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  #1   ^
Old Fri, Dec-29-17, 11:19
nawchem's Avatar
nawchem nawchem is offline
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Posts: 8,701
 
Plan: No gluten, CAD
Stats: 196.0/158.5/149.0 Female 62
BF:36/29.0/27.3
Progress: 80%
Default Looking for food ideas

I live with a Vietnamese chef. She cooks for hours on end and all the burners on the stove are taken, nothing is refrigerated so it sits on the stove all day. I hate getting in her way, I have access to 1/3 of one shelf in the fridge and no space on kitchen shelves. I eat all meals in my room and their never warm. No problem using the microwave.

I eat things like cheese sticks and nuts and grapes but they don't seem to satiate my hunger. Any ideas on how to get some meat, fat and veges into my diet without cooking?
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  #2   ^
Old Sat, Dec-30-17, 00:44
madeyna's Avatar
madeyna madeyna is offline
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Posts: 936
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 168/128/130 Female 5.3
BF:
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precooked deli meat, precooked chicken comes in several forms. Roasted ,baked. fried, strips
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  #3   ^
Old Sat, Dec-30-17, 13:07
Blue Ruby Blue Ruby is offline
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Plan: atkins
Stats: 200/170/160 Female 5'7"
BF:
Progress: 75%
Location: BC
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Can you use the oven for an hour? You said stove top so I'm assuming yes but if not, see point below (Off hour cooking.)

I bake about 4 huge pork steaks at a time. Eat one, put the others in fridge in a flat rectangular Tupperware (that you could then stack your other items on top.) then you could briefly nuke each one before eating.
I bake with salt, pepper, powdered ginger and gluten-free soy sauce.

Can you use one burner at some odd hour? Like when she's asleep- put one of her cold pots on the counter for 15 min? Then boil yourself up a ton of eggs and refrigerate (another Tupperware stacked on your shelf.) mix with mayo and a little Dijon anytime...or chop up with your pepperoni sticks.

Can you put a crock pot in your room and slow cook meats?
Microwaving bacon works - look up how to do it.
Baking bacon in oven then put in baggies in fridge (now the baggies are stacked on your previous two containers.)
Canned tuna, salmon, herring -- keep the cans in your room -- mashed up with mayo (or if you really don't have room for a jar of mayo in the fridge, then mash up with lots of olive oil and salt.)
With such small fridge space, you'll have to eat up everything-- a roast chicken from grocery store will be a couple meals, then it's gone and you put something else, like above, in its place.

I hope this is a temporary situation for you!

Good luck my friend. This is a hard situation as it sounds like your limited access to kitchen could lead to food boredom and possibly giving up...hang in there.
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  #4   ^
Old Sat, Dec-30-17, 13:51
nawchem's Avatar
nawchem nawchem is offline
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Posts: 8,701
 
Plan: No gluten, CAD
Stats: 196.0/158.5/149.0 Female 62
BF:36/29.0/27.3
Progress: 80%
Default

Yesterday I did my first real grocery shopping in a year but I think I blew it. I can lose up to 40 carbs. I bought Lean Cuisine the turkey and green beans- 14carbs. I went on a huge LC binge after that. I don't even eat at night.

I'm taking your suggestions and sticking to plain meat. They don't use appliances like oven or dishwasher (maybe a money thing since they have a renter). The crockpot might save me, cause I've been starving for meat. Boiled eggs is a good idea.

madeyna I'll look for chicken, I don't eat gluten so I don't trust some of the 'real' deli meat. I've eaten rotisserie chicken every week for a year. Its to the point that I buy it and throw most of it out. I can work with packaged meat.

Thanks a lot for the ideas!
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  #5   ^
Old Fri, Jan-05-18, 09:54
scott9050 scott9050 is offline
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Plan: Atkins
Stats: 385/338/225 Male 6'2
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Get a hot plate or induction cooker. Get a dorm sized refrigerator if you can as well to keep your food in.
I have this cooker downstairs for when I don't want to wake up the rest of the house cooking:

https://www.ebay.com/i/262585922972?chn=ps

I do a lot of shopping at Sams Club because some of the meat deals have been really good. At Sams this past week I bought a large pack of Salami and a pack of various European cheeses. It made a lot of great snacks throughout the past week and got me through some cravings I had starting week 2 of the diet.
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  #6   ^
Old Sat, Jan-06-18, 11:27
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WereBear WereBear is online now
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Plan: EpiPaleo/Primal/LowOx
Stats: 220/125/150 Female 67
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There are lots of crockpot ideas in the recipe section.
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  #7   ^
Old Sat, Jan-06-18, 14:30
Meetow Kim Meetow Kim is offline
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Posts: 166
 
Plan: Atkins Concept
Stats: 225/190/175 Male 70.5"
BF:
Progress: 70%
Location: Central Virginia
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Does this Vietnamese Cook not like you or something? Man, I would be chumming up to her for some of that Vietnamese food!

