Eating for Convenience

[DVMorBust]

Inspired by Sumstorm's mouth-watering muffin/egg recipe.

Right now, I get amazing food all the time because my husband is a great cook - but next year, living away from him, I'm hoping to start the cooking on my own. So I'm on the prowl for things that are either convenient, or recipes that make a lot of food that can be prepped once/twice a month and frozen/stored easily, also for convenience.

I figured I'm not going to be the only one in this predicament - so I thought I'd toss the conversation out there for everyone to give ideas on. Favorite healthy-but-convenient method?

One of mine: I love sandwiches, so I try to cut everything up when I get home from the grocery store (tupperware of cucumber slices, slice the cheese, etc.) and store it like that so I can just whip out the containers and pile the goodies on. It only shaves a couple minutes off, but sometimes just the idea of getting a knife dirty is intimidating.

Also, my current favorite sandwich: Use pita bread as if it were bread slices (I can never figure out how to get them to function as pockets without ripping), and spread some hummus (I'm a fan of spicy varieties). Add some sliced chicken breast, alfalfa sprouts, cucumber slices, and medium cheddar cheese. Mmm.

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[twelvetigers]

I'm a big fan of allrecipes.com, so I scour the collection there at least once a month. Some of the most popular recipes are pretty easy, so I tend to go that route. I focus in on slow cooker/crock pot recipes, quick prep oven recipes, and things I can make in bulk and freeze, like meatballs.

If I were just feeding myself, however, I'd eat fried eggs on toast and plain noodles every day until I died of starch/carb overdose. 🙄

 

[sumstorm]

I'll add more in a bit, but since I am on weight watchers, I thought I would share my 'salad box.'

I buy salad greens at the local farmers market every other weekend. I trim off roots and any tattered outer leaves. Then I fill the sink with very cold water and tear the leaves off, submerging them in the water. Then I line a big plastic container (the cheap storage kind with the locking lid top....not generally in the kitchen aisle, but in the storage aisle) with papertowels in a cross pattern with enough extra draped over the sides to cover the top. I spread more paper towel on the counter (or clean dish towels) and start spinning water off the leaves. Spin, place on towels and pat loosely. Then toss leaves in the box. I add shredded carrot and shredded broccoli (sold as broccoli slaw.) I put together an appetizer tray (one with a sealing lid and multi copartments) to store sliced cucumber, olives, bell pepper chunks, onions, etc stored in the fridge. I use another one in the cabinet with dry ingredients (almons, croutons, raisins, etc.)

So, putting a salad together just involves popping a lid off, grabbing a handful of greens, some toppings, and a dressing packet, and off I go.

For anyone who has a hard time maintaining a healthy weight, this can make it a lot more convenient. It takes about 1/2 an hour to put together on a weekend, and if you get fresh produce, will last through the next two weeks.

 

[DVMorBust]

So, putting a salad together just involves popping a lid off, grabbing a handful of greens, some toppings, and a dressing packet, and off I go.

OK, you're seriously making my night. I've been trying to find a way to make salads a seamless thing, but thus far have failed miserably (not storing stuff right, etc.)

But I'm curious about this appetizer tray - do you have any links to something similar to what you have? my searches are coming up with just single giant trays with lids...no compartments 🙁

 

[jglovicz]

I'm a big fan of allrecipes.com, so I scour the collection there at least once a month. Some of the most popular recipes are pretty easy, so I tend to go that route. I focus in on slow cooker/crock pot recipes, quick prep oven recipes, and things I can make in bulk and freeze, like meatballs.

If I were just feeding myself, however, I'd eat fried eggs on toast and plain noodles every day until I died of starch/carb overdose. 🙄

I also love allrecipes.com. I used to use cooks.com, but I love allrecipies because there are reviews! Cooklinglight.com is also good. I also use The Joy of Cooking which is a great cook book (although recipes take some time), but it does sometimes call for ingredients that I don't have (I usually leave them out or substitute with a less fancy option).

