Cookability

Thanksgiving on a very restricted diet

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 00:04:37 GMT

Posted by: melannen

A friend of mine is in the middle of a long process of being diagnosed with Something (is it pcos? is it mcas? is it eds? is it pots? is it me/cfs? is it neurological? is it gastrointestinal? is it all of the above? will they ever stop doing tests and start suggesting treatments? you know the kind of thing) and as a result has been put on a very restricted diet, by which I mean separate specialists have put her on:

-low fodmap
-low histamine
-low fat
-low acid
-dairy-free

We are trying to throw together something resembling an American Thanksgiving meal for her that we can all eat together. Does anyone have suggestions?

-I found a roast chicken with popcorn stuffing recipe that will work if we leave out the onion and celery and go easy on the oils
-We'll do a fruit-she-is-allowed-to-eat salad
-We can do cooked carrots
-I'm going to try to do a simple savory raspberry sauce for the chicken

Anybody have any other ideas or suggestions? (I'd especially love ideas for something like a traditional American holiday dessert that has no dairy, nuts, grains, or sweeteners...)

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Protein and veggies, oh my.

Sun, 27 Oct 2019 11:22:04 GMT

Posted by: fred_mouse

This is a no cutting, minimal effort meal that managed to have protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables. Quantities are approximate. This was made to feed six people, who collectively cannot have any animal products, and have restrictions on carbohydrate sources including but not limited to gluten-containing cereals and oats.

( Read more... )

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easy satay sauce

Sun, 31 Mar 2019 13:54:56 GMT

Posted by: ayebydan

2 table spoons soy sauce,
1 table spoon peanut butter,
dip of both/either sugar/sweetner and lime juice.

Mix. Satay like sauce. Can go on instant noodles, pasta, quorn, chicken, veggies, combo of above.

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Highly relevant to comm interests

Thu, 16 Aug 2018 17:57:47 GMT

Posted by: rydra_wong

I think some of you with the Twitters may want to RT this:

Tweet by Jack Monroe: "RT if you would watch a TV cookery show where the presenter/chef is disabled, talks openly about it, and mental health, uses chopped/frozen/tinned ingredients, and cooks simple affordable accessible recipes. Because TV commissioners listen to numbers, and this is what I do."

ALSO the potential presenter/chef here is a national treasure and is neurodiverse and non-binary (this does not make you a better cook but, you know, representation) and has been banned from Good Morning Britain for life by Piers Morgan for calling him a "fucking snowflake" (this does not make you a better cook but it makes you a legend).

WHAT MORE CAN YOU WANT. THIS MUST HAPPEN.

Response has been such that planning and fundraising for a pilot is now afoot, and there's now a "Hello new followers!" thread for people arriving on the back of that Tweet, giving context and links to Monroe's website and books: https://twitter.com/BootstrapCook/status/1030113745446555648

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Here is a snack I like

Sat, 23 Jun 2018 17:29:21 GMT

Posted by: birke

1. Plain yogurt.
2. Molasses.
3. Walnut pieces.

Only work involved is spooning it out and mixing it together. I find it a tasty first breakfast, or a light sweet snack that still has a lot of nutritional value.

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Microwave a potato

Sat, 23 Jun 2018 17:24:12 GMT

Posted by: birke

1. Take a medium-sized potato.
2. Cut two deep slices in it, like a hot cross bun.
3. Microwave it on high for five minutes.
4. Sprinkle it with salt, maybe spread butter if you're feeling buttery.

Et voila.

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Mon, 25 Dec 2017 04:03:01 GMT

Posted by: colorwheel

i haven't read cooking is terrible but it looks relevant to us here. anyone seen it?

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Out of F*cks Couscous

Sat, 23 Sep 2017 20:27:56 GMT

Posted by: untonuggan

I first made this couscous when I was more regularly going to pot-lucks and I wanted something that was quick, cheap, easy, could be served at room temperature, and was vegetarian. (So many pot lucks full of sad vegetarians eating carrot sticks and cookies.)

My disclaimer is that usually my (Arab) girlfriend doesn't eat it because it tastes nothing at all like her family's actually authentic Middle Eastern couscous.

However, the higher-energy version gets the spices closer to right.

Skills used (out of fucks version)
- knife (optional)
- opening a can
- boiling water
- opening containers
- stirring a bowl

Skills used (don't fuck with me version)
- knife (less optional, food processor might work as alternate)
- opening a can
- boiling water
- opening containers
- active cooking at stove

Out of Fucks Couscous

( Read more... )

Don't Fuck with me Couscous

This is the version I prefer but it requires slightly more energy so I'm listing it here as an alternative. Also, maybe you prefer Out of Fucks Couscous. IDK! Maybe you will riff off these and invent your own!

