🍂 Complete Autumn Meal Prep Guide
5 Days' Worth of Weekday Meals in 2 Hours on the Weekend! The Complete Guide to Autumn Seasonal Ingredient Prep with CH-210
Process chestnuts, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, lotus root, and burdock root all at once. Enrich your autumn table and simplify your weekdays with the Happilaff CH-210 Dual Bowl.
Autumn is a treasure trove of ingredients. Chestnuts, sweet potatoes, maitake mushrooms, lotus root, burdock root, persimmons, and other highly nutritious and delicious seasonal ingredients all become available at once. However, the downside is that these ingredients require a lot of preparation. By simultaneously utilizing the large 1.2L bowl and small 500ml bowl of the Happilaff CH-210 Dual Bowl Food Processor, you can prepare 5 days' worth of ingredients in just 2 hours on the weekend. This time, we introduce 5 bulk prep recipes that make the most of autumn's seasonal ingredients.
🍁 4 Tips for Successful Autumn Bulk Prep
- Prep Order: "Hard Ingredients → Soft Ingredients": Start with hard root vegetables like lotus root and burdock root, then process mushrooms and chestnuts for efficiency.
- Simultaneous Use of CH-210's Large and Small Bowls: Use the large bowl for dicing large quantities of root vegetables and the small bowl for simultaneously processing small amounts of mushrooms or garnishes.
- Portion Before Freezing is Key: Freezing in 100g portions in flat Ziploc bags allows for quick thawing and easy use.
- Don't Forget to Label: Write the ingredient name, prep date, and expiration date on masking tape and stick it on.
🌰 5 Autumn Bulk Prep Recipes
Recipe ①: Chestnut Paste (for both sweets and soup)
Ingredients (Easy to make quantity)
- Chestnuts 500g (boiled and peeled)
- Sugar 3 tbsp
- Butter 20g
- Milk 3 tbsp
- Salt a pinch
Instructions
- Place boiled chestnuts into the large bowl of the CH-210.
- Add sugar, butter, milk, and salt, then blend for 60 seconds.
- Once smooth, freeze in 50g portions.
💡 For sweets, use as a Mont Blanc cream; for soup, dilute with hot water to make chestnut potage. One paste, multiple uses. The CH-210's high power blends chestnuts smoothly.
Recipe ②: Sweet Potato & Chestnut Autumn Dessert Base
Ingredients (Easy to make quantity)
- Sweet potato 400g (boiled)
- Chestnuts 100g (boiled)
- Butter 30g
- Fresh cream 3 tbsp
- Sugar 2 tbsp
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into the large bowl of the CH-210.
- Blend for 60 seconds until a smooth paste forms.
- Freeze in 80g portions.
💡 A versatile base for various sweets like sweet potato tarts, Mont Blanc, and scones. The natural sweetness of sweet potatoes and chestnuts allows for less sugar. Prepare on the weekend to save time on weekday snack making.
Recipe ③: 4-Mushroom Umami Mix
Ingredients (for 4 servings x 4 times)
- Shiitake mushrooms 2 packs
- Maitake mushrooms 2 packs
- Shimeji mushrooms 2 packs
- Eringi mushrooms 1 pack
- Butter 30g, Soy sauce 2 tbsp, Mirin 1 tbsp
Instructions
- Roughly mince the mushrooms in the small bowl of the CH-210 (2-3 pulses).
- Sauté in butter, then season with soy sauce and mirin.
- Freeze in 80g portions.
💡 Mixing four types of mushrooms creates a synergistic umami effect. A versatile autumn umami base for pasta, risotto, seasoned rice, and chawanmushi. The CH-210's small bowl efficiently processes small quantities.
Recipe ④: Lotus Root & Burdock Root Diced Root Vegetable Mix
Ingredients (for 4 servings x 5 days)
- Lotus root 2 sections (approx. 400g)
- Burdock root 2 (approx. 400g)
- Vinegar water (500ml water + 1 tbsp vinegar)
Instructions
- Roughly mince the lotus root and burdock root in the large bowl of the CH-210 (3-4 pulses).
- Soak in vinegar water for 5 minutes to remove astringency, then drain.
- Freeze in 100g portions.
💡 The CH-210's large bowl is perfect for simultaneously processing lotus root and burdock root. A versatile root vegetable mix for hamburgers, tsukune, seasoned rice, and kinpira. Rich in dietary fiber, effective for gut health.
Recipe ⑤: Versatile Autumn Vegetable Curry Base (for freezing)
Ingredients (for 4 servings x 4 times)
- Onions 4
- Carrots 3
- Sweet potato 200g
- Maitake mushrooms 1 pack
- Garlic 4 cloves, Ginger 1 piece
- Salad oil 3 tbsp
Instructions
- Roughly mince onions, carrots, and sweet potatoes in the large bowl of the CH-210.
- Mince garlic and ginger in the small bowl.
- Sauté in oil until caramelized. Let cool, then freeze in 150g portions.
💡 The CH-210's dual bowls allow for simultaneous processing of large quantities of diced vegetables and small amounts of aromatics. Simply add the frozen base to a pot for curry, stew, or Hayashi rice. Weekday dinner prep is cut down to 10 minutes.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1. What are some tips for efficiently preparing chestnuts (boiling and peeling)?
Boiling chestnuts in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes makes them easier to peel. Alternatively, making an incision in the chestnuts and heating them in the microwave for 3-4 minutes is also simple. Using store-bought peeled chestnuts (sweet chestnuts) saves even more time. When making paste with the CH-210, blending the chestnuts while they are still warm will result in a smoother texture.
Q2. What is the efficient order for prep using the CH-210's dual bowls?
It's efficient to first mince large quantities of vegetables like onions and carrots in the large bowl, then process small amounts of ingredients like garlic, ginger, and mushrooms in the small bowl. Alternating between the large and small bowls minimizes washing.
Q3. How long do autumn prepped ingredients last when frozen?
Chestnut paste and sweet potato paste last for about 1 month, mushroom mix for 2-3 weeks, diced root vegetables for 2 weeks, and curry base for 1 month. Maintain your freezer temperature below -18°C and remove as much air as possible from Ziploc bags before storing.
Q4. What is the approximate time required for bulk prep?
Using the CH-210, you can complete the 5 types of prep introduced here in approximately 2 hours. This includes 30 minutes for washing and cutting ingredients, 30 minutes for processing with the CH-210, 30 minutes for sautéing and cooking, and 30 minutes for portioning and freezing. Washing ingredients the night before can save even more time.
Q5. Where can I purchase the Happilaff CH-210?
You can purchase it on the Happilaff official online store. Free shipping is available nationwide in Japan.