I think I'm lazy, can we discuss?

[Courtney]

So, another thread here really made me think about this.  I think my struggle with eating right, in part, stems from being lazy.  I don't like the idea that I'm lazy.  But I think it's true.  I feel like I'm lazy about cooking, shopping, planning, preparing food.  I want it to be easy, convenient, etc.  And tasty.  I like to eat out, for those reasons, too. 

How do you change this?  I resent having to spend time cooking.  I resent having to do it EVERY DAY.  I don't plan well for the week, and I end up eating out due to a combo of not having any easy to make meals readiy and not wanting to mess with it.  I think this is DEFINITELY a problem, and I am not sure how to change my mindset. 

I think I'm lazy in my running as well, but that's a whole different issue. 

[Magic Microbe]

I am lazy too. Which is why canned soups, microwaved potatoes with broccoli, and grilled cheese with tomato soup are staples in our house.

[crazypants]

I'd say planning out new recipes that would be fun for you to tackle. New and different recipes, new and different pairings.
Also- how do you usually cook? When I want to have some fun in the kitchen, I turn off the news in the background and start playing blues while I'm cooking. It gets me into a groove, gets me enjoying it more.

[redkitty]

Make easy to prepare stuff.  I found that recipes that take 30 min from start to finish are much more likely to be done than longer ones.  I hate cooking.  I am not sure if it is because i am lazy or what, but I hate it.  Sometiems dinner is a bowl of cereal.  Sometimes a sandwich.  I eat a lot of pasta.  I started eating in more because I have a 1 year old who goes to bed at 7.  So unless I went to dinner at 5 pm, it doesn't work.  Seriously, that is the only reason I eat in more. So i really cannot help you there.

[Courtney]

I am lazy too. Which is why canned soups, microwaved potatoes with broccoli, and grilled cheese with tomato soup are staples in our house.

I hear ya, but sandwiches are out for me (gluten, and I don't really like the GF bread), and soups are iffy for the same reason. 

Plus, right now we don't have a microwave.    Soon, tho.   I love baked potatoes, but right now it's a full hour (or more) before one can be done. 

I think part of my laziness right now stems from a shitty kitchen set up, which will change in a month or so, but I worry that I'm making these really bad habits right now.  It's "easier" for us to go out and grab something to eat, but it's not good for us (we are getting fatter and it's expensive). 

HP, cooking like that isn't fun for me.  It's messy, and that makes it worse.  I loathe kitchen clean up duty.  My DH is not as adventurous as I am, food wise, so it's not realistic to try a bunch of really different stuff.  He will try to be a good sport, but I feel like an asshole if I purposefully make food he doesn't like with the intent of it being for both of us.  Of course, he's a grown up, and won't starve if he doesn't like it, but it's nice to be considerate, ya know? 

The hatred of cleanup is definitely contributing to the lazy factor here.  I don't want to clean up the kitchen, so I find reasons not to cook.  The main one being that I don't wanna. 

I'm such a baby about this.  See what I mean?  I'm being lazy, and I hate it. 

[all-smiles]

So what do you like to eat and how much do you hate routine/ monotony? I'm lazy also but my incentive is saving money and realizing that once I had a routine, it wasn't that bad.  And it all depends on your goals; right now I'm doing grain free with no processed food so that's what I work my meals around.  Bulk cooking also helps; if I'm baking sweet potatoes, I bake enough for the week because they stay good, same with hard boiling eggs

[Courtney]

So what do you like to eat and how much do you hate routine/ monotony? I'm lazy also but my incentive is saving money and realizing that once I had a routine, it wasn't that bad.  And it all depends on your goals; right now I'm doing grain free with no processed food so that's what I work my meals around.  Bulk cooking also helps; if I'm baking sweet potatoes, I bake enough for the week because they stay good, same with hard boiling eggs

I don't actually mind monotony for breakfast and lunch at all.  Tell me about baked sweet potatoes.  I have never had one.  Do you peel them?  Do you eat the peel?  What do you put on them?  Do you then reheat in the microwave?  This may be a good lunch option for me. 

Dinner is a tough one right now with no microwave.  I don't really have the right set up to reheat stuff in the oven, so when I do cook, I try to cook enough for just one meal, because DH won't take leftovers to work (germy microwave, weird food issues, etc) and most of my storage stuff is packed still. 

I don't particularly need fancy food, just some simple things that are both healthy and tasty.  I like being able to toss stuff in the oven when I get home and have it be ready in half an hour or so. 

I'm not sure how much of this is driven by my 1 square foot of food prep space, which is shared with the coffee maker, and how much of it's pure laziness. 

