When did you stop seeing fast food as an option?
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ps - I adore my "Joy of Cooking", which is how I learned to cook. I see they have a vegetarian cookbook. It's under $10 or try your library.
https://smile.amazon.com/Joy-Cooking-All-About-Vegetarian/dp/0743202090/0 -
autumnblade75 wrote: »With regards to multi-tasking while cooking: there's a French term; mise en place. If you prep and measure your ingredients before you start applying the heat, you'll burn fewer things because you won't have all the distraction of chopping while you're supposed to be stirring.
I definitely mise en place for stir fries. For most other things, I turn down the heat so I can cook the onions while chopping everything else that has shorter cooking times.0 -
I have a ridiculous amount of spices, but if I had to limit myself due to space or budgetary concerns, they would be:
1. Salt
2. Pepper
3. Italian seasoning
4. A good curry powder (I've always been happy with Frontier brand)
5. Berbere
6. Chili powder
7. Pumpkin pie spice
So for example I would use the Italian seasoning for any recipe that called for dried oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, basil, or sage and the pumpkin pie spice for any recipe that called for Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, Nutmeg.
I buy a lot of Frontier, and also McCormick, and will never, ever, buy dollar store off brand spices again.6 -
Great lunches can include a few pieces of fruit, a greek yogurt, some almonds, a Babybell cheese.
Or turkey lunchmeat on a tortilla or French hamburger roll (Publix!) with a slice of cheese, a yogurt and banana on the side.
I stopped eating out right away. I can't really eat it now that it's been so long without getting an upset stomach.3 -
A long time before I started losing weight. The two aren't connected for me.2
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I can help you with the bland curry powder. “Curry powder” is an Anglicized version of Indian spice mix, which is called Garam Masala - which means literally, spice mix. Garam Masalas range from mediocre to great. Go to an Indian grocery store, and throw yourself on the mercy of the shopkeeper. Ask which Garam Masala they themselves prefer.
If you don’t have an Indian grocery, you can buy Garam Malala from Amazon.
Indian cooking site, will teach you everything you need to know: vahrehvah.com
The main trick to properly seasoning Indian food is that you don’t just chuck spices in with water. Spices need oil or fat to release the flavor. So what you do is make a tadka, a seasoning mix made by heating spices in oil, and then you mix the tadka into your food. Put a little oil in a small pan, put your spices in, and stir over lowish heat for about thirty seconds until it smells fragrant. You don’t want to burn your spices, just cook them slightly. Then mix the oil into your curry.
Because Indian culture has been doing vegetarian cooking for a long time they have many tricks to making vegetarian dishes delicious, such as hing, which adds umami flavor to vegetarian dishes. Other cultures such as Japan and China which have traditions of vegetarian cooking are good to look at for inspiration. Ginger, red pepper, garlic, soy sauce...
As far as messing up when you try to chop and stir at the same time: don’t do this! Chop everything first, lay it out, then start cooking. Walk through the steps in your head, get out all the ingredients and the cookware, and lay it where you need it. This is called Mise en place, and it’s what chefs do. Then when you cook you are much less likely to forget something.17 -
/\ I wish I could "like" and "insightful" a post. That one is worth bringing the "awesome" button back for.3
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Garam masala doesn't require a specialized grocery, they have it at my mainstream grocery, along with a bunch of interesting curry mixes and other mixes. But, yes, great advice, and especially about the mise en place, which I was going to mention too. Very helpful approach.
OP, since you are insecure about cooking and would likely benefit from feeling more confident in the kitchen, I highly recommend Mark Bittman's books, especially How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. It's a great book for newby cooks, especially in going from needing to follow a recipe to understanding cooking and being able to just wing it with the ingredients you have on hand. You could probably find it at a library (and it's pretty cheap used -- $2 + shipping at amazon).
Some ideas for quick and easy meals in the meantime (based on how I would often cook before I cooked but when not wanting to mess with a recipe):
Buy a rice and beans package mix -- not as cheap as just rice and just beans, but cheaper than McD's and easy and fast. Buy some vegetables you like and sautee them and add them to the rice and beans -- full meal!
Stirfry with various vegetables, sauteed, add to rice, include some tofu or beans. Spices help with this, try different spice mixes (I adore Japanese 7 spice if you are doing this more Asian style with the tofu, but it might be harder to find).
