One of the most common reasons our clients give for not having homemade dinners is lack of time and energy on busy weekday evenings; or not having something easy to grab to take for lunches at work or school. To that we say: batch cooking! Make the time you do spend cooking count by making a large batch of a recipe, then storing pre-portioned amounts in the fridge or freezer for healthy, delicious meals that are easy to grab, reheat, and enjoy!

Here is a delicious recipe perfect for batch cooking - then simply portion out into containers and store in the fridge or freezer for lunches or those evenings where you just can't be bothered to cook! If you try this recipe, make sure to take a photo and tag us @VancouverDietitians on Instagram and Facebook!

Ingredients

• 3 tsp olive oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 4 tsp fresh ginger, grated

• 1 tbsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp ground turmeric

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes

• 3 cups sweet potato, peeled and cubed

• 1 14 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1 14 oz can coconut milk

• 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

• 3 cups spinach

Optional Additions

• Whole grains (e.g. brown rice or quinoa)

• Salt

• Pepper

• Coconut shavings

• Lime juice

• Cilantro

• Other mixed veggies (we used broccoli in this version!)

Recipe

1. Heat olive oil in a pot on medium-high.

2. Saute onion until soft and translucent

3. Add the garlic, ginger, and spices and stir to combine. Saute for a few minutes until garlic softens and spices become fragrant

4. Add the sweet potato, chickpeas, coconut milk, and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine, reduce heat to medium, cover and let simmer for about 25 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.

5. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted.

6. Season with salt and pepper, to taste

7. Serve over a choice of whole grains (such as brown rice or quinoa) and garnish with lime juice, coconut shavings and/or cilantro.

8. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.

TIP: Label your containers with the date so you know how long they've been in the fridge or freezer!

#healthyrecipe #lunch #dinner #mealprep #vegan #vegetarian #plantbased