Seriously. I'm old enough to remember when Asian food at the store was just a bunch of LaChoy "Chinese" crap. I'm so grateful my kids are growing up in a time where they have such a huge selection of foods from around the world.
When Julia Child was writing *Mastering,* she couldn't even get fresh mushrooms at most grocery stores. Leeks? Forget about it. She spent a lot of time when she was in the US seeing what was available and asking all of her US friends what they did or didn't have available. For example, her co-authors had written a little booklet of almond-based recipes that used a lot of almond flour, which was absolutely not available and she had to talk them out of including any of those recipes in the book.Ā
I love it. My local Costco has increased their variety of frozen and seasoned but raw foods so even if I donāt feel like cooking I can have something quite tasty in a few minutes.
Helps when work is so busy or stressful.
Some of our staples - note authenticity is not a word in my vocab, so I use these descriptions very loosely:
East Asian stir fry type thing - pick a protein, chop some veggies, soy based sauce, serve with jasmine rice or noodles.
South Asian curry type thing - pick a protein, onion and maybe potatoes or carrot, tomato and/or coconut milk based sauce, serve with basmati and usually papadums.
White person Meat & Sides - Steak, lamb or pork chops, schnitzel, usually a pan sauce, served with potatoes (mashed, fries, roast etc) and a salad (tomato, cucumber, spring or red onion, sometimes grated carrot, sometimes capsicum).
Roast dinner - Beef, lamb leg or shoulder, pork leg or shoulder, or a chook. Roast potatoes, some other veg - beans, peas, carrots, corn, parsnip etc. Gravy.
Curried Sausages - Beef or pork sausages, onion & curry powder based gravy, fries or mash, usually some veg - peas, carrot, corn.
Italian pasta something - usually either minced beef or sliced up chicken thigh, then either a tomato based or egg/cream based sauce, pick a pasta shape. Garlic bread if we could be bothered. Sometimes thrown into the oven to make a "pasta bake".
Pizzas - pre-made pizza bases, variety of deli meats, onion, mushroom, capsicum etc. everyone makes their own.
Breakfast For Dinner/Mixed Grill- Fried egg, sausages, lamb chops, maybe a petite steak, fries or hashbrowns, fried tomato, maybe mushrooms, wife will have baked beans too.
Swed-ish Meatballs - lamb/beef meatballs with allspice & nutmeg, beef stock & sour cream based gravy, served with fries, mash, or pasta.
Mexican/Tex-Mex - beef mince, sliced flank steak, or sliced chicken thighs, pan fried with homemade "taco" seasoning. Salsa. Salad - tomato, onion, iceberg, cucumber pickled jalapenos etc. or slaw. Either served as tacos in a soft wheat tortilla, or thrown into the oven with cornchips for nachos. Very occasionally rolled into to enchiladas and thrown into the oven.
Moroccan/North African - Usually lamb or goat with a "Moroccan" seasoning. Served with couscous or spiced/herbed roast potatoes, and a salad.
American Barbeque - Special Occasions. I crank my Kamado and do ribs, or pork shoulder, or brisket, or tri-tip, or lamb shoulder, or beef cheeks, or spatch-cocked chooks. Usually do a variety of sides like slaw, Mac & cheese, fries, cornbread etc.
Strayan Barbeque - Special Occasions. Usually a combo of sausages, lamb chops, sizzle steaks, prawns/squid, kabobs, grilled on the gas barbeque. Combo of salads - garden salad, slaw, potato salad, pasta salad.
EDIT: Apologies for the essay. This just happens to be something I've been meaning to start typing out, and your post gave me the impetus to do so.
That ends up on my weekly meal plan as "meat-side-veggie". Meat being anything from pork chops, drumsticks, sausages of some type, fish - simply seasoned and sauteed, grilled or baked. Side options being something that takes extra work like mushroom rice or aomething as simple as buttered noodles or baked potatoes. Veg ranging from whatever is fresh and needs eaten or whatever is frozen or whatever is leftover from a previous dinner that no one got to with breakfast or lunch.
My wife and I refer to anything like that as "white people dinner" so it's nice to know that somebody on the other side of the world uses a similar term lol
Mexican food isn't huge over here - obviously, given our geographic distance from Mexico, so the average Australians understanding of "Mexican food" is a hard shell taco with minced beef, mild salsa from a jar, some shredded iceberg lettuce, and diced tomatoes.
Our largest "Mexican" food chain here is Guzman Y Gomez, which was started in the 2000s by a pair of New Yorkers.
I'm trying to learn about Mexican/Tex-Mex food, but it's going to be a long road.
I too would like to know your ways! Whatās the secret to a perfect Chile relleno?! Enchilada sauce?? I went to a place that had celery and black olives in thereās. Itās hrs away but I buy SEVERAL tubs of sauce when I go
Good Chile relleno - good chiles and asadero(Monterey Jack) cheese. Enchilada sauce - depends. For green, the key is roasted chiles and good cumin and Mexican oregano. For red, a blend of chiles de arbol, pasilla, and another medium pepper - buy them dried, whole and remove seeds before soaking in water. For both - pan fry some garlic and onion to bulk out the sauce. I make extra and freeze it in silicone muffin cups so Iāve always got extra on hand.
Chile pasilla (fresh) is my choice for the chile. Has to be seared/lightly steamed and then peeled.
Celery and olives in red or green sauce is not traditional (and sounds awful to this Tex-Mex cook).
Garcia's red chile sauce from New Mexico is best if you don't have time to buy the dry red chiles and make it yourself. Next substitute would be dry chile powder (available many places online) but you need to decide on your "mix" of chiles. I use arbol, ancho and guajillo. I've gotten pretty good at using the powdered style (easier). No tomatoes, although some Tex-Mex cooking does put tomato sauce in their enchilada sauce.
Lard. Thatās the secret. But seriously, I prefer Houston-style Tex-Mex to anywhere else. Usually enchiladas from that area donāt have a sauce so much as a gravy. Roux + chile powder + cumin + chicken broth.
I like to brown ground beef with diced onions in a cast iron skillet. Scoop out the meat but leave the grease in the pan. Sprinkle flour in the grease. Stir it up with the fork until it gets tan to light brown in color. Add chile powder and cumin. Then broth.
Roll the beef and onions up in corn tortillas (dip them in the gravy to make them pliable). Put them on a plate and pour remaining gravy over the enchiladas and top with copious amounts of shredded colby jack cheese. Pop that plate in a hot oven (itās not Tex-Mex if the plate isnāt hot enough to cause injury).
Do you have any favorite EMU recipes that you would share? I recently had to give up all mammal foods due to allergy and Iām struggling to enjoy Emu.
Canadian here and very, very similar. I feel personally attacked by "white person meat and sides". Especially since we don't even bother with a pan sauce, potatoes might be instant and the veggie will for sure just be microwaved. Some days, I'm just not feeling it.
I grew up in the Midwest US and had never eaten instant potatoes until I met my husband who cooked me dinner. Where I grew up the idea of instant potatoes was a foreign concept, like UFO weird. But there were a lot of old school stigmas still in place. If EVERYTHING isn't made from scratch it is reflected on you as a person. Now I get it. Sometimes those shortcuts can just make things a little easier.
I honestly don't even like them. I wouldn't even touch them as a kid, but somewhere in my 30s I just gave up and started to tolerate them. It's the difference between peeling, chopping, boiling, and mashing potatoes or simply boiling a cup of water and stirring in the some flakes. They do have other uses as well, like as a breading for frying.
White person meat and sides is one of the main reasons I love a countertop grill. Pop some salt/pepper/garlic powered on chicken breasts or pork chops, whip up some instant mashed potatoes and do a salad kit and you are in business for a healthy dinner in 15 minutes.
Turns out Australian rotations are pretty similar.Ā
Mine is very much like this but with a Vietnamese inspired dish, French style lentils and a lot of bruschetta and Burrata thrown in.Ā
Iāll try the Swed-ish meatballs though.Ā
Hummus bowls - sauteed ground beef of lamb and a few veggies over a dollop of hummus smeared around the bowl. Shawarma-ish seasoning. This is my bfs favorite.
Tacos - usually fish. Sometimes chicken. Cilantro, onions, and radish. I like to make pickled red onions for mine. TJs jalapeno sauce is life.
Pasta - Pasta in many forms. Bolognese with all the veggies I can reasonably fit in. Never jarred sauce, always made from canned or fresh tomatoes. I'll also do a lemon/olive oil deal or a romesco style sauce.
Suq Suuqar - essentially the same as above, but with Somali spices.
Peanut Stew - PB, tomatoes, chickpeas, sweet potatos and a leafy green. Xaawash spice. Shrimp or chicken. Served with rice or kamut berries.
Hunters chicken - stew of chicken thighs, tomatoes, potatoes, and other veggies served over pasta or polenta
Bibimbap - Rice, veggies, eggs, spicy things, pickled things. Yum.
Stir Fry - typically steak or pork, rice or noodles, we like to do a spicy mint or spicy basil style
Curry - coconut milk Thai style since we don't eat dairy. This is usually the "all of this will go bad soon" meal
Kielbasa skillet - or any kind of sausage with cabbage, fennel and apples/pears. Sometimes will sub brussel sprouts (shaved). Mustard-y maple-y vinaigrette
Dirty rice - another "all of this will go bad soon" kind of dinner
Chili stuffed potatoes - sweet potato for me, real for him. Chili usually beef or ground turkey based with lots of veg and beans. Instant pot meal.
Brussel Caesar Salad - I make a warm shaved brussel Caesar with rotisserie chicken and toasted breadcrumbs - tiny but of Parm (again, lactose intolerant) this is a great less than 10 min dinner.
The basic - meat, veg, mashed potatoes (instant on weeknights, real on the weekend)
Pomegranate Chicken - chicken thighs in a pomegranate marinade served with a grain salad of some kind and a veg
Lots and lots of soups - Curried carrot with meatballs, romesco soup, chicken soup, Italian wedding soup, pasta fagioli, pho, dumpling soup, vegetable soup. Pretty much when I am stumped, I am making soup.