( Read more... )

Other variations I've been meaning to try that probably require more energy:
- Microwave a sweet potato and cube, add instead of tomatoes
- Add raisins to saute mixture?
- Some way to do this with quinoa so it's gluten free, but also doesn't take forever

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Throw-together meals.

Sun, 09 Jul 2017 06:20:55 GMT

Posted by: fayanora

Took a bunch of vegetables, steam-cooked them, scooped some onto rice, scooped some chicken onto the vegetables, added Triple Ginger Teriyaki sauce, and boom! Simple, delicious meal! Granted, the cooking and cutting of the chicken and the veggies was long and difficult work, but now I'll have a simple throw-together meal for when I have less energy and/or time! (The rice takes only 8 minutes in my microwave-usable rice cooker. And no, it's not instant rice, it's regular rice.)

Veggies I have in this batch:
Broccoli, green beans, sugar snap peas in their pods, three different colors of bell pepper (red, yellow, and orange), carrots, celery, mushrooms, and yellow squash (basically a yellow zucchini).

Later I might add a can of baby corn and a can of water chestnuts. And I have a bottle of orange sauce for when the triple ginger runs out.

So yeah there's another thing: you could buy canned veggies and pre-cut chicken and save time and effort.

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one-pan meal

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 01:02:48 GMT

Posted by: colorwheel

i'm having a good time lately cooking boneless chicken in a pan with some water and adding pasta right to that pan. i also put in a little bouillion for flavor.

it's not chicken soup because the liquid ratio is low. it's lots of protein with a small amount of soup-tasty liquid. actually i would call the liquid soup, there's just not the amount that we associate with soup.

i use dark meat chicken because it never dries out so the cooking time can be anything.

the first time i made this, it felt so reckless and daring to add dry pasta right in there instead of cooking the pasta separately! but it really works, and the pasta is extra tasty because all the flavors are married (so to speak).

at the very end, spinach can be added. i bet lots of other things could be added. i'm just so into it being only one pan.

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marinade to make meat easier

Sun, 23 Apr 2017 23:19:09 GMT

Posted by: colorwheel

a lot of marinade recipes will warn you not to marinate meat more than hour or so, and definitely not overnight, if the marinade has ginger in it, or acidic ingredients. the reason is that the meat will get broken down and become mushy.

if you want/need to eat meat and have jaw pain, trouble swallowing, or whatever other mouth/throat/tooth stuff, i recommend going against their advice! i marinated stir-fry beef overnight in a marinade of tamari, honey, and grated* ginger and indeed it broke the meat down to an "improper" mushy texture. it was very easy to chew and swallow.

*i tried this same marinade with the ginger in large chunks and it didn't work. it only worked when i grated the ginger.

(i did the ratio of my three marinade ingredients by taste, so i can't report, but remember, you can improvise a marinade and keep tasting and adjusting it as long as you don't add the meat till it's finished.)

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Newfoundland Style Dressing/Stuffing

Thu, 20 Apr 2017 04:17:01 GMT

Posted by: sleepyfairy

I like this style of dressing because it tastes and presents quite fancy but it has less ingredients and work than making regular stuffing from scratch, and it's distinctly different from mainland stuffing I can get out of boxes.

The savoury referred to in this recipe refers to summer savoury, a somewhat lesser-known spice. It can be replaced with an equal mix of sage and thyme, though it will taste a little different.

( Read more... )

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Suggestions for high sodium easy recipes or snacks

Thu, 18 Sep 2014 18:46:50 GMT

Posted by: untonuggan

*waves* Hi community! I'm looking for advice on how to fit moar sodium into my diet. I have Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, and one of the most helpful things for me not falling down and feeling super dizzy is to eat 3-4 grams of sodium per day.

Challenges:( cn: discussions of dietary constraints )
With that being said, does anyone have any suggestions for SUPER EASY for someone with about zero energy recipes/mixes with salt (or where salt could be added without grossness) and/or easy snacks that are prepackaged but not full of preservatives or what have you that I can grab'n'go that will also help add salt to my diet?

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Slim Jim Meatballs

Fri, 20 Dec 2013 17:14:44 GMT

Posted by: jdoochin

This meatball recipe containing Slim Jim meat sticks is unlike any you’ve seen before. I first heard of this recipe while watching the Hunger Channel with George Duran, with him actually testing it on people walking on the street. While beef jerky isn't conventionally an ingredient for a meatball recipe, it tastes great, and is also a great conversation starter.