I'm gluten free, which mostly results in being grain free unless I do a GF frozen pizza crust or GF wraps now and then. 

When I lost weight a number of years ago, I cooked a lot.  It's obviously way easier to eat healthy that way, and both of us need that.  I don't know why I did it then, but not now. 

I am trying for less processed foods, but I'm not eliminating anything entirely.  I haven't given up cheese, dairy, etc and I doubt that I will. 

I'm thinking aloud here, because it really became apparent to me just how lazy I've gotten with this (and some other areas of my life, so it's something I need to address). 

[merigayle]

I don't use a microwave, it is not that time consuming to use the stove once you get in the habit. While i am reheating my food or cooking my main meal on the stove, i can easily steam up some veggies. I like to eat baked sweet potatoes too. I cut off the ends, then slice it in about 1/2 inch slices and wrap the whole thing in tin foil and bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes. I just put it in a container and take it to work and eat room temp. Stir fries are really easy, you can make rice in the rice cooker and then stir fry up some veggies and protein in a matter of minutes. Crockpot and then make a meal for the whole week. You can look into once a month cooking where you spend a full day on the weekend cooking and prepping and freezing all your meals for the week so everything is ready at your fingertips each day for each meal.

For quick, things like eggs are quick, cheap, nutritious, and versatile, oh yeah, low in calories and high in protein. I do not eat eggs, but do scrambled tofu You can also make breakfast burritos and gluten free wraps are easy to come by.

What about cooking a whole chicken and eating that throughout the week? chicken salad, soup, etc. Just reheat a piece and steam up some veggies.

I am not sure lazy is the right word, but maybe just not in the habit? since i have been vegetarian for so long, i am really used to cooking all my meals for myself, so it is hard to imagine not doing that. If i did not do that in high school i either would have starved or had to eat meat

Even a quick pasta dish with gluten free pasta is easy.

Look for 30 minutes or less cookbooks. I have the Happy Herbivore one which is GREAT, i think it is Everyday Happy Herbivore? So easy some of the recipes.

[hally]

Rachael Ray has/had a 30 minutes or less show and probably a cookbook.
I prefer to cook most of the time, I feel like I get ripped off most of the time when I eat out, or take out if it's supposed to be hot because generally by the time I eat it, it isn't hot anymore and unless it's a cuisine that I wouldn't attempt (sushi, real Thai or Vietnamese) I can make it better, healthier and for WAY less money. Are you trying to save money at all? Because this can be a huge factor if you stop eating out.

During the week I definitely do not take very long to cook a scrumptious meal that is definitely healthier and less full of fat and salt then almost anywhere I can take out or eat out.
Are all grains bad? Because you can cook a big pot of most anything and eat all week. I love barley and brown rice mixed half and half. A stove top is basically all I use during the week.
Get a steamer basket and you can reheat anything in a bowl over hot water.

[Magic Microbe]

I honestly cannot live without a microwave.

[Courtney]

I'm not really much of a grain eater, truth be told.  I don't really like most of them, and the same (sadly) goes for beans.   

I'm not trying to save money right now, but I should be.    When we move, we'll need to stop eating out so much, because it's so expensive. 

I'm also not really interested in GF pastas, mostly because I was consuming too much pasta when I was eating it, and I don't really need to bring that back. 

Thanks for all the ideas, you guys.  I *have* time, I just don't want to spend it cooking all the time, I guess.  Not that I'm really doing anything super awesome otherwise.  THis is why I think I'm being lazy...

[Magic Microbe]

I think you kind of also just have to overcome the laziness a bit. It takes effort to build new habits.


I totally get it because I am lazy too and I don't always feel like making something but I have managed in the past so I know it is actually possible. 

[merigayle]

Get on Pinterest and find some recipes that excite you. or just suck it up and do the one day a month cooking plans

Yeah, i understand with the pasta. I could not tell you the last time i ate pasta. I love it, but it is really not worth the calories imo. No beans?  Is it a texture thing? no hummus? hummus wraps with sprouts, tomato, cuke, avocado, etc, would be great! And easy.

[witchypoo]

Thanks for all the ideas, you guys.  I *have* time, I just don't want to spend it cooking all the time, I guess.  Not that I'm really doing anything super awesome otherwise.  THis is why I think I'm being lazy...

peel and cube 2 or 3 sweet potatoes (1/2 to 1 inch dice).  spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  toss the cubed potatoes with a bit of salt and pepper (i have been using chipotle powder lately).  spread out on the tray.  spray with more cooking spray.  bake in a 425° oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until fork tender (make sure you stir them every 10 minutes or so). 

i do this a LOT.  and we eat them with everything - rice or wild rice, beans, lentils, roasted peppers, sweet corn, salads, some grated cheese and onion.

