The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: lifejoy on July 29, 2014, 07:11:08 PM
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I know there are a lot of awesome recipe threads on here, but how about for those of us who don't like to cook? Or clean? :) I know we should just suck it up and make a big batch of chilli, but baby steps are important. List as many cheap, easy, and healthyish meals you can think of!
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Overnight Oatmeal
1:1 milk and oatmeal
Put in a bowl with frozen berries. Leave in the fridge overnight. Wake up, and enjoy the fruits of your labour!
Snacks:
Mixed nuts
Mandarin orange
Apple and peanut butter
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I will be following this thread with great interest!
we are a super busy family and I don't love cooking so simple and easy is best. I like to make steamed or roasted veggies (as the healthy part) and pair it with mac and cheese, pigs in a blanket, fish nuggets from trader joes.
I know they are not perfect - but they are easy and you can just increase the veggie to other stuff ratio when you feel like it.
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I will be following this thread with great interest!
we are a super busy family and I don't love cooking so simple and easy is best. I like to make steamed or roasted veggies (as the healthy part) and pair it with mac and cheese, pigs in a blanket, fish nuggets from trader joes.
I know they are not perfect - but they are easy and you can just increase the veggie to other stuff ratio when you feel like it.
Roasted veges! Good call. Do you put some oil and salt and pepper on them? Or...? I wonder if I could buy small ones to reduce the necessary cutting... I am seriously lazy.
Roasted garlic + crackers.
Cut the top off of a garlic bulb. Wrap bulb in tin foil after putting olive oil and salt and pepper on it. Roast at 350 for 45 min (I think?). Voila! Roasted garlic, squish it out onto your crackers.
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Chicken and rice
Chicken parts
Water to cover all
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Onion
Put in pot, cover, bring to boil/simmer, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove chicken to cool
To stock add grain (basmati rice cooks really fast, but you can use other grains)
Chopped carrots (adjust size of chop and when you add depending on how long it will take the grain to cook)
Frozen peas, added in the last 10 min.
Optionally other veggies
Again, bring to a boil/simmer and cover and cook until grain ad carrots are done.
In the meantime, remove the skin, bones, gristle from the cooked chicken and chop or shred. You may have more than needed for this, use extra for chicken enchiladas, tacos, salad, chicken salad,.....
Once the rice/grain is cooked, add frozen peas and chicken, stir, co paver, cook until peas are ready.
Eat --- yum. Great for work lunches.
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Chicken and rice
Chicken parts
Water to cover all
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Onion
Put in pot, cover, bring to boil/simmer, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove chicken to cool
To stock add grain (basmati rice cooks really fast, but you can use other grains)
Chopped carrots (adjust size of chop and when you add depending on how long it will take the grain to cook)
Frozen peas, added in the last 10 min.
Optionally other veggies
Again, bring to a boil/simmer and cover and cook until grain ad carrots are done.
In the meantime, remove the skin, bones, gristle from the cooked chicken and chop or shred. You may have more than needed for this, use extra for chicken enchiladas, tacos, salad, chicken salad,.....
Once the rice/grain is cooked, add frozen peas and chicken, stir, co paver, cook until peas are ready.
Eat --- yum. Great for work lunches.
I love it!!! Can I use any kind of raw chicken? Like chicken breast, whatever?
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Chicken piccata. Use "quick chicken piccata" recipe on All Recipes. I use a two pack of costco chicken breasts. I have made it without the butter and its fine. Tonight I made it in 26 minutes. You definitely get spouse points for this one.
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Chicken and rice
Chicken parts
Water to cover all
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Onion
Put in pot, cover, bring to boil/simmer, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove chicken to cool
To stock add grain (basmati rice cooks really fast, but you can use other grains)
Chopped carrots (adjust size of chop and when you add depending on how long it will take the grain to cook)
Frozen peas, added in the last 10 min.
Optionally other veggies
Again, bring to a boil/simmer and cover and cook until grain ad carrots are done.
In the meantime, remove the skin, bones, gristle from the cooked chicken and chop or shred. You may have more than needed for this, use extra for chicken enchiladas, tacos, salad, chicken salad,.....
Once the rice/grain is cooked, add frozen peas and chicken, stir, co paver, cook until peas are ready.
Eat --- yum. Great for work lunches.
I love it!!! Can I use any kind of raw chicken? Like chicken breast, whatever?
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I typically use chicken breast. If you score a good deal on boneless skinless it is a lot easier to process, but the bone-in is usually cheaper, and it think has a bit more flavor. I just ran out of basmati rice (from a giant bag I scored at sam's club years ago), so will use quinoa or kashi. If you want to use couscous, throw the carrots etc in early, cook, then add the couscous, turn off the heat, cover and then fluff. You can change the flavor profile with various spices, but salt and pepper are the basics.
You could probably use pasta to - though here I am counting on the grain to absorb all of the stock.
I don't really measure when I make this, but general ratios should work. Too much liquid left, let to sit or cook without the cover a bit longer.
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These are great! Thanks!!
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"Quinoa casserole, Tex Mex variation". - cook one cup quinoa. Combine cooked quinoa with a can of black beans, a cup or so of salsa, and an egg. Transfer to a casserole dish or large cast iron pan. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.
Can be modified with different beans, cheeses and veggies for variety.
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"Quinoa casserole, Tex Mex variation". - cook one cup quinoa. Combine cooked quinoa with a can of black beans, a cup or so of salsa, and an egg. Transfer to a casserole dish or large cast iron pan. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.
Can be modified with different beans, cheeses and veggies for variety.
Raw egg?
Damn that sounds good!
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Chicken piccata. Use "quick chicken piccata" recipe on All Recipes. I use a two pack of costco chicken breasts. I have made it without the butter and its fine. Tonight I made it in 26 minutes. You definitely get spouse points for this one.
This too. Really easy, just cut or pound the chicken into thin cutlets (I use chicken breast), lightly coat with seasoned flour (flour, salt pepper). Sauté on low heat, these are not suppose to brown. To the pan add garlic, lemon juice, capers. Scrape up the fond (delicious brown bits in the pan). Add in butter to make a sauce. Pour over chicken.
Usually served with pasta on the side.
It is a really quick dish!
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I feel like cooking is made to be too complicated. Not everything has to be a "recipe."
Porkchops and escarole.
Put porkchops in pan.
While cooking, chop escarole.
Flip porkchops. Place escarole in pan. Cover.
Done when the escarole is wilted. (If porkchops are thin, remove them before then to avoid overcooking.)
Salt and pepper to taste.
Chicken and I Don't Know Whatever Veggies You Have in the Freezer or Some Shit
Place chicken thighs or whatever piece you want in a pan. Splash some soy sauce and garlic powder on top. Or olive oil and basil.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat up some frozen or canned veggies.
Put some butter or parmesan on the veggies or something.
Bam.
As my mother used to say, "If you don't like it then maybe you're not really hungry."
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Ahhh, a question I am actually qualified to answer!
Exhausted but I can wait to eat:
Baked potatoes or sweet potatoes topped with things. Chili is good. Depending on your dietary standards, it can be the el cheapo canned chili, or the fancy organic low fat canned chili, or chili you have lovingly made and frozen yourself. Or shredded cheese and steamed vegetables. Or frozen veggies with cheese sauce (not that I am admitting to anything...). Or tuna salad. Or chopped meat w. barbeque sauce and cheese. Etc.
Exhausted and I want to eat now:
Scrambled eggs, toast, a piece of fruit (or applesauce)
Oats, yogurt, fruit (chopped fresh or dried), nuts--let it sit so the oats soften. You may need to add a little milk if it's Greek yogurt.
If you have a waffle iron, waffles for dinner--from a box mix or scratch, depending on your standards, with fruit and low-fat sausage or bacon on the side. I think this is less fussy than pancakes myself. Or batter for a Dutch baby (oven-baked pancake) is quick to mix in the blender. (This is not so healthy, though, there's a lot of butter involved.)
Defrost frozen rice or quinoa (or again, if you have more time, rice in the rice cooker) or make couscous. Top according to a "theme"--beans, cheese, salsa and sour cream for Mexican, spaghetti sauce, cheese and whatever meat you have around for Italian, feta, lemon juice, yogurt, plus protein for "greek," etc.
Quesadillas to be filled with whatever's around.
Mix a can of tuna, can of rinsed black beans, chopped onion, salt and pepper, and lots of balsamic vinegar. If you have any salad friendly veggies around (like bell peppers) you can chop them up to go in there too.
Soup from a box or the freezer, depending, plus cheese melted on toast (a little mustard spread on the bread is tasty) and then fruit or cut up veggies on the side.
You can either throw veggies into these, or do super simple sides, which could include
--sliced cucumber in vinegar, or tossed in sour cream and dill
--cut up tomatoes w. balsamic vinegar
--sauteed greens (amount of prep work you do vs. buying bagged up to you)
--roasted veggies. I like asparagus this way when it's in season
etc.
Three cookbook suggestions--
The Make It Fast, Cook it Slow cookbooks (there are two, the first is better)--slow cooker recipes that hit a nice balance between not too many prepared products and not too much prep required)
The Express Lane Cookbooks by Sarah Fritschner from the 1990s (warning, at least the vegetarian version is heavy on the carbs)
Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express cookbook. Very few measurements and the recipes (no more than a paragraph long each) don't take a lot of time, although sometimes they require "pantry" items that only a foodie would consider staples.
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I precooked batches of sauce up and freeze in portions. So when I'm lazy I just cook pasta and microwave the sauce. Another recipe is cous cous topped with fried egg, onion and sweet chilli sauce.
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I do a lot of easy quinoa and bean meals.
southwest variation:
cook a cup of quinoa (so, one cup uncooked)
can black beans
can chopped tomatoes
can corn
package trader joe's soy chorizo
cilantro
stir, and you have five meals. microwave before eating. top with cheese if you want to get fancy. And only one bowl to wash!
greek variation:
cook a cup of quinoa
can chopped tomatoes
can chick peas
crumbled feta
chopped red onion
chopped cucumber
parsley/dill/mint/cilantro or whatever other herb you have fresh.
toss with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper
I eat one of these things most days. Easy/cheap/filling and healthy, so they pass my tests :)
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Great idea for a topic!
I love pasta. One of my favorites:
Spinach (or Supergreens) Pasta
Cook pasta.
While pasta is cooking, heat pan with some olive oil. Turn it to simmer and add garlic cloves to taste. (I like 3-4.) Don't burn them!
Wash, dry, and add greens, like spinach, kale, etc. to the frying pan. Note that it starts really big and then shrinks, so you might have to add a couple of batches!
When the greens look wilted, turn off the stove. Marvel at how ALL THOSE GREENS ended up being TEENY TINY.
Drain pasta, and pour pasta in the frying pan!! Add spices to taste. I like basil, rosemary, and pepper. Mmm. Some people also add a little lemon. Sometimes I add chile powder for a kick. Use your preferences!
Stir/toss it all together. Eat with pecorino romano or grana padano cheese - much cheaper than parmesan, but for a similar flavor profile!
....
Actually, I think that's what I will make for dinner tonight ;)
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Rice in rice cooker, chicken parts in oven + garlic or paprika or bottled salad dressing on top
Brown up ground beef, maybe onions, add tomatoes or sauce, serve over pasta. (Can throw in spices to make it more exciting of course)
As above but the veggie Bolognese version:
Boil water for pasta, but don't salt it yet.
Chop up some onions, brown them in oil. You can also add chopped mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, etc. Deglaze the pan with some cheap red wine and set aside.
Meanwhile mix (in a Pyrex measuring cup) one cup texturized veggie protein, one teaspoon veggie boullion, one teaspoon Italian seasoning, one teaspoon garlic powder. Now add some boiling water to cover (about 2 cups) stir it up, and then stir in some vegetarian worchestershire sauce and/or soy saice till it's nice and "meaty" tasting.
Salt the boiling pasta water and start cooking your pasta.
While it boils, keep making sauce: Add the TVP mix to the onions in the pan, then add a half-can of crushed tomatoes or spaghetti sauce. On medium-ish heat, let it soak/simmer while the pasta cooks. Maybe add a slight bit of sugar or lemon juice to taste
The red wine and flavourings all make the TVP taste good in a short time. If you're not vegan, adding a little old cheddar or mozzarella on top is nice
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Ok here's another one. Curry. I saute 1 onion, 2 sweet peppers, 1 potato, 2 apples, add 2 tbl curry, 1 tsp @ coriander and curry, one can light coconut milk, and either chickpeas or cooked chicken. Om nom nom. You can eat it on couscous or rice but we skip that carby part.