What my boyfriend and I do to save money and have some ready to go food: We will buy a big package of chicken breast and when we get home, we'll freeze them in marinade or bbq sauce (in a glad or ziplock brand tupperware) and take them out a day or two before we want them. Then you can just throw them on a tray in the oven or on the grill. We will do this with canned corn or fresh salad.

Also, I like Rachael Ray. Her "30 minute meals" are really quick. I'm not as quick and chopping as she is, but they really do take about 30 or 35 minutes.

Happy cooking!

 

[natalieises]

I love pita bread. They actually have a product in stores that is pita bread made to be like slices of bread! They are really good, but are kinda small. I live alone and I feel your pain on trying to cook for one. One thing I like to make is tuna salad. You can make up a batch and it lasts for at least two meals with just one can of it. If you don't like tuna you could do chicken or turkey, etc.

I've also tried making random things from recipe websites. I think the main problem is being motivated enough to cook something that takes more than 15 minutes when it's just for you. Maybe invest in some of those cooking for one cook books?

 

[twelvetigers]

The good thing about cooking for one is you can make a whole whatever and then freeze about 3/4 of it, so if you think about it that way, you can stock up your freezer and not have to cook for a while after you've accumulated some things.

I still say meatballs, hamburgers, and chicken with sauce are all great 'freeze some and cook later' type foods.

Rachael Ray's recipes might be fine, but she gets on my nerves. I love it when Anthony Bourdain makes fun of her on his show. 😀

 

[sumstorm]

I asked hubby...and he said we got ours at one of the cooking stores in a factory outlet center for $5.

Grandma's is tupperware (lots of used ones on ebay)

I tried to look around, and couldn't find any very easily.

Mom said they are actually called 'relish trays' but I can't seem to find any 'new'

The old tupperware ones have 3 or 6 compartments. Mine has 8.

 

[TrocarKarin]

I've gotten kind of lazy about it, but I used to cook in bulk once or twice a month, and freeze it in individual containers. Then home-made food was a couple minutes in the microwave away.

Things that I made regularly that froze well:
Chili
Beef stew
Enchiladas
Burritos (beans and potatoes don't freeze well, but beef and breakfast ones do.)
Tamales
Goulash
Cabbage rolls
Smoked hot wings
Meatballs
Spinach and potatoes (mashed cheesy potatoes w/ spinach in them.)

Quick things that don't freeze well
Omelets (whip eggs, milk, store-bought fresh salsa, cheese, meat together.) Takes about 10 minutes
Chicken breasts - take about 10-15 minutes to cook, can be made so many different ways. Currently I'm hooked on cooking them with just salt and fresh garlic, but dumping salsa and cheddar on one is awesome too.
Chicken parmesan - doesn't take much longer to bread a chicken breast than to cook it plain. It takes spaghetti just about as long to cook as it takes for the chicken to cook, so usually about 20 minutes.

 

[flyhi]

So, I'm not on weight watchers like Sumstorm, but i am on a very regimented diet, so it might be similar. i love the salad idea!

I have trained bodybuilding, so i keep a pretty clean diet, cannot cook a lick, and convenience is key.

I pre-prepare everything on the weekend. This is very important as it prevents me from making poor food choices during the week when i may be rushed. My diet consists of eating 6-8 small meals a day (to include 2 convenient protein shakes with all of my vitamins and supplements).

Each real meal always has a protein, carb and veggie. I love, love, love brocoli, so i will steam a ton of it on Sunday. Cool it off immediately after steaming so that it doesn't continue cooking and throw it in tupperware in the fridge. Protein - i cook up a ton of boneless, skinless chicken breasts - throw it on the grill and then throw it in the fridge. For carbs - i cook a few cups of brown rice on the weekend and again - in the tupperware it goes.

So, for most of my meals, i just go to the fridge and heat up my food. Variety is easy - frozen veggies are just as good as fresh (if not better) and a sweet potato takes 5 minutes in the microwave. You can also cut up some lettuce and throw the chicken on it for lunch.