Make rice, take some canned beans (black or pinto or kidney) and add some spice (chili if you like spicy or chipotle or whatever seems worth trying), and also add some sauteed vegetables -- cauliflower, peppers, jalapeno, again whatever seems good. Make and add some pico de gallo (https://cookieandkate.com/classic-pico-de-gallo-recipe/) or just hot sauce (which you can buy and have on hand).
Make pasta (you can try pasta made from lentils or chickpeas for more protein) plus a purchased sauce to which you add vegetables or if you want to try making your own sauce with canned tomatoes do, I promise it's easy. Or forget tomato sauce and sautee some vegetables in olive oil and add extras you might have around (olives, nuts or seeds) and then also some source of protein like chickpeas or white beans.5 -
kshama2001 wrote: »autumnblade75 wrote: »With regards to multi-tasking while cooking: there's a French term; mise en place. If you prep and measure your ingredients before you start applying the heat, you'll burn fewer things because you won't have all the distraction of chopping while you're supposed to be stirring.
I definitely mise en place for stir fries. For most other things, I turn down the heat so I can cook the onions while chopping everything else that has shorter cooking times.
Sure, after you've got the hang of noticing which steps might need to be done in advance, maybe you don't need 35 ramekins for each ingredient. I tend to pile up the veggies on the cutting board. Nobody needs that many dirty dishes. But it's a great idea to have at least read the full recipe all the way through, so you know that just as the butter is burning that's not the time to *start* dicing 6 lbs. of potatoes.
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Hello Fresh or Home Chef is fun. They send you the ingredients and they instruct you how to cook them. Easy enough.5
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autumnblade75 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »autumnblade75 wrote: »With regards to multi-tasking while cooking: there's a French term; mise en place. If you prep and measure your ingredients before you start applying the heat, you'll burn fewer things because you won't have all the distraction of chopping while you're supposed to be stirring.
I definitely mise en place for stir fries. For most other things, I turn down the heat so I can cook the onions while chopping everything else that has shorter cooking times.
Sure, after you've got the hang of noticing which steps might need to be done in advance, maybe you don't need 35 ramekins for each ingredient. I tend to pile up the veggies on the cutting board. Nobody needs that many dirty dishes. But it's a great idea to have at least read the full recipe all the way through, so you know that just as the butter is burning that's not the time to *start* dicing 6 lbs. of potatoes.
Oh yes, definitely be familiar with the recipe before starting! Including ensuring you're not missing crucial ingredients.
I had three different plans for dinner the other night and each fell through. One because I thought I had more of a critical ingredient than I did and one because we were out of gas for the grill. By the time the third option fell through I was so hungry we got take out. Pizza and salad.2 -
Several keto moons ago!3
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I stopped eating almost all fast food when I was a teenager, in the same way that some teenagers decide to become vegetarian or vegan. It more or less stuck with very few examples (I will sometimes but almost never go to local chains and I'll eat doner kebab when I'm in areas of the world where I can get it).
With regards to cooking and things seeming complicated or using lots of herbs, I second the suggestion of finding a cookbook that caters to people who are new to cooking. Dried herbs and spices can also last for a while (I prefer to throw them away after a year or two, but plenty of people leave them for longer). Also if you're able to buy dried herbs and spices from bulk bins, you'll be able control how much you get. That takes away the whole "there how will I use this whole container!?" issue. The other thing that will make it easier is having a stocked pantry. You said you live with your parents, so you probably already do.
If I were to sum it up, the biggest thing is that you simply need to learn how to become confident in the kitchen. Cooking something doesn't need to take hours, it can, but there are plenty of meals that you can make that take less than an hour from start to finish, including prep time. I made a chicken larb in less than 35 minutes and it was fairly inexpensive. Another thing would be stir fry. Check out websites like Simply Recipes Also if you're able to, go to a bookstore and look at a cookbook before you buy it. Thumb through it and see what you think would taste good to you. Don't necessarily go with "would I cook this" at this stage in the game, but rather "does this sound good" - especially assuming it's a cookbook aimed at people who want to learn how to cook or who are children (who, again, are learning how to cook).1 -
I sit down with hubby and we plan out the menu for the week before I go shopping. Cabbage, kale, tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus, and onion are frequently on the list. If he wants loaded baked potato, I have a sweet potato with plain yogurt. Cabbage stri fry is super easy and can be spiced up with garlic ginger, and Sriracha. I make kale salad for lunch most days. Pico de Gallo is one of my favorite"condiments". I also make pickled vegetables (frozen mixed veg and chopped onion in a sweet and spicy vinaigrette) to go in my salad.1
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I have a belief that most people know the answers to their own questions...and you answered yourself in your post.
