I'm an omivore looking for meal ideas / recipes that fit some criteria..
September 2, 2022 6:40 AM Subscribe
I hate cooking most meat because I usually ruin it. So here are the criteria:
1. Can be meatless. or
2. Can use ground meat, or already prepared meat such as hot dogs and other deli meats, rotisserie chicken pieces, canned meat, pates. Prechopped meat (like sold in packages for stew) would be ok as long as the cooking involved is just boiling or putting it in some liquid in a dutch oven. I will probably screw up anything that involves browning the pieces.
3. No slow cooker, pressure cooker, or air fryer. I DO have a rice cooker and blender as well as stove / oven and microwave (which can also be used as a toaster oven).
3. No slow cooker, pressure cooker, or air fryer. I DO have a rice cooker and blender as well as stove / oven and microwave (which can also be used as a toaster oven).
Rotisserie chicken is a miracle of cheap-n-easy modern home cooking. We get one, shred it up, then portion it up into large enough serving for the two of us and freeze them. You can thaw them and easily turn them into so many things pretty quickly.
We opt for throwing it into a skillet and adding the right spices for tacos. They can also easily become “pulled chicken” bbq for sandwiches. And, of course, a bit of mayo gets you easy chicken salad. Get yourself a jar of curry simmer sauce and dump it and the chicken into a skillet for 15 minutes, then dump it on rice.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:49 AM on September 2, 2022
We opt for throwing it into a skillet and adding the right spices for tacos. They can also easily become “pulled chicken” bbq for sandwiches. And, of course, a bit of mayo gets you easy chicken salad. Get yourself a jar of curry simmer sauce and dump it and the chicken into a skillet for 15 minutes, then dump it on rice.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:49 AM on September 2, 2022
A lot of times they'll have some fully cooked sausage and bratt options by the hotdogs (especially if they're smoked). I'll slice some up and toss into a baking dish with cooked pasta, broccoli (frozen or fresh), red sauce of choice and mozzarella and then bake until the cheese is gooey. If the broccoli is fresh, you could parboil it if you prefer softer textures (or just leave it out entirely). If I'm feeling fancy I will brown the slices of sausage for some added flavor, but it's not really necessary. I've also done this with impossible Italian sausage. I think you do need to cook those (it's been a while), so not sure how that rates as cooking meat.
Is some non-meat prep work ok? It requires some chopping and wrapper finagling, but I'll also make spring rolls using pre-cooked frozen shrimp that I thaw out right before making. I've also used crab sticks. I would think that shredded rotisserie chicken would also work well. Some recipes will call for cooked rice noodles, but I always leave those out. The link is more method than recipe, because I think that's the tricky part. I like using basil and mint leaves, bib lettuce, cucumber and thinly sliced peppers in mine. My first one is always ugly, but still tasty. You could also probably just use whatever pre-sliced veggies you grocery store has if you didn't want to chop stuff up yourself.
Also, one day I intended to make spring rolls, didn't feel like dealing with the rice wrapper, so I just make lettuce wraps. If you don't like eating with your hands, you could turn it into a salad using whatever dipper you were planning to use as dressing.
I'll also make a pasta salad with noodle of choice, Italian dressing of choice, whatever veggies you want (my go to are tomato, cucumber, sliced radishes, and a drained can of quartered artichoke hearts), and canned or rotisserie chicken. Sometimes I'll sub in salami and ham for the chicken, or just leave it vegetarian. Sometimes I'll throw some broccoli florets into the pasta for it's last 2-3 minutes of cooking. If the pasta salad is just for me/my husband (i.e. not a party) and supposed to last a few days, I'll mix everything up except for the dressing, and just add the dressing to my individual serving. I'll sometimes throw on some oregano and paprika to slightly modify the flavor profile.
posted by ghost phoneme at 8:27 AM on September 2, 2022
Is some non-meat prep work ok? It requires some chopping and wrapper finagling, but I'll also make spring rolls using pre-cooked frozen shrimp that I thaw out right before making. I've also used crab sticks. I would think that shredded rotisserie chicken would also work well. Some recipes will call for cooked rice noodles, but I always leave those out. The link is more method than recipe, because I think that's the tricky part. I like using basil and mint leaves, bib lettuce, cucumber and thinly sliced peppers in mine. My first one is always ugly, but still tasty. You could also probably just use whatever pre-sliced veggies you grocery store has if you didn't want to chop stuff up yourself.
