Just can't face cooking

[Icedlatteplease]

Totally struggling at the moment, both physically and mentally. There is a lot happening in life that isnt difficult. Cooking just isn't happening. Both from the mental load perspective or the tidying up after. I'm picking up a few ready meals for us as a family and a few jar pasta bake sauces. I'm missing fresh food but everytime I buy ingredients they are just going to waste and send my straight for s takeaway menu

Plus stress means DD is struggling with textures. Anything mushrooms is out

Any recipies that are literally throw stuff together?

That is difficult!!

What about something really easy like baked potatoes with tuna, beans, sweetcorn and ready grated cheese.
Or salmon, packet rice and stream fresh microwave veggies?

Don't worry about cooking, just go easy. Beans on toast, jacket potatoes (microwave first so only need to be in oven for 20 mins), fishfinger sandwich, stuffed pasta

Tortellini or plain pasta and pesto with some bagged salad

Have you got freezer space for some veg that you can add to the side of a ready meal?

Can your children be roped in to do any prep work?

Pizza baguette. Sliced baguette, bit of tomato puree, squeeze of ketchup, drizzle of oil, bit of grated cheese, airfyer for 5 minutes. Salad on the side.

Annoyingly my kids will never ever not eat these. Doesn't matter what loving alternative I put in front of them, this is the dream.

Tomato and pesto spaghetti realfood.tesco.com/recipes/tomato-and-pesto-spaghetti.html

Fish finger tacos realfood.tesco.com/recipes/fish-finger-tacos.html

Cheat’s fish pie www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/recipes/easy-fish-pie-1

Sausage traybake www.coop.co.uk/recipes/sticky-sausage-traybake

Fresh pasta with a tub of tomato and marscapone sauce (most supermarkets do the pasta and sauce on a 2 for £3.5 type deal) - takes 5 mins to cook and if you chuck some fresh herbs and Parmesan over the top tastes very fresh.

It only takes one pan as you boil the pasta and then chuck the sauce in on top until it's heated through, or microwave the sauce in the tub

Fresh soup with bread/ cheese sandwiches/ garlic bread on the side

sausages (in the oven on a tray) and ready made microwaveable mash with frozen peas

Jacket potatoes with beans and cheese

stir fry - again buy a stir fry deal from wherever , chuck it all in a pan.

there's a lady near me who advertises home cooked meals that she delivers frozen.

if you have a local butchers they quite often do ready to cook meatballs in sauce, stir fry mixes etc that you could just serve up with fresh pasta of microwave rice.

Tray bakes might be good in terms of minimal input. What about cooking stuff with ready prepped ingredients? Frozen chopped onions or Sofrito mix, microwave packets of rice, ready prepped stir fry veg, fresh pasta, bags of ready to eat salad leaves etc. If you buy fish from the fish counter in supermarkets most also have flavoured butters to cook them with.

Yes tray bakes are the thing I could get along with most. I just have absolutely not trybakes in my cooking vocabulary!

Aldi ready meals are very good, no ingredients you wouldn't have in your kitchen generally. I add some bagged salad & salad veg and thats a very quick meal. Salads generally now that its warmer, add some mackerel, ham or leftover chicken. Raw veg are often preferred bu children, carrot, cucumber, celery sticks, baby toms. Roast chicken is an easy one, bung in the oven with all the veg, and use leftovers cold for tomorrow. Or tray baked chicken pieces with tomato's and potato's around it, and bagged salad again.

What about salads, soups

DD will cook a couple of times a week bit tbh She's struggling as much as I am an battling severe stress migraines and trying to get through her mock Alevels. DS

I'd do Jacket potatoes, although DD struggles with the texture.

Anything that requires throwing prepped ingredients together would be a win.

Looking through the rest with thanks

Oh are they!! That would help hugely

If you buy ciabatta rolls, and side through middle, they can be frozen and then used for pizza toasts.

Sorry, quite a few ideas as I'm only now coming out of a phase of this myself so I do feel your pain. Lots of "convenience" food can still be healthy and easy, and things like fishcakes or crumbed chicken/fish work really well and quickly in the airfryer if you have one. Using frozen or jarred chopped onions, garlic, ginger etc is great and other frozen veg like spinach, corn, carrots are super convenient and mean you can quickly add some fresh vegetables to any meal without worrying about buying them and then they go off.

My "no cook" pasta sauce could also be a good one for you:
Cook penne or similar pasta shape.
While cooking, in a bowl mix together a tub of ricotta cheese, zest of one lemon, some grated garlic (or use garlic powder or garlic oil), some oil (unless you've used garlic oil), and a handful of grated parmesan.
Just before pasta is ready, use a mug to get about half a cup of the hot water out then add a bag of fresh baby spinach.
Drain the pasta and spinach, then mix with the ricotta mix, adding a little of the cooking water if necessary to loosen things up.
Serve with more parmesan and some black pepper and salt.
Add cooked chicken or smoked salmon for extra protein if you prefer.

Roasted veg are my easy option - roughly chop your preferred veg and put in a large roasting tray with some olive oil (feel free to buy prepared veg or things like cherry tomatoes that don't need cutting/slicing). Season or flavour if you like, but I don't always bother! Then serve with couscous (which is basically instant) and feta/goats cheese.My preference is tomato, butternut/sweet potato, aubergine and onion and sometimes we have it with hummus and flat breads instead. I also like cauliflower, courgette and broccoli. Or do carrots and cauliflower and season differently - cumin, honey and mustard seeds for example - and serve with rice (pouches are easiest in these moments).

