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Batch from Scratch Cooking for Less Season 2 Episode 3
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FunTranscript
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 chaotic.
00:13That is an insane amount of snacks.
00:16As a dad of six kids, I know getting good healthy food
00:19on a 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 a thing of the past.
00:30Three minutes, your dinner is done, no fuss.
00:34We'll help struggling households...
00:36Whoa!
00:38Could you eat that and not die?
00:39..who 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 20% of the time.
00:50And what they spend.
00:51I thought that was a month!
00:53And thanks to some clever hacks and easy-to-follow recipes,
00:56Well done, mate!
00:59We'll save them time.
01:00When in life does someone give you three 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?
01:09Amazing.
01:10Can we have this tomorrow?
01:12If you can't beat it, batch it.
01:16I can't see us ever going back.
01:18It's life-changing, isn't it? Definitely.
01:19It's a hug and a ball.
01:21Aw, come here.
01:28Today I'm meeting Suzanne in Knoxvish here.
01:32Hello, hello.
01:33Morning, Joe.
01:33Welcome to the lovely market town of Banbury.
01:36I tell you what, I love a marketplace.
01:39What have you got in that bag?
01:40These are Banbury cakes.
01:42Oh.
01:42They date back to the 17th century.
01:44But there's a secret recipe and nobody's giving it out.
01:47Oh, imagine if you kept your recipes a secret, eh?
01:49No batch cooking.
01:50Talking of batch cooking, we are here to meet the Sellers family.
01:53Now, Dad Rudy loves cooking.
01:55Yeah.
01:55Loves being in the kitchen.
01:57But because of his full-time work, the family are often eating after 9 o'clock.
02:01It's not great to eat really late at night.
02:04Studies have shown that it gives you higher blood pressure
02:06and can give you an increased rate of stroke.
02:08So I think we should get this family batch cooking, eating earlier, eating healthier.
02:13Right, Suzanne, follow me.
02:14Let's go.
02:15Do you want to taste my cake?
02:17Cool, I love a little nibble.
02:23Buzz, not for you.
02:25Rudy.
02:27Whee!
02:28Technology sales manager, Rudy, and teaching assistant, Sarah.
02:32Rudy.
02:32Live with the sports mad son, Warwick.
02:35And dog, Buzz.
02:36Our home life is pretty busy.
02:39Both Rudy and me work full-time and obviously have a 12-year-old
02:43who I spend a lot of time taxing around to all of his activities, football, athletics.
02:49I would describe our life as organised chaos.
02:52So I don't necessarily know where I'm going to be on any given day.
02:57While Sarah is busy ferrying Warwick around, Rudy gets home late from work and starts cooking dinner.
03:03I did used to do most of the cooking and then it came to Covid.
03:09Being a key worker, I still had to go to work every day.
03:12Rudy would do one trip to the supermarket a week.
03:16And because he'd done the shop, it just made sense for him to cook the meals.
03:22Since then, Rudy has totally taken over in the kitchen.
03:26I have a control freak nature around the cooking, being alone in the kitchen.
03:31I'll kind of offer, do you need a little bit of help chopping anything or whatever?
03:34But normally it's like, no, I'm fine and sorted.
03:36So I'll tend just to keep well out of the way.
03:38I'd like to help him in the kitchen.
03:41I think cooking together would bring us together more.
03:44When Sarah and Warwick return home, dinner is still hours away
03:48and everyone resorts to snacking whilst they wait.
03:51I know Warwick snacks, I'm ashamed to say.
03:53I do often find myself looking around for a packet crisps or some crackers, biscuits.
04:00Dinner, come on.
04:01And when dinner is finally served, it's nearly bedtime.
04:05So about 9.30, dishing up.
04:08And then straight to bed for Warwick, really.
04:10And not too much long after for the two of us.
04:13It would be really nice just to not feel rushed spending time together.
04:18I think my dad probably could do with some help.
04:21Maybe he doesn't always want it, but he might need it.
04:24I tend to go for high fat, high salt options.
04:28I know that it's going to go down a treat and I won't get any rejections at the table.
04:31But Rudy knows these unhealthy habits can't continue.
04:36I've often thought a lot about turning 50 and that is largely down to the age that my dad was
04:43when I lost him.
04:44He only ever made it to 50 and so 50 has been as good a reason for me as any
04:49to make a change.
04:50And not just for me, but also for the family.
04:52I want to be around cooking for them for years to come.
04:55But I also want them to be eating healthy things so that, you know, they don't have the same worries
05:00when they reach this age.
05:02Sounds like Rudy and Sarah have called us in the nick of time.
05:06Exactly, Joe.
05:07And with the family out of the house, we want to understand where they're going wrong.
05:14Smells amazing in here, doesn't it?
05:15Smells so good.
05:16Really nice and fresh, doesn't it?
05:19Right.
05:20What are your first impressions?
05:22So clean.
05:23It's uncluttered.
05:25So far, so good.
05:27But as I always say, the key to organised mealtimes is an organised fridge freezer.
05:32Oh.
05:33Oh.
05:34It's clean, it's tidy.
05:36We've got some yellow sticker reduced items.
05:39There's not a lot of food in here, actually.
05:41Let's hope better for the fridge freezer.
05:42Oh, we've got some more reduced stickers.
05:45They're the yellow sticker family.
05:47Someone likes a bargain.
05:48Are they buying what they need or are they buying it because it's a bargain?
05:52Discounted items can be great value, but only if they're part of a plan.
05:57Otherwise, they're just freezer clutter.
05:59Right, we'll leave that there.
06:01Right.
06:01For a rainy day.
06:02We've not seen no fruit bowl, no fruit in the fridge.
06:06There mustn't be big fruit eaters in this house.
06:08No.
06:09To be honest, I'm not seeing that much food at all for feeding a family.
06:13Shall we have a look at this little cupboard down here?
06:15Screaming at me.
06:17Ooh.
06:18Well, that's a lot of packets.
06:20I feel like we've found our hidden treasure trove.
06:23What does that tell you?
