Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

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Calm Man
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Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by Calm Man »

I was not a member when the Munchkin Man was a poster but have never read such a warm, loving attitude towards another person. I do not know if cost of food is an issue for the Munchkin Man but I have an observation and question.

I eat quite similarly to the Munchkin Man however with far more calories including whole wheat grains primarily pasta as I am a long distance runner. I weigh a few pounds less than the Munchkin Man. I notice the healthy choices the Munchkin Man describes are essentially all prepared in stores or restaurants. For example, Trader Joes for spinach salad, frozen microwaveable brown rice and other things; take out healthy Chinese foods with tofu, steamed veggies, etc.

THe Munchkin Man admits to having a microwave and I assume the Munchkin Man does not like to cook. (I do not either and do not use the stovetop or oven, but use the microwave exclusively and a lot.)

Does the Munchkin Man not like to cook?
Why doesn't the Munchkin Man buy frozen vegetables which require no preparation (or fresh if he likes to cut vegetables), dry nonfrozen packages of parboiled rice (which can be done right in their bags in a microwave), tofu from the grocery store, etc? It is so much less expensive, would give the Munchkin Man better control of what and when and is as healthy or healthier? Does the Munchkin Man have an explanation for this?
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by Munchkin Man »

Calm Man wrote:I was not a member when the Munchkin Man was a poster but have never read such a warm, loving attitude towards another person. I do not know if cost of food is an issue for the Munchkin Man but I have an observation and question.

I eat quite similarly to the Munchkin Man however with far more calories including whole wheat grains primarily pasta as I am a long distance runner. I weigh a few pounds less than the Munchkin Man. I notice the healthy choices the Munchkin Man describes are essentially all prepared in stores or restaurants. For example, Trader Joes for spinach salad, frozen microwaveable brown rice and other things; take out healthy Chinese foods with tofu, steamed veggies, etc.

THe Munchkin Man admits to having a microwave and I assume the Munchkin Man does not like to cook. (I do not either and do not use the stovetop or oven, but use the microwave exclusively and a lot.)

Does the Munchkin Man not like to cook?
Why doesn't the Munchkin Man buy frozen vegetables which require no preparation (or fresh if he likes to cut vegetables), dry nonfrozen packages of parboiled rice (which can be done right in their bags in a microwave), tofu from the grocery store, etc? It is so much less expensive, would give the Munchkin Man better control of what and when and is as healthy or healthier? Does the Munchkin Man have an explanation for this?
Greetings Calm Man:

The Munchkin Man would like to thank you very much for your comments, questions, and suggestions.

You are correct about one thing:

The Munchkin Man does not like to cook.

The Munchkin Man also hates to chop up vegetables.

Cooking takes up a lot of the Munchkin Man's time.

The Munchkin Man also usually winds up making a big mess in the kitchen.

The Munchkin Man has cooked many packaged frozen and non-frozen stovetop dinners in the past.

Unfortunately, they tend to contain more calories and more sodium than the Munchkin Man desires.

It was not too long ago when the Munchkin Man described how the Munchkin Man once cooked a stovetop frozen dinner made by P.F. Chang's.

It was terrible.

The truth of the matter is that the Munchkin Man has never really learned how to cook anything substantial from scratch.

The Munchkin Man agrees that the Munchkin Man would do well to learn.

Maybe the Munchkin Man will take a few cooking lessons.

The Munchkin Man also agrees that the Munchkin Man would do well to buy some frozen vegetables.

The Munchkin Man does have a microwave oven.

The Munchkin Man uses it almost daily.

The Munchkin Man used to cook brown rice from scratch many years ago.

However, the frozen microwaveable packages of Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice taste every bit as good or better than the brown rice the Munchkin Man used to cook.

The Munchkin Man has thought about buying fresh tofu from the grocery store.

Unfortunately, the Munchkin Man has never learned how to cook tofu.

The bottom line is that the Munchkin Man loves the steamed tofu and broccoli dish that the Munchkin Man buys from the carry-out Chinese restaurant.

The Munchkin Man does not yet possess the cooking skills to prepare a better tasting steamed tofu and broccoli dish at this time.

The same thing holds true for the combination of fresh salads the Munchkin Man buys from the Whole Foods Market every week.

The Munchkin Man does not have the skills at this time to do it better.

But once again, the Munchkin Man is willing to learn.

In closing, the Munchkin Man would like to thank you once again for your comments, questions, and suggestions.

Good luck to you.