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Hey people! I'm feeling inspired - I'm going to create a word doc that has these recipes on them, so that we can seem them all in one place :) If you make your posted meal and would like to send a photo, please do! I'll add it to the master doc :)
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I do a lot of legume+ grain/potato + veg with fruit for desert. I generally do one cup of each per person (a little more for me a little less for the kids)
The beans take a long time if dry but it is almost all passive time (soaking + ~1 hour simmering). Or you could use canned.
So Kale+ Canellini Beans + Pasta
Boil water for pasta and cook ~ I/2 cup dry per person
Saute garlic in olive oil ~ (tablespoon per person), chop Kale 1 dense cup per person (or Rapini, or spinach) and saute till wilted add beans and pasta and quickly mix until combined and coated with oil. You can add a bit of pasta water if you like to add some moisture.
Top with parmesan, salt, red and black pepper to taste.
Vegan brunswick stew
Canned or dried or frozen lima beans (or edemame) + canned tomatos + canned corn + diced redskiin potatos in roughly equal portions
Saute celery + onions + garlic in pot till soft in oil/butter. Add tomatoes to let them cook down a bit, then add the rest of the veg + veg stock to cover (you can buy bullion cubes). Add spashes of Worcestershire sauce + bay leaf + thyme + salt + pepper cayenne pepper if you like heat.
Nachos are also very quick and everybody can have them the way they like them.
Corn Chips + Pinto beans cooked with oil and mashed to make re-fried+ cheese + salsa+ lettuce/cilantro + avocado.
The possibilities are limitless. for legume+ starch +veg fruit for dessert and green salad to start.
Oh and one more, not a legume one. Potato salad dinner. This is my granny's recipie
Throw an egg + two quartered red skin potatoes per person in pot with water and boil till potatoes done. Put potatoes in a bowl and run some cool water over the eggs. Chop pickles celery and onions if you like and mix with potatoes. The peel and chop eggs. Mix in DUKE'S Mayonnaise (it absolutely must be Duke's) to cover and mash the potatoes eggs a bit then squirt a bit of yellow mustard into the mix and mix in until it is all the same color (a light yellow). Add salt and pepper and eat right then or put in fridge. Eat with sliced tomato+cukes with salt and vinegar and cantaloupe.
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For a side: Grill and char any veggies. Puree them in a food processor. Add chickpeas and olive oil, and puree some more to make hummus. Slather on anything.
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My go to quick meals are:
-homemade Mac and cheese (8 oz pasta, 5 oz good cheddar, 2 tbsp butter, 1/4 cup milk). Cook and drain pasta, return to pan on medium heat, add remaining ingredients and stir until melted.
-pancakes or waffles
-a messy omelette. (Cook whatever veggies or shrooms you want, then pour scrambled eggs over top, cook like scrambled eggs.)
-stir fry. I know you don't like chopping, so mushrooms and something that chops easily like zucchini. Zucchini cooks fast, so only add it when the mushrooms are almost done.
-curry rice and ? (Prepare rice with a bit more liquid than normal, flavored with curry powder. Add veggies when the water comes to boil. Certain veggies may overcook, but it's still tasty.
-my pizza is actually pretty damn quick, about 45 minutes start to finish, but all of that time is hands-on.
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As a power lifter I eat A LOT of protein, naturally I try to reduce my grocery bill as much as I can and still get in a stupid amount of protein in. (Been at around 240g every day for 9+ months)
So the following can be adjusted to fit your needs.
My key is buying in bulk and cooking in bulk, I cook meat for 3 days at a time to minimize cooking and cleaning. I also cut up the chicken after cooking and throw in tupperware. Then whatever veggies I eat for that dinner I cook daily. My cheapest way to get my calories in is raw chicken breast from Sams for $1.89 a lb and I go through about 13 lbs a week. I also eat 1 10 oz bag of spinach everyday, onions, can of diced tomatoes, and sweet potato for dinner.
That is my cheapest style of eating so everyday for dinner...
Microwave my chicken, 1.5 lbs for me, can change for you.
In a pot I throw in ~ 2 tbsp EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) and ~ 2 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette and 1 cup chopped up onions. I season with a lot of cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes, let this heat up. Throw in a can of diced tomatoes mix everything together, throw half of 10 oz bag of spinach and cover. When you see steam come out open up and mix everything together and throw the rest of the spinach on top and repeat. I let some of the bottom stuff collect and burn for some extra flavor, pour on top of chicken and mushed sweet potato and demolish food.
http://instagram.com/p/nojEapo5Pj/?modal=true
With the PB and milk I eat with that it comes out to 1500 calories 180g/97g/49g protein/carbs/fat. So based off your goals you can make this go a long way pretty cheaply.
My other go to is ezekiel bread pb sandwhich and some fage non fat greek yogurt for easy lunch meals at work.
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Put red onions, parsley, olive oil and balsamic vinegar on butter beans, mix it and eat as an appetizer/snack.
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I tend to eat "primalish", I do love to cook and batch cook meals at the weekend but many evenings I come home and do the following:
Fry meat (or fish) in a pan with some olive oil - lamb chop, steak, pork chop, chicken leg/breast - usually 5-10 minutes.
While the meat is frying microwave a single serving pack of mixed vegetables for 3 minutes.
Put the veg on the plate, add butter, salt, pepper, lemon juice, add the meat, eat. The only clean up is a plate, cutlery and a frying pan.
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I love to cook but no one can be on all the time so when I'm tired I do a couple of things. First of all I do a tofu stirfry. Just cut the tofu however you like, put it in the wok for a couple of minutes first then add some chopped veggies, whatever you have on hand. Then do soy sauce, ponzu sauce, grated ginger, lemon, crushed red pepper, garlic. I've used all kinds of variation on the flavors, sometimes only one and sometimes all of them if I have them on hand. For veggies I've used all kinds of things, cabbage, carrots, zucchini, onion, mushrooms. The list goes on. Serve with rice or quinoa.
The other easy thing I do is fish. I usually have a flaky white fish like Swai or Tilapia and I'll either bread it or pan fry it or bake it in the oven in packets of either aluminum foil or parchment paper. The packets are super easy, just salt and pepper and any other seasonings you like that are on hand and maybe some lemon slices on top then fold them up and bake them on a sheet pan and get a side dish ready while they bake.
These are both very cheap, too.
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I wouldn't say these are meals, but for cheap, lazy, healthyish eating, I end up eating a lot of the following:
hard boiled eggs
fruit
nuts
cheese
raw veggies
(3/4 of my family are vegetarian)
Sometimes the veggies take a bit of prep (just cutting), but I'll grab a cucumber or carrot right out of the fridge, give it a scrub, or bite right in. A lot of the kids' lunches these days are what I call "snack attack." We have these divided plate/tray vessels, with maybe 5-6 compartments, and I just fill them with some assortment of the above. I'll usually cut the veggies up for them, but they've been known to walk around with whole cucumbers, just eating them like a banana. It doesn't get any simpler than that.
We are also a fan of overnight oats, but we mix them with yogurt and milk for a bit of tang and a different texture. We throw in raisins and sunflower seeds, sometimes a bit of honey. The kids love it. Chocolate chips are also excellent in this if you feel like "treating" yourself or the kids.
Also, smoothies are an easy "meal." I know it doesn't seem very dinner like, but they are an obvious breakfast, and you can get away with them for lunch. I like to put greens in (spinach, kale, etc.) I blur lines between what foods are for what meals often. DH likes breakfast for dinner a lot.
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My go-to meal when I'm tired but have some time is bratwurst. I open a pack of 5, slap them on a pan with sides, and stick it in the oven at 350 for an hour. Sometimes I chop up potatoes, toss them with oil and spices, and stick them on the same pan for the same amount of time. Other times I just cook the meat and scrounge sides from the fridge or panty. Prep time: like 3 minutes?
My go-to meal when I'm tired and want to be in bed within 20 minutes is scrambled eggs with cream cheese. Scramble up the eggs in a bowl, and add little pieces of cream cheese that you cut off the brick. Not a lot, maybe 5 pieces about 1/2 inch-1 inch big. Stir a little bit, then pour the whole thing in the pan and cook as usual. Adds a wonderful bit of creaminess to the eggs. Eat with toast, or not.
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Seems like a job for - http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/off-topic/mustachian-recipe-index/
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Lentils. The red ones (look orange) cook in about 15-20 minutes. 1 cup of lentils to 3 cups of liquid. Cook and stir occasionally. I vary the spices although my favorite are "the Cs": cumin, cardamom, cilantro, cloves, coriander, coconut, coconut milk. Not all at once! Onion and garlic is always a good addition.
Leftovers can become a grain salad the next day or reheated.
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One of the most easiest recipes:
- cook rice
- make scrambled eggs
- put the eggs on the rice (bonus: mix) and eat
Not the most delicious or varied dish, but (especially with a rice cooker) needs nearly no work, the shortest-lasting ingredient is eggs and you can fill yourself up for a very low price. Students all-time emergency hot dish.
You can also make some kind of veggie sauce, freeze it in portions and use it to make a delicious "curry rice" whenever you want.
For the not so big hunger: Toast Hawai (or whatever its called in the US):
- toast
- Ananas ring from the can
- cheese
- use microwave or oven to heat until the cheese runs
Watch your tongue while eating this delicious thing, hot cheese can burn badly! Not only with lasagne.
ananas curry: For the rest of your can (here the canned is really better then fresh)
- tofu, hacked small (most work here), preferably soaked a bit in vegetables stock
- ananas with all the sweet water from the can
- corn
- the big kidney beans
- chilli con carne mix of spices (bought or do-them-yourself ;) )
- optional: whatever you want, like peas, mushrooms, zucchini...
Takes a bit more of work then the first option, but you can make as much as has place in your pot and eat it 3 times. Really delicious! And doesn't even burn in if you dont stir ^^ Bonus: vegan
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One of the most easiest recipes:
- cook rice
- make scrambled eggs
- put the eggs on the rice (bonus: mix) and eat
Don't scramble those eggs man! You need the yolks to cover the rice! Or stir in a can of black beans with the rice. Then you have rice and beans w/ eggs (with lots of yolk to go around).
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One of the most easiest recipes:
- cook rice
- make scrambled eggs
- put the eggs on the rice (bonus: mix) and eat
Don't scramble those eggs man! You need the yolks to cover the rice! Or stir in a can of black beans with the rice. Then you have rice and beans w/ eggs (with lots of yolk to go around).
OMG yum. with my love of beans and rice AND runny egg yolk (not to mention egg scrambles that involve black beans) I am stunned that this has never occurred to me.
just found this thread, super excited to read through it but don't have time right now BUT just wanted to say that one of my fave cheap/fast/not terribly unhealthy meals is super simple burrito bowls... rice (I usually do brown), black beans (used to use canned but now I batch cook 2 lbs in the crockpot and freeze them in can-sized baggies), Rotel (or, you know, store brand diced tomatoes and green chiles), pepper jack cheese. om nom nom. if I'm trying to convince my boyfriend it's a meal, add shredded taco meat from the freezer. maybe add some greens too, for health purposes. :)
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In either crockpot or dutch oven: cut up root vegetables rather large, 2-inch chunks (or so). Place whole chicken on top, then salt, pepper, and poultry season if you wish (not necessary, though). Cook or bake for a ridiculously long amount of time. Enjoy the smells while it's cooking. Then at dinner time, pull it out and cut off chicken you want to eat, spoon out vegetables, and enjoy.
Processing the chicken after to get all the meat off can take a little bit of work, but then you've got cooked chicken that it's really, really easy to add to other recipes. And if you really want to get fancy, after you pull the rest of the veggies out of the juices at the bottom you can save those juices or add the bones back, add water, turn the crockpot back on or put it back in the oven, and you can make a really quick and easy stock for later. (I realize this might sound like too much work for some of you. I find it worthwhile though.)
Also: Chicken soup. Cut chicken, cut vegetables. I always go with: carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and potatoes. Cook chicken in olive oil with salt and pepper, then add the onions and garlic. When those are soft, add the carrots and celery. When those are slightly softened (a couple of minutes) add water to cover, some chicken stock, and the potatoes. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft. The hands-on time is maybe 20 minutes, tops, and the whole recipe takes about 45 minutes max. It's easy enough that I've made it when all 3 of us were sick, while holding the baby who didn't want to let go of me.
Finally, these:
Braised cabbage - http://nomnompaleo.com/post/1356598429/worlds-best-braised-green-cabbage
Chili mac (having tonight!) - http://damndelicious.net/2014/03/15/one-pot-chili-mac-cheese/
Rainbow chicken salad - http://pinchofyum.com/rainbow-chicken-salad-almond-honey-mustard-dressing
Cheesy sausage and pasta - http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/spicy-sausage-pasta.html#_a5y_p=983880
Asiago chicken pasta - http://asmallsnippet.com/2010/09/gift-from-me-to-you.html (Can be a bit pricey due to the cheese, but worth it)
White chicken chili - http://www2.gooseberrypatch.com/gooseberry/recipe.nsf/55e548eeef8c89b9852568d4004c5ffe/0B892409C3C3728D85257930004D9898 (I don't use canned chicken, because cutting up and browning a chicken breast or two only takes minutes)
"Lazy Sunday casserole" - http://www.kayotic.nl/blog/lazy-sunday-casserole (we change up the veggies we use; the important part seems to be the oil/herb mixture over root veggies and sausages)
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"Quinoa casserole, Tex Mex variation". - cook one cup quinoa. Combine cooked quinoa with a can of black beans, a cup or so of salsa, and an egg. Transfer to a casserole dish or large cast iron pan. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.
