I hate to cook!

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Hi! I really just don't like to cook. Unfortunately, as a result, we eat out way too often. Not good for my weight or my blood pressure. Why do restaurants use so much salt? I'm guessing because it's cheap. Anyway, easy cooking ideas and recipes would be much appreciated!
Michelle
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  • CarolPre
    CarolPre Posts: 1,845 Member
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    Do you have an air fryer? I use mine almost everyday and rarely fry or bake anything using the stove now. I do live alone, so it’s easier for me to make small servings with mine.

    Carol
  • GloriaBJN
    GloriaBJN Posts: 78 Member
    edited January 2023
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    Eating out makes it way too hard to count calories. I would find some recipes that take a little effort, because they'll be the most satisfying. You could go onto Pinterest and search for low calorie easy recipes or quick and easy recipes. The best counsel I ever got was to not eat boring food. Let your reward be that you loved what you ate. As often as not, it takes as long to go to the restaurant and wait for your food as it takes to make it at home.

    If we have to rethink how we eat, and that's a process that takes discipline and work, maybe you could add cooking to your list of disciplines. (grin grin grin). Easy foods would include grilled meat or hamburger patties with spices added, microwaved potatoes with traditional add-ons or parmesan cheese, canned/frozen or fresh raw veggies, pasta with pasta sauce, rice in a rice cooker. Boxed frozen foods would be easy and at least you can count calories and do portion control.

    Also pressure cooker recipes can reduce the amount of effort you put into your food. I tend to make soups and chili in the pressure cooker. You have to accumulate the ingredients but you get to walk away during the cooking time, but same goes for slow cooking and roasting. I kind of got away from pressure cooking because the flavors tend to be diluted unless you needed water for the recipe itself. Now I'm taking the time for traditional forms of cooking. Stovetop, grill, roasting or slow cook seem to be the most rewarding for flavor.

    My all time favorite easy pressure cooker recipe is pasta in the pressure cooker:

    Pasta with Pasta Sauce: Place pasta in pressure cooker (if using spaghetti, separate so it doesn't clump up), add pasta sauce, then add water to cover and cook for 1/2 the time noted on the pasta package. Quick release, add parmesan cheese. If I'm adding ground beef, I saute the hamburger and add on top of the pasta prior to adding the pasta sauce, and cook as above.

    Pasta with Mushroom Soup: Place pasta in pressure cooker (if using spaghetti, separate so it doesn't clump up). Add one can of mushroom soup and equal amount of milk, salt and pepper and minced garlic in a jar. (sometimes I add canned mushrooms and canned chicken or shrimp on top of the pasta prior to covering with water). Cover with water (not excessive, only to cover pasta) and pressure cook for half the time noted on the pasta package. Quick release when done cooking and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

  • cheleonfire
    cheleonfire Posts: 3,680 Member
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    CarolPre wrote: »
    Do you have an air fryer? I use mine almost everyday and rarely fry or bake anything using the stove now. I do live alone, so it’s easier for me to make small servings with mine.

    Carol


    Exactly what Carol said. :)
  • leilanirenfro
    leilanirenfro Posts: 14 Member
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    I hate cooking. Anytime I do something in the box. I add something good that you can hide in it. Example is boxed macaroni and cheese. You can add mashed up cauliflower you can’t see it. You can’t taste it and then I add broccoli florettes. we also do a small handful of carrots to the spaghetti sauce. Or mashed up cauliflower to the chili. Gives me a little healthier without having to do the whole 9 yards of cooking. Hopefully it gives you an idea.
  • Krisandthemum
    Krisandthemum Posts: 13 Member
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    Hi Michelle,
    It has been awhile since you posted and I have noticed how increasingly expensive it is to eat out. Have you tried foods that are ready to just “put together”? Then you would know exactly what’s in the dish.
  • isyvanek
    isyvanek Posts: 1,039 Member
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    I use a lot of Trader Joe's ready made meals in the refrigerated section or their meal kits in the frozen section. They are easy to prepair/heat, have no preservatives and are pretty tasty.