Boggled by the dinner question, edition 5,735
May 26, 2015 2:32 PM Subscribe
What are some non-soup, served-hot recipes for a pair of carnivores who currently have the diet and cooking abilities of a 12-year-old with no supervision?
Yes, I know, there are one billion dinner recipe threads on AskMe. I have read them. I've pulled one or two recipes from them in the past. But generally speaking, the recipes I've found lean toward some variation on vegetarian/vegan, low-carb, slow-cooked, or pretty advanced and complicated, none of which works for my purposes.
General situation: Due to schedules, I'm more or less responsible for arranging/preparing/handling dinner for myself and partner. This is terrible, because I hate to cook, so very very much. I hate it so much. However, it's how things are, and my former diet of "random things from the salad bar that I wrap in a tortilla and eat cold and call it a day, or maybe cereal, or nothing, who cares" will not sustain my partner's hummingbird metabolism and physically-active day job. This means that for the past year, we've been eating like middle schoolers with credit cards. Just tons of pizza, takeout, restaurants, you get the picture.
This is unsustainable long term, clearly, so I am seeking recipes that:
-Include a meat and a carb
-Are not a soup
-Do not involve a slow cooker
-Are served hot
-Are pretty bog-simple, because I am not a good or happy cook
-Do not involve a slow cooker
Things they don't have to be:
-very quick; I usually have a bit of time.
-extremely cheap; just more affordable than a daily sit-down restaurant trip.
-outrageously healthy; just healthier than eating pizza or Thai takeout every night.
I am way way open to recommendations for decent-tasting prepared foods, or semi-prepared/frozen as well. We're unfortunately not near a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, though, so although those tend to be highly recommended we can't get them regularly.
Preparing a ton of food once a week and freezing it is NOT an option, however, because we have a tiny freezer that doesn't freeze quite well enough for me to be confident in storing anything long-term.
Yes, I know, there are one billion dinner recipe threads on AskMe. I have read them. I've pulled one or two recipes from them in the past. But generally speaking, the recipes I've found lean toward some variation on vegetarian/vegan, low-carb, slow-cooked, or pretty advanced and complicated, none of which works for my purposes.
General situation: Due to schedules, I'm more or less responsible for arranging/preparing/handling dinner for myself and partner. This is terrible, because I hate to cook, so very very much. I hate it so much. However, it's how things are, and my former diet of "random things from the salad bar that I wrap in a tortilla and eat cold and call it a day, or maybe cereal, or nothing, who cares" will not sustain my partner's hummingbird metabolism and physically-active day job. This means that for the past year, we've been eating like middle schoolers with credit cards. Just tons of pizza, takeout, restaurants, you get the picture.
This is unsustainable long term, clearly, so I am seeking recipes that:
-Include a meat and a carb
-Are not a soup
-Do not involve a slow cooker
-Are served hot
-Are pretty bog-simple, because I am not a good or happy cook
-Do not involve a slow cooker
Things they don't have to be:
-very quick; I usually have a bit of time.
-extremely cheap; just more affordable than a daily sit-down restaurant trip.
-outrageously healthy; just healthier than eating pizza or Thai takeout every night.
I am way way open to recommendations for decent-tasting prepared foods, or semi-prepared/frozen as well. We're unfortunately not near a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, though, so although those tend to be highly recommended we can't get them regularly.
Preparing a ton of food once a week and freezing it is NOT an option, however, because we have a tiny freezer that doesn't freeze quite well enough for me to be confident in storing anything long-term.
cooking abilities of a 12-year-old
Here is a thing I learned to make with my Girl Scout troop when I was probably about 10 or 11:
burrito wreath
-1 package pillsbury or whatever brand crescent rolls
-ground beef (or other meat if you want, like chicken would be fine)
-taco seasoning
-shredded cheddar cheese
-packet of mexican rice if that's your style
-salsa/guac/tomatoes/whatever
1. Cook up your beef with the taco seasoning.
2. Cook up your rice if you're doing rice.
3. Unravel your dough triangles and arrange them in a point-out circle like a sun. Bases should overlap a bit.
4. Scoop your meat and rice out onto each triangle. Give each dollup a good cheese sprinkling.
5. Fold the top points of the triangle over into the center to mostly cover your meat stuff.
6. Cook until the golden brown (follow package directions for the dough.)
Then you just dump all your salsa fixins into the center of the circle and pig out.
posted by phunniemee at 2:52 PM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Here is a thing I learned to make with my Girl Scout troop when I was probably about 10 or 11:
burrito wreath
-1 package pillsbury or whatever brand crescent rolls
-ground beef (or other meat if you want, like chicken would be fine)
-taco seasoning
-shredded cheddar cheese
-packet of mexican rice if that's your style
-salsa/guac/tomatoes/whatever
1. Cook up your beef with the taco seasoning.
2. Cook up your rice if you're doing rice.
3. Unravel your dough triangles and arrange them in a point-out circle like a sun. Bases should overlap a bit.
4. Scoop your meat and rice out onto each triangle. Give each dollup a good cheese sprinkling.
5. Fold the top points of the triangle over into the center to mostly cover your meat stuff.
6. Cook until the golden brown (follow package directions for the dough.)
Then you just dump all your salsa fixins into the center of the circle and pig out.
posted by phunniemee at 2:52 PM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
30 Minutes Gets YOU Meat:
Seriously, people don't tell people this, but you can prep chicken for the week by salting it before hand and letting it sit. Cook it as you go along. The fancy call it dry brining, I call it convenient.
posted by jadepearl at 2:53 PM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
- marinate chicken parts with 1:1 ratio of Italian salad dressing and light soy sauce. The longer it sits the better so you can dump and marinate in the refrig and cook in a toaster oven;
- 3 TB of vinegar of choice (red is nice); 3 TB olive oil and 1 TB of soy sauce with chopped shallots and garlics tossed with chicken parts gets you done with toaster oven in roughly 30 minutes. Marinating would be nice, but not necessary.
Seriously, people don't tell people this, but you can prep chicken for the week by salting it before hand and letting it sit. Cook it as you go along. The fancy call it dry brining, I call it convenient.
posted by jadepearl at 2:53 PM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
This is my absolute favorite low-fuss yet utterly delicious chicken recipe.
Honey-Glazed Chicken
3/4 c honey
1/4 c mustard (Dijon is best)
2 T lemon juice
salt
pepper
garlic powder
8 skin-on chicken thighs
Put the chicken thighs in a foil-lined baking pan. A 9x13 pan should be about right; use an 8x8 or a 9x9 if you're only making a half-recipe. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Mix together the other three ingredients. The honey will be much easier to pour and mix if you heat it a bit in the microwave first. Pour the sauce over the chicken and put it in a 350-degree oven. Baste it frequently - like every ten minutes or so - until the skin is browned and crispy at the edges. It usually takes 45-50 minutes.
For a starch, it pairs very nicely with wild rice (which just cooks in some water, although chicken broth makes it taste better) or a steamed green veggie.
I'm also very fond of a crustless quiche that's so simple to make. You can put whatever shredded cheese you like in a greased pie pan. About one cup of cheese should do it. Add meat if you want. The filling is one cup evaporated skim milk (shake the can really well before opening) and one cup Eggbeaters. You can add salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you like to the filling when you mix it together. Pour the filling into the pie pan and bake it at 425-degrees for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 300-degrees and bake for another 30-35 minutes.
posted by DrGail at 2:54 PM on May 26, 2015 [4 favorites]
Honey-Glazed Chicken
3/4 c honey
1/4 c mustard (Dijon is best)
2 T lemon juice
salt
pepper
garlic powder
8 skin-on chicken thighs
Put the chicken thighs in a foil-lined baking pan. A 9x13 pan should be about right; use an 8x8 or a 9x9 if you're only making a half-recipe. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Mix together the other three ingredients. The honey will be much easier to pour and mix if you heat it a bit in the microwave first. Pour the sauce over the chicken and put it in a 350-degree oven. Baste it frequently - like every ten minutes or so - until the skin is browned and crispy at the edges. It usually takes 45-50 minutes.
For a starch, it pairs very nicely with wild rice (which just cooks in some water, although chicken broth makes it taste better) or a steamed green veggie.
I'm also very fond of a crustless quiche that's so simple to make. You can put whatever shredded cheese you like in a greased pie pan. About one cup of cheese should do it. Add meat if you want. The filling is one cup evaporated skim milk (shake the can really well before opening) and one cup Eggbeaters. You can add salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you like to the filling when you mix it together. Pour the filling into the pie pan and bake it at 425-degrees for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 300-degrees and bake for another 30-35 minutes.
posted by DrGail at 2:54 PM on May 26, 2015 [4 favorites]
For just the week, most food doesn't really need to be frozen per se. I mean, maybe health guidelines say you should? But I never do, not for something like lasagne where it's made up of fairly hardy ingredients that could have just as well sat in the fridge uncooked the whole time. (I do make sure to use good handling techniques up-front and then reheat until steaming.) So if you're okay with eating the same thing or two for a week and have reliable refrigerator space, it's probably worth trying. Even if you end up throwing away the final portion, it'll have been cheaper than eating out for all of those meals.
posted by teremala at 2:56 PM on May 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by teremala at 2:56 PM on May 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
Oh, and then there's a little thing I've invented on my own that I like to call grown up spaghettios. I like this one especially because I'm abysmally lazy and it uses only one pot.
grown up spaghettios
-pasta (any non-spaghetti type, I like to use anelli because the whole spaghettios thing really amuses me)
-jar sauce
-chicken sausages
-raw spinach
1. undercook your pasta, drain water
2. dump in some sauce
3. slice a chicken sausage (these are pre-cooked) straight into the pot
4. let that heat up for a little while
5. when it's almost done heating, toss in a handful of spinach
Extremely satisfying. Almost no effort required.
posted by phunniemee at 2:56 PM on May 26, 2015 [5 favorites]
grown up spaghettios
-pasta (any non-spaghetti type, I like to use anelli because the whole spaghettios thing really amuses me)
-jar sauce
-chicken sausages
-raw spinach
1. undercook your pasta, drain water
2. dump in some sauce
3. slice a chicken sausage (these are pre-cooked) straight into the pot
4. let that heat up for a little while
5. when it's almost done heating, toss in a handful of spinach
Extremely satisfying. Almost no effort required.
posted by phunniemee at 2:56 PM on May 26, 2015 [5 favorites]
Packaged rice, quinoa, cous cous from a pack. Paired with a breast of chicken or a filet of fish roasted in the oven. Steamed veggies precut and packaged in plastic you can steam in the microwave.