Ingredients:

13 Slim Jim meat sticks, roughly chopped

1/2 cup panko

1/2 cup whole milk

1 sausage link, casing removed

1 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup roughly chopped parsley

2 eggs or 1/2 cup of liquid egg substitutes

Directions:

Preheat broiler and line baking sheet with parchment paper
Mix panko and milk in bow, and let settle for 5 minutes
Put all ingredients in the food processor, and pulse to stir ingredients together
Run food processor until a paste is formed
Roll the meat into balls (make sure hands are wet)
Place the Slim Jim Balls onto the baking sheet, and broil for 10 minutes
Skewer balls, and enjoy!

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Chinese Dinner Night

Thu, 05 Dec 2013 23:15:30 GMT

Posted by: jdoochin

Every now and then I like to have themed dinner nights. Does anyone know why sticking to a theme during dinner makes it a little more enjoyable? Me either. Nonetheless, last night was Chinese food themed night. Below includes my Asian cuisine meal for two:

Frozen Appetizer

General Chang's Chicken Spring roll is a great frozen appetizer with grilled chicken, broccoli and cabbage. Visit PF Chang's site for more appetizers and Asian meals.

Main Dish: Sesame chicken and noodles

Ingredients:

1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons Asian garlic-chili sauce
2 6 ounces refrigerated grilled chicken breast strips
12 ounces dried udon noodles or whole-wheat spaghetti
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 medium yellow, red and/or orange sweet peppers, cut in bite-size strips

Directions

1. In medium bowl stir together vinegar, green onions, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic-chili sauce. Add chicken; stir to coat. Set aside to allow flavors to meld.

2. Meanwhile, in large saucepan cook noodles in boiling water about 8 minutes until just tender. Drain noodles well and return to saucepan. Drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Add chicken mixture and toss to combine.

3. Transfer to bowls. Top each with pepper strips and cilantro. Makes 6 servings.

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Curry Turkey Fillets with Rice

Wed, 04 Sep 2013 18:10:03 GMT

Posted by: mathsnerd

This recipe was totally made up by me. The idea came to me in the supermarket on Monday while I was shopping with my carer and I suddenly had a craving for curry and meat. The details I just worked out this evening as I made it. It's deliberately a spoonie-friendly recipe.

You should be able to measure ingredients, stir, poke meat with a fork both raw and in the oven, lift an oven dish in and out of the oven, and make rice in some form (microwaving a packet of ready rice counts). I made this recipe after a full day without many spoons, on high pain meds. You can make the marinade ahead of time and refrigerate the meat after step 4 up to 8 hours without problems. You'll just want to expect your cook time to last 10 minutes longer or so. It uses the oven so there's no standing and stirring at the stove or attending a pan all the time.

( Recipe follows )

Results
I had buttery soft meat that cut at the slightest touch of the knife impregnated with curry flavour and a nice glaze on top and a thick sauce that had to be scooped with a spoon to move it from the pan. The sauce had definitely developed multiple notes from the curry powder and the lemon juice added a nice note. It was a delicious dinner and I can't wait to see how it tastes cold on bread!

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Tonight's dinner: Citrus Chicken

Mon, 26 Aug 2013 00:39:16 GMT

Posted by: killing_rose

Because the internet is my brain at the best of times:

Accessibility notes:

Ability to use scissors to cut the chicken; ability to cut vegetables if you don't have precut pepper/onion/squash. Personally, it is worth it to me to pay a little more for precut at my local store, but I am fully aware that that's a privilege a lot of people don't have.

Ingredients:

*Two very large frozen chicken breasts
*One small red pepper, cut into pieces
*Precut red onion, ~1 cup
*Sliced canned potatoes
*Precut butternut squash, ~1 cup or so
*Baby carrots, about half a 9 oz bag
*~Two tablespoons of minced garlic
*~1/3 to 1/2 cup orange juice
*Between 1 and 2 teaspoons of sumac, smoked paprika, and tumeric
*Chicken stock and chicken bouillon and water, ~2 cups or so between the lot of 'em

Because I have a Circus, this all went into the Circus for Poultry setting, 15 minutes; once it was done, I vented it, took scissors to the chicken and cut into pieces, grabbed about 1/2 cup of liquid, blended 1/4 cup cornstarch in it, added a 1/4 cup or so of almond milk, and then added it back to the Circus, where it thickened for the next 6 minutes.