06:25I'm a fan of these micro-rices because they're really good on busy nights.
06:30But there's a lot of dried sauces.
06:33I wonder if they're using it in the dates.
06:35And these packet sauces can be expensive.
06:37It can be cheaper to make your own.
06:39At least then you know what's in them.
06:42Exactly.
06:43This is the Doomsday prepping box.
06:47I'm not sure how long you'd last on packet sauces.
06:50Shall we have a look?
06:51What else?
06:53Oh, nice plates, bowls.
06:57Oh, this is where you find all of Grandma's old utensils.
07:01Now, be careful, cos, look, that is definitely a hazard waiting to happen,
07:06putting your fingers in there.
07:07Oh, here they come.
07:10Hello, everyone.
07:11Hello, everyone.
07:11How are you?
07:12Nice to see you.
07:13Good to see you.
07:13Hi, guys.
07:14How are you?
07:15So, tell me, what are dinner times like?
07:18It's really samey, really, yeah.
07:20We have quite a lot of the same foods a lot of the time.
07:23I've been cooking a lot for a while, but not always the best things at the best times.
07:27Yeah, we just want to get into doing some different meals and things, really,
07:31rather than having the same thing all the time.
07:33Right, Warwick, do you mind if we bowl your mum and dad for a little while?
07:36Catch you in a minute.
07:36Mum and Dad, shall we have a little chat?
07:38Yeah, absolutely.
07:39To help us get to the root of the family's food issues,
07:42we've installed cameras into their kitchen.
07:46What's up, man?
07:48We've been keeping tabs on everything that they've been buying, cooking and eating.
07:56I know this is a time that everyone dreads, but shall we have a little look?
08:00Yeah, go on then.
08:01Are we ready?
08:02Yeah.
08:04This must be your daily shopping trip.
08:07We are seeing lots of shopping trips every day, every two days.
08:12At least, yeah.
08:12Sometimes twice in a day.
08:15The lack of an ordered plan is taking its toll.
08:18Our cameras showed that over a two-week period,
08:21the family only managed to eat dinner before seven o'clock once,
08:25with two school night meals post 9pm.
08:30We just sort of look in this corner and see the times of when you are cooking.
08:35Yeah.
08:36It's sort of after eight most nights.
08:38So, I haven't seen you have dinner in sunlight for quite a while.
08:41No.
08:41A lot of your dinner times are at night time.
08:44Yeah.
08:44I'm often commuting back in from London, get back around half seven, eight,
08:48then I do a food shop, then I come home and cook it, and then we eat.
08:52Everybody's always waiting for you at the table.
08:54Like, just knife some forks in hand.
08:57Come on, Dad, where is it?
08:59A continual late and irregular pattern to mealtimes
09:02can have negative impacts on sleep quality,
09:05which can cause daily tiredness.
09:07This is especially bad for 12-year-old Warwick,
09:10and the late meals aren't just impacting his sleep.
09:14But I know for a fact I can hear him eating
09:17when he's sort of waiting for me to cook something.
09:21But our cameras also show that Warwick isn't the only one
09:24with an unhealthy snacking habit.
09:26I don't like waste, so if there's something left behind,
09:30I'll tend to go for it.
09:31Because one of these was midnight.
09:32That can't be good for your digestive system.
09:35I kind of felt like it was worth it at the time, though.
09:37You like your barbecue sauce.
09:39You like my barbecue sauce.
09:40Listen, everyone feasts, everyone snacks.
09:43It's just what we snack on,
09:45so it'll be quite easy for us to replace some of this stuff
09:47for healthy snacks.
09:48That'll be good.
09:49With all the yellow sticker food this family buyer,
09:52you'd think they'll be getting a bargain.
09:53But actually, it's costing them more than they realise.
09:58So, on average, you're spending £209.27 a week on your groceries.
10:06That's a bit disappointing.
10:07At work, I live on budgets and numbers,
10:10but when it comes to buying food and shopping,
10:12I don't really think about it.
10:14I think you're like a lot of people in the country.
10:16They just randomly, every week, just think,
10:19well, we need it, so we're going to have to pay for it.
10:21But we don't do it with anything else in our life.
10:25Budgeting is becoming more important with increased food prices.
10:28But daily shops and unplanned meals don't just cost more money.
10:34You're spending 16 hours and 13 minutes a week
10:37shopping, preparing and eating.
10:40Yeah.
10:40Over the course of the month, you did 25 shops.
10:43You're spending more time with the lady in your grocery store
10:46than you are with your own wife.
10:48Yeah.
10:49That's a crazy amount of time to go shopping.
10:53It's time that we should be spending as a family.
10:55Jo and I couldn't find a fruit bowl in the kitchen,
10:58and that absence is reflected in our analysis of the family's diet.
11:03So you've got a nutritionally balanced diet around 40% of the time,
11:07and I think a lot of that is down to your not having very much fruit.
11:12I think Rudy and Sarah were shocked with some of the statistics.
11:15We just need to change the habits, you know,
11:18get them into a better routine.
11:20Things do need to change.
11:21If we spent a little bit of time planning,
11:25having meals ready in advance,
11:27things that we can eat earlier,
11:30we just make a massive difference to our family.
11:33This family love eating around the dinner table.
11:36We don't want to change that,
11:37but we want to make sure it's not at 9 o'clock at night.
11:39He is working full-time and commuting a long way as well,
11:42so that time is really going to change his life
11:45if we can reduce that in any way.
11:47But before we get making meals and batching,
11:50I want to find out how eating late
11:51and having little family time is affecting Sarah.
11:55How much cooking did you do back in the day?
11:57I used to do all the cooking.
11:58I used to, like, plan it all, do the shop,
12:01and cook every meal.
12:03Chilis and bolognases,
12:04all the kind of mince-based type things, lasagnas.
12:08It's mad, really, because even now
12:10when you're talking about cooking,
12:11you talk about it with a smile on your face.
12:13So I think it's such a shame that through circumstances
12:17you're falling into different habits
12:18and you're not doing it no more.
12:20Do you miss it?
