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Food/recipes

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Original poster

What can me and DH eat together?

67 replies

KitKat1985 · 25/01/2017 12:48

So me and DH are quite unusual if terms of her compatibility with eating habits - I'm a vegetarian and he isn't (indeed, he very much likes his meat and fish and isn't very keen on eating meat substitutes). DH however absolutely hates cheese - every variety, and won't eat anything with cheese in it or on it. He's also not very keen on a lot of vegetables, and would turn his nose up and beans / lentils etc. You can see how this rules out a lot of veggie meals!

So what tends to happen at meal times is I make a veggie and a meat version of everything (so for example last night I made two toad in the holes - one with 'real' sausages and one with veggie ones, or a meat curry and a veggie one, or a beef and veggie version of Bolognese etc). Whilst it's not a problem per se it does mean we are forever cooking two lots of everything and doing double washing up.

Just once in a while it would be nice to cook something veggie that he would eat too. I do once in a while do omelettes but am otherwise stuck! Any ideas?!?

OP posts:

BertrandRussell · 26/01/2017 15:48

". He was nearly 30 then and he hasn't improved a lot in the past 7 years!"
Such a bummer for men, isn't it? The way their penises get in the way when they try to cook, ore wash up...........

witwootoodleoo · 26/01/2017 15:57

I challenge any one not to enjoy this recipe. I didn't tell my husband what was in it and left out the greens and he wolfed it down. He asked for seconds and I told him what was in it. He turned his nose up at it and I mocked him.

It's a regular in our house now.

Original poster

KitKat1985 · 26/01/2017 17:31

Oooh that butternut squash pasta looks lovely!

Can I just clear up that DH isn't a cocklodger. He's at work all day and yet pitches right in with childcare / washing up / putting kids to bed when he's back from work. Plus there are several jobs he does for me. For example I bloody hate ironing so he does it all! I ENJOY cooking (whereas as I have said DH is crap at it and doesn't enjoy it) and as I have previously stated I enjoy getting a bit of respite from the DD's of an evening by burying myself in the kitchen for half an hour in relative peace, so can we just ease off the DH bashing now?

OP posts:

PurpleDaisies · 26/01/2017 17:46

I do most of the cooking in our house kitkat. Dh does cook occasionally and I've taught him how to do things other than freezer food but I really enjoy it and he doesn't. He does all the washing up and plenty of other stuff too.

If it works for you, don't worry about the negative comments. Equal division of labour doesn't necessarily mean everyone doing half of every job.

Foldedtshirt · 26/01/2017 17:47

You're a saint and he needs to learn to cook.

finova · 26/01/2017 17:57

Tomato wise:

Mexican eggs
Cuban eggs and rice- some recipes add fried banana which is actually really nice!
Ratatouille
Piperade
Minestrone

Egg wise:
Spanish tortilla
Breakfast burrito
Egg and chips (could add ham)

Risotto

ChipmunkSundays · 26/01/2017 18:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PassiveAgressiveQueen · 27/01/2017 08:18

kitkat how do you expect him to get better if he doesn't do it. Buy him a starter cook book and leave him to it.

lrb978 · 27/01/2017 08:36

KitKat twisting the problem on its head slightly, how about alternating batch cooking and freezing where possible? Eg, bolognaise. One time cook 5 portions of the meat sauce, eat one and freeze four. Next time just defrost and reheat one while you batch cook the veggie one. Eventually each time you will just need to batch cook one type while defrosting the other.

I know it wont work for all, but then again, something like toad-in-the-hole, you could maybe do toad-out-of-the-hole, so one giant yorkshire, with sausages of whatever variety (and maybe some roast veg) on the side.

PurpleDaisies · 27/01/2017 08:41

I know it's a cliche but do you have a slow cooker? Anybody can work a slow cooker. Your dh could definitely put something in and turn it on even if he's the world's most useless cook. There's no usually no cooking involved before stuff goes in, only chopping and measuring. They're better for meat in my experience but that would be a way of getting him doing at least some of the cooking.

Allalonenow · 27/01/2017 08:58

Vegetable paella made with vegetables he will eat, meanwhile cook a pork chop/chicken legs to add to his meal.
You could do the same with risotto, pea and asparagus risotto with a portion of chicken for him. Towards the end of cooking the risotto divide it into portions, keep your warm, and quickly stir small diced chicken pieces into his portion to heat through.
Stir fry a vegetarian mix with noodles, meanwhile warm some pork ribs in the oven to serve with his portion.

