Simple meals

[Mamatoto]

Do you eat simply or do you make large meals?

I really want to simplify my grocery shopping and meal preparation. I need some ideas. Things like brown rice and beans are simple but I don't think my family wants that every night! :) I guess salads are simple, sweet potatoes in the crockpot...what are some of your favorites?

[gabriola]

I have recently been researching freezer cooking and have made a few of the meals....it is really awesome. It takes some organization if you want to do a months worth of meals in one day...but I have even just made 2 or 3 and that is enough to feed us for a long while. You didn't say whether you were vegan or vegitarian or not but it is adaptable to which ever lifestyle you lead. It means shopping less, less packaging, less handling of food, and less time in the kitchen in the long run. I have 2 crockpots ...one big and one small. They are a lifesaver as you can cook 2 meals at once and you don't have to do anything. Then I can make a more detailed recipe that it more hands on so to speak. My success stories have been Mexican shredded chicken (to be served in tortillas or whatever), Italian chicken, and chicken in a pot. Soups are easily done in the crockpot as well and freeze well. These recipes can be found at www.30daygourmet.com (some recipes are free others require membership) or in the freezer cooking manual that you can find on their site. I believe also...and I am going to look for this cook book...that there is a book called 5 ingredients or less....I think that sounds appealing and easy. Let me know exactly what you mean by "eat simply" and I may be able to provide recipes to you. I wasn't sure if you meant simple basic ingredients that are not manipulated (raw foods) or simple in preparation and time input.

[Mamatoto]

I think I meant more like simple healthy ingredients that don't have a whole lot done to them. But simple in preparation is always good, too. ;)

Tonight we had cage-free eggs and homemade ww waffles. That was soooo simple. Last night we had homemade veggie alphabet soup and homemade banana bread. Yummy!

Things that don't take a whole lot of thought and ingredients is really good for my brain right now. :idea

[MidnightCafe]

It seems like we typically have a set of things we eat regularly for a while. I don't know why that it or how it changes, but here are our current staples:

Baked Potatos - can be eaten with steamed veggies, butter & salt OR with salsa, sour cream, cheese & guacamole OR with baked beans, etc, etc...

Stir Fry - For us this means making some rice (usually I do this ahead of time so I don't have to do it right before dinner while I'm doing the veggies). Then I steam fresh or frozen veggies or cook them in oour stovetop wok. (brocolli, edamame, zuchinni, mushroom, peppers, onions, asparagus, or any combination of these) Toss with the rice. Then everybody adds their own sauce. We keep soy sauce, thai peanut sauce, teriyaki, & a few others around. Sometimes we add cashews. Sometimes we add shredded cheese.

Soup & Grilled cheese - tomato soup & pea soup are the favorites around here (we buy canned tomato soup, dry pea soup)

Salad - big pile of baby spinach or some kind of leafy green along with olives, black beans, cheese, salsa, guac & sour cream OR same pile of leafy green with sunflower seeds, french dressing, cheese, olives

Scrambled eggs with choppped veggies & toast

Now & then I make a whole small chicken in the crockpot. We eat the chicken for days along with steamed veggies or in sandwiches or with salads or stir fry.

I make a pretty simple barley mushroom soup in the crockpot, too. If you're interested I can post the recipe.

Have fun!!