Ideas?

[SilentDeath]

Im eating a lot of frozen meals like currys, stir frys and pizzas mainly, and toast. I dont like them too much, however when I look at cooking food properly myself I always find not only is it far more effort, its not really as nice.
Bread is about the healthyest thing I eat at the moment. vegetables dont really work for me.. most taste like old wet soggy gone off cheese to me, even worse if they are warmed up.. How anyone can eat sprouts id rather eat dogfood.

Ive tryed to make some stirfrys/rice/noodle meals, but if I make them with rice, the rice is always soggy. I dont really know how to cook rice for stirfrys, I just wash it first, then boil it, and then heat it up in the frying pan with the rest.. anyway these 3 steps are FAAAR more effort than buying a precooked ready to fry rice, which is not that nice to start with.


Ive looked through all the recipies on here, only a very quick look, but came to a conclusion that its pretty much the same as what I already cook occaosionally when I can be bothered, only with ++garlic and mushroom.. so not really any use for me..


Any ideas?


Also I would like to eat healthyer, not so much for weight although I could lose a couple of stone which isnt going to happen as in the last two years my weight hasnt moved 1kg even from unemployed/sleeping & eating crap all day - to doing 16 hour shifts at work.

[matty-hodgson]

do you eat fruit?
you need to get some form of fruit or vegetables into you..

as for the rice, do you run water over it after cooking it?
that always improves texture and flavour..

try cooking meals that are easier to cook..
jacket potatoes, pasta salads, homemade pizzas..?

google up some quick and easy healthy meals

[TiG]

Silent,

I've been in the same boat, for a long while and have found that taking smaller steps towards more healthy eating is a gradual process.

I now regularly eat salads, what makes salad's tasty is the dressing, finding a good dressing that basically makes salad's edible.

Soup, by far and away the best way I get vegetables into me now, Cook my own or i've found the supermarkets soup selections fairly decent to try ones from. Work you way through a few and i'm sure there will be stuff you'll like.

I've found stir frys also are a good way to introduce "other" veg, beansprouts or alternative things that I personally find more tasty and less horrible.

You still won't see me touching brocolli, sprouts, califlower etc but its steps in the right direction.

TiG

[Lucio]

Invest in a decent spice rack and stock up on flavour essentials like soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, garlic, stock cubes and gravy. The idea is you should be able to take any basic ingredient mix (for example, chopped tomatoes and meat) and turn it into a variety of dishes, simply by changing the spices you add. The added bonus is most spices and flavour essentials don't add that many calories to the overall count.


Also, don't eliminate *all* prepared food. I'll often compromise by making a chilli and then use a packet of microwave rice to go with it. As long as you keep track of what you're eating, you're good.

[Theo]

If you find yourself unable to motivate yourself to cook a proper meal for dinner every day, get married. Failing that, learn a few recipes that take around the same amount of time to prepare and cost less than a ready-meal.

Pre-cooked king prawns, flash fried in a frying pan with olive oil. Served in a pitta bread with some curly leafed lettuce (iceberg is the fail) and a squeeze of lemon. King prawns often come in 2 packs for £4 or £5 offers at most supermarkets. Half a packet will feed you well. A lettuce will last you for days, as will a packet of pitta breads. 5 minutes of effort.

Failing that, perhaps consider cooking in bulk. Simple home onion and tomato-based curries or chilli con carne can be refrigerated or frozen. If you don't like kidney beans, use baked beans for a sweet twang.

etcetc!

[matty-hodgson]

Originally Posted by Theo

If you find yourself unable to motivate yourself to cook a proper meal for dinner every day, get married. Failing that, learn a few recipes that take around the same amount of time to prepare and cost less than a ready-meal.

Pre-cooked king prawns, flash fried in a frying pan with olive oil. Served in a pitta bread with some curly leafed lettuce (iceberg is the fail) and a squeeze of lemon. King prawns often come in 2 packs for £4 or £5 offers at most supermarkets. Half a packet will feed you well. A lettuce will last you for days, as will a packet of pitta breads. 5 minutes of effort.

Failing that, perhaps consider cooking in bulk. Simple home onion and tomato-based curries or chilli con carne can be refrigerated or frozen. If you don't like kidney beans, use baked beans for a sweet twang.

etcetc!

do you want to come and cook for me?
you seem to know what you're on about..
soo..
what's the best/easiest way to make a pasta salad?
and what sort of things would be in it?