Also, one day I intended to make spring rolls, didn't feel like dealing with the rice wrapper, so I just make lettuce wraps. If you don't like eating with your hands, you could turn it into a salad using whatever dipper you were planning to use as dressing.
I'll also make a pasta salad with noodle of choice, Italian dressing of choice, whatever veggies you want (my go to are tomato, cucumber, sliced radishes, and a drained can of quartered artichoke hearts), and canned or rotisserie chicken. Sometimes I'll sub in salami and ham for the chicken, or just leave it vegetarian. Sometimes I'll throw some broccoli florets into the pasta for it's last 2-3 minutes of cooking. If the pasta salad is just for me/my husband (i.e. not a party) and supposed to last a few days, I'll mix everything up except for the dressing, and just add the dressing to my individual serving. I'll sometimes throw on some oregano and paprika to slightly modify the flavor profile.
posted by ghost phoneme at 8:27 AM on September 2, 2022
Aside from the flexibility on meat inclusion, what kind of recipe are you looking for? Dinners? Multiportion things you can eat on for a week?
Here's some of the rotation in my house:
-beans & rice (I like white beans, my partner prefers to make red beans - look for a New Orleans-style recipe online, there are a million. I prefer smoked turkey to ham in these things.)
- sheet pan chicken with potatoes, garlic, and brussels sprouts. toss ingredients with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast together on a sheet pan lined with parchment at 425 degrees for 15 mins, then lower to 375 and cook for a further 30-45 mins. chicken should be at least 165 on a meat thermometer.
- homemade pizza, roughly following this recipe (I do the part-day rise of the dough). I do like to strain the tomatoes, and use mozzarella and chopped olives and herbs for the toppings.
- rice bowl. we take any protein (tofu, leftover chicken or beef) and make a pot of rice. serve with pickled things (kimchi) as well as sauteed chard or steamed broccoli, and put sriracha, sesame seeds, chili crisp, and tamari on the table for toppings.
- tacos. canned pinto beans with green chiles added, cook them down a bit, slice avocado or make a quick guacamole, chop tomatoes, grate cheddar, serve with pickled jalapeños and salsa. let everyone make their own. we use both soft and crispy tortillas and heat them in the oven until crispy.
We probably have meat in meals every other night, but some weeks are relatively meatless.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 8:41 AM on September 2, 2022
Here's some of the rotation in my house:
-beans & rice (I like white beans, my partner prefers to make red beans - look for a New Orleans-style recipe online, there are a million. I prefer smoked turkey to ham in these things.)
- sheet pan chicken with potatoes, garlic, and brussels sprouts. toss ingredients with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast together on a sheet pan lined with parchment at 425 degrees for 15 mins, then lower to 375 and cook for a further 30-45 mins. chicken should be at least 165 on a meat thermometer.
- homemade pizza, roughly following this recipe (I do the part-day rise of the dough). I do like to strain the tomatoes, and use mozzarella and chopped olives and herbs for the toppings.
- rice bowl. we take any protein (tofu, leftover chicken or beef) and make a pot of rice. serve with pickled things (kimchi) as well as sauteed chard or steamed broccoli, and put sriracha, sesame seeds, chili crisp, and tamari on the table for toppings.
- tacos. canned pinto beans with green chiles added, cook them down a bit, slice avocado or make a quick guacamole, chop tomatoes, grate cheddar, serve with pickled jalapeños and salsa. let everyone make their own. we use both soft and crispy tortillas and heat them in the oven until crispy.
We probably have meat in meals every other night, but some weeks are relatively meatless.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 8:41 AM on September 2, 2022
If you eat seafood, that's probably my #1 animal protein source as a lazy cook. I'm a big fan of the big bags of raw frozen you can get at Costco/similar. Shrimp, scallops, fish fillets, the pre breaded fish fillets you can stick in the oven/air fryer which you don't have. There's a lot of variety.