Best Wishes,

Munchkin Man
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by LadyGeek »

To update Munchkin Man - discussions of cooking, recipes, eating-in vs. take-out are perfectly acceptable for this forum. It's the medical aspects (health, diets, etc.) which need to remain off-topic. The policy for this forum: Forum Posting Guidelines - updated 2/27/12
This subforum is focused on making informed decisions about consumer goods and services (other than investing or financial).

Acceptable topics include:

- consumer goods and services (e.g., dress shirts, laptops, software)
- home maintenance
- vehicle purchases and maintenance
- leisure and recreational activities: travel, sports, entertainment

Note that topics must be directly connected to your (or your friend's or family's) life as a consumer. General comments or complaints about these topics will be removed.
Cooking and food recipes can be categorized as either leisure, entertainment, recreational, ( or chores... :) ).

To the OP: If you want to make this a general "Eat-in vs. Take-Out" thread just change the title by editing the Subject line in Post #1.
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Mrs.Feeley
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by Mrs.Feeley »

Hey, guys, here's a suggestion. Before my husband and I were married he would hire a college student to one day a week do the grocery shopping and prepare a week's worth of meals-with-salads that he could simply take out of the frig and microwave.

Congratulations, Munchkin Man, on your amazing weight loss and pursuit of good health! Here's to many more years of vitality, prosperity and lookin' good in your new wardrobe! :beer Have chuckled at many of your messages in the past and am glad to see you back!
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by jimkinny »

Tofu: no need to cook except as part of something else. I mostly use it in salads, just cut if up. It doesn't have much if any taste but good source of protein.

jim
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by Munchkin Man »

jimkinny wrote:Tofu: no need to cook except as part of something else. I mostly use it in salads, just cut if up. It doesn't have much if any taste but good source of protein.

jim
Greetings jimkinny:

Thank you very much for the information about tofu.

The Munchkin Man was under the impression that it had to be cooked or prepared in some way.

The Munchkin Man now plans to start buying some to add to Trader Joe's Super Spinach Salad and the salads the Munchkin Man buys at the Whole Foods Market.

The Munchkin Man has always liked the subtle taste of tofu.

The Munchkin Man's mother used to tell the Munchkin Man that the very first solid food the Munchkin Man ever ate as a baby was tofu.

The Munchkin Man "bonded" with tofu at a very early age.

Thanks again for the information.

Best Wishes,

Munchkin Man
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zaplunken
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by zaplunken »

Wow! The Munchkin Man is back! :o

Zaplunken loves to read posts by the Munchkin Man. :D

Zaplunken used to search for Munchkin Man threads but sadly there were no new ones leaving Zaplunken to conclude that the Munchkin Man was gone but hopefully OK. The last time Zaplunken saw a Munchkin Man posting Zaplunken sent the Munchkin Man a pm about soda and health food, that was a long time ago and there was no reply. :(

Now the Munchkin Man has returned! :happy

Welcome back my friend. :sharebeer
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by Random Musings »

Munchkin Man,

Take a little time in your life to learn that there is joy in the art of cooking. There will be some trial and error, but also satisfaction when one of your creations exceeds your expectations.

RM
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by VictoriaF »

Munchkin Man wrote:The Munchkin Man also hates to chop up vegetables.
For personal consumption, you don't need to chop vegetables perfectly; the chopped pieces do not have to be uniform or beautiful. For cooked vegetables, the larger the pieces the more vitamins they will retain after processing.

Victoria
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Chan_va
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by Chan_va »

Tofu is one of the most processed food items out there. Munchkin man would do a lot better with whole grains and lean meats.
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by Munchkin Man »

zaplunken wrote:Wow! The Munchkin Man is back! :o

Zaplunken loves to read posts by the Munchkin Man. :D

Zaplunken used to search for Munchkin Man threads but sadly there were no new ones leaving Zaplunken to conclude that the Munchkin Man was gone but hopefully OK. The last time Zaplunken saw a Munchkin Man posting Zaplunken sent the Munchkin Man a pm about soda and health food, that was a long time ago and there was no reply. :(

Now the Munchkin Man has returned! :happy

Welcome back my friend. :sharebeer
Greetings Zaplunken:

The Munchkin Man would like to thank you for your words of welcome and your expressions of joy over the Munchkin Man's return.

The Munchkin Man is very glad to be back.

Please accept the Munchkin Man's apology for the Munchkin Man's failure to respond to your private message.

The Munchkin Man must have missed it.

Thanks again for your warm and welcoming words.

