What do you cook when you feel washed out?

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I always have eggs, cheese and tortillas in the house. So, I can whip up some combination of them, along with whatever leftovers are in the fridge.

If you have tortillas and cheese, you always have something to eat.

CD
 
Just the thought of fast food gives me a jolt of energy to cook. Shrimp and linguine (sauteed shrimp tossed with linguine, and there is almost always a bag of shrimp in the freezer), pastisada (ground beef with tomatoes and macaroni), spaghetti with meat sauce (again, almost always in the freezer), or burgers on the grill.
 
I'm with you on the fast food thing, tenspeed. In our house it's "fast food is the last food". Although, truth be told, I do like to make a stop at a Chick-fil-a when we go on vacation.

...My fave go to for "those evenings" are eggs of some kind. Doesn't take too much energy to fry up an egg for a sandwich or scramble a couple.
MY problem with going to "fry up an egg" is that it becomes an adventure similar to If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. I'll get the bread from the bread box for toasting, and the eggs from the fridge. But when I get the eggs I'll see the mushrooms...which need a quick wash and chop. If I open the "long drawer" for tortillas I'll see the blocks of cheese...which need grating once we agree on a cheese. And on and on and on... It seems like EVERY meal I make, no matter how simple my plan may be, turns into a production. :wacko: Except leftovers. I can usually just heat-and-eat and be happy.
 
My grandsons love the "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" series! Sometimes it applies to me :mrgreen: but when I'm reaaaallly draggin', and don't want to even call out for delivery or dig through the fridge, a fried egg sandwich will do. One pan, one spatula. Done and done. :LOL: Of course, if there's some leftovers in the fridge, I'll go for that first.

I rarely even consider fast foods on "those nights". I'm usually in my comfies, and I sure don't want to open up the garage, get some decent clothes on in case I'm in an accident :LOL:, back the car out, and drive out to get something. There's always something in the house easier than that.
 
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I feel washed out all the time! But I seem to lean more toward comfort foods. The trouble is most comfort foods don't fit into the guidelines in my signature. So I improvise. Common items are soup, chicken strips with baked wedges, sandwiches, stir-fry veggies, rice noodles, etc.
 
There are times when we all feel too tired to cook. My staple quick meal standby is 'hay and straw' tagliatelle with butter, parmesan, black pepper and sage. It's quick and easy, and my OH loves it. What are your fall-backs? I'd love to know!

di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde
Scrambled eggs on toast. or home-made soup if there's any in the freezer
 
I'm a big fan of leftover spaghetti sauce with meat on whole wheat toast when I'm feeling to tired to cook. The microwaved is so good for heating the sauce. Next go-to is leftovers. After that, my next favorite is a hot dog in a bowl, and the dog has to be whole, covered in VanCamp's pork and beans, or even better, I can't remember the brand name right now, but baked beans in a brown jar, made with molasses, might be S&W's Boston Baked Beans. DW and I rarely eat the same thing on those nights. I usually have to cook something for her. One of her favorites is way to involved when I'm tired, but I make it anyways. She loves my homemade chicken fingers, with some kind of fried potatoes on the side. And I always have to make ranch dipping sauce to go with it. But, what is a guy to do?

Use to love making pancakes, waffles, or french toast. But blood sugar has to be kept in check.

Almost forgot, if I have any leftovers of the world's most perfect food, chili , that is always my first go to when I'm wiped out.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
My worst times are when I finish doing a long, complicated and very technical translation. They leave me drained, especially because the clients always want them yesterday, or when I'm hired for a convention on something technical like the intricacies of global warming, or pharmaceuticals and the law concerning distribution of same, or building and planting a new vineyard with winery to match. OH doesn't cook, so it's always up to me. Actually, I find washing my hands and getting stuck into the kitchen - my faithful friend - a gentle let-down, preceded by a nice hot bath. But doing something simple and basic is heaven. I love your ideas, and I'm certainly going to do them.

di reston



Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde
 
I keep a small can of Bush's Boston Recipe beans in the fridge at all times. I will open a can and feed on that, little by little. Or make a bean sandwich with it.

An egg sandwich.

A couple of slices of white bread smothered with leftover gravy, pasta sauce, or just toasted with butter. What ever I find in the fridge or freezer and can be heated up quickly in the microwave.
 
My standard is "patty and two sides." The two sides are usually a frozen veg and either oven fries or coleslaw.

Here's a step-by-step of the oven fries meal:
1. Turn on the oven to 400F and throw the griddle or grill pan on one shelf to heat up.
2. Cut potatoes (white or sweet) into cottage fries shapes and toss in olive oil & seasonings.
3. Throw the potatoes on a rack over a broiling pan. Using a rack means I don't even have to flip them. Throw the potatoes in the oven while it continues to heat. Plan to cook the potatoes about 30 minutes total.
4. About 10 minutes after the potatoes go in, throw frozen turkey/chicken/beef/fish or whatever patties on the griddle or grill pan (with a little oil under or on them).
5. Depending on the patties, cook on one side 8-10 minutes.
6. Put the frozen veg in the microwave. After that first 8-10 minutes, flip the patties and microwave the veg for 5-ish minutes.
7. After the second 8-10 minutes for the patties and 30 minutes for the spuds, it's supper.
8. Oh, one last step. Remember to turn the oven off so hubby doesn't ask why it's still on when he goes to do the dishes!
 
I keep a small can of Bush's Boston Recipe beans in the fridge at all times. I will open a can and feed on that, little by little. Or make a bean sandwich with it.

An egg sandwich.

A couple of slices of white bread smothered with leftover gravy, pasta sauce, or just toasted with butter. What ever I find in the fridge or freezer and can be heated up quickly in the microwave.

I remember you saying many times that you don't like bread...? Guess it's an emergency type meal in a pinch. ;):)
 
These days, if I really don't feel like cooking, it's usually just because I'm not that hungry. In those instances, I'll just skip the meal.

Back when I had a family around to feed and felt obligated to provide a meal of some kind, we would just go out. Or get a delivery.
 
"What do you cook when you feel washed out?"

For the most part, it appears we don't cook the we feel washed out! :LOL:
 
"What do you cook when you feel washed out?"

For the most part, it appears we don't cook the we feel washed out! :LOL:

+1, +2, +3, :ROFLMAO: Oh, reservations are a great thing to make when cooking is not on the agenda. Absolutely no cooking, you get waited on and best of all, absolutely no mess or dishes to clean up!;)
 
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