Revisions | The Great Awakening - Where We Go Qne, We Go All!

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Would you recommend using supplements like protein powder and creatine, or getting it all naturally through food?

Some people swear by them, however I'm a minimalist who tries to make lasting and permanent life changes and I don't like spending money. Instead, I have high-protein yogurt for breakfast (which is quick and delicious with diced fruit or a swirl of honey or maple syrup) and try to incorporate lots of protein into my normal meals without supplements. It's not as efficient, but I get the same result over time.

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My dad still does oven pizza and fries on some nights.

Life is a roller-coaster for everyone and I'm sorry this year has been difficult.

It does sound like you have an opportunity to learn how to cook some basic, healthy, high-protein meals for yourself and your father. I'd recommend teaching yourself by cooking lunches for yourself until you perfect the recipes. I've tried to create a list of very basic suggestions.

Your father may feel self aware and guilty about what is happening and may discourage you from learning how to cook because he's worried your mother will believe YOU are looking after him, so perhaps handle this carefully. He may try to discourage you if he doesn't understand you simply want to better yourself. If it creates unwanted drama than consider teaching yourself to cook meals by cooking yourself lunches whenever you can.

Remember to leave the kitchen cleaner than you found it. Wash everything dish you used and also wash everything else and wipe down the sink, counter and taps when you're done.

Here are my random thoughts on learning to cook some healthy, cheap, quick, easy meals:

Learn how to make instant gravy: Thoroughly combine gravy powder and water in a mug. Microwave it for 20 seconds and then stir it to prevent the powder forming a lump in the bottom of the cup. Repeat a few more times until it's thick. Let it bubble up and get super hot on the last final heating so you know it's completely cooked / completely thickened. Add some cold water if it's too thick and heat it again until it's how you like it, but keep it runny so it's not salty and overpowering.

Do you like instant mashed potato? Some people don't like it but I love it, especially with white pepper mixed in. If you haven't tried it then I recommend you give it a go because all you need is to combine white pepper, the potato powder and boiling water and let it sit for ten minutes. Reheat in the microwave and serve. Delicious with instant gravy and nice with sweet corn kernels mixed in.

Roast carrot is easier than blanching or steaming it and far more delicious. Just peel some carrots. Halve or quarter them into very thick, long fingers. Place on spray-oiled alfoil covered oven tray. Lightly spray with oil and cook in 400F / 200C preheated oven for 20 minutes. They'll shrink slightly and become sweet as they roast. Delicious and easy if you're already cooking something in the oven.

Frozen chicken schnitzels, frozen pot pies and frozen sausage rolls are cheap and easy and relatively healthy. Just put them in a preheated oven for as long as the packaging cooking instructions say. It couldn't be easier.

Frozen peas or corn: combine water in a microwave jug or coffee mug and microwave until bubbling. Leave in the water until just before serving so they stay hot. Strain and serve.

Here's three examples of healthy, cheap, quick and easy meals using the above skills:

Chicken schnitzel with mashed potato, roast carrot, peas and gravy: the whole meal will take you about five minutes to prepare and couldn't be simpler. Thaw the frozen peas and make the instant mashed potato and gravy while waiting for the schnitzel and carrots to roast.
Individual beef pot pie and oven fries served with roast carrot, blanched broccolini and gravy: Put the frozen pie, oven fries and carrot sticks in the oven and you're basically done. Boil a pot of water to blanch the broccolini for 60 seconds and make some gravy before serving. Less than 5 minutes of effort.
Sausage roll with cheesy cauliflower, roast potatoes, blanched carrot, peas and gravy: You can buy delicious frozen roast potatoes (flavored with garlic and rosemary) and frozen cheesy cauliflower that just needs to be microwaved. Cook the frozen sausage rolls with the frozen roast potatoes (or oven fries) in the oven. Microwave the cheesy cauliflower and boil a pot of water and blanch the carrot sticks and peas for three minutes. Make some gravy and serve.

The reason I gave three examples was to show how many different meal variations you can easily make with a few skills and very little effort. There are so many delicious and healthy frozen pies, schnitzels, chicken kiev, frozen crumbed tenders, pastizzis, sausages, etc. Frozen scalloped (cheesy) potatoes are also delicious. I also make stuffing balls from a grocery store mix, bake and freeze them... and thaw them and warm them in the oven when I want a nice side for a gravy meal.