I also do a lot of baked fish - always fresh for me - and put it on a salad. Two meals are protein shakes, or meal replacement shakes. I make them in the blender at home. It takes 3 minutes and you pour into a to-go cup and have yourself a healthy 'snack'. Just make sure you don't leave the container anywhere for any amount of time - protein shakes stink to high heaven after only a couple of hours in a hot car.

For breakfast, i always eat 2 eggs and 3 egg whites scrambled with some salsa and a side of grits. It is high in protein with a few carbs and beats a bowl of sugary cereal or even a yogurt that is high in sugar.

i realize my diet may seem quite boring - but it is easy, quick, healthy, inexpensive for the quality you are getting and convenient. There are many ways to spice it up, but be careful of sauces and dressings which are high in sugar and calories. I use lots of seasonings.

 

[TangerineKik]

Well I'm not on a particularily strict diet, but I do try at all times to eat healthy. Most days I'm cooking dinner for my family (my parents and brother) so convience is key. One of my most favourite recipes is shirmp fried rice (or chicken if you're not into shrimp). It takes honestly no time and is very healthy/tasty. All you have to do is scramble a couple eggs (take them out of the pan), stirfry a little oil, garlic, and ginger for like 30 sec, add the rice (leftovers from the previous night's dinner) and cook for 2-3 minutes, then toss in your corn, shrimp, green onions, soy, cooked eggs, whatever.

I also love making casseroles (less healthy however) because you can freeze them for later. Since I'm cooking for a family I have to double/triple the recipe to have enough to freeze, but if you were cooking for one it'd be simple.

Oh! And smoothies. Absolutely fantastic (I eat them for breakfast) and really healthy. THough I agree about leaving them in a hot car! In mine I put sugar-free yogurt (whatever flavour I have on hand), milk, whey powder (vanilla - makes it sweeter and adds nutrients), flax seed, and frozen berries (or else fresh, but with ice). Yummy!

K

 

[invivovet]

Any Italians or Italian food-lovers in here? About 2 years ago, I inherited our family recipe for basic tomato sauce and I finally have it down to a "T". I won't be able to share the details with every one (it's the family's "secret" recipe) but I can share the basics.

It's about a 2:5 ratio of tomato paste to tomato sauce (use home grown tomatoes if possible, living in the city leaves me using the canned tomatoes). Then add all your favorite Italian seasons (fresh if possible) such as basil, oregano, etc. Don't forget the tons and tons of minced garlic... I'm a huge garlic fanatic!

I usually spend one day making it and I'll either can or freeze it. Canned is better because then you wont have to thaw it when preparing dinner but you have to be comfortable with your canning abilities. Otherwise freeze it and be sure to thaw it beforehand. If you get your proportions right, it costs only ~$4.00 (or less if you use homegrown ingredients) and lasts about 0.5-1 month. Use it to dress your favorite noodles or recipe and enjoy!

On a side note, I actually talked about this recipe in one of my interviews and attribute it to getting me into vet school 🙂

 

[nyanko]

I'm 3rd generation Italian-American on both sides, and also got one side of my family's tomato sauce recipe 2 years ago. 😎

If I use canned tomatoes, I also add in the little canned whole peeled ones and mush 'em up. Usually try not to though. 😍 the farmer's market and farm stands out here in Davis.

I have to freeze it though, I'm sure anything I tried to can would turn out horribly!

 

[aspiringDVM]

I love the idea of the salad box. I really like salads but never get around to eating them because they take too long to prepare! Anyway, here are two of my favorite totally unhealthy but amazingly delicious meals:
Chicken packets:
Bake a few chicken breasts and chop into small chunks. Add about half a stick of softened cream cheese and stir until the bits are chicken are fairly well coated. Stir in dill, chives, salt, pepper, and any more of your favorite herbs. I think this tastes pretty good plain or on a sandwich, but you can also roll them in crescent rolls and bake for 10-15 minutes at 350. The packets are fantastic the next day as either warm or cold leftovers.