Can be modified with different beans, cheeses and veggies for variety.
Raw egg?
Damn that sounds good!
Raw egg. Stir it all in. It makes the quinoa kind of hold together more when you serve the casserole. (Otherwise it would not keep shape, and would just be a pile of quinoa on your plate.). The egg gets cooked when you bake the casserole of course, so no issues there. Just like baking a cake! Sometimes I even use two eggs.
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In either crockpot or dutch oven: cut up root vegetables rather large, 2-inch chunks (or so). Place whole chicken on top, then salt, pepper, and poultry season if you wish (not necessary, though). Cook or bake for a ridiculously long amount of time. Enjoy the smells while it's cooking. Then at dinner time, pull it out and cut off chicken you want to eat, spoon out vegetables, and enjoy.
Processing the chicken after to get all the meat off can take a little bit of work, but then you've got cooked chicken that it's really, really easy to add to other recipes. And if you really want to get fancy, after you pull the rest of the veggies out of the juices at the bottom you can save those juices or add the bones back, add water, turn the crockpot back on or put it back in the oven, and you can make a really quick and easy stock for later. (I realize this might sound like too much work for some of you. I find it worthwhile though.)
Also: Chicken soup. Cut chicken, cut vegetables. I always go with: carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and potatoes. Cook chicken in olive oil with salt and pepper, then add the onions and garlic. When those are soft, add the carrots and celery. When those are slightly softened (a couple of minutes) add water to cover, some chicken stock, and the potatoes. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft. The hands-on time is maybe 20 minutes, tops, and the whole recipe takes about 45 minutes max. It's easy enough that I've made it when all 3 of us were sick, while holding the baby who didn't want to let go of me.
Finally, these:
Braised cabbage - http://nomnompaleo.com/post/1356598429/worlds-best-braised-green-cabbage
Chili mac (having tonight!) - http://damndelicious.net/2014/03/15/one-pot-chili-mac-cheese/
Rainbow chicken salad - http://pinchofyum.com/rainbow-chicken-salad-almond-honey-mustard-dressing
Cheesy sausage and pasta - http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/spicy-sausage-pasta.html#_a5y_p=983880
Asiago chicken pasta - http://asmallsnippet.com/2010/09/gift-from-me-to-you.html (Can be a bit pricey due to the cheese, but worth it)
White chicken chili - http://www2.gooseberrypatch.com/gooseberry/recipe.nsf/55e548eeef8c89b9852568d4004c5ffe/0B892409C3C3728D85257930004D9898 (I don't use canned chicken, because cutting up and browning a chicken breast or two only takes minutes)
"Lazy Sunday casserole" - http://www.kayotic.nl/blog/lazy-sunday-casserole (we change up the veggies we use; the important part seems to be the oil/herb mixture over root veggies and sausages)
That braised cabbage looks awesome. Though I would probably just use olive oil as opposed to all of that bacon fat. Maybe just add one piece of bacon to it for flavor?
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Fajitas are cheap and easy to make as well. Use the chicken from a roaster chicken, cut up an onion and a pepper and put it in a bowl. Get some organic salsa. Keep the materials in your fridge. When you want one get them out and throw chicken, onion and pepers, and cheese, throw in microwave for 25 seconds to melt cheese, then pull it out and put salsa on it and wrap it up.
I'm also a fan of the even easier to make chicken spinach wraps. Throw some raw spinach leaves in a tortilla with some chicken from your roasted chicken. Put some buffalo sauce on it and wrap it up.
Lentils are also ridiculously easy to make. Throw pack of lentils in a crockpot with 8 cups of water. Add a teaspoon of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and a half teaspoon of chili powder. Throw in a bouillon cube (beef). Turn crockpot on high and 3 hours later you have the best tasting lentils ever.
It's actually pretty easy (and cheap) to eat healthy if you're willing to spend one or two days a week doing some prep work. At any given moment I have a bowl of roasted chicken, a bowl of cut up broccoli and cauliflower, a bag of raw spinach, and a bowl of cut up watermelon and pineapple in my fridge. Takes a couple of hours on a Sunday night and it lasts three or four solid days (sometimes even up to five days). And at any moment I can have fajitas, wraps, salads, or a bowl of fresh fruit in a matter of minutes.
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Thai peanut stir fry: stir fry a bag of chopped frozen veggies and a can of chikpeas, drained (or use a can of chicken if you find a sale). Add generous doses of soy sauce as it cooks, a tablespoon of lemon juice and a dash of fish sauce if you have it. Once the veggies are cooked, turn down to low, push them aside from a small area so that the liquid pools up and drop about 4 tbs of crunchy peanut butter in the liquid. Stir it around unit other PB melts into a yummy peanut sauce with the soy. Takes about a minute and a half.
Serve over rice if y have it, or just eat.
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Hmm, all of these sound really good :)
This one takes a bit more time but can be pretty lazy.
Roast vegetable salad:
- All sorts of root veges (potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnip, onion etc)
- Fresh spinich
- Bacon
- balsamic vinegar
- other flavours - salt, pepper, garlic, herbs (as you like)
Optional for the fancy version - feta, nuts/seeds such as pine nuts, sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
I roast the veges in a ceramic dish with a good two inch lip. This generally takes about 45mins. Add salt/pepper/garlic/herbs depending on mood before putting them in or as they cook. I tend to burn the garlic unless I add it close to the end.
When the veges are done, pull the dish out, add in sliced bacon (cut into small pieces) and toss. It will generally cook really quickly just with the heat of the dish, but if you are worried, just chuck it back in the oven for a couple of extra minutes.
Rinse and cut the spinich. Add to the dish once it's out of the oven and the bacon is cooked. This will wilt rapidly with the heat of the dish as you toss everything together.
Add balsamic vinegar as a dressing. Optional - add feta for a bit of extra bite.
I like this for family get togethers as you can make alot and then still eat any leftovers cold the next day :)
For a not so healthy but 20/30min dinner:
Chicken and rice with mustard.
Boneless chicken (breast or thighs are good)
1 Leek (you can use cabbage as an alterative but I like leek the best).
Rice
Mustard (either powder or other form. I like to use dijon or anything that isn't too sweet).
Sour cream. Probably about 1/4C for 2people. You can go pretty light on this.
A small amount of sour - use either lemon juice, vinegar, white wine etc depending on what you have on hand. It cuts the rich taste of the sour cream.
Cooking liquid of some sort. Either plain water, chicken stock, white wine or whatever you have on hand.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Start some rice cooking in a pot.
Chop your chicken into small pieces (either cubes about 1/2 inch square or 1/4 inch slices works).
Fry in a pan until just cooked through. I like to put a lid on the frying pan when cooking chicken as otherwise I run the risk of it drying out. You can use a touch of oil etc if you aren't using non stick.
Cut the leek into 1/8 or 1/4 inch rings and put in with the chicken. Add a bit of cooking liquid to the pan (mabye 1/2 cup - i'm not exact) so it will start to steam. Put the lid on again and let it cook through. Keep an eye on it as you may need to add more cooking liquid if it's getting dry.
When your leek is tender, add the sour cream, mustard, sour flavour and salt/pepper to taste. I generally do them in that order and taste as I go. Stir well.
Serve beside or on the rice.
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My go to chicken recipe is Brown Sugar/Garlic Chicken....put two breasts in an oven pan, sprinkle some olive oil, brown sugar, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Put in oven at 400 degrees for about 25-30 minutes...done! You get a nice bbq like crust on the chicken and the flavor is amazing. I also put in green beans sprinkled with feta cheese with the chicken and it is a great side.
I also do a lot of crockpot meals...Baked potato soup (Bear Creek Mix) with quinoa and chopped spinach, Lentils and Sausage, Pea soup with Ham, Lasagna in the crock pot and you don't even have to cook the pasta!
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One of the most easiest recipes:
- cook rice
- make scrambled eggs
- put the eggs on the rice (bonus: mix) and eat
Don't scramble those eggs man! You need the yolks to cover the rice! Or stir in a can of black beans with the rice. Then you have rice and beans w/ eggs (with lots of yolk to go around).
As much as I like a lot of japanese things, TKG (Tamago Kake Gohan) is not one for me ;) Also unheatet egg can be risky.
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One of the most easiest recipes:
- cook rice
- make scrambled eggs
- put the eggs on the rice (bonus: mix) and eat
Don't scramble those eggs man! You need the yolks to cover the rice! Or stir in a can of black beans with the rice. Then you have rice and beans w/ eggs (with lots of yolk to go around).
As much as I like a lot of japanese things, TKG (Tamago Kake Gohan) is not one for me ;) Also unheatet egg can be risky.
oh I was picturing the egg being over-easy, not totally raw. raw isn't really my thing either!
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One of the most easiest recipes:
- cook rice
- make scrambled eggs
- put the eggs on the rice (bonus: mix) and eat
Don't scramble those eggs man! You need the yolks to cover the rice! Or stir in a can of black beans with the rice. Then you have rice and beans w/ eggs (with lots of yolk to go around).
As much as I like a lot of japanese things, TKG (Tamago Kake Gohan) is not one for me ;) Also unheatet egg can be risky.
TKG is the best. The rice cooks the egg. My kids especially love it.
We buy pasteurized eggs in America. But in Japan we just use raw farm eggs.
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When I'm feeling especially lazy, I make one pot meals in the rice cooker. Throw in rice, protein (chopped sausage, lentils, etc.), and some sort of veg and press cook. Easy, yummy, and balanced. :)
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Chickpea stew.
Take an onion, celery stalk, carrot and a couple of garlic cloves. Throw them into a food processor and beat them to a pulp. Literally. Then put some chickpeas that were soaked for a few hours (at least) into a crockpot and cover with water. Add the pulp, a smoked pork chop and a couple of bay leaves plus salt and pepper to taste.
Set it on high and let it go while you are at work. Takes less than 5 minutes of effort and tastes like you slaved over it all day.
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Forgot to share this lovely gem.
http://instagram.com/p/q9U2usI5Ho
Ezekiel french toast.
Srambled up some eggs and cinnamon, dipped 3 slices of ezekiel bread in em and threw em on a pan. Topped with non fat greek yogurt, peanut butter, kashi cinnamon crunch, blueberries, and walden farms calorie free pancake syrup.
This comes out to about 1240 cals at about 130 87g/129g/47g p/c/f.
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Refried Bean Burritos
Whole wheat tortillas, a can of refried beans, some shredded cheddar cheese.
Preheat oven to 400 or whatever (doesn't need to be exact). Spread some refried beans on each tortilla, sprinkle with cheese, and fold in half. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 3-5 minutes, flip over, bake for 3-5 more minutes. They are done when warmed through and tortilla is a bit crispy. Done! We eat this about once a week in our house - fast, tasty, cheap, and not terrible for you. Another bonus is that the ingredients are always on hand and don't go bad quickly.
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One of the most easiest recipes:
- cook rice
- make scrambled eggs
- put the eggs on the rice (bonus: mix) and eat
Don't scramble those eggs man! You need the yolks to cover the rice! Or stir in a can of black beans with the rice. Then you have rice and beans w/ eggs (with lots of yolk to go around).
As much as I like a lot of japanese things, TKG (Tamago Kake Gohan) is not one for me ;) Also unheatet egg can be risky.
oh I was picturing the egg being over-easy, not totally raw. raw isn't really my thing either!
I'm not talking raw either. Over easy was what I was getting at. (well, I don't actually flip the eggs, so they're missing the "over" part, but a few sprinkles of water in the pan and then cover while cooking produces a similar effect)
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Do you eat ground pork or beef? If you do, I've got 3 extremely easy and good recipes for meatballs, sausage cheese muffins, and an overnight sausage egg casserole I can post. The casserole looks so decadent you can serve it to guests and they'll think you spent hours in the kitchen.
On a side note - lately my plastic food containers have been getting especially stinky. I've tried many suggestions for removing odor and found 2 that work pretty well. One is to cut a lime in half and rub it around the inside of the container. The other is to put a few drops of vanilla extract in and swish it around with a tooth brush - this might not seem Mustachian since extract can be expensive but I have an 8oz bottle I got from Sam's club a few years ago, cheap, and it still has its flavor (and odor). And I keep a crappy tooth brush in the sink compartment for cleaning.
