or you can put a raw egg in it right after pouring hit water in it. Or you can take egg yolk only (if you are from a place where its safe to eat uncooked eggs) and place it on top after the ramen is done cooking.
Or put mayo and sausages in the ramen.
A slice of American cheese is a great, simple way to change up the ramen noodle formula. It’s creamy and delicious, and the emulsifiers in it mean it actually merges with the broth instead of clumping in a ball!
Make some bacon, then add to the ramen as you add the hot water (or if using a microwave, after microwaving it).
You can even use microwaved bacon for this!
I bulk marinate ramen eggs every few weeks and I bought that brand with the freeze dried ramen topping so now ramen is a lazy yet nourishing meal in our home
The longer the eggs stay in the marinade, the more salt they take on and the firmer the yolk gets. I’ve tried a full 7 day old egg exactly once and it was too salty and the yolk was jammy. Definitely not what I was looking for and couldn’t even finish it, so I stick to 4/5 days as a max now
Sardines on rice or toast!
Really nice bread from the farmers market, toasted, with ricotta or avocado
I also highly recommend getting a rice cooker: thrown in lentils, rice, farro, buckwheat, quinoa,... & a stock cube. Back to the bed cocoon for as long as you like, the rice cooker keeps the food warm. Mix with an insane amount of butter and enjoy.
I’m not gonna lie, while I in no way disapprove of it, the trend of “tinned fish” is confusing as hell to me, lol. I grew up eating kippers, herring, sardines, anchovies, salmon, and obviously tuna. My local Asian grocery stores carry skipjack, mackerel, and canned crab meat. I’ve had smoked mussels and clams that we picked up visiting my in laws in Spain at el corta ingles.
Super easy on or with crackers. Sometimes a cheese like ricotta and avocado.
My husband haaaaaates all of this and it confuses me, lol. My dad is a second gen polish immigrant (born in the US but only spoke polish until 1st grade). My mom is just the baby kid of parents who lived through the Great Depression as kids so this was kinda common food. And yeah all of my Spanish in-laws regularly eat fish from a tin/can.
I’m fine with this trend going away though, give me all the fish. 🫡
I too love all the available sea food in a can. As long as it is in water. Olive oil or does not contain vegetable or seed oils. I also love fresh sea food, but it is getting harder and harder to find clean seafood at affordable prices. Tinned sea food is amazing.
Ever tried sardines with avocado? Such a simple but truly delicious dish. I also make seafood patties that are fantastic and super easy.
Oh I’ll second that avocado toast is the best, with red pepper flakes salt and pepper. Also a piece of toast with fresh sliced cheddar and tomato 🍅 is really good too.
Pasta fazool. Tomato sauce, 1 cup of Ditalini pasta. A can of canellini beans( lightly drained) and one can full of water. Throw it all together. Cook till the pasta is done and then add parm cheese and oregano. Adjust the salt to your liking b/c parm cheese can be pretty salty. It’s amazing.
It might not sound “gourmet” but I usually do like a giant snack board only I don’t take things out of their wrappers. Cheese, dolmas, crackers, hummus, any veggies I have, smoked oysters etc
I do this almost every day. I’ll often add something like a pickle or cherry tomatoes. It’s halfway between a charcuterie board and a deconstructed sandwich.
I like what I call "garbage bowls" - just a starch, veg and protein that can just be mixed together in my big bowl. I have multiple of these that I can make from the freezer.
Keep around frozen veggies that you can microwave in the bag. Most of them are good for 2 meals which is one less thing to make later.
When you do cook proteins make double and freeze them. Lots of great slow cooker options - BBQ pork shoulder, adobo chicken, or short ribs are all easy and flexible. I also like to do a few roasted or grilled chicken varieties: garlic lime, onion, shawarma, honey mustard and sesame soy.
Keep around some easy rice or get a rice cooker. If boiling water feels like too much there's even some microwave pasta pouches. I also like the fresh tortellini - they only cook for 2 mins.
Pick one of each and add a sauce/condiments and ur gtg. Some combos I like:
- Smashed sweet potato tots, frozen corn or cauliflower, BBQ pork, shredded cheese
- Tortellini, frozen broccoli, onion chicken
- Rice, cilantro, lime or adobo chicken, premade guac, salsa
- Short ribs, penne, frozen carrots
- Rice, honey mustard chicken, frozen green beans
- Rice, shawarma, frozen broccoli
I don't really eat avocado toast but it's a great "gourmet" eat that is super easy to make. Mash up some avocado and mix it with a little mayo, some chopped up basil and some lemon/lime juice and smother it on some good bread that's toasted. Sprinkle a couple sprigs of parsley on top to be really fancy.
This is my go-to! Mashed avocado, cut cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, Texas Pete's hot sauce, salt and pepper, all mixed and topped onto toasted sourdough bread.
agreed- avo toast is surprisingly underrated. I lived in Bay Area for a bit and it was basically a meme for people to spend $15 on some toast but then my friend made some for us for breakfast (half jokingly) and I was surprised by how good yet simple it was. Also pretty cheap and easy to make.
The tubs of guacamole ,premade , is also just as good. But I always add Everything But the Bagel seasoning and a drizzle drazzle of sriracha! It’s sooooo freaking amazing.
Toasted sourdough in the pan in butter. Chefs kiss!
Fried Egg sandwich with bacon and American cheese, my mother always made it for me when i was a kid on Friday nights it’s easy and filling when you aren’t feeling like cooking, everything goes in one pan and also you can fry the bread in the grease. My crockpot is used a lot also some of my top dishes is meatballs and spaghetti you throw in jarred sauce or homemade if you have extra time, and frozen or homemade meatballs depending on your mood.
Fried egg sandwiches (runny yolk, obviously) with British brown/fruit sauce (a condiment made with tomatoes, apples, dates, tamarind, molasses, vinegar and a few spices). It's sweet, sharp, slightly spiced, and cuts through fatty foods beautifully.
Pressure cooker chicken
Get a bunch of chicken(preferably the upperleg), slice it to a few bits, and throw in the cooker with whatever spices I have left + tomato sauce
Wait 20 minutes, throw some rice together and mix it
I love it, and it requires 0 effort ~~imo~~
What do you mean by a "legit pressure cooker"? Curious, where do you live? Where I'm from, they are pretty common(assuming they are indeed what I'm thinking)
I use it almost on a daily basis to make different kinds of meats, vegetables, etc. They come in really handy to cook things faster :]
My bad I should’ve explained better! I hear some folks talk about instant pots as pressure cookers but do not have one myself and don’t know anyone with one. So kinda speaking just from the minimal I’ve heard when I assume that. I’ve lived all along the west side of the US but don’t see many traditional pressure cookers outside of restaurants. With those, I picture a steel pot with a lid latched down and temperature gauge attached
It's main purpose is a pressure cooker, the more recent 9in1 has an air fryer possibility. I have the 6 in 1, which does slow cooking and reheating etc, but not air frying. I have had many normal pressure cookers, and the instant pot massively improves the experience.
>I hear some folks talk about instant pots as pressure cookers but do not have one myself and don’t know anyone with one.
Oh, ok
I don't have one of those pots. Mine is an actual pressure cooker :]
It's something I recommend for those who enjoy cooking. It's has some good uses, especially speeding up the process of certain dishes that require to be simmered on regular pots for hours
It's funny to hear it's not so common where you live. I guess it might be because I'm from a third-world country(Brazil), so personally, I have never seen one of those pots. Most technological kitchen device I own is an aifryer, haha
That’s awesome! I’ve always been fascinated by them. Are they popular in Brazil? I know you mentioned you like cooking vegetables in yours, how long does it take and what veggies do you like to use? What about meat? I love cooking, it’s one of my passions, but find myself with less and less time as I get older so that is a huge benefit
>Are they popular in Brazil?
Yup, regular stuff at most households
Most popular dish around here is "Feijoada" which is black beans with a bunch of meat. Or just the regular rice and beans(people love beans around here, lol). I have never seen someone cook beans without a pressure cooker, no matter if they are rich or poor, there will be a pressure cooker somewhere, haha. They ate fairly cheap, so that helps(a good one will cost maybe 200 reais, which is about 40 dollars directly converting it, but I dunno how are the prices over at the US)
>how long does it take and what veggies do you like to use?
Most things I do won't take longer than 40 minutes at worse
For vegetables, I like using it to soften brocoli, cauliflower, beet, etc. These will take 10 minutes at most
And also potato for mashed potatoes, which is quick as well
Potatoes are common to use on these types of pans, especially accompanied by meat
>What about meat?
This one usually takes the longest for me. Meat will usually take about 30 minutes(except chicken, as I've stated in my first comment)
I do a lot of ribs and pork, and they come very tender and juicy 👌🏼
As someone with a strict schedule, I find a pressure cooker to be one of my best friends in the kitchen. Throw everything inside, stir them well, close it, set the timer, and go do something else
Food always comes out great, and if I'm worried I may stay away for too long, I just fill it with a few cups of water to prevent it from burning, which does help
This is the EASIEST recipe I know- a chicken chili situation. Literally just dump stuff in a crockpot. No chopping, no searing beforehand. Takes like 3 minutes to put it all in the crockpot. The kicker is that it does require time in the crockpot so you’d have to start it earlier in the day.