12:22Erm...
12:24I think I probably do miss it.
12:25I miss that kind of doing something for my family
12:28that they, you know, they've really enjoyed it.
12:31Do you still want to reignite
12:33that passion you have for the kitchen?
12:35Definitely like to get back in there again
12:37and let Warwick see his mum actually doing something
12:41that's for him.
12:42When we was looking back at the videos,
12:44you were having dinner quite late.
12:46Cooking late means that you're tidying up late,
12:48so sometimes it's, like, ten o'clock
12:50before we get to sit down together.
12:51We really don't spend much time together at all.
12:53Use the time more wisely.
12:55Definitely.
12:56Don't waste it. No, definitely.
12:56It goes too quick, doesn't it?
12:58It does.
12:59She obviously has a history of cooking.
13:02It's just reminding her how much she enjoyed it.
13:05So we just need to get her in the kitchen a little bit
13:07and hopefully all those memories will come flooding back.
13:22We're in Oxfordshire helping the Sellers family
13:24where late night dinners are leaving everybody exhausted.
13:30Rudy's taking control of the shopping and the cooking.
13:33When Rudy's in the kitchen,
13:34I try to stay right out of the way.
13:36I pretty much try to let him just get on with what he wants.
13:39We are largely focused on getting the food into our parties
13:42and then getting into bed shortly after.
13:44I don't spend time with my dad because he's working a lot.
13:47I don't really see dad too much.
13:50It's about time we got this family back on track
13:52and ready to batch.
13:54But before we can get cooking,
13:56it's time to get this kitchen organised.
13:58And whilst it might look pristine,
14:00the problems are just below the surface.
14:03So one thing I want to ask, the drawers.
14:07This one, we'll just sort it so that it's a little bit less hazardous
14:10and you can find everything.
14:12Typically we have around £500 worth of unused gadgets and utensils
14:16cluttering up our kitchens.
14:18This looks like my hair dryer cord.
14:21Sorting out their kitchen drawers makes cooking so much easier.
14:24I feel like some of these could go in a little nice pot.
14:28While Suzanne and Sarah roll up their sleeves at home,
14:31I'm taking Rudy to the supermarket.
14:33Let's grab ourselves a trolley.
14:35Let's go shopping.
14:36I want to show him how completing one big organised shop rather than daily trips
14:41will have a drastic effect in reducing the family's time spent on food.
14:46All right, here we are.
14:48The one thing we noticed, there was a lack of fruit.
14:51Yes.
14:51I'm doing the daily shop mainly focused on dinner time.
14:54Yeah.
14:54So I'm kind of forgetting it in the basket.
14:56Listen, don't worry because only one in five adults are hitting the target
14:59when it comes to fruit and veg and stuff like that.
15:01Fruit is a great snack.
15:03It's naturally low in fat and calories, so let's get some in the trolley.
15:08Do you guys like some apples?
15:09I'm partial to a pink lady.
15:10If you like a pink lady, let's get a pink lady.
15:13There we go.
15:14I'll tell you what my kids love.
15:16Little oranges, the easy peelers.
15:19Hard fruits last much longer than soft fruits like blueberries and strawberries.
15:24So all they need to do is eat the soft fruit first
15:27and keep the hard fruits for later on in the week.
15:29So all week long, you're going to have fruit in the house.
15:32It's a much better snack, isn't it?
15:34And it's not just the fresh aisle where Rudy should be looking.
15:38Frozen fruits are great too.
15:39Look, you've got mixed berries here.
15:41You've got strawberries.
15:43It's often just as nutritious as fresh.
15:46Frozen right after being picked, help and preserve the vitamins and minerals.
15:50These make the best smoothies.
15:52Bit of milk, bit of yoghurt.
15:54A smoothie's a great way to start the day.
15:55Yeah, quick and easy as well, right?
15:56It keeps you off the pan of chocolate as well, doesn't it?
16:01Our trolley.
16:02It's looking good.
16:03It's looking healthy.
16:04Yeah.
16:04So I'm stopping here because these beans and chickpeas,
16:08they actually can as one of your five a day.
16:11Okay, wicked.
16:12They're full of protein, full of fibre,
16:14and it really beefs out a meal.
16:16Do you know what I mean?
16:16Yeah.
16:17Shall we get a few?
16:18Let's get a couple.
16:20Nagoons, like chickpeas, beans, peas and lentils,
16:23could be a great swap for meat.
16:25As they're high in protein, inexpensive and have a long shelf life.
16:30Let's get going.
16:31Yeah.
16:31I feel like we've done a really good job.
16:33They're going to be proud of us, the ladies.
16:35Yeah, I'm looking forward.
16:35Hello, you all right?
16:36Hey.
16:37Where are you feeling about letting go of a little bit of control in the kitchen?
16:41Are you going to be one of those that are going to be looking over people's shoulders
16:43going, oh no, that needs a stir.
16:45I'm definitely going to have a look, but I'm probably not going to say as much.
16:47You know what I mean?
16:48Exactly.
16:50Armed with bags of healthier food, it's time to head back to the house.
16:55Hello, hello, hello.
16:56Hello.
16:57How have you been getting on in the kitchen?
16:58Your drawers are now beautiful.
17:02Oh, wow.
17:03At least now you won't lose no fingers when you go in there.
17:06Exactly.
17:06And we've also given you a lovely fruit area.
17:10Hopefully you have bought fruit to fill.
17:12Yes.
17:13Perfect.
17:13Keeping fresh and dried fruit readily accessible should encourage the family to swap some of their unhealthier choices.
17:20This is key to the batch way of life, where small changes can make a big difference.
17:28Rudy has taken control of the cooking for years.
17:31I don't know that anyone else feels like they can even come into the space when I'm cooking.
17:35I try to be helpful, but actually it's the absolute opposite.
17:39I certainly need to give over a little bit of control of the kitchen back to the family.
17:44So today I want to get Sarah back in the kitchen with this comforting dish.
17:49It's my creamy mushroom Alfredo pasta bake.