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Chicken and I Don't Know Whatever Veggies You Have in the Freezer or Some Shit
I love this line, and it has absolutely been my approach to cheap and lazy cooking lately. On Sundays, I'll cook a big batch of a grain and a legume (beans/rice, lentils/couscous, garbanzos/noodles whatever). Then throughout the week, I'll add whatever veggies I had in the fridge and mix them into whatever seems fun at the time. Soups, burritos, stir fry can all be done with these weekly base foods and it cuts the weekday cooking time down by a bunch.
My favorite stir fry sauce:
Put rice in the pan, add leftover meat if you have it, add frozen or fresh veggies (if fresh, microwave for about 3 min to cut cooking time), add a couple eggs and let it cook. Then add the sauce ingredients directly to the pan - soy sauce, brown sugar, peanut butter, lime juice. Top with a few peanuts or cashews if you have them.
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This is a pretty hardy meal made quick--leeks/Italian sausage pasta.
For the longer version, I buy pork, ground it up in my food processor and add my own seasonings to make loose Italian sausage. For the quicker version, just buy it packaged.
Add loose sausage to warm pan. As sausage browns and fat coats the pan, add finely chopped leeks (you can add the greener, tougher bits first as they take longer to cook). Saute until leeks are cooked. Boil pasta. Add pasta to leeks and sausage. Mix well and serve.
Leeks are so flavorful and slightly pungent so you can skip the garlic/onion mix. And of course the sausage meat has fat and salt for flavoring. Don't use too much pasta and overwhelm the leeks/meat.
For an even faster version, use frozen chopped leeks from Trader Joe's. Though if you can-let it defrost and drip dry in a sieve as too much moisture renders the sauteing moot.
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Tonight I dumped a can of beans and a can of diced tomatoes in a pot to simmer and then tossed some vaguely Mexican spices in. You can stop there and just put it on a tortilla with salsa, cheese, and sour cream.
But I'm adding some sauteed sliced peppers and onions, and a can of refried beans because the kids love it.
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Ok, so I just ended up eating this as an early dinner and it was delicious enough that I might make this a go-to. I'm definitely someone who knows how to cook and feed myself, but doesn't really enjoy it.
So if you have a Trader Joe's by you - make tri-color quinoa, buy the cucumber tatziki sauce and combine the two. (I had it cold and enjoyed it). Good texture & feels filling. If you're someone like me who is ok with some monotony in meals as long as you like the food -- could be a really good fallback for a few relatively healthy meals during a busy week.
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Super Lazy Curried Rice & Shrimp
1-Cook rice in microwave (you don't own any uni-taskers like rice cookers!)
2-Thaw frozen shrimp in a bowl of water (the bag says never to do this, but you're a rebel and you didn't plan ahead and your shrimp have never tasted soggy as a result. You're pretty sure shrimp come out of water in the first place.)
3-Boil peas.
4-While peas boil, melt butter in a cast iron pan (cuz you don't even wash that thing afterwards, you just sort of wipe it down...maybe.) Toss in defrosted shrimp, squirt lemon or lime juice from a plastic bottle (you don't have time to juice limes!) over the shrimp liberally, and flip after a couple of minutes.
5-Remove shrimp, drain peas, and toss peas in the delicious buttery shrimps juices in your cast iron pan for a few minutes.
6-Pour curry sauce (I like Trader Joe's Thai Curry) out of a bottle onto your rice, add peas, and mix it all up.
7-Serve rice and place delicious shrimp on top. Takes about 12 minutes from the time you decided you needed to get your ass in gear for dinner to fork in mouth, and you probably spent half that time surfing the web on your phone waiting for the rice to cook.
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Not sure if anyone has done this, but it happened to me by mistake. I added brown rice to a pot of water but never turned on the heat because I had to run out. A few hours later I noticed that the rice had absorbed all of the water. So I do that all of the time now, and nuke it as needed with leftover veggies. The retained water makes it come out piping hot. It's also good cold because of the moisture. None of that next-day-rice-brick.
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Not sure if anyone has done this, but it happened to me by mistake. I added brown rice to a pot of water but never turned on the heat because I had to run out. A few hours later I noticed that the rice had absorbed all of the water. So I do that all of the time now, and nuke it as needed with leftover veggies. The retained water makes it come out piping hot. It's also good cold because of the moisture. None of that next-day-rice-brick.
that is fascinating. so it's basically, like, "cold brew" rice? and then you can just microwave it? mind blown.
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Best Salad Ever
Cut up some Broccoli
Dice half a red onion
Dice two heirloom tomatoes
Chop up some Cilantro
Shredded cheese
2 Avacados
A tiny bit of ranch dressing
Mix and eat
SO FUCKING GOOD
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Here's the Sausage & Egg Casserole, it's from the Doubleday Inn Bed & Breakfast
6 eggs
2 cups shredded cheese (I use cheddar)
2 cups milk
8 thick slices Italian bread (I use 10 regular slices of any bread)
16 oz sausage
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
Brown sausage and drain. Beat eggs, cube bread, add all ingredients. Mix well with sausage. Pour everything into a greased or sprayed 9x13 glass baking dish. Cover and let sit in refrigerator overnight.
In the morning bake at 350 uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour. Serves 8
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I am struck by how lazy I am compared to some of you! The second I have to cut or grate things, I'm like... Meh.
Also, where do you guys live that cheese is cheap?! Maybe it's a Costco thing, but where I live (sans Costco card), cheese is $$$.
Edited to add: these recipes are freakin' AWESOME and I can't wait to go through them, one by one :)
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Chickpea chicken
Heat olive oil in pan. Add chopped onion and garlic. When onion is soft, add can of chickpeas, can of diced tomatos, and some shredded left over costco rotisserie chicken and whatever spices you want. Serve over couscous ( which takes 5 mins to cook.). I have timed this...it takes 10 mins.
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"Quinoa casserole, Tex Mex variation". - cook one cup quinoa. Combine cooked quinoa with a can of black beans, a cup or so of salsa, and an egg. Transfer to a casserole dish or large cast iron pan. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.
Can be modified with different beans, cheeses and veggies for variety.
I just made this and its in the oven now. Hoping for the best because I used leftover mango salsa and sometimes that can really screw up the flavors of other ingredients.
edit: this was fantastic. Yum yum .
Second edit: I made it again, this time in a muffin pan. It was a favorite at the potluck!
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I buy boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, throw them in a crockpot, then throw a jar of salsa on top. Cook on low 4-8 hours. (It doesn't seem to matter how long, it always comes out tasting the same to me). Strain out the chicken. You can then either shred it with a fork or eat it whole. I make enough for a week and use it for lunches and dinners. Great on salads, in tacos, or anyway you like it.
If I feel like playing with the food before I cook it, I'll put a bunch of spices on it. cumin makes the chicken look like you browned it before the crockpot. Hot pepper flakes and some pepper, chipotle seasoning if I'm going to make tacos out of it.
I like to buy the pre-made fresh salsa from the deli section. It's no more expensive than mass-produced salsa and has really fresh ingredients with no preservatives.
The first 50 times I made it I loved it, but I have to admit it, I need a few more recipes. So glad you started this thread! I am THE laziest cook ever. I hate it and I hate prepping and I hate cleaning. I cannot stand being in the kitchen.
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Another one I remembered and made today
Super lazy "shepherds pie"
- either microwave a couple potatoes or boil water and make instant mashed potatoes
- open a can of "chunky" beef vegetable or chicken vegetable soup (they go on sale for $1 from time to time), heat it up
- pour the hot soup over potatoes like a gravy
- if you want to get fancy or make it even tastier... Add some cheese on top.
Makes about 2 big servings for $1.25-$1.50 total
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You guys are the best!!! I am loving these :)
Cheap and easy but no so healthy:
Ramen noodles
Frozen veges
Poor boiling water overtop. Wait.
Probably costs $0.50 and is super easy.
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.
My favorite stir fry sauce:
Put rice in the pan, add leftover meat if you have it, add frozen or fresh veggies (if fresh, microwave for about 3 min to cut cooking time), add a couple eggs and let it cook. Then add the sauce ingredients directly to the pan - soy sauce, brown sugar, peanut butter, lime juice. Top with a few peanuts or cashews if you have them.
I love the sound of this! Thanks a bunch :) Sometimes I use only half the noodles in my ramen package, and this sauce sounds kick-ass!
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I have to admit I'm about to make a chicken pasta bake.
A jar of pasta sauce (in this case homemade, but storebought is fine too), some pasta and shredded BBQ/rotisserie chicken. Chuck it in the oven for a bit.
Not exactly healthy though. Probably not too bad if you're putting lots of vegetables in the pasta sauce.
Once I finish my cup of tea I'll ride off to the supermarket to get the chicken. :)
Also, the slow cooker/crockpot is awesome and super easy. Best $34 I ever spent buying mine.
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I am struck by how lazy I am compared to some of you! The second I have to cut or grate things, I'm like... Meh.
Also, where do you guys live that cheese is cheap?! Maybe it's a Costco thing, but where I live (sans Costco card), cheese is $$$.
Edited to add: these recipes are freakin' AWESOME and I can't wait to go through them, one by one :)
I agree that cheese is expensive. we don't have a Costco here (yet) but the cheapest place by far is Sams Club... but again, the membership thing. it's lame!
also, this recipe may SOUND over your effort threshold, but I swear it is so damn easy. only downside is you have to think in advance, but that's not that hard. I like to start brining the chicken the night before. you might have to mince garlic (I bought peeled garlic in a bag a few months ago, minced it in my food processor and froze it in little chunks, it came out cheaper than buying fresh and was super easy) but other than that it's just mixing stuff together, dumping it on some chicken, and putting the chicken in the oven. I recommend using chicken thighs (cheap and delicious). literally this is the best chicken I've ever had in my life... we just ate it again last night. I like to boil some green beans and add butter and lemon juice as an easy side, but you could microwave frozen veggies or whatever you want to make it even easier.
the recipe is from smitten kitchen (http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/01/buttermilk-roast-chicken/ (http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/01/buttermilk-roast-chicken/)) but I will summarize it here:
2 cups buttermilk
5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, plus extra for sprinkling (HIGHLY recommend smoked paprika, insanely delicious and good to have on hand for just about anything, you could put it on ramen and it would probably taste incredible)
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 to 3 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken parts (I recommend thighs)
Drizzle of olive oil
whisk the first 6 ingredients together in a bowl (or in the glass measuring cup you measured out the buttermilk in if you are lazy like me and want fewer dishes). put chicken in gallon ziploc bag and pour buttermilk mixture over top. put in your fridge for a while. I usually brine the night before and cook for dinner the next day.
preheat oven to 425F, line a glass baking dish with foil, arrange the chicken in it (skin side up), drizzle with olive oil (I forgot this part last night but I didn't notice a difference), pop it in the oven. deb from smitten kitchen says 30 minutes for legs, longer for breasts, I find that thighs for me take about 40-45 minutes. also I have to rotate the pan halfway through since my oven bakes super unevenly. to check for doneness, take them out and poke a big piece in the middle with a knife, make sure the juices are clear and not pink. the skin should be golden with some dark brown spots.
so easy, and so so so good. I mean I would literally serve this chicken for a special occasion.
**mustachian buttermilk tip, if you won't use up the whole container of buttermilk before it expires, measure 1/4 c portions into a muffin tin, freeze them, pop them out and store them in a baggie. you can defrost them in the microwave, it separates a little bit but is totally fine for cooking and baking. I do this with coconut milk too.
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Not sure if anyone has done this, but it happened to me by mistake. I added brown rice to a pot of water but never turned on the heat because I had to run out. A few hours later I noticed that the rice had absorbed all of the water. So I do that all of the time now, and nuke it as needed with leftover veggies. The retained water makes it come out piping hot. It's also good cold because of the moisture. None of that next-day-rice-brick.
that is fascinating. so it's basically, like, "cold brew" rice? and then you can just microwave it? mind blown.
Tried "cold brew rice". It didn't work for me.
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I am struck by how lazy I am compared to some of you! The second I have to cut or grate things, I'm like... Meh.
I get that way too sometimes. Here are a couple substitutes I use in a lot of recipes:
dehydrated onion
minced garlic from a jar (I've also heard that garlic paste works well but I haven't tried it)
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Not sure if anyone has done this, but it happened to me by mistake. I added brown rice to a pot of water but never turned on the heat because I had to run out. A few hours later I noticed that the rice had absorbed all of the water. So I do that all of the time now, and nuke it as needed with leftover veggies. The retained water makes it come out piping hot. It's also good cold because of the moisture. None of that next-day-rice-brick.
that is fascinating. so it's basically, like, "cold brew" rice? and then you can just microwave it? mind blown.
Tried "cold brew rice". It didn't work for me.
