Man-Friendly Meals

I make a few concessions- I saute my veggies on the side, I make my whole wheat pasta serving in the steamer with the regular pasta in the pot- things that are easy and whatever that's fine. But at a certain point hubby either needs to grow up and either make his own food or pipe down. Guess what?- you're cooking, you get to decide what to cook.

Make it the way you want. He will eat it.
Tell him to shut up or cook for himself!
Haahaa
I wonder why I'm single......

I am not cooking seperate meals for everyone, so he either eats or starves! I made baked parm a few weeks ago and he said: "baked parm is better than no parm!"

I am wheat and gluten free and got fed up having to cook and buy different foods, especially breads, pastas, and making a roux sauce. My husband has no clue that for the past three months now..he has been on a gluten free diet..:bigsmile: Dont tell him, he wont notice the difference:laugh:
he loves "my special" garlic and coriander naan breads :happy: ..one day I might confess, meanwhile, saving me a whole lotta time and trouble !

long story but you will see how it ties in to your issue:

The Worst Job I Ever Had (Moose Turd Pie!)
Utah Phillips

I'll tell you about the worst job I ever had. It was working for the Santa Fe Rail Road south of Las Vegas, Nevada. That's the old Mormon Muddy Mission, way out in what the Navajos called the "boonies", out in the desert. The job was gandy-dancing.

They run a box car out there that's a bunk car; you sleep in it and it's got bunks that are 18 inches apart. Then you got a tool car with your tamping irons, your tongs, your double jack hammers, and your spikes, and all of the equipment to do the job. And then you got a cook car. There's no restaurants anyplace, so you got a cook car; pots and pans, a coal or wood burning stove, and a long table down the middle to eat at. The only thing they don't hire is a cook That's because they're cheap; saves them money. The rule is that in the crew they're supposed to pick among their own members, who's going to be the cook. They don't try to do this sensibly, like draw lots or decide who the best cook is. What they do is wait to find out who *****es and whines and pisses and moans the most about the cooking, and they say "all right wise-guy, you think you can do better, you get to be the cook". Well, that was me, see! Ol' alligator mouth, new man on the crew ; and that was the worst food I'd ever had. I mean it was otter water, comes out of an otter; terrible terrible stuff. Some people think that's a delicacy, but I thought it was garbage. So I complained, so they said "ok, wiseguy, you get to be the cook". That made me mad! Because I didn't want to cook, but I knew if anybody complained about my cooking, they were going to have to cook.

Armed with that knowledge, I sallied forth over the muddy river. I was walking around among the sheet grass and the bunch grass, and I looked down, and there was just a hell of a big moose turd. Biggest damn moose turd; that was a real steamer! I looked down at that meadow wafer, and I said to myself "Self, I'm going to bake up a big moose turd pie." Because if anybody complained about my cooking, they were going to have to cook. So I tipped that pasture pastry up on edge. I got my **** together, so to speak. And I started rolling it down towards the old cook car.

BALUUMP! BALUUMP!

I got it down there and leaned it up against the side and I climbed up in the cook car, and I baked a hell of a big pie shell. And I baked that moose turd in as slick as you please. And I cribbed it with my thumbs, and laid strips of dough across it, & garnished it with a sprig of parsley, a little paprika. It was beautiful; poetry on a plate. And I served it up for dessert, waiting for the first hint of a complaint. Well, this giant dude comes in, about 5 foot 40; I mean he was big. Throwed himself down like a fool on a stool. Picked up his fork. Took a big bite of that moose turd pie. Well, he threw down his fork, and he let out a bellow, and he yelled..

"My God! That's Moose Turd Pie! ... It's Good, Though!"

My husband is one of those meat & potato, can eat anything he wants & not gain an ounce kind of guys. He's currently overseas, so I don't have to deal with the drama of the food issue yet, BUT I'm waiting for it.

