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In these tricky times, we're all looking for ways

to make the most of our weekly food shop.

So in this series, I'll be sharing

the savvy recipes I rely on day to day...

...to save me time, money, and do my bit to help the planet.

We didn't throw anything away.

Just think about that for a second.

I'll show you clever ways to transform food scraps

into fabulous dishes...

This started life as a sad bag of salad leaves.

...spin boring old leftovers into imaginative new meals...

It's magic, right?

This is what it looks like to love your leftovers.

...and bake batch-friendly treats to get ahead.

This is what cooking once and eating twice is all about.

Plus, I'm showcasing creative cooks from across the UK

who share my passion.

I love using stuff up.

I take great pride in not wasting anything.

It is like chocolate heaven in here.

Cook Once, Eat Twice is my feel-good food philosophy.

Yum.

Convenient, cost-effective,

and - I promise you - totally delicious.

This time, comforting recipes that help you unwind at the weekend,

and double up as irresistible extra meals for the week ahead.

This is what cooking once and eating twice is all about.

My eat-now-and-freeze-for-later beef stew with fluffy dumplings.

And you know what the best thing is?

I'm going to eat this now, and I've got more for next week.

My ultimate zero-waste dessert.

We made something so special out of pretty much nothing.

A decadent chocolate cake so moist

I promise you'll be eating it for days.

This is the chocolatiest cake ever - AND it will last the whole week.

# Hello, sunshine

# The old darkness be my friend... #

First, a succulent roast that transforms into a whole other meal.

# You can put an end... #

Who doesn't love a roast chicken?

Trust me, this recipe has leftovers that just keep giving.

# I've got a good, good feeling... #

My Middle Eastern-inspired roast chicken with spiced aubergine

and nutty chickpeas makes for an easy family feast.

Weekdays for me - like you guys, no doubt - it's go, go, go.

We're in, we're out, we're everywhere.

But weekends, that's where it's at for me -

weekends are about slowing down,

just spending more time in the kitchen.

But most of all, it's all about a roast.

We're going to make sure this roast is the best roast you've ever had.

So I'm going to start off with two red onions.

Nothing gets wasted with this genius cook-once, eat-twice recipe.

This is what this roast chicken is all about.

We're going to have a delicious roast,

but we're going to make something with all of the leftovers.

Chop up a large, gleaming aubergine into chunks.

If I can take something

that stretches into the world of leftovers,

it means that I can not only save money,

but also the kids are happy.

They think I've made something new, but I haven't - I've cheated.

I've used something old and made something new.

Now time for my go-to store-cupboard ingredient.

So I've got two cans of chickpeas.

Right now, it's kind of giving Middle Eastern vibes.

I may start off in Middle East and end up in France.

That's kind of how I cook.

For me, this recipe is all about maximum taste, minimum waste.

You might be wondering why I'm not draining my chickpeas out

into my sink - because I'm saving the water for dessert.

I'll show you later.

So, in with the chickpeas.

OK.

Next, some grated garlic for punch, and citrus for zing.

This is probably my favourite bit.

My lemon.

We are going to add a whole lemon into this.

We're not going to zest it, we're not going to juice it.

And I love using lemon like this.

My grandma makes curries with whole lemons

because it gives you that properly intense flavour.

Already the lemon, the garlic, you can smell the onion - it's amazing.

Already smells so good.

Now we're ready to spice things up.

Two teaspoons of whole cumin.

And this is probably stuff that you've already got in your cupboard.

And then we've got two teaspoons of coriander seeds.

The seeds are really, really fruity.

Crunch them up using a pestle and mortar...

just - mm! - so good.

...then add a splash of colour with two teaspoons of paprika

and half a teaspoon of turmeric.

So that's our really simple spice mix done.

Smother the chopped vegetables in oil...

...a sprinkle of salt,

then add half the spices.

Smells amazing.

Wait till it's cooked.

Now it's time to grab the star of the show

and place it in the middle of the pan

surrounded by all that glorious veg.

