Dear Home Ec 101,
I live in a home with two adults (myself and spouse), neither of whom much like to cook. I am the one who’s at home most of the day so I feel I should be planning and preparing our week night meals. The problem is that I have minimal cooking skills, and on top of that the spouse is a meat loving diabetic, whereas I am a vegetarian carb lover. We end up eating out way too much.
HELP!
Can you suggest how I can plan meals that are simple to make and will be satisfying enough for both of us to keep us from escaping to the nearest take out joint?
Sincerely,
Take-Away Turkeys
Heather says
I can see how this situation can feel difficult. I was actually discussing a problem with my boss that reminded me of your situation.
You see, I let perfect be the enemy of the good.
I have been struggling with a project and every minor roadblock frustrated me, took away my momentum, and made me feel helpless. These roadblocks weren’t even something I should need to solve, but because I couldn’t see that delegating was part of the solution, I have been needlessly banging my head against the wall for weeks.
The problem has many pieces and each of these pieces contribute to the solution.
Part 1: You currently have limited cooking skills.
The good news is this is not a static situation. Each technique you learn, each success you have is another tool for your solution.
Part 2: He is diabetic
Try not to look at it as completely up to you to solve. Yes, you both should absolutely take this seriously. Yes, learning to create meals that are low on the glycemic index should be a goal. However, at the end of the day, he is the one putting the food on his plate and in his mouth. He’s a grown man and it isn’t your job to be the food police. Obviously you love him and care for his well-being but don’t make yourself completely miserable in the process
Part 3: You’re a vegetarian who loves carbs
Just because you technically can have a lot of carbohydrates doesn’t mean they are they healthiest option for you, either.
Not every meal is going to be  a perfect solution for both of you.
Start by making a list of foods and recipes that you already know you both like. Is there a cuisine you both prefer? Some techniques: grilling, stir fry, roasting for example make it very easy to keep the meat based ingredients away from the vegetarian options.
Not every meal you make needs to have meat as the source of protein and not every meal needs to center on a pile of pasta or potatoes, either.
I highly recommend making a vegetable dish the focus of each meal. You can then add a side of rice or pasta for you and a grilled or pan seared protein for him.
Pinterest can be your friend when looking for your main dish, BUT search based on an ingredient that is in-season and preferably on sale.
And don’t focus on the whole week today. Start with, what will I make for dinner tonight? If you still have energy and motivation to think about tomorrow, pick that out, too. It’s a long term goal, it’s okay to take it one step, one meal at a time.
What other advice would you offer this couple as they work to stay out of the drive-through
Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com
What I do sometimes is make a vegetarian version, divide it up and add meat to one half. For example make marinara sauce, then add sausage or ground beef to half of it and simmer a while longer. Another is stir fry, make a vegetable stir fry, marinate then brown some skinless boneless chicken thigh and add to half of it. You can make Aloo Gobi and other curries this way too, since you can simmer them on low after you add the meat to half. I hope this helps.
I’m currently in the process of trying to expand the amount of recipes I rotate so that I can meal plan, and one of the things that has helped me is to introduce new recipes one at a time. I print them out and make notes on what I liked or what I would change… Pinterest has helped me a lot.
I definitely recommend starting slow. I tend to flail if I leave things until the day of, though, so I’d start with planning 1 meal/week, and working up from there. Heather’s idea of making a list of known winners is good, and we’ve had luck with identifying stuff we like from restaurants and trying to re-create it at home. (2 winners – falafel and paneer tikka masala).
I also highly recommend eggs-as-dinner. Frittatas, scrambled eggs with awesome things mixed in, crispy fried eggs, crustless quiche … They’re a staple for us, because they’re fast, we almost always have eggs on hand, and you can pair them with toast, additional meat if you’re into that, and/or a salad.
Lastly, once you’ve got stuff you know you like, see what can be made ahead. I also don’t like cooking, so it’s nice to condense the drudgery and then have stuff in the freezer that reheats well. I have a friend who swears by her slow-cooker, since it’s almost all hands-off time, and she decides what she’s making early in the day, before hunger and starting things late can make things trickier. Good luck!
Thanks everyone! I appreciate all the great tips.
I agree that I need to start slow and build a collection of recipes. I have been collecting some promising ones in a three ring binder, now I just have to buckle down and do those web searches. I haven’t used Pinterest much in the past, but I’ll check it out.
At this point my cooking skills are about the level of eggs for dinner, slow cooker stew, and George Foreman grilled fish, all of which we’ve done a few times now. I like the idea of stuff that can be done ahead of time, to make it less painful at dinner hour. I also tend to look for stuff at the store that is ready- made and can be pieced together into a meal, like frozen meatballs, or frozen stir fry veggies and rice. Casserole type dishes also work pretty well for simplicity. The hardest part is making a rudimentary dish interesting and tasty enough to be satisfying.
Thanks for the support and inspiration!
Don’t forget you also have another great source of information in your spouse. His tastes and preferences will help narrow down your focus.
In all honesty I think the hardest part of this situation is the overwhelming nature of the information that is out there.
There is massive amount of information, but which parts apply specifically to your (and his) needs.
Make it a goal to try one new recipe or technique a week. Heck, I need to get back on the photographing recipes / techniques train for HE101. If you want, I’ll happily be your accountability partner in this endeavor. We can aim for the first week of the new year to kick off.
If there is something specific you are interested in learning, let me know and I’ll make that my first project.
Sorry–I tried to post this sooner but all I had was my #$%* phone and it wouldn’t send. I wanted to suggest that this couple try to find a cooking class to take together, one that sounds appealing and fun. It may help introduce some new recipes and ingredients and may end up sparking an interest in cooking!
That is a fantastic suggestion. I’m sorry the site was frustrating on your phone.