Corn and cheese chowder:
Peel and chop 4-5 medium potatoes, a bunch of carrots, and some celery. Add a small package of frozen corn. Place in pot with roughly a quart of chicken broth and boil til vegetables are soft. Meanwhile, briefly brown 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup flour in another pot and add 2-4 cups of milk, stirring constantly so you don't scorch the bottom. Remove from heat when thickened and add 8 ounces of cheddar or Mexican mix cheese. Add the cheese concoction to the vegetable concoction and stir well. Great comfort food.

 

[ImaJerseyGirl]

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[JulieB361]

My favorite easy meal for cooking for one is soup. It's really easy to make alot of chicken noodle or vegetable soup and eat it for a week. You can buy beef or chicken broth and cook any vegetables on the weekend. I usually just quickly cook some egg noodles when I'm ready to eat the chicken noodle soup. You can also buy pretty good mixes and make french onion soup to eat for a week.

There's also alot of easy basics that can be incorporated into alot of easy meals. I really like eggs because you can do so much with them.

 

[lailanni]

Potatos!

They're easy and cheap. I can get mine done in the microwave in about 5 minutes and I put on healthy fake butter and light sour cream. I like them with crunchy baby carrots on the side.

I'm also a soup fan. I like making my own pho - but I use my own chicken stock instead of beef. Add rice noodles, cilantro, spinich and basil. Yummy.

My typical sammich is cucumbers, sprouts, cheese (I've given up delicious, expensive havarti), tomato, and lettuce. Maybe egg if I have time.

I have yet to find a breakfast that is fast and tasty. I eat in the car so my options are limited.

Has anyone here made their own sushi? I'd love some tips!

 

[vnair2]

I'm also a soup fan. I like making my own pho - but I use my own chicken stock instead of beef. Add rice noodles, cilantro, spinich and basil. Yummy. ...Has anyone here made their own sushi? I'd love some tips!

I love Pho. Definitely my favorite soup. Whenever I mention it though, people give me strange looks. I dont think most have heard of it.

I have made sushi before. I find the hardest part of sushi making is finding a good fish supplier. Here in New York it is pretty easy, but when I lived in phili it was sometimes a challenge. You also need a really sharp knife (japanese style preferably) or your sushi is not going to look very pretty. Making sushi rice properly is simply a matter of practice. Im not the greatest at it, so I can't help much.

When Im looking for cheap and convenient, I always make pulled pork. A 7lb pork shoulder is usually less then $15. I dry rub it saturday morning and stick it in the fridge. Sunday morning I pop it in the oven and after 8 hours it is delicious. It cooks for a while, but you dont have to do anything during that time except occasionally baste. It is perfect for a sunday when I am home studying anyway. It also produces an obscene amount of food, you can easily eat for a week.

 

[incendium04]

I love Pho! 😀 I am Vietnamese... so I guess it's how I was raised but my picky boyfriend (who tends to not like Vietnamese food....) loves it too! I always get confused when people pronounce it "foo" or "fho".

I am probably one of the worse cooks. My boyfriend and I practically live off of box pasta that you add water and butter to and that's it. I'm trying to do better, lately I have been making huge casseroles (see foodnetwork.com) and they last most of the week. I also always have broccoli and cheddar or sugar snap peas and ranch on hand for a quick healthy snack.

Any ideas for lunchs on the go that hold up well without refrigeration? I'm not big on sandwiches.

 

[sumstorm]

For lunches on the go, there are some really great container options now that include frozen packs that will keep a lunch suitably cold if they are stored at room temp for up to about 6 hours.

Otherwise, thermoses are designed to go hot, but they can be a bit of a pain...the general recommendation is to fill one with boiling water for 2 minutes, empty water, add hot food/soup. This does work well for soups, stews, pot roasts, pastas, and the big wide short ones will also hold things like servings of lasagnas and casseroles.

Otherwise go with fishing boat fare: crackers, bread products, and tuna or chicken (the flavored pouches do very well.) Fruit. Granola bars. cereal. fruit rollups/jerkies. meat jerkies. shelf stable cheese spreads and salami style meats. pretzels. peanut butter. honey. pickles, olives, relishes (small containers.) snack style foods (get unhealthy fast though.) I know there were other things I took out to sea with me, but my mind is kind of stuck at those.

