Get me out of the kitchen!
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Misanthro
Posts: 2 Member
Hello friends. I'm Sarah - 47 year old working mom of 2. I have neurological issues that I battle with that cause fairly extreme anxiety. One of my anxieties is around food preparation. I cannot STAND to cook. I get so stressed and tired from the multi-tasking that it is just not worth it to me. My husband, thankfully, is the family cook, but he's more into spaghetti & meatballs, homemade pizza, fried rice with veggies...yum but not exactly the cleanest. So...my question is, what are your favorite no-cook clean-eating foods? Or - SIMPLE recipes that do not require tons of preparation? Thanks for your suggestions.
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Replies
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Hi Sarah,
I'm actually making my favorite go-to meal today. It's a simple crockpot pulled chicken. We use it as a starting point for multiple meals during the week.
I add a large package (about 3-4 pounds) of chicken breasts (usually boneless, but I've used bone in, too- it's just more work to pull) to my crockpot, halve an onion and 2 stalks celery, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, thyme and cumin. I've used a package of Sazon seasoning in the past, but as we're trying to eat clean, I've avoided that lately.
Cook on high for 6 hours or until meat easily shreds with a fork. Remove chunks of celery and onion and shred using two forks.
I've used this to make tacos ( I found non GMO corn tostados that make awesome Mexican chicken pizzas!), chicken chili, white pizzas (ricotta, spinach, chicken), chicken stirfry, chicken soups, barbecued chiclen sandwiches, dirty rice n beans, hubby adds it to his eggs. It's also great on salads with some cheese and beans ( think taco bowl minus the taco).
I freeze leftovers in an airtight container with some liquid from the crockpot to use later. We love chicken, but need a change after a few days.
Best of luck!
Robin0 -
rendress269 wrote: »Hi Sarah,
I'm actually making my favorite go-to meal today. It's a simple crockpot pulled chicken. We use it as a starting point for multiple meals during the week.
I add a large package (about 3-4 pounds) of chicken breasts (usually boneless, but I've used bone in, too- it's just more work to pull) to my crockpot, halve an onion and 2 stalks celery, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, thyme and cumin. I've used a package of Sazon seasoning in the past, but as we're trying to eat clean, I've avoided that lately.
Cook on high for 6 hours or until meat easily shreds with a fork. Remove chunks of celery and onion and shred using two forks.
I've used this to make tacos ( I found non GMO corn tostados that make awesome Mexican chicken pizzas!), chicken chili, white pizzas (ricotta, spinach, chicken), chicken stirfry, chicken soups, barbecued chiclen sandwiches, dirty rice n beans, hubby adds it to his eggs. It's also great on salads with some cheese and beans ( think taco bowl minus the taco).
I freeze leftovers in an airtight container with some liquid from the crockpot to use later. We love chicken, but need a change after a few days.
Best of luck!
Robin
Do you put any liquid in?0 -
Do you put any liquid in?[/quote]
Not usually. The veggies will release some moisture and condensation from lid will drip back into the pot. I find this is enough to keep the chicken moist.
If you prefer a wetter pulled chicken you could use chicken stock or water.
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rendress269 wrote: »
Do you put any liquid in?
Not usually. The veggies will release some moisture and condensation from lid will drip back into the pot. I find this is enough to keep the chicken moist.
If you prefer a wetter pulled chicken you could use chicken stock or water.
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Thanks. I will be cooking for myself for a bit and I thought this was a good idea to do with a packages of chicken I have frozen. I will defrost them first of course. I'm tired of just cooked chicken at the moment.0 -
Thank you! And I have a slow-cooker my mom gave me, so this is a no-brainer. Neither my husband nor I have a taste for chicken. We don't eat tons of meat, but usually pork & beef when we do.
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Similar to the chicken idea above, these are my favorite crockpot comparators for beef and pork. If not in the mood for carnitas, I will made southern style pulled pork (think bbq). As explained above, once the meat is prepped, the possibilities are endless!
http://www.shugarysweets.com/2013/05/slow-cooker-balsamic-shredded-beef
http://www.thelondoner.me/2013/09/carb-free-carnitas.html
Often I will make a large "mediterranean" quinoa salad. I cook my quinoa in broth. Once cooled, I add in whatever chopped veggies (peppers, onions, cucumber), chick peas, feta cheese and hubby likes black olives in his. High protein, rounded meal that both keeps and travels well.
Are you comfortable with large-batch cooking? As in one or two dishes that may take some prep, but then provide a number of meals for the week? Its my saving grace, but I like cooking, just don't have the time...0 -
Thank you! And I have a slow-cooker my mom gave me, so this is a no-brainer. Neither my husband nor I have a taste for chicken. We don't eat tons of meat, but usually pork & beef when we do.
This concept works great with pork as well. In fact the idea came from the pulled pork we've made numerous times in a crockpot. Same idea, season to your liking, cool until it falls apart, shred up and use in various meals. Chicken just fits better in our calorie limits now:)
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