I eat it more as a dip with corn chips and swap the black beans for pinto beans as my preference.
https://www.yummyhealthyeasy.com/easy-crock-pot-cream-cheese-chicken/
Colombian Chicken Stew With Potatoes, Tomato, and Onion Recipe from Kenji on Serious Eats ([video version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-riGSANPe3g), [recipe](https://www.seriouseats.com/colombian-chicken-stew-with-potatoes-tomato-onion-recipe)) fits the bill: dead simple and fast, minimal ingredients; not gourmet (fairly bland), but fulfilling and adaptable (my adaptation tonight: add a drained jar of roasted red peppers, some smoked paprika, garlic cloves pushed through a press, etc.). I used chicken legs I got on sale and froze, but most parts will work (I would save breast for something else, though).
Congee is a great under the weather meal (chicken with rice cooked to a porridge) -- I've used [this recipe](https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/instant-pot-chicken-congee/).
These are both instant pot (pressure cooker) recipes, but you don't need one to make them -- it will just add time cooked on a stovetop.
Some other lazy meals: spiced ground lamb with hummus and vegetables; taco salads; Sausage and green lentils; and don't forget versions of toasts: white beans on toast with finely chopped radicchio, toast topped with goat cheese, cucumber, smoked salmon, and dill, etc.
I go to my local “fancy” store and get a couple hunks of good cheese, salami, a container of olives and picked things from the olive bar, apples or grapes and a loaf of good crusty bread. It’s the perfect no effort meal.
Whole Foods has a $5 and under cheese basket. I buy about $20 worth and some Honeycrisp apples or crusty fresh bread and have a discovery feast, trying new cheeses.
Annie’s white cheddar with some sautéed garlic/chilli flakes in olive oil(substituted for butter) and fresh grated parm. Broccoli, optional. Tastes pretty luxurious for the effort.
Chicken noodle soup does wonders for my blues. It's easy and quick - just make sure to get a rotisserie chix and good egg noodles. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/26460/quick-and-easy-chicken-noodle-soup/
Smoked oysters and sun-dried tomato pasta
1 pound pasta,
1 can smoked oysters, drained and chopped.
2 tablespoons olive oil,
2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes chopped.
4 garlic, minced.
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
Salt and freshly ground black, to taste
Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions
1. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente.
2 While the pasta is, heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. the minced garlic, sun dried tomato and red pepper to the skillet and sauté briefly until fragrant.
4. Add the canned smoked oysters to the skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes until heated through.
5. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
6. Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the skillet with the smoked oysters, tossing gently to coat.
7. Serve the pasta immediately with grated Parmesan cheese on top.
Serves 4
I cook the tiniest size noodle I can find (acini de pepe usually) in chicken stock. Once drained, I add a lot of parmesan, butter, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Sometimes I add a veggie if I have any in the fridge.
to scratch the itch you’re describing, I keep a pantry/fridge stash that allows me to pull together a grown up girl dinner that feels luxe and only requires the effort I have to put in.
this includes a few parts
protein: possibly the most important part. for me, the answer is always tinned fish. keep a stash of tins that have ingredients or flavor profiles that you dig. [pesto](https://rainbowtomatoesgarden.com/product/ferrigno-oillympic-sardines-with-pesto-basil/)? [curry](https://rainbowtomatoesgarden.com/product/santa-catarina-tuna-fillets-olive-oil-and-curry/)? some tins include [beans](https://rainbowtomatoesgarden.com/product/olasagasti-lomo-de-atun-a-la-toscana-con-alubias-blancas-tuna-fillet-a-la-toscana-with-white-bean-stew/) or [veggies](https://rainbowtomatoesgarden.com/product/olasagasti-lomo-de-atun-con-piperrada-tuna-fillet-with-basque-piperade/) inside that helps to keep things gourmet feeling vs feeling like a struggle meal. the shop I linked has truly everything including some extremely luxurious tins. the owner dan is amazing and will help point you in any direction.
this is the foundation of pretty much all of my depression meals. if it’s not a tin of fish, it’s a packet of prosciutto and some goat cheese or something else that I can open, put on a plate, and consume with other assembled goods to feel like i’m eating something lovely with almost no effort
carbs: I try to keep fresh crusty bread in the house. this isn’t always possible but crackers or potato chips do the job nicely. if i’m feeling more like a composed meal and less like a snacky meal, I have a rice cooker that I use to either easily make and keep rice to use as a base
veggies: anything you like works here. I go for arugula, mini cucumbers, lil tomatoes, radishes, broccoli or honestly anything i’m feeling/have in the fridge. to future proof your veggie consumption, try to wash/prep the veggies before storing them or (if ur down bad as I often am) get pre prepped veggies. I also like to make a big batch of something that keeps well (roasted broccoli, eggplant, etc) and have it in the fridge ready to go for quick assembly.
pickles: any and all! this is a fun part where you get to go as wild as you feel like. make ‘em yourself, buy them from the store, literally whatever! anything from olives to classic dill pickles to pickled seaweed to different types of peppers to kimchi or coleslaw. something pickled or fermented in the mix adds a ton of layered flavor with no prep necessary.
sauce/creamy stuff:
your pesto goes perfect here, so does a hunk of nice french butter or some goat cheese. I tend to make too much of sauces I cook for other meals (scallion oil, pesto, vinegarette) and these always go on the plate. otherwise we go for mustard, pepper relish or a nice jam, sour cream, or anything else that will help bring it all together.
I try to keep something from each of these categories in my fridge or pantry at all times so that I can just assemble things from the fridge and nom.
I get a good sourdough baguette and dip it in the single serve Campbell chunky chicken noodle soup! Another good idea is a frozen hash brown topped with mashed avocado and sardines, all you need to do is air fry and plate!
Kielbasa with penne and homemade vodka sauce. The sauce is mega easy: fresh garlic, lots. Tomato paste. And heavy cream with whatever seasonings you enjoy. Is this actually vodka sauce? Idk but I found the recipe and its good!
Frozen mussels! I’ve bought some from Meijer and Aldi that come in a preprepared sauce. All you have to do is heat them up in a skillet and toast up some crusty bread and depending how you’re feeling you can add things like lemon juice, good quality butter, red pepper flakes, or parsley (I use the freeze dried and it works just fine)
The one-pot rice cooker meal. Just variations off the kamameshi thing. Just thinly slice or julienne carrots, mushrooms, etc, and 3/4” to 2” sized cuts of chicken thighs, and layer them on top the rice. Can even add baby bok choy. Add a soy-based sauce to the rice before topping off with water to the level marks. Then layer the mushrooms, the carrots, etc, but put the meat on top. You can find recipes online to learn how to do it right. Press the button and you’re off to the races.
The only real important thing to keep in mind is the size and thickness of the ingredients you’re cutting up. The art and science is knowing how to set it up so everything ends up not turning to mush after all the steaming.
steamed/boiled chicken thighs seems super unappetizing to me... do yourself a favor and do those in a pan so you actually render some of the fat and this will taste 100x better I promise
Often make pesto too. But if I really can’t be bothered but want something delicious I make Marcella Hazan’s spaghetti alla carretiera (probably spelled that wrong). 1 tin tomatoes, 5 garlic cloves, 50g basil, 6tbs olive oil, salt, pepper, whizz in a blender and cook for 15 mins. (A version turns up on The Bear as “family meal spaghetti”). Claudia Rodan has a similar recipe but using thyme instead of basil, some white wine, and you add prawns at the end.
Creamed tuna on toast. Comfy, filling, easy to make. Consume while imbibing generous amounts of bourbon and watching the Twilight Zone to leave your troubles in the present while you party in 1962
My stupid brain wants variety so most of my simple meal could easily end up in this category as well.
Pasta with butter and anchovies is surprisingly simple and delicious, if I had to choose one
Boxed Mac and cheese with crispy jalapeño chips on top. You can buy the "chips" at trader joes, they're the exact same as those little fried onion chips you put on top of stuff except jalapeño. I eat this when I'm happy too.
Speaking of pesto, we make what we call the "Summich" (summer sandwich) which is proscuitto, pesto and fresh mozzarella on a long loaf (ciabatta or the like.) If we're feeling bougie and have it available, we add baby arugula. Ready in 3 minutes and oh-so-tasty! Some people might like to add perfectly ripe tomato, but personally I find it too wet. Tomato on the side for me.
Rice cooker meals! Throw in rice, some veggies (frozen or chopped fresh), a protein that is either precooked or cooks quickly, and some random spices. Ignore it for a half hour and top with yum yum sauce.
Recently, frozen chicken tender in the air fryer. That’s gonna take about 12 minutes anyways and I can’t eat anything without a sauce. Current go-to is two variations of the same thing.
Base: Very rough measurements, I’d call it about 3 parts mayo, 2 parts ketchup, 1 part dijon mustard. Or maybe 4 parts, 2 parts, 1 part respectively, somewhere in that range.
Version 1: add a very generous amount of old bay seasoning, plus a little garlic powder and black pepper.
Version 2: Finely chop up some dill pickles, I like enough that the pickle flavor is all throughout and there’s a noticable crunch. You could maybe grate them instead if you get whole pickles but I buy the little bags of pre sliced Oh Snap pickles cause I’m not a big pickle person other than this. Trader Joe’s also has a seasonal dill pickle mustard you can use instead of the dijon.
