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Can anyone recommend a recipe book?

18 replies

LaDamaDeElche · 11/09/2024 10:07

It's not going to be as easy as it sounds!! I've got a teen with ADHD and she's an incredibly fussy eater, not helped by lack of appetite from the meds she takes. I'm looking for a recipe book with simple, quick, nutritious meals that can be pre-prepared and put in the fridge to heat up later. She has no appetite at lunchtime, which is the main meal here in Spain, and I work in the afternoon/evenings, so would need to be something that can be made earlier that she can have for dinner, or batch cooked and frozen. Pasta sauces that can be pre-prepared work, as well as a complete dish as she can make the pasta herself. At the weekend I would be able to make things that can be eaten immediately, so doesn't need to be just recipes for batch cooking/pre-prepared, although the majority would need to be.

I don't have a lot of time to make meals that take a lot of prep and my cooking skills are average. She's not a big fan of casseroles or stews or anything like that, also not into fish either and really only will eat chicken and mince meat-wise. There are lots of ingredients in recipe books that are difficult to get here, so would be looking for one with basic ingredients - for example Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, self raising flour, raspberry chia jam (a random thing I saw in a recipe book I bought 😂) etc are not available in normal supermarkets here. We also don't have the shopping budget for meals with loads of ingredients, so would be looking for meals with fewer ingredients. If anyone has any suggestions I'd be really grateful!

OP posts:
LaDamaDeElche · 11/09/2024 19:02

Bump

OP posts:
thunderbanana · 11/09/2024 19:05

why don’t you tell us what she likes and perhaps people can recommend recipes that will match what you need?

I find cook books quite hit and miss, Jamie Oliver 5 ingredients might be worth a look as not lots of iingredients

soupmaker · 11/09/2024 19:12

I like Nigella Express for quick dinners but it may be too out there for your daughter.

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WildWildWestCoast · 11/09/2024 23:08

Why not try a website as a starting place? I recommend Recipe Tin Eats. Lots of tasty food and lots of it quick to prepare. No commitment either but, if you like it, there's a good recipe book and a second on the way.

Bjorkdidit · 12/09/2024 04:20

Will she eat the ready made tortilla that you can buy in Spain? I like it with Alioli (ready made, yellow tub) which would be a good way to add calories for her.

What about batches of meatballs to have with spaghetti, you might be able to hide grated carrot or courgette in there? Encourage her to put cheese on too.

Will she eat an omelette and can she make this herself? Again she can add cheese for flavour and calories.

Will she eat Russian salad? You can probably get a decent ready made one in places like Mercadona if you don't make it yourself.

What does she eat? Can you try and get her interested in cooking and making meals from ingredients she will eat?

Anything here:

https://spanishsabores.com/recipes/

Pan con tomate? Just toasted bread with tomatoes, olive oil and salt on. Possibly have with ham and cheese.

Recipe Index

Simple Spanish recipes are what the heart of Spain’s cuisine is all about. Most traditional foods from Spain have humble roots: they were made from whatever people had on hand, and use unfussy cooking techniques.

https://spanishsabores.com/recipes

DifficultBloodyWoman · 12/09/2024 05:12

I’d recommend an old fashioned cookbook with a lot of variety rather than ‘CelebrityChef’s Chicken Express’. First, the variety I already mentioned and second, celebrity chef cookbooks tend to run on a theme with exotic ingredients thrown in.

Try the ‘Good Housekeeping Cookery Book’ or similar. Australian Women’s Weekly have similar all purpose cookbooks.

Actually, the Australian Women’s Weekly has a fantastic selection of more specialized cookbooks. You might want to ignore my advice in the first paragraph about celebrity and themed books and buy Australian Women’s Weekly Chicken Cookbook. (I googled, it exists!).

blueberrycherubandbump · 12/09/2024 05:15

The BBC website is great. Sit together and pick out a few options to try

Stirmish · 12/09/2024 06:07

Nosh for students might fit the bill

ghostbusters · 12/09/2024 06:40

Another vote for Jamie Oliver 5 Ingredients. We got it for Christmas a few years ago and it's the only cool book I have used recently. There's a lot of recipes I won't make but a lot of nice, simple tasty meals.