17:54How does it feel to be cooking in the kitchen?
17:56Yeah, I'm very excited.
17:58Start by slicing mushrooms and cooking them in a little olive oil.
18:01Do you ever get a chance to cook together?
18:03I will offer to help Rudy, but often he'll just tell me that he doesn't need it.
18:07Occasionally he'll ask me to grate some cheese or something.
18:10So you're like his sous chef is what you're saying.
18:13Basically, yeah.
18:13We want to change that.
18:15We want to make you feel like you're both in the kitchen working side by side as a lovely team.
18:21Right, how are we looking?
18:22Yeah, they look good.
18:23They smell lovely.
18:24That looks great.
18:24We're at the stage now that we can add our garlic.
18:27Minced garlic from a jar saves all the hassle of peeling and chopping fresh cloves yourself.
18:32I want to add some spinach to this now as well.
18:34I love spinach. It's packed with iron and vitamin K, which can be good for blood and bone health.
18:40So we just want it to wilt down.
18:42Smells lovely.
18:44Once the mushroom and spinach mixture is done, we can start making the sauce.
18:48I mean, Rudy loves a packet sauce.
18:51He does.
18:51We've seen his box.
18:53But actually it's really easy to make a sauce from scratch as well.
18:56We're making a roux, which is the start of a simple white sauce.
19:00Begin by heating equal parts of butter and flour.
19:02Have you made a roux before?
19:04I have, but sometimes I do need to get my blender on it.
19:08The secret to avoid having to blitz a lumpy sauce is to stir in the milk gradually.
19:12It's quite satisfying.
19:14Think of the workout.
19:16When the sauce is silky smooth, add the cheese.
19:19So we're using granul padano, already grated.
19:23It's a similar flavour to parmesan, but it's less expensive.
19:26Now the sauce is done, we can add in our mushroom and spinach mixture.
19:30You give that a good stir around.
19:32Time to divide the sauce into two.
19:34One to cool to be batched and one to eat now.
19:37Perfect.
19:38Next, add the fresh tortellini pasta.
19:41These little parcels are great as they come stuffed with delicious fillings like ham and cheese.
19:46Ours are filled with mushroom to complement our sauce.
19:49Fresh tortellini, you don't need to cook it first.
19:51So you can just add it to the sauce and it will cook while it's in the oven.
19:55You could vary this recipe by swapping the cheese sauce for a tomato passata and using different tortellini fillings.
20:01We're going to add some mozzarella to it now just to make it even lovelier.
20:06And that's it.
20:07That is ready to go in the oven.
20:08190 for 20 minutes.
20:10It's going to be bubbly, brown, delicious.
20:13Once our second batch is cooled, we can label it, bag it and freeze it.
20:18I like to keep the pasta separate in the bag it came in.
20:21The mozzarella can be frozen and that is your meal kit.
20:25Everything that you need to cook that meal.
20:27One for the freezer, one for tonight.
20:30Yay.
20:30Well done.
20:31Thanks.
20:33Just look at that.
20:34A stunning dish 100% cooked by Sarah.
20:37Oh, this smells amazing.
20:39And for once, the kitchen was a Rudy-free zone.
20:42Sorry, Rudy.
20:43We don't need you any.
20:44You don't need any in the kitchen.
20:46If I'm honest, I wanted to poke my head in a few times to see how everything was going on.
20:49Yeah.
20:50But I held on to my nerve and apparently I wasn't needed.
20:53Are you impressed to see how well your mum done in the kitchen?
20:57Yeah, definitely.
20:58So it was nice to have a nice, earlier dinner all together.
21:02And my mum especially made it.
21:05Rudy, Warwick, what's the verdicts?
21:08Is it a thumbs up?
21:09Ooh.
21:11Yes.
21:12Well done, Sarah.
21:13Thumbs up.
21:14It's nice to feel like you've done something for your family so that they enjoy and they appreciate.
21:20So, yeah, it was a really nice feeling.
21:23Sarah's got great confidence in the kitchen.
21:25She's not forgotten those skills.
21:26She just needs to keep getting in the kitchen so she keeps building on it day after day.
21:32Our stats showed that the Sellers family were struggling to hit their five a day.
21:37So in my test kitchen, I'm going to show Joe an easy way to pack our dinners full of veg.
21:43Joe wished all be eating more vegetables.
21:45So I want to show you three recipes that are all full of veg.
21:50Amazing.
21:50I'm always trying to get more vegetables into the kids so it's a great idea.
21:53Joe, I thought you'd give your chopping hands a rest.
21:55I've already chopped and roasted some veg so I'll put these to one side.
21:59Oh, you're so kind, isn't you?
22:00Roast your veg in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
22:04Hard veg like butternut squash and onion will take longer to roast than your soft veg like courgettes and peppers.
22:10Let's make some quiche.
22:11I love a quiche.
22:13I've just used ready-rolled puff pastry and already done the tin so we're ready to go.
22:17Mix together six eggs with a splash of milk.
22:20And then you're going to whizz it up gently.
22:24Why do I say gently?
22:27Next up, add some grated cheese to the pastry tin before adding in a third of the veg.
22:32I love roasted veg, it gives off a lovely flavour.
22:36Pour over the egg mix, top with cheese and it's ready for the oven.
22:41It looks amazing already, hasn't it been cooked.
22:45Next up is my super simple veggie lasagna.
22:49Start by mixing together tomato puree with passata.
22:53I just went for one of these pre-flavoured passatas which is onion and garlic so we don't even have
22:57to add any extra flavouring.
22:59No messing about.
23:00Stir through the veg and then make a white sauce.
23:03This version is even easier than the one I made with Sarah earlier.
23:07Just mix creme fraiche, milk and mozzarella.
23:10And that is our Cheats white sauce.
23:13Amazing.
23:14Right, time to assemble.
23:17Perfect.
23:18And then let's get some lasagna sheets on the top.
23:20There we go.
23:21Layer up your white sauce, passata and pasta sheets until you're happy.
23:26It's made in perfect Joe style.