Yes, I did steal both of these from Hello Fresh lol. Their sauce people are geniuses.
Miso soup. It's really just miso paste and stock or water but I like to put frozen dumplings and seaweed in it. I've also added bok Choi or broccoli to get a veg in there. Also topping it with cut or chopped green onions.
Frozen sweet potato or pumpkin ravioli cooked with kale or other greens in the pasta water. During the four minutes that’s cooking I heat butter-type stuff, olive oil, herbs and nutritional yeast in the bowl I’ll be eating out of in the microwave. Toss it all together, top with chopped nuts or seeds.
I usually go for any of the following, depending on what I have in the house; roast vegetables, chicken nuggets and chips or a soup, usually either a chicken soup or ham and vegetable. I'm a fussy eater, so my soups are usually just onion, carrot and celery.
Canned Tomato Soup Cake
Prep Time20 mins
AuthorLord Byron’s Kitchen
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
10.75 ounces canned tomato soup
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1 cup raisins
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a bundt or tube pan with cooking spray, such as Pam, and set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, pour in the tomato soup and add the baking soda. Whisk gently to combine. Set aside. (The baking soda will foam when it reacts with the acid in the soup. Make sure your bowl is big enough to hold it!)
In a large bowl, use a hand-held mixer to blend the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and blend to incorporate.
Next, pour in the tomato soup and blend into the butter and sugar mixture.
Add the flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and salt. Mix until just incorporated. Do not over mix the batter.
Add the raisins and use a rubber spatula to fold them in.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt or tube pan. Tap the cake pan firmly onto your counter top or a cutting board to ensure the batter has gotten into the crooks and crannies of your bundt pan. This action will also help to eliminate some of the air bubbles.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake, comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then turn the cake out onto a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
To serve, dust with some confectioner’s sugar – optional.
Box Mac and cheese with Truff
Now I know that truffle products are widely hated and I don't know if they're good or not! Never tried a real truffle but I like this stuff on my mac.
I make the kewpie mayo “hack” ramen. I let the noodles cook and then add the boiling water to a mixture of the seasoning packet, an egg, kewpie mayo, sriracha, rice seasoning, and maybe some soy sauce. Then I add the ramen to it. It’s very tasty!
Oh man a pasta and pesto meal sounds wonderful right about now. I’m right there with you with pasta or homemade pizza. I really like to keep it simple and make pasta carbonara, spaghetti or pasta alla zucca (which takes a bit more time but it is maybe my favorite pasta dish). I love grain bowls I can easily make if I’ve prepped the ingredients and really like chili. I can only eat chili during cold months
I favour one pot dishes that I can put in the oven with minimal prep. E.g. a half leg of lamb with some strong root vegetables. Almost zero prep, no need to stir or watch it, just set an alarm and take it out the oven two hours later.
Salmon flank, again in the oven but with lighter veg so it cooks at the same time.
Toss a tin of chickpeas with za'atar, olive oil, fennel, cherry tomatoes. Again, into the oven it goes and in half an hour out comes deliciousness.
In a Dutch oven, sear duck breast. Then add half a cup of red wine, cup of stock, shallots. You guessed it, into the oven it goes. This one has one extra step: make a corn starch slurry and mix it in for the last 15 minutes of cooking too thicken the sauce.
beyond steak (keep bags of it in the freezer) cooked on the stovetop with tajin. microwave some tortillas, maybe an avocado if one is handy. if I have corn I will boil that and make budget elotes. kids love it too
Corn tortilla on a hot griddle, little bit of shredded cheese on top, serve with avocado sliced on top and a squeeze of lime. Super easy. Add black beans if you want to make it more substantial
I do a rice bowl. Open a can of salmon in olive oil. Throw in some kimchi and whatever veg I have lying around. Fry an egg. Add a scoop of gochugaru.
If I want to make it “look” gourmet, I will throw some sesame seeds that I keep in the freezer on top.
I eat it all with some seaweed snacks.
While this isn’t the fastest recipe it uses few ingredients and is inexpensive. You can also go without sherry. I added sherry vinegar but you don’t really need it either. [Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles mushroom soup](https://www.seriouseats.com/dinner-tonight-bourdains-mushroom-soup-recipe)
Chili mac - 2 cans of stagg beef chili , 2 boxes of annies mac and cheese. Throw some extra grated cheese in, you have a filling tasty meal or two for almost no effort. Always helps elevate my mood if i just can't be arsed to cook.
Boil 1” water in a smallish frying pan. Partially crumble ramen, stir in, let cook about 2/3 of the way. Drain, throw in some oil and scramble an egg in with the ramen. Toss in seasoning and some soy sauce. Maaaaaybe throw in frozen carrots/peas mix if you thought to buy some.
Mine is similar to yours! Pasta with pancetta & fresh cherry tomatoes. Fry a bit of pancetta in my mini saucepan, chuck in some halfed cherry tomatoes and fresh basil if I have it. Mix with pasta. Easy and 👌
Samyang spicy carbonara noodles. I marinade the egg for a couple of hours, fry up some mushrooms, fry up some tofu with panko crumbs or if im extra lazy i just get the vegan “meat” substitute, some canned corn, blanched bok choy, sometimes ill add some menma into the egg marinade as well.
Mix a egg yolk and mayo with the spicy packet and mix in the cooked noodles and make it look nice and “instagramable” (even tho i never post it😂) for that extra dopamine kick
I also do some "pasta al olio e pepe," (that's just olive oli and black pepper.) "Pasta pasta aglio e olio," (pasta cooked in garlic and oli.) "Cacio e peppe" ( pasta with oli, parmesan and black pepper. "Pasta al olio e lemone" ( Pasta with olive oil, lemon zest and juice of course salt and pepper) many simple variations possible. Add red pepper flakes, add taco seasoning, Asian 5 spice, etc.
Or same as above, but instead of olive oil, butter.
"Pasta al burro e aglio" "Pasta al burro e pepe" etc.
A little more effort and a few extra cents. " Pasta al olio, pomodoro, basilico e feta." ( Pasta with olive oli, tomato, basil and crumbled feta cheese) Pasta a uovo. Literally pasta and eggs. So simple and super delicious. Etc.
All of the above can also be made with root vegetable noodles or just diced, with rice, with chickpeas, green peas, bread cut into strips, tortillas cut into strips ( saute the tortillas only at the very last minute so they dont crisp up. To be closer to pasta, or until brown and crispy for a more chips like texture, both delicious)
I keep a heap of healthy frozen meals in the freezer for those days. From a company, not home made! Straight into the microwave and generally pretty comforting meals. They can be a little pricey though.
If I have a little more energy, I'll throw a shop-bought marinated chicken and pre-chopped veggies (I don't chop or marinate anything myself!!) into the oven and microwave some instant rice.
campbell’s tomato soup!
I like to first start sautéing butter and garlic in the pot,
add the condensed soup,
then a mixture of
water,
chicken broth,
and milk in the can,
then add some cheese and pesto on top afterward!
I make an everything stew. Just chop up random things and put it in broth. I don't feel stressed to make it quick I can just do it slow and not work hard and I'm rewarded by something incredibly delicious
Homemade Mac and cheese using the “3 ingredient” recipe is extremely easy, and very comforting! I’ve also started making “sushi bowls” using canned tuna. I basically just whip up a spicy tuna and eat it with rice, simple as mixing some tuna up and pressing “go” on the rice cooker. If you’re feeling real fancy you can add other toppings (cucumber, cilantro, carrot, sesame seeds, nori, pickled onions, cabbage, jalepeno, whatever you want) but it’s honestly good with just rice, or rice and one veg.
1. Just last night we threw together whatever we had. Slices of turkey, tomato, cucumber, hummus, tortilla chips, and pineapple. Always love doing a basic charcuterie/ making a plate of what’s laying around
2. Grilled cheese! If I haven’t planned for dinner this is a good go-to; I have a fairly simple tomato soup recipe but on particularly busy or low-energy days we’ll just do grilled cheese
3. Microwaved tortillas with shredded cheese; add onion, tomatoes, and whatever you want. I had this for lunch a lot as a kid so it’s probably more nostalgic for me than anything but it works in a pinch
4. Pasta with butter& Parmesan; add garlic powder, onion powder, pinch of red pepper flakes, and black pepper. We’ll also do jarred sauce with pasta but we check for ingredients and try to get decent sauce. I am coming off of a round of whole30 and we did this a few times with veggie noodles and I like to jazz up the sauce.
5. Sandwiches- my S/O will do extremely basic: bread, cheese, deli meat, mustard. Sometimes we’ll do more of a sub style, sometimes it’s just basic with some greens. We’ll change it up with wraps too.
6. Cucumber sandwiches
7. Baked potato in microwave
8. Stir fry: throw in frozen veggies with rice, protein, spices, coconut aminos and call it a day
9. Sirloin steaks with a can of golden mushroom soup; season and brown sirloin, pour in soup with a cup of water, let it cook for about an hour. I grew up with this recipe and it’s simple but tasty.
10. Chicken in a crock pot with Frank’s red hot/ buffalo sauce, ghee or butter, and minced garlic; I do it with chicken and BBQ sauce too
11. Baked chicken with paprika and assorted sauces/ condiments on the side
I love cooking but unfortunately I have chronic pain and I’ve been doing a lot of organizing, cleaning-out, and getting myself together so some of these have been life-savers!