What a shame! I can't imagine there are many differences between brown rices, as long as they are whole grain. But my current batch is made from Uncle Ben's Natural Whole Grain Brown Rice. Works every time.
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Not sure if anyone has done this, but it happened to me by mistake. I added brown rice to a pot of water but never turned on the heat because I had to run out. A few hours later I noticed that the rice had absorbed all of the water. So I do that all of the time now, and nuke it as needed with leftover veggies. The retained water makes it come out piping hot. It's also good cold because of the moisture. None of that next-day-rice-brick.
that is fascinating. so it's basically, like, "cold brew" rice? and then you can just microwave it? mind blown.
Tried "cold brew rice". It didn't work for me.
What a shame! I can't imagine there are many differences between brown rices, as long as they are whole grain. But my current batch is made from Uncle Ben's Natural Whole Grain Brown Rice. Works every time.
I believe that Uncle Ben's Natural Whole Grain Brown Rice may be "parboiled" - AKA as in pre-cooked?
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Snacks:
Avocado with salt. Cut an avocado in half. Eat with spoon and seasoning of your choice.
Yogurt parfait. Yogurt, berries, nuts, granola, flax seed, chia seeds, whatever. Yum!
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Eggs are the perfect cheap protein. My local lawnmower repair shop sells local, free range eggs for $1.50/dozen. (I'd tell you where this place is, but then I'd have to kill you.)
They're my "go-to" on nights when I don't want to spend time in the kitchen and haven't prepped ahead. My favorite way to cook them up this time of year is to whip up different crustless frittata recipes... whip up 6-8 eggs, throw in whatever veg and bits of cheese are in the fridge, bake at 350 degrees until they set up... Easy peasy. Also good with leftover roasted potatoes, or fried potatoes.... even good with rice.
Breakfast for dinner is very economical, in general. Tonight I'm making eggs which I am going to serve with waffles and homemade freezer jam.
BTW, I must laugh at the huge packages of pre-made pancakes and waffles I see in my freezer section at the store. I can't think of many things that are easier to make.
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This is a pretty hardy meal made quick--leeks/Italian sausage pasta.
For the longer version, I buy pork, ground it up in my food processor and add my own seasonings to make loose Italian sausage. For the quicker version, just buy it packaged.
Add loose sausage to warm pan. As sausage browns and fat coats the pan, add finely chopped leeks (you can add the greener, tougher bits first as they take longer to cook). Saute until leeks are cooked. Boil pasta. Add pasta to leeks and sausage. Mix well and serve.
Leeks are so flavorful and slightly pungent so you can skip the garlic/onion mix. And of course the sausage meat has fat and salt for flavoring. Don't use too much pasta and overwhelm the leeks/meat.
For an even faster version, use frozen chopped leeks from Trader Joe's. Though if you can-let it defrost and drip dry in a sieve as too much moisture renders the sauteing moot.
This is a good one. I noticed at my meat counter last night that Italian sausage was 1/2 the price per pound as hamburger. So, I stocked up.
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Re. "How to cook rice" - I searched for the audio file online, but couldn't find a story I recently heard on NPR about a food/science writer who set out to discover how to cook rice so that it turned out just right each time. If anyone can find this, please post.
But, here's what I remember: the writer said that while boiling the water to cook the rice she was often in the habit of soaking her rice for about 10 minutes in water (regular temp). She would then transfer the rice over to the hot water and proceed as usual.
I have not yet tried this, but it seems to be a combination of the cold cooking method and the regular cooking method above. I imagine the soaking helps soften the outer shell and improves water retention.
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Re. "How to cook rice" - I searched for the audio file online, but couldn't find a story I recently heard on NPR about a food/science writer who set out to discover how to cook rice so that it turned out just right each time. If anyone can find this, please post.
But, here's what I remember: the writer said that while boiling the water to cook the rice she was often in the habit of soaking her rice for about 10 minutes in water (regular temp). She would then transfer the rice over to the hot water and proceed as usual.
I have not yet tried this, but it seems to be a combination of the cold cooking method and the regular cooking method above. I imagine the soaking helps soften the outer shell and improves water retention.
Very interesting. I'll have to try it. I have confirmed that my rice is parboiled. It comes hard and grainy like any other rice but there is something about parboiling that makes it receptive to "cold brew".
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Re. "How to cook rice" - I searched for the audio file online, but couldn't find a story I recently heard on NPR about a food/science writer who set out to discover how to cook rice so that it turned out just right each time. If anyone can find this, please post.
But, here's what I remember: the writer said that while boiling the water to cook the rice she was often in the habit of soaking her rice for about 10 minutes in water (regular temp). She would then transfer the rice over to the hot water and proceed as usual.
I have not yet tried this, but it seems to be a combination of the cold cooking method and the regular cooking method above. I imagine the soaking helps soften the outer shell and improves water retention.
Very interesting. I'll have to try it. I have confirmed that my rice is parboiled. It comes hard and grainy like any other rice but there is something about parboiling that makes it receptive to "cold brew".
very interesting and good to know! I want to try this!
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Re. "How to cook rice" - I searched for the audio file online, but couldn't find a story I recently heard on NPR about a food/science writer who set out to discover how to cook rice so that it turned out just right each time. If anyone can find this, please post.
But, here's what I remember: the writer said that while boiling the water to cook the rice she was often in the habit of soaking her rice for about 10 minutes in water (regular temp). She would then transfer the rice over to the hot water and proceed as usual.
I have not yet tried this, but it seems to be a combination of the cold cooking method and the regular cooking method above. I imagine the soaking helps soften the outer shell and improves water retention.
There is a long-going, strong battle between rice cooks what is better: wash the rice, or not, let it "soak" a bit or not...
In a rice cooker you basically have it first cold and then hot. And with a moderately good rice cooker it is near impossible to make not-great rice if you have a decent sort. Even my 17€ mini rice cooker makes cheap rice good (I just has to remember that my specific cooker is a bit lazy, I have to switch it off 30secs - 1 minute before it shuts off alone, or it will get a little bit burned (but that is more a cheap rice problem, lots of part-grains, and I am too lazy to wash, too)
@parboiled: That is basically the best option you have if you are not living in a rice country. Parboiled means the rice got steamed, making a lot of the good things go from the outer parts (which are peeled then) into the inner rice grain. In white (peeled) rice most of the micronutrients (right word?) are lost. It also has more flavor, but you don't argue about flavor ;)
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I've been trying to create weekly menus to plan my shopping and make things a little simpler when I get home from work and have to start preparing dinner. I really like to cook but after working all day I want dinner to be quick and easy, no more than 30 min from prep to plate. My menu this week is as follows, many of these are less than 30 min to prepare.
Monday: frittata-eggs, cheese and whatever you want to add-this weak I used left over baked potato, green olives, roasted red pepper (From a jar) and onion. It was yummy!
Tuesday: Tacos-ground turkey, packaged or home made taco seasoning, chopped cilantro, shredded cheese, salsa or hot sauce, avacado, black lives, lettuce
Wednesday-home made pizza (I use a slow rise recipe for the dough that can stay in fridge for days before use-infact, the longer it's in the fridge the better!) Then just take it out when ready to use, add your toppings and throw in oven
Thursday: BLTs-I place paper towel on rimmed baking sheet, place bacon strips, then toss in oven at about 350 until desired crispness.
Friday: Pan seared Tilapia- I use a rub of cumin, salt and pepper, coat my cast iron fry pan with small amt oil and sear away until done
Sat: Chef salad
Just simple sides of fruit or salad or veggies with any of these and you have nice, well rounded quick and easy meals. I shop at Aldi's for most of my grocerys, although purchase most of my meats at my local co op. My Aldi's trip this week for 3 large bags of groceries came to $50! We are a family of three-me and my two kids!
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I heard about this on NPR. Downloaded it, for free. Great ideas within.
https://8b862ca0073972f0472b704e2c0c21d0480f50d3.googledrive.com/host/0Bxd6wdCBD_2tdUdtM0d4WTJmclU/good-and-cheap.pdf (https://8b862ca0073972f0472b704e2c0c21d0480f50d3.googledrive.com/host/0Bxd6wdCBD_2tdUdtM0d4WTJmclU/good-and-cheap.pdf)
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" I am struck by how lazy I am compared to some of you! The second I have to cut or grate things, I'm like... Meh."
I chop my cucumbers and store them in mason jar in the fridge-they stay fresh for at least a week. I chop lettuce (I use romaine) put in spinner, rinse, then toss paper towel into spinner and spin away. Empty water from "bowl" of spinner and store all in fridge. Again, lettuce stays fresh for several day. I will make a batch of brown rice in my rice cooker on the weekend to use throughout the week. Just toss rice and water into my rice cooker and walk away until rice is cooked. Rice will stay quite a while in the fridge and easy to reheat in microwave or on stove. I make a slow rise pizza dough on the weekend. You let it rise in the fridge for at least 24 hrs, and 2 or 3 day rise is even better. I've even heard of folks letting the dough rise for a week before use. Then just take it out of fridge when you are ready to use. You can, but don't need to, let it get to room temp before shaping into pizza pan.
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Here's a couple of the quickest and easiest dinners I know of:
-Pierogies: My supermarket sells fresh pierogies from a local business. Remove from package, heat on stove for 3 min per side and you're done. Add sour cream or another sauce if you desire.
-Pesto pasta: Cook pasta. Drain. Return to pan. Stir in a package of Buitoni pesto and serve (the pesto is not supposed to be heated, which is great because it's one less step to do)
-Teriyaki chicken - Cut chicken into strips. A Land o Lakes teriyaki saute express to pan. Cook chicken until done.
-Balsamic and garlic roasted potatoes - Wash potatoes. Cut in half. Add to a caserole dish. Add pouch of seasoning sauce -- Red Fork garlic roasted potato seasoning sauce and stir to get potatoes evenly coated. Heat in oven at time/temp indicated on pouch.
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Crock pot pulled pork
I layer the bottom with veggies (baby carrots don't require chopping!) but that's optional. I use onions and carrots, I'd stay away from fast cooking veggies like zucchini.
Season a pork roast (any cut works) with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, and cinnamon. Once in the crock pot, add 1/2 cup water to the pot and top the roast with brown sugar. Cook on low for 8 hours, and shred with forks. BBQ sauce is good on the side or on a sandwich, but I usually skip it.
Variation: Skip the brown sugar and use as taco meat. Chicken works well too.
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For any plant-based and/or vegans out there, these are our go-tos:
-lentil soup in crock pot-lentils, canned tomatoes, diced peppers and carrots, veggie stock and salt/pepper in crock pot all day)
-taco salad- lettuce and veggies of choice (tomatoes, corn, etc) topped with black beans (canned or crock pot) seasoned with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salsa or hot sauce if liked, and a crushed crunchy tortilla shell or couple of chips
-garlic veggie pasta- tomatoes sauteed with lots of garlic and lots of broccoli (with or without olive oil) and tossed with whole wheat pasta
-stirfry- bag of frozen stirfry veggies mixed with broccoli (frozen or fresh) or snow peas (if in season and inexpensive), stirfried with extra firm tofu, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce and served over brown rice
-chickpea salad- chickpeas cooked in crockpot then mixed with diced tomatoes, avocado, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil (if desired)
Overall, best healthy inexpensive, quick, filling meals for us seem to start with some legumes in the crock pot (no soaking regarded) with some spices, and veggies (garlic, tomatoes, etc) either added before or after cooking
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Ugh, it's close to dinner time for me... I was already hungry before I started reading this, but now I'm starving!
My favorite is a Mexican rice dish I've been making since I was young, though I've changed it up a bit since then.
- 2 cups chicken/veggie broth
- 1 small can (8oz) tomato sauce
- Taco Seasoning mix (search for that on allrecipes if you don't have your own!)
Add your rice and throw it in the rice cooker for 25ish minutes.
I heat up frozen corn (bought in bulk) and frozen black beans (originally dried and already cooked and frozen by me) and heat that up while the rice is cooking. If you have the extra time and effort, you could add cooked peppers, fresh (or canned diced) tomatoes. I always add cheese and eat off tortilla chips (usually my splurge, though my grocery store will have them on sale sometimes).
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I make this and it provides me with lunches for 4 days:
1 red cabbage
3 carrots
1 batch of http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/11/peanut-lime-dressing/ (http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/11/peanut-lime-dressing/) (I use way less oil and and sugar but the general principle is the same).
bunch of cilantro /coriander
Slice cabbage up thinly, put in a colander and rip and crush it a little with your hands, sprinkle some salt on it and let it sit for an hour or so. Chop up carrots thinly.
Store cabbage and carrots in an air tight container in the fridge. When ready to serve, rip up some cilantro, add to a bowl of carrots and cabbage and add a dollop of peanut dressing.