23:29Top with grated cheese and you're done.
23:32Just cook from frozen whenever you need it.
23:34And that is a very quick, very easy roasted veg lasagna.
23:40Amazing.
23:40With the rest of our roasted veg we're going to make a curry.
23:43Lovely, lovely.
23:44Add olive oil and chopped frozen onions to the pan.
23:48Next we're going to use our Cheats garlic puree and ginger puree.
23:52Then add in your chopped tomatoes and coconut milk.
23:55Looking good.
23:56Before mixing through your curry paste.
23:58And that's going to give it a lovely colour.
24:00All that's left is for you to put the roasted veg in.
24:02It's so easy to make.
24:05Cook together for another five minutes and your curry is ready.
24:08Incredible.
24:09From two trays of roasted veg we've got three tasty ways for the sellers to get more veg in their
24:14diet.
24:17Mmm.
24:19Mmm.
24:20That's lovely.
24:22A triumph to batch cooking.
24:24Well done.
24:30Back at the house our cameras discovered that Rudy cooks alone in the kitchen.
24:34Missing out on family time.
24:36It would be really nice spending time together.
24:39Mealtime is probably the one and only time that you can guarantee you have that every day.
24:44I'm keen to discover how this is all affecting Rudy.
24:48How important are your family to you?
24:51Family is everything.
24:52Genuinely it's all I have.
24:53I came to this country just me alone.
24:55So what I have here and what I've established kind of means the world to me.
24:59Is it stressful doing dinner for a family after coming home from work all day?
25:04Kitchen is the real one space where I can give back to the household.
25:07But yeah truth be told it is a bit of stressful.
25:10I do like to take control.
25:11I think where maybe I've gone a bit far is people don't feel like they can come in and join
25:16in.
25:16They kind of give that kind of grumpy chef vibe.
25:19But at the same time you know when Sarah does prepare a meal or even when work knocks up a
25:23piece of toast.
25:24I'm actually grateful for it.
25:25Would you find that you're now becoming more aware of eating healthy because you're reaching that 50 mark?
25:33My dad died when he was 50 and I want to make sure that I'm living a lot longer than
25:38that.
25:39I can relate to that because I lost my dad when he was 39 and I was 11.
25:44So I had a real funny year a couple of years ago when I turned 40 suddenly I was older
25:49than my dad.
25:50It just doesn't feel natural.
25:51It is something that I hold inside.
25:53I think about you know this kind of side of me is not something I show to a lot of
25:57people.
25:58Yeah. You've got to make a positive out of a negative.
26:01You know it's completely negative what happened to your dad.
26:04But you're going to turn it around, break the cycle and use it to better yourself.
26:08Yeah I'm hoping for that really.
26:09Yeah. Here's to eating healthy.
26:11Cheers.
26:11Here's to seeing our grandkids.
26:14I can really relate to him with wanting to be in the kitchen because I don't think it's a controlling
26:20thing.
26:20I think it's more to do with the fact that he really loves his family.
26:24So when he's at home he takes great pride in preparing food.
26:27So that's exactly why batch cooking can really help.
26:30It will just give them a little bit of structure and with that I feel like this family will really
26:34really thrive.
26:36Rudy is keen to have more family time.
26:38So I'm going to show him a home cooked dish that's quick, easy and delicious.
26:43My curried chicken and chickpea pie served with sagaloo that certainly packs a punch.
26:50I wanted to show you a dish today. It's a curry dish but we're doing it in a pie.
26:55Sound good?
26:56Yeah, awesome.
26:57Start by frying onions and peppers in olive oil.
26:59I'm keeping our prep time to a minimum by using ready chopped frozen veg.
27:04Right, while that's just cooking away we're going to dice some chicken thighs.
27:09Okay.
27:09You could use chicken breast but chicken thighs are more flavoursome, juicier and often cheaper.
27:14And this is where we're using a paste so we're going to use a korma.
27:18A korma curry is known for its rich creamy flavour and mild heat.
27:22How about that?
27:23Perfect.
27:24These concentrated spice pastes deliver intense flavour and once opened they'll keep in the fridge for around two weeks.
27:30I'm just going to add this flour in and that's going to help for it to start to thicken.
27:34Okay.
27:34Now, chickpeas, think you might have picked some of these up at the shop?
27:38Guilty as charged.
27:40They make meat go further, saves money, really good for health as well.
27:44Packed with protein and fibre they're also a great source of iron.
27:48This is where we would add stock, we can just add in the water and then we're going to add
27:52in the grated stock cube.
27:53Rather than dissolving stock cubes in water it's much easier to grate them straight into the pan.
27:59That's great, I would never have thought to have done that.
28:01Next, mango chutney for some tangy fruit flavour and creme fraiche to make it creamy.
28:07So you can use reduced fat, you can use full fat, but just because you're health conscious you stick to
28:11the reduced fat.
28:12Unlike fresh cream, creme fraiche rarely curdles when stirred into hot sauces.
28:17And that's the filling done.
28:18Right, our pie dish.
28:20Always I'm conscious of, if you make double, let's not eat double.
28:24Let's make sure that half of it ends up in the freezer for another night.
28:28Pop half the filling into a pie dish and leave the rest to cool ready to batch.
28:32Right, we've cooled down nicely so we can now put our pastry on the top.
28:36You could make your own puff pastry from scratch, but this is ready rolled and so much easier.
28:41You're going to just roll it all the way over.
28:44And then you can start to pull it off the paper.
28:47A quick egg wash and it goes in the oven, whilst the remaining pie filling goes in a freezer bag.
28:53And then what you do is you freeze it with your pastry.
28:56And Rudy's got a batched pie ready to assemble for another day.
29:00It's a balanced healthy meal on its own, but as a treat we're going to serve ours with a classic
29:04Indian side dish, Sagaloo.
29:06I have a man who makes amazing Sagaloo.
29:10Yeah, it's just last.
29:13Right, Rudy, here we go.
29:15These potatoes are already pre-cooked, which is brilliant.
29:18Also, someone's already peeled them, which is the worst job.