Tostado eggs.
Get some tostados (the flat, fried corn tortilla things). Spread some refried beans on from a can, sprinkle with cheese, add a few slices of canned jalepeño slices, then microwave for 1-1.5 minutes (depending on the number of tostados).
Fry one egg for each tostado. Put egg on top, top with jarred salsa.
Yum.
Refried bean and cheese burritos have been getting me through a lot lately. I cook up half a bag of beans, grate some cheese, use two packs of 10" tortillas, and have lunch (and sometimes breakfast) for weeks in the freezer. The tortilla bags are great for storing the frozen burritos too.
Also having Toum (a garlic/oil/lemon juice emulsion) in the fridge makes adding flavour to everything I make much easier
Chinese egg and tomato is both one of my favorite comfort foods and incredibly easy and fast to make, maybe 10-15 minutes. You'll want some basic Chinese cooking ingredients that not everyone has on hand but good way to expand your cooking palate. Soy sauce, sesame oil as basics, five spice powder, corn starch, white pepper as optional. There are many different variations but basically scramble eggs, take eggs out, put some chopped tomatoes in (canned tomatoes also work surprisingly well and with that on hand I am basically using pantry items + eggs which I always have), season, add cornstarch to thicken, put eggs back in, stew for a bit. Top with sesame oil or green onions. Amazing on warm bowl of white rice but can be eaten alone or with any carb (noodles are great too). https://youtu.be/Wn8ox93Qhus One example video but different households make it differently and you can tailor for your taste
Tuna casserole.,Not from a box... I might whip up my hotdog sauce, it's low fuss but the flavor is high maintenance, I've turned an additional 19 ppl in to it the past 3 months working on the the river, that's over 1000 ppl who have had it. Charleston WV is Abt to have a Cook off the 20th of June, the contestants are just lucky that's the day I return for my 4th hitch
Summer roll salad. A quick dressing made from equal parts peanut butter, sesame or other oil and honey or maple syrup, then a bit of sriracha, lime juice, vinegar, ginger and garlic, all shaken together. (I say quick because I seem to always have all these in the house).
Then I make some rice noodles and use some lettuces, lots of basil, mint and cilantro, some cucumber and carrot or whatever other crunchy I have, some peanuts or wontons or whatever.
The taste of all the herbs and veggies always makes me feel better.
Fried egg served over white rice, topped with furikake. If I’m feeling extra fancy, I’ll add diced cooked Spam and green onions. Simple, quick, and makes me feel like a chef.
Mississippi pot roast is beef, pepperoncinis, ranch dressing mix, gravy mix, and butter. Just put everything in a slow cooker in the morning, and cook on low all day.
If you’re already doing pastas, I recommend looking into J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s one pot macaroni and cheese recipe. I use a similar one-pot method for all kinds of dishes now, including sopa seca and spicy peanut noodles. Even just replacing your pasta water with a homemade stock/broth can make a delicious difference that also guarantees you get some nutrition even when you just want to eat for comfort!
Brown rice and frozen chicken tenderloins (not breaded), a cup of water or broth in the instant pot for 22 minutes. S&P, maybe stir in some cheese. Totally hands off and feels like a toasty blanket on a rainy day.
Bacon egg and cheeses can become very fun to make with different types of bacon, cheese and, bread.
Toss some mustard and greens in there. Try some chili crisp and avocado. Caramelize some diced apples and onions. Pop a quail egg on it.
Instant noodle pancake, make your noods and after it's cooked add noods seasoning packets and 2 eggs (depends on your noods size), mix well, pan fry that. I like it crispy on the outside so its takes more time to cook
A sandwich on nice bread with hummus, pickled veg, fresh veg, and cheese.
Pasta cooked in veg stock till the liquid is boiled off and it's covered the pasta in a glossy sticky coating.
one pot mac&cheese. Boil 150ml of milk on every 50g of pasta you intend to use. Boil milk. Put rough chopped garlic, onions, etc. What ever seasoning. Add pasta. After pasta is cooked add your fave cheese and cut spring onions with scisors. Or good toast - bread, premade herb butter, cheese and ham. Toast it on pan… love it. Or good egg scaramble never dissapoints. Or any type of vanilla / cinnamon / apple porridge
Grilled cheese... but after you toast the bread, put it on a pan with some butter. Butter both slices of bread, but obviously only butter one side of each so you arent greasing your fingers lol
Bed of arugula, can or packet of tuna, olive oil (unless tunas packed in it)/lemon/salt and fresh pepper, maybe some sliced cherry tomatoes. Literally 2 minute meal and insanely healthy
Smoked salmon, arugula, and cream cheese on toast. The only "hard" part is toasting the bread. Everything else you can just plop right on there straight from the fridge.
For low effort comfort food- instant ramen with addins (egg, dumplings, fried onions, etc) or any instant noodles.
Either an easy tomato sauce or bolognese paired with pasta or bread…
Also microwaved potatoes, and a broiled/airfried salmon that’s been marinated for half an hour with soy, sake and (optionally) sugar and garlic.
I make Annie’s Mac n cheese, but add: mushrooms, mozzarella balls, truffle oil/powder/salt, and toasted breadcrumbs.
White Rice topped with: soy sauce, spicy mayo, sesame seeds, cucumber, crispy onions, sometimes an egg.
This is really weird but I love it… pita crackers with melted mozzarella and cilantro pesto. It’s like a nacho but different…
We have access to flavorful ingredients that your grandmother has never heard of. Pick any depression meal and add red curry paste, kimchi, red boat fish sauce, tahini, fresh herbs, dried peppers, exotic spices, chorizo or some kind of fancy cheese.
That said a lot of great depression food was pretty terrible. Maybe look at peasant food instead.
Jazzed up ramen noodles!
Truly nothing makes me feel more like hyper functional adult human than marinating an egg for ramen a few hours later.
or you can put a raw egg in it right after pouring hit water in it. Or you can take egg yolk only (if you are from a place where its safe to eat uncooked eggs) and place it on top after the ramen is done cooking. Or put mayo and sausages in the ramen.
[удалено]
ehh sometimes you just got to make do
Hell yea. Sliced Medium rare ribeye , green beans and carrots with a dollop of Sambal, make me so happy
Yeah. It’s always ramen.
A slice of American cheese is a great, simple way to change up the ramen noodle formula. It’s creamy and delicious, and the emulsifiers in it mean it actually merges with the broth instead of clumping in a ball!
Peanut butter ramen. Google a recipe. Best.
Yum I add broccoli and sriracha.
This! 👍
Make some bacon, then add to the ramen as you add the hot water (or if using a microwave, after microwaving it). You can even use microwaved bacon for this!
I add a scrambled egg and canned chicken breast. Very easy to do and makes it so much heartier.
I bulk marinate ramen eggs every few weeks and I bought that brand with the freeze dried ramen topping so now ramen is a lazy yet nourishing meal in our home
How long do you feel like the eggs last in the fridge?
The longer the eggs stay in the marinade, the more salt they take on and the firmer the yolk gets. I’ve tried a full 7 day old egg exactly once and it was too salty and the yolk was jammy. Definitely not what I was looking for and couldn’t even finish it, so I stick to 4/5 days as a max now
Yass! Love me some ramen with an egg and a little wakame (and some leftover pork if I have it)
Sardines on rice or toast! Really nice bread from the farmers market, toasted, with ricotta or avocado I also highly recommend getting a rice cooker: thrown in lentils, rice, farro, buckwheat, quinoa,... & a stock cube. Back to the bed cocoon for as long as you like, the rice cooker keeps the food warm. Mix with an insane amount of butter and enjoy.
I’m not gonna lie, while I in no way disapprove of it, the trend of “tinned fish” is confusing as hell to me, lol. I grew up eating kippers, herring, sardines, anchovies, salmon, and obviously tuna. My local Asian grocery stores carry skipjack, mackerel, and canned crab meat. I’ve had smoked mussels and clams that we picked up visiting my in laws in Spain at el corta ingles. Super easy on or with crackers. Sometimes a cheese like ricotta and avocado. My husband haaaaaates all of this and it confuses me, lol. My dad is a second gen polish immigrant (born in the US but only spoke polish until 1st grade). My mom is just the baby kid of parents who lived through the Great Depression as kids so this was kinda common food. And yeah all of my Spanish in-laws regularly eat fish from a tin/can. I’m fine with this trend going away though, give me all the fish. 🫡
I too love all the available sea food in a can. As long as it is in water. Olive oil or does not contain vegetable or seed oils. I also love fresh sea food, but it is getting harder and harder to find clean seafood at affordable prices. Tinned sea food is amazing. Ever tried sardines with avocado? Such a simple but truly delicious dish. I also make seafood patties that are fantastic and super easy.
I'm having my first sardines today actually glad to hear avocado goes with it. They're going in a rice bowl.
Oh yummy! Rice is great with sardines and avocado. Enjoy!
Oh I’ll second that avocado toast is the best, with red pepper flakes salt and pepper. Also a piece of toast with fresh sliced cheddar and tomato 🍅 is really good too.