Roast baked sweet potatoes in the oven. Top with maple syrup, cinnamon, chives, sour cream and/or butter (or all of the above)
Throw shrimp in a frying pan. Put them onto a tortilla. Slice some avocado and top with hot sauce.
Throw some shrimp in a frying pan. Throw them on top of one of the packaged things listed above.
Oven bake some quality fish sticks. Put in tacos, top with veggies.
Make a cheese platter. Eat it for dinner with wine.
Boil red potatoes in highly salted water. Add toppings you usually like on potatoes on to this.
Make chicken beasts. Slice and put on veggies for salad.
Buy premade pizza dough. Go wild. Including trying to grill it.
posted by slateyness at 2:56 PM on May 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
Roast baked sweet potatoes in the oven. Top with maple syrup, cinnamon, chives, sour cream and/or butter (or all of the above)
Throw shrimp in a frying pan. Put them onto a tortilla. Slice some avocado and top with hot sauce.
Throw some shrimp in a frying pan. Throw them on top of one of the packaged things listed above.
Oven bake some quality fish sticks. Put in tacos, top with veggies.
Make a cheese platter. Eat it for dinner with wine.
Boil red potatoes in highly salted water. Add toppings you usually like on potatoes on to this.
Make chicken beasts. Slice and put on veggies for salad.
Buy premade pizza dough. Go wild. Including trying to grill it.
posted by slateyness at 2:56 PM on May 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
My go-to dinners, one from each section:
Protein:
This chicken that I post in every recipe thread (you can make enough for two leftover meals if that's helpful to you).
or
Kofta or one of the other 19 meatballs in this list
or
Quick-brined pork chops
Hot green veg:
The Best Broccoli of Your Life.
or
Do the exact same thing except with brussels sprouts (halve 'em if they ginormous) or cauliflower florets (except I like to put cheddar on afterwards)
or
Microwave steamer bag of anything you like
Starch:
Crash Hot Potatoes (heavier or lighter)
or
Rice (get the $15 rice cooker at Target)
or
Tortellini, dried or frozen, toss with olive oil and parmesan
or
Microwaved sweet potato, one big one split for two
or
Baguette or roll
posted by Lyn Never at 2:56 PM on May 26, 2015 [5 favorites]
Protein:
This chicken that I post in every recipe thread (you can make enough for two leftover meals if that's helpful to you).
or
Kofta or one of the other 19 meatballs in this list
or
Quick-brined pork chops
Hot green veg:
The Best Broccoli of Your Life.
or
Do the exact same thing except with brussels sprouts (halve 'em if they ginormous) or cauliflower florets (except I like to put cheddar on afterwards)
or
Microwave steamer bag of anything you like
Starch:
Crash Hot Potatoes (heavier or lighter)
or
Rice (get the $15 rice cooker at Target)
or
Tortellini, dried or frozen, toss with olive oil and parmesan
or
Microwaved sweet potato, one big one split for two
or
Baguette or roll
posted by Lyn Never at 2:56 PM on May 26, 2015 [5 favorites]
I am way way open to recommendations for decent-tasting prepared foods, or semi-prepared/frozen as well.
Have you tried Blue Apron? They ship you three meals for two each week for $10 per meal. Everything is pre-measured and comes with instructions for non-cooking folks. I just started using it and even though I like to cook, not having to worry about groceries or menu planning for 3 weeknights is really nice.
posted by jess at 2:57 PM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Have you tried Blue Apron? They ship you three meals for two each week for $10 per meal. Everything is pre-measured and comes with instructions for non-cooking folks. I just started using it and even though I like to cook, not having to worry about groceries or menu planning for 3 weeknights is really nice.
posted by jess at 2:57 PM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Seconding Blue Apron, or Plated (both of which are limited availability down the center of the country, but Plated serves some areas that BA doesn't). I have a free week (2 meals for 2) coupon for Blue Apron if you want to memail me your preferred email address for one.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:59 PM on May 26, 2015
posted by Lyn Never at 2:59 PM on May 26, 2015
A few hot, easy enough for 12-year-olds, non-soup meals:
Hot open sandwiches. Turkey, beef, chicken, etc. You can use cold-cuts and pre-made jars of gravy, or you can use leftover chicken and home made gravy, etc. Heat up gravy and meat in a skillet, serve over a slice of bread.
Grilled Cheese sandwiches. If you want meat, add bacon.
Sheppard's Pie.
Augment with salad/veggies as fits your taste.
posted by fings at 3:00 PM on May 26, 2015
Hot open sandwiches. Turkey, beef, chicken, etc. You can use cold-cuts and pre-made jars of gravy, or you can use leftover chicken and home made gravy, etc. Heat up gravy and meat in a skillet, serve over a slice of bread.
Grilled Cheese sandwiches. If you want meat, add bacon.
Sheppard's Pie.
Augment with salad/veggies as fits your taste.
posted by fings at 3:00 PM on May 26, 2015
Best answer: Sausages!!
We do an almost weekly sausage night. Pick different types and remember the ones you like. Our local family owned grocery has house made sausages that are wonderful but regular grocery brands are great too. (Brands like Aidells or Applegate) We usually serve with some steamed veg like broccoli (because our toddler loves broccoli) and a salad. Last night we had pretzel buns which was delicious. Lots of times we skip buns and have mashed potatoes or quinoa. Switch up toppings and condiments for variety. Carmelized onions, sauerkraut, slaw, chili... Curry ketchup, chipotle mayo, fancy mustard... Endless possibilities. Super easy and fast.
posted by Swisstine at 3:02 PM on May 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
We do an almost weekly sausage night. Pick different types and remember the ones you like. Our local family owned grocery has house made sausages that are wonderful but regular grocery brands are great too. (Brands like Aidells or Applegate) We usually serve with some steamed veg like broccoli (because our toddler loves broccoli) and a salad. Last night we had pretzel buns which was delicious. Lots of times we skip buns and have mashed potatoes or quinoa. Switch up toppings and condiments for variety. Carmelized onions, sauerkraut, slaw, chili... Curry ketchup, chipotle mayo, fancy mustard... Endless possibilities. Super easy and fast.
posted by Swisstine at 3:02 PM on May 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
Day 1. Go shopping, buy rotisserie chicken and eat at home with rice and steamed veg
Day 2. Take leftovers from rotisserie chicken, mix with tomato sauce, wrap in tortillas with cheese, serve with condiments of your choice
Day 3. Sausages, mash, veg
Day 4. Linguini with rose sauce (can of tomato sauce mixed with table cream) smoked salmon and veg (peas, asparagus, onions, peppers, take your pick)
Day 5. The frozen, sauced ribs that you bought on Sunday, served with fries and salad (from a bag, why not)
Day 6. Salmon in the oven, you can cook it from frozen, serve with couscous, rice or quinoa and veg
Day 7. Repeat
The veg I keep on hand for emergencies (i.e. I forgot to go shopping): frozen peas, broccoli, beans, corn
Other options:
Homemade chicken fingers (cut, dredge in panko, bake)
Steak (put in pan and fry...)
Pork chops (put in pan and fry...)
fajitas (put some kind of meat in pan and fry with onions and peppers...)
Shepherd's pie
Tortellini
Stir fried shrimp and whatever with flavour package (Thai!) of your choice
Homemade pizza (easier than it seems but you'll need at least an 1.25 hours)
posted by Cuke at 3:02 PM on May 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
Day 2. Take leftovers from rotisserie chicken, mix with tomato sauce, wrap in tortillas with cheese, serve with condiments of your choice
Day 3. Sausages, mash, veg
Day 4. Linguini with rose sauce (can of tomato sauce mixed with table cream) smoked salmon and veg (peas, asparagus, onions, peppers, take your pick)
Day 5. The frozen, sauced ribs that you bought on Sunday, served with fries and salad (from a bag, why not)
Day 6. Salmon in the oven, you can cook it from frozen, serve with couscous, rice or quinoa and veg
Day 7. Repeat
The veg I keep on hand for emergencies (i.e. I forgot to go shopping): frozen peas, broccoli, beans, corn
Other options:
Homemade chicken fingers (cut, dredge in panko, bake)
Steak (put in pan and fry...)
Pork chops (put in pan and fry...)
fajitas (put some kind of meat in pan and fry with onions and peppers...)
Shepherd's pie
Tortellini
Stir fried shrimp and whatever with flavour package (Thai!) of your choice
Homemade pizza (easier than it seems but you'll need at least an 1.25 hours)
posted by Cuke at 3:02 PM on May 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
Put an entire chicken, a chopped sweet potato (two or three if small), and a chopped eating apple in a roasting tin with a bottle of cider. Sprinkle salt on chicken. Roast until it looks and smells like roast chicken (180 degrees for an hour or so, depends on the size of the chicken, just keep checking it).
