What I Prep Now So I Don’t Have to Cook From Scratch Every Day

Mariam prepares kitchen staples instead of complete freezer meals. She mixes an easy no-knead dough and stretches and folds it, bakes it in a preheated tray lined with baking paper because she does not use a Dutch oven, and also makes dinner rolls with bread flour and whole-grain spelt. The rolls overproof while she is busy, but she still bakes them.

She makes two batches of Spätzle—five eggs and 500 g of flour in each batch, with salt, nutmeg, and milk—boils them for a few minutes, and freezes them flat in bags. A creamy chicken and mushroom component, seasoned with garlic, black pepper, basil, Italian seasoning, and a store-bought creamy chicken seasoning, can later go with rice or Spätzle. Her husband turns frozen Spätzle into a quick cheese and ham meal.