Feeling uninspired

[Justnosing]

Hi all, first time posting here so I hope I get this right…

I’ve always loved cooking, and for years was the “go to” host for family get togethers, occasions etc. over the years I became really good at it. Then I had a baby (who is now 3) I enjoyed BLW and loved trying new recipes for her at first, but after a while it became a real chore to me.

Slowly but surely, I lost all desire to cook anymore. I go to the shops and feel completely “meh” and uninspired. I feel like I buy fresh ingredients with the intention of starting to cook again but it all just goes to absolute waste because I either can’t be bothered (lazy, I know) or I’m too busy through the day/evening to start whipping things up. But I also won’t buy things like “ready meals” as I feel like they’re a cop out or unhealthy. So I end up coming out with a trolly full of crap which is hypocrisy at its finest!

As a family, we eat out or have takeaway about 4 times a week. The other nights I’ll just do “picky bits” and have a wine. The takeaways aren’t always necessarily unhealthy (although Chinese and dominos are a weekly standard 🫣) sometimes it’ll be a restaurant take out like Greek, Turkish or Wagamama etc. I know this is a really poor way of living and such a waste of money.

So what I’m asking is for some meal ideas that aren’t boring but also don’t take an age to prepare! Batch cook recipes would be great too.

thank you!

If you like Turkish food, Persiana Everday is a fab cookbook of similar vibes. Lots of easy, quick recipes (the lamb kebabs are amazing) that can be whizzed up at pace. Falastin is also great and while I haven't batch cooked from it, I have made extra and frozen the leftovers for many of the recipes

Good that you've realized that you're eating habits are u healthy - before it's too late.

Try Lebanese cuisine, which features lots of vegetables and salads and is really simple. No complicated sauces or fancy cooking techniques. Have a look at A Lebanese Feast, which is full of delicious recipes.

I agree with ThreeB - Persiana is another fantastic cookbook

Thank you! I’ll definitely have a look at that just now.

Have you thought about buying any of the foodie magazines? I always used to have either bbc good food or delicious magazine on subscription. I've stopped the subscriptions now but still buy a copy every now and then for a bit of inspiration, with additional benefit that they usually focus on seasonal recipes. Actually some of the supermarket magazines are good too, particularly Waitrose and Sainsbury's. I know you can get almost any recipe online but some time the process of flicking through a magazine is kind of relaxing and less overwhelming.

Another option would be to think about the dishes you order when out or when getting a take away. Google the dish, if you want a quick or simple version include that that in your search.
I've done this before when trying to get family to contribute to meal planning, if I get the response whatever, I allocate them a menu from a restaurant (they're all online) and tell them to pick a couple of dishes they would order and then tell them to google that recipe. It's a bit of fun to get you out of a rut.
Wagamama have a cook book if you enjoy their dishes.

These are our favourite school-night dinners:
Oven baked risotto
Fish finger tacos
Sausage stroganoff
Naan pizzas
Chicken noodles
Enchiladas
Fried rice
Chicken curry

If you scroll through the food topic, there's a thread posting weekly meal plans and one where posters try new recipes once a week and give their verdict. Might inspire 😊

I third Persiana. Wonderful book!
Look at one-pan type meals - things like traybakes, with loads of veg and some chicken or chops, all cooked together.
Jamie Oliver's website is fab. www.jamieoliver.com/family/

One of my most regular dinners is a traybake with spuds, carrots, sweet potato, peppers and mushrooms, topped with a few chicken pieces, pork chops or sausages, etc that I've marinaded in some sort of spice mix or paste. All those amazing pastes and spice mixes etc in the shops are just perfect for this.

Last night we had chicken that I'd marinaded in tandoori paste and a veg packed biryani style rice dish. A bit of prep, but then it just sat in the oven without any prodding for 30-40 mins.

I often buy a big tray of chicken breasts, chop them into chunks and divide into bags of the appropriate portions, then chuck in different spices, herbs, seasonings etc, seal and freeze. The meat absorbs the flavours as it defrosts, and you've just got to take the bag out of the freezer the night before. If you've got an electric pressure cooker, you could cook straight from frozen. I often do with my garlic and herb chicken, along with a pile of mushrooms and some pasta.