Hoist out the tin. Remove the chicken to a plate or carving board if you have such a thing. Pick out the veg with a slotted spoon. Mix a little bit of the remaining juice with some cornflour in a mug. Chuck this goo back in the tin, put it on the stove and stir lots until it looks like gravy.
Remove the legs from the chicken. Have one leg each (and a wing if you like) with the veg and the gravy and the skin off the breasts if you feel so inclined. Cover the chicken with a clean tea towel while you scoff this (or it will go dry).
Carve off the breasts, put them in the fridge and eat them the next day in chicken noodle soup (which is basically chicken, noodles, water, and thai green curry paste, with creamed coconut and fish sauce if you have either of these things and can be bothered.).
posted by emilyw at 3:05 PM on May 26, 2015
Hoist out the tin. Remove the chicken to a plate or carving board if you have such a thing. Pick out the veg with a slotted spoon. Mix a little bit of the remaining juice with some cornflour in a mug. Chuck this goo back in the tin, put it on the stove and stir lots until it looks like gravy.
Remove the legs from the chicken. Have one leg each (and a wing if you like) with the veg and the gravy and the skin off the breasts if you feel so inclined. Cover the chicken with a clean tea towel while you scoff this (or it will go dry).
Carve off the breasts, put them in the fridge and eat them the next day in chicken noodle soup (which is basically chicken, noodles, water, and thai green curry paste, with creamed coconut and fish sauce if you have either of these things and can be bothered.).
posted by emilyw at 3:05 PM on May 26, 2015
You need garlic salt, a pot, and a pan. With these three things a vast universe of cooking opens up to you
1. Get a meat. Any meat. It can be chicken or pork or something exotic like fish. Put your pan on the stovetop, crank the relevant burner knob to just past the halfway point, and heat some kind of oily substance in the pan until you think it's probably hot but before you start a grease fire. This can be pretty much anything: olive oil, butter, margarine, whatever. If the meat you are cooking is fatty (like a beef meat) you can even skip this step.
2. Apply garlic salt to the meat. This gives it "flavor." Put it in the hot oily pan. Give it a few minutes. Lift up a corner and peek at the underside. Is it brownish? You're halfway done! Flip it over. Apply more garlic salt. When both sides are brown, cut the meat open down the middle to make sure it's not raw inside. If it is, cook it some more. You can omit this part once you have gained experience.
3. Cook a starch. Potatoes, pasta, rice. Mostly this involves boiling it in a pot of water for the recommended amount of time, then draining it and putting on some butter or a sauce. Rice is a little more complicated because you have to measure the water (!) but it'll come with instructions on the packaging. Potatoes usually don't come with instructions but you're pretty safe boiling them for an extra long time until you develop an innate sense of how long it takes to cook them until they aren't crunchy.
4. Cook a vegetable. This is important! Vegetables are your friends. You can buy them frozen or fresh. Canned vegetables are gross and nobody likes them. Canned vegetables are for the apocalypse, not a nice dinner at home. Boil all vegetables for exactly three and a half minutes. They're better when they're a little crunchy (unlike potatoes, which is why potatoes are classified as a starch and not a vegetable, even though potatoes come from plants). If you are vegetable-averse put butter and maybe some garlic salt on the vegetables until they become appealing.
5. THAT'S IT. YOU HAVE MADE A HEALTHY, COMPLETE MEAL. That's all there is to it. This foolproof formula can be applied to a virtually limitless variety of different food types. Eventually you will master it, get a little bored, and start experimenting with roasting vegetables in your oven, marinating your meats, stir-frying, and who knows what else. But this methodology will carry you through the dark valley between eating nothing but take-out and being a confident master chef.
Good luck!
posted by prize bull octorok at 3:07 PM on May 26, 2015 [12 favorites]
1. Get a meat. Any meat. It can be chicken or pork or something exotic like fish. Put your pan on the stovetop, crank the relevant burner knob to just past the halfway point, and heat some kind of oily substance in the pan until you think it's probably hot but before you start a grease fire. This can be pretty much anything: olive oil, butter, margarine, whatever. If the meat you are cooking is fatty (like a beef meat) you can even skip this step.
2. Apply garlic salt to the meat. This gives it "flavor." Put it in the hot oily pan. Give it a few minutes. Lift up a corner and peek at the underside. Is it brownish? You're halfway done! Flip it over. Apply more garlic salt. When both sides are brown, cut the meat open down the middle to make sure it's not raw inside. If it is, cook it some more. You can omit this part once you have gained experience.
3. Cook a starch. Potatoes, pasta, rice. Mostly this involves boiling it in a pot of water for the recommended amount of time, then draining it and putting on some butter or a sauce. Rice is a little more complicated because you have to measure the water (!) but it'll come with instructions on the packaging. Potatoes usually don't come with instructions but you're pretty safe boiling them for an extra long time until you develop an innate sense of how long it takes to cook them until they aren't crunchy.
4. Cook a vegetable. This is important! Vegetables are your friends. You can buy them frozen or fresh. Canned vegetables are gross and nobody likes them. Canned vegetables are for the apocalypse, not a nice dinner at home. Boil all vegetables for exactly three and a half minutes. They're better when they're a little crunchy (unlike potatoes, which is why potatoes are classified as a starch and not a vegetable, even though potatoes come from plants). If you are vegetable-averse put butter and maybe some garlic salt on the vegetables until they become appealing.
5. THAT'S IT. YOU HAVE MADE A HEALTHY, COMPLETE MEAL. That's all there is to it. This foolproof formula can be applied to a virtually limitless variety of different food types. Eventually you will master it, get a little bored, and start experimenting with roasting vegetables in your oven, marinating your meats, stir-frying, and who knows what else. But this methodology will carry you through the dark valley between eating nothing but take-out and being a confident master chef.
Good luck!
posted by prize bull octorok at 3:07 PM on May 26, 2015 [12 favorites]
Food and Wine Roasted Chicken Legs with Potatoes and Kale
I think I got this (one-pot meal!) from someone here's recommendation and immediately sent it to my boyfriend. I have not tried it personally yet, but he thought it was great and super easy. It's basically "put some things in a pan, put seasonings on top, bake, eat." If I were you, I would probably buy the chicken where the drumstick and thigh are already cut apart so that I barely had to touch it. You could also swap out white potatoes for sweet potatoes if you wanted, or use a different leafy green or broccoli or something.
Thomas Keller Roast Chicken
I'm sure you've had roast chicken recommendations, right? There's a reason for that: it has a super high value-to-effort ratio, and for people who don't really cook it's magical. If I didn't like to cook I'd skip the rinsing and drying, just salt and pepper and put it in the oven. Throw some potatoes or something in there to bake while the chicken does and microwave some green beans; done.
posted by spelunkingplato at 3:07 PM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
I think I got this (one-pot meal!) from someone here's recommendation and immediately sent it to my boyfriend. I have not tried it personally yet, but he thought it was great and super easy. It's basically "put some things in a pan, put seasonings on top, bake, eat." If I were you, I would probably buy the chicken where the drumstick and thigh are already cut apart so that I barely had to touch it. You could also swap out white potatoes for sweet potatoes if you wanted, or use a different leafy green or broccoli or something.
Thomas Keller Roast Chicken
I'm sure you've had roast chicken recommendations, right? There's a reason for that: it has a super high value-to-effort ratio, and for people who don't really cook it's magical. If I didn't like to cook I'd skip the rinsing and drying, just salt and pepper and put it in the oven. Throw some potatoes or something in there to bake while the chicken does and microwave some green beans; done.
posted by spelunkingplato at 3:07 PM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Check out the Genius Recipes column at Food52.com. Several of these recipes are dead easy and can be pieced together into great meals. A couple off the top of my head:
Chicken Thighs with Lemon (you can purchase preserved lemon or just go without)
Salt Crusted Potatoes (I suggest you cut the salt to 1 heaping T of kosher salt)
Marcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce (paired with some good quality frozen ravioli or simple meatballs and pasta)
I'd also suggest you consider what makes you unhappy about cooking, in case there are shortcuts or solutions to make the process easier...
Do you hate chopping veggies? A sharp knife makes a world of difference and/or you can buy precut veg.
Do you need some help with basic techniques to feel comfortable in the kitchen? There are tons of online resources, like Dear Martini.
Not saying that cooking is for everyone, but often a few simple tweaks can vastly improve one's experience in the kitchen.
posted by jenquat at 3:14 PM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Chicken Thighs with Lemon (you can purchase preserved lemon or just go without)
Salt Crusted Potatoes (I suggest you cut the salt to 1 heaping T of kosher salt)
Marcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce (paired with some good quality frozen ravioli or simple meatballs and pasta)
I'd also suggest you consider what makes you unhappy about cooking, in case there are shortcuts or solutions to make the process easier...
Do you hate chopping veggies? A sharp knife makes a world of difference and/or you can buy precut veg.
Do you need some help with basic techniques to feel comfortable in the kitchen? There are tons of online resources, like Dear Martini.
Not saying that cooking is for everyone, but often a few simple tweaks can vastly improve one's experience in the kitchen.
posted by jenquat at 3:14 PM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: You mentioned Thai takeout, so I'm gonna assume you like Thai curry? It can be totally healthful and quite easy to make at home. It's also easy to customize based on what veggies and meat you happen to have in the house.
Start a pot of rice cooking. Then heat up a big pan to medium-lowish (you want to simmer, not boil). Add some Thai curry paste (which you can get in most mainstream grocery stores now) and a can of coconut milk, stir to combine. Then add whatever chopped veggies and thin-sliced meat you want (you can even just use a bag of frozen veggies if you don't feel like washing/peeling/cutting). Cook until meat is done and veggies are desired texture... If you make this more than once you can start to learn how long it takes to cook various veggies to your preferred texture, so you may end up wanting to add some of them before others, or cut some of them smaller to cook faster.