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I am struck by how lazy I am compared to some of you! The second I have to cut or grate things, I'm like... Meh.
I took a "knife skills" class last night hoping it would make me more efficient so I will chop my own vegetables, but... nah. I guess I'll get better at the few things I do, but I couldn't wait to get out of that class. There is absolutely no fun in it for me. I dread every part of it. I was the first person to walk out the door (everyone was still asking questions about how to cut this or that). blah blah blah.
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These are all helpful ideas, thank you everyone!
I enjoy cooking but I find myself overwhelmed since I often take on literally, more than I can chew. I do my best to pre-plan and cook for the entire week so I can pack up lunch and dinner. Does anyone else do this as well? And if you do or do not, have any of you used a crockpot? Kindly share any simple recipes. Thank you.
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These are all helpful ideas, thank you everyone!
I enjoy cooking but I find myself overwhelmed since I often take on literally, more than I can chew. I do my best to pre-plan and cook for the entire week so I can pack up lunch and dinner. Does anyone else do this as well? And if you do or do not, have any of you used a crockpot? Kindly share any simple recipes. Thank you.
I love my crockpot! I've never tried it, but a good friend of mine swears by taking three or four raw chicken breasts, dumping a can of salsa on it, and calling it a day.
I remember my mom slaving away for hours in the kitchen making a pot roast, but I found a simple recipe for the crockpot that comes out really good! Depends on the size of your crockpot, but for my little one, I use...
- 2 1/2 lb hunk of red meat (I've used chuck roast, bottom rump roast... whatever is on sale!)
- Some seasoning of your choice... I usually just stick with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
- 1/2 liquid. I've experimented with different liquids... so far white wine has been the best. Balsamic vinegar made it very very sweet. I want to try a deep red wine next. You could easily do beef broth, or even water (though I'd avoid water)
- veggies. Stick with mainly root veggies in the crock pot and cook other ones separately. I always throw potatoes, carrots, and onions in the crock pot while cooking the meat (I like my onions mushy and falling apart).
The original cook calls that you brown the meat first (you'll need flour and oil for that), but I've skipped this step before and honestly didn't see too much of a difference. I boil some pasta at the end and cook any other veggies I have on hand, and voila! Delicious pot roast with very little work!
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These are all helpful ideas, thank you everyone!
I enjoy cooking but I find myself overwhelmed since I often take on literally, more than I can chew. I do my best to pre-plan and cook for the entire week so I can pack up lunch and dinner. Does anyone else do this as well? And if you do or do not, have any of you used a crockpot? Kindly share any simple recipes. Thank you.
One of my favorite approaches to cooking is making freezer bags of recipes on days off to toss in the slow cooker on the way out the door in the morning.
This is my favorite. A nice simple french taste and doesn't require a search for cheval :)
Coq au Vin
Prep: 20 min
Ingredients
6 chicken thighs
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup frozen small whole sweet onions
1 cup baby carrots, halved lengthwise
1/3 cup dry red wine
1 Tbsp beef bouillon
1 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp marjoram
1/8 tsp savory
1/8 tsp basil
Serve over hot mashed potatoes, sprinkle with basil
Directions
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker or freeze it and toss it in as you head out the door in the morning.
Cook on low for 8+ hours.
Serve over hot mashed potatoes, sprinkle with chopped basil.
Chicken Country Morocco
Prep:15 min
Ingredients
2 pounds chicken thighs
1 medium sweet onion, cut into thin wedges
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup pitted, dried, dates halved
1/2 cup pitted, dried, apricots halved
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1/3 cup fruity white wine (muscato)
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground mace
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Directions
Combine ingredients in slow cooker.
Cook 8+ hours on low.
Serve over 3 cups hot cooked basmati rice
Chicken Curry
Prep: 5 min
Ingredients
2 lbs chicken thighs
1 cup sweet potato cubed
1/2 cup dried sliced plums / dates / apricots
1/4 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 can condensed cream of potato soup
2 tsp curry powder with cinnamon
1/8 tsp chicken bouillon
Directions
Combine ingredients in slow cooker.
Cook low for 8+ hours.
Serve over 3 cups cooked basmati rice
Chicken Morocco
Prep: 5 min
Ingredients
2 lbs chicken thighs
1/2 cup onion chopped
1 cup baby carrots halved lengthwise
1/2 cup of dried plums
8 ounce water
1/3 cup dry red wine
2 tsp chicken bouillon
1 1/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Serve over 3 cups cooked basmati rice
Directions
Combine ingredients in slow cooker.
Cook on low for 8+ hours.
Serve over 3 cups cooked basmati rice
Italian Sausage and Peppers
Prep: 15 Minutes
Ingredients:
2 pounds Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cups sliced bell peppers
1 30 ounce bottle spaghetti sauce
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
Directions:
Combine ingredients in slow cooker.
Cook 8+ hours on low.
Serve in sandwich rolls.
Jambalaya
Prep 10 min
Ingredients
1 lb sausage in 1/4 inch slices
1 lb chicken thighs
1 1/2 cups green bell pepper chopped
2 celery ribs sliced thin
1 14 ounce can whole tomatoes
1/3 cup tomato paste
10 1/2 ounces water
1 Tbsp Parsley
1 1/2 tsp beef bullion
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
Directions
Combine ingredients in slow cooker.
Cook 8+ hours on low.
Serve over 3 cups cooked basmati rice
Substitute shrimp or fish; add last 20 minutes of cooking
Hummus
Prep 10 min
Ingredients
1 clove garlic chopped
1 (10 ounce) can garbanzo beans, including liquid
4 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp tahini
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
Directions
Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend until creamy.
In the spirit of the original post, we eat mostly quick, easy, low prep meals. A typical weeks menu goes along the following lines and runs around $250 per month for 2 big eaters and 1 normal person. The cost per serving is close for me, but you may not be able to get my cost for fish or shrimp:
2 boiled eggs, oatmeal .42
Peanut Butter, vegetable sticks 1.60
Egg salad 1.60
Chicken salad 1.80
Omelet 4 egg, cheese, vegetable 2.00
Stir Fry chicken, vegetable 2.00
Picnic salad 2.30
Tuna salad 2.30
Cheese salad 2.50
Vegetable salad 2.60
Crab (pollock) salad 3.00
Lengua, vegetable steamed 3.30
Fish/shrimp, vegetable salad 3.30
Fish/shrimp, vegetable steamed 3.30
Miso and salad 3.30
Fish/shrimp, vegetable tempura 4.00
Maki and salad 5.10
Sashimi and salad 2.37+
Meals are 8 ounces meat, 16 ounces vegetables
Vegetables include fruit, nuts, seeds, spices, etc…
Protein powder
Milk
Apple juice for hooch
Oatmeal, peanut butter bars
Extra virgin olive oil
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I heard about this on NPR. Downloaded it, for free. Great ideas within.
https://8b862ca0073972f0472b704e2c0c21d0480f50d3.googledrive.com/host/0Bxd6wdCBD_2tdUdtM0d4WTJmclU/good-and-cheap.pdf (https://8b862ca0073972f0472b704e2c0c21d0480f50d3.googledrive.com/host/0Bxd6wdCBD_2tdUdtM0d4WTJmclU/good-and-cheap.pdf)
Wow! This is a fantastic cookbook both for new cooks and budget cooks! I love that it's not overly heavy on dairy or meat and that it emphasizes a wide variety of spice profiles. Good find! Thanks for sharing. :-)
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This thread is totally relevant to my interests.
Yummy Sauce that Makes All The Things Yummy:
2 cups honey
2 cups soy sauce
2 cloves garlic (or three pinches of garlic powder)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Make a large quantity. Pour on to veggies/chicken/fish/beef while they cook on stove/grill. Takes a few minutes to prep the sauce, but then you're good for weeks worth of instant Asian-like food.
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Potato Leek Soup
Dice up a leek or two (or celery but leeks are better)
Cut up mushrooms of your choice
Saute leeks/ shrooms in a stock pan
Add chicken broth (vary the amount depending on how many people you're feeding -- 2 c, 4 c -- whatever)
Sprinkle in dried potato flakes until you have a soup-like consistency
Salt and pepper to taste
Edited to add optional ingredient: red pepper flakes to taste
Add chicken breast too if you have it handy.
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I second the slow cooker love - I just recently discovered it and am so thankful - it's now my job to cook most nights and I too hate cooking and cleaning. This has really helped me put some decent meals on the table. Not sure if anyone has mentioned Budget Bytes yet, but I love this recipe for slow cooker taco chicken bowls - http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/07/taco-chicken-bowls/. Also the quick ramen bowl is good for when you have random veggies in the fridge that you want to use up - http://www.budgetbytes.com/2010/03/quick-ramen-bowl. And thanks OP for compiling the recipes here!
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It has been a while since I grocery shopped, but I just made a scrounge meal with stuff I found in the cabinets. It was angel hair pasta with a little butter and garlic salt. Added some shelled edemame from the fridge and a rinsed can of white beans. Then some basil from our garden. It was delish and pretty cheap!
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"Quinoa casserole, Tex Mex variation". - cook one cup quinoa. Combine cooked quinoa with a can of black beans, a cup or so of salsa, and an egg. Transfer to a casserole dish or large cast iron pan. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.
Can be modified with different beans, cheeses and veggies for variety.
That does sound good! I'm gonna try it, thanks!
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Just made scrambled eggs in a mug via the microwave. Threw some 'fully-cooked' sausage, cheese, onion, and S&P. Glad I finally tried it, now I have a quick meal solution in the morning before work. Threw in some homegrown cherry tomatoes for an extra yum.
2 eggs, scrambled
dash salt & pepper
dash of milk
shredded cheese
add first 3 ingredients to mug. beat. microwave 30-45 seconds. stir. add cheese. microwave 30-45 seconds or until done.
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I second the slow cooker love - I just recently discovered it and am so thankful - it's now my job to cook most nights and I too hate cooking and cleaning. This has really helped me put some decent meals on the table. Not sure if anyone has mentioned Budget Bytes yet, but I love this recipe for slow cooker taco chicken bowls - http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/07/taco-chicken-bowls/. Also the quick ramen bowl is good for when you have random veggies in the fridge that you want to use up - http://www.budgetbytes.com/2010/03/quick-ramen-bowl. And thanks OP for compiling the recipes here!
I'm also a fan of the chicken taco bowl recipe. I double the recipe (except the chicken) to get the price/serving down. I cook it in bulk and freeze it. If I'm feeling lazy (and craving Chipotle), I will have it with chips. Not super healthy, but SO good!
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I am adding my lard recipe mainly because I want to keep the cheap eats thread going. I need to get my food expenses under control.
Anyway, I find that lard can be a cheap oil. Some butchers might offer the fat for free! You can buy a fatty pork butt for cheap and cut the fat off for lard and use the rest as a cheap protein.
Lard recipe:
You need: 1)Pork fat 2)tablespoons of water 3)tagine or slowcooker
I personally use a tagine. To make lard you just add a small amount of water and the pork fat to the tagine. The trick to odorless pork fat is to cook the fat at very very low heat. The very slow method will result in a perfectly white fat. By adding the tablespoon of water you will prevent the initial burn of the fat, but if you are able to start and end with very low heat the water may not be needed. As it heats you simply spoon out the liquid oil and add it to your storage container. Since it wont have preservatives you should put it in the fridge and it will solidify.
If you want the lard to have a bacon taste to it you cook the fat at a higher heat allowing the fat to actually burn resulting in a yellow pork flavored lard. It should be noted that the white lard has a very neutral taste to it so it can be used for most oil needs. The flavored lard would be great for cooking meats and using in refried beans.
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1. lentil stew, basic soup starter, add lentils + whatever other veggies you have. Potatoes and carrots are good. I clean out the fridge/freezer when I make it. My kid calls it our "broke food"
2. chickpeas/tuna/corn salad, literally open 3 tins and drain, mix together and add either a salad dressing or olive oil, balsamic vinegar and whatever herbs you like - good for lunch of dinner.
3. scrambled eggs with a small tin of baked beans on toast.
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My favorite quick, lazy meal is whole wheat pasta with tomatoes, basil, and garlic:
Layer in this order:
Chopped green onions
Chopped garlic (from the jar)
Basil leaves (torn into pieces or sliced up a bit)
Chopped tomatoes
Then boil the pasta of your choice and when it is finished drain it and make it the final layer in the bowl. Give it a few minutes for the pasta to cook the tomatoes and basil, then stir it up. Total time is about ten minutes for a dish suitable for company.
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My crockpot is my best friend! Almost any chicken dish can be done in the crockpot. I get the rice cooker going at the same time. A current favourite:
Chicken breasts (or thighs) in bottom of crockpot, top with a small container of salsa, a can of drained black beans and a can of drained corn (or a couple of handfuls of frozen corn).
Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-6 hours.