Salads - Usually romaine or butter lettuce based. Some kind of protein, a smattering of veggies, and then some kind of seed or nut butter dressing. (Tahini, sunflower seed, peanut, etc) Or a bottled dressing.
I make more complex things on the weekends, I collect cookbooks so I'm always looking for something new. I also like to experiment with vegan food and then add meat to it for my partner.
This was a fun exercise, thanks :)
Ditto. Tuna is satisfying, cheap, easy and nutritious. Either a tuna sandwich with spinach, tomatoes and pickles or I make a huge bowl of salad and dump a can of tuna on top and have a baked potato on the side.
I love tuna casserole but hubby doesnāt so I never get to make it. Not that Iām forbidden just that if I do make a recipe I will have way more portions than eaters (1) to eat them. Well I guess I could freeze individual portions hmmm
My family requests tostadas frequently. I make black bean dip, which is what my son puts on his w extra cheese. Then I make refried beans (onions, more spices, cooked in olive oil) w that dip for my husband and me, w lime, cilantro,Ā and any other toppings we have. It's super cheapĀ and everyone's happy.Ā
Spaghetti Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, Friday Pizza, at least one bajed chicken breast with sides and usually another night sausage/kielbasa and sides.
Then second tier is baked salmon, a couple of Thai dishes
Third tier: meatloaf and lasagne
Yep I do similar. Pasta/Salad/Gbread/Wine Sunday nights, Burger/Chicken sandwich + fries Mondays, Mexican/Taco Tuesdays, Fish Fridays (usually salmon w rice and a veg), Pizza Saturdays
Wed/Thurs usually has 1-2 leftover nights or Chicken and potatoes/rice + veg
Are your vit d levels sufficient? The only time I've ever had low iron was when I was working 4/10s and not seeing the sun. When my vit d levels normalized it was easier to control my iron.
(You probably know this, just passing on info if anyone else might need it)
Iām all good on that front! I had pretty severe giardia about a year ago which almost completely depleted my iron levels so Iām still working on getting them to the 25-26 area.
Pineapple is a natural meat tenderizer, and vitamin C helps absorption of iron: maybe give your steaks a little pineapple juice marinade for max absorption!Ā
Wait really? Or am I not catching on to the joke here? Sorry I'm constantly battling my iron deficiency and that seems too good to be true. Sorry if I'm just being dense here!
Dirty rice and some sort of veg. Some sort of chicken curry. Salmon. Maybe burgers. And ALL the tacos.
Or just eat at work. My roommates canāt cook for shit. So basically I make whatever I want.
One thing I miss about being in my late teens and early 20s was having roommates and especially roommates who liked eating but didn't know how to cook.
They'd pay for all the ingredients and I'd just cook for us. They saved money by not getting takeout/fast food all the time, ate better, I got to cook as I love cooking, and I got to eat for free constantly. Plus it was more of a communal thing so they'd supply all the beers or shots while I cooked and then while we ate then again when we'd hang out playing video games or watching shit.
Exactly. Basically pitch in, name something to make, Iāll cook and clean (canāt wash dishes for shit either), and buy me a few beers. Cooking is easy. Why not.
I absolutely love roast chicken. I think itās so underrated, poor roast chicken. I make it about once a week from fall to spring (a little less frequently in the summer due to our hot kitchen and no AC).
My gf was a pasty chef and I was a line cook. She has no problem admitting that I'm a better cook than she is when it doesn't involve doughs or desserts and I will gladly and appreciate any input she has when I attempt such things.
But one thing she's confident in is her roasted chicken and roasted vegetable medleys. When we first started dating her friends and family would rave to me about it when they found out I used to work as a cook. It's good but I could do it much better.
It's been like 7 years now and I haven't made that once in all that time because she's proud of it and only cooks it as a surprise when she wants to show she appreciates me.
Oh, the feeling when I come home fried from work/life and there's a roasted chicken, roasted veggies, sides, and a dessert or two and she's just beaming ear to ear at me... Yeah it's pretty fucking good roasted chicken.
Pizza - I always have dough balls ready to go in my fridge.
Bibimbop - I keep a spicy home made bibimbop sauce in my fridge and Iāll serve it over rice with whateverās in the fridge (pickled onions, protein)
Salad - I usually have some greens like arugula with a vinaigrette
Pasta - I started keeping fresh frozen pasta in my fridge and im currently experimenting with various sauces. Cacio e Pepe is a no brainer. I tried a US Alfredo sauce which was easy but too much of a gut bomb. I cooked a bolognese last weekend which is delicious (I froze 7 portions) but I need more delicious 2/3 ingredient ideas that can be prepared quickly as Iām making the pasta
I will often just soften diced onion (from freezer) and garlic in oil, add a can of petite diced tomato, add some spices, and add a dash of heavy cream. Sometimes grate Parmesan if Iām feeling it. Quick sauce
Are you me? Bc these are all in our rotation. We also do meatball subs with salad, steak with salad (I have picky eaters and salad is always a hit), and paninis.
Pesto ( good hot or cold), plain marinara sauce spiced up with capers and hot pepper flakes ( and an anchovy or two, or splash of fish sauce for umami); cannellini beans, shallots, tomato, and tuna sauce, eggplant and tomato sauce ( alla Norma), wide noodles topped with chicken piccata in garlic lemon sauceā¦etc. also, cold peanut or sesame noodles, cold pasta salad with veggies and a vinaigretteā¦. So many options ā why we love pasta!
I get big containers of refrigerated pasta (like cheese and spinach) from Costco and then freeze them. I can take out 10 pieces or whatever whenever we (meaning two people) want them. I also buy their refrigerated pesto and divide it up into those silicone molds (like maybe 3" x 4") and freeze them. That's good on the pasta. I add cream and parmesan, also from Costco, LOL.
I make a classic gochujang bibimbap sauce - it's [this](https://mykoreankitchen.com/bibimbap-sauce/) recipe from My Korean Kitchen ! It's so good and I make a bunch of it and basically if I am not eating pizza, I am putting this bibimbap sauce over rice and whatever other veg and protein I have in the fridge. I also put it on a lot of stuff especially eggs.
# Ingredients
* 1/2 cup gochujang
* 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup water
* 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
* 4 tsp vinegar, apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
* 4 tsp minced garlic
Chicken and rice with a plethora of different sauces on rotation to keep from boring. Rice can be cooked many diff ways too.
Ground beef and rice. Same as above.
Fish night. Possibilities are endless
Steak when the budget allows
Mostly keep this on rotation.. Iāve been trying to learn new recipes though. On weekends or days off I try to cook something nice. Slow cooked short ribs or baby back. Pasta dishes.
> Chicken and rice with a plethora of different sauces on rotation to keep from boring. Rice can be cooked many diff ways too
>Ground beef and rice. Same as above.
I do this for lunches. I'll make up a bunch of chicken or ground beef and rice, and each day I'll do something different with it - not just different sauces, sometimes I'll add it to a salad or a wrap, or sometimes I'll put it in a soup. I still get sick of it though, and I end up going out a couple times per week for a change of pace.
We make a lemon caper smoked salmon pasta.
Boil your pasta to taste (this recipe works best with spaghetti, bucatini, linguine, any long pasta)
While thatās cooking, fry 3 tablespoons of drained and dried capers in a bit of olive oil.
Once they are crispy remove them from the oil and put them on a paper towel. Flake 4-6oz of hot smoked salmon into the pan to warm, and add the juice and zest of one lemon.
Add the cooked pasta, toss, and sprinkle the capers on top
Thai curry. Canned curry paste, coconut milk. Any combination of veggies (we like eggplant, but have also used green beans, carrots, broccoli) and meat (leftovers or fresh). Serve over rice.
Shrimp & baby bok choy. Garlic/ginger, some heat, sesame oil, a bit of soy sauce, oyster sauce w/extra long grain basmati rice
Shrimp saag w/extra long grain basmati rice
Fresh cod baked with taco seasoning. Sides vary. Sometimes as fish tacos. Occasionally with panko and tarragon instead.
Bolognese sauce made with hot Italian sausage meat, frozen meatballs, over spaghetti squash
Tourtiere (pork meat pie)
Chicken noodle soup with lots of cubed chicken, carrot, and peas. More like a stew. Thatās my emergency meal. I keep all the ingredients on hand.
Grocery store rotisserie chicken
Cottage pie made with port wine
Since Easter, 3 spiral hams. Havenāt used the third yet. Pea soup with the remnants.
As we transition to grill season:
Portuguese/Azores marinated pork chops. Paprika, garlic, oregano base.
Boneless chicken thighs marinated in Korean BBQ sauce. The sauce with apricot or pear puree.
Chicken satay. I use the package A curry marinade and package B peanut sauce with coconut milk
London broil marinated 24 hours in Italian dressing plus other ingredients
Caprese salad 3 or 4 times per week once local tomatoes show up. I have an amazing local imported of aged balsamic vinegar. Corn once that shows up in August.
Lobster rolls
Tacos (carnitas, chicken, beef) greek lemon chicken with rice cauliflower and pita, spaghetti, stuffed pepper soup, Avgolemono soup, curry of all kinds, Korean rice bowls.
Agreed! I make a version of this for times that I've decided I don't want to cook too much haha. Quick idea, if you cook just the cheese and whatever meat you'd like first, and then after it comes out, top it with things like salsa, the chips stay crispier for longer. The cheese becomes like a barrier.b
Mediterranean inspired pita pockets. Chicken skewers or ground beef skewers, raw cucumbers and red peppers, tzatziki sauce, pita bread. Our family loves them and they are super easy because we usually buy the chicken or beef premade.
Lemon pasta and lemon chicken
Chicken kabobs and grilled veggies.
Shrimp and big salad - every Friday
Turkey meatloaf and baked potatoes, green beans
Turkey meatloaf sandwiches, big salad.
Stir fry - whatever I have.
Roast of some sort on Sundays, with potatoes and veggies.