I am overspending on fattening fast food and spending money beyond my budget and means. Answer? I shouldn't be spending money on fast food when I can't afford it, it is also keeping me overweight.
I make three recipes all the time, and I am sick of eating the same things? Answer? I need to learn how to make more varied healthy so I can stay on my diet and keep within my financial goals.
...so meal prep.... think ahead and go grocery shopping. Invest in a good portable small cooler or lunch bag so you always have your food and snacks with you in the car. If you have your food with you.. you won't be tempted to go through fast food and blow your goals.
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If you can read and follow instructions. If you have access to the Internet; you have access to unlimited recipes. It sounds like you are making excuses. Sure it's easier to run out and grab some "flavorful" fast food, but how's that working out for you?
$12K/year isn't a bad amount of income for someone not paying a full mortgage, utilities, and other expenses related to owning a home. I don't know what financial obligations you have, but it seems that since you live at home and depend on fast food for meals that you have a lot of discretionary income. Use some of the money to buy the things online that you can't find locally.
Feeding yourself delicious and nutritious food is not rocket science but it is as simple or as complicated as you choose to make it.
Oh, as for fast food--I never eat it. I grew up in a town with no fast food restaurants and my parents didn't believe children should go to restaurants--so I never developed a taste for fast food or restaurant food. Thank goodness!
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When making curries I use the generic grocery store spice mix AND put in a tablespoon or two of curry paste. You can generally find red and green curry pastes in the international aisle of the regular grocery store, and it bumps up the flavor and heat. Also a vegetarian, and I tend to do this a lot with whatever veggies I have on hand, full-fat coconut milk and canned chickpeas for protein.2
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Honestly, fast food quit becoming an option when I discovered I could make or buy better food myself. I keep a few ready-made vegetarian foods (nuggets, veggie dogs, and either chick'n strips or turk'y cutlets) on hand for when I'm tired and don't want to cook. They cost more than homemade, but not as much as takeout would. I also make 2-3 meals a week, which last me for multiple meals. Those usually consist of a chili/soup, a casserole and a 'loaf'-style food or fritter.
As for recipes, Pinterest is a great resource and so are sites like BudgetBytes, which have easy, affordable recipes.
Grocery shopping can be tricky at first, especially if you're not used to vegetarian food, but that's okay. You don't have to buy tofu, tempeh, or seitan (I've been veg for nearly 6 months and still haven't learned how to cook them well). Instead, pick one new vegetable (frozen, canned, or fresh) to learn how to make each week. Zucchini, potatoes, and spinach are all pretty forgiving and can be used in a lot of beginner-friendly recipes. One thing that will help your grocery bill is buying bulk items, such as beans, rice, and lentils, all of which are just as easy to cook from 'raw' as the instant varieties.
A few things that might be helpful to invest in are a slow cooker and food processor. Slow cooking is actually the way that I learned how to cook! It gets rid of the stress of chopping and stirring at the same time (a skill I haven't mastered in 10+ years of cooking ;p) It's also very hands-off and can be the perfect thing for when you just want to come home and have a meal ready.
Please feel free to add me and check out my diary. I'm always happy to share recipes!1 -
fast food has never been my thing. I didn't grow up eating it so never really got it.
Cooking for yourself isn't hard or complicated, but it can take a while to gain experience. I find it quicker to make something at home than go to the take away to fetch a meal. Most things I do can be made in 20 minutes.
Try googling 20 minute meals, and you should find some inspiration. And good luck, persist with it.0 -
There are a lot of easy and quick "semi-homemade" things you can make from the grocery store. Tacos with premade seasoning. Spaghetti with premade sauce. Premade marinades for meat that you put in the oven or grill. Pre-chopped veggies. Precooked beans. Precooked rice. Premade sauces and dips. Hummus. Crockpot meals where you dump some meat and a few cans of something - like chicken plus salsa then shredded makes a good taco filling. Premade salsa, guacamole, pico. Lots of options for each throw together meals.
Also, fast food is fine sometimes as long as you know the calories.3
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