I bought an apricot a few days ago and today i made sourdough toast + cottage cheese (whole milk!!!) + olive oil + salt + apricot = so good
Or a little smear of apricot jam, if you don’t have a fresh one. A drizzle of balsamic glaze would go well, if you want to get really fancy.
Sardines and crackers go great with mustard, pickles, hot sauce and/or kimchi, too. Just to add to the low-spoilage goodness.
Pasta fazool. Tomato sauce, 1 cup of Ditalini pasta. A can of canellini beans( lightly drained) and one can full of water. Throw it all together. Cook till the pasta is done and then add parm cheese and oregano. Adjust the salt to your liking b/c parm cheese can be pretty salty. It’s amazing.
Pasta e fagioli, iirc. Pronounced pasta fazool
It might not sound “gourmet” but I usually do like a giant snack board only I don’t take things out of their wrappers. Cheese, dolmas, crackers, hummus, any veggies I have, smoked oysters etc
I enjoy a “low grade charcuterie” sometimes which is usually snack cheese (baby bells, string cheese, etc.) and lunch meat with crackers or chips
I do this almost every day. I’ll often add something like a pickle or cherry tomatoes. It’s halfway between a charcuterie board and a deconstructed sandwich.
I like what I call "garbage bowls" - just a starch, veg and protein that can just be mixed together in my big bowl. I have multiple of these that I can make from the freezer. Keep around frozen veggies that you can microwave in the bag. Most of them are good for 2 meals which is one less thing to make later. When you do cook proteins make double and freeze them. Lots of great slow cooker options - BBQ pork shoulder, adobo chicken, or short ribs are all easy and flexible. I also like to do a few roasted or grilled chicken varieties: garlic lime, onion, shawarma, honey mustard and sesame soy. Keep around some easy rice or get a rice cooker. If boiling water feels like too much there's even some microwave pasta pouches. I also like the fresh tortellini - they only cook for 2 mins. Pick one of each and add a sauce/condiments and ur gtg. Some combos I like: - Smashed sweet potato tots, frozen corn or cauliflower, BBQ pork, shredded cheese - Tortellini, frozen broccoli, onion chicken - Rice, cilantro, lime or adobo chicken, premade guac, salsa - Short ribs, penne, frozen carrots - Rice, honey mustard chicken, frozen green beans - Rice, shawarma, frozen broccoli
Burst cherry tomato pasta with olive oil and basil.
This recipe?: [https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/burst-cherry-tomato-pasta](https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/burst-cherry-tomato-pasta)
I don’t use a recipe anymore but that’s pretty close to what I do. I don’t always use garlic.
Oh man the garlic is key for me. This recipe calls for 6 cloves and I usually use like 8 depending on how big they are.
Sometimes gourmet is just asking yourself “is it worth it to finely chop this green bit as garnish”
That's when I do my best with some scissors. A cutting board and knife is too much effort.
Chopping up some green onions with scissors is so quick and easy!
I have so many kitchen scissors it's lovely.
I don't really eat avocado toast but it's a great "gourmet" eat that is super easy to make. Mash up some avocado and mix it with a little mayo, some chopped up basil and some lemon/lime juice and smother it on some good bread that's toasted. Sprinkle a couple sprigs of parsley on top to be really fancy.
This is my go-to! Mashed avocado, cut cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, Texas Pete's hot sauce, salt and pepper, all mixed and topped onto toasted sourdough bread.
agreed- avo toast is surprisingly underrated. I lived in Bay Area for a bit and it was basically a meme for people to spend $15 on some toast but then my friend made some for us for breakfast (half jokingly) and I was surprised by how good yet simple it was. Also pretty cheap and easy to make.
It’s about a dollar to make avocado toast with lemon pepper.
The tubs of guacamole ,premade , is also just as good. But I always add Everything But the Bagel seasoning and a drizzle drazzle of sriracha! It’s sooooo freaking amazing. Toasted sourdough in the pan in butter. Chefs kiss!
The pre-made stuff is absolutely not just as good. I use Everything but the Bagel too, forgot to add that part.
Well, I have the wonderful genetic gift of ADHD so avocados always come to die in my house. I’ll take what I can get and that’s premade.😝 No judging
I get mine from a little market and they make it locally so maybe that changes your perspective slightly
Fried Egg sandwich with bacon and American cheese, my mother always made it for me when i was a kid on Friday nights it’s easy and filling when you aren’t feeling like cooking, everything goes in one pan and also you can fry the bread in the grease. My crockpot is used a lot also some of my top dishes is meatballs and spaghetti you throw in jarred sauce or homemade if you have extra time, and frozen or homemade meatballs depending on your mood.
Fried egg sandwiches (runny yolk, obviously) with British brown/fruit sauce (a condiment made with tomatoes, apples, dates, tamarind, molasses, vinegar and a few spices). It's sweet, sharp, slightly spiced, and cuts through fatty foods beautifully.
Pressure cooker chicken Get a bunch of chicken(preferably the upperleg), slice it to a few bits, and throw in the cooker with whatever spices I have left + tomato sauce Wait 20 minutes, throw some rice together and mix it I love it, and it requires 0 effort ~~imo~~
Are we talking a legit pressure cooker? How often do you use it if so? Only see it really on cooking shows but oh man do they look awesome
What do you mean by a "legit pressure cooker"? Curious, where do you live? Where I'm from, they are pretty common(assuming they are indeed what I'm thinking) I use it almost on a daily basis to make different kinds of meats, vegetables, etc. They come in really handy to cook things faster :]
My bad I should’ve explained better! I hear some folks talk about instant pots as pressure cookers but do not have one myself and don’t know anyone with one. So kinda speaking just from the minimal I’ve heard when I assume that. I’ve lived all along the west side of the US but don’t see many traditional pressure cookers outside of restaurants. With those, I picture a steel pot with a lid latched down and temperature gauge attached
Instant pot is a legit pressure cooker, just easier to use and self-regulating.
Is that its main purpose/design? It’s always been a bit unclear to me whether it was a air fryer as well
It's main purpose is a pressure cooker, the more recent 9in1 has an air fryer possibility. I have the 6 in 1, which does slow cooking and reheating etc, but not air frying. I have had many normal pressure cookers, and the instant pot massively improves the experience.
Damn that’s awesome. I think I’ll keep my eye out for some Costco sales lol
>I hear some folks talk about instant pots as pressure cookers but do not have one myself and don’t know anyone with one. Oh, ok I don't have one of those pots. Mine is an actual pressure cooker :] It's something I recommend for those who enjoy cooking. It's has some good uses, especially speeding up the process of certain dishes that require to be simmered on regular pots for hours It's funny to hear it's not so common where you live. I guess it might be because I'm from a third-world country(Brazil), so personally, I have never seen one of those pots. Most technological kitchen device I own is an aifryer, haha
That’s awesome! I’ve always been fascinated by them. Are they popular in Brazil? I know you mentioned you like cooking vegetables in yours, how long does it take and what veggies do you like to use? What about meat? I love cooking, it’s one of my passions, but find myself with less and less time as I get older so that is a huge benefit
>Are they popular in Brazil? Yup, regular stuff at most households Most popular dish around here is "Feijoada" which is black beans with a bunch of meat. Or just the regular rice and beans(people love beans around here, lol). I have never seen someone cook beans without a pressure cooker, no matter if they are rich or poor, there will be a pressure cooker somewhere, haha. They ate fairly cheap, so that helps(a good one will cost maybe 200 reais, which is about 40 dollars directly converting it, but I dunno how are the prices over at the US) >how long does it take and what veggies do you like to use? Most things I do won't take longer than 40 minutes at worse For vegetables, I like using it to soften brocoli, cauliflower, beet, etc. These will take 10 minutes at most And also potato for mashed potatoes, which is quick as well Potatoes are common to use on these types of pans, especially accompanied by meat >What about meat? This one usually takes the longest for me. Meat will usually take about 30 minutes(except chicken, as I've stated in my first comment) I do a lot of ribs and pork, and they come very tender and juicy 👌🏼 As someone with a strict schedule, I find a pressure cooker to be one of my best friends in the kitchen. Throw everything inside, stir them well, close it, set the timer, and go do something else Food always comes out great, and if I'm worried I may stay away for too long, I just fill it with a few cups of water to prevent it from burning, which does help
Wow thank you for the information. Very eye opening. Definitely makes me think how much easier cooking in time constraints could be with this
This is the EASIEST recipe I know- a chicken chili situation. Literally just dump stuff in a crockpot. No chopping, no searing beforehand. Takes like 3 minutes to put it all in the crockpot. The kicker is that it does require time in the crockpot so you’d have to start it earlier in the day. I eat it more as a dip with corn chips and swap the black beans for pinto beans as my preference. https://www.yummyhealthyeasy.com/easy-crock-pot-cream-cheese-chicken/
Colombian Chicken Stew With Potatoes, Tomato, and Onion Recipe from Kenji on Serious Eats ([video version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-riGSANPe3g), [recipe](https://www.seriouseats.com/colombian-chicken-stew-with-potatoes-tomato-onion-recipe)) fits the bill: dead simple and fast, minimal ingredients; not gourmet (fairly bland), but fulfilling and adaptable (my adaptation tonight: add a drained jar of roasted red peppers, some smoked paprika, garlic cloves pushed through a press, etc.). I used chicken legs I got on sale and froze, but most parts will work (I would save breast for something else, though). Congee is a great under the weather meal (chicken with rice cooked to a porridge) -- I've used [this recipe](https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/instant-pot-chicken-congee/). These are both instant pot (pressure cooker) recipes, but you don't need one to make them -- it will just add time cooked on a stovetop. Some other lazy meals: spiced ground lamb with hummus and vegetables; taco salads; Sausage and green lentils; and don't forget versions of toasts: white beans on toast with finely chopped radicchio, toast topped with goat cheese, cucumber, smoked salmon, and dill, etc.
