It's been a nice, relaxing couple of weeks off and my husband and I are feeling rested and rejuvenated. Tomorrow it's back to work so this weekend I've spent some time cooking to replenish the freezer with a few basics I like to have on hand for lunches and dinners. I now have a fresh stock of cooked and frozen brown rice, barley, pinto beans, red kidney beans and Roasted Vegetable Broth. (The broth recipe will be published later.) I also made a batch of Red Bean and Lager Chili and froze it in two-serving portions for those nights I may need a break from cooking. As I put the fresh stock of food into the freezer, I pulled previously frozen butternut squash puree, navy beans and roasted red bell peppers to the front to use in some meals this week.

Cooking and Freezing Brown Rice

I have a preference for short-grain brown rice and use the standard package instructions to cook it, which takes about 40 minutes. Since it doesn't take any longer to cook a larger quantity than you'll need for any one meal, I like to prepare enough for several servings and freeze it in one and two cup portions. When reheating the rice, sprinkle a small amount of water over top to prevent it from drying out.

Recipes that Include Brown Rice:

• Rice Bowl with Miso-Chili Tofu and Spicy Turnip Salad
• Pineapple Glazed Tofu, Rice Salad and Green Beans
• Sushi Rice and Millet Salad
• DIY Sushi Cones

Cooking and Freezing Barley

To cook pearl or pot barley, I first wash it in a sieve then add it to a large pot of boiling water. Simmer until tender but still firm (the cooking time can vary from 25-40 minutes), drain in a sieve, rinse and shake out excess water. I don't bother to measure out proportions of water to barley. I just make sure there's more water than barley and keep an eye on it while it cooks to avoid boiling over and top up with more water if needed. I freeze the cooked, drained and cooled barley in two cup portions.

One pound of uncooked pearl or pot barley yields approximately 8 cups cooked. The barley can be added to soups and is great in salads or mixed with brown rice.

Recipes that Include Barley:

• Barley and Black Bean Salad
• Barley and Brown Rice with Adzuki Beans and Sesame Spinach Salad

Cooking and Freezing Dried Beans

Canned beans have their place in my kitchen pantry but I much prefer and most often use dried beans that I cook and freeze. It's not only economical for me to cook dried beans myself, but I think they also taste better when they don't come out of a can. Yesterday I cooked red kidney beans and pinto beans without any salt added then drained and froze them in two cup portions. Other varieties I like to cook and freeze include small and large white beans, black beans, chickpeas and adzuki beans. For a quick guide on how to cook dried beans, visit the Whole Foods website for their article "How To Cook Beans." For a more detailed guide, check out Pulse Canada's site and click on their "Guide to Cooking Pulses" PDF.

One pound of dried kidney or pinto beans yields just about six cups cooked.

A Few of Our Favorite Recipes:

• Whipped White Beans with Roasted Beets and Mushrooms
• Spinach, Roasted Beets, Chickpeas and Tahini Dressing
• Grilled Vegetable Salad with Chickpeas and Lemony Dill Dressing
• Red Bean and Lager Chili

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