[Ice Cream]

Getting a rice cooker has been good for me.  All that is left to do is a quick stir fry.

[merigayle]

And you can cook beans in the rice cooker with your rice too!

[rocketgirl]

I am lazy and don't enjoy cooking either.

 I will say that marinating chicken or something in a ziplock and fixing it on a grill (I have one of those George Foreman plug in things) is easy and cooks really fast.  And wilting spinach in oil or butter with salt and pepper is really fast.  Yeah, I know it gets boring for every day, but maybe just guarantee yourself two r three times a week.

And your DH should take his turn.  I'm sorry, but if neither of you like it, you should share duty.

[LilyLily]

Get a vitamix.

[all-smiles]

For my baked sweet potatoes I put the oven at 425 and line my baking sheet with foil for easy clean up.  I leave them in the jackets and bake until soft.  They slip right out and I usually season with a tiny bit of butter, cinnamon, and salt although savory spices especially chiles go well.  They heat up perfectly at work.  What about the chicken sausages ? The aidells band sold at Costco is quite tasty and low cal, quick and easy; also reheats well so is good for work lunches.  Meatballs are also easy to make a large batch and either freeze some or portion them out for lunch.  I also do a taco filling that is 1 lb grass fed beef, 1 package of mushrooms, 1 onion, and a few tri color peppers; the veggies make the meat go much further and it's so filling.  I serve in lettuce wraps and get four portions out of the pound of meat.  If I remember correctly each serving is around 300 calories.

What veggies do you like to eat? How do you feel about the steam fresh bags of frozen veggies?

[radial]

The easiest way to cook sweet potatoes is to cut them in half and stick them on the grill.  Don't be afraid to cook the cut side until it's black/caramelized.  Then eat the whole thing skin and all.  Simple, gluten-free, low glycemic index, and delicious.  The thing I like best about sweet potatoes is that you don't have to load them up with a bunch of extras to make them edible like white potatoes.  Just eat them right off the grill. 

[merigayle]

i buy sweet potatoes at the local natural food store and they are incredible, i cut them in half and they ooze a sweet liquid.

[cgraz]

I am definitely lazy in general, not just when it comes to food...but I like to cook. It's just the organizing and clean-up that I get so tired of. It's like any repetitive task that you have to keep up with all the time. Every week, I'm thinking "didn't I JUST do this? argh!" And I also have this idea that I can't possibly know now what I will want later, so planning meals or weekly lunches is hard to do without just falling back on the same easy things. Luckily I don't get too sick of them. I do have times when I get on board with the idea that a little prep now will save me time later, and I get myself set up for the week by cutting up salad stuff, etc.

[Ice Cream]

... to make them edible like white potatoes. 

White potatoes taste fine for me and are edible as they are.  I often steam them.

[cgraz]

White potatoes taste fine for me and are edible as they are.  I often steam them.

1! And there are so many kinds...yukon, new, idaho...they all have their own flavor. Yukon with a little salt, mmm. Doesn't take much!

[Courtney]

I am lazy and don't enjoy cooking either.

 I will say that marinating chicken or something in a ziplock and fixing it on a grill (I have one of those George Foreman plug in things) is easy and cooks really fast.  And wilting spinach in oil or butter with salt and pepper is really fast.  Yeah, I know it gets boring for every day, but maybe just guarantee yourself two r three times a week.

And your DH should take his turn.  I'm sorry, but if neither of you like it, you should share duty.

Yeah, that's probably a good point, but the reality is that he doesn't cook, has no interest, and if left to his own devices would eat eggs, ramen, and fried chicken from the deli.  I don't like that stuff, nor would I eat it regularly if I did.    He'd also eat only once a day.  And, TBH, I go thru phases where I LOVE to cook.  I never like the clean-up, but woe is me!

Thanks for all the ideas, you guys.  This is helpful.   

I do need to get over the lazy bit, like MM said.    It's so easy (for me) to fall into shitty habits, and it's like pulling god damned teeth to break them.   

A-S, I personally like to eat onions, bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, endamame, and mushrooms (only when finely diced so I can't feel their disgusting sliminess) cooked, and a number of other veggies raw.  My DH is another story.    He will barely touch a cooked veggie other than mushrooms.

Meri, beans are just not something I like.  It's definitely a texture thing, and I can do them in stuff like chili, as long as they aren't overwhelming.  I want to like hummus, a lot.  But I don't.  I can do it ON something (like a sandwich) if I have to, but I just really don't like it.  I think it's texture related. 