I think the reason these work better for me than beast meats is because they cook FAST, fast enough I generally don't need to go do something else while I'm waiting, so they get the benefit of being monitored the whole time.
posted by phunniemee at 8:46 AM on September 2, 2022
I think the reason these work better for me than beast meats is because they cook FAST, fast enough I generally don't need to go do something else while I'm waiting, so they get the benefit of being monitored the whole time.
posted by phunniemee at 8:46 AM on September 2, 2022
Mark Bittman's Prosciutto Soup is quick and easy and for the meat component just requires chopping up a prosciutto end. I usually use 4 cups rather than 6 of water, which means it turns quickly into more of a pasta dish than a soup, and I usually omit the onion, increase the garlic, and throw in some chopped-up parmesan rind if I have it.
posted by praemunire at 8:47 AM on September 2, 2022
posted by praemunire at 8:47 AM on September 2, 2022
I'm a fan of sheetpan veggies with a bit of meat. For example, chop up some broccoli and mushrooms and maybe a bell pepper. Toss those with some salt, pepper, olive oil and seasoning of your choice (garlic powder, onion powder, curry powder, italian seasoning - pick your favorite). Spread on a sheetpan and roast at 400 or 425F for about 15-20 minutes until they start to look cooked to your taste.
Meanwhile, grab a pack of pre-cooked sausages (Hillshire Farms rope sausage or the smaller Aidells). Slice those in half lengthwise, so you expose some of the inside, and chop into about 4-5" lengths (or whatever you want). Pull out the sheetpan and move the veggies over to make room for the sausages. Place them cut side down on the sheetpan and cook for about 5-7 minutes longer.
Other great veggies you can use: potato or sweet potato (may need to cook longer or pre-cook for a few minutes in the microwave); onion; cabbage; green beans; squash; zucchini. You just need to adjust the timing so shorter cooking veg like zucchini go on with the sausages, for example.
Other meats instead of sausage: raw shrimp tossed in the same seasoning as your veg; raw fish like a tilapia (something thin will cook pretty quickly, like 10 minutes); boneless chicken thighs (probably need as long as the veggies to cook); you could also do slabs of tofu here.
posted by hydra77 at 9:03 AM on September 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
Meanwhile, grab a pack of pre-cooked sausages (Hillshire Farms rope sausage or the smaller Aidells). Slice those in half lengthwise, so you expose some of the inside, and chop into about 4-5" lengths (or whatever you want). Pull out the sheetpan and move the veggies over to make room for the sausages. Place them cut side down on the sheetpan and cook for about 5-7 minutes longer.
Other great veggies you can use: potato or sweet potato (may need to cook longer or pre-cook for a few minutes in the microwave); onion; cabbage; green beans; squash; zucchini. You just need to adjust the timing so shorter cooking veg like zucchini go on with the sausages, for example.
Other meats instead of sausage: raw shrimp tossed in the same seasoning as your veg; raw fish like a tilapia (something thin will cook pretty quickly, like 10 minutes); boneless chicken thighs (probably need as long as the veggies to cook); you could also do slabs of tofu here.
posted by hydra77 at 9:03 AM on September 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
Another quick dish that only requires cutting up the meat is roasted brussel sprouts with lap cheong. Just go light on any added salt the first time.
posted by praemunire at 9:09 AM on September 2, 2022
posted by praemunire at 9:09 AM on September 2, 2022
I love using Aidell’s chicken meatballs (or other brands, chicken sausages, etc. but the Aidell’s are easy to find and tasty) in kebabs, stir fry kind of things, and in pasta. My best recipe is taking a pint or two of cherry or grape tomatoes, slicing them in half lengthwise and cooking them in some olive oil with red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning blend or whatever similar spices you have. After the tomatoes have gotten a little soft, add the meatballs (straight from the freezer is just fine) and cook for ten minutes or so. Meanwhile, boil a pound of bite size pasta. When the meatballs are done, dump the whole pan on the drained pasta and finish with a ton of fresh ground black pepper and grated pecorino Romano cheese (Parmesan also works). Any flavor of meatball weirdly works in this recipe- I actually like the teriyaki and pineapple best? You can also add extra veggies like zucchini etc. if that’s your jam.