Presto, dinner.

If you do not have a Circus, this would work well in a crockpot; the original recipe seemed to think it would take about 6 hours on low. Speaking from the experience of our crockpot, I'd guess this would be done in about 4 to 5 hours tops on low, and more likely by hour 3.

But I can cook something for six hours on keep warm and have it be totally done, so.

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Shelling peas

Sun, 23 Jun 2013 03:50:33 GMT

Posted by: jadelennox

Does anyone have any tips for shelling peas? Now that it's early summer where I live, we have a few weeks of shelling peas available in the farmers' markets. I can't resist them, and you can only get them for a few weeks a year here, but shelling them by hand is a massive pain trigger. You can't get fresh english peas pre-shelled anywhere that I've ever seen, and I like fresh miles more than frozen.

(Though the improvised and delicious-if-pain-inducing dinner was worth sharing, because if you use frozen peas, the only part I can't figure out how to make easy is the onion chopping. I don't think it would work diary-free, though I made it with gluten-free pasta and it was lovely.)

( pasta, cream sauce, and veg )

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Fairly easy gluten free cake

Fri, 21 Jun 2013 22:22:05 GMT

Posted by: killing_rose

Ingredients for cake:

1/2 cup coconut oil
4 oz Ghiradelli semisweet baking bar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
6 eggs
Capful of vanilla
1/4 cup Ghiradelli cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
2 tablespoons coconut flour (we use 'Let's Do Organic' brand; it's the only one that I don't hate)
Close to 1/4 cup white sugar
Cinnamon
Nutmeg

Ingredients have been put in the order they get added to recipe; my Kitchenaid stand mixer made my life easy, though could be (original recipe was) in blender. Ditto hand mixer or any of those.

Accessibility notes: This would work with store bought icing; if you set out the ingredients, not a lot of back-and-forth. I was running on a pretty major spoon deficit today and did not hurt myself, the cake, or our kitchen. ( Icing recipe )

Preheat oven to 350; oil one 9 in round cake pan. (I used two; it was unnecessary, though made for a nice layer cake.)

I took the chocolate and the oil and heated it in the microwave in a 2 cup liquid measuring cup. Together, about 1 min, with plenty of stirring.

Meanwhile, in the stand mixer, I beat the eggs, spices, and vanilla until fluffy. Then added all dry goods (except for the sugar) and beat until well mixed. Added the melted stuff, mixed.

Then I tasted and added sugar. Close to 1/4 cup white sugar was what worked for us today; I may try this one (due to the texture of the finished cake) with brown sugar next time.

Then I filled the cake pan(s) and put in oven for 8 minutes. Was very, very close to done; two more minutes finished. Next time, will put in for 9 and take out immediately.

Please realize our oven hates us, and therefore, my timing may not be yours. I pulled it out when it was well set and the edges looked like it might be close-to-too-done.

Let cool, ice the cake. We served with chopped strawberries.

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My family's no-knead bread recipe

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 08:31:39 GMT

Posted by: pebblerocker

By request: this is a bread recipe I've been making for about 20 years. This version is scaled to fit my new bread tins, which measure 22 x 12 x 7 cm. It's pretty flexible and can be scaled up or down and made with variations.
( Read more... )

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Breakfast ideas?

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 16:36:29 GMT

Posted by: amianym

One of the biggest things I'm struggling with foodwise at the moment (aside from simply, er, forgetting to eat) is getting a satisfying breakfast into my face in the morning. The things I do currently are either making an omelette or sausages and toast, having granola, making oatmeal, or er, not eating until the afternoon. Oatmeal or granola are easy, but they generally leave me feeling unsatisfied and exhausted (something about the fibrous grains/milk combo, I think, and I don't feel like I get enough protein despite that I make it with milk.) The omelette and toast option is more satisfying, but the prep is slightly harder, and for me the textures and flavors can be kind of hard to process sometimes, which leads to me eating very slowly. Despite that the balance of nutrients is good for me, three eggs and a slice of toast isn't quite enough food for me, and I can't just size it up because I'll tend to get bored with eating before finishing. I once tried making a batch of eggs + potatoes + veggies to eat throughout the week, which was good, but I don't think I can do that reliably, and I don't have enough storage containers to batch my breakfasts *and* lunches/dinners.

I'm hoping you might have some breakfast suggestions that involve plenty of protein, are not a type of porridge or use of granola, and for which the prep is quick and uncomplicated. I have some limitations on cost and of course sensory processing issues, but don't shy away from suggesting things on those grounds.

