Im fed up having shite dinners

[ssd]

Am mid 50s, working on my feet all day. Im just tired. There was very limited choice and i didnt enjoy what i made.

Oh well.

Well, what did you make?

Perhaps more context? Due to cost issues or being too tired etc?

This is why I have become alot more reliant on deliveroo, or making EXACTLY what I actually want.

However, the mental effort involved in both of those means what I actually want is someone to put any hot meal in front of me that I've not had to think about.

What kind of cook are you? What are your constraints (e.g. time/money/skill set)?

what I actually want is someone to put any hot meal in front of me that I've not had to think about. This is me to a tee

What was it?

This....exactly

Also food I've not had to shop for, carry home, put away. think about, defrost etc etc

It was a half of aa microwave meal and oven chips

I was hungry and tired and hardly any food in as i hadn't been shopping, i can cook but too tired, i fell asleep after it

Work in retail, 8 hours on my feet, long commute, min wage, I'm knackered

Do you have a slow cooker? Makes life a lot easier and you can make delicious curries, chilli, stews etc, sometimes you have to pan fry ingredients for a few mins, some recipes you just throw all the ingredients in and turn it on. Plenty great slow cooker recipe books out there.

Also this book has some very easy meals, this book got me into cooking, I was eating rubbish before.

www.amazon.co.uk/Quick-Roasting-Tin-Rukmini-Iyer/dp/1529110068/ref=asc_df_1529110068/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310882654267&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13893758720406365784&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007330&hvtargid=pla-756930166719&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

Ive got a slow cooker but cant face those ingredients at 7.45 when i leave for work and can't be arsed the night before, thats assuming i have all ingredients to hand. But thanks @Canna89. Im just tired and moany.

Yeah that sounds a bit flat.

When I CBA to cook I think just boiled eggs or something else really simple is better than trying to think of something or a ready meal.

Really nice easy things I like to make for myself...

Put a couple of sausages in the oven to cook...serve with supermarket potato salad

Hummus and pita bread

Salami and cheese on rye bread

Cheese, crackers and chutney

Tin of tomato soup and a toasted cheese sandwich

Chicken thighs- skinless and boneless. Smash flat. Zest of a lemon/lime lots of salt and pepper and oil. Stick in a griddle pan for 4/5 mins on each side. Meanwhile boil up some rice and at the last 3 mins fling in some frozen peas.
Take the chicken out, deglaze the pan with a juice of a lemon- save this sauce. while the chicken is resting chop up some corriander

serve the rice with the peas mixed in, place chicken on top and pour over the juice. Sprinkle over the coriander. Eat.

Takes 20 min from prep to plate.

You can switch the flavours about-
Harrissa and black olives
pesto and broccoli
chipolte and tomatoes.

Why don't you batch cook? On a none working day, cook 3/4 meals for when you are working.

Dump bags for your slow cooker? the basic idea is create a bag of food freeze it then the night before stick it in the slow cooker switch it on before you leave (as it will now have defrosted) then take that night's portion freeze the rest in portions and you batch cook at the same time do several different meals in a week and you have batch cooked several different meals

I'm probably not explaining this well

so you left at 7:45, worked 8 hours so home about 4pm. What was stopping you from cooking a meal?

get a cooking pot, buy some ready cut veg stew packs and some already diced chicken and some stockpot there you have a healthy made stew. shovve it in a big pot with some water and let it boil away

What a helpful post. The OP is tired and fed up. But if it made your day better to get your little dig in then well done you.

Did you miss the bit where she says 'long commute'?

i hate cooking. It just bores me.

i signed up to Mindful Chef, but lots of other companies do the same, and love it. The recipes are very easy to follow and all the ingredients are measured out in one bag. That takes the faff out of it. I find that much easier to deal with emotionally as the boring tedious bit of gathering materials is done.

You think someone who works in retail is home by 4pm?

My can’t be bothered to cook meals are poached egg on toast with tinned tomatoes or jacket potato in the microwave with cheese and beans.

I hear you. It's just the mental load of it isn't it? If I could afford it I would have healthy takeaways every day and take the leftovers for lunch.

I know lots of people who work in retail that are home by 4. There’s loads of different shifts out there

I feel your pain. I work a 10 hour day and don’t enjoy cooking.

Even when I can be arsed, my dinners are simple stuff - one tray of chicken/sausages/fish & veg roasted in the oven, pasta or stirfry.

On the absolutely cannot be arsed days, I have eggs of some sort or a cheese toastie and then yoghurt & fruit. I had an omelette tonight as that was the maximum effort I could muster up.

Simply Cook 3 step meals are a revelation.

I hate cooking during the week and it's normally a late cook due to DH hours, but they are absolutely amazing.20 minutes and you have a tasty dinner. The Tuscan sausage penne is a fave here.

Just take a couple of chicken breasts (or whatever protein you are using) in the morning and a few veg staples.

I loathe having to decide what to do for dinner after being at work all day. I actually enjoy doing these and it's all fresh 😌