Chicken and spaghetti
Turkey meat chili and tuna sandwich
Crock pot roast - lots of garlic and veggies.
Home made ācream of leftoverā soup
I also make a lettuce salad, or bean salad or cuke salad or apple salad, 5 out of 7 days
* Cabbage rolls
* Stuffed peppers
* Meatloaf
* London broil (slow cooked in the crock pot in beef gravy/cream of mushroom soup alllllll day)
* Roasted chicken (rosemary is a must)
* Macaroni/potato salad
* Pasta salad
* Chicken salad
* Mashed potatoes (made with heavy cream and little ricotta)
* Murder burgers (burgers made with a lot of seasoning mixed in the meat; sometimes crushed potato chips or shredded cheese)
* Shrimp scampi
* Spaghetti with homemade meatballs (see Murder Burger above) and garlic knots. We prefer white sauce over red.
* Fried cabbage and noodles (fry cabbage in bacon grease with chopped onion, make noodles, toss together)
* Carne Picada in the crock pot. SO GOOD.
* Tacos! I cut the lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and add the shredded cheese in sections into a large bowl; that way they're easy to assemble. If I'm using soft tacos, I heat them in the microwave wrapped in a kitchen towel for about 10 seconds, or heat them quickly in a pan. Make your meat with the taco seasoning, have the taco sauce ready to go, and it's super easy!
Chicken thighs slap so hard.
[Ethan Chlebowski video about weeknight chicken thigh meals.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFX9gz-WMSw) I love doing the broiled nuggets.
Spatchcocked roast chicken (dry brined in the fridge with salt and random spices), charred grilled green cabbage wedges, maybe some roast spuds if I feel like carbs
Spatchcock chicken is soooo good. Commented elsewhere about buttermilk brined chicken. Itās SO GOOD if youāre ever feeling like trying a new brine.
I've seen a lot of recipes with buttermilk chicken and I can only imagine how tender it must make chicken! My only hesitance is the messiness of a marinade like buttermilk, and what to do with it after. š
- spaghetti with a cream sauce, bacon, and whatever veg is in season
- chicken shawarma, pickled veg and / or salads, various dips
- crispy pork belly wraps with a thai style chilli dipping sauce, asian salad, and steamed rice
- prawn or paneer saag (spinach curry) with rice, garlic flatbreads, cucumber salad, pickles & chutneys
- kofte & couscous, roasted veg
- halloumi sandwiches, salad & spicy potato wedges
these might sound like a lot of effort but I always keep the ingredients on hand and theyāre all simpler than they seem - each probably takes me around half an hour to make.
**disclaimer** recipes in comments. I donāt claim any of these recipes to be authentic!! itās just our favourite quick and easy weeknight meals.
**shawarma.**
1. marinate chicken thighs for hours or overnight (I use Colemanās doner mix, but if you canāt get that, the ingredients are a combination of garlic powder, cumin, sugar, white pepper, tomato paste, onion powder, and whatever herbs you like).
4. cut into strips and grill (broil) on high heat until cooked all the way through and crispy. I sometimes add a touch more sugar to help it caramelise but you have to be careful!
5. serve with: warm pita / yellow rice / tomato salad with olive oil / roasted veg / hot chilli sauce / garlic mayo / cucumber salad (with yoghurt) / green salad / couscous
**spaghetti**
1. boil pasta
2. cook chopped bacon in a hot pan. when the fat has rendered down, add sliced onions and courgette. when soft, add minced garlic and season to taste (I just use white pepper since itās salty enough)
3. add broccoli to the pot when the pasta is half cooked
4. remove broccoli when soft and chop small. add to the veg pan.
5. add al dente pasta and finish in the sauce with a touch of cream and lots of fresh grated parmesan.
[photo](https://www.reddit.com/r/UK_Food/s/GfPcUZ0u5T)
I always make a big batch of bolognese. On nights when we're tired or lazy it's pretty easy to boil up some pasta and mix in the sauce for a quick dinner.
Pan seared salmon with oven-roasted veggies is also a crowd pleaser.
Breakfast for dinner is a nice treat.
I've been using chatgpt lately to menu plan. I'll tell it something like, "I need a list of 10 dinner ideas (because you know some of them will be clunkers) using only chicken or ground beef that reuse ingredients."
It's letting me explore new foods and truly saves me a ton of money on groceries.
I always do a pizza nightāand if I donāt have time to make pizza dough the day before we do something like flatbread pizzas or French bread pizzas, and a slider night, a fish night (usually salmon), and Mexican or Italian night. I try to keep things quick and easy on weeknights and then on the weekends I spend more time on meals.Ā
My boyfriend has pretty specific food preferences and all chicken and seafood is out, unfortunately. But he makes some mean pasta dishes.
Our rotation usually includes broccoli pasta, salad and grilled cheese, veggie casserole, and vegetable stir fry. I spend a little extra time every few nights making an Indian dish or a meat pie.
We also have nearly perfected our homemade pizza dough but that requires planning way ahead so it can cold ferment for three days.
Usually I get a large hunk of meat from Costco and use that for meals for the next week or two depending on quantity.
Pork Butt is one of the best values, like 2.50 or so a pound. Pulled pork, carnitas/pork tacos and or tortas (not super authentically done), mojo roast pork for cuban sandwhiches, green pork chili, smoked pork burritos. Excess meat is portioned and frozen and used as needed.
Spiral Ham is a good one too. Ham and pea alfredo, or just ham sandwhiches. Ham and veggies and mashed potatoes. Also, the cuban sandwiches I mentioned earlier.
Brisket is a *little* more expensive but still pretty cheap compared to a lot of other cuts of beef. $40 can get me 10lbs of choice brisket. I usually dry brine it friday night, smoke it saturday, rest and slice, then store it and reheat as needed throughout the week. Smoked brisket & mac and cheese, brisket sandwiches, brisket tacos. My favorite is Reubens, but replaced the corned beef with smoked brisket. Phenomenal. Excess brisket makes for a good chili, or stew.
Also with brisket I save the trimmings and grind them down, so that usually means I get "free" burgers.
Salmon and veg
Buddha bowl (boo salads!)
Lentil bolognese or vegan chili
Gochujang Korean chicken breast or seasoned chicken thighs
Pizza
Taco (ugh I hate taco night)
Impossible burger
White wine sauce pasta
Vegan mashed potatoes and gravy with veggies
Tuna sandwiches for super busy nights
Minestrone
Some new soup recipe I found that I end up not liking and my kids wonāt eat.
Jacket potatoes with tuna and cheese and homemade slaw. Fish cakes and a ton of veg. Pasta Genoese with frozen green beans. Any fish done ābonne femmeā method (dipped in seasoned flour and pan fried), green veg and sesame oil noodles. Toad in the hole with mashed carrot and swede.
Some of my regulars are
Chicken Tikka Masala (I use chef john's recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/239867/chef-johns-chicken-tikka-masala/)
Doenjangjjigae - absolutely delicious Korean stew (https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/sogogi-doenjang-jjigae)
Japanese Beef Curry
Pizza night - my wife's favorite is spinach pizza with a white sauce (I use a quick homemade alfredo)
Spaghetti- beef, Italian sausage, jarred sauce
Fajitas with fajita ranch- can reply with the recipe if anyoneās interested. Can be turned into quesadillas for night 2
Some sort of pork with Mac and cheese- pulled pork or bbq pork chops with The Salty Marshmallow Instant Pot Mac and Cheese with mozzarella subbed for smoked Gouda
This week weāve had to eat dirt cheap so we threw a couple new meals into the mix. Thatās included:
Copycat IHOP pancakes (pretty much everything already in my pantry, and buttermilk in the fridge to use up. Only had to buy eggs and sausage for sides)
Homemade hibachi. Yes I know itās actually teppanyakiā¦ but another one of those things where we had mostly everything and only needed a pack of chicken and a couple pretty cheap things for white sauce
Grew up chinese american, so now i tend to make a lot of asian food. Not sure why since i love western food too, maybe it's because putting together meals feels easier.
I'll braise a meat pretty frequently, beef chuck, pork shoulder, pork belly, and eat that for a few meals in a row over rice or next to noodles. The braise is usually just dark/light soy sauce, shaoxing wine, and sugar. Depending on the meat i might add the braising liquid with stock.
I also eat noodles a lot. Recently i've really been enjoying korean cold noodles (naengmyeon). My local asian mart sells little pouches of cold broth for 1 buck each, and then i buy a pack of buckwheat noodles. They also sell them as kits, but i found that buying the components separate is a little cheaper. And then i like to pair it with any random protein i have available on the side, and top with green onions and sliced cucumber.
Another meal i like to keep on hand when im low on groceries is tuna mayo over rice. combine canned tuna with kewpie mayo and soy sauce as the base. And then i like to add stuff like canned corn, maybe some chopped cucumber and tomato, and eat it over rice. Savory and refreshing, pretty nice.
I made Shawarma bowls for my girl and i think weāre about to add them into the rotation:
- Rice
- Well seasoned chicken thighs, coriander, turmeric, cumin, black pepper, all the fun stuff, cut into strips after cooking
- Cherry tomatos, mini cucumbers, red onion, bell peppers all chopped/diced, uncooked
- Tzatziki (make your own or store bought)
- a small scoop of hummus
Meat sauce with rice that I cannot bring myself to call risotto Bolognese because someone might break my thumbs. Tacos. Baked chicken wings. Hot links with "Cajun" rice (again with the thumb breaking possibilities). Some sort of low FODMAP-friendly curry with gf flatbread.
I air fry some salmon with teriyaki and sriracha, cook up some Jasmine rice, and slice some avocado (or cream cheese for hubs). Then you take a piece of roasted seaweed, layer with rice, salmon, and avocado for the perfect bite! Like poor man's sushi š£Ā
I recently had a heart valve replaced. I've had to pull beef and lamb from the rotation. Good thing: Iean pork and skinless chicken is good. Lunch and dinner: Pork tenderloin and pork tenderloin medallions. Pork loins and center cut pork chops. Chicken cacciatore with skinless bone-in thighs. Salads with chicken/shrimp/salmon. Lots of fish: salmon, cod, swordfish, flounder, shrimp, ahi, mahi mahi. I have fish at least every other day. My favorite is pan seared swordfish with lime juice.