posted by MadamM at 9:12 AM on September 2, 2022
posted by MadamM at 9:12 AM on September 2, 2022
I also prefer cooking with ground meat. Usually I make some sort of meat+carb+seasoning variation+side. So something like:
Ground beef, breakfast sausage, Italian sausage, chorizo, or ground turkey
in the form of a
burger, meatballs, sloppy joe, tacos, lasagna, pasta dish, orzo dish, or over rice
with a coordinating flavoring of
honey mustard, cheese, southwest spices, soy sauce and bell peppers, roasted tomatoes, bechamel, zaatar, curry spice/sauce, sriracha mayo, chili lime, butter+lemon+herbs, etc
and a side of
roasted potatoes, roasted veggies, salad, cole slaw
A good inspiration resource for similar sorts of variations can be found the Hello Fresh recipe library. I don't subscribe to Hello Fresh, but I have found their ground meat recipes are pretty adaptable to my cooking style
posted by donut_princess at 9:22 AM on September 2, 2022
Ground beef, breakfast sausage, Italian sausage, chorizo, or ground turkey
in the form of a
burger, meatballs, sloppy joe, tacos, lasagna, pasta dish, orzo dish, or over rice
with a coordinating flavoring of
honey mustard, cheese, southwest spices, soy sauce and bell peppers, roasted tomatoes, bechamel, zaatar, curry spice/sauce, sriracha mayo, chili lime, butter+lemon+herbs, etc
and a side of
roasted potatoes, roasted veggies, salad, cole slaw
A good inspiration resource for similar sorts of variations can be found the Hello Fresh recipe library. I don't subscribe to Hello Fresh, but I have found their ground meat recipes are pretty adaptable to my cooking style
posted by donut_princess at 9:22 AM on September 2, 2022
One of my standard no-recipe meals is ground pork, assorted raw or quick-fried vegetables, herbs, and then either a scoop of chili crisp or a simple sauce of hot peppers and rice vinegar.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:56 AM on September 2, 2022
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:56 AM on September 2, 2022
For the ground meat, are you okay browning that? The meal kits I use have a lot of rice+veggie+browned meat dishes that are good. You can buy precooked rice that only takes 90 seconds in the microwave. You can also buy bottles of Italian, asian, or mexican sauces to throw in closer to the end of the meat cooking time. Onions, peppers, tomatoes all dice up and cook with the meat easily. Sliced and baked carrots or potatoes work here too. Be sure to season them if not cooking with the meat.
You put the rice in the bowl, then the meat and veggies with any leftover sauce. Add sriracha mayo or crema(sour cream with lime juice thinned with water). I like top that with sesame seeds or crispy onions, too. It is nice because you can tweak as much as you want. The rice can be plain white with just salt or you can make it garlic rice, turmeric, any spice. Or throw in some herbs at the end. You can use any ground meat you like or even plant based options. The sauce really drives the genre of the meal.
posted by soelo at 9:58 AM on September 2, 2022
You put the rice in the bowl, then the meat and veggies with any leftover sauce. Add sriracha mayo or crema(sour cream with lime juice thinned with water). I like top that with sesame seeds or crispy onions, too. It is nice because you can tweak as much as you want. The rice can be plain white with just salt or you can make it garlic rice, turmeric, any spice. Or throw in some herbs at the end. You can use any ground meat you like or even plant based options. The sauce really drives the genre of the meal.
posted by soelo at 9:58 AM on September 2, 2022
Sausage and potatoes can be done entirely in the oven with no browning needed. Dice potatoes, add onions (carrots, peppers, sweet potatoes), oil, season and bake for 20 minutes. Cut up sausage and throw in for another 20, stirring once or twice during cooking. Precooked sausage might only take 10 minutes. Throw cheese on when you take it out or for the last 5 minutes. I will say different potatoes cook very differently, so 40 minus total is a rough guess . You can grab out a piece with a fork, let it cool, and taste it to make sure they are cooked through. Keep setting a timer for another 7 minutes until they are done.
Dirty rice with premade sausage and/or chicken is good. Get a box of dirty rice and chop up some meat to go into it. The box will tell you brown the meat first, but that is not totally required. It will come to temp in the water with everything else. Some boxes have rice that will be done in 10 minutes and others will take 25. Either way check 5 minutes before the end and stir things up.
posted by soelo at 10:07 AM on September 2, 2022
Dirty rice with premade sausage and/or chicken is good. Get a box of dirty rice and chop up some meat to go into it. The box will tell you brown the meat first, but that is not totally required. It will come to temp in the water with everything else. Some boxes have rice that will be done in 10 minutes and others will take 25. Either way check 5 minutes before the end and stir things up.
posted by soelo at 10:07 AM on September 2, 2022
Response by poster: To answer some questions - I'm looking for primarily lunch (or multi-portion keepable reheatable things) and dinner options, but I also have breakfast for dinner often because I get a ton of eggs for free.