To all of you who suggested sweet potatoes, I really love them when they are done in a savory way.  So I should experiment more with them.  We don't have a grill right now, so that will have to wait, but the rest of it sounds good.  DH isn't a huge fan, but I can dice up a regular potato for him, no big deal. 

[cgraz]

For sweet potatoes, my go-to is to just cut them into about 1-inch chunks, cut up some vidalia onions into slightly smaller chunks, then toss it all in olive oil in a big ziplock, and season with salt and pepper. Spread out on a foil-lined cookie sheet and roast at 350 until browned/tender. Super good, and goes with most anything...pork chops, chicken, steak. It is all good.

[merigayle]

http://onceamonthmom.com/

[Mom of Scooby]

Get on Pinterest and find some recipes that excite you. or just suck it up and do the one day a month cooking plans

Yeah, i understand with the pasta. I could not tell you the last time i ate pasta. I love it, but it is really not worth the calories imo. No beans?  Is it a texture thing? no hummus? hummus wraps with sprouts, tomato, cuke, avocado, etc, would be great! And easy.

I agree with this!  I have never liked to cook but since Pinterest I could several times a week.  I always put "easy" in my search.  I am also a very lazy cook. more then 3-4 ingredients and I'm done.  I have found some great, easy stuff there..  Yogurt coated chicken which is quick and tasty and tons of good tofu recipes.

[LizardMixture]

I agree with this!  I have never liked to cook but since Pinterest I could several times a week.  I always put "easy" in my search.  I am also a very lazy cook. more then 3-4 ingredients and I'm done.  I have found some great, easy stuff there..  Yogurt coated chicken which is quick and tasty and tons of good tofu recipes.

Oooh I will check this out. Confession: I am lazy, so... pizza. By Thursday night I am usually tired of having to figure out dinner yet again, and so we go out for pizza.  Usually I do keep it to once a week, but it has been known to happen twice.

I was getting to the pizza stage today, but thanks to this thread I think I will marinade some chicken and make a baked potato and grilled asparagus.   

[witchypoo]

i recommend finding a husband who is excited to try his hand at new recipes - last night, mr. 'poo made paneer w/curried veggies for supper.

[LizardMixture]

i recommend finding a husband who is excited to try his hand at new recipes - last night, mr. 'poo made paneer w/curried veggies for supper.

Yabut I kinda like the one I already have. Seems a little harsh to ditch him because he can't cook.

[Courtney]

i recommend finding a husband who is excited to try his hand at new recipes - last night, mr. 'poo made paneer w/curried veggies for supper.

Send him my way.  I promise I won't hit on him, just eat his cooking.   

[rocketgirl]

Yabut I kinda like the one I already have. Seems a little harsh to ditch him because he can't cook.

Can't or won't?  Seriously.  If you can read, you can cook.  Not necessarily anything complicated or anything, but some things.

I'm no great cook.  Other than spaghetti, nobody ever taught me how.  And I only learned that because I had to do it for some class in middle school.  But over the past couple of years, I've tried a little more.  And what do you know, I can even wing it now and then.

There is no special cooking gene that is only present in women.  (And if there was, *I* certainly don't have it.)  ANYBODY can learn to cook a few simple meals, even if they have to look at the recipe every time.

Granted, I don't particularly value the home cooked meal over other things on an every day basis, and yes, I'd have a hard time being in a relationship with someone who did and who expected me to cook 3 times a week (with them also cooking 3 or 4 times a week).  But I'd certainly cook SOMETIMES. 

[radial]

Can't or won't? 

Or just don't need to.  Why does everybody have to cook anyway?  Some people like to cook and are good at it.  Other people are better at clean up.  50-50 doesn't have to mean that everybody does 50% of everything. 

[nadra24]

Or just don't need to.  Why does everybody have to cook anyway?  Some people like to cook and are good at it.  Other people are better at clean up.  50-50 doesn't have to mean that everybody does 50% of everything. 

Yabut if neither partner likes cooking, then there's a problem.  I think that's the point of this thread.

[radial]

Yabut if neither partner likes cooking, then there's a problem.  I think that's the point of this thread. 

I thought it was about whether Courtney was being lazy.  But I didn't read the whole thing.  My bad. 

[picote]

I love to cook, but there just doesn't seem to be enough time/energy at the end of the workday to make a complicated meal on a regular basis. We've found our gas grill to be a life saver. Grill some veggies and a nice steak, piece of fish, or some other protein and microwave a sweet potato and you have a nice dinner that takes 10 min of prep and 10 min on the grill. And almost no clean up! I think I'm lazy too!!

