Hi all - what are some of your go-to foods? I’ve been doing a lot of the microwaveable processed stuff for convenience’s sake, but I’d like to do a bit more cooking if possible. I don’t meal prep at present but am interested to hear what y’all find easy and tasty and actually make regularly.

Thanks!

  •  streetfestival   ( @streetfestival@lemmy.ca ) English
    4•1 month ago

    Hi! Here are my meal prep or time-efficient go-tos that I could think of, some of which have already-prepared parts to them (highlighted):

    • Pesto (storebought and I grate in some extra garlic in) pasta with white navy beans (pecans or walnuts too)
    • Chili (storebought; tofu and/or bean based) with rice
    • Mujadara - Lebanese/Middle Eastern rice and lentil with fried onions dish
    • Veggie burger (storebought)
    • Vegetables and tofu stir-fry with rice (or fried rice)
    • Soup (storebought, pea or lentil based usually)
    • Indian curry (lentil or chickpea) with rice

    I like rice and pasta, but I prefer more rice in my meal prep diet. I’ve found a simple 1-switch rice cooker to be a great investment (as someone with a very modest amount kitchen equipment). It’s pretty foolproof, which is great for me :). The only time I cook rice outside of it is in the case of mujadara.

    I often have a side, like a salad (I store pre-washed and -chopped lettuce in the fridge), oven-roasted veggies, potatoes (baked, roasted, or storebought oven fries), or steamed corn or other veggies.

    Last night I made a jacket potato with baked beans (storebought) and caramelized onions. It was good comfort food. But 1 was great and 2 was too much sweet in what I fancy for supper.

    I gotta learn how to make soup next! Happy exploring to you!

      •  streetfestival   ( @streetfestival@lemmy.ca ) English
        2•1 month ago

        My recipe’s good but not great. It is kind of a bland dish. I no longer love it as a main, but as a co-main or side it’s great. And it keeps in the fridge and reheats so nicely. I usually make tahini sauce in two batches, first when I make the mujadara and then again several days later. … If you’re spending longer than you’d like caramelizing onions, try cooking them at a higher temperature. … I make mujadara with one pot. Cook the caramelized onions first and then the lentils and rice second. For caramelizing the onions, I cook on the highest setting, and it only takes maybe 12 min, but I’m stirring it frequently to constantly. The things I do to make it less bland (tl;dr) are the one-pot method, onions in the lentils and rice directly, extra spices, and tahini sauce. Unfortunately I’ve forgotten and can’t re-find by searching up the recipe I learned it from. But here’s the basics (for ~6-8 servings – it’s very inexpensive :):

        • 1 cup rice
        • 1 cup green/brown lentils
        • 2 large onions (1.75 sliced, 0.25 diced)
        • 1 clove garlic (diced)
        • 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil
        • Water (I only know the amount of water by eye but it’s probably somewhere in the range of 1.5 - 2 cups)
        • Spices: salt and cumin are standard I think. I also add cinnamon and zaatar

        ~

        1. Caramelize the sliced onions in a large pot, then set the onions aside and continue using the pot (with the leftover oil)
        2. Saute garlic and the diced onion until golden brown.
        3. Stir in lentils, then add spices and stir around
        4. Add water and cook the lentils until they’re soft on the outside (can depress the outside with your fingernail)
        5. Stir in rice, put the lid on the pot, reduce to low-medium, and cook for 10+ minutes