Serve over the rice when that is done.
It's better for you than Thai curry made in restaurants because you're omitting the sugar (which also actually makes it taste better IMO).
If you want to get fancier you can buy individual ingredients and make your own curry paste, but I've found the store pastes to be just fine for my palate.
posted by mysterious_stranger at 3:15 PM on May 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
Start a pot of rice cooking. Then heat up a big pan to medium-lowish (you want to simmer, not boil). Add some Thai curry paste (which you can get in most mainstream grocery stores now) and a can of coconut milk, stir to combine. Then add whatever chopped veggies and thin-sliced meat you want (you can even just use a bag of frozen veggies if you don't feel like washing/peeling/cutting). Cook until meat is done and veggies are desired texture... If you make this more than once you can start to learn how long it takes to cook various veggies to your preferred texture, so you may end up wanting to add some of them before others, or cut some of them smaller to cook faster.
Serve over the rice when that is done.
It's better for you than Thai curry made in restaurants because you're omitting the sugar (which also actually makes it taste better IMO).
If you want to get fancier you can buy individual ingredients and make your own curry paste, but I've found the store pastes to be just fine for my palate.
posted by mysterious_stranger at 3:15 PM on May 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
Suggestion 1: sausage and kale pasta. Ingredients: Italian sausage (either bulk/not in casing or --my personal preference -- Johnsonville frozen sliced Italian sausage; kale, either baby kale or regular kale, stemmed* and chopped; onion, chopped; short pasta (e.g., penne, cavatippi, farfalle); olive oil; hot pepper flakes; Parmesan cheese. In a large pot, boil water for pasta. While that's heating up, get a good sized saucepan and cook the sausage (start earlier if it's raw and needs to cook through; if using the frozen sliced stuff you'll need less time to cook it). When the water's boiling, dump the pasta in. As the pasta cooks, add the onion to the saucepan with the sausage to get it cooking. The last few minutes of cooking the pasta, add the chopped kale to the saucepan and let it cook down a bit. At this point you could add the hot pepper flakes if you want. Drain the pasta and toss with olive oil, then add the sausage, onion and kale mixture to the pasta. Stir to distribute everything evenly. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.
*To stem kale: rinse it off, hold the stem in one hand and wrap your other hand loosely around the leaf. Pull the leaf and stem away from each other. You should end up with the stem in one hand and the leaf in the other.
Suggestion 2: chicken lettuce wraps. Ingredients: ground chicken; packet of chicken lettuce wrap seasoning (found in the Asian foods section of your grocery store); diced water chestnuts (also in the Asian foods aisle); sweet red pepper, diced; cilantro and/or green onion, chopped, if desired; rice; Bibb or other soft-leaved lettuce. The directions to make this are on the packet of seasoning, so just follow that. Cook some rice to go with it all.
Suggestion 3: kelaguen. I know you said hot foods, but this one's so easy I wanted to mention it. Get a rotisserie chicken and a lemon. Shred/chop the meat from the chicken into small pieces. Set aside. Juice the lemon, and mix in hot pepper flakes and salt to taste. Dress the chopped chicken with the lemon juice. Serve with rice, or naan/pita, and perhaps some sliced cucumbers.
posted by Janta at 3:17 PM on May 26, 2015
*To stem kale: rinse it off, hold the stem in one hand and wrap your other hand loosely around the leaf. Pull the leaf and stem away from each other. You should end up with the stem in one hand and the leaf in the other.
Suggestion 2: chicken lettuce wraps. Ingredients: ground chicken; packet of chicken lettuce wrap seasoning (found in the Asian foods section of your grocery store); diced water chestnuts (also in the Asian foods aisle); sweet red pepper, diced; cilantro and/or green onion, chopped, if desired; rice; Bibb or other soft-leaved lettuce. The directions to make this are on the packet of seasoning, so just follow that. Cook some rice to go with it all.
Suggestion 3: kelaguen. I know you said hot foods, but this one's so easy I wanted to mention it. Get a rotisserie chicken and a lemon. Shred/chop the meat from the chicken into small pieces. Set aside. Juice the lemon, and mix in hot pepper flakes and salt to taste. Dress the chopped chicken with the lemon juice. Serve with rice, or naan/pita, and perhaps some sliced cucumbers.
posted by Janta at 3:17 PM on May 26, 2015
Stir fry is super easy. Make a batch of rice on Sunday evening (get a rice cooker to make it SUPER simple), stick it in the fridge. Stir fry a bunch of meat and veggies, add sauce to taste, warm up the rice, there you go.
posted by erst at 3:19 PM on May 26, 2015
posted by erst at 3:19 PM on May 26, 2015
This is a disgustingly easy way to cook chicken breasts that comes out perfectly every time I've ever tried it, even when I've spaced out and forgotten a step (like turning the burner off from low or not sure how long I left it to steam.)
A nice moist chicken breast is a thing of beauty on its own, but can also be a great starting point for a pasta dish or a rice casserole or whatevs.
posted by WidgetAlley at 3:22 PM on May 26, 2015
A nice moist chicken breast is a thing of beauty on its own, but can also be a great starting point for a pasta dish or a rice casserole or whatevs.
posted by WidgetAlley at 3:22 PM on May 26, 2015
Here are a few of my favourites:
Chicken with tarragon and grapes
- put water on to boil for pasta--I usually use penne for this. Start cooking the pasta when the water is boiling
- frying pan, medium-high heat
- add olive oil to pan (2-3 tablespoons), sautee 1/2 a sliced onion
- when translucent, add as much diced (1", about) chicken as you need for two people, stir about as it cooks.
- When the chicken is just about cooked, add a sliced/chopped/crushed garlic clove, cook a minute
- throw in a cup of white wine (you can omit this step) and cook it off
- add two cups of 35% cream
- continue cooking until cream is reduced to thick (if it goes too far and splits, just remove from the heat, stir in a little more cream)
- throw in some chopped fresh tarragon and a dozen or so halved red grapes
- drain pasta, toss in pan with sauce
20 minutes start to finish, very simple, tastes delicious and satisfying.
Spaghetti (or linguine; any long noodle) with anchovies
- start pasta as with the other one
- pan, 4-6 tbsp olive oil, medium heat (seems like a lot of oil yes; it becomes your sauce)
- sautee half an onion with a solid whack of chili flake (to your taste) until onion is just turning colour
- add a couple chopped cloves of garlic, some chopped preserved lemon (the ones I get are golfball sized and I would use two for two people), and a tin of anchovies, roughly chopped
- turn down the heat in the pan to let everything meld
- drain pasta, toss in pan
If I were making dinner for two, I'd have a simple salad with either of those.
Steak sandwiches
- cook steaks in a pan; salt & pepper, hot pan, cook to rare or med-rare
- sautee sliced peppers and onions together
- slice the steak after letting it rest for 10 mins, pile on a bun with peppers, add some cheese on top and throw under the broiler to melt, then top the bun. Have a salad with.
Also works well with chicken.
Other ideas:
- Burgers (can get them premade at a variety of quality points), potato salad
- Lasagna
- Chili keeps well in the fridge for a few days, can be done stovetop not in a slow cooker.
- Grazing dinner: hummus, pita or nice bread, olive oil, salad, a cheese or two, olives, and whatever preserved meats you like. Throw everything on a big platter and graze as needed. Ten minutes of effort, no cooking, everyone gets to pick and choose whatever they want most right then.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 3:29 PM on May 26, 2015
Chicken with tarragon and grapes
- put water on to boil for pasta--I usually use penne for this. Start cooking the pasta when the water is boiling
- frying pan, medium-high heat
- add olive oil to pan (2-3 tablespoons), sautee 1/2 a sliced onion
- when translucent, add as much diced (1", about) chicken as you need for two people, stir about as it cooks.
- When the chicken is just about cooked, add a sliced/chopped/crushed garlic clove, cook a minute
- throw in a cup of white wine (you can omit this step) and cook it off
- add two cups of 35% cream
- continue cooking until cream is reduced to thick (if it goes too far and splits, just remove from the heat, stir in a little more cream)
- throw in some chopped fresh tarragon and a dozen or so halved red grapes
- drain pasta, toss in pan with sauce
20 minutes start to finish, very simple, tastes delicious and satisfying.
Spaghetti (or linguine; any long noodle) with anchovies
- start pasta as with the other one
- pan, 4-6 tbsp olive oil, medium heat (seems like a lot of oil yes; it becomes your sauce)
- sautee half an onion with a solid whack of chili flake (to your taste) until onion is just turning colour
- add a couple chopped cloves of garlic, some chopped preserved lemon (the ones I get are golfball sized and I would use two for two people), and a tin of anchovies, roughly chopped
- turn down the heat in the pan to let everything meld
- drain pasta, toss in pan
If I were making dinner for two, I'd have a simple salad with either of those.
Steak sandwiches
- cook steaks in a pan; salt & pepper, hot pan, cook to rare or med-rare
- sautee sliced peppers and onions together
- slice the steak after letting it rest for 10 mins, pile on a bun with peppers, add some cheese on top and throw under the broiler to melt, then top the bun. Have a salad with.
Also works well with chicken.
Other ideas:
- Burgers (can get them premade at a variety of quality points), potato salad
- Lasagna
- Chili keeps well in the fridge for a few days, can be done stovetop not in a slow cooker.