[Ice Cream]

Yabut I kinda like the one I already have. Seems a little harsh to ditch him because he can't cook.

DH gave me a cookbook for the first birthday we were together and told me, if it does not work, McDonald's is our back up. Maybe you can try a similar tactic. 

[witchypoo]

DH gave me a cookbook for the first birthday we were together and told me, if it does not work, McDonald's is our back up. Maybe you can try a similar tactic. 

LOL. And he is still alive. Astounding.

[Jules62]

I am not a good cook mainly because it doesn't interest me, DH on the other hand LOVES to cook.  So he cooks and I am his CUB (clean up beotch) and it works for us.   

[Courtney]

I love to cook, but there just doesn't seem to be enough time/energy at the end of the workday to make a complicated meal on a regular basis. We've found our gas grill to be a life saver. Grill some veggies and a nice steak, piece of fish, or some other protein and microwave a sweet potato and you have a nice dinner that takes 10 min of prep and 10 min on the grill. And almost no clean up! I think I'm lazy too!!

*highfive*

[Courtney]

LOL. And he is still alive. Astounding.

Right?

My grandad gave me a couple cookbooks one Christmas, when I was 19 or so, and had been seeing my now-DH for about 6 months.  He told me that if I wanted to keep this guy, I needed to learn to cook.    They were Campbell's Soup and Lipton Soup mix cookbooks, but they were actually great.  I had no idea what I was doing, because I specifically didn't learn to cook when I was in HS.  I did whatever mom needed me to do (chopping stuff, setting the table, cleaning the kitchen, etc) but I was decidedly not interested in cooking.  I baked, tho.  But anyhoo, there was certainly some truth to what my grandad said.  I think cooking my now-DH some meals that were not ramen noodles definitely was a plus  

I don't hate cooking by any stretch.  I hate cooking EVERY DAY.  And I hate cleaning up.  I need to work out a deal with DH to help me with that part and that would be good. 

Speaking of lazy, we ordered pizza last night because I have no food to cook with in the house, and it was cold and I didn't want to go to the store (and we are leaving for 3 days).   

[merigayle]

my neighbor has gone to these cooking places where go and they give you recipes, etc and you prep and prepare your meals for a week or a month and put them in freezer. I think for you, cooking 1 day a week for the week is probably your best bet. Check out some of the websites that give you advice on how to prep food to have on hand for easy meals. I know a lot of people who cook once a month, i just do not because it is really not vegan friendly recipes.

[AmyAmyAmy]

I'm lazy too. I usually cook a big thing of soup or a bunch of chicken breast on Sunday night and eat that through Wednesday with rice and veggies. If I'm feeling sassy on Thursday I cook more chicken and if not I'll eat Subway or something on Thursday and Friday. You don't have to cook every day to eat home cooked food every day. 

[Courtney]

I've done the thing where you go somewhere and make up X number of freezer meals, too.  It wasn't Supper Solutions, it was at a gal's house.  It was good, but with the gluten issue now, it's not as easy.  But yeah, cooking once a week would be good.  Even meal planning would help. 

The thing that is most annoying about being gluten free is that I can't run out to subway anymore.  It was always my go-to cheap easy healthy meal. 

[Mom of Scooby]

I've done the thing where you go somewhere and make up X number of freezer meals, too.  It wasn't Supper Solutions, it was at a gal's house.  It was good, but with the gluten issue now, it's not as easy.  But yeah, cooking once a week would be good.  Even meal planning would help. 

The thing that is most annoying about being gluten free is that I can't run out to subway anymore.  It was always my go-to cheap easy healthy meal. 

I'm lazy too.. but I've found things don't have to be fancy or elaborate.. I made a huge tofu stirfry last night that basically took about 10 minutes... I got him from work, ran, showered and made the dinner.. easy peasy...

Just try to keep it simple.. Not sure what you like, but many nights I just throw some chicken brasts on the grill pan sprinkled with lemon pepper.. a pre bagged salad and steam some broccoli.... take but a few minutes to cook and nutritious and healthy...

[Ice Cream]

LOL. And he is still alive. Astounding.

And I have developed a love of cooking in the process.

[cgraz]

They were Campbell's Soup and Lipton Soup mix cookbooks, but they were actually great. 

These were totally my first two cookbooks when I was out of college and first cooking for myself all the time! I rocked those recipes. The beef with broccoli and noodles from the Campbell's Soup one was one of my favorites. I swear I still have the books, somewhere. I'll never get rid of them, even though it's probably been a good 5-10 years since I opened my last can of cream of mushroom soup. 

