When cooking and commuting don't mix

When I am working in London which is at least three times a week, I have a two hour commute each way, which altogether takes up 4 hours of my day. So the last thing I feel like doing when I get home is a load of cooking and washing up.  Nor do I want to be buying convenience food that is expensive and will blow my weekly budget.  The only option I have is to create my own convenience food so I get some work life balance.​

One of my favourite dishes at the moment is Miso soup.  I buy the miso paste which a lot of supermarkets now sell.
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I prepare a load of vegetables in bulk (usually bought from the best before shelf at any of my local supermarkets), tenderise them in the microwave then once cool pop them into small bags and freeze them.  I do the same with chicken and  other leftover cooked meat, chop it up into small pieces and pop it in the freezer.  

Then when I need a quick and filling meal I put some Miso paste (as per instructions) in a large bowl adding boiling water, stirring well.  I then add a handful of crystal noodles and put a plate on top to allow the noodles to soften.  At the same time, I put the frozen vegetables and meat in the microwave to cook through.  Once piping hot I add the meat and vegetables to my Miso Soup.  This really is a quick and easy meal in a bowl with hardly any washing up!

I will also add the cooked vegetables and meat to couscous, pulses and grains and with some chilli sauce it also makes a hot nourishing meal on a cold winters evening.

These little packets of goodness can also be added to pasta and sauces to make quick and nutritious meals.

Click here for some more great meals in minutes from the BBC Good Food website:

Alternatively take a look at my A-Z of recipes for some more quick, easy and cheap meal ideas. 

A-Z of recipes