Good luck to you.

Best Wishes,

Munchkin Man
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by Munchkin Man »

Random Musings wrote:Munchkin Man,

Take a little time in your life to learn that there is joy in the art of cooking. There will be some trial and error, but also satisfaction when one of your creations exceeds your expectations.

RM
Greetings Random Musings:

The Munchkin Man would like to thank you for your comments.

The Munchkin Man agrees that the Munchkin Man needs to discover and enjoy the art of cooking.

The Munchkin Man has the time.

But the Munchkin Man doesn't always have the patience.

That is why the Munchkin Man likes to go out and buy so many carry out meals.

It's a quick fix that requires no advance preparation by the Munchkin Man.

The Munchkin Man is currently on the lookout for some cooking classes in the Munchkin Man's area.

The Munchkin Man would like to take some of these classes.

Maybe this will help the Munchkin Man find a Munchkin Woman who will cook for the Munchkin Man.

Thanks again for your comments.

Good luck to you.

Best Wishes,

Munchkin Man
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by Allan »

Munchkin Man wrote:
Random Musings wrote:
Maybe this will help the Munchkin Man find a Munchkin Woman who will cook for the Munchkin Man.

Best Wishes,

Munchkin Man
MM:

Please keep us posted, can't wait for this thread!
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by Munchkin Man »

VictoriaF wrote:
Munchkin Man wrote:The Munchkin Man also hates to chop up vegetables.
For personal consumption, you don't need to chop vegetables perfectly; the chopped pieces do not have to be uniform or beautiful. For cooked vegetables, the larger the pieces the more vitamins they will retain after processing.

Victoria
Greetings Victoria:

The Munchkin Man would like to thank you for your insights on the chopping of vegetables.

The Munchkin Man has always felt intimidated by recipes which tell the Munchkin Man to chop up vegetable into exact and precise shapes.

The Munchkin Man has also felt intimidated by instructions such as "dice" and "mince."

This is probably one of the reasons why the Munchkin Man gave up trying to learn how to cook a long time ago.

It is very reassuring to the Munchkin Man to learn that the chopping of vegetables does not have to be an exact art and that larger pieces retain more vitamins than smaller ones.

Thanks again for your insights.

Best Wishes,

Munchkin Man
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by SPG8 »

Shopping for fresh food, preparing it, cooking it, eating it, cleaning up afterwards...

Takes a lot of time if you're not used to it.

Best advice I've heard is to clean up as much as possible as you go along. Very deflating to do all the work, sit down and eat, and then contemplate a trashed kitchen with a mountain of dirty dishes on a full stomach.

Sociological Fun Fact: These activities used to be called...life. They take up an inordinate amount of my time now, since I had to be rehabilitated, but I was mostly just watching TV otherwise, so no real loss. Opens up the world of unpackaged, unprocessed, real food. Well worth it.
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by MGBGTV8 »

What about one of those places like Dish DLish or Let's Dish where you cook some meals at a facility where you get instructions/supervision and some take home food. No mess at home, and there's a possibility of meeting a MunchkinWoman with similar predilections. Check your community college non-credit catalog or parks/recreation calendar for something similar.

Best of Luck!
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by Barefootgirl »

Whenever helpful threads like this veer into forbidden territory and get locked - is there another forum that Bogleheads resort to, in order to discuss similar "offtopic" topics in a like minded community?

Thanks, BFG
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Iorek
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by Iorek »

Barefootgirl wrote:Whenever helpful threads like this veer into forbidden territory and get locked - is there another forum that Bogleheads resort to, in order to discuss similar "offtopic" topics in a like minded community?

Thanks, BFG
Chowhound is probably worth checking out for food-related things.
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by nisiprius »

Munchkin Man, try not to be intimidated by cooking. I am not much of a cook, but I find that even the smallest steps away from takeout and fully-prepared convenience food are worth taking.

I frequently cook what I call "one-ingredient recipes," meaning that I simply take something, anything, and, well, cook it. Many fresh vegetables can just be microwaved--at the "fresh vegetable" setting. (Or boiled on the stove, or if you want to get really fancy, steamed). Potatoes? You brush them off under running water, and then jab a few slits into them with the point of a knife so they don't explode when microwaved. Corn on the cob? You just microwave them in their husks, about two minutes per ear. Then you slice through the blunt end--away from the silk and tassel--with a good sharp kitchen knife. Then you pull at the tassel and the tassel and husks come right off. It's not really one ingredient because I do put salt--sometimes often Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Salt and pepper on them, sometimes butter.