[cgraz]

I don't hate cooking by any stretch.  I hate cooking EVERY DAY.  And I hate cleaning up.  I need to work out a deal with DH to help me with that part and that would be good. 

And yes, yes, a thousand times yes. I love to cook when I'm in the mood, but the daily grind wears me down, especially clean-up (with no dishwasher). Some days I feel as if my life is nothing but an endless stream of dirty dishes.

[diablita]

Courtney, with Passover a few weeks away the grocery stores are filling with matzo.  Gluten-free matzo is fairly easy to find these days and I recommend you go grab a box today and try it.  IF you like it, buy a bunch before it's gone.  Matzo makes a great snack, matzo pizza is good, you can soak in a bit of hot water and use it like lasagna noodles.  I was thinking about that b/c you mentioned Subway and it's totally good with a bit of spray butter, cold cuts etc.

[radial]

Gluten free matzoh?  Yay, I had no idea!  I've been craving matzoh brei.  Thanks!

[diablita]

Yes!  Whole Foods has several brands.

[triciaflower]

Found this. It's not free, but it sounds like it might be a good starting point.
http://www.plantoeat.com/
There is also this:
http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-resources/

Just realized a lot of her recipes have wheat. I'm sure there are a ton of other ideas from which to start just modify based on your diet.

[omega lambda]

Another thought - you mentioned that your current kitchen situation isn't helpful and you're worried about developing bad habits, so how about spending some timenow finding recipes you want to make in your NEW kitchen.  Perhaps the change of scenery and being ready with recipes in hand will help guard against that once you move.

[Courtney]

Another thought - you mentioned that your current kitchen situation isn't helpful and you're worried about developing bad habits, so how about spending some timenow finding recipes you want to make in your NEW kitchen.  Perhaps the change of scenery and being ready with recipes in hand will help guard against that once you move.

That, my friend, is a great idea  

We visited some friends this weekend, and I cooked in their big awesome kitchen, and was LONGING for the ability to do that at home.  So I'm very hopeful that it will be easy to get back in the groove.  Allegedly we close mid-march, so let's all  that it actually happens! 

It was hilarious, they just got married this fall, so they got lots of cool kitchen gadgets from their registry, and they had good knives (which I have, but are packed) and good pans (again, packed), and SPACE.  Oh, the space... 

[Courtney]

Courtney, with Passover a few weeks away the grocery stores are filling with matzo.  Gluten-free matzo is fairly easy to find these days and I recommend you go grab a box today and try it.  IF you like it, buy a bunch before it's gone.  Matzo makes a great snack, matzo pizza is good, you can soak in a bit of hot water and use it like lasagna noodles.  I was thinking about that b/c you mentioned Subway and it's totally good with a bit of spray butter, cold cuts etc.

I'm going to Sprouts this weekend, so I'll check. 

Tricia, I love that lady's blog.   

[Natasha]

I used to love cooking, but I'm burned out. I still like baking but that doesn't really help.

What I want are 5 easy, healthy, delicious dinner recipes. Just 5. And I can just keep stocked up on those ingredients, and do smoothies for breakfast and keep a bunch of healthy self-serve snacks to take care of the munchies, and we'd be set.

[witchypoo]

i cannot wait for spring/summer; mr. 'poo and i will be eating green salads w/paillards for WEEKS. 

[merigayle]

I used to love cooking, but I'm burned out. I still like baking but that doesn't really help.

What I want are 5 easy, healthy, delicious dinner recipes. Just 5. And I can just keep stocked up on those ingredients, and do smoothies for breakfast and keep a bunch of healthy self-serve snacks to take care of the munchies, and we'd be set.

I eat chickpea salad every day for lunch lately. no cook, healthy, easy. I can post the recipe if you want. I also have been making a curried tahini carrot and tofu salad. Once again, super easy, i only cook the tofu quickly and i made enough last night for 4 or 5 portions.

[Natasha]

I eat chickpea salad every day for lunch lately. no cook, healthy, easy. I can post the recipe if you want. I also have been making a curried tahini carrot and tofu salad. Once again, super easy, i only cook the tofu quickly and i made enough last night for 4 or 5 portions.

You can certainly post them, but they don't sound like something my husband or my son would eat. That's part of the problem. Delicious is so subjective. But I want 5 recipes that will satisfy everyone in my house.

[Natasha]

I eat chickpea salad every day for lunch lately. no cook, healthy, easy. I can post the recipe if you want. I also have been making a curried tahini carrot and tofu salad. Once again, super easy, i only cook the tofu quickly and i made enough last night for 4 or 5 portions.