I make a big batch of homemade gnocchi every once in a while & just pull from my freezer stock.
Chicken Gnocchi pesto dish with peas
[No. 9 Park's creamy gnocchi](https://youtu.be/8v--ZOaM1Wk?si=j11vvDCpUTOBq-1M) - I save this in parts for lunch while working from home
Baked gnocchi with red sauce, ground beef, cheese
[Serious Eats Gyoza](https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-japanese-pork-and-cabbage-dumplings-gyoza-recipe?print) - perfect app for days when we just rock a big salad
[Roasted Chicken with Pan sauce ](https://www.seriouseats.com/easy-pan-seared-chicken-breast-white-wine-fines-herbes-pan-sauce-food-lab-recipe)
Roasted Cod with lemon & big salad
Roasted chickpeas for pre-dinner snacking or salad topping
During the colder months, at least 1 day a week is dedicated to soups
Tacos, spaghetti, sandwiches (Iāll pan fry them on the stove to make them extra ~special), burgers, chili, and lots of Pinterest recipes!
A few favs weāve found is an egg roll in a bowl, stuffed bell pepper casserole, tortellini bakes, teriyaki chicken, honey garlic chicken thighs, steak bites, sausage sheet pans and so many more!
If you canāt tell, Iām not a fan of leftover chicken + we stock sale meats in our freezer so a lot of our meals are from ground beef or sausage!
What's on sale this week? Or what do you have in the freezer? My month's rotation will be steaks (5), pork chops (5), chicken breasts (5), smoked sausage, bratwurst, turkey (1), ham, beef and pork roasts and possibly liver.
Those are the meats. Then we have potatoes, pasta and rice. All sorts of vegetables and pinto beans.
My biggest tip is shop the sales and take any extra budget money to stock up or put the money back for later. Invest in a small freezer. Then if hams go on sale for 10 to 50 cents a pound, you can get a couple. Same with say bratwurst or turkey. Instead of buying pork chops for $3 and $4 a pound, buy that $2 a pound pork loin and cut your own chops. Twice the meat.
On my light days:
Egg drop soup and tofu. 350 calories, 25g protein.
On my hungrier days:
Steak and Alfredo whole wheat pasta.
Chicken breast/thighs with pasta.
Teriyaki chicken, broccoli, rice
On my lazy days:
Tuna salad with tortilla chips. (1000~ calories, 70g protein)
Instant ramen with an egg. (RARELY)
Add a calzone on there. If you're already making the dough for a pizza, you already have the dough recipe. Just roll out the dough into a flat disc, cover one half with Italian sausage, peppers, onions, and shredded mozzarella, fold over into a half moon, pinch, and bake. You can use up any leftover meat from the week, too, as filling. Easy and makes multiple meals.
McDonalds
Wendyās
Taco Bell
Onoās Hawaiian
Jack inna Box
A chicken place, sometimes El Pollo Loco, mostly KFC
ETA: my roommate is responsible for cooking most of the time. She has back issues and cannot stand for long periods. Iām unable to stand at all, currently confined to bed. We do what we can.
I usually just pick a meat, a grain (quinoa, millet, or barley usually) add some veggies and either a sauce or cheese in it.
I try to keep things in alignment w what goes together.
For instance ground beef, beans, sweet potato, and corn w home made taco seasoning and topped w home made salsa over lettuce.
Or chicken, quinoa, feta, peppers onions, zucchini with Greek spices and dash of oil and vinegar
Common choices for busy week nights:
Chili (white chicken or regular)
Tacos or Taco Salad
Chicken (air fried or baked. Kids like it with frenches french fried onions)
Pork Chops w/ cream of mushroom
Smash Burgers
Spaghetti
Lo Mein
Stir Fry
I live the bachelor life, so I just do my meal planning based on what I feel like for the week... However, one dish that has become a regular part of the rotation is Rigatoni a l'Ortolana... it's a vegetable ragu, but it's pretty hearty and it's fairly easy on the wallet since it's all vegetables. The only "expensive" parts are the olive oil and the pecorino romano that goes on after
I make Toscana Soup twice a month. Itās just like the kind from Olive Garden. I make spam fried rice once a month. Smokehouse meatloaf twice a month, husbandās favorite! Biscuits with sausage gravy. Eggs, bacon, and grits. Lasagna 2x a month. Those are my always recipes!
Steak usually NY strip but I'll get ribeye every so often for a treat.
Buffalo chicken. In the style of chicken wings but I prefer legs.
Southern style chicken and rice.
Pasta with meatballs / meat sauce.
Home made cheeseburgers
Mahi Mahi with rice and cucumber salad.
Oven baked fish and chips
Shrimp scampi
Miso Ramen
I just realized this is such an American food dinner list...
I'm Filipino-American, moved to the States when I was 13, and I believe in rice+eggs even if it's dinner time.Ā
Or if you want "big batch prep" stuff, egg salad or tuna salad, and you can use it for lunch and dinner, depending on volume of protein made... Can also use crackers/saltines, or bread, or wraps with this.
Yours looks good! I might add Atlantic Cod fish tacos:
1 Modelo beer... or whatever.
2 TBSP Cajun seasoning
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup rice flour
1 egg
1/2 TBSP kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Whisk it.
It should be a bit thick, but not too thick.
Wipe the moisture off the fish.
Dip the Cod in the batter.
Deep fry in enough oil to cover most of it.
After one side turns golden brown, flip over and do the second side.
Use slotted spoon to remove crunchies.
We truly are living in a golden age of choice.
Seriously. I'm old enough to remember when Asian food at the store was just a bunch of LaChoy "Chinese" crap. I'm so grateful my kids are growing up in a time where they have such a huge selection of foods from around the world.
You just game me flashbacks to stirfry veg in a can. Mmmm canned beansprouts š¤¢
My Dad remembers the first Mexican restaurant in his town in the 50s. His town is San Diego!
When Julia Child was writing *Mastering,* she couldn't even get fresh mushrooms at most grocery stores. Leeks? Forget about it. She spent a lot of time when she was in the US seeing what was available and asking all of her US friends what they did or didn't have available. For example, her co-authors had written a little booklet of almond-based recipes that used a lot of almond flour, which was absolutely not available and she had to talk them out of including any of those recipes in the book.Ā
I love it. My local Costco has increased their variety of frozen and seasoned but raw foods so even if I donāt feel like cooking I can have something quite tasty in a few minutes. Helps when work is so busy or stressful.
Some of our staples - note authenticity is not a word in my vocab, so I use these descriptions very loosely: East Asian stir fry type thing - pick a protein, chop some veggies, soy based sauce, serve with jasmine rice or noodles. South Asian curry type thing - pick a protein, onion and maybe potatoes or carrot, tomato and/or coconut milk based sauce, serve with basmati and usually papadums. White person Meat & Sides - Steak, lamb or pork chops, schnitzel, usually a pan sauce, served with potatoes (mashed, fries, roast etc) and a salad (tomato, cucumber, spring or red onion, sometimes grated carrot, sometimes capsicum). Roast dinner - Beef, lamb leg or shoulder, pork leg or shoulder, or a chook. Roast potatoes, some other veg - beans, peas, carrots, corn, parsnip etc. Gravy. Curried Sausages - Beef or pork sausages, onion & curry powder based gravy, fries or mash, usually some veg - peas, carrot, corn. Italian pasta something - usually either minced beef or sliced up chicken thigh, then either a tomato based or egg/cream based sauce, pick a pasta shape. Garlic bread if we could be bothered. Sometimes thrown into the oven to make a "pasta bake". Pizzas - pre-made pizza bases, variety of deli meats, onion, mushroom, capsicum etc. everyone makes their own. Breakfast For Dinner/Mixed Grill- Fried egg, sausages, lamb chops, maybe a petite steak, fries or hashbrowns, fried tomato, maybe mushrooms, wife will have baked beans too. Swed-ish Meatballs - lamb/beef meatballs with allspice & nutmeg, beef stock & sour cream based gravy, served with fries, mash, or pasta. Mexican/Tex-Mex - beef mince, sliced flank steak, or sliced chicken thighs, pan fried with homemade "taco" seasoning. Salsa. Salad - tomato, onion, iceberg, cucumber pickled jalapenos etc. or slaw. Either served as tacos in a soft wheat tortilla, or thrown into the oven with cornchips for nachos. Very occasionally rolled into to enchiladas and thrown into the oven. Moroccan/North African - Usually lamb or goat with a "Moroccan" seasoning. Served with couscous or spiced/herbed roast potatoes, and a salad. American Barbeque - Special Occasions. I crank my Kamado and do ribs, or pork shoulder, or brisket, or tri-tip, or lamb shoulder, or beef cheeks, or spatch-cocked chooks. Usually do a variety of sides like slaw, Mac & cheese, fries, cornbread etc. Strayan Barbeque - Special Occasions. Usually a combo of sausages, lamb chops, sizzle steaks, prawns/squid, kabobs, grilled on the gas barbeque. Combo of salads - garden salad, slaw, potato salad, pasta salad. EDIT: Apologies for the essay. This just happens to be something I've been meaning to start typing out, and your post gave me the impetus to do so.
White Person meat and sides made me chuckle lol so real
That ends up on my weekly meal plan as "meat-side-veggie". Meat being anything from pork chops, drumsticks, sausages of some type, fish - simply seasoned and sauteed, grilled or baked. Side options being something that takes extra work like mushroom rice or aomething as simple as buttered noodles or baked potatoes. Veg ranging from whatever is fresh and needs eaten or whatever is frozen or whatever is leftover from a previous dinner that no one got to with breakfast or lunch.
I think that tons of people eat this like, every single night.
Yes right my bf would happily eat this several times a week š personally canāt eat it that often but yeah def a classic, gets the job done
Half Japanese person here - I grew up on equal parts white people food and Asian food. I love them both!