Smother with oil.

Season and sprinkle over the rest of our fragrant spice mix.

OK, now it looks like the chicken's joined the party.

Roasts don't have to be boring,

and they don't have to take all of Saturday, all of Sunday -

they can be quick and they can be delicious.

OK, so I'm going to pop that in the oven at 180

for about an hour, and it will be ready to eat.

Look at that.

That is what a roast should look like.

That is the excitement you should feel when you make a roast.

It should make you this happy every single Sunday.

To serve, drizzle over some creamy lashings of tahini...

...a blast of chilli oil...

...and a scattering of fresh coriander.

Look at that.

That is the perfect roast dinner to put in the middle of the table.

# Coming up easy

# While the rain came... #

My chicken and chickpea roast with a Middle Eastern twist

is the ideal dish for a lazy weekend.

It's easy to make and heavenly to eat.

# Off of the cold, cold ground... #

I make roast so many different ways every weekend.

But as roasts go, this one has to be in my top three -

if not top two.

Maybe favourite.

If I do say so myself, that is exquisite.

And if you think that looks good,

wait till you see what I do with the leftovers!

Cook once, Eat Twice is all about cooking today

to ease the pressure tomorrow.

So we're going to spin our leftover roast into an effortless light bite

for a Monday night.

A creamy and hearty hummus with strips of chicken.

Just pop your leftover veg and chickpeas into a blender.

Add nutty tahini...

...zingy lemon,

loosen with olive oil, and blitz.

For a smooth, creamy finish,

add ice and blitz again.

And just like that, your home-made hummus is ready.

Top with leftover chicken...

...a flurry of chickpeas...

...a drizzle of olive oil

and fresh coriander.

Simply serve with crunchy carrot and cucumber crudites.

How's that for making the most of our time in the kitchen?

Next, remember that chickpea water I didn't pour away earlier?

Now to transform it

into an irresistible

melt-in-the-mouth treat.

I am all about stretching ingredients,

and these crisp meringues are the best no-waste recipe ever.

Trust me - these heavenly, sweet-as-candy kisses

are not only a clever no-waste hack,

they will also spread the love at the weekend.

# Ancl call it magic... #

I love a meringue.

I'm going to show you guys how to make the easiest meringues

using the chickpea water that we didn't throw away.

How many times have you thrown away chickpea water?

That's how many times you've missed out on eating meringues.

It's magic, right? Magic.

Start by pouring 130ml of the chickpea water into a mixing bowl

with a quarter of a teaspoon of cream of tartar.

If I was making traditional meringues,

I'd have egg whites in here.

But this stuff foams like egg whites,

and that's why you can make meringues out of them,

which I think is really clever.

Whisk it all up until light and foamy,

then slowly add 100g of caster sugar.

I'm adding the sugar one spoon at a time,

and that's really important when you're making meringues.

With each spoonful, you've got enough time

for the sugar to start to dissolve,

and that's where you get that beautiful

kind of shiny, billowy meringue.

Right, now let's add some flavour.

Pour in one teaspoon of vanilla extract...

It's not going to taste like chickpeas,

it's going to taste like vanilla.

...then blast in lots of air by putting your whisk

on the highest possible setting.

So what we're looking for...

...is a peak that is standing upright and proud,

because we're going to be piping these

and we want them to keep their shape.

Why settle for white meringues when you can have pink?

You want a gel-based food colouring,

cos you don't want to use a food colouring that is liquid-based

because if you put liquid in that,

that's all going to split and go weird.

Imagine the colours you could use.

You could have so much fun.

But that's what the weekends are about -

the weekends are about fun.

And what could be more fun than ripples of colour?

It just looks really beautiful.

Just a couple of drops of food colouring into the meringue.

Use a spatula to create amazing ripples of candyfloss pink.

This is what it looks like to love your leftovers.

Gently put your swirly meringue mixture into a piping bag.

It's so simple. Piping does not have to be difficult.

I've got a star-tip nozzle attached.

Squeeze and let go.