- Grazing dinner: hummus, pita or nice bread, olive oil, salad, a cheese or two, olives, and whatever preserved meats you like. Throw everything on a big platter and graze as needed. Ten minutes of effort, no cooking, everyone gets to pick and choose whatever they want most right then.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 3:29 PM on May 26, 2015
Recipe that my actual twelve year old makes for supper: Put some olive oil on a foil-lined tray. Place chicken thighs on tray. Sprinkle with salt and the seasonings of your choice. Around the thighs, put some vegetables--quartered new potatoes, sliced sweet peppers, quartered onions, and olives are very popular here. Put the tray into a cold oven, turn the oven to 375, and ignore it for about an hour. When the chicken skin is crispy, it's done.
Broccoli beef is super easy, as well--my supermarket sells shaved steak, so you start with that. Chop an onion, and cook it in a little oil until it's translucent. Add a bag of frozen broccoli florets and a little water. When they're heated through and the water's mostly gone, throw in a pound of shaved steak and turn up the heat. Stir it frequently. While the beef cooks, mix together some garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and beef (or chicken) broth, plus a tablespoon or two of cornstarch. As soon as the beef is cooked, add the sauce. Let it come to a boil for a minute, then pull it off the heat. Serve with rice.
posted by MeghanC at 3:57 PM on May 26, 2015
Broccoli beef is super easy, as well--my supermarket sells shaved steak, so you start with that. Chop an onion, and cook it in a little oil until it's translucent. Add a bag of frozen broccoli florets and a little water. When they're heated through and the water's mostly gone, throw in a pound of shaved steak and turn up the heat. Stir it frequently. While the beef cooks, mix together some garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and beef (or chicken) broth, plus a tablespoon or two of cornstarch. As soon as the beef is cooked, add the sauce. Let it come to a boil for a minute, then pull it off the heat. Serve with rice.
posted by MeghanC at 3:57 PM on May 26, 2015
Best answer: Our bog-simple standard dinner when I don't feel like doing anything:
Put a pack of chicken thighs and some cut-up potatoes in a pyrex pan. Dredge a little olive oil on the potatoes and coat everything in salt and garlic powder. Cook at 375 for 45 minutes or so.
At minute 40 or so, put a bag of frozen (peas/green beans/broccoli) in a glass bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Stir and cover with several pats of butter. Cook for 3 more minutes. Salt.
Eat.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 3:57 PM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Put a pack of chicken thighs and some cut-up potatoes in a pyrex pan. Dredge a little olive oil on the potatoes and coat everything in salt and garlic powder. Cook at 375 for 45 minutes or so.
At minute 40 or so, put a bag of frozen (peas/green beans/broccoli) in a glass bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Stir and cover with several pats of butter. Cook for 3 more minutes. Salt.
Eat.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 3:57 PM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
OK. This is how my mom did it. Here is an interchangeable plan for a meal where you can trade out any of three pieces.
1. Meat
Burgers (turkey or beef, made from scratch or pre-made patties)
Sloppy Joes
Chicken breasts or fish fillets or pork chops cooked in skillet or oven until not pink in middle (add sauce of choice, either before or after cooking)
Beef cooked in skillet until as pink as desired in middle (whole steaks or cut in pieces) (add sauce of choice)
Sausages cooked in skillet (big kielbasas, good with sauerkraut or stir-fried peppers)
Infinite meat recipes are at your disposal on the internet. "Simple beef dish" "Simple chicken breasts"
Google with the flavors you like: "peruvian chicken breasts" "asian chicken breasts"
Buy pre-made sauces and marinade in bottles and packets so no real cooking needed.
2. Vegetable(s)
Buy bags of frozen peas, broccoli, corn, brussels sprouts, etc. and microwave them. Add flavor with cheese, olive oil, etc.
Graduate to steaming or roasting fresh vegetables. Seriously SO easy. Any vegetable you like.
Carrots
Beets
Corn on the cob
Zucchini
Squash
Another option for vegetable is a side salad, dressing of choice
3. Carb
Rice (Rice-a-roni or similar quick-cook box)
Couscous (quick cook box)
Pasta (Quick cook pre-flavored box like Pasta Roni is fine! make it easy)
Potatoes (boiled or roasted)
Bread (sourdough baguette from the store, Pillsbury easy-back rolls of choice, frozen garlic bread)
Some meals cover 2 or even all three of these categories in one dish:
Fajitas (cut up chicken and/or steak, add bell pepper and packet of fajita seasoning, cook in skillet, put in tortillas with topping of choice)
Chicken pot pie (make with canned chicken, canned soup, frozen vegetables, and frozen pie crust)
Shepherd's pie (a little harder)
Lasagna - buy the pre-frozen stuff and serve with a vegetable.
Tacos (a lot like fajitas)
Pasta with a lot of meat and veggies mixed in, add jar of pre-made sauce
Shish-kabobs: meat and veggies on skewer, cook in (350 degrees) oven until meat is cooked.
posted by amaire at 4:00 PM on May 26, 2015
1. Meat
Burgers (turkey or beef, made from scratch or pre-made patties)
Sloppy Joes
Chicken breasts or fish fillets or pork chops cooked in skillet or oven until not pink in middle (add sauce of choice, either before or after cooking)
Beef cooked in skillet until as pink as desired in middle (whole steaks or cut in pieces) (add sauce of choice)
Sausages cooked in skillet (big kielbasas, good with sauerkraut or stir-fried peppers)
Infinite meat recipes are at your disposal on the internet. "Simple beef dish" "Simple chicken breasts"
Google with the flavors you like: "peruvian chicken breasts" "asian chicken breasts"
Buy pre-made sauces and marinade in bottles and packets so no real cooking needed.
2. Vegetable(s)
Buy bags of frozen peas, broccoli, corn, brussels sprouts, etc. and microwave them. Add flavor with cheese, olive oil, etc.
Graduate to steaming or roasting fresh vegetables. Seriously SO easy. Any vegetable you like.
Carrots
Beets
Corn on the cob
Zucchini
Squash
Another option for vegetable is a side salad, dressing of choice
3. Carb
Rice (Rice-a-roni or similar quick-cook box)
Couscous (quick cook box)
Pasta (Quick cook pre-flavored box like Pasta Roni is fine! make it easy)
Potatoes (boiled or roasted)
Bread (sourdough baguette from the store, Pillsbury easy-back rolls of choice, frozen garlic bread)
Some meals cover 2 or even all three of these categories in one dish:
Fajitas (cut up chicken and/or steak, add bell pepper and packet of fajita seasoning, cook in skillet, put in tortillas with topping of choice)
Chicken pot pie (make with canned chicken, canned soup, frozen vegetables, and frozen pie crust)
Shepherd's pie (a little harder)
Lasagna - buy the pre-frozen stuff and serve with a vegetable.
Tacos (a lot like fajitas)
Pasta with a lot of meat and veggies mixed in, add jar of pre-made sauce
Shish-kabobs: meat and veggies on skewer, cook in (350 degrees) oven until meat is cooked.
posted by amaire at 4:00 PM on May 26, 2015
Response by poster: I'd also suggest you consider what makes you unhappy about cooking, in case there are shortcuts or solutions to make the process easier...
There are actually a lot of deep-rooted psychological reasons for it that aren't worth getting into, but also several practical ones. Basically, every single part of cooking that is not eating makes me unhappy. I despise planning, shopping, washing and chopping, handling raw meat (gross), standing over a hot stove or sticking my fool head into a hot oven to check on some whatever, plating, listening to whatever gripes people inevitably have about the food I just prepared while loathing every minute, and doing the dishes.
It all seems to involve my least-favorite behaviors: paying attention to multiple things at once, being around sharp things, following overlapping and sometimes contradictory steps, making a mess, being warm, and opening myself up to criticism.
In short, I am not a big fan of this new phase in my life, and am really hoping the advice in this thread will be something I can cling to so that I don't completely despair!
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 4:33 PM on May 26, 2015 [10 favorites]
There are actually a lot of deep-rooted psychological reasons for it that aren't worth getting into, but also several practical ones. Basically, every single part of cooking that is not eating makes me unhappy. I despise planning, shopping, washing and chopping, handling raw meat (gross), standing over a hot stove or sticking my fool head into a hot oven to check on some whatever, plating, listening to whatever gripes people inevitably have about the food I just prepared while loathing every minute, and doing the dishes.
It all seems to involve my least-favorite behaviors: paying attention to multiple things at once, being around sharp things, following overlapping and sometimes contradictory steps, making a mess, being warm, and opening myself up to criticism.
In short, I am not a big fan of this new phase in my life, and am really hoping the advice in this thread will be something I can cling to so that I don't completely despair!
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 4:33 PM on May 26, 2015 [10 favorites]
I have the 1980 edition of The Betty Crocker Cookbook and it's my go-to for fast simple meals. If you're going to buy it, pay attention to which binding you want.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 4:41 PM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by the man of twists and turns at 4:41 PM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
I swear we lived on nothing but roast chicken and bagged salad for like six months last year. Buy chicken.
Put chicken in oven at 180c or so.
Wait an hour and a half. Two if it's a big chicken.
Put salad on plates, tear chicken apart with bare hands.
Should do two or three meals.
If you are near a grocery shop, you can get a precooked hot chicken instead if you are feeling lazy and it still works out cheaper and healthier than a restaurant.
If you get bored with the simple method above, you can experiment with spice rubs and stuffings, and different temperatures, but you don't have to.
posted by lollusc at 4:42 PM on May 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
Put chicken in oven at 180c or so.
Wait an hour and a half. Two if it's a big chicken.
Put salad on plates, tear chicken apart with bare hands.
Should do two or three meals.
If you are near a grocery shop, you can get a precooked hot chicken instead if you are feeling lazy and it still works out cheaper and healthier than a restaurant.