Not sure if those ideas will help you, but it must be a bit dispiriting for you. Will he not try meat alternatives, as that would help you a lot reading your toad in the hole story.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 27/01/2017 09:03

I second batch cooking - it's no more hassle to make a curry for six people than it is for one. You could have veggie and meat curries, chillies, pie fillings, spag bol and an alternative veggie pasta sauce all on the go and then it's just a defrost and reheat job. Or make up a ton of veggie bases for stuff and just add a handful of extra veg to yours/meat to his (Markies used to do a range called 'just a handful' which is small portions of cooked chicken, ham etc which worked out dear but are super convenient for this sort of thing).

BertrandRussell · 27/01/2017 09:31

All you women with men who "can't cook".

How do you feel about being in a relationship with a man incapable of looking after himself and your children if you were in hospital for a fortnight?

HelsBels5000 · 27/01/2017 09:34

My husband and kids would live on chicken nuggets and oven chips or pizza for the entire period Bert

PurpleDaisies · 27/01/2017 09:36

helsbels after my parents split up my dad fed us on pizza, chips and chickens nuggets every other weekend for about five years!

BertrandRussell · 27/01/2017 09:38

Jesus. And you're happy with that? More to the point, he's happy with that?

How pathetic not to be able to look after your own children.

Original poster

KitKat1985 · 27/01/2017 09:38

I've always been a bit confused by batch cooking. Obviously I get that you make extra and put some in the freezer, but how do you go about heating it up when needed? Can you cook it from frozen or do you have to defrost it first? Can you just put it in the microwave to heat it and if so how long for?

Thank you for the ideas. Much appreciated.

In answer to what vegetables DH will eat he likes onion, mushrooms, garlic, tomatoes, stir-fry and most salad items. He will tolerate peppers, sprouts, carrot and broccoli in small quantities. He won't eat peas, sweetcorn, swede, cauliflower, beans or lentils.

OP posts:

Original poster

KitKat1985 · 27/01/2017 09:40

DH would also live on frozen food if I wasn't here (and did for many years before we started going out). I'm hoping he's never solely responsible for the DDs diet for any significant length of time.

OP posts:

PurpleDaisies · 27/01/2017 09:41

Obviously I get that you make extra and put some in the freezer, but how do you go about heating it up when needed? Can you cook it from frozen or do you have to defrost it first? Can you just put it in the microwave to heat it and if so how long for?
I normally get it out in the morning (or the night before) to defrost then put it in the microwave until it's obviously boiling hot. If it's a shepherds pie or similar it goes in the oven from defrosted for about 30-40 minutes, again until it's boiling. I'll often make chillis or curries etc and just cook fresh rice/pasta to go with them.

Tubbyinthehottub · 27/01/2017 09:42

We are a bit like this except my DH will eat veggie mince or quorn pieces. We have individual pies with vegetables, if he's having chicken I will do the same for me but with quorn fillet, sausage based dinner just different types of sausage etc. Maybe you can slowly get him eating more vegetables and beans to make life easier? Mine probably wouldn't have made himself a bean chilli before we were together but he'll happily eat one now.

BertrandRussell · 27/01/2017 09:43

Are these excuses for men not ashamed of themselves?

PurpleDaisies · 27/01/2017 09:45

It's not always the men. One of my sisters doesn't cook because she's useless at it. Her dh does all the cooking and she washes up afterwards. I know they're not the only relationship where it works like that.

user1478860582 · 27/01/2017 09:53

I'm male and do all the cooking in the house. My wife just doesn't like it. If you don't like cooking then the results are never really all that good.

If I wasn't around she would survive on freezer food and basics, but like most marriages we play to our strengths. Isn't that what marriage is about?

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 27/01/2017 10:00

My husband doesn't cook and is most assuredly not a poor excuse for a man. He could if he had to but he doesn't enjoy it and I do. He does far more around the house than I do in every other respect. This works for us.

BertrandRussell · 27/01/2017 10:03

A properly adult human being, particularly one with children, should be able to cook healthy, nutritious tasty food. Even if they don't like doing it.It's not bloody rocket science.

And of course play to your strengths. I hate hoovering, so I very rarely do it. But if dp was in hospital for a fortnight the place wouldn't be knee deep in dog hair when he came home.

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