29:22Defrost and drain the frozen spinach.
29:25Heat it through in the olive oil and add the potatoes.
29:28We've got a little potato in it, it escapes.
29:31Oi, oi!
29:33Potatoes are a great source of fibre, which is essential for gut health.
29:37Right, Rudy, get some curry paste in there.
29:39I'm using tikka paste.
29:41A blend of spices, garlic, ginger and tomatoes that's packed with flavour.
29:46Then give it a good old toss.
29:47Go on, give me some!
29:50Perfect, the pie's done. Time to tuck in.
29:52Shall I say it, bud?
29:53I think you should.
29:54Come on, Rudy, don't be shy. Give us a nice big bit.
29:58The sellers struggle to get their five a day.
30:00With the onions, peppers and chickpeas all in the pie,
30:03plus the spinach here,
30:04they'll be hitting four portions of veg in this one meal alone.
30:08Look at it in there.
30:09Oh, it smells wonderful.
30:12It's delicious. I love the creaminess of it.
30:15And it's kind of mild enough for everyone to enjoy,
30:17but spicy enough for me.
30:19Oh, good, so it ticks a lot in the boxes, didn't it, for you guys?
30:22Sarah!
30:23Do you want to come and try some of our curried pie?
30:26Ooh, smells lovely.
30:30Yeah, it's really delicious.
30:32I think Warwick would love this.
30:33I could eat more of this.
30:35I'm really getting the grips with the benefits of batch cooking.
30:38It's amazing to know that we'll be able to plan ahead.
30:41And even better for me, the flavours are really amazing.
30:43A real triumph, I think.
30:44With the cellars, it's all about cooking in advance before it's late at night.
30:48They're able to then produce meals that are healthy and ready and convenient for them in the freezer.
31:04We're in Oxfordshire, helping the cellars family, where Rudy's taking control of the kitchen.
31:09What are we having with it?
31:10Sweet chilli wings, and for mum, mac and cheese.
31:13I'll kind of offer, do you need a little bit of help chopping anything, whatever, but normally it's like, no,
31:18I'm fine and sorted, so I'll tend just to keep well out of the way.
31:21You're thinking, when's my dinner time?
31:23Where are you going?
31:25But serving up late is leaving everybody exhausted.
31:28I certainly need to give over control of the kitchen.
31:31I don't know that anyone else feels like they can even come into the kitchen.
31:34And it's kind of the opposite of what I would like it to be.
31:38Cooking together would bring us together more.
31:40To get Sarah and Rudy in the kitchen cooking side by side, I'm showing them a twist on a cottage
31:46pie, my tasty beef and potato dough from Laz.
31:50I've got you both in your kitchen at the same time.
31:54Tender beef topped with thinly sliced potatoes baked in cream.
31:58This is a perfect dish to get Rudy and Sarah cooking together.
32:01And to put an end to their late night dinners, we're batching.
32:05This time I'm not doubling the ingredients, I'm tripling them.
32:09Start by frying chopped frozen onions in a pan.
32:12Whilst they cook, peel and chop the carrots.
32:16When was the last time you cooked together?
32:17The last time we cooked together was Christmas.
32:19Yeah. We typically share that duty.
32:22Great, so maybe we need, I don't know, a Sunday cooked together.
32:25Yeah. Ready for the week ahead.
32:27That would be quite nice.
32:29Then add your beef mints.
32:30For this dish, we're using 5% fat.
32:33Just break it up with the spoon as you're putting it in.
32:36We want to add some flavour.
32:38So we've got some tomato puree and Worcestershire sauce.
32:41We've got some thyme. It's all starting to come together.
32:44I want to add in some flour now.
32:46Flour absorbs the liquid, thickening the sauce.
32:49Now to grate in the stock cube, and Rudy can share my little hack with Sarah.
32:53What you'll do now is grate it in, and that way it doesn't get sticky and thick.
32:57Ah.
32:58Suzanne, you're a culinary cupid.
33:00I'm bringing them together one batch tip at a time.
33:03Don't worry about if it starts to smash a bit.
33:05Okay, and the other one?
33:06Yeah, I'm going to open that for you. Teamwork makes the dream work.
33:08So that's it.
33:09There you go.
33:12And we're going to add the water. Pass that to you.
33:17Bab, we want to add in our peas.
33:19Okay.
33:19We've left them until the last minute because they don't take long to cook.
33:23Okay.
33:23So we don't want all the goodness to cook out of them.
33:25We can add some salt and pepper in there as well.
33:28That's the meat sauce done.
33:30So we can divide it into three.
33:31One for our dauphinois to cook now, and two to batch.
33:35That is perfect.
33:36Look, we can just give it a little smoosh down with the back of the spoon.
33:39Now to thinly slice the potatoes for the topping.
33:42We don't need to peel them.
33:43I've given these potatoes a good wash,
33:45and instead we just want to cut them really thinly.
33:50How are you doing there?
33:51Yeah, all right.
33:53And what do you know?
33:54They're actually having fun cooking together.
33:58Concentration.
33:58I think I've got this now.
34:00Yeah, I've got it, I've got it, I've got it.
34:02Power boil the sliced potatoes.
34:04We don't want them to cook completely as they'll finish cooking in the oven.
34:09Drain the potatoes and add the cream.
34:12Now we just want to layer the potatoes on top of the mince.
34:15A bit slippery.
34:16Yeah, they are great.
34:18That looks good.
34:19Before we finish up, we've just got some grana padano.
34:23Okay.
34:23That can go on the top.
34:24And one of them we're going to put in the oven.
34:27And the other one, as soon as it's cool, we're just going to put a lid in it and put
34:31it in the freezer.
34:32The final third of the meat sauce can be bagged up and frozen.
34:35Do you need a hand?
34:36Let me jump in.
34:38These will be perfect for another day on top of jacket potatoes.
34:41Well done you guys.
34:42Thanks.
34:43You did it.
34:45So there you have it, my delicious beef and potato dough from Waz.
34:49Served with a side of nutrient-packed green beans means this meal hits three of your five a day.