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Electric pressure cookers and a recipe

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 01:47:51 GMT

Posted by: killing_rose

We have an electric pressure cooker; for a variety of reasons, it replaced my beloved rice cooker, and earned the nickname The Circus. The Circus gets used when I can't remember that we need a meal or when no one can stand upright to deal with the stove; I'm eventually going to use it to make cheesecake, and it will be fantastic.

The Circus is great for my household's particular brand of disabilities; it weighs a decent amount, but the pot itself doesn't, and if we had the counter space, it could happily live on the counter and not have to be moved around at all. It requires no standing and poking at it, and it cooks a variety of meals with very little thought.

Last night, I came home having forgotten it was my night, spiking toward braindead from pain, and stared in horror. Ran up to the store half a block away, bought pre-cut vegetables and beef, and ran back home to make the following:

I threw the following into the Circus:

Two pounds stew meat
One large container of pre-cut stew-vegetables
A quarter of a small container of pre-cut red onion
Some carrot chips
Two cups of rice
Two cups of water
Enough coconut milk to cover everything in the Circus
Some rosemary
Some hyssop

I then let it go for 20 minutes on the meat setting.

Approximately 35 minutes after I started the process, we had dinner.

Next time, it needs salt in the cooking process. Also, it likes cheese.

But, seriously, I cannot extol the virtues of electric pressure cookers nearly enough. The Circus is worth its pricetag and then some.

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No-knead bread, low spoon adaptation

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 15:09:37 GMT

Posted by: kaz

I come from a culture that puts a lot of weight on bread, grew up in a household where my dad baked some every week and had always been sad about the fact that disability put baking my own totally and utterly out of reach - too complicated! too much washing up! way too many spoons considering cooking pasta was too much effort most days! Imagine my surprise when I discovered no-knead bread, which is so simple I've been able to make it once to three times a week for months. Part of me is still boggling at this.

I know a recipe's been already posted in this community, but this is one I've streamlined for accessibility purposes. Of particular note: you do not need a cast-iron pot or Dutch oven or the like for this, a normal rectangular bread tin is enough - I use a silicone one, which is very light and also easier because it means I don't have to grease it. Less heavy lifting, preparation, and complicated dumping things into very hot vessels ftw.

( Recipe )

( Notes )

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Simple noodle soup with spinach

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 03:46:35 GMT

Posted by: steorra

This spinach soup recipe is adapted from the "simple soba noodle soup" recipe in the Stone Soup e-cookbook to adjust for my tastes, easy availability to me of ingredients, and not having to chop.

Ingredients:
About 50 g / 2 oz of quick-cooking noodles (they should cook in about 3-5 minutes or so) such as soba noodles.[*]
3 large fistfuls of washed baby spinach
1.5 cups of water
1 teaspoon Better-than-Boullion vegetable base
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Instructions:
Put water and vegetable base in a pot on high heat. Bring to boil. Add noodles; reduce heat and simmer for two minutes. Add spinach and soy sauce. Stir spinach in and cook for one minute more, or until the noodles and spinach are both as cooked as you like them. Serve hot. Serves 1.

I find this rather messy to eat, but quick and simple to make as long as I have fresh spinach. There are probably other broth/stock combinations that would work; this is just the one I've used.

[*] The two kinds of noodles I've recently been using to make this are labelled "Yamaimo soba" (which say they cook in about 4-5 minutes) and "Tomoshiraga somen" (which say they cook in 3 minutes).

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meat defrosting tip: saves time and doesn't need microwave

Tue, 29 May 2012 22:37:30 GMT

Posted by: colorwheel

( this isn't cooking, it's prep, and it's about meat )

comments

Cookability

Thanksgiving on a very restricted diet

Protein and veggies, oh my.

easy satay sauce

Highly relevant to comm interests

Here is a snack I like

Microwave a potato

Out of F*cks Couscous

Throw-together meals.

one-pan meal

marinade to make meat easier

Newfoundland Style Dressing/Stuffing

Suggestions for *high* sodium easy recipes or snacks

Slim Jim Meatballs

Chinese Dinner Night

Curry Turkey Fillets with Rice

Tonight's dinner: Citrus Chicken

Shelling peas

Fairly easy gluten free cake

My family's no-knead bread recipe

Breakfast ideas?

Electric pressure cookers and a recipe

No-knead bread, low spoon adaptation

Simple noodle soup with spinach

meat defrosting tip: saves time and doesn't need microwave

Suggestions for high sodium easy recipes or snacks