I'm ok browning ground meat. My main issue with cooking meat is that if it's something like a pork chop or chicken thigh, I get paranoid that it won't cook thoroughly and end up overcooking or it's just too dry or if I try to not do that I seem to under cook it or just don't want to eat it out of paranoia that it's not fully cooked or it's unevenly cooked or...it's a mess. The only times I'm happy with meat I cook myself is if it's high quality steak, usually a filet cut, because I like to eat it medium rare to medium so I just sear on each side for like 3 mins.
I also totally forgot seafood - I also feel like i mess this up, but can handle cooking shrimp and have had success making soup with fish and of course would also use ideas that use precooked or canned fish.
posted by WeekendJen at 10:10 AM on September 2, 2022
I'm ok browning ground meat. My main issue with cooking meat is that if it's something like a pork chop or chicken thigh, I get paranoid that it won't cook thoroughly and end up overcooking or it's just too dry or if I try to not do that I seem to under cook it or just don't want to eat it out of paranoia that it's not fully cooked or it's unevenly cooked or...it's a mess. The only times I'm happy with meat I cook myself is if it's high quality steak, usually a filet cut, because I like to eat it medium rare to medium so I just sear on each side for like 3 mins.
I also totally forgot seafood - I also feel like i mess this up, but can handle cooking shrimp and have had success making soup with fish and of course would also use ideas that use precooked or canned fish.
posted by WeekendJen at 10:10 AM on September 2, 2022
Do you have a good meat thermometer? I am much more confidant with chicken breasts now that I can measure them to ensure they are at temp and not have to cut them open.
posted by soelo at 10:15 AM on September 2, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by soelo at 10:15 AM on September 2, 2022 [4 favorites]
If you have a lot of eggs, make quiche. I make onion tart with sliced, sauteed onions; they take 20+ minutes to become soft and golden. Put grated parmesan in a pie shell (you can pre-bake it partly), then onions, then egg/milk mix. The onions get sweet and savory. Most vegetables work well in quiche, tons or recipes on the Web. Leftover quiche is great for breakfast or lunch.
Meatloaf, despite it not getting respect. There have been ask.mes, not finding them quickly, but sliced cold meatloaf sandwiches with mustard are a fantastic lunch. Meatloaf is easily customised. Start with the Betty Crocker recipe.
posted by theora55 at 10:20 AM on September 2, 2022
Meatloaf, despite it not getting respect. There have been ask.mes, not finding them quickly, but sliced cold meatloaf sandwiches with mustard are a fantastic lunch. Meatloaf is easily customised. Start with the Betty Crocker recipe.
posted by theora55 at 10:20 AM on September 2, 2022
One of my standard no-recipe meals is ground pork, assorted raw or quick-fried vegetables, herbs, and then either a scoop of chili crisp or a simple sauce of hot peppers and rice vinegar.
Along the same lines, another browning-ground-meat only recipe: stir-fried ground pork with pickled mustard greens (definitely a meal to eat with rice).
posted by praemunire at 11:22 AM on September 2, 2022
Along the same lines, another browning-ground-meat only recipe: stir-fried ground pork with pickled mustard greens (definitely a meal to eat with rice).
posted by praemunire at 11:22 AM on September 2, 2022
Sausage Scramble:
Chop a few ribs of celery. Chop a couple of apples or so. Get 1 lb. bulk sausage. Maple is good to use. Brown meat with celery and apples. Drain. Serve in bowls.
posted by NotLost at 7:08 PM on September 2, 2022
Chop a few ribs of celery. Chop a couple of apples or so. Get 1 lb. bulk sausage. Maple is good to use. Brown meat with celery and apples. Drain. Serve in bowls.
posted by NotLost at 7:08 PM on September 2, 2022
Jimmy Dean Fully Cooked Turkey Sausage Crumbles
Cooked No Yolks Noodles
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Mix together. Porportions as desided. Soupy or thick. Nice hot soup or a stroganoff like meal with the addition of some sour cream.
Just boiling some water and a little microwaving.
posted by bjgeiger at 2:57 AM on September 3, 2022
Cooked No Yolks Noodles
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Mix together. Porportions as desided. Soupy or thick. Nice hot soup or a stroganoff like meal with the addition of some sour cream.