30 minutes before serving, chop up a block of cream cheese and stir it in. Serve over rice. Add a veggie or salad.
SO good!
Another good one is chicken breasts in the bottom of the crockpot, dump over a can of cream of something soup (mushroom, celery or chicken all work) -- dice up an onion on top. Serve over rice. Add a veggie or salad.
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This is one of the things I've been working on lately as well. I like cooking, but I view it as a hobby only when I feel like doing it, and a chore when I don't (i.e. it's a pain in the butt when I have to do it right when get home from work).
I am a big rice eater, and have a Japanese rice cooker that I wouldn't give up for anything. I don't want to get a crockpot as well, because I feel like it'd take up too much volumetric real estate, and I wouldn't be able to justify it. So I looked around for some alternatives.
One thing I've started exploring lately is freezer meals. It's basically like making your own "frozen dinners" and you can make them in individual portions, family size, or anything in between. You can get these out when you're hungry, pop 'em in the oven/microwave, and eat when your food is cooked. It's that easy.
I'm working through the recipes here: http://thrivinghomeblog.com/healthy-recipes-index/healthy-freezer-meals-recipes/
This philosophy is all about doing a ton of prep/cooking for a few hours one day, and then resting on your laurels for a week or two (or longer, with more freezer space). Anything that lets me not cook when I get home on a weekday is a good thing in my book. It facilitates buying in bulk, which is usually cheaper. I always add extra veggies and make the dishes as healthy as I want to.
I recently bought 2 of these 18 pc sets for $23 each at Costco: http://thesweethome.com/reviews/the-best-food-storage-containers/
They're the best rated food storage containers on the market, and they're glass (safer), water/airtight, oven/microwave/dishwasher/freezer safe! They come out to <$2.56 per container, which is a great deal. The lids are guaranteed for life, pyrex is guaranteed for a shorter duration.
I can prep my soon to be frozen lasagna in one of these containers, and freeze it. When I want to cook it, I can put the container directly from the fridge to oven! So easy!
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Really cant go wrong with a crock pot filled with ground beef, black beans, salsa and onions.
Served over some white rice, this meal is dirt cheap/healthy and lasts all week.
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I love these ideas! I've got two meals in the oven now from these suggestions.
Here's two super-easy, no-chopping weeknight meals for one (or two)
Irish tacos-
Microwave bake a potato. Top with refried beans, salsa, cheese.
Stuffed sweet potatoes-
Microwave bake a sweet potato. Top with (heated) frozen broccoli florets and sour cream.
6 minutes from concept to table.
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One thing I've started exploring lately is freezer meals. It's basically like making your own "frozen dinners" and you can make them in individual portions, family size, or anything in between. You can get these out when you're hungry, pop 'em in the oven/microwave, and eat when your food is cooked. It's that easy.
I'm working through the recipes here: http://thrivinghomeblog.com/healthy-recipes-index/healthy-freezer-meals-recipes/
This philosophy is all about doing a ton of prep/cooking for a few hours one day, and then resting on your laurels for a week or two (or longer, with more freezer space). Anything that lets me not cook when I get home on a weekday is a good thing in my book. It facilitates buying in bulk, which is usually cheaper. I always add extra veggies and make the dishes as healthy as I want to.
THANK YOU for that link!!! I cook large portions for the freezer constantly, and this is amazingly helpful!! I'm going to work my way slowly through these as well. I wonder who I can get to start a Freezer Club with me... my sister, maybe?
Plus, WOW, that jam sounds so easy!! I can't wait!
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One thing I've started exploring lately is freezer meals. It's basically like making your own "frozen dinners" and you can make them in individual portions, family size, or anything in between. You can get these out when you're hungry, pop 'em in the oven/microwave, and eat when your food is cooked. It's that easy.
I'm working through the recipes here: http://thrivinghomeblog.com/healthy-recipes-index/healthy-freezer-meals-recipes/
This philosophy is all about doing a ton of prep/cooking for a few hours one day, and then resting on your laurels for a week or two (or longer, with more freezer space). Anything that lets me not cook when I get home on a weekday is a good thing in my book. It facilitates buying in bulk, which is usually cheaper. I always add extra veggies and make the dishes as healthy as I want to.
THANK YOU for that link!!! I cook large portions for the freezer constantly, and this is amazingly helpful!! I'm going to work my way slowly through these as well. I wonder who I can get to start a Freezer Club with me... my sister, maybe?
Plus, WOW, that jam sounds so easy!! I can't wait!
+1
I don't currently do any freezer cooking, but I want/need to start, so that link is perfect. Thanks!
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Another thank you for the link to the freezer meals! I went rooting in the freezer yesterday for some meat to defrost for dinner and stumbled across a fully cooked beef stroganoff that I'd even clearly labeled a month ago. Apparently I cooked a double batch and froze it. All I had to do was boil noodles and heat the sauce. I was like this is too easy, what do I even do with the rest of my afternoon?! I've gotta keep doing this. That link couldn't be more timely!
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I had one this weekend which was an emergency redo of a recipe I was missing one ingredient for.
Put one 8-oz container of sliced mushrooms, one sliced onion, and one sliced pepper in the crockpot. Throw in a jar of spaghetti sauce and a glass of red wine. Add a pound of stew beef. Cook on low for 6 hours. If it's too watery for you, crank it to high and take off the lid while you run a couple of cups of rice through the rice cooker. Done. I'm sure browning the meat before it went in the crock would have made it even better, but I had ten minutes in the house between engagements. Still worked.
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Stir fried anything! ---
For cheap but questionably healthy try chicken and dumplings. You can add anything you want to the dumplings.
all recipe Google for the instructions.
My uber healthy vegie soup recipe --
One or two large cans veggie juice (generic $1.30 a can). What ever frozen or left over veggies in the cabinet. A little chicken, hamburger, ham or whatever you have meat wise. (even canned halibut)
Dice some potatos and brown them in bacon grease. Add to pot.
Sautee the meat and veggies and some onion while the pot is heating. When brown add to pot. (grease and all) Add salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder to taste. Throw in some rice or noodles if you like. simmer 10 minutes.
About 30 minutes to prepare and maybe 6 bucks. Could feed 2 people for 3 meals.
Pour over old stale bread if you like or just crumble the bread over the top.
This is a very flexible approach to cooking. I find that veggie juice works well for chili as well. I always keep plenty of veggie juice on hand for cooking.
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Broccoli/Chickpea Mash!
Ingredients: frozen broccoli, canned chickpeas (drained), olive oil, garlic (chopped), onion (chopped), seasonings of choice (I prefer salt, pepper and crushed red pepper at minimum).
Throw everything into a pot, cook until done. Easy, peasy, lemon-squeasy!
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Every Sunday I take 20 minutes out of my day to put 4 cups of cleaned/rinsed pinto (or black) beans in a crockpot with 8 cups of boiling hot water, two tablespoons of lard or butter, and a whole sliced onion (and for variation, a can of green chiles or a fresh green pepper). Cook 4-5 hours on highest setting of your crockpot. Add some salt to taste (about a tsp does it for me) toward the end, as if you do it too early the beans will be harder. No need to soak first. If I get home late, beans, rice, and cheese is super easy to throw together. It is good for lunch (had a bowl today at lunch time with some cheese and a tortilla), dinner (with chicken and something green like a salad), breakfast (with an egg or two). No cooking skill necessary, takes only 20 minutes a week, very cheap, and healthy.
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Quiche. Lazy if you buy pre made pie crusts ($1.98 for 2)
*ingredients* 4-6 eggs depending on size, 1/4 cup milk, pie crust (9 inch deep dish are the best) & fillings (shredded cheese, diced/cooked meat/ defrosted or fresh veggies)!!!
I tend to make ham/cheddar, bacon/ spinach/ mozzarella, butter & garlic chicken/ spinach/ mozzarella, 3 cheese or spinach & cheese. If you don't like spinach - broccoli or peppers works.
Beat the eggs in a bowl, add in milk, add in Veggies and COOKED meat that has been diced up. Mix it!!! Pour into pie tin of crust. Cover in foil and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, take off tin foil and cook another 15-20ish minutes until the quiche is no longer liquid. If you have leftover (cooked) chicken or bacon or ham it takes about 5 minutes to gather ingredients, mix, pour and foil while the oven heats up. *helpful hint: put pie tin on baking sheet so you don't spill liquid putting into oven. Much easier to handle and the bottom crust stays nice and soft.
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This is from my website... www.findyourgray.com A few more recipes are listed there. A favorite...
While I try to limit the amount of prepackaged foods in my (and my family’s) diet, I do enjoy experimenting with a variety of wraps using Rudi’s Gluten Free Spinach tortillas. With 5 grams of fiber and void of high fructose corn syrup, these gluten/dairy/soy free tortillas are moist enough to ensure your meal is nutritious as it is delicious.
Fill your wrap with anything but here is one of my favorite creations for a wrap that can be eaten any time of the day!
1 egg scrambled or sunny side up
1 Rudi’s gluten free spinach tortilla
1 garlic clove minced or sliced
Fresh basil leaves
Fresh cilantro leaves
1 thinly sliced tomato any variety
1 tsp Spectrum Canola Mayo
1 tsp Dijon Mustard *
1 TBSP Ghee
Melt ghee in a frying pan on medium heat. Add garlic. Prepare your egg as desired. Spread mustard and mayo over tortilla. Add tomato, basil, egg & cilantro. Roll and enjoy!
*please note that all ingredients in my recipes are organic unless noted with an asterisk
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One thing I've started exploring lately is freezer meals. It's basically like making your own "frozen dinners" and you can make them in individual portions, family size, or anything in between. You can get these out when you're hungry, pop 'em in the oven/microwave, and eat when your food is cooked. It's that easy.
I'm working through the recipes here: http://thrivinghomeblog.com/healthy-recipes-index/healthy-freezer-meals-recipes/
This philosophy is all about doing a ton of prep/cooking for a few hours one day, and then resting on your laurels for a week or two (or longer, with more freezer space). Anything that lets me not cook when I get home on a weekday is a good thing in my book. It facilitates buying in bulk, which is usually cheaper. I always add extra veggies and make the dishes as healthy as I want to.
THANK YOU for that link!!! I cook large portions for the freezer constantly, and this is amazingly helpful!! I'm going to work my way slowly through these as well. I wonder who I can get to start a Freezer Club with me... my sister, maybe?
Plus, WOW, that jam sounds so easy!! I can't wait!
+1
I don't currently do any freezer cooking, but I want/need to start, so that link is perfect. Thanks!
+1 Used to pretty much be on the cook on Sunday plan and eat all week. Seems we always arrive home late and tired on Sundays now. Will need to rethink this and plan a Friday night cook-a-thon (maybe a few cocktails and special together time with wife?). If we are smart we can cook a whole weeks dinners, label them and be free for a week. The prep and clean up is such a big time consumer. And if I'm making rice for Mexican, might as well make it for Chinese too!
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Been lurking for awhile, now that I have an account I'll contribute some things we've been using in our house.
5 ingredient meals that are tasty and low cost.
http://thestonesoup.com/blog/images/free_stonesoup_ecookbook.pdf
Cookbook focused on quality cooking with healthy ingredients on a food stamp budget.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/08/01/337141837/cheap-eats-cookbook-shows-how-to-eat-well-on-a-food-stamp-budget
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I know there are a lot of awesome recipe threads on here, but how about for those of us who don't like to cook? Or clean? :) I know we should just suck it up and make a big batch of chilli, but baby steps are important. List as many cheap, easy, and healthyish meals you can think of!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Just suck it up and make a big batch of chili!!!
A few cans of Rotel (diced tomatoes and chiles), a few cans of beans, a pound of ground beef, and an onion.
Brown the meat, put it all in a pot and wait. Get fancy and add chili powder and cumin.
Seriously easy, and you now have meals for like a week.
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I eat pretty much the same thing for breakfast every day, either a fried egg with cheese on an everything bagel (kind of like an egg McMuffin breakfast sandwich) or a pumpkin muffin (in the fall/winter, I make these: http://www.marthastewart.com/355570/pumpkin-muffins and they are about 400 calories per muffin, so add a cup of coffee, a bit of butter, and I'm set--I re-warm in the microwave).
For lunches, I like leftovers from dinner, or I make a sandwich with turkey or ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado, cucumber, whatever veggies I have in the fridge, mustard/mayo, and an apple, pear, other fruit, plus maybe some nuts (pistachios or almonds).
For dinner, I try to make a wide variety of things.
Super quick favorites:
tuna melts - mix tuna, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, mayo, pepper, put on toast, melt cheese on top
big salad with greens (various lettuces, spinach, kale), topped with nuts (pecans or walnuts) and cheese (usually feta), add balsamic vinegar and a bit of olive oil
scrambled eggs/messy omelet with whatever veggies I have (onion + carrots, celery, tomato, etc.) and cheese (I keep mexican blend shredded cheese on hand always)
BLTS + avocado (BLTS are amazing, then add avocado... mmm!)