I'm sorry for that last post! I didn't mean to sound so ungrateful and negative. Please, post the recipes and I'll give them a shot. 

[nadra24]

I made oven fajitas on Sunday night and they were incredibly easy.  Just cut up your onion, pepper, and chicken breast into strips and put in a baking dish.  Sprinkle with fajita seasoning.  I make my own, but you could certainly buy the packets if you want.  Drizzle on some oil, and stir it all up so everything is coated with seasoning and oil.  Throw into a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes, stirring part way through.  When they came out of the oven I squeezed half of a lime over top, but you could skip that.  Serve in tortillas with sour cream.  It was so much easier than stir-frying or sauteeing.

[merigayle]

What about enchiladas? A batch can easily be two meals or more. Probably most the stuff I eat your family would not enjoy

[Natasha]

What about enchiladas? A batch can easily be two meals or more. Probably most the stuff I eat your family would not enjoy

I think the problem is getting it down to just a few options. I don't want to have to think about what kind of tortillas, or sauce, or filling. Enchiladas could be good.

[LizardMixture]

I used to love cooking, but I'm burned out. I still like baking but that doesn't really help.

What I want are 5 easy, healthy, delicious dinner recipes. Just 5. And I can just keep stocked up on those ingredients, and do smoothies for breakfast and keep a bunch of healthy self-serve snacks to take care of the munchies, and we'd be set.

Yes! That's what I need too. Maybe 7 or 8 so I can rotate and we don't get sick of always the same things.

So far I have
1. Chicken enchiladas & side salad
2. Pot Roast (in the crockpot) w/veggies
3. Grilled chicken on salad with pita

aaand that's all I got. Sloppy joes pretty often but I don't see that as too healthy. Same with pasta & meat sauce.

[rocketgirl]

The tuna and capers pasta recipe that got posted here once.  I tend to use regular onion instead of green onion, sub lemon juice for lemon zest and either skip the parsley or throw in some spinach. 

The chicken and mushroom and rice one is also good, but more non-shelf-stable ingredients.   

For fajitas, I marinate the chicken in soy sauce and garlic, use peppers and onions, and serve with canned black beans and instant rice.  Shredded cheese keeps in the freezer.  Salsa is nice on it too, but not imperative.

Leftover peppers and onions can then go with Italian sausage, sliced tomatoes, red wine, oregano, garlic, etc with pasta.

The black bean and artichoke medley recipe in the vegan recipe thread is also good and uses a lot of canned/jarred stuff, which makes it easy to prepare on the fly. 

Also pork chops or chicken marinated in a Baggie of olive oil, Sauvignon blanc, garlic, salt, rosemary, (sage if you have/like it) and grilled is good too with whatever veggies you like.  Fresh spinach ion butter or olive oil is a staple for me, plus can use the spinach in salad or whatever.  Chicken cooked this way is good cold in Caesar salad as well. 

(I feel like such a poser contributing to a cooking thread...most of my recipes came from the CH!)

[radial]

I feel like a poser too because I don't really cook from recipes so much anymore.  I mostly cook according to the ingredients on hand and what I'm craving at the moment.  For the most part it works out pretty well.  After a while, you get a feel for what ingredients go together and what seasonings bring out the best in them.  Lots easier than actual meal planning.  I still look at recipes for ideas though. 

[Run Amok]

how much cooking is too much? Like I've been trying to get dd to eat more healthfully. She won't eat my veggie food so I will make her some meat to go with. I find myself making chicken thighs a lot because they are easy and cheap. Her fav is just salt, pepper, and a little olive oil- roasted at 425 until the juice runs clear (35 minutes maybe?). If I think ahead I might marinate for 30 minutes in juice from half a lemon, some chopped rosemary (I have a huge bush, you could leave it out) and some garlic- then into the oven. You can also top the chicken with bbq sauce or tomato sauce before baking. I like my pan with foil and the clean up is a snap. If I'm spending a day cooking on a sunday (I do this 1-2 sundays a month) I will buy a big tray of chicken, put them in marinade and then freeze. Even less to do day of.

Same with a steak. Usually I just make it with salt and pepper (dd likes simple flavors). I look for evenly cut steaks of about 1 inch. Heat oven to 450. Heat a cast iron skillet on high- sear for 3-4 minutes on side one. Flip to side two and put into the oven for 4-5 minutes. Pull out of oven and let rest 10 minutes and this reliably produes a med rare steak.

We compromise and she will often have 1/2 cup of my home made apple sauce with her meal and some cut up cukes or raw broccoli florets. She also has to try what I make. She'll eat kale chips and some squash.

