I strongly dislike to cook. Baking is slightly better because the results are sweet and the sneak taste-testing during the baking is sweet (cookie dough for some reason tastes better than the cookies). Luckily for me, my husband has never required or pressured me to cook and has often cooked for us himself. However, becoming a stay-at-home mom and with a baby beginning to eat food, I need to start cooking, and cooking healthy for us. After watching youtube videos, googling and pinteresting (that’s a word, right?) countless variations of “healthy/fast/easy/baby food” I have a few favorites.
#1 Stir Fry.
This is a strong favorite because you can throw whatever is in your fridge into it and I don’t have to grocery shop for one meal (checkmark). I just heat up some olive or coconut oil, and throw in chopped bell peppers, kale, spinach, chopped carrots, leftover chicken pieces, green beans, chopped onions, and minced garlic. You can season to taste, we like to sprinkle salt, pepper, and oregano.
#2 Carrot Noodles.
This is the only way my husband will eat carrots. I found this on a youtube video I watched but basically you peel a carrot, throw out the peel, then just keep peeling the carrot until it’s gone. You cook it in some coconut oil until it’s soft, and voila! Carrot noodles. You can also do this with zucchini, but we like carrots better.
#3 Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken.
I know crockpots are amazing because you can set it to cook and then magic! Dinner is ready later, and this is one of the easiest. I put chicken pieces (breasts, legs, thighs, whatever you have) into the crockpot and cover them with a whole bottle of teriyaki sauce (I like the island one). You can marinade them in a gallon plastic bag beforehand but it isn’t necessary. Adding pineapple pieces is also a plus, but the last few times I haven’t had any and it’s been good still. I cook it on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. This was a frozen meal I prepped for when baby arrived. I put some chicken pieces in a gallon ziplock bag, poured teriyaki sauce in there to marinade them, and froze them until we wanted to cook them.
#4 Mashed Cauliflower.
It is almost as good as mashed potatoes and I like to think it’s healthier. I steam a washed cauliflower head until it’s completely soft, then mash it up in a bowl and add butter. Season to taste.
#5 Shepherd’s Pie.
This is great because it’s basically a mix of two of the previous dishes. I cook some ground beef in a pan on the stove, toss in some stir fry veggies (onions, garlic, bell peppers, spinach, etc). While I’m doing that I am either steaming a cauliflower or boiling potatoes. The completed beef stir fry goes into a casserole dish and then mashed cauliflower or mashed potatoes cover the beef mixture. Sprinkle some cheese on top, put a lid on so the cheese melts from just the heat of the food, and you have yourself a dish with protein, vegetables, and dairy!
These are all amazing ideas! Thank you <3
Thanks for reading!