Just boiling some water and a little microwaving.
posted by bjgeiger at 2:57 AM on September 3, 2022
This is not an easy question, because apart from burgers, which are delicious, and meatballs, most good dishes with ground meat take a lot of time to cook. IMO, this is because ground meat that is just cooked through, at 20-30 minutes, is grainy and dry and tastes of nothing. If you give it another hour or even more, it combines with the other flavors and becomes lovely. So mainly, I'm going to post some slow cooked stews that are easy to make but take a lot of time in the oven or on a very slow burner. I have one of those heat diffusers for my stovetop, and I have also recently bought a single induction plate that is good for very low heat as well as for boiling a pot of water very rapidly. I don't like slow cookers at all.
I have never mastered the art of meatballs, so I use sausage meat. And I actually buy whole thick sausages, because I find it practical to squeeze out a ball at a time from the casing. Then I press the resulting ball a bit flatter, and fry it like I would a little burger.
One simple thing I can think of that we ate at least once and often twice a week when my kids were small is a Thai-style curry. You can make it as is, or throw in frozen shrimp and slices of charcuterie chicken just before serving. You don't wan't to really cook the protein more, they are ready to eat, just heat them through. I found a "wok mix" in the freezer of my local supermarket that was perfect for the vegetable side of this, and eliminated the rinsing and chopping time. Maybe you can find something like that. This is all finished in the time it takes to cook the rice, even if you have to chop the vegs. This is fine mixed with rice as dinner for breakfast, but it doesn't reheat as well as the recipes below.
Marcella Hazan's famous tomato sauce is the easiest recipe that is also really delicious. Vegetarian, though.
I regularly take a tin of crushed tomatoes and a tin of white beans, put them both in a pot, heat and season with salt, pepper, chili flakes, oregano. When the sauce is simmering, I add in balls of frozen spinach. Continue simmering till the spinach is very soft. Drizzle with olive oil and maybe a few drops of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar. Eat with bread. This can be eaten when the spinach is cooked through, but is much better when it has cooked 20 minutes more at a very low heat. No stirring. You want the spinach to still be in little islands.
Because you mentioned that you have lots of eggs, I'm posting this:Tortilla Española. You will need to practice a bit, but it is so worth it.
Today I have bought some fresh fish filets from white, flat fish. You can use any fish but the cooking times here are for something like a lemon sole. Frozen fish are absolutely fine here, but you need to thaw them, preferably in the fridge, before cooking.
This is a recipe for four, I'm halving it tonight, because I am alone and having the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
8 filets of lemon sole
0.25 liters of whole cream
1 cup of cremefraiche
1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
Juice from 1/2 lemon (I forgot to buy lemons and might add a tsp of wine vinegar rather than go back to the store)
1 tbsp of finely chopped fresh tarragon, or a tsp dried
salt and pepper to taste
Butter or other grease for the casserole dish
Rice for the side
Start the rice.
Heat the oven to 200 C / 390 F
Season the fish filets with salt and pepper, and roll them up.
Mix the other ingredients except the butter in a bowl, with a little more salt and pepper, but remember you have already seasoned the fish.
Grease a casserole dish that fits the amount of fish you are using, and put in the fish so they are tightly packed. Pour over the sauce. When the oven is ready, bake for 30 minutes. Though check at 25 minutes, if the fish is opaque, it is ready. (My oven is a bit unreliable, so I always check everything, and set my alarm to do it). Even people who are scared of fish love this dish. It was the first dish my not-cooking sister learnt to cook.
This is nice with a side salat of lettuce, peas and blueberries, dressed with a mild vinaigrette. But I have melon and prosciutto, so that's what I'll be doing for a starter today.
It is a recipe from my grandmother's scrapbooks, and I noticed while looking through them for this answer that all those old-timey recipes are tried and tested. To feel safer in the kitchen, maybe stick to cookbooks and recipes from actual cooking magazines, where they spend the money on testing. Some newspapers, like The Guardian and the NYTimes take recipes really seriously, so you can probably trust them too. But random blogs are not always trustworthy (the links here are to recipes I have tried).
Another recipe that is relatively quick, (but not really) is this recipe for stroganoff, where you can put your steak cooking skills to use. The pictures in the article are not pretty, but it is an amazing recipe.