Here's the point. The "convenience" of convenience food is surprisingly illusory. You're paying a lot of extra money and not saving very much time and not getting very good food. And anything you can do to get closer to fresh ingredients saves an amazing amount of money and tastes amazingly better.

One-ingredient recipe: buy chicken drumsticks, spread them out in an oven pan, broil them. Add salt and pepper. Or Cayenne pepper, or dip them in wing sauce, or ketchup, or whatever.

The taste of one thing all by itself is often very good.

Eggs. I know how to boil them, fry them, scramble them, and make an omelette. My omelette-making skill is awful--they bust up when I fold them etc. but they taste fine.

I don't really cook, but when my wife was making trips that left me by myself for three days, I didn't starve and I didn't eat frozen entrees, either.
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by zaplunken »

Munchkin Man,

I have 30 years experience cooking and trust me it is not hard. I make easy to make dishes, if it can be made in 1 pot or frying pan I like it but if it requires 2 pots or pans then I probably skip it. I don't want to have a lot of dishes to wash, 1 pot is enough!

The easiest thing to make is spaghetti sauce, stew, chili or soup. You use 1 pot, chop the vegetables, put in spices, add water or stock and cook it for 2 or 3 hours, I'm a vegetarian so I don't hassle with meat. I almost live on soup, many different ones and they are simple to make. Use your imagination. Don't fret about quantities just add the same amount of say onions, celery, potatoes, green peppers, peas, beans (green or legumes) whatever and a appropriate amount of liquid (water, stock or tomato puree with water) and cook it and you have a wonderful soup. Simple, nutritious and delicious. Since you like brown rice mix it with an equal amount of cooked lentils, a small amount of fried onions and cumin - very filling and simple. Stir fry veggies in a frying pan or steam them, add a Chinese sauce from the store and your brown rice and you have another great dish. I could go on and on but you get the point, make it easy and make extra so you can freeze some or have it on and off all week.

Enjoy! :D
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by Barefootgirl »

I like the idea of homemade soups or entrees too, but grow tired after about 3 days of leftovers...hard to make small quantities.

I can certainly relate to the challenge of cooking for only one or two, with limited time and space to do so...while also wanting to eat healthfully.

Sometimes I open a can of chicken broth and whip some eggs into it to make a quick homemade egg drop soup - add some soy sauce, etc.

BFG
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by Mudpuppy »

When it comes to soup, there's an even easier alternative to chopping the basic veggies. We know MunchkinMan frequents Trader Joe's. One of their staple items is Mirepoix, which is prechopped celery, onions, and carrots. It's great for a soup base, particularly when combined with their vegetable broth. They also sell chopped onions separately. Throw some broth, the mirepoix, and a few other things in a crockpot and let it cook all day. Very easy way to make soup.

For other ideas, my entire dinner yesterday was from Trader Joe's. I got a bag of chopped onions in the fresh veggie area, a package of thin sliced chicken breasts in the meat area, a package of frozen "Hodgepodge" vegetables and a bag of brocoli from the frozen food area, and some olive oil from that area (well, had the olive oil on hand from prior trips). I sliced the chicken breasts into strips, no exact width, maybe half an inch wide. I warmed up a fry pan, then added about 1/4c of the chopped onions, a couple tablespoons of oil, and the chicken. I simmered that over medium-low heat, stirring every 5 minutes or so, for about 20-30 minutes (exact time depends on the heat, you could do very high heat like a stirfry and have it done in under 10 mins for example, but I'm not a fan of that). I removed the chicken and split it between a plate and a storage container (leftovers), then added a mix of the hodgepodge veggies and broccoli to the pan. I stirred those until they were no longer frozen and had warmed up, maybe 5-7 minutes. That had me full the whole night and wasn't too bad other than the calories from the olive oil (just don't use a ton of the oil and you'll be fine here).

I neglected the chicken several times while fiddling with my cell phone, but it all still came out fine because of the heat I used. If the chicken is forming a crust, the heat is too high (or it's been cooking long enough if the crust starts forming 20-30 mins in). I'll probably mix the leftover chicken with a bag of the frozen rice from Trader Joe's and toss with a little soy sauce. That will stretch it out another two meals.
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by tuckeverlasting »

I use a combo rice cooker/veg steamer that is almost foolproof. It makes cooking very easy. There are many kinds available and some are quite fancy. I like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-C ... B000I5UEQM


If it is not super easy and almost "not-cooking" I will not make it. After spending a good deal of my "former life" cooking for my family I have more interesting things to do! As another poster said, simple one-ingredient dishes are very, very good. I am sure you will find your way MM! :happy
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by Munchkin Man »

nisiprius wrote:Munchkin Man, try not to be intimidated by cooking. I am not much of a cook, but I find that even the smallest steps away from takeout and fully-prepared convenience food are worth taking.

