/ck/ - Food & Cooking

[Anonymous No.5025402]

I need help cooking faster.

The huge catch is I'm sharing the kitchen while scraping every fraction of a cent I can to move out of an abusive situation asap, so there are many circumstances out of my control I must work around:

- Above all else, must be healthy. The following cannot be part of my diet for more than once every 3-4 weeks: foods high in fat, foods high in sodium, foods high in sugar, refined products (e.g. white bread/rice/pasta/potatoes), processed products (e.g. ham, cheese). No more than once a week any jarred or canned products.
- Must be cheap and readily available at discount grocery stores, including required processing. e.g. Salad greens are expensive because they keep less than a month AND require lots of water$$$ to wash
- I can only shop and cook at most once a week during the day, and it's only for myself. I must make meals that last at least a month, cook in bulk and store such that they survive a 2-hour commute in the cold outside and sweaty crowded heated transit, I can grab and eat immediately or reheat in the microwave to eat at the office.
- Limited storage space in pantry, fridge and freezer.
- Items randomly disappear or thrown out (e.g. someone else's raw chicken contaminating my salad)
- Limited equipment: electric range 1 small 1 large element, $$oven$$ can only be used once a month, no food processor, no blender, no mixer, no dishwasher. I do however, have a good chef's knife, paring knife and fillet knife among a handful of dollar store tools.

While I try my best to bear with all the bullshit I gotta deal with, sometimes I do end up eating junk when I starve, especially when shit just happened at my house, or I just don't have the time or money. Not the best situation to be in, but I am trying to save and get out while living as healthily and /fit/ as I can. Help would really be appreciated.

[Anonymous No.5025425]

Are the dietary restrictions life threatening? Because you're making your life a lot more difficult then it actually has to be if not, Any casserole and/or rice dish will be easy to cook in bulk, portion and reheat. It will also be a lot cheaper.

[Anonymous No.5025432]

fat isn't unhealthy.

i consume tons of coconut oil, homemade mayonnaise, avocados, butter, and dark meat chicken (skin and all). i'd say about 60% of my calorie intake is from fat.

i'm in the best shape of my life.

[Anonymous No.5025438]

>>5025425
I'm diabetic and obese now because I've been sacrificing my health in order to save up faster to move out, which is why I'm staying where I am despite the abusive. I'm limited in time because I need to use it to exercise in between full-time work. Now that we're snowed in for the next 5 months, I have to allot extra time to commute.

[Anonymous No.5025442]

OP, that sounds like a shitty situation and I hope you can get out of it ASAP.

that being said, I think you have imposed exessively harsh conditions upon yourself. I understand that you need to save money, but some of what you posted is rediculous, such as the cost of water and use of the oven. Water and electricity are amazingly cheap unless you live on the space station, you don't need to worry about that at all.

As for the health angle, the biggest factor regarding your health is simply portion control. don't worry so much about your exact diet since it's only going to be temporary anyway. Just avoid processed foods and don't eat too much. That will also help you save money since processed foods are more costly than buying raw staples.

Good dishes that are easy to make in bulk and keep well are soups, pasta, and stews. Rice and beans are amazingly cheap staples and also cover most of your nutritional needs as well. All you need is one big pot to cook it in, and then some containers to store it in.

[Anonymous No.5025443]

Rachel ray thread?

[Anonymous No.5025446]

>>5025438

make PB&J sandwiches using natural and sugar free peanut butter and "no sugar added" jelly.

you can make a ton of sandwiches. healthy as fuck. completely diabetic friendly.

[Anonymous No.5025449]

>>5025443
Rachel ray thread

[Anonymous No.5025465]

>>5025438
yeah, sounds like a sucky situation.... here, this is fast to do, keeps well (can be frozen), reheats well and keeps you full on a small portion. One pot usually lasts me 1 to 1 and a half week.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 leeks, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 boxes of vegetable stock
1 1/3 cup red lentils, rinsed
1/2 cup brown rice
slivered almonds, toasted
***

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add the leeks, onion and pepper flakes.
2. Cook over medium-low heat for a while, until they begin to gain some color and have lost at least half of their original volume.
3. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
4. Add the lentils and rice and simmer until the rice is cooked.
5. While the soup is simmering, put your slivered almonds in an oven safe dish (I use a cake mold).
6. Put in the oven at broil until just beginning to turn brown. Keep an eye on them, they burn really fast.
7. Serve the soup topped with the toasted almonds.

[Anonymous No.5025466]

>>5025443
Ass shots please. Need to broaden by brown eye horizons

[Anonymous No.5025691]

rachael ray is fat ugly and hot.