking up the costs.
40:44Hopefully one trip to the shop this week.
40:46Sounds good, cool, let's do it.
40:47Let's go.
40:48Now Dan has prioritised his time to help her, and they have a plan.
40:53We need salad.
40:54Salad, what salad?
40:55It's got to go in the lunch.
40:57There we go, are you helping again?
40:59Yeah, he's a helper.
41:01On the menu this week are three different chicken dishes.
41:05I was going to batch them at the same time, so we need two big packs of chicken.
41:08Let's grab the large pack now.
41:10Buying in bulk always works out a bit cheaper, so this is all helping towards their overall savings.
41:16So it would be four meals for five people.
41:18Yeah!
41:19Woo!
41:20Now we need...
41:21Peppers.
41:22We do need quite a lot of peppers, so we can just get a big pack.
41:24More veg the better.
41:25Yeah.
41:26Excellent.
41:26They've definitely listened, Suzanne.
41:28And it doesn't stop there.
41:30Sweet potatoes, because me and Karis are going to do some bitter batching.
41:32Ooh.
41:33Nice, and they're also saving money and stress by making meals naturally gluten-free.
41:39Rice, because we do the rice with the Cajun salmon.
41:42Yeah.
41:42Rice with the mince fajitas.
41:44Yeah.
41:45And rice with the curry, and it's gluten-free.
41:48Nice.
41:49It's not all plain sailing.
41:51But did you want the bourbon creams?
41:53No.
41:53But the savings have started to add up.
41:57Thanks very much.
41:5967 pound for seven days of lunch, and then like 11 dinners.
42:03Nice.
42:05Looks like the meal plan is paying off handsomely.
42:09Garlic, ginger, chilli.
42:11It's not really good.
42:11Becky's been using the time when Ezra's at school and Axel's been napping in the morning
42:16to get used to batch cooking, ready for her return to work.
42:19It's good practice.
42:21There's food in the fridge or the freezer for the whole week, and it's super easy.
42:24By doing the chicken dishes all in one go, it means that two packs of thighs will spread
42:32out better.
42:32Sounds like Becky's after your job, Suzanne.
42:35So that's all the chicken meal's done, Chinese honey chicken's done, chicken shawarma,
42:39tray bake's done, and the buttered chicken.
42:41So that is us done for the week.
42:44And my batch and draw is very full now.
42:47What Becky's putting into practice now will just shift to a weekend morning once she's
42:51back at work.
42:52A huge weight has been lifted.
42:54I feel a lot more confident of being able to go back.
42:57I won't have to pick between dinner and spending time with the kids.
43:00So it'll be really nice to not feel the stress of being pulled in three different directions
43:04at the same time.
43:05Can you grab two tins of chickpeas?
43:07Fiona, can you get some tomato puree, please?
43:10But it's not just Becky that's taken to batching like a duck to water.
43:14Dan can now cook the dinner.
43:15He knows what he's doing in terms of the food.
43:17And the girls are definitely helping out a lot more.
43:19Dad, you ready?
43:20Yeah, ready.
43:21The game changer is the fact that I can help.
43:23I can see the stress come off Becky.
43:27She's now got time to enjoy those moments with the kids.
43:30The kids as well, they can all be involved.
43:32And, you know, just creates those family memories that last a lifetime,
43:35which is, you know, what we really wanted.
43:38I sent an old friend a photo when I made food.
43:40I was like, look, I made this food all by myself.
43:41Good job, girls.
43:42It made me pretty happy, the fact I'd done it, yeah.
43:45Is this something we can expect every day now?
43:47Not every day.
43:47Twice a week?
43:48Maybe.
43:49Twice a week.
43:50There we are, see?
43:51I can't see us ever going back to normal cooking now.
43:55I actually feel weird that I've cooked like that before.
43:58I don't know why I've never cooked like this before.
44:01Becky and Dan have certainly embraced our naturally gluten-free
44:05batch cooking way of life.
44:07And I want to show them what a difference it will make if they carry on.
44:10Hello, guys.
44:11Lovely to see you again.
44:13Good to see you, yeah.
44:13How's it been?
44:14Good.
44:15When people mention batch cooking, you think like, oh my God, it's so confusing.
44:18It's going to take ages.
44:19But actually, it was so simple.
44:21Cook once.
44:22It's all done.
44:23Everyone can eat it.
44:23I feel like we may have sold you the batch cooking dream.
44:27But just to give you that extra little bit of encouragement, we've got you your stats.
44:31Right, here we go.
44:33You're looking at saving every year £5,802.
44:39That's a lot of money.
44:40What do you do with that money?
44:41I'd get the carpet fixed in the hatch.
44:43I was thinking holiday.
44:45You might be able to do both of them with that sort of money.
44:48Now, you were saying, Becky, you were spending too much time in the kitchen,
44:51not enough time with the kids.
44:52If you stick to this for 12 months, you're going to save 507 hours.
44:57Just over three weeks.
44:59Oh my God, that's loads of time to get back to make memories with the kids and stuff,
45:03so it's amazing.
45:04I mean, when in life does someone give you three weeks of your life back?
45:07That's incredible.
45:08Especially with you going back to work, Becky.
45:10Yeah, I think it'll make such a big difference and take the stress out of going back to work,
45:13so that'll be great.
45:14Now, previously, as we know, Dan was bringing down the health stats.
45:17But with the new plan in place, the fruit and veg intake will improve by 95%,
45:22all working towards Dan staying healthier and fitter for longer.
45:26You'll be hitting your five a day every single day.
45:28Quite staggering, to be fair.
45:30When I come back, Dan, I expect to see a six pack, all right?
45:33Not just in the fridge, right?
45:37Getting all those hours back is actually more valuable than the money aspect of it,
45:41because you can't get time back with your kids as they're growing up.
45:44See you later.
45:45Give my love to the kids.
45:46Will do.
45:46Thanks.
45:47I mean, three weeks is just unbelievable, isn't it?
45:50Just not missing any of those key moments and, yeah, just building bonds with the family.
45:54It makes such a difference to our life.
45:56And it's a lot more simple than you think.
46:00Whoosh!
46:01Just sticking to this plan, eating good food, eating healthy food, and it being totally convenient,
46:07I definitely think the future for this family is batch cooking.
46:11Next time.
46:12This is the doomsday prepping box.
46:14We help a family in chaos.
46:16They kind of give that kind of grumpy chef vibe.
46:19I'll tend just to keep well out of the way.
46:21Whose late night dinners mean everyone's shattered.
46:23So I haven't seen you have dinner in sunlight.
46:26I think my dad probably could do with some help.
46:28Maybe he doesn't always want it, but he might need it.
46:35And same time next Monday for that.
46:38Well, a billion pound industry, but is it served with Piri Piri or that secret sauce?
46:43Nando's versus KFC.
46:44New battle of the brands tomorrow at eight.
46:47And speaking of spicy, imagine being handcuffed to your polar opposite and sticking it out to
46:51try and win a hundred grand.
46:52Jonathan Ross has new last pair standing next.
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