The Ice Kitchen. Shivi Ramoutar

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      Harking from a Caribbean background of writing tropical carnival-coloured recipes choc-a-block with flavour, it should come as no surprise that this book contains recipes that are packed with some subtle (and not so subtle) inspiration from across the globe.

      At the same time, it also celebrates those lovely homely recipes that also have an important place in my life – like a quick pot pie, eaten on the sofa under a blanket when the dreaded sniffles rear their head, or, for those that know me and my obsession with ice cream, my ultimate ice cream sandwich (for any occasion!).

      Having recently welcomed a second (very hungry!) son into my family, now more than ever I find I need swift, but nonetheless happy-making food that is packed with goodness, flavour, convenience and comfort – in every sense of that word. The Ice Kitchen wholly represents the way I cook and eat, from midweek meals to weekend feasts for my family, friends or sometimes just for me (in those rare moments that I catch myself alone at mealtimes!). I do also try to do my bit for the environment, making the best efforts to avoid wasting food, eating seasonally, (where possible) and using up whatever we have in the kitchen first, before resorting to buying more ingredients (often referred to as a fridge forage – what a superb term!). It’s also a fantastically cost-effective way to eat!

      In the light of the above, I like to make food that can easily be switched up to take into account what ingredients I do have immediately available; food that can be tailored for children and fussy eaters (young and old alike, I may add); and more importantly, food that is full of flavour. The recipes are to inspire your own versions of freezer meals, so feel free to twist recipes, change ingredients and experiment with flavours. And when I say freezer meals, dispel that image of grey pre-packaged meals; I am talking about a rainbow-coloured, flavour-riddled array of breakfasts and brunches, meals that go beyond lasagnes and bolognese, sharing snacks, clever midweek freezer hacks, puds and cold desserts for you to paw over. Delicious food that just happens to be perfect for the freezer, and thus perfect for simple but satisfying dining.

      There are handy guidelines in many of the recipes to help you make the dishes entirely your own, so you can use up those last few sad-looking vegetables lurking in your fridge, swap the pork mince for that beef that needs using up, or simply change the vibe of a dish from a traditional British flavour to a sun-drenched tropical one with the addition of a few spices.

      I hope this book lets you realise the amazing capabilities of your freezer. and how it can transform your weekday meals, weekend feasts and everything in between. By simply learning a few tricks and tips and understanding how truly easy it is to use this resource (one that pretty much all of us already have in our homes), you will make your life easier and mealtimes more efficient, without any compromise on flavour. Hand on heart (and this may sound over dramatic!), I don’t actually think I could live without mine now.

      A note on kids and fussy-eaters

      All recipes can be tailored to accommodate any fussy eater. Essentially in my home we all eat the same meal – not only does it make mealtimes simpler, but it encourages fewer fussy eaters too. However, I portion off the kids’ servings before I add seasoning or strong flavours such as chilli, then keep a separate section in my freezer for the kids.

      Whilst I think it best for kids to learn to love veg for veg’s sake, there are times when you need to squeeze in as much goodness as possible with minimal pain. A last resort is to ‘sneak’ extra vegetables into meals. Add a handful of rough-chopped courgette, carrot, spinach and aubergine to Swift Salvation Tomato Sauce, simmer until softened then blitz until smooth. Having this frozen in portions to use as a pasta or pizza sauce is a great way to inject extra veg. Main dishes with rich flavours such as Peanut Stew, or Beef & Prune Tagine are perfect vehicles to hide veg (I love choc-ablocking the former with leafy greens).

      The best way to freeze their versions of our meals is in ice-cube trays, or even specially purposed silicone trays (so easy to find online or in supermarkets). The smaller portions mean I can defrost exactly the amount of cubes I think my kids will eat for a particular mealtime, which, if you have children you will know can vary wildly across the day. This cuts down on waste (much to the dog’s disappointment, I may add!) but tiny portions will defrost a lot more quickly too. Once the meals are frozen solid in the trays, I pop them out and store in resealable freezer bags, clearly labelled with the name and date frozen, and ‘file’ them in the kids’ section in my freezer.

      I tend to defrost meals for the kids in the fridge, either popping the cubes out the night before or first thing in the morning. Any final defrosting can be dealt with by the defrost setting on the microwave; simply cover the plate of food and microwave in 30-second bursts until the food is fully defrosted, breaking up and mixing after every burst to ensure more even defrosting. If I’m warming a sauce, stew or casserole I would keep it covered and heat in the microwave on high, again in 30-second bursts with some stirring in between, until piping hot. This is slightly different to how I deal with large portions of meals, which I tend to not defrost in the microwave but given the more urgent time pressure when dealing with kids (read: meltdown/tantrum avoidance) I am happy to prioritise speed over perfect texture!