It's hard to get going but it's worth it.

Thank you all for being so helpful and kind! Love the defrosting in herbs idea, too!

Hopefully I’ll get back into my groove soon! I had a reputation to maintain 😜😂

This may sound really stupid, but I find if I marinade something in the morning it really encourages me to cook the entire meal later. Mainly because I always have good intentions but come dinnertime sometimes I just cba.

For example, I was extremely hungover this morning but wokeup and marinated some chicken legs with tandoori paste, lemon juice, methi and natural yohurt.

Literally just mixed spices with yoghurt. The fact they were already on the go encouraged me to chuck them in the oven.

I then added some chopped up peppers and onions and a few new potatoes which I seasoned liberally and added to the tray and mixed everything up.

Stirred the remaining yoghurt with a bit of mayo, lemon juice and crushed garlic to drizzle over. And made a salad of lettuce, tomato, red onion, coriander, mint and cucumber it really was a delicious and relatively cheap meal and there was clean plates all round.

I agree with getting something out of the freezer to defrost the day before- so its there, waiting to be cooked. Take aways, even if you perceive them as 'healthier' are often very high in salt amongst other things.

Batch cook lasagna or even just Bolognese sauce- which is very versatile so use in lasagne, pasta or meatballs. Cottage pie freezes well. Lots of threads on batch cooking.

I too have been marinating meat, but ideally the night before because the flavour is just so much better. I've been making this alot lately- the satay is amazing when marinated overnight. The KFC recipe can be made just before cooking.

Easy chicken satay

• chicken thighs or breast, either in cubes, strips or just whole thighs
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ginger and garlic powder, or fresh of each
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1 T soy sauce
• Juice of 1 lime, or lemon or 1 tsp vinegar

Mix the sauce in a large freezer bag, add the chicken and leave overnight, or for however long you have

Satay sauce

• in a jar, add about 2-3 T peanut butter
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 T sweet chilli sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
• 1 T coconut milk (optional)
• Shake- then add water to thin to thick, dribbly sauce consistency

Pan fry the chicken (or can be thread onto skewers but a faff IMO) till cooked and either serve with veg and/or rice.

KFC copycat chicken

• 600g-1kg chicken thighs or drumsticks
• About 1 cup golden breadcrumbs (or ground almond for low carb or gluten free)
• 1 tsp each of paprika, Italian herbs, plain garlic powder (not garlic salt), plain onion powder
• 1/2 tsp celery salt
• few grinds of black pepper

• Mix the crumbs and herbs. Dip chicken in till well coated. No need to flour, egg or anything else. I bake till crisy and serve with veg and chicken gravy, mash and veg. Any left over chicken can be sliced for sandwiches or wraps the next day.

I think it's pretty normal to lose your cooking mojo when you have a young child. I certainly did and while I've largely got it back for day to day, DH and I have never really got back to the type of entertaining we used to enjoy doing. We do entertain, just not as much or as often or as elaborately.

For me, I think the way back in was very simple food. I didn't have it in me to spend time weighing things and fiddling or whatever, so we had a few years of eating quite simple food. Often that can be a bit expensive, but it will be cheaper than takeaway! :) So for example, we went through a long period where we had things like lamb chops at least once a week. Sometimes just with steamed veg and new potatoes, sometimes I'd get a bit more creative and do something like a warm roasted pepper salsa and a salad or tzatziki and flatbreads. Ditto, we had steak once a week - again, pan friend usually served with onions and/or mushrooms and maybe mash potato or similar. Or I'd cook things like supermarket fish cakes or those big battered fish finger type pieces ("posh" fish fingers") again, with steamed veg and potatoes or so.

We also ate quite a lot of pasta because I could whip up pasta sauces quite quickly and easily.

I also found it quite relaxing sometimes if DH took DS out for an afternoon, I might make a batch of lasagna for that night and another few portions for freezing (I still do this) or potter around in the kitchen making a bit casserole or stew.