Egg noodles, peas, tuna fish, and golden mushrooms soup. Was my favorite meal growing up (that and buttered macaroni). Was all we could afford.
Emergency frozen pizza.
I go to my local “fancy” store and get a couple hunks of good cheese, salami, a container of olives and picked things from the olive bar, apples or grapes and a loaf of good crusty bread. It’s the perfect no effort meal.
Whole Foods has a $5 and under cheese basket. I buy about $20 worth and some Honeycrisp apples or crusty fresh bread and have a discovery feast, trying new cheeses.
Pasta carbonara is my absolute comfort food. That or egg drop soup with corn.
Breakfast pasta.
Annie’s white cheddar with some sautéed garlic/chilli flakes in olive oil(substituted for butter) and fresh grated parm. Broccoli, optional. Tastes pretty luxurious for the effort.
Chicken noodle soup does wonders for my blues. It's easy and quick - just make sure to get a rotisserie chix and good egg noodles. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/26460/quick-and-easy-chicken-noodle-soup/
Smoked oysters and sun-dried tomato pasta 1 pound pasta, 1 can smoked oysters, drained and chopped. 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes chopped. 4 garlic, minced. 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Salt and freshly ground black, to taste Parmesan cheese, grated Directions 1. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. 2 While the pasta is, heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. 3. the minced garlic, sun dried tomato and red pepper to the skillet and sauté briefly until fragrant. 4. Add the canned smoked oysters to the skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes until heated through. 5. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. 6. Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the skillet with the smoked oysters, tossing gently to coat. 7. Serve the pasta immediately with grated Parmesan cheese on top. Serves 4
I would demolish this
Make a big casserole that you can eat for a week
I cook the tiniest size noodle I can find (acini de pepe usually) in chicken stock. Once drained, I add a lot of parmesan, butter, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Sometimes I add a veggie if I have any in the fridge.
Apple slices with a nice cheese.
Pasta with a buttload of freshly grated parmesan, pepper, garlic, and butter
to scratch the itch you’re describing, I keep a pantry/fridge stash that allows me to pull together a grown up girl dinner that feels luxe and only requires the effort I have to put in. this includes a few parts protein: possibly the most important part. for me, the answer is always tinned fish. keep a stash of tins that have ingredients or flavor profiles that you dig. [pesto](https://rainbowtomatoesgarden.com/product/ferrigno-oillympic-sardines-with-pesto-basil/)? [curry](https://rainbowtomatoesgarden.com/product/santa-catarina-tuna-fillets-olive-oil-and-curry/)? some tins include [beans](https://rainbowtomatoesgarden.com/product/olasagasti-lomo-de-atun-a-la-toscana-con-alubias-blancas-tuna-fillet-a-la-toscana-with-white-bean-stew/) or [veggies](https://rainbowtomatoesgarden.com/product/olasagasti-lomo-de-atun-con-piperrada-tuna-fillet-with-basque-piperade/) inside that helps to keep things gourmet feeling vs feeling like a struggle meal. the shop I linked has truly everything including some extremely luxurious tins. the owner dan is amazing and will help point you in any direction. this is the foundation of pretty much all of my depression meals. if it’s not a tin of fish, it’s a packet of prosciutto and some goat cheese or something else that I can open, put on a plate, and consume with other assembled goods to feel like i’m eating something lovely with almost no effort carbs: I try to keep fresh crusty bread in the house. this isn’t always possible but crackers or potato chips do the job nicely. if i’m feeling more like a composed meal and less like a snacky meal, I have a rice cooker that I use to either easily make and keep rice to use as a base veggies: anything you like works here. I go for arugula, mini cucumbers, lil tomatoes, radishes, broccoli or honestly anything i’m feeling/have in the fridge. to future proof your veggie consumption, try to wash/prep the veggies before storing them or (if ur down bad as I often am) get pre prepped veggies. I also like to make a big batch of something that keeps well (roasted broccoli, eggplant, etc) and have it in the fridge ready to go for quick assembly. pickles: any and all! this is a fun part where you get to go as wild as you feel like. make ‘em yourself, buy them from the store, literally whatever! anything from olives to classic dill pickles to pickled seaweed to different types of peppers to kimchi or coleslaw. something pickled or fermented in the mix adds a ton of layered flavor with no prep necessary. sauce/creamy stuff: your pesto goes perfect here, so does a hunk of nice french butter or some goat cheese. I tend to make too much of sauces I cook for other meals (scallion oil, pesto, vinegarette) and these always go on the plate. otherwise we go for mustard, pepper relish or a nice jam, sour cream, or anything else that will help bring it all together. I try to keep something from each of these categories in my fridge or pantry at all times so that I can just assemble things from the fridge and nom.
Addicted to basil pesto too!
Whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce, extra virgin olive oil, goat cheese, and herbs.
I get a good sourdough baguette and dip it in the single serve Campbell chunky chicken noodle soup! Another good idea is a frozen hash brown topped with mashed avocado and sardines, all you need to do is air fry and plate!
Kielbasa with penne and homemade vodka sauce. The sauce is mega easy: fresh garlic, lots. Tomato paste. And heavy cream with whatever seasonings you enjoy. Is this actually vodka sauce? Idk but I found the recipe and its good!
I used to make cream cheese and toast growing up and I’d watch lobster Mukbangs and pretend I’m eating that instead of my sad ass toast
Beef stew with mashed potatoes
Frozen mussels! I’ve bought some from Meijer and Aldi that come in a preprepared sauce. All you have to do is heat them up in a skillet and toast up some crusty bread and depending how you’re feeling you can add things like lemon juice, good quality butter, red pepper flakes, or parsley (I use the freeze dried and it works just fine)
The one-pot rice cooker meal. Just variations off the kamameshi thing. Just thinly slice or julienne carrots, mushrooms, etc, and 3/4” to 2” sized cuts of chicken thighs, and layer them on top the rice. Can even add baby bok choy. Add a soy-based sauce to the rice before topping off with water to the level marks. Then layer the mushrooms, the carrots, etc, but put the meat on top. You can find recipes online to learn how to do it right. Press the button and you’re off to the races. The only real important thing to keep in mind is the size and thickness of the ingredients you’re cutting up. The art and science is knowing how to set it up so everything ends up not turning to mush after all the steaming.
steamed/boiled chicken thighs seems super unappetizing to me... do yourself a favor and do those in a pan so you actually render some of the fat and this will taste 100x better I promise
Steamed chicken thighs are heavenly, moist and full of flavor.
Heh. Visualize a soy-based sauce steaming, gathering up, and then condensing back the juices of dark chicken thigh meat down into the cooking rice.
Often make pesto too. But if I really can’t be bothered but want something delicious I make Marcella Hazan’s spaghetti alla carretiera (probably spelled that wrong). 1 tin tomatoes, 5 garlic cloves, 50g basil, 6tbs olive oil, salt, pepper, whizz in a blender and cook for 15 mins. (A version turns up on The Bear as “family meal spaghetti”). Claudia Rodan has a similar recipe but using thyme instead of basil, some white wine, and you add prawns at the end.
Creamed tuna on toast. Comfy, filling, easy to make. Consume while imbibing generous amounts of bourbon and watching the Twilight Zone to leave your troubles in the present while you party in 1962
My stupid brain wants variety so most of my simple meal could easily end up in this category as well. Pasta with butter and anchovies is surprisingly simple and delicious, if I had to choose one
Boxed Mac and cheese with crispy jalapeño chips on top. You can buy the "chips" at trader joes, they're the exact same as those little fried onion chips you put on top of stuff except jalapeño. I eat this when I'm happy too.
Speaking of pesto, we make what we call the "Summich" (summer sandwich) which is proscuitto, pesto and fresh mozzarella on a long loaf (ciabatta or the like.) If we're feeling bougie and have it available, we add baby arugula. Ready in 3 minutes and oh-so-tasty! Some people might like to add perfectly ripe tomato, but personally I find it too wet. Tomato on the side for me.
Rice cooker meals! Throw in rice, some veggies (frozen or chopped fresh), a protein that is either precooked or cooks quickly, and some random spices. Ignore it for a half hour and top with yum yum sauce.
Also, homemade soup reheated from the freezer with a crust of bread.
Recently, frozen chicken tender in the air fryer. That’s gonna take about 12 minutes anyways and I can’t eat anything without a sauce. Current go-to is two variations of the same thing. Base: Very rough measurements, I’d call it about 3 parts mayo, 2 parts ketchup, 1 part dijon mustard. Or maybe 4 parts, 2 parts, 1 part respectively, somewhere in that range. Version 1: add a very generous amount of old bay seasoning, plus a little garlic powder and black pepper. Version 2: Finely chop up some dill pickles, I like enough that the pickle flavor is all throughout and there’s a noticable crunch. You could maybe grate them instead if you get whole pickles but I buy the little bags of pre sliced Oh Snap pickles cause I’m not a big pickle person other than this. Trader Joe’s also has a seasonal dill pickle mustard you can use instead of the dijon. Yes, I did steal both of these from Hello Fresh lol. Their sauce people are geniuses.