Now to the more slow cooked recipes (all of these can me cooked in the oven at low heat rather than on the stovetop):
This recipe for dolmas is a bit fiddly, but not difficult. And it improves a lot in the fridge overnight. I have never tried to freeze it, because I share my apartment with three hungry twenty-somethings, and I'd have to hide it somewhere to keep it, it's that good the next day. I have made several variations on this including vegan, and I think I prefer it with sausage meat instead of ground beef, though I like the halal sausage meat as much as the pork version.
Ragù Bolognese is not difficult, but it is time-consuming. This is the best recipe I've found online. I never bother with the gelatine powder mentioned. It keeps very well, in the freezer or fridge. You can use it as a sauce for fettuccine or penne, or you can make an old style Italian lasagna, which also freezes well. Or you can make a variation of Shepherd's Pie. Or put it in a pie dish with a layer of store bought puff pastry on top. So what I used to do was to make a rather large pot full and freeze it down in smaller portions that could become something delicious on a weeknight, with little effort. Now we mostly eat vegetarian food, so I don't do it as often, but I still use the same recipe for a glorious lasagna for guests.
A very simple stew that I make often, for couscous: Take chunks of any meat, and/or chicken thighs, and throw them in a pot with: onions, quartered, carrots, cut in thirds, kohlrabi and potatoes, cut into large chunks, zucchini, cut into thick slices, whole cloves of garlic. A tin of whole, skinned tomatoes. Season with olive oil, salt, ground pepper, thyme, bay leaf, ground cumin, ground nutmeg, turmeric, tomato paste. Some water. The stew should not dry out, and rather be a bit watery than too dry, so keep an eye on that. The reason there aren't amounts here is that it will always be good regardless of what you do. One carrot, four carrots, it will be fine. A whole (cut up) chicken, two thighs, it will be fine.
Bring to a boil and then simmer until you can cut the meat with a spoon, and if using chicken thighs, the meat falls off the bone. Season to taste. You can use a bit of harissa here, or a lot, if you like spicy food. Then add in a tin of chickpeas and bring back to a simmer for a few minutes before serving.
Keeps very well in freezer and fridge. . If you don't have couscous, bread or rice are fine too. The other day I had bulgur. But it is very much a Sunday afternoon project.
posted by mumimor at 6:45 AM on September 3, 2022
I have never mastered the art of meatballs, so I use sausage meat. And I actually buy whole thick sausages, because I find it practical to squeeze out a ball at a time from the casing. Then I press the resulting ball a bit flatter, and fry it like I would a little burger.
One simple thing I can think of that we ate at least once and often twice a week when my kids were small is a Thai-style curry. You can make it as is, or throw in frozen shrimp and slices of charcuterie chicken just before serving. You don't wan't to really cook the protein more, they are ready to eat, just heat them through. I found a "wok mix" in the freezer of my local supermarket that was perfect for the vegetable side of this, and eliminated the rinsing and chopping time. Maybe you can find something like that. This is all finished in the time it takes to cook the rice, even if you have to chop the vegs. This is fine mixed with rice as dinner for breakfast, but it doesn't reheat as well as the recipes below.
Marcella Hazan's famous tomato sauce is the easiest recipe that is also really delicious. Vegetarian, though.
I regularly take a tin of crushed tomatoes and a tin of white beans, put them both in a pot, heat and season with salt, pepper, chili flakes, oregano. When the sauce is simmering, I add in balls of frozen spinach. Continue simmering till the spinach is very soft. Drizzle with olive oil and maybe a few drops of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar. Eat with bread. This can be eaten when the spinach is cooked through, but is much better when it has cooked 20 minutes more at a very low heat. No stirring. You want the spinach to still be in little islands.
Because you mentioned that you have lots of eggs, I'm posting this:Tortilla Española. You will need to practice a bit, but it is so worth it.
Today I have bought some fresh fish filets from white, flat fish. You can use any fish but the cooking times here are for something like a lemon sole. Frozen fish are absolutely fine here, but you need to thaw them, preferably in the fridge, before cooking.
This is a recipe for four, I'm halving it tonight, because I am alone and having the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
8 filets of lemon sole
0.25 liters of whole cream
1 cup of cremefraiche
1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
Juice from 1/2 lemon (I forgot to buy lemons and might add a tsp of wine vinegar rather than go back to the store)
1 tbsp of finely chopped fresh tarragon, or a tsp dried
salt and pepper to taste
Butter or other grease for the casserole dish
Rice for the side
Start the rice.
