cant cook :(

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could use some friends to give me some handy tips :)

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  • JustANumber85
    JustANumber85 Posts: 644 Member
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    Crockpot is your BFF :) You can put a frozen chicken in there- literally! and cook it all day to perfection!
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
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    I can't cook, either. I find a lot of vegetarian recipes are put together just by arranging cold ingredients, no cooking. (The Five Ingredient Vegetarian Cookbook - it's awesome.) It's not much, but is helping me get more comfortable with handling my own food.
  • Gidzmo
    Gidzmo Posts: 904 Member
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    Could use some friends to give me some handy tips :)

    Soups are good--you can start the stock by cooking some poultry, ham, or beef till it's falling off the bone. Once you get the bones out and the meat returned to the pot, add whatever veggies you like.

    If you don't want to make your own broth, there are good broths available in the supermarket (just watch the sodium content).

    (We've used the bones from the Christmas ham for split-pea soup).

    Ramen noodles are good, too--can be used with leftovers. DO NOT use the seasoning packet, or use it sparingly, as it's loaded with sodium.
  • makemewannadie
    makemewannadie Posts: 401 Member
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    I am terrible at cooking too! I generally cook very simply eg. lots of salads (they don't have to be boring though!) and someone else suggested soup which is very easy to make- I usually make my own carrot and broccoli soup (grate two carrots and a couple of mushrooms and cook in a saucepan with a chopped onion until all are soft, add a stock cube and some water and add some frozen/fresh broccoli florets, cook until broccoli is soft and then blend or leave as it is for texture. Leek and potato soup is really easy too, or just generally any vegetables chopped up with stock added!
    Things in wraps are good too (I love avocado and salsa in a wholewheat wrap) and depending on the filling, it doesn't need cooking.
    Feel free to add if you want (:
  • deeksha_s
    deeksha_s Posts: 79 Member
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    Cooking isn't difficult if you start with simple dishes at least vegetarian cooking isn't not sure about non-veg though.

    just load your pantry with the right kind of spices/ingredients you like and decide on the main ingredient the day before. Try googling for recipe the day before, then when u actually cook, you'll know all the steps.

    I can help you mostly only with Indian vegetarian dishes. Drop me a message if you need help. All the Best, you are going to have a lot of fun :)
  • kairisika
    kairisika Posts: 131 Member
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    Stir frys. Nearly impossible to ruin, infinitely adaptable.
    Start with recipes until you get an idea as to what goes together, but don't worry too much about following perfectly. If you miss an ingredient in a stirfry, who cares?

    On the other hand, just grab some simple-sounding recipes and follow them to the letter. I don't understand how anyone can be unable to follow directions. If a step calls for a procedure or ingredient that you're not sure of, google it . if you're still not sure, toss it and try a different recipe. Once you've made some things, you start to get an idea as to who it works.

    Mark Bittman has a large book that is likely available at your local library called 'How to Cook Everything'. If you feel baffled by the very basics, it's a truly awesome book for starting you out with extremely simple concepts and techniques, and then building from there.
  • coliema
    coliema Posts: 7,646 Member
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    You can check out my recipe blog on my page, you don't need to be my friend to see it, it's public. It has easy and low calorie recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert :)
  • alanahbastion
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    thanks guys + girls :)
  • KatLifter
    KatLifter Posts: 1,314 Member
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    The Crockpot could be your best friend. You throw a bunch of ingredients in in the morning, turn it on, and like magic dinner is waiting for you when you get home. Just Google "Healthy Crockpot Recipes"
  • maryjay52
    maryjay52 Posts: 557 Member
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    my problem is that i can cook ..and because of that i cook too much most the time..i have way too many choices . sounds crazy but it can deter the diet if i dont watch myself
  • ChaiSpyce
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    my problem is that i can cook ..and because of that i cook too much most the time..i have way too many choices . sounds crazy but it can deter the diet if i dont watch myself

    Good thing we're not neighbors because together we would probably be in big trouble. My motto is I love to cook, and I love to eat! :laugh:
  • CLynch309
    CLynch309 Posts: 34 Member
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    I don't cook, either. Never enjoyed it, never wanted to cook.I express creativity with writing, not food. I also live "on the fly" -- I get impatient easily and I don't like waiting around or watching things to see how they "look" and wondering if something's "done." Wish I was rich and I could pay someone else to worry about it for me! But I'm not and I can't, so I throw together what I can.

    So what do I eat? Cut up salad veggies, a hard-boiled egg (that's the one thing I know how to "cook"!) and hummus; cut up salad veggies mixed with a can of chicken breast meat or can of salmon and 1/8 cup of slivered almonds served in a pita pocket. A pint each of two or three different kinds of berries and a couple ounces of reduced fat cheese. A couple slices of reduced fat cheese melted on ham or turkey on a toaster-size bagel and a single serving of Baked Lays! or Baked Cheetos. A couple bowls of soup and 8-12 reduced fat wheat thins. Two tablespoons of PB & one tablespoon of J on a toaster sized bagel and single serving of chips. I like convenience foods. Lean Cuisine "comfort food" single-serving entrees, like mac & cheese, lasagna, meat loaf and mashed potatoes. I love Atkins Advantage protein bars for breakfast on-the-go.

    The major key to success for me is that I'm not doing meal prep for anyone else. It's just me and my husband and although we eat at the same times, we don't eat the same foods. He's not on a diet and we really don't like the same foods. So we completely eliminate the pressure of trying to force ourselves into a meal that works for both of us by simply NOT doing that - he makes what he wants for HIM, I make what I want for ME, and we just sit down at the table together and enjoy it. It's very freeing!