If you get bored with the simple method above, you can experiment with spice rubs and stuffings, and different temperatures, but you don't have to.
posted by lollusc at 4:42 PM on May 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
Oh and for easy carbs, throw a bunch of whole potatoes in the oven the same time you put the chicken on, and you have baked potatoes. Serve with butter or sour cream. Or you can put the chicken and salad in rolls to serve it instead.
posted by lollusc at 4:43 PM on May 26, 2015
posted by lollusc at 4:43 PM on May 26, 2015
Best answer: Remember that "cooking" doesn't have to be the same as "cooking from scratch." I love to cook, but I recently went through about a 2 week period where I had neither time, energy, nor fucks to give (evening commitments + a kid with a slow-developing medical emergency) and we ate one of those "put in a skillet and cook on low for 8-12 minutes" frozen meal things from Bertolli or PF Chang or whatever -- you get them at the grocery store -- every day for all of those fourteen days. They have food in them and are tasty!
posted by KathrynT at 4:45 PM on May 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by KathrynT at 4:45 PM on May 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
Budget Bytes' balsamic chicken thighs taste great, almost unbelievably so given the amount of effort involved. You can get the marinade ready in five minutes in the morning, leave the chicken to marinate in the fridge while you're at work, and then pop it in the oven when you get home. Goes great with roast potatoes plus green vegetable of your choice, though of course feel free to use any starch + vegetable combo, and I hereby give you permission to acquire your starch and/or vegetables from the frozen food aisle so all you have to do is dump them out of the bag and stick them in the oven or boil them, or possibly steam them in the microwave.
Also, I second that if you cook a couple-three meals on Sunday, they'll be fine in the fridge through at least Friday. I do this every week for my lunches and dinners during the work week, and have had no problems.
posted by yasaman at 5:24 PM on May 26, 2015
Also, I second that if you cook a couple-three meals on Sunday, they'll be fine in the fridge through at least Friday. I do this every week for my lunches and dinners during the work week, and have had no problems.
posted by yasaman at 5:24 PM on May 26, 2015
Just grill some meat. Buy steaks, pre-prepared pork or lamb on skewers, maybe mackerel or salmon if you swing that way, hamburgers, sausages. Grill on a BBQ outside or on a cast-iron grill inside (or maybe a Foreman grill, haven't tried it myself). Salt and pepper for land animals, add lemon for fish. You can take your chances with chicken, I'm not a fan.
Throw some peppers or zucchini or mushrooms on there if you want roasted veg.
Sides: boiled potatoes or rice. I sometimes like Uncle Ben's 10-minute jasmine rice, largely because it's done in ten minutes. Or just a piece of crusty bread.
Fresh salad: bag of spinach, or sliced tomatoes with green onions, or cucumbers and garlic, with olive oil and vinegar for all but tomatoes.
Now and then boil some asparagus or green beans (6 mins) for a change.
That's dinner in half an hour, max. If it feel a like a lot/overwhelming, it won't after two weeks, you get used to the movements and timing.
posted by cotton dress sock at 5:50 PM on May 26, 2015
Throw some peppers or zucchini or mushrooms on there if you want roasted veg.
Sides: boiled potatoes or rice. I sometimes like Uncle Ben's 10-minute jasmine rice, largely because it's done in ten minutes. Or just a piece of crusty bread.
Fresh salad: bag of spinach, or sliced tomatoes with green onions, or cucumbers and garlic, with olive oil and vinegar for all but tomatoes.
Now and then boil some asparagus or green beans (6 mins) for a change.
That's dinner in half an hour, max. If it feel a like a lot/overwhelming, it won't after two weeks, you get used to the movements and timing.
posted by cotton dress sock at 5:50 PM on May 26, 2015
Best answer: I like these Maya Kaimal simmer sauces, both the shelf-stable ones and the refrigerated ones. I follow the instructions (more or less, with some improvisation - often I just add spinach and chicken) and have them over rice. They feel a bit more like a home-cooked meal but are not a pain in the ass.
posted by vunder at 5:55 PM on May 26, 2015
posted by vunder at 5:55 PM on May 26, 2015
Seconding the cook double or triple portions and eat or re-purpose leftovers.
Do you have access to an outdoor grill? It can make things really simple and eliminate some things you hate about cooking.
1) put potato, sweet potato, corn on the cob on the grill. Or, forget it and buy a nice loaf of bread at the store.
2)throw a protein on the grill with some garlic and/or salt and or Cajun seasoning and/or premixed spice from the grocery store.
2). Throw some veggies in a foil packet in olive oil and salt on the grill next to it after the meat and potatoes have a chance to cook.
Throw away wrapper meat came in, corn husks and tin foil and clean almost nothing (less than nothing if you use paper plates).
posted by slateyness at 6:02 PM on May 26, 2015
Do you have access to an outdoor grill? It can make things really simple and eliminate some things you hate about cooking.
1) put potato, sweet potato, corn on the cob on the grill. Or, forget it and buy a nice loaf of bread at the store.
2)throw a protein on the grill with some garlic and/or salt and or Cajun seasoning and/or premixed spice from the grocery store.
2). Throw some veggies in a foil packet in olive oil and salt on the grill next to it after the meat and potatoes have a chance to cook.
Throw away wrapper meat came in, corn husks and tin foil and clean almost nothing (less than nothing if you use paper plates).
posted by slateyness at 6:02 PM on May 26, 2015
I like making yummy things, but these are my 2 go-to simple recipes -- always a hit with the boyfriend.
Chicken parm -- but with these modifications: store bought seasoned bread crumbs, 2 eggs instead of "egg whites + milk." I serve with penne pasta, and usually start the water boiling right before prepping the chicken. If you buy chicken cutlets, you don't even have to do any slicing -- it's coat in flour, coat in egg, coat in bread crumbs, spray with olive oil, bake.
Roasted sausage & peppers -- chop, toss on a (lined) baking sheet, stick in oven. Can be served with rice, in buns, whatnot, but great by itself, potatoes are only necessary if you want the starch, and easy variety by buying special flavored sausages.
posted by DoubleLune at 7:10 PM on May 26, 2015
Chicken parm -- but with these modifications: store bought seasoned bread crumbs, 2 eggs instead of "egg whites + milk." I serve with penne pasta, and usually start the water boiling right before prepping the chicken. If you buy chicken cutlets, you don't even have to do any slicing -- it's coat in flour, coat in egg, coat in bread crumbs, spray with olive oil, bake.
Roasted sausage & peppers -- chop, toss on a (lined) baking sheet, stick in oven. Can be served with rice, in buns, whatnot, but great by itself, potatoes are only necessary if you want the starch, and easy variety by buying special flavored sausages.
posted by DoubleLune at 7:10 PM on May 26, 2015
okay, i was a bachelor cook who went back to school and had no money to buy food out every day. here is a thing about about couscous, which i will try to sell you on as an easy carb for someone who hates cooking:
(1) it is super easy. boil one cup of liquid (some kind of broth or just water, maybe a little butter. You can add garlic powder or whatever else you like, it will probably be fine), when it's boiling, toss in a cup of couscous, turn off the heat, stir it around a bit (basically so the couscous is in the liquid) and leave it for five minutes. the couscous just soaks up all the liquid. (sometimes it seems to work better if you have a little extra liquid - you don't have to be super careful in my experience, it seems pretty forgiving).
(2) Relative to other stuff, like rice, this is hard to screw up. For me, whether rice works at a given meal seems totally arbitrary and also rice requires you to boil water for a long time, which is hot and sucks. Couscous is probably the easiest carb short of bread.
(3) it is still tasty cold, and you can throw it into a salad if you have extra.
posted by dismas at 7:11 PM on May 26, 2015 [4 favorites]
(1) it is super easy. boil one cup of liquid (some kind of broth or just water, maybe a little butter. You can add garlic powder or whatever else you like, it will probably be fine), when it's boiling, toss in a cup of couscous, turn off the heat, stir it around a bit (basically so the couscous is in the liquid) and leave it for five minutes. the couscous just soaks up all the liquid. (sometimes it seems to work better if you have a little extra liquid - you don't have to be super careful in my experience, it seems pretty forgiving).
(2) Relative to other stuff, like rice, this is hard to screw up. For me, whether rice works at a given meal seems totally arbitrary and also rice requires you to boil water for a long time, which is hot and sucks. Couscous is probably the easiest carb short of bread.
(3) it is still tasty cold, and you can throw it into a salad if you have extra.
posted by dismas at 7:11 PM on May 26, 2015 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: (no access to a grill or cast iron, alas)
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 7:26 PM on May 26, 2015
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 7:26 PM on May 26, 2015
In general I like to cook, but I got through phases where I'm not a fan, and even when I'm up for it I'm dealing with a tiny kitchen (studio apt) and no dishwasher. So some of my favorite go-to meals are cooked in one pan/baking sheet and don't require a lot of prep.
Sausage, kale, cannellini beans cooked ideally in a high sides sauté pan - Heat pan with some olive oil. slice sausage in rounds about 1/4" thick (I use andouille, but whatever you like) and cook in pan, remove when cooked. Chop some fresh kale (or you can use bagged or frozen since you don't like to chop) and throw in a can of drained cannelloni beans. Throw into the same sauté pan that you cooked the sausage in; add more oil if necessary. Cook until kale is wilted and beans are warmed up and toss the sausage back in to heat up. Squeeze some lemon juice on it, season as you like (I use red pepper flakes and salt). This takes 20-25 minutes tops. It's hearty so it's more of a winter dish for me and you could substitute other greens or beans.