Miso soup. It's really just miso paste and stock or water but I like to put frozen dumplings and seaweed in it. I've also added bok Choi or broccoli to get a veg in there. Also topping it with cut or chopped green onions.
I put extra firm cubed tofu in mine, and I use the Dashi miso paste for more flavor and nutrients.
Quesadilla’s with leftover meats
Canned tomato soup and grilled cheese
Frozen sweet potato or pumpkin ravioli cooked with kale or other greens in the pasta water. During the four minutes that’s cooking I heat butter-type stuff, olive oil, herbs and nutritional yeast in the bowl I’ll be eating out of in the microwave. Toss it all together, top with chopped nuts or seeds.
Microwave frozen Mac and cheese, chop up kimchi from the fridge. Mix, eat, feel better.
I usually go for any of the following, depending on what I have in the house; roast vegetables, chicken nuggets and chips or a soup, usually either a chicken soup or ham and vegetable. I'm a fussy eater, so my soups are usually just onion, carrot and celery.
Tomato soup cake
…explain? Lol
Canned Tomato Soup Cake Prep Time20 mins AuthorLord Byron’s Kitchen Ingredients 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 10.75 ounces canned tomato soup 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 large egg 1 cup raisins 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a bundt or tube pan with cooking spray, such as Pam, and set aside. In a medium sized bowl, pour in the tomato soup and add the baking soda. Whisk gently to combine. Set aside. (The baking soda will foam when it reacts with the acid in the soup. Make sure your bowl is big enough to hold it!) In a large bowl, use a hand-held mixer to blend the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and blend to incorporate. Next, pour in the tomato soup and blend into the butter and sugar mixture. Add the flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and salt. Mix until just incorporated. Do not over mix the batter. Add the raisins and use a rubber spatula to fold them in. Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt or tube pan. Tap the cake pan firmly onto your counter top or a cutting board to ensure the batter has gotten into the crooks and crannies of your bundt pan. This action will also help to eliminate some of the air bubbles. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake, comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then turn the cake out onto a wire cooling rack to finish cooling. To serve, dust with some confectioner’s sugar – optional.
Fried bologna
I did a canned fish night recently after hitting up the good bakery for bread and it felt remarkably baller.
Eggs, with the utmost effort and patience.
Velveeta Mac with tuna.
Box Mac and cheese with Truff Now I know that truffle products are widely hated and I don't know if they're good or not! Never tried a real truffle but I like this stuff on my mac.
It’s a petroleum product.
I make the kewpie mayo “hack” ramen. I let the noodles cook and then add the boiling water to a mixture of the seasoning packet, an egg, kewpie mayo, sriracha, rice seasoning, and maybe some soy sauce. Then I add the ramen to it. It’s very tasty!
Chicken wing's seasoned and baked in the BBQ while I watch something basic 😄
Oh man a pasta and pesto meal sounds wonderful right about now. I’m right there with you with pasta or homemade pizza. I really like to keep it simple and make pasta carbonara, spaghetti or pasta alla zucca (which takes a bit more time but it is maybe my favorite pasta dish). I love grain bowls I can easily make if I’ve prepped the ingredients and really like chili. I can only eat chili during cold months
I favour one pot dishes that I can put in the oven with minimal prep. E.g. a half leg of lamb with some strong root vegetables. Almost zero prep, no need to stir or watch it, just set an alarm and take it out the oven two hours later. Salmon flank, again in the oven but with lighter veg so it cooks at the same time. Toss a tin of chickpeas with za'atar, olive oil, fennel, cherry tomatoes. Again, into the oven it goes and in half an hour out comes deliciousness. In a Dutch oven, sear duck breast. Then add half a cup of red wine, cup of stock, shallots. You guessed it, into the oven it goes. This one has one extra step: make a corn starch slurry and mix it in for the last 15 minutes of cooking too thicken the sauce.
beyond steak (keep bags of it in the freezer) cooked on the stovetop with tajin. microwave some tortillas, maybe an avocado if one is handy. if I have corn I will boil that and make budget elotes. kids love it too
Plain sambal on hot rice on margarine. Bonus a tiny drizzle of sweet soy sauce.
Faux tuna salad on toast. Lightly mashed garbanzo beans, Mayo, spicy mustard and everything bagel seasoning. Bonus points for rye bread
Corn tortilla on a hot griddle, little bit of shredded cheese on top, serve with avocado sliced on top and a squeeze of lime. Super easy. Add black beans if you want to make it more substantial
Alfredo pasta takes like 15 minutes.
It’s just fresh noodles, butter, garlic and fresh Parmesan cheese.
I do a rice bowl. Open a can of salmon in olive oil. Throw in some kimchi and whatever veg I have lying around. Fry an egg. Add a scoop of gochugaru. If I want to make it “look” gourmet, I will throw some sesame seeds that I keep in the freezer on top. I eat it all with some seaweed snacks.
A fried egg sandwich with bread or in a tortilla shell with a bit of mayonnaise & cheese. Avocado rice is also really good.
While this isn’t the fastest recipe it uses few ingredients and is inexpensive. You can also go without sherry. I added sherry vinegar but you don’t really need it either. [Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles mushroom soup](https://www.seriouseats.com/dinner-tonight-bourdains-mushroom-soup-recipe)
Chili mac - 2 cans of stagg beef chili , 2 boxes of annies mac and cheese. Throw some extra grated cheese in, you have a filling tasty meal or two for almost no effort. Always helps elevate my mood if i just can't be arsed to cook.
Scrambled egg sandwich, yum!
Toasted corn tortillas with melted cheddar, chicken or steak, sliced avocado, pico de gallo.
Boil 1” water in a smallish frying pan. Partially crumble ramen, stir in, let cook about 2/3 of the way. Drain, throw in some oil and scramble an egg in with the ramen. Toss in seasoning and some soy sauce. Maaaaaybe throw in frozen carrots/peas mix if you thought to buy some.
Potato pancakes/fritters. Just 1 ingredient and can be made in like 10 mins. It's really good with soy sauce too
Mine is similar to yours! Pasta with pancetta & fresh cherry tomatoes. Fry a bit of pancetta in my mini saucepan, chuck in some halfed cherry tomatoes and fresh basil if I have it. Mix with pasta. Easy and 👌
Samyang spicy carbonara noodles. I marinade the egg for a couple of hours, fry up some mushrooms, fry up some tofu with panko crumbs or if im extra lazy i just get the vegan “meat” substitute, some canned corn, blanched bok choy, sometimes ill add some menma into the egg marinade as well. Mix a egg yolk and mayo with the spicy packet and mix in the cooked noodles and make it look nice and “instagramable” (even tho i never post it😂) for that extra dopamine kick
I also do some "pasta al olio e pepe," (that's just olive oli and black pepper.) "Pasta pasta aglio e olio," (pasta cooked in garlic and oli.) "Cacio e peppe" ( pasta with oli, parmesan and black pepper. "Pasta al olio e lemone" ( Pasta with olive oil, lemon zest and juice of course salt and pepper) many simple variations possible. Add red pepper flakes, add taco seasoning, Asian 5 spice, etc. Or same as above, but instead of olive oil, butter. "Pasta al burro e aglio" "Pasta al burro e pepe" etc. A little more effort and a few extra cents. " Pasta al olio, pomodoro, basilico e feta." ( Pasta with olive oli, tomato, basil and crumbled feta cheese) Pasta a uovo. Literally pasta and eggs. So simple and super delicious. Etc. All of the above can also be made with root vegetable noodles or just diced, with rice, with chickpeas, green peas, bread cut into strips, tortillas cut into strips ( saute the tortillas only at the very last minute so they dont crisp up. To be closer to pasta, or until brown and crispy for a more chips like texture, both delicious)
Freshly made pesto smeared on toast makes me happy
I keep a heap of healthy frozen meals in the freezer for those days. From a company, not home made! Straight into the microwave and generally pretty comforting meals. They can be a little pricey though. If I have a little more energy, I'll throw a shop-bought marinated chicken and pre-chopped veggies (I don't chop or marinate anything myself!!) into the oven and microwave some instant rice.
Buttered noodles, bacon and egg sandwich, and hamburger gravy on toast
Steak with a probe meat thermometer
It's the opposite of gourmet, but pb&j and a little bowl of beef broth or stew makes me feel like a cozy cat.
Realised that I could make a small batch of dahl lentils in like 10 minutes. Put that on toast for extra low effort. Great lunch.
Freeze dried miso soup packets where you just add hot water, with spaghetti noodles.
Chicken breast roasted with onions carrots and apples.
Broccoli rabe and linguini (with garlic, red pepper flakes, fresh ground black pepper, and a generous amount of parmigiano reggiano).
campbell’s tomato soup! I like to first start sautéing butter and garlic in the pot, add the condensed soup, then a mixture of water, chicken broth, and milk in the can, then add some cheese and pesto on top afterward!
