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Post by robyn on Jan 7, 2016 17:28:47 GMT
I know there are several blogs on Tumblr that have a focus on this topic, but I figured it would be nice to have our own discussion. My tips: On high spoon days, make big batches of soups or casseroles so that you can just reheat as needed. Keep lots of canned soup on hand, but also fun spices and spice mixes so you can alter the flavor and keep it interesting. I also find "dump" recipes to be fairly low spoons. I'll add some of my favorites as I remember them. Table of ContentsPage One:Chicken Soup Macaroni and Tomatoes Tuna salad Grilled Cheese Cheapass Quickie Udon Noodles "Vegetable" Soup Carrot and Coriandor/Cilantro Soup Green Minestrone with Tortellini Tuscan Ribollita with Parmesan Croutons Chickpea Curry
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Charlie
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Charlie [they/she/he]
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Post by Charlie on Jan 7, 2016 19:34:31 GMT
Bookmarked this thread! I'll add some recipes when I remember to, I do an awful lot of cooking and over the years I've learned to adjust it as my spoon count gradually deteriorates.
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Post by Mea on Jan 8, 2016 5:07:26 GMT
I usually take the high-spoon route, make enough to feed an army on good days, and then take advantage of my microwave on bad days. :P I can share a few of those recipes!
Perhaps once some recipes are added, the original post can be edited and organized a bit? Just list a recipe and say which page it can be found on?
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Post by Mea on Jan 9, 2016 12:17:44 GMT
Here are some low-spoons recipes I like to do:
Chicken Soup -Chicken broth -Macaroni/elbows
This is a simple, filling dish and very great for sick days! Just heat up some broth to boiling point and cook the pasta like you would in boiling water. They really soak up the flavor of the broth, and you can drink the leftover broth afterward. Most chicken broth already has plenty of salt, but I do like to add a bit of cayenne pepper to mine, especially if I'm trying to clear my sinuses.
Macaroni and Tomatoes -Canned diced tomatoes -Macaroni/elbows -Water
Good southern comfort food! Just dump some canned diced tomatoes in a pot, fill the can with water and dump that in as well, and then boil the pasta like you would normally. I like to add a bit of basil to mind to add some flavor. This is also a good quick side dish!
Tuna Salad -Canned tuna -Mayo -Sweet pickle relish -Salt and pepper
Mix it up, and you're good! I do about one spoonful of mayo and one spoonful of relish per can of tuna. I also like to add sliced banana peppers to my tuna salad, and I highly recommend this if you're a fan of sweeter peppers!
Grilled Cheese -Bread -Mozarella -Sharp cheddar -Tostito's salsa con queso
I tried this on a whim one night while I was having cheese cravings! Spread the queso on one side of two pieces of bread, then place your mozarella and cheddar on the sandwich as well. I make my grilled cheese on a skillet on medium low heat, and I also cover it so the heat will trap inside and melt the cheese better. Grill your cheese, and you will have a cheesy masterpiece.
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Post by nova on Jan 11, 2016 8:06:11 GMT
this is such a good idea!! Here's one i did this week Cheapass quickie udon noodles- fresh udon package
(these are good because theyre not dried & only takes 3 or so minutes to cook)
- Soup Stock, sauce, or Flavour Packet
(I used a stir fry sauce we had leftover)
- Frozen veggies
- Optional: egg or 2
- Optional: precooked chicken
Follow the cooking instructions of the noodle package; on the fresh udon noodles they usually tell you to bring a cup or so of water to boil. You add in the stock or sauce or whatever into the water while bringing it to a boil. If you're using frozen veggies, put them in then too so they're defrosted by the time the noodles go in (:
Once the water is boiling, you add in the noodles plus fresh veggies and/or precooked chicken(you can usually find precooked chicken breast at supermarkets). While that's cooking, you can prepare the egg how you like! Personally, I slightly fry it sunny side up, leaving some of it uncooked & right as the noodles are done, I plop the egg on top and kind of stir it into the boiling hot broth so it breaks up & cooks the rest. You can also scramble the eggs, chop up some hardboiled eggs, or fry it completely and just place it on top of your bowl. Or! You can mix it in egg-drop-soup-style by lightly beating the eggs and stirring them into the soup as its cooking.
I like this because udon noodles are quick n easy & the egg is a simple way to add some protein if you need it. Plus, you can personalize this to be however you want! You can make it spicer or sweeter, you can fill it with a bunch of extra ingredients or keep it as a low key noodle & broth soup.
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Post by Mea on Jan 11, 2016 8:47:43 GMT
Here's a high-spoon recipe which makes A LOT so you can have leftovers for low spoon days.
"Vegetable" Soup -Tomato paste (16 oz) -Beef bouillon (two cubes) -Beef (cut into cubes) -1 chopped yellow onion -1 large can canned tomatoes -half bag potatoes chopped (I forget how many pounds that is) -2 cups chopped celery -2 chopped green bell peppers -flour -salt and pepper -water (??? enough) -2-3 bay leaves -parsley flakes -garlic (2 cloves or garlic powder to taste) -cayenne pepper -chili powder -vegetable oil
This is called "vegetable" soup because it's what my mom always called it, even though it has meat in it. Heh. My mother was once served actual vegetable soup with no meat in it and got angry because there was no meat in it. #southernproblems But anyway!
Coat your meat in salt, pepper, and flour. Brown it in a bit of vegetable oil in a pan on high heat. Set the meat aside and add the onions. Cook the onions until they just start to brown on medium-high heat. Add meat and onions to pot, then add tomato paste, tomatoes, potatoes, celery, and bell pepper. Begin adding water and stir everything until it's the consistency and soupiness that you want! You want it about as thick as tomato soup. Turn on to medium heat, and begin adding seasonings to taste, as well as the bouillon cubes. Keep stirring while it's on medium heat until it comes to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and leave it covered for about 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Taste it again once it's done cooking, now that the bouillon and bay leaves have had a chance to flavor it! And there you have it, a super healthy soup which should last you quite a while! And you can always freeze half of it so it'll keep long-term.