Roasted cod with potatoes and olives all in one baking sheet with edges (like a jelly roll sheet) or roasting pan. If you can find small fingerling potatoes (instead of the recommended red potatoes) you may not need to cut them up. Also use non-stick aluminum foil to line the sheet/pan and clean up is that much easier. This recipe takes 45 minutes to roast, but requires almost no prep.
posted by kaybdc at 7:29 PM on May 26, 2015
Sausage, kale, cannellini beans cooked ideally in a high sides sauté pan - Heat pan with some olive oil. slice sausage in rounds about 1/4" thick (I use andouille, but whatever you like) and cook in pan, remove when cooked. Chop some fresh kale (or you can use bagged or frozen since you don't like to chop) and throw in a can of drained cannelloni beans. Throw into the same sauté pan that you cooked the sausage in; add more oil if necessary. Cook until kale is wilted and beans are warmed up and toss the sausage back in to heat up. Squeeze some lemon juice on it, season as you like (I use red pepper flakes and salt). This takes 20-25 minutes tops. It's hearty so it's more of a winter dish for me and you could substitute other greens or beans.
Roasted cod with potatoes and olives all in one baking sheet with edges (like a jelly roll sheet) or roasting pan. If you can find small fingerling potatoes (instead of the recommended red potatoes) you may not need to cut them up. Also use non-stick aluminum foil to line the sheet/pan and clean up is that much easier. This recipe takes 45 minutes to roast, but requires almost no prep.
posted by kaybdc at 7:29 PM on May 26, 2015
Oh yeah, there is absolutely zero shame in using modern technology, as long as it's not All Hot Pockets All The Time. Frozen vegetables, microwave-in-bag, you may have a grocery chain that specializes on ready-to-cook fresh and frozen items, things in cans, jar and pouch sauces. Most vegetables don't need more than a splash of fat and shake of seasoning (which you can buy pre-mixed). You don't need fancy restaurant-grade Recipe Food every night, spinach sauteed with a little garlic and lentils from a pouch are sufficient to the average day.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:43 PM on May 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Lyn Never at 7:43 PM on May 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
Oh yeah, that's a super good point by Lyn Never! LOTS of vegetables come frozen (no worrying about using it up before it goes bad), pre-washed, pre-chopped. Microwave and they're perfectly nice. Drain some of the extra water and put butter or hot sauce or Parmesan or salt or pepper if you want, you don't have to. Freezer to mouth in minutes. They even sell frozen pre-chopped onions! You don't have to dice an onion if you don't want to!
posted by spelunkingplato at 9:09 PM on May 26, 2015
posted by spelunkingplato at 9:09 PM on May 26, 2015
I hate shopping for cooking, and have very little time to cook. Here's some of my go-to, super easy recipes, none of them require more than 10 minutes of hands on time.
ROAST VEGETABLES
Chop up vegetables (carrots and potatoes are slower, zucchini and broccoli faster) . Drizzle olive oil on top. Sprinkle dried mixed herbs, salt, pepper liberally on top. Roast until golden brown. Brownie points if you line the baking pan with foil, which makes for speedy cleanup.
HONEY SOY CHICKEN WINGS/THIGHS/NIBBLES/MARYLANDS
Any kind of bone-in chicken. Mix soy sauce and honey until it tastes good, add some water. Pour over chicken. Marinade overnight if possible, if not just shove it in an oven.
SALTY CHICKEN
This one gets rave reviews. Buy a bunch of chicken wings/drumettes. Sprinkle & rub liberally with pepper and seasoning salt. Oven bake about 40 minutes. So yummy, with 5 minutes of prep.
STIRFRY
Chop any meat + vegetable combo you want into bite sized pieces. Fry! At the end, dribble in some combo of lemon juice, soy sauce, sesame oil. 10 minutes top.
THAI CURRY
Buy a jar of pre-made paste (I like Valcom's green curry paste). Choose your meat and vegetables. Follow instructions on bottle (usually, dump everything in a pot with a can of coconut milk).
RICE
You can cook rice in a microwave, and then stir in all kind of yummy things - microwaved frozen vegetables, shredded rotisserie chicken, tinned tuna, sun dried tomatoes, whatever you want. Stir it in whilst the rice is hot, and it'll be KIND of like fried rice.
NO TOUCH BOLOGNESE
Shove in a casserole dish: mince, tinned tomatoes, tomato paste, frozen spinach, shredded carrots, a ton of dried oregano or mixed herbs. All at once. Cook low and slow for a few hours. Cook some pasta when ready to serve.
SALMON PACKETS
Get salmon fillets, and put them in some foil packets with vegetables and some seasoning (soy sauce, lemon juice, salt & pepper, whatever you want!). Oven bake.
MASH
Roughly chop some potatoes or sweet potatoes. Microwave with a couple of tablespoons of water in a bowl. When super soft, take a whisk or hand mixer, slosh in some milk, butter, salt and pepper, and go to town.
BURGERS
My life changed when I learnt that you can fry up burger patties straight from frozen. You're welcome.
PANTRY TUNA PASTA
Cook pasta. Whilst it's cooking, drain tinned tuna, and fry up with a little oil. Add onions and garlic if you want, or leave it out. Add tinned or frozen vegetables. Pour in evaporated milk. When bubbling, add handfuls of (pre)shredded cheese. When the sauce is thick and silky, pour it over the cooked pasta. Total 20 min, no fresh ingredients needed.
You can do this exact same pasta with mushrooms and bacon instead of the tuna.
What I found was that the oven is our friend - minimal prep for food, then shove it into the heat source, and everyone thinks you've gone to huge effort. I regularly do a slow-oven roast of a lamb leg (lemon juice and salt and pepper, and some liquid like wine or beer or even water) - where it sits in the low oven covered in foil for 6 hours. It's meltingly tender and yummy. Guests always rave like I've slaved for hours in the kitchen. Really, I've been drinking wine all day waiting for it to be done.
Also - start ordering in your groceries. Once I started doing this, my life changed.
posted by shazzam! at 9:44 PM on May 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
ROAST VEGETABLES
Chop up vegetables (carrots and potatoes are slower, zucchini and broccoli faster) . Drizzle olive oil on top. Sprinkle dried mixed herbs, salt, pepper liberally on top. Roast until golden brown. Brownie points if you line the baking pan with foil, which makes for speedy cleanup.
HONEY SOY CHICKEN WINGS/THIGHS/NIBBLES/MARYLANDS
Any kind of bone-in chicken. Mix soy sauce and honey until it tastes good, add some water. Pour over chicken. Marinade overnight if possible, if not just shove it in an oven.
SALTY CHICKEN
This one gets rave reviews. Buy a bunch of chicken wings/drumettes. Sprinkle & rub liberally with pepper and seasoning salt. Oven bake about 40 minutes. So yummy, with 5 minutes of prep.
STIRFRY
Chop any meat + vegetable combo you want into bite sized pieces. Fry! At the end, dribble in some combo of lemon juice, soy sauce, sesame oil. 10 minutes top.
THAI CURRY
Buy a jar of pre-made paste (I like Valcom's green curry paste). Choose your meat and vegetables. Follow instructions on bottle (usually, dump everything in a pot with a can of coconut milk).
RICE
You can cook rice in a microwave, and then stir in all kind of yummy things - microwaved frozen vegetables, shredded rotisserie chicken, tinned tuna, sun dried tomatoes, whatever you want. Stir it in whilst the rice is hot, and it'll be KIND of like fried rice.
NO TOUCH BOLOGNESE
Shove in a casserole dish: mince, tinned tomatoes, tomato paste, frozen spinach, shredded carrots, a ton of dried oregano or mixed herbs. All at once. Cook low and slow for a few hours. Cook some pasta when ready to serve.
SALMON PACKETS
Get salmon fillets, and put them in some foil packets with vegetables and some seasoning (soy sauce, lemon juice, salt & pepper, whatever you want!). Oven bake.
MASH
Roughly chop some potatoes or sweet potatoes. Microwave with a couple of tablespoons of water in a bowl. When super soft, take a whisk or hand mixer, slosh in some milk, butter, salt and pepper, and go to town.
BURGERS
My life changed when I learnt that you can fry up burger patties straight from frozen. You're welcome.
PANTRY TUNA PASTA
Cook pasta. Whilst it's cooking, drain tinned tuna, and fry up with a little oil. Add onions and garlic if you want, or leave it out. Add tinned or frozen vegetables. Pour in evaporated milk. When bubbling, add handfuls of (pre)shredded cheese. When the sauce is thick and silky, pour it over the cooked pasta. Total 20 min, no fresh ingredients needed.
You can do this exact same pasta with mushrooms and bacon instead of the tuna.
What I found was that the oven is our friend - minimal prep for food, then shove it into the heat source, and everyone thinks you've gone to huge effort. I regularly do a slow-oven roast of a lamb leg (lemon juice and salt and pepper, and some liquid like wine or beer or even water) - where it sits in the low oven covered in foil for 6 hours. It's meltingly tender and yummy. Guests always rave like I've slaved for hours in the kitchen. Really, I've been drinking wine all day waiting for it to be done.
Also - start ordering in your groceries. Once I started doing this, my life changed.
posted by shazzam! at 9:44 PM on May 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
buy fully-cooked sausage. Slice it up.
Sauté it with sliced onions, (tomatoes, optional), then add sliced peppers of different colors.
Served it over pasta with olive oil. Or in a heated hoagie. Delicious!
Also, curries!
posted by Neekee at 9:45 PM on May 26, 2015
Sauté it with sliced onions, (tomatoes, optional), then add sliced peppers of different colors.
Served it over pasta with olive oil. Or in a heated hoagie. Delicious!