I second the fresh pasta with sauce. Ready made tomato and mascarpone or pesto make it much nicer. I'm a big fan of a few rocket leaves or something added as well. It's also very easy to make a big batch of tomato and mascarpone sauce which you can then portion and freeze - sauté chopped onions until soft with some chopped garlic (feel free to use frozen onion/garlic). Add two tins of chopped tomatoes, a bit of paprika, some oregano, a spoonful of sugar and some salt and pepper and approximately 2 cups of water or stock. Stir and leave to simmer for 20-35 minutes so that the liquid is significantly reduced. Add a tub of mascarpone and stir to combine and season to taste. If you like it smooth, use a stick blender to smooth it out. Keeps in the fridge for at least 3 days or in the freezer in individual portions.

Packs of frozen veg are great. And mostly cooked in the oven here!

Have you come across the book 'How to Keep House While Drowning' by KC Davies? I found it so helpful in your frame of mind. It deals with cooking well as housekeeping and other aspects of caring for a family.

If you're spending quite a lot of money on takeaways how about switching to something like Hello Fresh or Gousto? I've never used them but believe you select your meals and the ingredients arrive portioned up with a recipe card (maybe some chopping involved!) but seems a good way to get fresh food without too much effort

Gnocchi traybake as a change from pasta? Something like this Gousto one - you could use ready made tomato sauce or Lidl do tins of chopped tomatoes with added garlic / herbs, etc.

This one is nice too but a bit more prep - could always buy ready chopped veg / frozen & I don't see why that wouldn't work?

Baked orzo also very nice and easy - tomato one but you can follow the same principle with any veg. Nice with soft cheese stirred through at the end to make it a bit creamier.

Soft cheese also good for quick pasta sauce - thin out with a bit of cooking water & add eg chopped ham / sweetcorn.

Roasted veg in any form as mentioned by a few others - stirred through pasta / with couscous / in wraps, etc.

Anything in a wrap with a load of salad & coleslaw on the side - breaded chicken, ready made kofta type things, fish fingers, ready made falafel / pakora, halloumi, etc.

Traybakes - any combination of baby potatoes, squash, chopped peppers, aubergine, courgette, red onion - I always add mushrooms but you can leave out - toss with oil/ dried herbs / stick a few garlic cloves or citrus wedges in if you fancy, shove chicken thighs / sausages on top & bake. Fish works well too but veg take longer to cook so add fish partway through.

Salmon / tuna, packet rice, steamed veg. Spread miso or other topping i the fish before air-frying (or cook in oven)

Stir fry - veg, noodles, ready made sauce, protein. M&S meal deal is pretty good with everything you need, think most supermarkets do similar.

Slightly more effort but still really easy, I do an old WW recipe which is basically chicken breasts with a basil leaf inside, flattened a bit, mix pesto & soft cheese & dollop on top with a bit of parmesan (& sliced tomato if you fancy it). Bake in oven - we serve with jacket spuds / baby potatoes roasted at the same time.

Tray bake idea - I tend to put things in little piles so if someone doesn't like something they are not having to pick it out.

Get a tray, cover in foil and use a spray oil.

Salmon or chicken - if it has the skin on prick and add some lemon juice.

Sliced peppers, asparagus, sliced onion, carrot batons, bacon lardons, brocolli, sugar snap peas, green beans.

Add more spray and shove in the oven for 30 mins.

Frozen sausages and frozen mash - put the sausages in the oven or air fryer and mash in the microwave.

Rice with things added, I like to use smoked fish and a 50/50 orange juice and water, you can also add veg - a packet of mixed frozen veg, cashew nuts. Even better if you have a rice cooker.

Root veg bake, potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnip, carrots, what ever is in the bottom of the fridge, toss in oil with salt and pepper and maybe a bit of chili powder.

Asian broth.

In a pan put boiling water, a cube of frozen garlic, a cube of frozen ginger, a stock cube and then anything you want, pieces of chicken or pork (good for using left overs) pak choy, noodles, again frozen mixed veg. Add soy or fish sauce, it also works well with one of those ready to cook stir fry packets from the supermarket.

I have a raclette - just prep the food and let everyone cook their own at the table.

'Picky dinner'

Selection of cooked meat, cheeses, crackers, fruit, salad, a couple of dips and some bread either pita or crusty - just put on the table and everyone helps them selves - you could get everything from the supermarket and put on the table in the packaging - then the only washing up is the plates you eat off.

I also have a steamer - buy prepped veg from the supermarket and stick in the steamer, add foil parcels containing chicken or fish with seasoning switch on for 15 - 20 mins.

I'm saying get prepped veg because the impression I get is that ease is more important than ££.

I have arthritis, some days I can cook, others I can't, others I can half cook - these are my half cook staples.

Just a thought, if you are ordering a take away try your local cafes, lots near me do traditional home made like cottage pie or sausage and chips. They are a bit cheaper than the Indian or Chinese options.

They may also let you order something to cook at home like a cottage pie - it's worth asking.

Hi just placemarking as some great ideas on here and I'm going to write some of them down later.

Coming back belatedly (life can be a shocker sometimes) to this thread for a good read. Thank you everyone who had made suggestions, I am checking them out

Traybskes are good, the Roasting Tin books have some good ideas.

a very simple roast chicken is Jamie Oliver’s which is chicken with potatoes, celeriac, stuffing with prosciutto ham, a lot of butter, lemon and fresh thyme. Super easy as all cooked on same tray and bloody delicious!

Frozen veg is a lifesafer for me
Ive just put frozen mince, frozen peppers, tinned tomatoes, kidney beans and spices into a slow cooker. You can have it with a jacket potato, rice or in a wrap with cheese. No thought needed.
It can be so hard at times so tale it easy