More involved but still pretty quick favorites are:
tilapia or other white fish with this topping + baked potato or other veggie: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/broiled-tilapia-parmesan
chili - 1 lb. ground beef, cooked with one large onion + 1 can corn, 1 can black beans, 1 can diced tomatoes + extra tomato sauce to taste
soups like this (my absolute favorite and I skip the bacon): http://www.tuscanrecipes.com/recipes/olive-garden-zuppa-toscana.html or this http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/01/carnation-cafe-closes-thursday-for-renovations-at-disneyland-park/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+DisneyParks+%2528Disney+Parks+Blog%2529&utm_content=Google+Reader
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My new favorite:
Easy Huevos Rancheros
Cook two eggs over easy
Stack a tortilla, the eggs, cheese and green chile
Throw it in the oven on low for a couple minutes
Snacks:
an avocado with mayo and balsamic vinegar
chessy bean dip: cheese and beans and spices, melt and mix
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This is a great thread. I am always looking for quick meals that only need to be reheated for a dinner. (I prefer recipes that have 3 ingredients or less and NO chopping. Trader Joe's does have a package of chopped onions, celery and carrots together which is great so I can just add it in any recipe.
OTOH, I sometimes feel like cooking and can make a double batch of some of these great meals to freeze.
Thanks LibraryJoy for starting this thread and thanks to all who have contributed.
How do I get to your word doc when it is done? It will definitely be used by me.
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just found this thread, super excited to read through it but don't have time right now BUT just wanted to say that one of my fave cheap/fast/not terribly unhealthy meals is super simple burrito bowls... rice (I usually do brown), black beans (used to use canned but now I batch cook 2 lbs in the crockpot and freeze them in can-sized baggies), Rotel (or, you know, store brand diced tomatoes and green chiles), pepper jack cheese. om nom nom. if I'm trying to convince my boyfriend it's a meal, add shredded taco meat from the freezer. maybe add some greens too, for health purposes. :)
Dude! I can't believe I hadn't thought about batch cooking, then freezing beans! With only two of us at home, I find that 1 can of beans is too many, so sometimes I forgo the beans altogether, which I wouldn't have to do, if I batch cooked them, and froze in 1 cup portions!
Thanks for the tip!
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Toast a piece of whole wheat bread or naan. Smoosh an avocado on top. Sprinkle with flake salt and crushed red pepper. Drizzle with best quality extra-virgin olive oil. Then eat!
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How I batch cook beans in the slow cooker:
Place 1" of beans in the bottom of slow cooker. Rinse with water and drain. Fill up to the top of the slow cooker with hot water. Cover , plug in and set to high for 4-6 hrs or low for 8+ hours.
That's it! Only kidney beans don't work with this method as they need to be boiled due to toxins (google it).
You know the beans are ready when you blow on one and the skin peels back and if you can squish the bean on the roof of your mouth easily with your tongue. Drain, cool, and bag em up!
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I have a weird one for you guys. But something tells me it's right up some of your alleys.
Make some oatmeal on the stove. When you add the oats, also add about 1/2 tsp of harissa paste (or curry paste would be good too). Then, lightly fry an egg until the white is just done. Eat the oatmeal w/the egg on top. Add cheese if you like (but my cheese just got lost in the flavor explosion of the harissa). So good & it took me about 7 minutes to make!
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Roasted vegetables as others mention. Olive oil, salt, little pepper, maybe garlic.
Very easy to clean, just foil a baking sheet, no cleanup except plate serve on, or if eat right off sheet. Simple, nutritious and long term low cost because you will avoid diseases like diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure, saving you money from doctor visits, surgeries, hospital visits, medication, etc.
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Crustless quiche for 1 or 2 people.
4 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. shredded cheese
3 slices of onion, diced and sauteed
Whatever other veggie you have (if a harder one, like broccoli, then saute first)
1/2 tsp. salt
White pepper
Preheat oven to 400.
Whisk eggs, add milk, cheese and spices. Saute onions (and hard veggies if applicable) using a pot that you can put in the oven. Pour the egg mix over the veggies. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
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The Make It Fast, Cook it Slow cookbooks (there are two, the first is better)--slow cooker recipes that hit a nice balance between not too many prepared products and not too much prep required)
+1 on the slow cooker.
You need to wake up 30 minutes earlier every day but slow cooker meals are literally the following:
Cut up some veges (from the back of the refrigerator ok)
Cut up some meat (cheaper cuts ok)
Chuck it all in the slow cooker, add some salt/pepper (and a bay leaf or some other non-fancypants spices) and a little liquid (water/wine/blood/etc). Come back in 8-10 hours.
Last night's dinner:
Permanent Portfolio Irish Stew
25% potatoes, peeled and diced
25% carrot, peeled and diced
25% green beans, cut into 1 inch bits
25% chunks of lamb
Season with a little salt & pepper, add a bay leaf and a cup of water. Stew will vest in 8 hours.
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My old grad school go-to when I was both poor and had no time: Fish with rice and mixed veggies
Get a rice cooker with a basket that you can use to steam things above it.
Cook rice, put frozen tilapia and veggies in the steaming basket. Season as desired. Set rice cooker to cook, and you have practically no work, and a very healthy meal.
One of my current favorites: Red Beans and Rice
A little more work, but still not too bad, and incredibly cheap.
Cook rice in a rice cooker. Cut up some sausage (preferably Andouille, but not 100% necessary - we use half Andouille and half cheaper sausage/kielbasa). Toss the sausage, rice, and a can of kidney beans into a skillet/wok. Heat, and add cajun seasoning to bring to desired level of spiciness (our preferred brand of seasoning is Tony Chachere's). The meal reheats really well, so you can make a big batch of it and reheat it for a week. Rice and beans give a great, cheap source of protein. If you're feeling deprived of vitamins with this meal, you can steam some veggies along with the rice you're cooking, like in the example above.
When it comes to making easy meals, rice cookers and crockpots are gold.
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If you're gonna do your beans in the slow cooker, why not try this one:
Bad-ass Boston Baked Beans
1 onion, chopped
6 slices bacon, chopped
1-2 tablespoons mustard (dijon or "yellow")
3 dry cups of navy beans*, rinsed
6 cups water
1 cup ketchup or tomato puree
up to 1/2 a cup of molasses (I leave this out)
Salt to taste
Combine in slow cooker and cook on low for 10 hours.
* Some may prefer to soak overnight instead (and reduce the water) but the fact that you don't have to is what drew me to the recipe in the first place
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If you're gonna do your beans in the slow cooker, why not try this one:
Bad-ass Boston Baked Beans
1 onion, chopped
6 slices bacon, chopped
1-2 tablespoons mustard (dijon or "yellow")
3 dry cups of navy beans*, rinsed
6 cups water
1 cup ketchup or tomato puree
up to 1/2 a cup of molasses (I leave this out)
Salt to taste
Combine in slow cooker and cook on low for 10 hours.
* Some may prefer to soak overnight instead (and reduce the water) but the fact that you don't have to is what drew me to the recipe in the first place
This recipe looks awesome, can't wait to try it!
Question - do you notice any additional digestive issues if you don't pre-soak dried beans? I've heard that the soaking activates or deactivates some enzyme and ultimately helps keep one from getting gassy. Thoughts?
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I haven't made this in a while but don't recall any more gas than I usually have lol.
Unfortunately I didn't scribe the amount of water required when cooking with pre-soaked beans but you could probably find a formula on the web, or otherwise go with a little less than you think you'll need and add towards the end of the cook time if necessary. I reckon you would be safe with as little as 1 cup even.
If you're gonna do your beans in the slow cooker, why not try this one:
Bad-ass Boston Baked Beans
1 onion, chopped
6 slices bacon, chopped
1-2 tablespoons mustard (dijon or "yellow")
3 dry cups of navy beans*, rinsed
6 cups water
1 cup ketchup or tomato puree
up to 1/2 a cup of molasses (I leave this out)
Salt to taste
Combine in slow cooker and cook on low for 10 hours.
* Some may prefer to soak overnight instead (and reduce the water) but the fact that you don't have to is what drew me to the recipe in the first place
This recipe looks awesome, can't wait to try it!
Question - do you notice any additional digestive issues if you don't pre-soak dried beans? I've heard that the soaking activates or deactivates some enzyme and ultimately helps keep one from getting gassy. Thoughts?
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As many others have mentioned, I'm a huge fan of using my slow cooker.
This chicken burrito bowl is awesome (and I've also made it without the chicken and it was good too) - http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-slow-cooker-chicken-burrito-bowls-recipes-from-the-kitchn-207333
At the risk of tooting my own horn (it's my blog), one of my favourite recipes is this really easy and lazy beef and chickpea curry. I usually reduce excess liquid and serve it with naan/pita and a garlic yogourt drizzle, but it's also good over plain rice. And since it's the crockpot, you can use a tough cut of beef and just let it stew all day.
Recipe here: http://definitelynotmartha.blogspot.ca/2009/01/easiest-best-thing-you-will-ever-make.html
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Yesterday I made African peanut soup for lunches this week. The original recipe calls for rice, but I'm a low carber and don't use it. Below reflects a half recipe. I cooked it in the slow cooker for 6 hours on low.
1.00 2 cans chicken broth
0.00 tomatoes, fresh from the garden
0.50 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1.00 red bell pepper
0.20 spices, olive oil
Total 2.70 for about 4 servings
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A staple in our house with 2 working people and little time/inclination to cook dinner every singe weeknight is a simple chicken salad.
I basically grill 10 chicken breasts at a time on the weekend, slice them up and refrigerate. While I do that my wife chops up all sorts of vegetables and the lettuce base and puts it in a huge tuperware bowl. Dressing is some olive oil and balsamic mixed together. To serve we just throw the salad mix in with chicken and throw a little vinigarette and some pine nuts on top.
Total prep time is probably an hour total on the weekend. Total time to make salads at night is 4 minutes.
I know it's lame and not a 'recipe' but it's super quick, cheap, and honestly really delicious and surprisingly filling. We eat this at least 2-3 nights a week for dinner and aside from being easy has been great for weight loss.
When we are feeling fancy or get a good deal we will substitute salmon instead. Another thing you can do if you don't have time to grill the chicken in a pinch is get one of the rotisseries from the supermarket for $5 and shred that up.
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A staple in our house with 2 working people and little time/inclination to cook dinner every singe weeknight is a simple chicken salad.
I basically grill 10 chicken breasts at a time on the weekend, slice them up and refrigerate. While I do that my wife chops up all sorts of vegetables and the lettuce base and puts it in a huge tuperware bowl. Dressing is some olive oil and balsamic mixed together. To serve we just throw the salad mix in with chicken and throw a little vinigarette and some pine nuts on top.
Total prep time is probably an hour total on the weekend. Total time to make salads at night is 4 minutes.
I know it's lame and not a 'recipe' but it's super quick, cheap, and honestly really delicious and surprisingly filling. We eat this at least 2-3 nights a week for dinner and aside from being easy has been great for weight loss.
When we are feeling fancy or get a good deal we will substitute salmon instead. Another thing you can do if you don't have time to grill the chicken in a pinch is get one of the rotisseries from the supermarket for $5 and shred that up.
Terrestrial, I love this idea and don't think it's lame at all.
Something I do which is similar is make a 7 layer salad, refrigerate it overnight then divide among large single serving plastic containers for work:
Romaine, rinsed, dried, torn into bite size pieces. Put in an 8 x 8 dish.
Add diced onion and bell pepper.
Add a few pieces cooked bacon, peas, and cheddar cheese.
In a bowl, mix mayo, sour cream, a ranch dressing packet (I used one for the first time earlier this month only because it was free, and will not do so again-yuck), and some lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste. Prior to the packet, I was using just a bit of ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Cover and refrigerate several hours.
I also add canned chicken as one of the layers for a more substantial meal.
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I have a weird one for you guys. But something tells me it's right up some of your alleys.
Make some oatmeal on the stove. When you add the oats, also add about 1/2 tsp of harissa paste (or curry paste would be good too). Then, lightly fry an egg until the white is just done. Eat the oatmeal w/the egg on top. Add cheese if you like (but my cheese just got lost in the flavor explosion of the harissa). So good & it took me about 7 minutes to make!
That sounds great! I make something similar: oatmeal, frozen mixed veggies microwaved till hot, nutritional yeast, and a bit of soy milk, hot sauce, and salt.
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Garam Masala Chick Peas:
Grill onions with butter
Add can of chickpeas, cup of tomato sauce, and table spoon of garam masala"from indian store or online"
Cook at medium low heat until tomato sauce has a paste consistency
Add about four or five tablespoons of cream