I rarely follow exact recipes—I prefer to eyeball ingredients and use up as much fresh produce as possible, especially since we’ll be away for five days.

Note: I used 2 x slow cookers, a wok (for the browning of enchiladas and Jap curry) and my thermomix to speed up the chopping up the veggies for each dish, and the beauty was some pots, and the thermomix could do double duty without having to wash it in between.

Meal #1: Slow-Cooked Bolognese

Ingredients:

• 300g bacon rashers, chopped

• 1kg beef mince

• 3–5 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 brown onion, chopped

• 2 carrots, grated

• 1 zucchini, grated

• 200g mushrooms, diced

• 2 cans tinned tomatoes

• 1/3 cup tomato paste

• Salt and mixed herbs to taste

• Splash of Worcestershire sauce

Method:

1. Brown the onion, mince, and bacon in a pan.

2. Add everything into a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.

3. If needed, simmer uncovered at the end to thicken the sauce.

I’m using half of the bolognese for lasagna, which will be in the fridge for a meal later this week. The other half will be used for pasta—depending on what we feel like. Both can also be frozen in portions.

Note: I added shredded kale halfway through the cook to add some extra greens and use up the produce before we leave.

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Meal #2: Japanese Chicken Curry & Rice

Ingredients:

• 1kg chicken thighs, sliced into thick pieces

• 3–4 onions, chopped

• 2 carrots, chopped

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped

• 350g green beans, chopped

• 1L water

• 2 packets of Golden Curry (Japanese curry roux)

• Rice (to serve)

Method:

1. Brown the chicken and onions in a pan.

2. Add the remaining veggies (except green beans) and water into a slow cooker. Cook on high until mostly done.

3. Add the Japanese curry roux and cook for another hour.

4. Remove the lid, add green beans, and simmer for 15 minutes to thicken the sauce.

Cook the rice separately in a rice cooker. I’ve heard that cooking, cooling, and reheating rice lowers its GI (like potatoes and pasta), but I have no idea if that’s true. Worth a shot, though.

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Meal #3: Chicken & Veg Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 800g chicken thighs

• 1 red capsicum, chopped

• 1 brown onion, sliced

• 1 zucchini, grated

• 1 packet of taco seasoning

• 200–300g grated tasty cheese

• 1 can tinned tomatoes

• 8 large tortilla wraps

Method:

1. Brown the onion and chicken together.

2. While that cooks, blend the taco seasoning with the tinned tomatoes.

3. Add zucchini and capsicum to the chicken and onion, stirring until cooked.

4. Stir in half the tomato/taco seasoning mix and half the cheese. Once the cheese melts, remove from heat.

5. Grease a large glass baking dish. Fill each tortilla with the chicken mixture, roll them up, and place them snugly in the dish (should make 7–8 enchiladas).

6. Pour the remaining tomato mix over the top and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.

Cover with cling film until ready to eat, then reheat in the oven until warmed through and the cheese is melted to your liking.

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This should keep us well-fed for the short week ahead!

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