I dont have a lot of Vietnamese restaurants around me, but when I do find them, it seems there are plenty of protein and vegetable options on the menu.

Cant you get her to hook you up?

Also, there are electric skillets and hot plates

https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CB...words=hot+plate

https://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Sile...lectric+skillet

I've used both. I worked in metal shops most of my life and used to heat soup in a pan on a hot plate back in the day (microwaves were not tiny and cheap back then). And later on, worked with a Cajun and we used to cook all the time (Plenty of deer meat being available). He already had a crock pot and I brought my wife's old electric skillet from another life to the shop so I could brown meats, and veggies before throwing in the crock pot. I'd start a 5AM before we stared work and by lunch we'd have food to eat, then the crock would go in the fridge and heat up again the next day to really cook the meat down soft. (We were in the country, not many restaurant or grocery choices nearby)

Some crock pots have browning features built in to them nowadays too.

Also, pressure cookers are awesome. I have done a cut up Boston butt in less than an hour in my huge massive heavy aluminum one I used for canning, I just told my wife I was going to be ordering a small one for fast small portions. You can take a chunk of beef/pork or chicken parts, toss it in with some broth and seasonings and have pull apart meat in short order.

I just put this one on my wish list to remind me. It may be perfect for you, but I may need to go up to a 4 quart for me.

https://www.amazon.com/COSORI-Multi...pressure+cooker

So I assume this person you live with pays more rent? And that's why she can dominate the space? Otherwise I would assert myself if I had equal right to the kitchen.
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  #8   ^
Old Sat, Jan-06-18, 14:45
Meetow Kim Meetow Kim is offline
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Posts: 166
 
Plan: Atkins Concept
Stats: 225/190/175 Male 70.5"
BF:
Progress: 70%
Location: Central Virginia
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by nawchem
madeyna I'll look for chicken, I don't eat gluten so I don't trust some of the 'real' deli meat. I've eaten rotisserie chicken every week for a year. Its to the point that I buy it and throw most of it out. I can work with packaged meat.

Thanks a lot for the ideas!


I buy the large package of boneless skinless chicken breasts and poach as many as can nicely fit on a 12" deep side skillet/pan, then cook some of the other for that night and leftovers, and freeze any left.

If you really heavily season...waaayyy more salt and spices than you would even use otherwise...in your poaching water (I use bouillon because it's cheap and I dont mind pouring it down the drain when the chicken is done), that flavor will carry with the finished/cooked chicken breast.

Put the breasts in the pan (on your hot/plate or single electric portable burner or electric skillet...or the stove if Vietwoman will give you some slack) so they are in a single layer, add water to about 1" or more if you have room over the top of the fattest breast (they will actually plump a little), add your bouillon and/or other seasonings bring just to the boil and keep a thermometer handy. Remove each breast to a resting platter as they reach 165 degrees in the middle of the fattest part. When the last breast reaches temp, turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner until the burner cools a bit. Put all breasts back in the liquid in the pan and allow to cool to room temp-ish...this allows the seasoned water to be drawn in to the breasts while they cool helping to keep them moist and well seasoned.

Now you have ready to eat chicken breasts for cheap (look for them on sale). You can slice them, shred them or just grab one and start eating like a cave woman (assuming you are female of course, not trying to cisgender anyone!), use in recipes...your mind is the only limit at this point.

Last edited by Meetow Kim : Sat, Jan-06-18 at 14:53.
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  #9   ^
Old Sun, Jan-07-18, 16:35
nawchem's Avatar
nawchem nawchem is offline
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Posts: 8,701
 
Plan: No gluten, CAD
Stats: 196.0/158.5/149.0 Female 62
BF:36/29.0/27.3
Progress: 80%
Default

I had no idea my post was in kitchen talk. Thanks so much for the ideas. Not sure I'm going to stay here much longer. These may come in handy as theres a housing shortage in the area and the first renters get the kitchen. The crock pot, and hot plate ideas are stellar.

Meetow I dream of my own kitchen and learning Vietnamese cooking. The backyard is full of the greens she puts in the food. I'm sure they would feed me every meal, they are the kindest people I've ever met. I have no idea what's in the food. And there's the embarressment of not using chopsticks and having to reach into the communal bowls with my hands. Thanks for your chicken recipe. I think I would feel comfortable cooking when her kitchen closes about 8pm.