34:56Here we go.
34:57Oh, look at those.
34:59This looks incredible, guys.
35:01Fantastic.
35:02Right, do you want some beans?
35:03Yes, please.
35:04Warwick, what do you think of the potato dough from Waz?
35:07It's really nice.
35:08Do you like it?
35:08It's delicious, right, yeah.
35:09I really enjoyed cooking together.
35:12It was fun.
35:12It was really nice to have someone next to me doing some of the tasks that I couldn't do as
35:16quick.
35:16We all know Rudy loves being in the kitchen.
35:18He's made that clear.
35:20But he just needs to let Sarah in every now and then, you know?
35:23And relax.
35:24It's your turn to sit down and be cooked for.
35:32The sellers don't currently eat much fruit at all.
35:35So in the test kitchen, I'm going to show Joe a fantastic occasional sweet treat that's packed full of fruit
35:40flavour.
35:42Joe, I want to make a cheap version of your favourite fast food restaurant, apple pie.
35:47I think I know the ones you're talking about.
35:49OK.
35:49The ones that are sort of molten lava when you bite into them.
35:52Yes.
35:52Yes.
35:53We're going to make a version of those.
35:54OK.
35:55Unroll your puff pastry.
35:57Even if you're super busy, you can still rustle up this classic apple pie in minutes.
36:01I'm going to use a pizza cutter.
36:03What a brilliant hack.
36:05Yes, it's also great for slicing sandwiches and fresh herbs.
36:09Because it's a cheap version, we're going to use already made applesauce.
36:13So we just want to put a spoonful of it on one edge.
36:17You'd usually buy applesauce for a pork roast, but it makes a great filling for sweet treats too.
36:22We're leaving a gap at the bottom so that when you fold it over, the pastry will stick.
36:28Now to add a dash of cinnamon, dust evenly over the applesauce and the pastry.
36:32Perfect.
36:33Then all we want to do is fold it over.
36:36You don't want a big wodge of pastry.
36:38You just want it to cover the filling.
36:40Seal the pies by crimping the edges with a fork.
36:43You don't want to press it all the way through.
36:45You just want it enough that that filling when it cooks is going to stay in.
36:49We're just going to give them a little egg wash.
36:51We're going to brown the pastry and give it a lovely crispy top.
36:55Finally, sprinkle with brown sugar.
36:57Looking lovely.
36:59So they can just go into the freezer on a tray like this for a couple of hours to flash
37:02freeze
37:03and then we can bag them up or they can go into the oven just now.
37:06I reckon we get them in the oven, eh?
37:07Oh, yeah.
37:10Bake at 200 degrees for 20 minutes or 24 minutes from frozen.
37:16Suzanne, let's not beat around the bush.
37:18Let's go for it.
37:18Let's get it tasting.
37:21Mmm.
37:23Oh, they are lovely.
37:23The hint of cinnamon is delicious.
37:26Yeah.
37:27And the thing is, these cost under 40 pence each.
37:29You're joking.
37:3040p.
37:31My children will love these.
37:33Well done.
37:33Cheers.
37:38Before we arrived, mealtimes at the Senna's family were a complete mess.
37:43Rudy had pushed Sarah out of the kitchen and eating late meant that they were all reaching for unhealthy snacks.
37:49I can hear him eating when he's waiting for me to cook something.
37:53To make sure the family are set up for success once we're gone,
37:57I've created a complete 28-day personalised meal plan.
38:01It looks pretty impressive.
38:02Full of healthy dishes that I know they'll love.
38:06You'll recognise some of the ones that we've cooked together.
38:08Sarah, you'll see that your mushroom pasta is here
38:11and then you'll see it later on in the month as well.
38:13You can have it in different ways and you've already batched it,
38:17so you're only cooking it once at the beginning of the month,
38:19then you've got it for later on at the month.
38:22Having nutritionally balanced meals throughout the day and fruit on display
38:25means I won't need to reach for unhealthy snacks any longer.
38:29I like the fact that the meals aren't too close together,
38:31so it'll be a while before you have it again.
38:33As delicious as it is, it's nice to have variety.
38:36Batching means that they don't need to cook from scratch every night,
38:39so the whole family can sit down much earlier to a healthy meal from the freezer.
38:44You don't have to come home from work, find food for the night or the night after.
38:48It's all here, you know.
38:50The planner will save them so much time, like batching extra cheese sauce during the week,
38:55so that they can have a quick mac and cheese at the weekend.
38:58And we've chosen nights that we know that one of you is going to cook,
39:01so the other gets the night off.
39:03And then the next good night I've maybe chosen something that I know you would cook,
39:07so you can each take it in turn.
39:09And then there's plenty here for weekends where you can get together and think,
39:12let's spend a few hours and batch some stuff for the week ahead.
39:15Great.
39:16With Sarah's Alfredo pasta and Rudy's curry chicken pie already batched and in the freezer,
39:21the cellars are off to a great start.
39:23How do you feel?
39:24Yeah, I'm excited now.
39:26I want to get on and make some of the recipes and, yeah, get them in the freezer.
39:30I think this is going to make a huge change for the family.
39:33They were spending lots of money.
39:34Only one of them was in the kitchen.
39:36Now they're going to be able to work together as a family,
39:39creating family meals together, which is really nice.
39:42I think maybe Rudy, he might have struggled a little bit to let go of the reins,
39:47but I'm sure he can do it.
39:57When the cellars family called us in to help, their dinner times were a disaster.
40:02Our cameras revealed that Rudy had made the kitchen his domain.
40:06Late night food shopping and cooking from scratch meant dinners sometimes weren't served until gone nine o'clock.
40:11They were snacking on biscuits and crisps and hardly eating healthy fruit and veg.
40:16You've got a nutritionally balanced diet around 40% of the time.
40:20That's a bit disappointing.
40:21To help the family get back on track, we left Sarah and Rudy with a 28-day batch cooking meal
40:27plan,
40:28which, if they stick to, could make them huge savings in time and money.
40:32Wow.