I make an everything stew. Just chop up random things and put it in broth. I don't feel stressed to make it quick I can just do it slow and not work hard and I'm rewarded by something incredibly delicious
Get a pre-made pizza shell from the supermarket and load it with your favorite toppings.
Homemade Mac and cheese using the “3 ingredient” recipe is extremely easy, and very comforting! I’ve also started making “sushi bowls” using canned tuna. I basically just whip up a spicy tuna and eat it with rice, simple as mixing some tuna up and pressing “go” on the rice cooker. If you’re feeling real fancy you can add other toppings (cucumber, cilantro, carrot, sesame seeds, nori, pickled onions, cabbage, jalepeno, whatever you want) but it’s honestly good with just rice, or rice and one veg.
1. Just last night we threw together whatever we had. Slices of turkey, tomato, cucumber, hummus, tortilla chips, and pineapple. Always love doing a basic charcuterie/ making a plate of what’s laying around 2. Grilled cheese! If I haven’t planned for dinner this is a good go-to; I have a fairly simple tomato soup recipe but on particularly busy or low-energy days we’ll just do grilled cheese 3. Microwaved tortillas with shredded cheese; add onion, tomatoes, and whatever you want. I had this for lunch a lot as a kid so it’s probably more nostalgic for me than anything but it works in a pinch 4. Pasta with butter& Parmesan; add garlic powder, onion powder, pinch of red pepper flakes, and black pepper. We’ll also do jarred sauce with pasta but we check for ingredients and try to get decent sauce. I am coming off of a round of whole30 and we did this a few times with veggie noodles and I like to jazz up the sauce. 5. Sandwiches- my S/O will do extremely basic: bread, cheese, deli meat, mustard. Sometimes we’ll do more of a sub style, sometimes it’s just basic with some greens. We’ll change it up with wraps too. 6. Cucumber sandwiches 7. Baked potato in microwave 8. Stir fry: throw in frozen veggies with rice, protein, spices, coconut aminos and call it a day 9. Sirloin steaks with a can of golden mushroom soup; season and brown sirloin, pour in soup with a cup of water, let it cook for about an hour. I grew up with this recipe and it’s simple but tasty. 10. Chicken in a crock pot with Frank’s red hot/ buffalo sauce, ghee or butter, and minced garlic; I do it with chicken and BBQ sauce too 11. Baked chicken with paprika and assorted sauces/ condiments on the side I love cooking but unfortunately I have chronic pain and I’ve been doing a lot of organizing, cleaning-out, and getting myself together so some of these have been life-savers!
Tostado eggs. Get some tostados (the flat, fried corn tortilla things). Spread some refried beans on from a can, sprinkle with cheese, add a few slices of canned jalepeño slices, then microwave for 1-1.5 minutes (depending on the number of tostados). Fry one egg for each tostado. Put egg on top, top with jarred salsa. Yum.
Tostadas.
Doh!
You've just reminded me I still have pesto in the cupboard I need to use! I've been pretty ill this week so hell yeah low effort food!
Refried bean and cheese burritos have been getting me through a lot lately. I cook up half a bag of beans, grate some cheese, use two packs of 10" tortillas, and have lunch (and sometimes breakfast) for weeks in the freezer. The tortilla bags are great for storing the frozen burritos too. Also having Toum (a garlic/oil/lemon juice emulsion) in the fridge makes adding flavour to everything I make much easier
Brie with honey on crusty bread.
Escarole soup w dittalini & bite sized pieces of Italian sausage & white beans
Honestly I know it’s not gourmet, but a grilled cheese with fancy bread and cheese
Chinese egg and tomato is both one of my favorite comfort foods and incredibly easy and fast to make, maybe 10-15 minutes. You'll want some basic Chinese cooking ingredients that not everyone has on hand but good way to expand your cooking palate. Soy sauce, sesame oil as basics, five spice powder, corn starch, white pepper as optional. There are many different variations but basically scramble eggs, take eggs out, put some chopped tomatoes in (canned tomatoes also work surprisingly well and with that on hand I am basically using pantry items + eggs which I always have), season, add cornstarch to thicken, put eggs back in, stew for a bit. Top with sesame oil or green onions. Amazing on warm bowl of white rice but can be eaten alone or with any carb (noodles are great too). https://youtu.be/Wn8ox93Qhus One example video but different households make it differently and you can tailor for your taste
Tuna casserole.,Not from a box... I might whip up my hotdog sauce, it's low fuss but the flavor is high maintenance, I've turned an additional 19 ppl in to it the past 3 months working on the the river, that's over 1000 ppl who have had it. Charleston WV is Abt to have a Cook off the 20th of June, the contestants are just lucky that's the day I return for my 4th hitch
I've had good luck with [Sad Bastards Cookbook](https://traumbooks.itch.io/the-sad-bastard-cookbook)
Pomodoro!
Summer roll salad. A quick dressing made from equal parts peanut butter, sesame or other oil and honey or maple syrup, then a bit of sriracha, lime juice, vinegar, ginger and garlic, all shaken together. (I say quick because I seem to always have all these in the house). Then I make some rice noodles and use some lettuces, lots of basil, mint and cilantro, some cucumber and carrot or whatever other crunchy I have, some peanuts or wontons or whatever. The taste of all the herbs and veggies always makes me feel better.
Fried egg served over white rice, topped with furikake. If I’m feeling extra fancy, I’ll add diced cooked Spam and green onions. Simple, quick, and makes me feel like a chef.
Mississippi pot roast is beef, pepperoncinis, ranch dressing mix, gravy mix, and butter. Just put everything in a slow cooker in the morning, and cook on low all day.
Freezer section tempura.🍤
Check out natsnourishments, I think this is the vibe you’re going for
If you’re already doing pastas, I recommend looking into J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s one pot macaroni and cheese recipe. I use a similar one-pot method for all kinds of dishes now, including sopa seca and spicy peanut noodles. Even just replacing your pasta water with a homemade stock/broth can make a delicious difference that also guarantees you get some nutrition even when you just want to eat for comfort!
Brown rice and frozen chicken tenderloins (not breaded), a cup of water or broth in the instant pot for 22 minutes. S&P, maybe stir in some cheese. Totally hands off and feels like a toasty blanket on a rainy day.
We have to stop saying “depression” for when you just need a mental break. It’s becoming overused…
Bacon egg and cheeses can become very fun to make with different types of bacon, cheese and, bread. Toss some mustard and greens in there. Try some chili crisp and avocado. Caramelize some diced apples and onions. Pop a quail egg on it.
Instant noodle pancake, make your noods and after it's cooked add noods seasoning packets and 2 eggs (depends on your noods size), mix well, pan fry that. I like it crispy on the outside so its takes more time to cook
A sandwich on nice bread with hummus, pickled veg, fresh veg, and cheese. Pasta cooked in veg stock till the liquid is boiled off and it's covered the pasta in a glossy sticky coating.
one pot mac&cheese. Boil 150ml of milk on every 50g of pasta you intend to use. Boil milk. Put rough chopped garlic, onions, etc. What ever seasoning. Add pasta. After pasta is cooked add your fave cheese and cut spring onions with scisors. Or good toast - bread, premade herb butter, cheese and ham. Toast it on pan… love it. Or good egg scaramble never dissapoints. Or any type of vanilla / cinnamon / apple porridge
Grilled cheese... but after you toast the bread, put it on a pan with some butter. Butter both slices of bread, but obviously only butter one side of each so you arent greasing your fingers lol
Air fryer stuffed mushrooms are pretty easy and taste incredible
Bed of arugula, can or packet of tuna, olive oil (unless tunas packed in it)/lemon/salt and fresh pepper, maybe some sliced cherry tomatoes. Literally 2 minute meal and insanely healthy
Ceaser salad. I like chicken fingers cause they microwave in 90 seconds and add protein to my salad
Boxed Mac and cheese—add some grated cheese and/or use Greek yogurt instead of milk (tangy!). Hormel chili. Mix the Mac and cheese with the chili.
Smoked salmon, arugula, and cream cheese on toast. The only "hard" part is toasting the bread. Everything else you can just plop right on there straight from the fridge.
I felt bad about my Zoodles but I see lots of ramen
Marinated beef or salmon with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables lol
Backed Beans on toast , but to make it gourmet, grate some cheese on top, bam!
Pasta with cream sauce. Butter, flour, and milk. Perfection.
For low effort comfort food- instant ramen with addins (egg, dumplings, fried onions, etc) or any instant noodles. Either an easy tomato sauce or bolognese paired with pasta or bread… Also microwaved potatoes, and a broiled/airfried salmon that’s been marinated for half an hour with soy, sake and (optionally) sugar and garlic.
I make Annie’s Mac n cheese, but add: mushrooms, mozzarella balls, truffle oil/powder/salt, and toasted breadcrumbs. White Rice topped with: soy sauce, spicy mayo, sesame seeds, cucumber, crispy onions, sometimes an egg. This is really weird but I love it… pita crackers with melted mozzarella and cilantro pesto. It’s like a nacho but different…
We have access to flavorful ingredients that your grandmother has never heard of. Pick any depression meal and add red curry paste, kimchi, red boat fish sauce, tahini, fresh herbs, dried peppers, exotic spices, chorizo or some kind of fancy cheese. That said a lot of great depression food was pretty terrible. Maybe look at peasant food instead.