Chili con carne on rice with grated cheese and English cucumbers: I can give you a quick chili con carne recipe, but you can buy very nice and cheap canned chili con carne from the grocery store. Then all you'll need to do is make some rice or use the 90 second instant microwave rice and microwave the chili. Add some grated cheese and some English cucumber slices for some fresh green color and a cool taste to contrast the hot chili. I prefer the long, green English cucumber because the skin is healthy and delicious and it doesn't need to have the seeds removed because they're so soft and nice too. Chili con carne is very healthy, the beans are extremely healthy and contain protein.

Making perfect stove-top rice is easy, but needs a little experimentation based on the size of the pot you're using and what type of lid it has. Combine dry rice and 1.8 times the rice's weight in COLD water in a pot with a glass lid. Using cold water will stop the rice being sticky. No need to wash the rice first. Cover and bring to a boil then reduce to the lowest heat for 16 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the rice to sit for at least ten minutes to finish absorbing the water and cooking without taking the lid off or mixing it. Doing it this way will prevent any rice from sticking or burning to the bottom of your pot. You'll need to break the rice up with a fork before serving, but it'll come out perfect.

If I know I'm making a dinner with rice, I'll make the rice as soon as I get home from work and just reheat it briefly in the microwave before serving. My stove-top has a timer so I can set it to cook for 16 minutes and then turn itself off... which means I get perfect rice with about 20 seconds of effort.

Or just use the 90 second microwave rice from the grocery store. That's not quite as nice, but it's still cheap and couldn't be easier.

Omelette with baked beans and buttered bread: eggs and baked beans are great sources of protein. I heat the oil in the fry-pan until hot, then tip most of it down the sink so I use only enough to coat the pan. This keeps it healthy and prevents it being oily and unpleasant. Consider frying some sliced mushroom in the oil before adding the egg. Add some fresh parsley to the egg to make it look pretty. Put some white pepper in the egg and in the baked beans to make the meal even more delicious. Try it because it really makes a huge difference. Some grocery stores sell "lightly dried" parsley in little packets that have long expiry dates and also freeze well. I much prefer this to using dried parsley flakes when making omelette.

Chicken penne pasta and broccolini arrabbiata: arrabbiata is just a spicy tomato pasta sauce that most grocery stores sell. You might need to buy a few brands until you find one you like, but it'll be worth it. This meal relies on leftover cooked chicken or using a filled pasta that contains meat. I always keep some leftover cooked chicken in my freezer to thaw it for making this meal. You might want to buy some cooked chicken or cook some yourself if you don't have leftovers. Instructions for one serving: bring a pot of salted water to the boil, add 80g of penne pasta and boil until cooked. Throw in 80g of sliced broccolini to blanch for 30 seconds then drain immediately. Add the thawed chicken pieces and pasta sauce back into the now empty pot and heat until bubbling. Combine with the pasta and broccolini and throw in some grated tasty cheese or parmesan. Cheap and easy with LOTS of vegetables and protein from the chicken. Takes about 30 seconds of preparation because that's how long it takes to slice up some broccolini. The broccolini does a good job of filling you up rather than having a large meal of mostly pasta carbs. It doesn't need any more carbs, but if you're preparing it for someone else then consider cooking some garlic bread in the oven to go with the meal.

This meal also works well with gnocchi (potato dumplings that take only a couple of minutes to cook in UNSALTED boiling water) and a range of "fresh" filled pasta like beef ravioli or ricotta and spinach agnolotti rather than using leftover chicken.

Chinese Beef and Broccoli on Rice: you'll need beef stir-fry strips from your grocery store, some fresh broccoli and a bottle of nice stir-fry sauce. You'll need to buy a few to see which ones you like, or you could make your own with a few ingredients, but I think it'll be better for you to experiment with that later. Chinese beef and broccoli traditionally uses a flavored soy sauce, but any variation will be fine. Black bean is good or just a generic dark colored "stir-fry" sauce will almost certainly be good too. Fry the beef and then throw in the sliced broccoli for a few minutes and then dump in some sauce. That's it. It would probably be nice with any meat or even sliced up sausages. Use the stove-top rice recipe from earlier or microwave a packet of 90 second instant rice. Keep the serving of rice small and make the meal more about the protein and vegetables and the tasty sauce.

If you do start teaching yourself to cook, write down every recipe on your computer and create numbered versions as you experiment and make adjustments because that's how you perfect them. If you haven't cooked something in a few months, you'll never remember the important details like seasoning measurements.

Let me know if you have any questions or want some more recipe ideas. I tried very hard not to include anything complicated or expensive.

2 years ago

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