Heat the oven to 200 C / 390 F
Season the fish filets with salt and pepper, and roll them up.
Mix the other ingredients except the butter in a bowl, with a little more salt and pepper, but remember you have already seasoned the fish.
Grease a casserole dish that fits the amount of fish you are using, and put in the fish so they are tightly packed. Pour over the sauce. When the oven is ready, bake for 30 minutes. Though check at 25 minutes, if the fish is opaque, it is ready. (My oven is a bit unreliable, so I always check everything, and set my alarm to do it). Even people who are scared of fish love this dish. It was the first dish my not-cooking sister learnt to cook.
This is nice with a side salat of lettuce, peas and blueberries, dressed with a mild vinaigrette. But I have melon and prosciutto, so that's what I'll be doing for a starter today.
It is a recipe from my grandmother's scrapbooks, and I noticed while looking through them for this answer that all those old-timey recipes are tried and tested. To feel safer in the kitchen, maybe stick to cookbooks and recipes from actual cooking magazines, where they spend the money on testing. Some newspapers, like The Guardian and the NYTimes take recipes really seriously, so you can probably trust them too. But random blogs are not always trustworthy (the links here are to recipes I have tried).
Another recipe that is relatively quick, (but not really) is this recipe for stroganoff, where you can put your steak cooking skills to use. The pictures in the article are not pretty, but it is an amazing recipe.
Now to the more slow cooked recipes (all of these can me cooked in the oven at low heat rather than on the stovetop):
This recipe for dolmas is a bit fiddly, but not difficult. And it improves a lot in the fridge overnight. I have never tried to freeze it, because I share my apartment with three hungry twenty-somethings, and I'd have to hide it somewhere to keep it, it's that good the next day. I have made several variations on this including vegan, and I think I prefer it with sausage meat instead of ground beef, though I like the halal sausage meat as much as the pork version.
Ragù Bolognese is not difficult, but it is time-consuming. This is the best recipe I've found online. I never bother with the gelatine powder mentioned. It keeps very well, in the freezer or fridge. You can use it as a sauce for fettuccine or penne, or you can make an old style Italian lasagna, which also freezes well. Or you can make a variation of Shepherd's Pie. Or put it in a pie dish with a layer of store bought puff pastry on top. So what I used to do was to make a rather large pot full and freeze it down in smaller portions that could become something delicious on a weeknight, with little effort. Now we mostly eat vegetarian food, so I don't do it as often, but I still use the same recipe for a glorious lasagna for guests.
A very simple stew that I make often, for couscous: Take chunks of any meat, and/or chicken thighs, and throw them in a pot with: onions, quartered, carrots, cut in thirds, kohlrabi and potatoes, cut into large chunks, zucchini, cut into thick slices, whole cloves of garlic. A tin of whole, skinned tomatoes. Season with olive oil, salt, ground pepper, thyme, bay leaf, ground cumin, ground nutmeg, turmeric, tomato paste. Some water. The stew should not dry out, and rather be a bit watery than too dry, so keep an eye on that. The reason there aren't amounts here is that it will always be good regardless of what you do. One carrot, four carrots, it will be fine. A whole (cut up) chicken, two thighs, it will be fine.
Bring to a boil and then simmer until you can cut the meat with a spoon, and if using chicken thighs, the meat falls off the bone. Season to taste. You can use a bit of harissa here, or a lot, if you like spicy food. Then add in a tin of chickpeas and bring back to a simmer for a few minutes before serving.
Keeps very well in freezer and fridge. . If you don't have couscous, bread or rice are fine too. The other day I had bulgur. But it is very much a Sunday afternoon project.
posted by mumimor at 6:45 AM on September 3, 2022
Update on the fish-dish: 25 minutes was the right time, and also, it was so delicious I ate it all. I remember my gran counting three filets pr person, even though the recipe says two, so she must have known. Try this recipe.
posted by mumimor at 10:56 AM on September 3, 2022
posted by mumimor at 10:56 AM on September 3, 2022
« Older Reveals A Renaming (Anagrams Never Lie) | My dog eats mushrooms—how can I kill all the fungi... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ananci at 6:47 AM on September 2, 2022