Mushrooms, Cucumber Noodle Salad 木耳黄瓜拌面

Inspired by this New York Times article, I was keen to make batches of food - not so much about bringing lunch to work but the gist of planning and preparing meal or meal components ahead so for days to follow, there is food on the table without breaking much sweat. THAT is motivation for me.

"Before anything else, preparation is the key to success" - Alexander Graham Bell

I mean, you work very hard for one day, relax for two subsequent days and yet get to enjoy home-cooked food for three days. Tell me this is not attractive to you.

Do not misunderstand me. I am not taking away the idea of freshly cooked food every day. Truth is, it is really not easy to be behind the stove every day for each and every meal.


There are a few things that I like to do in batches e.g making hard-boiled eggs. I would typically make four to six at one go and store them in the fridge. At least when I don't prepare any proteins on any other day, this is the source of protein. An egg during breakfast can be a healthy and nutritious start to the day as well. (Note: When storing hard-boiled eggs, you have to fully cook the egg, including the yolk. Soft-boiled eggs with partial-runny egg yolk is not recommended for storage. Refer to Egg Storage Chart).

I also like making a base (concentrated) of tomatoes, onions, garlic in advance, and sometimes add mushrooms. This can be useful when making soups, add some noodles if you wish to make a one-dish meal.

If you want a less-mess soup-less version, heat up the base sauce, toss with noodles or pasta and then serve with easily prepared toppings e.g. cucumber, hard-boiled eggs (or sliced egg muffins)

What is your go-to when it comes to making meals in batches, and meals that store relatively well?



Sharing this salad with Souper Sunday and Hearth and Soul. Find the Mushroom-Tomato Base Sauce recipe (which can be made in advance) here.

Tag: soba salad, noodle salad

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