And that's it. You've got beautiful, beautiful kisses.

These are the moments that I love in the kitchen.

These quiet moments where I get to do peaceful things

like piping meringue kisses.

And that is only for the weekends -

weekdays, you will not find me piping anything!

Just look at those.

Chickpea water...to this.

OK, so I'm going to pop these into the oven for one hour at 120.

Meringues can easily crack, so to guarantee perfection,

don't take them out until the oven is completely cold.

Just look at those.

Mm. Who's my favourite?

I think...it's this little guy here.

Look at this.

Our beautiful little kisses need a base,

so I like to spread some melted white chocolate

onto a crunchy almond biscuit,

then stick the dainty meringues on top.

What's great about these meringues is that they're vegan.

So if you wanted to keep this completely vegan, of course,

get yourself some vegan biscuits and vegan chocolate

and do the exact same thing - will still be delicious.

Weekend bakes should not be this spectacular, but they can be.

# just help yourself to my lips, to my arms... #

just these heavenly meringue kisses are the ultimate no-waste dessert,

magically turning chickpea water

into floating clouds of crispy sweetness.

There's one left and there's no room on the stand for it.

Look at how light and airy that is.

And crisp - crisp and sweet.

On a weekend when you just need a sweet treat -

cup of tea, little meringues.

Just perfect.

I think it's quite remarkable, actually -

we made something so special out of pretty much nothing.

When it comes to weekends,

every family has their own favourite recipe.

For sisters Mandy and Coco,

there's one meal that always comes out tops.

Growing up, as a family, we loved to be together.

On a Sunday, if it was cold outside, we'd throw a roast in the oven.

So cosy, and it was really nice.

But since starting their own street food truck, The Deaf Chefs,

they've put their own cook-once, eat-twice spin on it.

We always make big roasts, so we always think,

what do we do with our leftovers?

So we're going to cook a good Yorkshire pudding wrap

with leftover roast dinner.

That was awful signing!

Y...P...wrap.

THEY LAUGH

Mandy and Coco's Yorkshire pudding batter begins like any other -

with flour, milk, and eggs.

Now to add the salt and pepper -

two pinches of salt, as it's a big batch -

followed by a cheeky twist.

Now we're going to add the mustard.

This is important because it adds a kick of flavour

and it gives it a nice creamy yellow colour.

Who's the best cook?

I'm more the brains

and the organisation.

Ancl then she does the cooking.

Bossy. Yeah, bossy.

It's perfect for families because, like,

all you're doing is warming up your leftovers,

put it on the wrap, then perfect.

It's easy to do, especially on a Monday -

then it's back to reality.

We're the first UK deaf-led food truck.

We always had big passion for cooking,

so we wanted to do something for the deaf community.

It's important to influence the hearing as well as the deaf people,

and just get them to interact and learn to sign.

It was lovely to see everyone come to our food truck.

It was just...

...a great feeling, and really nice to see.

Time to cook the heavenly Yorkshire pud.

You want the oven dish to be hot as possible.

We've used lard with olive oil -

you will get to that temperature.

And for the effortless filling,

Mandy transforms last night's trimmings.

To give it extra flavour,

I've added garlic

and salt and pepper. Smells lovely.

Nice colours.

Golden brown.

Perfect.

I love how Coco and Mandy's fluffy wrap

is giving their family leftovers a new lease of life.

Cheers!

When it comes to food,

I do a happy dance.

Food makes me happy.

It's perfect, it's cheap, it's easy.

Ancl it's from yesterday's leftovers.

So what more do you want?

Coco and Mandy's Yorkshire pudding wraps are not only sumptuous,

but help them stretch their Sunday meal into the coming week.

And that's exactly what I'm going to do with my next recipe.

Sundays are for slow cooking,

and this comforting stew is not only delicious,

but it also helps me to get ahead.

My velvety rich beef stew

with fluffy home-made dumplings

is a warming one-pot delight you can enjoy today, and store for later.

It's my twist on a beef stew that my son absolutely loves.