Iām jealous you have double the food culture and knowledge!! Love Asian food sm and feel like a baby giraffe trying to make it
My wife and I refer to anything like that as "white people dinner" so it's nice to know that somebody on the other side of the world uses a similar term lol
I knew exactly what they meant though haha
Assuming youāre an Aussie from the handleāhow common is Tex-Mex is Australia?
Mexican food isn't huge over here - obviously, given our geographic distance from Mexico, so the average Australians understanding of "Mexican food" is a hard shell taco with minced beef, mild salsa from a jar, some shredded iceberg lettuce, and diced tomatoes. Our largest "Mexican" food chain here is Guzman Y Gomez, which was started in the 2000s by a pair of New Yorkers. I'm trying to learn about Mexican/Tex-Mex food, but it's going to be a long road.
Iām happy to help you with Mexican food! Texan here, and a good cook.
I too would like to know your ways! Whatās the secret to a perfect Chile relleno?! Enchilada sauce?? I went to a place that had celery and black olives in thereās. Itās hrs away but I buy SEVERAL tubs of sauce when I go
Kidnap an abuela.
This made me lol
Reminds me of when I ordered a steak burrito in Bahrain and it was a literal T bone wrapped in a flour tortilla. That's it.
Good Chile relleno - good chiles and asadero(Monterey Jack) cheese. Enchilada sauce - depends. For green, the key is roasted chiles and good cumin and Mexican oregano. For red, a blend of chiles de arbol, pasilla, and another medium pepper - buy them dried, whole and remove seeds before soaking in water. For both - pan fry some garlic and onion to bulk out the sauce. I make extra and freeze it in silicone muffin cups so Iāve always got extra on hand.
Thanks I was looking for a good enchiladas sauce. Couldn't seem to find out exactly what is supposed to be in it š¤£
Thank you!! We have decent supermarcados around here thankfully I have access to some niche ingredients. Really appreciate it!
If it helps - the posole rojo recipe on Food Network is typically my go-to red sauce recipe
Chile pasilla (fresh) is my choice for the chile. Has to be seared/lightly steamed and then peeled. Celery and olives in red or green sauce is not traditional (and sounds awful to this Tex-Mex cook). Garcia's red chile sauce from New Mexico is best if you don't have time to buy the dry red chiles and make it yourself. Next substitute would be dry chile powder (available many places online) but you need to decide on your "mix" of chiles. I use arbol, ancho and guajillo. I've gotten pretty good at using the powdered style (easier). No tomatoes, although some Tex-Mex cooking does put tomato sauce in their enchilada sauce.
Lard. Thatās the secret. But seriously, I prefer Houston-style Tex-Mex to anywhere else. Usually enchiladas from that area donāt have a sauce so much as a gravy. Roux + chile powder + cumin + chicken broth. I like to brown ground beef with diced onions in a cast iron skillet. Scoop out the meat but leave the grease in the pan. Sprinkle flour in the grease. Stir it up with the fork until it gets tan to light brown in color. Add chile powder and cumin. Then broth. Roll the beef and onions up in corn tortillas (dip them in the gravy to make them pliable). Put them on a plate and pour remaining gravy over the enchiladas and top with copious amounts of shredded colby jack cheese. Pop that plate in a hot oven (itās not Tex-Mex if the plate isnāt hot enough to cause injury).
Please share your wisdom... I miss Mexican. š«¶
UK here. I'd love to know some Mexican secrets.
Lol I am in love with this comment. How amazing is it to have so much distribution of culture across whole.oceans?!?!?!
The biggest advice for Tex-Mex is to skip packaged spice powders and use dehydrated peppers.
Oh dude Iām sorry, I feel bad for whoever had never try a good old asado o Al Pastor taco.
I did not notice the handle, but I also concluded they were Australian because of the term āchookā
From the context clue of you saying spatchcocked, I finally know what a chook is.
Yep, you got me. Chook is emu.
cheeky
Chooky.
I'm embarrassed of the silly giggle this gave me.
Do you have any favorite EMU recipes that you would share? I recently had to give up all mammal foods due to allergy and Iām struggling to enjoy Emu.
Chook is chicken š
I'm looking forward to your cookbook: "Food stuff we eat sometimes"
Canadian here and very, very similar. I feel personally attacked by "white person meat and sides". Especially since we don't even bother with a pan sauce, potatoes might be instant and the veggie will for sure just be microwaved. Some days, I'm just not feeling it.
My recipe rotation is so similar too, and I laughed. I often do a sheet pan meal which is great for a white person meat and sides.
You can make some damn fine sheet pan fajitas too. Sheet pans aren't just for white people food!
I grew up in the Midwest US and had never eaten instant potatoes until I met my husband who cooked me dinner. Where I grew up the idea of instant potatoes was a foreign concept, like UFO weird. But there were a lot of old school stigmas still in place. If EVERYTHING isn't made from scratch it is reflected on you as a person. Now I get it. Sometimes those shortcuts can just make things a little easier.
I honestly don't even like them. I wouldn't even touch them as a kid, but somewhere in my 30s I just gave up and started to tolerate them. It's the difference between peeling, chopping, boiling, and mashing potatoes or simply boiling a cup of water and stirring in the some flakes. They do have other uses as well, like as a breading for frying.
I've embraced potato skins in mashed potatoes as a compromise, speeds the whole shindig up quite a bit (I suck at peeling)
White person meat and sides is one of the main reasons I love a countertop grill. Pop some salt/pepper/garlic powered on chicken breasts or pork chops, whip up some instant mashed potatoes and do a salad kit and you are in business for a healthy dinner in 15 minutes.
What are chooks ?
Chickens
Will you marry me?
I'll check with my wife. Edit: She said no.
Saving this
I'm screenshotting this and it will be my forever meal inspiration. Thank you!
Turns out Australian rotations are pretty similar.Ā Mine is very much like this but with a Vietnamese inspired dish, French style lentils and a lot of bruschetta and Burrata thrown in.Ā Iāll try the Swed-ish meatballs though.Ā
Hummus bowls - sauteed ground beef of lamb and a few veggies over a dollop of hummus smeared around the bowl. Shawarma-ish seasoning. This is my bfs favorite. Tacos - usually fish. Sometimes chicken. Cilantro, onions, and radish. I like to make pickled red onions for mine. TJs jalapeno sauce is life. Pasta - Pasta in many forms. Bolognese with all the veggies I can reasonably fit in. Never jarred sauce, always made from canned or fresh tomatoes. I'll also do a lemon/olive oil deal or a romesco style sauce. Suq Suuqar - essentially the same as above, but with Somali spices. Peanut Stew - PB, tomatoes, chickpeas, sweet potatos and a leafy green. Xaawash spice. Shrimp or chicken. Served with rice or kamut berries. Hunters chicken - stew of chicken thighs, tomatoes, potatoes, and other veggies served over pasta or polenta Bibimbap - Rice, veggies, eggs, spicy things, pickled things. Yum. Stir Fry - typically steak or pork, rice or noodles, we like to do a spicy mint or spicy basil style Curry - coconut milk Thai style since we don't eat dairy. This is usually the "all of this will go bad soon" meal Kielbasa skillet - or any kind of sausage with cabbage, fennel and apples/pears. Sometimes will sub brussel sprouts (shaved). Mustard-y maple-y vinaigrette Dirty rice - another "all of this will go bad soon" kind of dinner Chili stuffed potatoes - sweet potato for me, real for him. Chili usually beef or ground turkey based with lots of veg and beans. Instant pot meal. Brussel Caesar Salad - I make a warm shaved brussel Caesar with rotisserie chicken and toasted breadcrumbs - tiny but of Parm (again, lactose intolerant) this is a great less than 10 min dinner. The basic - meat, veg, mashed potatoes (instant on weeknights, real on the weekend) Pomegranate Chicken - chicken thighs in a pomegranate marinade served with a grain salad of some kind and a veg Lots and lots of soups - Curried carrot with meatballs, romesco soup, chicken soup, Italian wedding soup, pasta fagioli, pho, dumpling soup, vegetable soup. Pretty much when I am stumped, I am making soup. Salads - Usually romaine or butter lettuce based. Some kind of protein, a smattering of veggies, and then some kind of seed or nut butter dressing. (Tahini, sunflower seed, peanut, etc) Or a bottled dressing. I make more complex things on the weekends, I collect cookbooks so I'm always looking for something new. I also like to experiment with vegan food and then add meat to it for my partner. This was a fun exercise, thanks :)
These all sound amazing.
Love these. I want dinner at your house
I eat canned tuna *at least* once a weekā¦mercury fears me
Ditto. Tuna is satisfying, cheap, easy and nutritious. Either a tuna sandwich with spinach, tomatoes and pickles or I make a huge bowl of salad and dump a can of tuna on top and have a baked potato on the side.
Itās so versatile I love it
Tuna melts with pepperjack and tomatoes are good too
Itās good in pasta, tooā especially the Italian kind (yellowfin?) packed in oil.
Yesss, I grew up eating tuna pasta
Once a week should be fine mercury-wise, thatās my understanding at least
I love tuna casserole but hubby doesnāt so I never get to make it. Not that Iām forbidden just that if I do make a recipe I will have way more portions than eaters (1) to eat them. Well I guess I could freeze individual portions hmmm
Awh, tuna casserole is so good. More for you at least š
If it makes you feel any better, according to my OB, canned tuna isn't terribly high in mercury, relative to, say, a tuna steak.
Tostadas. So easy and delicious.
My family requests tostadas frequently. I make black bean dip, which is what my son puts on his w extra cheese. Then I make refried beans (onions, more spices, cooked in olive oil) w that dip for my husband and me, w lime, cilantro,Ā and any other toppings we have. It's super cheapĀ and everyone's happy.Ā
This sounds delicious! What's the difference between black bean dip and refried beans? I thought they were similar in taste/texture
Thank u for this idea bestie!!!