[staffsMike]

Steak club sandwhiches are quick and easy, perhaps not that cheap though.

Some nice diced steak, a jar of red onion chutney (or just cut up some red onion), a bit of horseradish, mayo and lettuce...oh and bread/toast.

Pretty much just griddle pan, or pan fry the steak for a few minutes, i like it medium rare.

Bottom slice of bread gets the steak and some red onion (chutney if you want it sweet).
Then another slice of bread.
Then on that put some iceberg lettuce, mayo and a bit of horserashish sauce.

Stick a bit of bread on top and demolish

Sweet potato makes a great substitute for chips

My way of doing rice the way I like it is.. Rinse the rice (cheapy basmati from asda), bit of hot water or cold, doesn't make a difference to me.

Boil the kettle and stick the rice in a pan with the kettle water which needs to be just above the level of the rice (half a cm maybe). Stick it on a low heat until the water has boiled off (stiring occasionaly). When the water has boiled off let it sit for 10 minutes off the heat but covered so it keeps the steam in.

That makes perfect rice for me everytime.

[tiggerai]

Originally Posted by Theo

Failing that, perhaps consider cooking in bulk. Simple home onion and tomato-based curries or chilli con carne can be refrigerated or frozen. If you don't like kidney beans, use baked beans for a sweet twang.

Amen to that! Cook for 4, freeze 3 portions... all for the cost of 1 ready meal, and then you've got your own instant ones in the freezer ready to go when you get in! (and my god they taste a hell of a lot better) - and on the motivation front, you only have to be motivated 1/4 of the time! (or 1/2 the time if you're a *shudder* couple)

I usually have on rotation in my freezer:

Chilli con carne (with rice)
Chicken Fajitas (tortillas with salad and sour cream)
Thai Green Curry (rice)
Bolognese sauce
Random other curry
Random Casserole

Also, look out for the cheapy reduced fresh meat, great for freezing and at half the price!

[sammyc]

Originally Posted by TiG

Silent,

I've been in the same boat, for a long while and have found that taking smaller steps towards more healthy eating is a gradual process.

I now regularly eat salads, what makes salad's tasty is the dressing, finding a good dressing that basically makes salad's edible.

Soup, by far and away the best way I get vegetables into me now, Cook my own or i've found the supermarkets soup selections fairly decent to try ones from. Work you way through a few and i'm sure there will be stuff you'll like.

I've found stir frys also are a good way to introduce "other" veg, beansprouts or alternative things that I personally find more tasty and less horrible.

You still won't see me touching brocolli, sprouts, califlower etc but its steps in the right direction.

TiG

this is me all over, sneak some fresh stuff into the equation somewhere and you're at least getting a happy medium.

the tin/carton soup option is a v.g. idea as again you can add extras like fresh carrot/tomato, or lentils/pasta/rice but at least you have not had to start from scratch. makes more of it & adds to the basic flavour, you can do this with other bought dishes - add extra potato to cauliflower cheese, put your own tomato & mushrooms &c on bought plain pizzas. how are you with eggs - omelettes &c are quick & you can chuck stuff in them, same as with baked pots etc, where tinned sweetcorn, kidney beans etc is better than nothing. I also have no patience for preparation... so if I'm likely to want prepared veg for something I chop it at night or in the morning for later, otherwise by the time I want it I'll be much more likely to think sod it I can't be bothered... & go without.

btw if you're ok with bread you've at least got the healthy sandwich option as well, loads of stuff you can do there in the way of tuna, salad, whatever.

[format]

What I do when i'm stick/short on time/feeling lazy -

A packet on Uncle Bens rice - you can cook it in the microwave or in a pot.
They come in dif. flavours, I quite often get Pilau which is lovely.

Onions
Garlic
Mushrooms
Peppers
Carrots

Heat some oil in a pan and toss in some finely chopped garlic, followed by the mushrooms and onions.
When the onions have softened, chuck in the peppers (cut however you like, I usually dice them) and carrots. Add pepper and salt, and any other herbs or spices that you look, I usually chuck in some cayenne pepper or paprika for a wee kick.
Cook that lot up, when the veg is all done and mushrooms are browned, chuck in the rice, add a little water and mix it in, put on a lid, leave for 5 mins then serve!
You can also add bacon to this if you like, or any veg that takes your fancy really.