Cous-cous is a super fast side. You just boil water, add cous cous, stir, cover for 10 minutes and done! Goes with just about everything.

Easy chicken dish that you can make one of those pre-roasted chicken (or just pulled leftover meat from one) is cook pasta, toss broccoli florets in in the last 3-4 minutes of cooking. Drain the pasta and broccoli, add chicken and some salt. Mix together and serve with parm and a quick salad.

Not super healthy, but popular in my family- a bag of tortellini (I use cheese, you could use chicken), toss frozen peas and a can of artichoke hearts in right before straining (just to warm them), toss with pesto. Done. You could add shredded chicken to this too.

Taco night is easy and comes together quickly.

Sloppy joe is another one that comes together quickly- if your family will eat it. I make my own that is less sweet- but it's basically just a can of tomato sauce, seasonings and ground beef.

I suppose if we're going there there is always something like goulash which can be as simple as: brown beef, an onion, some garlic, add canned tomatoes and itallian seasoning, and a package of pasta. If you go with lean beef and eat mostly sauce with a little pasta- it's not terrible for you and is pretty quick.

Truth be told, eggs make an appearance in my house a lot. My super quick meal is some sort of roasted vegetable (asparagus takes 10 mintues maybe??) topped with an over easy egg. Low calorie and filling. Works with essentially any veg.

2 eggs scrambled with 2 slices of low fat cheese is also plenty filling and super easy.

Another quick meal is to slice up onions and peppers (I do this on sunday a lot but it takes two seconds) and sautee them in the pan along side my veggie burger. I season the veggies with chili powder, garlic and a little cumin and eat them on top of my veggie burger. I throw together a quick salad on the side- easy, quick, around 300 calories. I skip the bun. Plenty filling/satisfying.

Or I take the same veggies and 1/4 cup of refriend beans (micowaved), 2 tbs sour cream, 2 tbs of salsa, and a low cal wrap. Plus a side salad. Yummy,filling, easy,and around 300 calories.

But I *do* try and sit down on saturday or sunday and think about what nights I'm cooking, what meals I'm going to make, and do some prepwork ahead of time. This makes it much less likely for me to call for pizza

[diablita]

Good stuff in here.  And there is always breakfast for dinner (brinner) which can be healthy with a limit on oil-laden stuff (if bacon, no hash browns and vice versa) and the inclusion of some veggies - raw is fine.

As RA wrote, my DD is often happiest with raw vegetables like cucumbers, red bell peppers, she'll even eat romaine leaves if they're raw and undressed.  So while I cook plenty of vegetables and expect her to taste them, I'll often just put out a variety of raw veggies which get eaten up in a day or two between lunch and dinner.  I try to prep the stuff when I get it home so it doesn't sit forgotten in the fridge.

 

[merigayle]

my DD likes soup so we do a lot of soups- miso filled with root veggies, bean soups, etc.

[Courtney]

I made oven fajitas on Sunday night and they were incredibly easy.  Just cut up your onion, pepper, and chicken breast into strips and put in a baking dish.  Sprinkle with fajita seasoning.  I make my own, but you could certainly buy the packets if you want.  Drizzle on some oil, and stir it all up so everything is coated with seasoning and oil.  Throw into a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes, stirring part way through.  When they came out of the oven I squeezed half of a lime over top, but you could skip that.  Serve in tortillas with sour cream.  It was so much easier than stir-frying or sauteeing.

Good lord, that sounds good.  I have realized I love lime. 

Thanks for the ideas, y'all.    Hopefully it's helpful to more people, too! 

[SandraDee]

I'm definitely lazy, but I do like to cook.  But, I HATE to clean up.  That is what keeps me from cooking, especially if my kitchen is clean.  I don't want to mess it up because then I have to clean it! 

[triciaflower]

Good lord, that sounds good.  I have realized I love lime. 

Thanks for the ideas, y'all.    Hopefully it's helpful to more people, too! 

I posted a "recipe" in another thread.. I forget which.

I made Cilantro lime chicken. I sliced up some red onion, jalapeno, and garlic, satueed that with sliced chicken sprinkled with salt, pepper, and lime juice. I Cooked it until it was done and then threw on cilantro. Done and done. Soooo good. You can serve it with rice, or salad, or tater tots! 

[omega lambda]

I'm definitely lazy, but I do like to cook.  But, I HATE to clean up.  That is what keeps me from cooking, especially if my kitchen is clean.  I don't want to mess it up because then I have to clean it! 

Hee!

I don't mind the clean up so much and I have found that once I've cleaned up the kitchen, I'm inspired by all those clean work surfaces to start again!    For some reason, the thing I dislike is emptying the dishwasher.