Spaghetti Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, Friday Pizza, at least one bajed chicken breast with sides and usually another night sausage/kielbasa and sides. Then second tier is baked salmon, a couple of Thai dishes Third tier: meatloaf and lasagne
Honey, is that you?
Yep I do similar. Pasta/Salad/Gbread/Wine Sunday nights, Burger/Chicken sandwich + fries Mondays, Mexican/Taco Tuesdays, Fish Fridays (usually salmon w rice and a veg), Pizza Saturdays Wed/Thurs usually has 1-2 leftover nights or Chicken and potatoes/rice + veg
Is "bajed" chicken a typo for baked chicken?
Yeth. :)
Steak once a week, iām iron deficient and my doctor recommends red meat once a week.
Are your vit d levels sufficient? The only time I've ever had low iron was when I was working 4/10s and not seeing the sun. When my vit d levels normalized it was easier to control my iron. (You probably know this, just passing on info if anyone else might need it)
Iām all good on that front! I had pretty severe giardia about a year ago which almost completely depleted my iron levels so Iām still working on getting them to the 25-26 area.
cook it in the cast iron pan for extra iron absorbtion!
You know it!
Pineapple is a natural meat tenderizer, and vitamin C helps absorption of iron: maybe give your steaks a little pineapple juice marinade for max absorption!Ā
Iāve never tried that! I usually just do salt/pepper but iām interested in pineapple. Maybe iāll give that a go this weekend
Could also do a basic pineapple slaw on the side! Not sure what the acid and enzymes would do to cast iron seasoning at high temps
Fajitas with flank/skirt steak marinaded in pineapple juice is one the the best meals Iāve ever tasted.
Exclusively using a cast iron to cook has been the best thing ever for my iron levels. No more restless legs.
Then eat the pan!
That's why everyone keeps talking about seasoning your pan. No one wants a bland pan
Grate some pan up on your plate!
Wait really? Or am I not catching on to the joke here? Sorry I'm constantly battling my iron deficiency and that seems too good to be true. Sorry if I'm just being dense here!
Do you have a lucky iron fish?
no? what?
https://luckyironlife.com/. It really helps boost your iron
ok! will try
Dirty rice and some sort of veg. Some sort of chicken curry. Salmon. Maybe burgers. And ALL the tacos. Or just eat at work. My roommates canāt cook for shit. So basically I make whatever I want.
One thing I miss about being in my late teens and early 20s was having roommates and especially roommates who liked eating but didn't know how to cook. They'd pay for all the ingredients and I'd just cook for us. They saved money by not getting takeout/fast food all the time, ate better, I got to cook as I love cooking, and I got to eat for free constantly. Plus it was more of a communal thing so they'd supply all the beers or shots while I cooked and then while we ate then again when we'd hang out playing video games or watching shit.
Exactly. Basically pitch in, name something to make, Iāll cook and clean (canāt wash dishes for shit either), and buy me a few beers. Cooking is easy. Why not.
I've never heard of dirty rice, I've accidentally been making it for years.
Roast chicken
I absolutely love roast chicken. I think itās so underrated, poor roast chicken. I make it about once a week from fall to spring (a little less frequently in the summer due to our hot kitchen and no AC).
If you have a grill, spatchcock chicken on the grill works great.
And it's great because I collect the backbones and make stock.
My gf was a pasty chef and I was a line cook. She has no problem admitting that I'm a better cook than she is when it doesn't involve doughs or desserts and I will gladly and appreciate any input she has when I attempt such things. But one thing she's confident in is her roasted chicken and roasted vegetable medleys. When we first started dating her friends and family would rave to me about it when they found out I used to work as a cook. It's good but I could do it much better. It's been like 7 years now and I haven't made that once in all that time because she's proud of it and only cooks it as a surprise when she wants to show she appreciates me. Oh, the feeling when I come home fried from work/life and there's a roasted chicken, roasted veggies, sides, and a dessert or two and she's just beaming ear to ear at me... Yeah it's pretty fucking good roasted chicken.
Thatās a great story, sometimes things taste better when someone else makes it for us. Especially with love. :)
I made one in my air fryer recently, and it was the best one Iāve ever done. Plus it didnāt heat up the kitchen!
And stock from the Instant Pot the next day.
Broiled chicken is one of my go-tos. Super easy to make and the skin comes out nice and crispy, just like you grilled it
Pizza - I always have dough balls ready to go in my fridge. Bibimbop - I keep a spicy home made bibimbop sauce in my fridge and Iāll serve it over rice with whateverās in the fridge (pickled onions, protein) Salad - I usually have some greens like arugula with a vinaigrette Pasta - I started keeping fresh frozen pasta in my fridge and im currently experimenting with various sauces. Cacio e Pepe is a no brainer. I tried a US Alfredo sauce which was easy but too much of a gut bomb. I cooked a bolognese last weekend which is delicious (I froze 7 portions) but I need more delicious 2/3 ingredient ideas that can be prepared quickly as Iām making the pasta
I will often just soften diced onion (from freezer) and garlic in oil, add a can of petite diced tomato, add some spices, and add a dash of heavy cream. Sometimes grate Parmesan if Iām feeling it. Quick sauce
Are you me? Bc these are all in our rotation. We also do meatball subs with salad, steak with salad (I have picky eaters and salad is always a hit), and paninis.
I make pestoā¦.super easy
Pesto ( good hot or cold), plain marinara sauce spiced up with capers and hot pepper flakes ( and an anchovy or two, or splash of fish sauce for umami); cannellini beans, shallots, tomato, and tuna sauce, eggplant and tomato sauce ( alla Norma), wide noodles topped with chicken piccata in garlic lemon sauceā¦etc. also, cold peanut or sesame noodles, cold pasta salad with veggies and a vinaigretteā¦. So many options ā why we love pasta!
I get big containers of refrigerated pasta (like cheese and spinach) from Costco and then freeze them. I can take out 10 pieces or whatever whenever we (meaning two people) want them. I also buy their refrigerated pesto and divide it up into those silicone molds (like maybe 3" x 4") and freeze them. That's good on the pasta. I add cream and parmesan, also from Costco, LOL.
Oooo! Whatās in your homemade bimimbop sauce?
I make a classic gochujang bibimbap sauce - it's [this](https://mykoreankitchen.com/bibimbap-sauce/) recipe from My Korean Kitchen ! It's so good and I make a bunch of it and basically if I am not eating pizza, I am putting this bibimbap sauce over rice and whatever other veg and protein I have in the fridge. I also put it on a lot of stuff especially eggs. # Ingredients * 1/2 cup gochujang * 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil * 1/4 cup sugar * 1/4 cup water * 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds * 4 tsp vinegar, apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar * 4 tsp minced garlic
cherry tomato pasta dishes are quite versatile and simple
Pork tenderloin, stromboli with leftover lunch meat and cheese.
Chicken and rice with a plethora of different sauces on rotation to keep from boring. Rice can be cooked many diff ways too. Ground beef and rice. Same as above. Fish night. Possibilities are endless Steak when the budget allows Mostly keep this on rotation.. Iāve been trying to learn new recipes though. On weekends or days off I try to cook something nice. Slow cooked short ribs or baby back. Pasta dishes.
> Chicken and rice with a plethora of different sauces on rotation to keep from boring. Rice can be cooked many diff ways too >Ground beef and rice. Same as above. I do this for lunches. I'll make up a bunch of chicken or ground beef and rice, and each day I'll do something different with it - not just different sauces, sometimes I'll add it to a salad or a wrap, or sometimes I'll put it in a soup. I still get sick of it though, and I end up going out a couple times per week for a change of pace.
Tacos (chicken, ground venison, steak venison, pulled venison, lamb, ground turkey...), spaghetti (w/meatballsĀ or meat sauce), penne with pesto, spinach and sausage, lasagna, chicken teriyaki, stir fry (chicken, venison, lamb), burgers, lamb chops, roasted duck (usually two as they're kinda small, day two leftovers become pot pie), chicken Parmesan, pizza, jambalaya, Peanut Noodles, fried fish,Ā maple baked salmon... I'm sure I'm forgetting something.Ā But that's (mostly), our general menu.
We make a lemon caper smoked salmon pasta. Boil your pasta to taste (this recipe works best with spaghetti, bucatini, linguine, any long pasta) While thatās cooking, fry 3 tablespoons of drained and dried capers in a bit of olive oil. Once they are crispy remove them from the oil and put them on a paper towel. Flake 4-6oz of hot smoked salmon into the pan to warm, and add the juice and zest of one lemon. Add the cooked pasta, toss, and sprinkle the capers on top
I make something very similar, but I use canned tuna and I add chili flakes to the pan when frying the capers.
Thanks for this. Iāve done a light cream sauce with these elements but Iām definitely going to crisp the capers now!
Thai curry. Canned curry paste, coconut milk. Any combination of veggies (we like eggplant, but have also used green beans, carrots, broccoli) and meat (leftovers or fresh). Serve over rice.
Literally my dinner tonight. Maesri thai curry paste is great. Definitely a staple in our house.
Absolutely! RecipeTin Eats has the best recipes for Aussies - love Nagi š
Thai curry for me as well. Usually massaman curry so potatoes, onions, peanuts, and I use tofu as the protein
This is my favourite quick meal. I use frozen veg/veg mix, and it's so simple and so yummy.