It's his complete favourite.

He always says it fills a little hole in his belly,

and I think that he means it just gives him a hug

from the inside.

The best thing is it lends itself perfectly to batch cooking.

Firstly, roughly chop three onions.

Whenever I make something in one pot,

I always like to make lots and lots of it.

That means that I can have something now,

and then I can save some for the rest of the week.

Put a large glug of oil into a casserole dish,

then add one of my favourite herbs...

Before I add my onions, I'm going to add lemon thyme.

When the time hits the oil,

it just kind of releases that lemony flavour.

Now add your chopped onions, and cook until golden brown.

And remember - take your time.

From the moment I wake up on a Sunday morning,

it's all about just taking it a little bit slow.

Spending a bit of time at home, spending time with my family,

and most of all, slow cooking.

Now for two of my favourite fast tracks to flavour -

two teaspoons of celery salt,

and a tablespoon of garlic paste.

Always have a bit of garlic paste in your fridge,

it just makes light work.

Chuck in some chopped carrots...

...and big chunks of beef.

What I love about making a stew

is that you can use the cheaper cuts of meat.

This is a very low and slow cook,

so by the end of it,

it will be succulent and delicious,

and flavour will be running all the way through it.

And you know what's coming next -

spice.

I know - stew, spices - you're thinking, "Really?!"

Yes.

I'm going to go heavy, and put quite a lot of cracked black pepper.

I'm going to add paprika.

I don't want to add heat - I've got the heat from the black pepper -

but I do want to add some colour.

Now simply pour in 800ml of water,

mix, then simmer gently.

This really is the ultimate low-stress dish.

This is what I love about making stews on a Sunday -

I can pop everything in, put the lid on,

and I can go off and do fun things.

I don't have to think about this for a whole 45 minutes.

But no beef stew would be complete without some delicious dumplings.

I'm going to show you a super easy way to make them.

Put 200g of self-raising flour in a bowl with a sprinkle of salt,

and rub in 115g of unsalted butter

until there are no lumps left...

I think it's a lovely surprise to just take your lid off

and have these delicious dumplings just cooking away,

happily just sat in the stew, just...

just, like, steaming away - I love it.

...then add three tablespoons of water

and, without kneading the dough,

bring it all together so it's nice and airy.

As soon as it clumps together...

...like this,

tip it out...

...and just be really gentle with it.

It's just chill.

We're taking our time.

It's OK.

OK, so that is the last dumpling done.

Now let's go check on the stew.

Oh!

Smell that.

You are going to enjoy this today

and then all over again next week.

I like my stews to be hearty and thick,

so now for my foolproof secret weapon.

Instant gravy granules.

Yeah, I said it.

Instant gravy granules.

I love this stuff.

We're going to use the granules to thicken our stew.

Add about four tablespoons.

And it's going to taste even better after this.

GENTLE SIZZLING just let it bubble away.

And what you'll hear is... SIZZLING SOFTENS

your bubbles go quiet because it's thickening.

Listen to that. GENTLE BUBBLING

As if by magic...

It's glossy and it's shiny and it's coating everything.

That is what a stew should look like.

Place your little dollops of joy on top of the stew,

then pop the lid on and let it steam away for 25 minutes.

I know you guys are dying to see what's under this lid -

I am, too.

Look at this.

SHE INHALES

Oh, it smells so good,

and the dumplings have just soaked in

some of that delicious stew liquid.

Finish things off with a flourish of chopped chives.

I love having these meal-prep containers.

If I've made, like, a huge batch, I'll put some aside,

let it cool down, pop it in the freezer.

Whenever I come home or I think,

"Oh, I need to make something to eat,"

I don't - it's in the freezer!

Look at that.

The velvety, rich...unctuous sauce,

and then a beautiful, beautiful steamed dumpling.

We've managed to meal prep for next week,

AND we've got a meal for today.

I mean, how can you not feel good about yourself?

# Ancl if you want it, come and get it... #

My warming beef stew and fluffy home-made dumplings

is a soothing meal to cosy up with at the weekend.