40:32Great, that's loads of pairs of shoes.
40:35It's been a couple of weeks since we left and the cellars are already making great progress.
40:40We need to find some meals for this week. Burgers, buns...
40:45Yep.
40:46Cheese.
40:46The new regime means that they're planning, cooking and stocking up the freezer together.
40:51Chinese honey chicken. We've got some of this in the freezer. Go on, have a look.
40:55Yeah, you want me to have a look?
40:57Yeah.
40:57Yeah, you can have a look.
40:58You can have a look.
41:00I'm the boss.
41:01Can you just check for me?
41:03Yeah.
41:03We've got the Cajun salmon.
41:05Tick.
41:06It's fantastic to see them working together as a team.
41:11Rudy sometimes shop 25 times a month.
41:14Today, rather than shopping solo, he's got the whole family involved.
41:18I've come armed with the shopping list.
41:20He normally turns up and just pretty much grabs whatever he feels like.
41:23So if he's got his eyes on anything else in there, I'll have to tell him.
41:27The challenge is to stick to the list and get everything they need in just one shop.
41:31We've got quite a bit to get.
41:32This week's meal plan includes lots of healthy dishes like chicken cashew curry, smoked haddock bake and of course lots
41:39of fruit.
41:40What shall we replenish the fruit bowl with?
41:42I'm going to go for my pink ladies because those are my faves.
41:46Maybe some pears?
41:47Top marks for filling the trolley with fruit.
41:50Having lots in the house will mean they're less likely to graze on unhealthy snacks.
41:53What fruit would you like?
41:55Cherries, please.
41:55Cherries are a great choice.
41:57They're loaded with powerful antioxidants that help protect cells from damage and fight inflammation.
42:03You really like that mushroom Alfredo?
42:06Yeah, I did.
42:06Should we make that one again?
42:07Yeah.
42:08It's fantastic to see that my pasta recipe was such a hit.
42:12Great.
42:13So that's the weekly shop done and in just one trip.
42:16Hi guys, you okay?
42:17Yeah, fantastic.
42:18Right, slow this on.
42:19When Rudy was in control of the shopping, the average weekly food bill was £209.27.
42:25That was £94.55.
42:29Batching really is making a difference, slashing their food bill by over half.
42:36Back home.
42:39Sarah's enjoying being back in the kitchen again.
42:41Who wants a sausage roll?
42:43Yeah, Buzz does.
42:44Rudy is beginning to let me get into the kitchen a bit more and take a bit more control.
42:50How do these compare to the shop bought ones?
42:53Definitely much nicer, I'd say.
42:54Yeah.
42:55I am more comfortable not being as involved in what happens in the kitchen, but in particular,
43:00I actually really enjoy Suzanne's recipes and Sarah's execution.
43:04Did you take some of these to school?
43:05What ones do you like?
43:07The bananas and the raisins.
43:08They're eating healthier and the fruit station has been a huge hit.
43:12I 100% know that we're all eating better.
43:15I have at least five portions of fruit and veg every day now, at least.
43:19We're going to make the cashew chicken curry.
43:21Okay.
43:21We will make two lots, so we'll have some tonight and then some meals in the freezer.
43:26You're the boss.
43:27I'm glad you've realised that after 26 years that I'm the boss.
43:31We're able to have everything organised in advance so we can eat earlier.
43:36I am enjoying the batching.
43:39It's almost like a challenge now to see how much we can get in the freezer.
43:45Crucially, batching means that they're eating in daylight.
43:48What's for dinner?
43:49Cashew chicken curry.
43:51And it's freed up time in the evening to have fun together as a family.
43:55Fourteen.
43:56One zap.
43:58Game over.
44:00How about I zap you back?
44:02Now we actually have quite a decent amount of time after our dinner just to chill out with each other.
44:08For our diet, for our health, there's so many changes that have been really positive.
44:13I see us sticking with this for the long term.
44:15The sellers have really embraced the batch cooking way of life.
44:19And we want to make sure they stick to it.
44:21So I'm going to show them the difference it will make if they keep it up.
44:25Hi, come on in.
44:27How are you?
44:28Nice to see everybody.
44:29It's good to see you again.
44:30How are you?
44:31You remember the stats from when we first started?
44:34Yeah.
44:34Fingers crossed they look a lot different this time round.
44:37Okay.
44:38Soap, soap.
44:38Are you ready?
44:39Yeah, go on.
44:40Here we go.
44:40I'm excited.
44:43Wow.
44:44So if you stay on this journey for the next year, you're looking at saving just under £6,000 a
44:51year in your back pocket.
44:53Great, that's loads of pairs of shoes.
44:55There you go, Rudy.
44:56She spent it already.
44:58It's gone.
44:59Yeah, I was thinking a holiday.
45:00But yes, okay, loads of pairs of shoes.
45:02Now the time wasted.
45:05Remember last time it was 16 hours a week.
45:08You're going to be looking at saving 323 hours a year.
45:14That is so much time.
45:16That's a lot of time.
45:17Health wise, you're going to be in such a better place.
45:20You're saving so much money.
45:21More importantly, the time that you're going to save to spend as a family.
45:26Is this enough of an incentive to stay on the journey for the next year?
45:29Yeah, I could do with £6,000, so why not?
45:31Who wouldn't?
45:32Well, I'm not sure it's going to be your £6,000.
45:34Well, no.
45:37Batch cooking is something that's really going to change our lives.
45:39I was shocked by the amount of hours that we were going to be able to save.
45:4413 days found.
45:45I'm excited for the future.
45:47It would be great just to work as a team together in the kitchen.
45:51There's a lot of opportunities there for us to just have fun.
45:57Wee!
45:59Next time.
46:00It's just chaos every second of every day.
46:03A single mum of six, tight on time and budget.
46:06Are we going for pizza or hot dog?
46:09You're like a restaurant and you just take orders.
46:12Trying to help is an eye-watering experience.
46:15Who's got a little bit of onion juice in there right there?
46:44Yeah.
46:48Yeah!
46:51Let's go!