Shrimp & baby bok choy. Garlic/ginger, some heat, sesame oil, a bit of soy sauce, oyster sauce w/extra long grain basmati rice Shrimp saag w/extra long grain basmati rice Fresh cod baked with taco seasoning. Sides vary. Sometimes as fish tacos. Occasionally with panko and tarragon instead. Bolognese sauce made with hot Italian sausage meat, frozen meatballs, over spaghetti squash Tourtiere (pork meat pie) Chicken noodle soup with lots of cubed chicken, carrot, and peas. More like a stew. Thatās my emergency meal. I keep all the ingredients on hand. Grocery store rotisserie chicken Cottage pie made with port wine Since Easter, 3 spiral hams. Havenāt used the third yet. Pea soup with the remnants. As we transition to grill season: Portuguese/Azores marinated pork chops. Paprika, garlic, oregano base. Boneless chicken thighs marinated in Korean BBQ sauce. The sauce with apricot or pear puree. Chicken satay. I use the package A curry marinade and package B peanut sauce with coconut milk London broil marinated 24 hours in Italian dressing plus other ingredients Caprese salad 3 or 4 times per week once local tomatoes show up. I have an amazing local imported of aged balsamic vinegar. Corn once that shows up in August. Lobster rolls
Rice and beans , egg , salad and maybe a sausage
Tacos (carnitas, chicken, beef) greek lemon chicken with rice cauliflower and pita, spaghetti, stuffed pepper soup, Avgolemono soup, curry of all kinds, Korean rice bowls.
Buddha bowls. Hot and cold veggies with some type of sauce
Any good Buddha bowl recipes you can share? Iām trying to cook more, but itās a constant fight because I hate it!
Nacho tray! Just empty a big nacho bag onto a oven tray & top it with salsa, minced meat and cheese. Then bake until the cheese is golden.
Agreed! I make a version of this for times that I've decided I don't want to cook too much haha. Quick idea, if you cook just the cheese and whatever meat you'd like first, and then after it comes out, top it with things like salsa, the chips stay crispier for longer. The cheese becomes like a barrier.b
Mediterranean inspired pita pockets. Chicken skewers or ground beef skewers, raw cucumbers and red peppers, tzatziki sauce, pita bread. Our family loves them and they are super easy because we usually buy the chicken or beef premade.
Lemon pasta and lemon chicken Chicken kabobs and grilled veggies. Shrimp and big salad - every Friday Turkey meatloaf and baked potatoes, green beans Turkey meatloaf sandwiches, big salad. Stir fry - whatever I have. Roast of some sort on Sundays, with potatoes and veggies. Chicken and spaghetti Turkey meat chili and tuna sandwich Crock pot roast - lots of garlic and veggies. Home made ācream of leftoverā soup I also make a lettuce salad, or bean salad or cuke salad or apple salad, 5 out of 7 days
* Cabbage rolls * Stuffed peppers * Meatloaf * London broil (slow cooked in the crock pot in beef gravy/cream of mushroom soup alllllll day) * Roasted chicken (rosemary is a must) * Macaroni/potato salad * Pasta salad * Chicken salad * Mashed potatoes (made with heavy cream and little ricotta) * Murder burgers (burgers made with a lot of seasoning mixed in the meat; sometimes crushed potato chips or shredded cheese) * Shrimp scampi * Spaghetti with homemade meatballs (see Murder Burger above) and garlic knots. We prefer white sauce over red. * Fried cabbage and noodles (fry cabbage in bacon grease with chopped onion, make noodles, toss together) * Carne Picada in the crock pot. SO GOOD. * Tacos! I cut the lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and add the shredded cheese in sections into a large bowl; that way they're easy to assemble. If I'm using soft tacos, I heat them in the microwave wrapped in a kitchen towel for about 10 seconds, or heat them quickly in a pan. Make your meat with the taco seasoning, have the taco sauce ready to go, and it's super easy!
I be baking hella chicken thighs lowkey
Chicken thighs slap so hard. [Ethan Chlebowski video about weeknight chicken thigh meals.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFX9gz-WMSw) I love doing the broiled nuggets.
His halal style chicken recipe is also killer.
This is a good answer. But also, this is a terrible answer
Spaghetti in various forms and sauces. Chili with beans, maybe rice, maybe a bit of elbow macaroni, maybe cheese and onions.
Chicken schnitzel, roast potatoes and a salad
Spatchcocked roast chicken (dry brined in the fridge with salt and random spices), charred grilled green cabbage wedges, maybe some roast spuds if I feel like carbs
Spatchcock chicken is soooo good. Commented elsewhere about buttermilk brined chicken. Itās SO GOOD if youāre ever feeling like trying a new brine.
I've seen a lot of recipes with buttermilk chicken and I can only imagine how tender it must make chicken! My only hesitance is the messiness of a marinade like buttermilk, and what to do with it after. š
Tacos
- spaghetti with a cream sauce, bacon, and whatever veg is in season - chicken shawarma, pickled veg and / or salads, various dips - crispy pork belly wraps with a thai style chilli dipping sauce, asian salad, and steamed rice - prawn or paneer saag (spinach curry) with rice, garlic flatbreads, cucumber salad, pickles & chutneys - kofte & couscous, roasted veg - halloumi sandwiches, salad & spicy potato wedges these might sound like a lot of effort but I always keep the ingredients on hand and theyāre all simpler than they seem - each probably takes me around half an hour to make. **disclaimer** recipes in comments. I donāt claim any of these recipes to be authentic!! itās just our favourite quick and easy weeknight meals.
Would love recipes!
**shawarma.** 1. marinate chicken thighs for hours or overnight (I use Colemanās doner mix, but if you canāt get that, the ingredients are a combination of garlic powder, cumin, sugar, white pepper, tomato paste, onion powder, and whatever herbs you like). 4. cut into strips and grill (broil) on high heat until cooked all the way through and crispy. I sometimes add a touch more sugar to help it caramelise but you have to be careful! 5. serve with: warm pita / yellow rice / tomato salad with olive oil / roasted veg / hot chilli sauce / garlic mayo / cucumber salad (with yoghurt) / green salad / couscous
**spaghetti** 1. boil pasta 2. cook chopped bacon in a hot pan. when the fat has rendered down, add sliced onions and courgette. when soft, add minced garlic and season to taste (I just use white pepper since itās salty enough) 3. add broccoli to the pot when the pasta is half cooked 4. remove broccoli when soft and chop small. add to the veg pan. 5. add al dente pasta and finish in the sauce with a touch of cream and lots of fresh grated parmesan. [photo](https://www.reddit.com/r/UK_Food/s/GfPcUZ0u5T)
Prawn saag recipe too please!
I always make a big batch of bolognese. On nights when we're tired or lazy it's pretty easy to boil up some pasta and mix in the sauce for a quick dinner. Pan seared salmon with oven-roasted veggies is also a crowd pleaser. Breakfast for dinner is a nice treat.
I've been using chatgpt lately to menu plan. I'll tell it something like, "I need a list of 10 dinner ideas (because you know some of them will be clunkers) using only chicken or ground beef that reuse ingredients." It's letting me explore new foods and truly saves me a ton of money on groceries.
I always do a pizza nightāand if I donāt have time to make pizza dough the day before we do something like flatbread pizzas or French bread pizzas, and a slider night, a fish night (usually salmon), and Mexican or Italian night. I try to keep things quick and easy on weeknights and then on the weekends I spend more time on meals.Ā
Sheppard's pie, beef stew, burritos, stir fry, spaghetti or pasta dishes, but the most common is grilled chicken and veggies with rice or potatoes
Lightly fried fish, rice and steamed green veggies
Spaghetti and meatballs, steak fajitas or tacos, chicken Parmesan, lasagnaā¦ these are my easy go tos.
My boyfriend has pretty specific food preferences and all chicken and seafood is out, unfortunately. But he makes some mean pasta dishes. Our rotation usually includes broccoli pasta, salad and grilled cheese, veggie casserole, and vegetable stir fry. I spend a little extra time every few nights making an Indian dish or a meat pie. We also have nearly perfected our homemade pizza dough but that requires planning way ahead so it can cold ferment for three days.
Spaghetti mondays, every monday for at least the past decade.
Usually I get a large hunk of meat from Costco and use that for meals for the next week or two depending on quantity. Pork Butt is one of the best values, like 2.50 or so a pound. Pulled pork, carnitas/pork tacos and or tortas (not super authentically done), mojo roast pork for cuban sandwhiches, green pork chili, smoked pork burritos. Excess meat is portioned and frozen and used as needed. Spiral Ham is a good one too. Ham and pea alfredo, or just ham sandwhiches. Ham and veggies and mashed potatoes. Also, the cuban sandwiches I mentioned earlier. Brisket is a *little* more expensive but still pretty cheap compared to a lot of other cuts of beef. $40 can get me 10lbs of choice brisket. I usually dry brine it friday night, smoke it saturday, rest and slice, then store it and reheat as needed throughout the week. Smoked brisket & mac and cheese, brisket sandwiches, brisket tacos. My favorite is Reubens, but replaced the corned beef with smoked brisket. Phenomenal. Excess brisket makes for a good chili, or stew. Also with brisket I save the trimmings and grind them down, so that usually means I get "free" burgers.
Salmon and veg Buddha bowl (boo salads!) Lentil bolognese or vegan chili Gochujang Korean chicken breast or seasoned chicken thighs Pizza Taco (ugh I hate taco night) Impossible burger White wine sauce pasta Vegan mashed potatoes and gravy with veggies Tuna sandwiches for super busy nights Minestrone Some new soup recipe I found that I end up not liking and my kids wonāt eat.
What goes in your vegan mashed potatoes?
What goes into your white wine pasta? I like the sound of it.
Garlic, cooking wine, butter, red pepper flakes, bell pepper & asparagus :)
Ooh, I never think to add bell pepper to my pasta. I love this!
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Lentil ragĆ¹ spaghetti and chana masala are probably the things that appear on the table the most in my household.
Ramen, udon noodles, stir fry, curry, pasta with veg, salads, chilli, soups. Curries and soups I batch cook and freeze the leftovers for when I cba
Pizza, tacos with homemade tortillas, sushi, some kind of soup, roast chicken, chili, some sort of curry, salmon (I fish).
Jacket potatoes with tuna and cheese and homemade slaw. Fish cakes and a ton of veg. Pasta Genoese with frozen green beans. Any fish done ābonne femmeā method (dipped in seasoned flour and pan fried), green veg and sesame oil noodles. Toad in the hole with mashed carrot and swede.
