Please advice, what can I cook - living alone, working full time

Fusspot

Thanks for your replies. I think my boyfriend goes OTT about the freshness of veg but he's the one who refuses to have anything that's been cooked and then frozen and reheated and he sometimes makes me paranoid.


He has suggested me getting a steamer for the veg and a George Foreman grill for meat and fish but I don't want too many gadgets that I may not use plus I don't have space for.

SailorSam

Fusspot wrote: »

Thanks for your replies. I think my boyfriend goes OTT about the freshness of veg but he's the one who refuses to have anything that's been cooked and then frozen and reheated and he sometimes makes me paranoid.
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Any leftovers that have cooked goes in a plastic bag in the freezer until i'm making soup.

zaax

Set the food cooking as soon as you get in and it will be done once you have done you post etc.

All stews can be batched (slow) cooked.

Brisket of beef on a chopped onion with a pint and 1/2 of water and 2 crumbled oxo cube (5 mins to prepare in the morning, even less if you chop the onion the night before) in a slow cooker takes 8 hours to cook on high (or low for 10 hours) and is wonderful at 5pm (or 7pm). If you chuck a few veggies in at the start you can have them as well.

Hermia

Fusspot wrote: »

Thanks for your replies. I think my boyfriend goes OTT about the freshness of veg but he's the one who refuses to have anything that's been cooked and then frozen and reheated and he sometimes makes me paranoid.


He has suggested me getting a steamer for the veg and a George Foreman grill for meat and fish but I don't want too many gadgets that I may not use plus I don't have space for.

I would possibly not listen to your boyfriend too much! It's better to just do your best with your diet rather than make yourself stressed by worrying about everything you eat.

You don't need an electronic steamer to steam veg. You can get one of those cheap metal or bamboo ones that sit over your saucepan. My George Foreman grill is really small and I also use it for toasted sandwiches and paninis.

[Deleted User]

I live alone and have a Remoska from Lakeland which cooks stuff brilliantly.Plus I have a two tier steamer that I bought from Argoose it cost about £12.00 and I can cook two lots of veg very quickly in it.I batch cook stuff and freeze it and what ever I am having that night I put into the fridge in the morning so its ready to 'nuke' in the evening.This time of the year ,although I don't work (retired) I look after four of my grandsons full time so I am at their house from 7.45 a.m. until 6.30 p.m. so when I come home I can stick my food in the remoska and sit down with a glass of vino and 15 minutes later its piping hot and ready to eat.The veg is cooked very quickly in the steamer ,even frozen veg doesn't take that long.
I meal plan on a Sunday morning and have a list stuck on my fridge of my meals for the week. I'm afraid if your BF was my chap he would go hungry,you have been to work all day if he wants food cooked a special way then point him in the direction of the kitchen You are not a servant you are as entitled to have what you want to eat and how you cook it is your choice. My late OH whom I adored had two choices when it came to food ,eat what I dished up or cook it himself.We both worked full time and I certainly wasn't going to wait on his likes or dislikes.I knew what he enjoyed and we had similar tastes ,but I also liked casseroles which he wasn't keen on but he ate them or went without.

SailorSam

JackieO wrote: »

I meal plan on a Sunday morning and have a list stuck on my fridge of my meals for the week.

The thread on here where everyone shows their meal plans for the week makes it easy. You just pinch other peoples good ideas.

kboss2010

Fusspot wrote: »

Thanks for your replies. I think my boyfriend goes OTT about the freshness of veg but he's the one who refuses to have anything that's been cooked and then frozen and reheated and he sometimes makes me paranoid.


He has suggested me getting a steamer for the veg and a George Foreman grill for meat and fish but I don't want too many gadgets that I may not use plus I don't have space for.

In the nicest possible way, if he wants that then he should get it himself. Worry about feeding yourself and if he's overly fussy or wants to waste money on expensive gadgets then let him do the cooking and pay for the extra food - works for me with my fussy OH!

Fusspot

Thanks, some really useful suggestions here. My boyfriend doesn't eat at my place often, he eats at home where he has a steamer and a George Foreman grill and every other gadget going

Butti

I went through a period of not cooking and not being bothered. I found it worrying that I was sort of getting depressed. I think it's quite important to make an effort for yourself.

I plan my cooking on the basis of what is already in the fridge or freezer. Generally I will cook for two and reheat on the second day.
I have two cookbooks I use a lot; A Girl called Jack by Jack Munroe and The Frual Cook by Fiona Beckett.

JIL

Do you take lunch into work? If yes would it be possible that when you make your lunch you do the majority of the prep for your dinner the following night? Even if that means just taking something out of the freezer. Its just about little routines and being organised.

The poundshop has some microwave steamers. They are really good.