Also, curries!
posted by Neekee at 9:45 PM on May 26, 2015
Ok, the absolutely easiest dinner recipe I have is Eggs in Hell. The only one of your requirements it doesn't meet is the meat, but you can put in however many eggs you want to make up for it. Basically you smash some garlic, fry it for 30 seconds, dump in a can of diced tomatoes, let it cook for 5 minutes, cracks some eggs into the tomatoes, sprinkle with parmesan, cover and cook for x minutes et voila! Easier than frying the eggs, almost as easy as scrambling them. Also, it is delicious. Buy some nice crusty bread to eat with it.
posted by lollymccatburglar at 1:45 AM on May 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by lollymccatburglar at 1:45 AM on May 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
one of my favorite, like made for my birthday when I was you recipes:
Ham Baked Rice
Serves: 4
The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, 13th ed, 1996
01:00
1/3 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup rice
2 cups chicken bouillon
1 cup chopped ham
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Saute the onions and peppers in butter about 3 minutes. Add the rice and ham and stir, cooking just long enough to coat, about 2 to 3 minutes. Make 2 cups boiling chicken boullion and stir into rice mixture; mix well. Turn into a 1 quart casserole and top with a layer of grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until water is absorbed and cheese is browned.
I always double the recipe because the leftovers are real good the next day. This is also much easier if you have a food processor.
posted by Uncle at 7:53 AM on May 27, 2015
Ham Baked Rice
Serves: 4
The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, 13th ed, 1996
01:00
1/3 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup rice
2 cups chicken bouillon
1 cup chopped ham
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Saute the onions and peppers in butter about 3 minutes. Add the rice and ham and stir, cooking just long enough to coat, about 2 to 3 minutes. Make 2 cups boiling chicken boullion and stir into rice mixture; mix well. Turn into a 1 quart casserole and top with a layer of grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until water is absorbed and cheese is browned.
I always double the recipe because the leftovers are real good the next day. This is also much easier if you have a food processor.
posted by Uncle at 7:53 AM on May 27, 2015
I don't know if you know David Lebovitz, but he's a fancy French chef / blogger who also often shares dead-simple tricks and techniques. He once offhandedly mentioned this way of cooking chicken that he picked up in his youth working in restaurant kitchens, and it honestly changed my life.
I googled like crazy to find this, and could only find a mention in the Google Books version of "My Perfect Kitchen" (here):
"Heat a pot of salted water until boiling. Drop 4 large chicken breasts in the water, turn off the heat, and cover. The breasts will be done in about 10 minutes."
I usually put the chicken in with the cold water and let them come to a boil together. I let it boil for a few minutes, then use a thermometer to check to make sure they've reached at least 165. I am also paranoid, and ok with slightly overcooked chicken. If you're not, stick to his instructions.
This is not a way to end up with super flavorful chicken - it will be pretty bland. But it's an easy, quick way to get shredded chicken to use as a base in burritos, sandwiches, etc.
posted by jessicapierce at 8:02 AM on May 27, 2015
I googled like crazy to find this, and could only find a mention in the Google Books version of "My Perfect Kitchen" (here):
"Heat a pot of salted water until boiling. Drop 4 large chicken breasts in the water, turn off the heat, and cover. The breasts will be done in about 10 minutes."
I usually put the chicken in with the cold water and let them come to a boil together. I let it boil for a few minutes, then use a thermometer to check to make sure they've reached at least 165. I am also paranoid, and ok with slightly overcooked chicken. If you're not, stick to his instructions.
This is not a way to end up with super flavorful chicken - it will be pretty bland. But it's an easy, quick way to get shredded chicken to use as a base in burritos, sandwiches, etc.
posted by jessicapierce at 8:02 AM on May 27, 2015
easy human meals to make in your tiny joke kitchen.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 10:38 AM on May 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by the man of twists and turns at 10:38 AM on May 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Oh yeah, and don't be afraid or ashamed of going with shortcuts wherever possible. I go through a LOT of frozen chopped onions; they aren't that much more expensive than fresh, I never unpleasantly discover that the whole onion is black and gross in the middle, I don't cry when cutting them, and I don't have to find space for a cutting board on my often-cluttered counters. I use garlic paste and ginger paste, too, for similar reasons. Oh and frozen bell pepper strips.
Frozen vegetables are the best.
posted by KathrynT at 10:52 AM on May 27, 2015
Frozen vegetables are the best.
posted by KathrynT at 10:52 AM on May 27, 2015
Best answer: Having read your update, sounds like I went way way way too far on the cooking end of the spectrum So, simpler:
Mac and cheese:
- cook pasta, drain
- while that's going, reduce a couple cups of cream in a pan until thick, stir occasionally
- add shredded cheese (about 2:1 cream:cheese)
- mix pasta in
You can gussy that up with whatever spices you like, add (precooked! from the store!) chicken, or bacon. Takes no time, no touching stuff you don't like. Eat a salad or an apple with.
Nthing the roast-chicken-from-the-store. It's reasonably cost-effective, no fuss, and leftovers become lunch.
A lot of bigger supermarkets sell prechopped veg, will make your life easier.
If you don't mind it not being perfect, pizza is a great thing. Buy the dough at the supermarket, can of sauce, add whatever cheese and protein (preshredded! cooked meat from the store) and bung it in a 450F oven for 15 minutes or so.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 12:20 PM on May 27, 2015
Mac and cheese:
- cook pasta, drain
- while that's going, reduce a couple cups of cream in a pan until thick, stir occasionally
- add shredded cheese (about 2:1 cream:cheese)
- mix pasta in
You can gussy that up with whatever spices you like, add (precooked! from the store!) chicken, or bacon. Takes no time, no touching stuff you don't like. Eat a salad or an apple with.
Nthing the roast-chicken-from-the-store. It's reasonably cost-effective, no fuss, and leftovers become lunch.
A lot of bigger supermarkets sell prechopped veg, will make your life easier.
If you don't mind it not being perfect, pizza is a great thing. Buy the dough at the supermarket, can of sauce, add whatever cheese and protein (preshredded! cooked meat from the store) and bung it in a 450F oven for 15 minutes or so.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 12:20 PM on May 27, 2015
I like cooking, but I don't always have the time (and I'm on a somewhat restrictive low-carb diet parts of the time). One huge time-saver is the selection of bagged, frozen meat/chicken/fish that can be prepared without thawing. There's chicken breast, various types of fish burger patty, etc., and they're all basically "straight from the freezer, small amount of oil in skillet, medium heat, 7-8 minutes on one side, flip, 7-8 minutes on the other side, done". If you want warm food, there's basically nothing faster and simpler. Those 15 minutes or so also let you steam some frozen vegetables (which don't need thawing either).
Also, buy bulk food (costco or whatever), separate into ziplock bags (flatten things out as much as possible so they'll thaw fast), and freeze. You can do this with stuff you make in large portions too, like pasta sauce or caramelized onions or whatever, and they're a quick way to add flavor/sauce to a meal without complicating things.
The other thing you can do if you cook every day (I don't) is to plan your leftovers a bit. Cooking for just one or two people is hard, quantity wise, so it's easier if you plan for having some leftovers. If you have leftover pasta from one day, and leftover rotisserie chicken from the next day, you can put those two things in a bowl with some mayo/dressing and maybe some canned vegetables, and bam, pasta salad (which doesn't need to be heated, even).
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 2:24 PM on May 27, 2015
Also, buy bulk food (costco or whatever), separate into ziplock bags (flatten things out as much as possible so they'll thaw fast), and freeze. You can do this with stuff you make in large portions too, like pasta sauce or caramelized onions or whatever, and they're a quick way to add flavor/sauce to a meal without complicating things.
The other thing you can do if you cook every day (I don't) is to plan your leftovers a bit. Cooking for just one or two people is hard, quantity wise, so it's easier if you plan for having some leftovers. If you have leftover pasta from one day, and leftover rotisserie chicken from the next day, you can put those two things in a bowl with some mayo/dressing and maybe some canned vegetables, and bam, pasta salad (which doesn't need to be heated, even).
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 2:24 PM on May 27, 2015
Yep, after reading your update, cooking is not your thing. I think you've highlighted some good options on this thread.
Keep in mind, most cooked food lasts a week in the fridge. If you are OK with leftovers, try making 4 servings when you cook so that you can reduce your kitchen time. If you add in a Friday night grazing dinner* as suggested by FFFM, you are pretty well covered.
*May I humbly suggest the addition of a bottle of wine?
posted by jenquat at 3:31 PM on May 27, 2015
Keep in mind, most cooked food lasts a week in the fridge. If you are OK with leftovers, try making 4 servings when you cook so that you can reduce your kitchen time. If you add in a Friday night grazing dinner* as suggested by FFFM, you are pretty well covered.
*May I humbly suggest the addition of a bottle of wine?
posted by jenquat at 3:31 PM on May 27, 2015
Best answer: Another go-to for an easy dinner is Salsa Chicken over rice: start with a tub of fresh salsa, we prefer green salsa that is chunky not puréed, but used any that you like (found in the refrigerated section) poured over a pack of chicken thighs and simmered until chicken is cooked. Turn off heat and mix a couple spoons of sour cream into the salsa chicken. Start a pot of rice or preferred grain when you start the chicken and you are set for dinner.
Sometimes I even "fancy" this up for company by adding diced zucchini or sliced bell peppers in half way through cooking. Other times I skip the sour cream and use the salsa chicken for nachos or filling for burrito or quesadilla. The fresh chunky salsa lets you skips all the dicing and fiddling with seasoning and spices.
posted by Swisstine at 4:42 PM on May 27, 2015
Sometimes I even "fancy" this up for company by adding diced zucchini or sliced bell peppers in half way through cooking. Other times I skip the sour cream and use the salsa chicken for nachos or filling for burrito or quesadilla. The fresh chunky salsa lets you skips all the dicing and fiddling with seasoning and spices.
posted by Swisstine at 4:42 PM on May 27, 2015
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posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 2:34 PM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]