I frequently cook what I call "one-ingredient recipes," meaning that I simply take something, anything, and, well, cook it. Many fresh vegetables can just be microwaved--at the "fresh vegetable" setting. (Or boiled on the stove, or if you want to get really fancy, steamed). Potatoes? You brush them off under running water, and then jab a few slits into them with the point of a knife so they don't explode when microwaved. Corn on the cob? You just microwave them in their husks, about two minutes per ear. Then you slice through the blunt end--away from the silk and tassel--with a good sharp kitchen knife. Then you pull at the tassel and the tassel and husks come right off. It's not really one ingredient because I do put salt--sometimes often Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Salt and pepper on them, sometimes butter.

Here's the point. The "convenience" of convenience food is surprisingly illusory. You're paying a lot of extra money and not saving very much time and not getting very good food. And anything you can do to get closer to fresh ingredients saves an amazing amount of money and tastes amazingly better.

One-ingredient recipe: buy chicken drumsticks, spread them out in an oven pan, broil them. Add salt and pepper. Or Cayenne pepper, or dip them in wing sauce, or ketchup, or whatever.

The taste of one thing all by itself is often very good.

Eggs. I know how to boil them, fry them, scramble them, and make an omelette. My omelette-making skill is awful--they bust up when I fold them etc. but they taste fine.

I don't really cook, but when my wife was making trips that left me by myself for three days, I didn't starve and I didn't eat frozen entrees, either.
Greetings nisiprius:

The Munchkin Man would like to thank you for your pep talk in regard to taking on the task of learning how to cook.

Your message has given the Munchkin Man the same insight the Munchkin Man came to and utilized when it came to the task of losing weight.

Instead of obsessing and worrying about not being able to lose weight...............

The Munchkin Man decided to just go ahead and do it.

Likewise...................

Instead of obsessing and worrying about not being able to learn how to cook...........

The Munchkin Man should just go ahead and do it.

The Munchkin Man also felt enlightened by your statement: "The taste of one thing all by itself is often very good."

In closing, the Munchkin Man would like to thank you once again for a very inspirational and motivating post.

Best Wishes,

Munchkin Man
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by Munchkin Man »

Iorek wrote: Chowhound is probably worth checking out for food-related things.
Greetings lorek:

Chowhound is an excellent site for reading reviews of restaurants located all across the United States.

These reviews are written by actual forum readers and participants instead of paid journalists.

Chowhound is where the Munchkin Man first learned about the Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas, which has become the Munchkin Man's favorite restaurant in the United States.

Bon Appetit!

Munchkin Man
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by Munchkin Man »

zaplunken wrote:Munchkin Man,

I have 30 years experience cooking and trust me it is not hard. I make easy to make dishes, if it can be made in 1 pot or frying pan I like it but if it requires 2 pots or pans then I probably skip it. I don't want to have a lot of dishes to wash, 1 pot is enough!

The easiest thing to make is spaghetti sauce, stew, chili or soup. You use 1 pot, chop the vegetables, put in spices, add water or stock and cook it for 2 or 3 hours, I'm a vegetarian so I don't hassle with meat. I almost live on soup, many different ones and they are simple to make. Use your imagination. Don't fret about quantities just add the same amount of say onions, celery, potatoes, green peppers, peas, beans (green or legumes) whatever and a appropriate amount of liquid (water, stock or tomato puree with water) and cook it and you have a wonderful soup. Simple, nutritious and delicious. Since you like brown rice mix it with an equal amount of cooked lentils, a small amount of fried onions and cumin - very filling and simple. Stir fry veggies in a frying pan or steam them, add a Chinese sauce from the store and your brown rice and you have another great dish. I could go on and on but you get the point, make it easy and make extra so you can freeze some or have it on and off all week.

Enjoy! :D
Greetings zaplunken:

The Munchkin Man would like to thank you for the great ideas you have suggested in your message.

The Munchkin Man doesn't like the idea of having to use and clean more than one pot either.

This is one of the many excuses the Munchkin Man has used to avoid learning how to cook.