And what really makes me smile

is knowing there's more in the freezer for later.

# Let go of your heart, let go of your head... #

Mm!

This is the kind of comfort food that does not let you stop smiling.

You know when it's that delicious, you're like, "oh, my goodness"?

Like, that smile is coming right from my gut.

That is all the way up and out.

And you know what the best thing is?

I'm going to eat this now,

and I've got more for next week.

This is what cooking once and eating twice is all about.

The weekends are a time to treat yourself,

and nothing is more indulgent

than my ridiculously rich take on a classic.

I can't live without cake,

and this chocolatey bake is so moist, it never dries out -

which means you can have your cake and eat it all week.

# Everyone's a winner, baby That's no lie... #

Bursting with dark chocolate and laced with an intense coffee hit,

this decadent cake is a stress-free

but deliciously indulgent weekend bake.

There is a time and a place for an elaborate, complicated,

layered...you know, throw-everything-at-it bake.

BUT...when it comes to a weekend,

it's about making something

really delicious, really simple, easy,

that you can eat over and over again.

This is one of those cakes.

Cut, come-again chocolate espresso cake.

Start by making the simple batter

by popping 225g of plain flour

into a mixing bowl with 350g of caster sugar.

And to that, I'm going to add 85g of cocoa powder.

And this is going to make it REALLY chocolaty.

Add 11/2 teaspoons of both baking powder and bicarbonate of soda

to ensure a good rise.

Then whisk everything together before making a well in the centre

and pouring in two beaten eggs

and 250ml of milk.

And now for the key ingredient

that makes this a cook-once, eat-twice bake.

In with our olive oil.

And this is amazing because it really helps to keep the cake moist,

which means that you can eat it for days and days and days -

if it lasts that long, of course.

So about 125ml.

Whisk until you have a silky smooth chocolate batter.

Look at how glossy and velvety that looks.

Then pop the kettle on.

I'm going to make the cake a coffee.

It'll all make sense.

For me, chocolate and coffee are a dreamy cake combo.

So make a quick cup of instant

using three tablespoons of coffee granules.

Whew! That is strong!

Right, that needs to go straight into the cake.

So the boiling water kind of awakens the cocoa,

and then you've got the coffee -

that really brings out that chocolaty flavour.

I can smell - it's VERY chocolaty.

Pour the rich, velvety batter into a cake tin.

And that's it - straight into the oven.

If heaven has a fragrance, it's this.

It is like chocolate heaven in here.

Since having children,

I've been on a quest to find the best chocolate-cake recipe,

and this cake makes it into the kids' birthdays every year.

I love to adorn this cake with a chocolaty, shiny glaze.

I'm going to show you how to make

a really quick, easy chocolate ganache

that you don't need cream for.

Put 250g of dark chocolate in a bowl,

and pour in another cup of hot instant coffee,

and stir until the chocolate is melted.

That's it. Simple as that.

Hot chocolate, water, coffee. Finished.

Once the cake has cooled,

it's time to make it glisten by pouring over the glossy ganache.

Just use your spoon to kind of encourage it to just drip down.

Then crown the cake with a pile of indulgent chocolate shavings.

I mean, as weekend bakes go, she's a bit of a beauty.

My devilishly rich chocolate espresso cake

is the ideal easy bake for the weekend,

and it stays so moist it'll keep you coming back for more...

...and more and more.

# Time waits for no man, and neither does this woman... #

Look at that -

dark, chocolaty, moist.

I'm going in.

If you're looking for the chocolatiest cake ever,

you've come to the right place.

This is the best chocolate cake ever -

it's delicious - and it will last the whole week.

Next week, my best recipes for when you're cooking for a crowd...

This entire meal is proof that you can impress for less.

...from a crafty curry...

Look at that!

This is what I love about the whole cook-once, eat-twice philosophy.

...to a show-stopping sweet for sharing that costs pennies to make.

You've got to pile them high - like doughnutjenga.