 

[invivovet]

Don't forget oil and balsamic vinegar!

My favorite ingredients to use in marinades... especially portabella mushrooms!!

And nyanko, good idea about hitting up farmer's markets. I'll have to remember that this summer, either that or I'll just hit up g-ma's garden 🙂

 

[AlleyKat]

Wow, so many good ideas! Another Italian here (half) but I'm the world's most terrible cook so I have yet to attempt the family sauce.

Lailanni I have a pretty simple breakfast but it might be too messy to take in the car🙁 Toast some bread (I use 12-grain since its healthy and more filling, to me at least), then spread some peanut butter on it, add sliced bananas and/or raisins and sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar. It's pretty filling too!

Any vegetarians here? I'm trying it out, starting today actually (!!) for a week or so to see how I like it. My sister has been doing it for about six months now and she looks/feels great so I figured I'd give it a fair shot. I'm having trouble thinking of lunch ideas though, since I usually just make a sandwich....any thoughts?

 

[DVMorBust]

Any vegetarians here? I'm trying it out, starting today actually (!!) for a week or so to see how I like it. My sister has been doing it for about six months now and she looks/feels great so I figured I'd give it a fair shot. I'm having trouble thinking of lunch ideas though, since I usually just make a sandwich....any thoughts?

Kind of, but not by choice. Hubby went veg last year, and since I'm still too lazy to learn to cook, I've been doing that by default. You just have to be careful to do it right.

What he does for lunch is the make-lots-then-freeze method. He's got a ton of small tupperwares, and he'll make a lasagna, pasta dish, spinach/rice casserole. He cooks them on the weekends and then freezes individual servings. Defrost the night before, toss in the fridge, and grab on your way. Works great if you have access to a microwave.

I usually don't eat a single lunch - I'll eat throughout the day, so I like to bring small servings of fruit, veggies, granola bars, etc. The granola bars are my friends because they keep well and I usually have a few in my backpack even if I forget to pack anything.

 

[sumstorm]

I usually don't eat a single lunch - I'll eat throughout the day, so I like to bring small servings of fruit, veggies, granola bars, etc. The granola bars are my friends because they keep well and I usually have a few in my backpack even if I forget to pack anything.

I carry fiber one bars and fruit roll ups everywhere, just because they are so stable and compact!

 

[GellaBella]

I can't believe no one has suggested a crock pot?!

oh my gosh its my favorite thing. You can put everything in and cook on low overnight or during the day and when you get home... you've got a home cooked meal! If its large enough you'll have left overs for days.

One of the fiance and my favorite recipes (and it so easy), just take a whole chicken, rinse, pat with seasoning if you want (I usually don't) and put the whole thing in the crock pot. Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth (from a can/ bouillion, whatever). Add any veggies you want - for us usually potatos and carrots. cook on low for 6-10 hrs. presto! perfect, moist chicken.

you can make stews, pot roasts, chicken, everything! in a crock pot. i love mine. i actually ahve 3😀 and no, i don't work for them or anything.

 

[sumstorm]

LOL. We have two, both versa-wares. I do a lot of crockpot meals as well, but the thing for me is that it is a lot of food...I don't like a lot of leftovers...I prefer to have things set up to cook individually. I have no idea why I don't like leftovers (except vegetarian lasagna where it seems to develop better flavor) other than when I was a child, we ate the same meals for months at a time...so repetition disturbs me! Probably time to get over it!

 

[twelvetigers]

I have a Rival. It's red, like all of my other appliances. 🙂

You can make a mean roast with a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup and one packet of dry french onion soup mix. Add about 1 1/2 cups water and cook for about 8 hours... comes out pretty nice. I add fresh mushrooms too.

I hate leftovers too. The only things that taste okay the next time around are lasagna (who knows?) and fried chicken (because I eat it cold anyway). Everything else is... gross.