I love cooking up fancy meals, but obv they are expensive and time consuming so I don't always get the chance. This doesn't take long and always tastes good.

[beanbandit]

Originally Posted by SilentDeath

Ive tryed to make some stirfrys/rice/noodle meals, but if I make them with rice, the rice is always soggy. I dont really know how to cook rice for stirfrys, I just wash it first, then boil it, and then heat it up in the frying pan with the rest.. anyway these 3 steps are FAAAR more effort than buying a precooked ready to fry rice, which is not that nice to start with.

Rice can be a pain to perfect. Ask a forum how to cook rice, and you'll get loads of answers. Here's how i cook mine.

Rice for 1 person, half a cup(ish) i use Tilda Basmati, so no need to clean it before hand. Add a teaspoon of oil to a large flat bottom pan,(with clear glass lid) heat till hot, it won't take long. Then add the rice to the oil, make sure all the rice has a coating, then add the water, normally twice as much water as rice, so in this instance 1 cup. Bring to the boil, add some salt at this point if you want. I always use Maldon Sea salt, much better than that free flowing crap Now put the lid on the pan, and reduce the heat to a simmer. This is where a lot of people make a mistake. DO NOT take the lid off. Allow the rice to simmer until the water has gone, to find that out, just hold the lid to the pan, and tilt the pan, if the rice slides, then its not ready. When the rice no longer slides then the water has been used up. Turn heat off, and leave to stand for 5 min or so.

Then serve it up, it should be perfect, non stick, fluffy rice

If you want, you can add a small amount of onion to the oil, fry for a min or so, then add the rice for some added flavor.

If you want to add to a fried dish, as you've indicated, its best to prepare the rice a few hours before, and allow it to cool in the fridge. Cook your meat, add veg, then rice and fry for 5 min or so.

If you want to do noodles, you can buy the Uncle Bens ready to wok stuff. It will give you confidence in your own abilities. Just remember that you can add almost anything to a stir-fry or fried rice dish.

Whatever you do, don't give up, frozen meals are the devils spawn, when you cook from fresh, you know exactly whats going into the dish

[Zak33]

Originally Posted by SilentDeath

Any ideas?


Also I would like to eat healthyer

OK, here goes:

Buy the following:

Carrots
Spuds (dont care whether they are "new potatos" or standard, of which therea re many varieties. Just buy a bag of spuds)
Onions
Tomatoes
Courgette (looks like a cucumber, but shorter and often fatter)
One packet of PREMIUM QUALITY sausages. DO NOT BUY CHEAP SAUSAGES. Do yourself a favour, READ THE LABELS and find one that simply has the highest percentage of pork.
A bottle of olive oil

And go home with those.

Wash spuds, don't peel them, skins are nice and its easier
Peel carrots, cut off tops and tails
Wash courgettes
Peel Onion


OK, the cooking part.

Chop the onion into 1/4 or 1/6 (your choice)
Chop spuds into inch cubes (roughly inch cubes, dont fret it)
Chop carrots into lumps about same size as spuds.

Put these in big oven tray. Pour over a good few glugs of oil, and mix together so everything is oily and coated. Grind salt and pepper over, use MORE pepper and LESS salt. Pepper doesnt kill you, salt might.

Put in oven at about 180C about Gas Mark 5-6. Dont fret it. Roughly Gas 6.

After 15 minutes of cooking, take tray out and mix up the onions, carrots and spuds with a spoon so they're all moved about and not stuck to the bottom. If they don't look shiny, and look a bit dry, pour on more oil and mix.

Put sausages on top of these spuds, carrots and onions, and mix that about in them too....everything's covered in oil. Put back in oven.

While this is in oven, cut tomatoes into 1/4's or if they're little, into halves. Dont fret it, maybe leave a few whole. It'll taste lovely either way.
Slice courgettes into same sized chunks as the spuds were earlier.

In 15 minutes, take it out, put tomatos and courgettes in to it all, remix, and put back in oven.

Take out in another 15-20 minutes and serve in a pile on 2 plates, with sausages on top. Maybe keep a few aside for lunch tomorrow

If ya fancy, serve with ciabatta/french stick or similar crusty bread.