A little suggestion might be to introduce him to different cuisines.. My husband used to eat TONS of junk food & fast food, and it seemed like he wanted to live off of steak, mashed potatoes, and mac & cheese. He got introduced to Middle Eastern/Mediterranean foods (which are very veggie heavy) and he fell in love. Who knew I could make a meat & potatoes man happy with a huge plate full of veggies & one little kabob skewer with 4 little chunks of lamb and more grilled veggies?

Then if all else fails... A) "You eat what you're served, or you do without." or Have fun cooking your own meal; and when you're done, make sure the kitchen is spotless!

I have the same problem with my wife. I do all the cooking and she does the complaining. she either eats it or she doesnt. she thinks some of my recipes are bland, but I get complaints from my little boys if they are too flavorful! I think she misses the fat.

My husband would not go near asparagus, sweet pots or broc. He said they tasted awful but when we first got married he would try anything i made at least once. I started roasting my veggie's (little olive oil, sea salt, pepper) and he loves them!

I'm lucky I guess, my husband is being so supportive. However I do make some meals for him, maybe you can alternate days and modify your portion. For example, my husband loves his taco/Gordita night. So I make his, and then take my gr beef and wrap it in a low cal tortilla with the lettuce and tom and a 1/2 oz of cheese or I add broccoli slaw b/c its filling. Maybe there could be some compromise. My husband does'nt need to loose any weight so he is definately compromising for me

Every night now I make a protein and vegetables and both him and the teenager are happy and have no complaints. Try cornflake coated chicken with a huge salad and nice creamy dressing. ( dressing try olive oil and cider vinegar with djon mustard and a little mayo or vegenaise, stick all in jar and shake). Grilled salmon and green beans/ broccoli/ bok choy. Lamb steaks with cauliflower cheese ( steamed cauliflower with white sauce made with low fat milk, sprinkle cheese on top before grilling). For the teenager I make sure she has some carbs for breakfast to give her energy at school... and hubby has his fix at work....

I have the opposite problem... my wife does not like whole wheat pasta. A trick I learned is to make sure to boil it in a lot of water. yes it will take longer to heat up but if you use twice the amount of water that you normally would i guarantee it will taste much better. Along those lines I also find that thinner pastas like angel hair are better then linguine or zitti.

I also dump the fresh cooked pasta into whatever pan sauce I make with dinner that night... when the pasta is right out of the water it will absorb that sauce and taste great!

My fiance isn't the biggest fan of veggies, so I struggled to find healthy things that we would both eat (I'm not about to make two meals every night!!) Here's a jambalaya that we tried last night, and it was awesome!! My fiance usually doesn't like onions or peppers, but he still loved this. It's a super easy recipe, and it's pretty fast, too.

I got the recipe from Hungry Girl: http://www.hungry-girl.com/newsletters/raw/1603

JAMBALAYA

Ingredients:
6 oz. (about 2 links) fully cooked chicken sausage (like the kind by Applegate Farms), sliced into coins
One 14.5-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (not drained)
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp. hot sauce, or more to taste
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
6 oz. raw shrimp, tails removed, deveined, chopped
Optional: salt and black pepper

Directions:
Add all ingredients except shrimp to a large pot on the stove. Mix thoroughly. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer until veggies are tender and rice is fluffy, about 35 minutes. Add shrimp and re-cover. Continue to cook until shrimp are tender and cooked through, about 6 minutes.

If you like, season to taste with salt, black pepper, and additional hot sauce. Serve and enjoy!!!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
Calories: 256
Fat: 5.5g
Sodium: 688mg
Carbs: 30.5g
Fiber: 3.5g
Sugars: 6.5g
Protein: 20g

I haven't seen Greek Yogurt before, but haven't looked for it. Is it available and most stores?

It should be available at most supermarkets. I have even seen it at Target and Walmart in their grocery sections. It's usually in the same section as the plain yogurt or sometimes even near the cottage cheese. It has a rich, tangy flavor and thick, creamy texture. Quite similar to sour cream but lower in cals and higher in protein.