The Munchkin Man loves your simple approach to cooking soup by adding the same quantity of each vegetable to the pot.

The Munchkin Man also likes your suggestion of combining equal amounts of brown rice and lentils with a small amount of fried onions and cumin.

The Munchkin Man is going to buy some lentils today.

The Munchkin Man is also going to try your idea of combining some stir fried vegetables with some brown rice and a Chinese sauce.

The Munchkin Man enjoys a spicy chili and garlic sauce and will probably try that one.

Thanks again for the ideas you have suggested.

Best Wishes,

Munchkin Man
Munchkin Man
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Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by Munchkin Man »

Mudpuppy wrote:When it comes to soup, there's an even easier alternative to chopping the basic veggies. We know MunchkinMan frequents Trader Joe's. One of their staple items is Mirepoix, which is prechopped celery, onions, and carrots. It's great for a soup base, particularly when combined with their vegetable broth. They also sell chopped onions separately. Throw some broth, the mirepoix, and a few other things in a crockpot and let it cook all day. Very easy way to make soup.

For other ideas, my entire dinner yesterday was from Trader Joe's. I got a bag of chopped onions in the fresh veggie area, a package of thin sliced chicken breasts in the meat area, a package of frozen "Hodgepodge" vegetables and a bag of brocoli from the frozen food area, and some olive oil from that area (well, had the olive oil on hand from prior trips). I sliced the chicken breasts into strips, no exact width, maybe half an inch wide. I warmed up a fry pan, then added about 1/4c of the chopped onions, a couple tablespoons of oil, and the chicken. I simmered that over medium-low heat, stirring every 5 minutes or so, for about 20-30 minutes (exact time depends on the heat, you could do very high heat like a stirfry and have it done in under 10 mins for example, but I'm not a fan of that). I removed the chicken and split it between a plate and a storage container (leftovers), then added a mix of the hodgepodge veggies and broccoli to the pan. I stirred those until they were no longer frozen and had warmed up, maybe 5-7 minutes. That had me full the whole night and wasn't too bad other than the calories from the olive oil (just don't use a ton of the oil and you'll be fine here).

I neglected the chicken several times while fiddling with my cell phone, but it all still came out fine because of the heat I used. If the chicken is forming a crust, the heat is too high (or it's been cooking long enough if the crust starts forming 20-30 mins in). I'll probably mix the leftover chicken with a bag of the frozen rice from Trader Joe's and toss with a little soy sauce. That will stretch it out another two meals.
Greetings Mudpuppy:

The Munchkin Man would like to thank you for the ideas and suggestions you have expressed in your message.

It so happens that the Munchkin Man is taking the Munchkin Man's weekly trip to Trader Joe's today.

The Munchkin Man only goes there once a week because it is a 45-minute drive away.

But the Munchkin Man has found that the drive is worth it, especially for their Super Spinach Salad.

The Munchkin Man will be sure to look for and purchase the Mirepoix product you suggested.

The Munchkin Man likes the idea of buying vegetables which have already been chopped.

Taking on the task of chopping vegetables is another excuse the Munchkin Man has been using to avoid learning how to cook.

The Munchkin Man does not have a chopping board at the present time.

The Munchkin is also going to look for the packages of chopped onions and the packages of the frozen "Hodgepodge" vegetables and the frozen broccoli you mentioned.

The Munchkin Man is also going to buy some thinly sliced chicken breasts and some olive oil.

In closing, the Munchkin Man would like to thank you once again for your excellent suggestions.

Bon Appetit!

Munchkin Man
Munchkin Man
Posts: 930
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:55 am

Re: Questions for the Munchkin Man about take out foods

Post by Munchkin Man »

tuckeverlasting wrote:I use a combo rice cooker/veg steamer that is almost foolproof. It makes cooking very easy. There are many kinds available and some are quite fancy. I like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-C ... B000I5UEQM


If it is not super easy and almost "not-cooking" I will not make it. After spending a good deal of my "former life" cooking for my family I have more interesting things to do! As another poster said, simple one-ingredient dishes are very, very good. I am sure you will find your way MM! :happy
Greetings tuckeverlasting:

The Munchkin Man would like to thank you for your idea about using a combination rice cooker/vegetable steamer and the make and model you suggested.

The Munchkin Man is going to look into the purchase of the one you suggested.

The Munchkin Man is fully supportive of any idea which will make the task of cooking easier for the Munchkin Man.

Thanks again!

Best Wishes,

Munchkin Man
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