You just cant go wrong. it'll be colourful, and taste heavenly, it'll be good for you, even though it's in oil, and the sausages will be great in sarnies the day after.

[Zak33]

No 2:

Buy:
Spagetti
Eggs
Cream/Creme Freche (doesnt matter)
Bacon
A lump of parmesan (NOT the crap you get in the tub, that smells like puke)

IF you cant get parmesan, good quality cheddar is actually not bad.

Pay and go home

Cut bacon up fine. Fry in hot pan, in about 3 table spoons of olive oil, until crispy. Take off heat, leave in pan.

Crack egg into a mixing jug, and pour in a glug of cream. Grate cheese in, use a good few ounces of cheese. it'll look weird, cos the cheese wont melt. Mix vigourously with a fork. It'll still look weird. Put it aside.

Boil big pan of salted water, and once it's boiling put in spagetti. Spagetti per person I find is the thickness of a smarty tube. Mix it and DO NOT LET it stay upright for long, push it into the water as it softens and bends.

Once it's cooked (take it out a strand at a time and bite it, and look at the bit you bit....it should be just cooked through but have a tiny core in the centre thats not quite cooked)

Drain it, and then put back on the heat, very LOW heat, and then pour the bacon and the oil over it. Mix it thorughly so the spag is covered with bacony oil.

ow pour the egg/cream/cheese mix over the spag. The hot oil on the spag will cook the egg, melt the cheese and the cream makes a sauce all in one. it'll only need a few seconds on the heat. Once it starts to thicken, like scrambled egg, take off the heat and mix for 30 seconds and serve.

It's good....really good.

[Zak33]

No 3:

Buy

Chicken Breasts (skin on or skin off, you decide)
Bacon (1 rasher per breast)
Green beans (bagged, squeaky when you chew them)
Tin of tomatoes
Jar black olives.
Ciabatta bread loaf (normally you can cook these for 7 minutes at home)

Pay and go home.

Lay chicken on oiled oven tray, and put rasher of bacon over it. Put in oven at 180C Gas mark 5-6. This will take 40 minutes to cook through, maybe a tad longer if it's a big breast.

Chop tops and bottomd off green beans. Put into mixing bowl (any bowl to mix in) and pour over half tin on tomatoes, and and full of back olives. Grind pepper over, and a little salt.

After 20 minutes of the chicken cooking, take tray out, pour the tomato and bean/olive mix AROUND it (NOT on it) and then back in the oven.

7 mniutes from the end put ciabatta bread in oven on a spare shelf

After the total cooking time is 40 minutes, serve. If bread aint done, dont fret, chicken will be fine for a few more minutes.

[SilentDeath]

Originally Posted by matty-hodgson

do you eat fruit?
you need to get some form of fruit or vegetables into you..

Not really, fruit is almost never and its a good few weeks since Ive made any soup.
And when I say soup, I mean plain heinz tomarto soup, with a good 3 slices of buttered bread to go with it... not really very vegetabely...

Some good suggestions though. I will go shopping tomorrow and try to cook some of them this week



Also garlic/mushroom/spices, those are the things I want to aviod. They dont really make food taste any different, just leave horrible taste in your mouth for a few hours after. I often used to have a frozen chicken korma and pillu rice (from sainsburys) every day before work but I started to get complaints Though it was nice and total'ed a good 500g, not really fitting on my plate..

[Rosaline]

I should do some proper suggestions, but I shall make one simple and very true one:

SilentDeath, you need to learn how to cook vegetables properly, rice and pasta as well.

Sadly most people in this country believe that boiling is "put in pan, leave for six years". Doing that, however, destroys everything about the food. Vegetables are best, in my opinion, only slightly boiled, they should still be firm when they come out, not soft. Soft sprouts are foul, yes, but crunchy ones... ok, if you don't like the taste they're probably still foul

Rice and pasta should also be firm, 'with bite'. I'll let you into a little secret - we actually buy fresh pasta, rather than dried. It cooks faster, and has far less starch coating it.

Sadly you seem to not find garlic and spices as awesome as they are for everyone else, but you can still do a very simple Mediterranean classic! Simply chop up some peppers and some red onion, and whilst the pasta is cooking, briefly fry off in olive oil. You can easily add some meat of choice to this as well!

I actually suspect that as you get better at cooking and start making more subtly flavoured dishes, the effectiveness of garlic and herbs will increase.