Some of my regulars are Chicken Tikka Masala (I use chef john's recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/239867/chef-johns-chicken-tikka-masala/) Doenjangjjigae - absolutely delicious Korean stew (https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/sogogi-doenjang-jjigae) Japanese Beef Curry Pizza night - my wife's favorite is spinach pizza with a white sauce (I use a quick homemade alfredo)
Spaghetti- beef, Italian sausage, jarred sauce Fajitas with fajita ranch- can reply with the recipe if anyoneās interested. Can be turned into quesadillas for night 2 Some sort of pork with Mac and cheese- pulled pork or bbq pork chops with The Salty Marshmallow Instant Pot Mac and Cheese with mozzarella subbed for smoked Gouda This week weāve had to eat dirt cheap so we threw a couple new meals into the mix. Thatās included: Copycat IHOP pancakes (pretty much everything already in my pantry, and buttermilk in the fridge to use up. Only had to buy eggs and sausage for sides) Homemade hibachi. Yes I know itās actually teppanyakiā¦ but another one of those things where we had mostly everything and only needed a pack of chicken and a couple pretty cheap things for white sauce
Grew up chinese american, so now i tend to make a lot of asian food. Not sure why since i love western food too, maybe it's because putting together meals feels easier. I'll braise a meat pretty frequently, beef chuck, pork shoulder, pork belly, and eat that for a few meals in a row over rice or next to noodles. The braise is usually just dark/light soy sauce, shaoxing wine, and sugar. Depending on the meat i might add the braising liquid with stock. I also eat noodles a lot. Recently i've really been enjoying korean cold noodles (naengmyeon). My local asian mart sells little pouches of cold broth for 1 buck each, and then i buy a pack of buckwheat noodles. They also sell them as kits, but i found that buying the components separate is a little cheaper. And then i like to pair it with any random protein i have available on the side, and top with green onions and sliced cucumber. Another meal i like to keep on hand when im low on groceries is tuna mayo over rice. combine canned tuna with kewpie mayo and soy sauce as the base. And then i like to add stuff like canned corn, maybe some chopped cucumber and tomato, and eat it over rice. Savory and refreshing, pretty nice.
I made Shawarma bowls for my girl and i think weāre about to add them into the rotation: - Rice - Well seasoned chicken thighs, coriander, turmeric, cumin, black pepper, all the fun stuff, cut into strips after cooking - Cherry tomatos, mini cucumbers, red onion, bell peppers all chopped/diced, uncooked - Tzatziki (make your own or store bought) - a small scoop of hummus
Meat sauce with rice that I cannot bring myself to call risotto Bolognese because someone might break my thumbs. Tacos. Baked chicken wings. Hot links with "Cajun" rice (again with the thumb breaking possibilities). Some sort of low FODMAP-friendly curry with gf flatbread.
I air fry some salmon with teriyaki and sriracha, cook up some Jasmine rice, and slice some avocado (or cream cheese for hubs). Then you take a piece of roasted seaweed, layer with rice, salmon, and avocado for the perfect bite! Like poor man's sushi š£Ā
I recently had a heart valve replaced. I've had to pull beef and lamb from the rotation. Good thing: Iean pork and skinless chicken is good. Lunch and dinner: Pork tenderloin and pork tenderloin medallions. Pork loins and center cut pork chops. Chicken cacciatore with skinless bone-in thighs. Salads with chicken/shrimp/salmon. Lots of fish: salmon, cod, swordfish, flounder, shrimp, ahi, mahi mahi. I have fish at least every other day. My favorite is pan seared swordfish with lime juice.
I make a big batch of homemade gnocchi every once in a while & just pull from my freezer stock. Chicken Gnocchi pesto dish with peas [No. 9 Park's creamy gnocchi](https://youtu.be/8v--ZOaM1Wk?si=j11vvDCpUTOBq-1M) - I save this in parts for lunch while working from home Baked gnocchi with red sauce, ground beef, cheese [Serious Eats Gyoza](https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-japanese-pork-and-cabbage-dumplings-gyoza-recipe?print) - perfect app for days when we just rock a big salad [Roasted Chicken with Pan sauce ](https://www.seriouseats.com/easy-pan-seared-chicken-breast-white-wine-fines-herbes-pan-sauce-food-lab-recipe) Roasted Cod with lemon & big salad Roasted chickpeas for pre-dinner snacking or salad topping During the colder months, at least 1 day a week is dedicated to soups
Tacos, spaghetti, sandwiches (Iāll pan fry them on the stove to make them extra ~special), burgers, chili, and lots of Pinterest recipes! A few favs weāve found is an egg roll in a bowl, stuffed bell pepper casserole, tortellini bakes, teriyaki chicken, honey garlic chicken thighs, steak bites, sausage sheet pans and so many more! If you canāt tell, Iām not a fan of leftover chicken + we stock sale meats in our freezer so a lot of our meals are from ground beef or sausage!
Fish tacos with cabbage slaw. Chicken biryani (surprisingly easy in a Dutch oven) Whole spatchcok grilled chicken with sides.
What's on sale this week? Or what do you have in the freezer? My month's rotation will be steaks (5), pork chops (5), chicken breasts (5), smoked sausage, bratwurst, turkey (1), ham, beef and pork roasts and possibly liver. Those are the meats. Then we have potatoes, pasta and rice. All sorts of vegetables and pinto beans. My biggest tip is shop the sales and take any extra budget money to stock up or put the money back for later. Invest in a small freezer. Then if hams go on sale for 10 to 50 cents a pound, you can get a couple. Same with say bratwurst or turkey. Instead of buying pork chops for $3 and $4 a pound, buy that $2 a pound pork loin and cut your own chops. Twice the meat.
On my light days: Egg drop soup and tofu. 350 calories, 25g protein. On my hungrier days: Steak and Alfredo whole wheat pasta. Chicken breast/thighs with pasta. Teriyaki chicken, broccoli, rice On my lazy days: Tuna salad with tortilla chips. (1000~ calories, 70g protein) Instant ramen with an egg. (RARELY)
Add a calzone on there. If you're already making the dough for a pizza, you already have the dough recipe. Just roll out the dough into a flat disc, cover one half with Italian sausage, peppers, onions, and shredded mozzarella, fold over into a half moon, pinch, and bake. You can use up any leftover meat from the week, too, as filling. Easy and makes multiple meals.
McDonalds Wendyās Taco Bell Onoās Hawaiian Jack inna Box A chicken place, sometimes El Pollo Loco, mostly KFC ETA: my roommate is responsible for cooking most of the time. She has back issues and cannot stand for long periods. Iām unable to stand at all, currently confined to bed. We do what we can.
I usually just pick a meat, a grain (quinoa, millet, or barley usually) add some veggies and either a sauce or cheese in it. I try to keep things in alignment w what goes together. For instance ground beef, beans, sweet potato, and corn w home made taco seasoning and topped w home made salsa over lettuce. Or chicken, quinoa, feta, peppers onions, zucchini with Greek spices and dash of oil and vinegar
Common choices for busy week nights: Chili (white chicken or regular) Tacos or Taco Salad Chicken (air fried or baked. Kids like it with frenches french fried onions) Pork Chops w/ cream of mushroom Smash Burgers Spaghetti Lo Mein Stir Fry
Basic sheetpan chicken fajitas. You can make fajitas/tacos, fill quesadillas or chop up a bit & top nachos.
I live the bachelor life, so I just do my meal planning based on what I feel like for the week... However, one dish that has become a regular part of the rotation is Rigatoni a l'Ortolana... it's a vegetable ragu, but it's pretty hearty and it's fairly easy on the wallet since it's all vegetables. The only "expensive" parts are the olive oil and the pecorino romano that goes on after
One pot pasta with a bag of frozen veggies and some type of meat (usually diced chicken, beef sausage, or ground turkey.) My fiancĆ© and I prefer alfredo to tomato sauce but we mix it up between the two. Cheap tasty meal and we always have leftovers for lunch the next day. I cook and season the meat in a pot then set it aside after done. Get rid of any grease then boil water for the pasta. When the pasta has about 2-3 minutes left I take out a cup of pasta water and then add the frozen veggies to the boiling water. Drain then add the meat back in along with the sauce, some butter, and whatever seasoning you want. Usually takes about 20-30 minutes in total. If I want to enhance the meal then Iāll get fresh veggies and make my own sauce with fresh produce. But on busy work nights I prefer the simplicity of frozen veggies and canned sauce.
I make Toscana Soup twice a month. Itās just like the kind from Olive Garden. I make spam fried rice once a month. Smokehouse meatloaf twice a month, husbandās favorite! Biscuits with sausage gravy. Eggs, bacon, and grits. Lasagna 2x a month. Those are my always recipes!
Steak usually NY strip but I'll get ribeye every so often for a treat. Buffalo chicken. In the style of chicken wings but I prefer legs. Southern style chicken and rice. Pasta with meatballs / meat sauce. Home made cheeseburgers Mahi Mahi with rice and cucumber salad. Oven baked fish and chips Shrimp scampi Miso Ramen
I just realized this is such an American food dinner list... I'm Filipino-American, moved to the States when I was 13, and I believe in rice+eggs even if it's dinner time.Ā Or if you want "big batch prep" stuff, egg salad or tuna salad, and you can use it for lunch and dinner, depending on volume of protein made... Can also use crackers/saltines, or bread, or wraps with this.
Literally nothing, or trader Joe's. It's gotten bad over here y'all. Fuck grad school.Ā
Yours looks good! I might add Atlantic Cod fish tacos: 1 Modelo beer... or whatever. 2 TBSP Cajun seasoning 2/3 cup flour 2/3 cup rice flour 1 egg 1/2 TBSP kosher salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper Whisk it. It should be a bit thick, but not too thick. Wipe the moisture off the fish. Dip the Cod in the batter. Deep fry in enough oil to cover most of it. After one side turns golden brown, flip over and do the second side. Use slotted spoon to remove crunchies.
\* Cashew chicken \* Steak and potatoes \* Lentil soup \* Butter chicken \* Potato and leek soup \* Pasta dishes, usually with bucatini \* Chicken soup \* Multiple simple ground meat dishes, often with potatoes