I may be turning in to a chipmunk...

[Gorgeous chubby cheeked chipmunk photo from Brian Kushner]

...and I'm not necessarily talking about the chubby cheeks.

It's turned cold here in Seoul, literally overnight.  One minute you couldn't figure out how to dress because it was a little chilly in the morning but beautifully sunny and a tiny bit warm during the day, and then BAM!  It got cold.  Proper my-ears-hurt, I-knew-I-should-have-worn-another-layer, my-nose-feels-like-it-might-fall-off cold.  And I got cooking.

It started with a giant batch of leek and zucchini soup.  Very yummy and so easy to make, and you could make it with pretty much any vegetable combo you wanted.  The key to good flavour is to sweat your veggies first - throw whatever you want in the pot (I used some garlic, a brown onion, and a ton of leeks and zucchinis) with a bit of butter, then put the lid on and let it gently cook on a low heat for 15 minutes or so, giving it a good stir every so often.  After that, add your stock, some fresh herbs (maybe some parsely or oregano or thyme?) and cook for a bit.  Once done, blend to whatever consistency you fancy and freeze.  You can add a bit of milk when you reheat the soup to make it a bit creamy (I did), just make sure the soup doesn't boil.  Easy, huh?

Delicious and nutritious!

Then things really got serious the other day when I made a rather giant batch of bolognese.  Some of it stayed that way, perfect for last minute pasta meals, and some of it got turned in to lasagnas, including a couple of single serve ones in some tiny little Le Creuset pots that I am a bit excited about right now.

Yum!  I want to go reheat one right now...

Does this happen to you too?  When the weather turns chilly do you turn part chipmunk? Are you overcome with a desire to stock your freezer to overflowing?  What are your favourite freezer-friendly recipes?  I'd love to hear them!

[ps. Can you spot Elfi lurking about the stove, hoping a giant pot of bolognese just happens to fall?]