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Charlie
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Charlie [they/she/he]
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Post by Charlie on Jan 11, 2016 10:03:02 GMT
I remember one of my recipes! It's super simple for me personally, but remember I have a fair bit of experience cooking. With that in mind though, it's the first thing I ever cooked entirely by myself!
You do need a food processor though, so keep that in mind. Makes about 4 servings I think? This can also be frozen (like most soups can!) so it's great for that.
Carrot and Coriander/Cilantro Soup
Ingredients 1 tbsp vegetable oil (optional) 1 onion chopped (optional) 1 tsp ground coriander/cilantro 1 potato chopped(optional) 450g carrots peeled and chopped 1.2l vegetable or chicken stock handful fresh coriander/cilantro (honestly you can leave this out and just put more of the ground stuff in, it just doesn't quite taste the same)
So your first step is entirely optional - you fry the onions and potato in some oil, until they're soft. You add the ground coriander at this point too, if you're doing it.
Next, you cook your chopped carrots in the stock. This takes about 10-20 minutes usually - just until they're soft. If you done the optional first step too, this is also where you put the onions and potatoes in. If you didn't, add your ground coriander at this point. You don't have to stir or anything, so at this point it's fine to just set a timer and do something else.
Finally, just pour that stuff into a food processor, add the fresh herbs, and blend till it's smooth! If you feel like being fancy you can save some of the fresh coriander for a garnish, but who really cares about that!?
If you're sticking it in the freezer, allow the soup to cool to room temperature first. If not, it's pretty much good to eat if it's cool enough.
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Post by MarzipanAttack on Jan 13, 2016 20:02:24 GMT
Cooking is definitely not my strongest skill but I do find the process fairly relaxing and obviously if someone compliments my food that a nice boost too. That being said I have no personal recipes of my own but I did use a service called Hello Fresh (which I would recommend most people check out) which sent me several recipes, two of which I really enjoy and will transcribe here. I'm a fan of the cooking on high spoon days method. First my favorite of the two. Green Minestrone with Tortellini2 servings (says the card but I find it to be more like 3-4) - 9 oz Tortellini
- 1 sprig Thyme
- 2 Yukon Potatoes
- 1 Zucchini
- 4 oz Green Beans
- 1/2 oz Basil
- 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese (shredded, not grated)
- 1 Carrot
- 1 Onion
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 5 Cups Stock (Vegetable preferably but feel free to use whatever)
Cut the potato and zucchini into 1/2-inch cubes. Stack the basil leaves and roll them into a cigar shape, then thinly slice. Cut the green beans into 1-inch pieces. Cut the carrot into small cubes. Finally, slice the onion. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pot over medium-heat. Add the onions, carrots, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the zucchini and potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Season with more salt.* Add 5 cups of stock and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are easily pierced with a knife. Add the tortellini and green beans and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until tortellini is cooked through and green beans are crisp-tender. Taste and season with salt as necessary. Remove the thyme sprig and ladle the soup into bowls with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and basil. *It's important to season every layer of this soup with salt to ensure that it has depth of flavor. It may only take 40 mins, but let them think this soup simmered away on the stove for hours!Tuscan Ribollita with Parmesan Croutons2 servings (Again I find it to be more like 3-4)- 1 Ciabatta Roll
- 1 Carrot
- 1 Red Onion
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 bunch Kale
- 1 can Diced Tomatoes
- 1 can Cannellini Beans (White Kidney Beans)
- 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese (Again shredded, not grated)
- 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 1 tsp Chili Flakes
- 3 Cups Stock (Again Veggie preferred but whatever floats your goat)
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Finely chop 1/2 cup of onion. Peel and finely chop the carrot. Mince the garlic. remove the ribs and stems from the kale and coarsely chop. Drain and rinse the cannellini beans.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic to the pot. Season with salt, pepper, fennel seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (or less if you don't like the heat!).* Cook for about 6 minutes, or until veggies are softened.
While the veggies cook, prepare the parmesan croutons. Halve the ciabatta lengthwise. Drizzle with olive oil and top it with parmesan. Bake on a baking sheet for 5-7 minutes, or until the bread is nicely toasted and the cheese has melted.
Once the vegetables are soft, add the diced tomatoes, cannellini beans, and 3 cups of stock. Season with salt and pepper. Let it simmer for 10 minutes. Add the kale to the pot and cook, covered, until the kale has wilted, about 3 minutes. Taste the soup and season with salt if necessary.
Cut the croutons into cubes. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the croutons, they will soak up all the yummy broth!
*Honestly, I'm pretty lame when it comes to spicy and 1/4 was barely anything to me so I used more the other times I made it. Obviously use as much or little as your preference/tolerance allows.
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sas
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Post by sas on Jan 14, 2016 11:28:05 GMT
I have a few weeknight dinners that freeze well. One of my faves is chickpea curry!
Chickpea Curry
2 tbsp Sunflower oil 1 red pepper, chopped 3tbsp curry paste 400g can coconut milk 350g new potatoes, boiled and cut into 1cm cubes 400g can chickpeas, drained
Heat the oil in a saucepan add throw in the pepper. Add the potatoes and chickpeas.
Put in the curry paste and stir for a minute, then add the coconut milk. Stir until it's all combined, then let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
And it's done!
It freezes well, and goes good with rice or bread.
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