LaDamaDeElche · 12/09/2024 09:53

ghostbusters · 12/09/2024 06:40

Another vote for Jamie Oliver 5 Ingredients. We got it for Christmas a few years ago and it's the only cool book I have used recently. There's a lot of recipes I won't make but a lot of nice, simple tasty meals.

This was a cook book I was thinking about getting a while ago, so I'm going to give that a try! Thank you.

OP posts:
LaDamaDeElche · 12/09/2024 09:55

thunderbanana · 11/09/2024 19:05

why don’t you tell us what she likes and perhaps people can recommend recipes that will match what you need?

I find cook books quite hit and miss, Jamie Oliver 5 ingredients might be worth a look as not lots of iingredients

Edited

She doesn't really like anything apart from the usual unhealthy stuff teenagers like. I'm looking to try some new recipes thar may be tolerable to her. The Jamie Oliver book looks good.

OP posts:
LaDamaDeElche · 12/09/2024 10:02

Bjorkdidit · 12/09/2024 04:20

Will she eat the ready made tortilla that you can buy in Spain? I like it with Alioli (ready made, yellow tub) which would be a good way to add calories for her.

What about batches of meatballs to have with spaghetti, you might be able to hide grated carrot or courgette in there? Encourage her to put cheese on too.

Will she eat an omelette and can she make this herself? Again she can add cheese for flavour and calories.

Will she eat Russian salad? You can probably get a decent ready made one in places like Mercadona if you don't make it yourself.

What does she eat? Can you try and get her interested in cooking and making meals from ingredients she will eat?

Anything here:

https://spanishsabores.com/recipes/

Pan con tomate? Just toasted bread with tomatoes, olive oil and salt on. Possibly have with ham and cheese.

She eats allioli and toastadas etc. Not a fan of eggs, apart from scrambled, so doesn't love tortilla, tapas type food isn't such a problem for her to eat, but just want her to get some proper dinners inside her. We do protein shakes to keep up the calories intake and give medicine brakes at least one day at the weekend, both if she doesn't have too much homework, so she gets more food inside her then. She isn't interested in cooking at all unfortunately. Food is just something that she knows is necessary for her, but not particularly enjoyable or of any interest.

OP posts:
LaDamaDeElche · 12/09/2024 10:13

An example of dinners this week - spaghetti bolognaise (likes that, but not as much as she used to), chicken fajitas and salad (only tolerates this one), pasta with smoked salmon, chopped tomatoes, cream and onion sauce (likes that), and tonight breaded chicken with salad (likes that too).

OP posts:
blueberrycherubandbump · 12/09/2024 10:35

Not a meal per se, but how about smoothies with added veggies and fats like avocado and peanut butter. Get her a fancy travel cup she likes and it might take off

LaDamaDeElche · 12/09/2024 20:41

blueberrycherubandbump · 12/09/2024 10:35

Not a meal per se, but how about smoothies with added veggies and fats like avocado and peanut butter. Get her a fancy travel cup she likes and it might take off

Tried peanut butter in a smoothie and she could taste it and wouldn't drink it. Avocado might be worth a try if it could be disguised with other flavours. At the moment I do one with whole milk, Greek yogurt, honey and chocolate protein powder which she loves. Will have to try some more.

OP posts:
blueberrycherubandbump · 13/09/2024 07:34

Avocado can be hidden quite well by chocolate. There are also other nut butters - cashew, almond, sunflower. Oats are a good addition for calories. Acidic fruit like pineapple pairs well with greens like spinach

sandgrown · 13/09/2024 07:36

Delia Smith’s complete cookery course is good and you can probably get it in a charity shop now

FrothyCothy · 13/09/2024 07:38

I’m a big fan of Taming Twins recipe website and I have one of her books. Nothing crazy, just easy family meals.

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