I live in a Vietnamese area, there are restaurants all over but people complain their not authentic. My landlord has only been in the US 5 years. The kitchen and the yard are always full.
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  #10   ^
Old Sun, Jan-07-18, 18:45
Verbena Verbena is offline
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Plan: My own
Stats: 186/155/150 Female 5'4"
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Location: SW PNW
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"And there's the embarressment of not using chopsticks"

Nawchem, my DH is German, came of age in the 60s, not a lot of chopstick users in the native population of Germany at the time. But he was curious, and determined. He made himself an open faced sandwich - sturdy German bread, and liverwurst - cut it into small pieces, and practiced till he got it. The sandwich bits weren't slippery, or hard to get ahold of, and he did it where nobody could see or laugh. Today one has the added advantage of youtube. Use wooden chopsticks; they tend to grip better than plastic in my opinion. While it is awkward at the beginning - this is not the way Western fingers are used to using eating utensils - once over the hump it is surprisingly easy. Find something that suits your taste better than a liverwurst sandwich, and go for it. "Al dente" cauliflower or broccoli bits spring to mind, not slippery or smooth.
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  #11   ^
Old Sun, Jan-07-18, 22:27
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robynsnest robynsnest is offline
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Plan: Atkins
Stats: 336/286/199 Female 5'11"
BF:Losing it....
Progress: 36%
Location: Canada ay?
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Eggs can be microwaved, quite good, just don't overlook
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  #12   ^
Old Mon, Jan-08-18, 12:53
nawchem's Avatar
nawchem nawchem is offline
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Posts: 8,701
 
Plan: No gluten, CAD
Stats: 196.0/158.5/149.0 Female 62
BF:36/29.0/27.3
Progress: 80%
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Verbena
"And there's the embarressment of not using chopsticks"

Nawchem, my DH is German, came of age in the 60s, not a lot of chopstick users in the native population of Germany at the time. But he was curious, and determined. He made himself an open faced sandwich - sturdy German bread, and liverwurst - cut it into small pieces, and practiced till he got it. The sandwich bits weren't slippery, or hard to get ahold of, and he did it where nobody could see or laugh. Today one has the added advantage of youtube. Use wooden chopsticks; they tend to grip better than plastic in my opinion. While it is awkward at the beginning - this is not the way Western fingers are used to using eating utensils - once over the hump it is surprisingly easy. Find something that suits your taste better than a liverwurst sandwich, and go for it. "Al dente" cauliflower or broccoli bits spring to mind, not slippery or smooth.


Thanks Verbena most people in my field are Asian, they like to laugh at my clumsiness, and tell me to eat stuff like the world's hottest pepper. Sometimes the waitresses ignore my demands for silverware. I think they set this up before hand. I would love putting these jokes to rest.
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  #13   ^
Old Mon, Jan-08-18, 12:56
nawchem's Avatar
nawchem nawchem is offline
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Posts: 8,701
 
Plan: No gluten, CAD
Stats: 196.0/158.5/149.0 Female 62
BF:36/29.0/27.3
Progress: 80%
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by robynsnest
Eggs can be microwaved, quite good, just don't overlook


You just throw the eggs on the plate and hit start?
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  #14   ^
Old Tue, Jan-09-18, 15:01
Meetow Kim Meetow Kim is offline
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Posts: 166
 
Plan: Atkins Concept
Stats: 225/190/175 Male 70.5"
BF:
Progress: 70%
Location: Central Virginia
Default

You have to force yourself to learn chopsticks. Like holding a fork or spoon, we all (especially non-Asians who didn't grow up using them) have a slightly different "hold" on them. I'm still not perfectly proficient at them but can grab almost anything. What I cant do really well is eat rice with them. Sticky rice is easy but loose rice...I dont know how they do it, and sometimes if you watch them, they hold their bowl to their mouth and kind of nudge the rice in. Now that I'm not eating rice...no worries!.

I still have to re-position the chopsticks here and there, they get all slipped off in one direction or another.

If you try to hold them like authentic Asians you will drive yourself nuts. They seem to hold them way back near the ends with them nearly touching. The disposable chopsticks that come in the red sleeve usually have pictorial instructions and I'll bet youtube is chock full of help. I find, for some reason, maybe is psychosomatic, certain foods taste better eating with chopsticks. It forces you to enjoy the individual parts of a dish more I suppose. They probably forget your silverware trying to encourage you to use the chopsticks. Ask them for a lesson, I find most immigrants are very happy that you want to learn THEIR culture.

As far a micro-eggs. First, never put an egg still in the shell in the microwave, that's bad explosive stuff. Something I saw on these very boards is people putting a scrambled/whisked egg (that thing you do for scrambled eggs, you know, whisking it up with a fork or whisk?) and pouring it on smooth plate and microwaving to make a flat wrap type shape to wrap up other foods in.

What we have done in my house (my wife actually got me doing this) is take a small glass bowl (or other microwave safe bowl) that is about 2 to 3 times the the size that will fit the egg exactly (because the egg will swell up when microwaving), spray it with cooking spray or wipe it with an oil or butter soaked paper towel, crack an egg in it and whisk with a fork, or you can leave it whole but the yolk will not be runny when cooked...for the most part.

We microwave that 1 minute as 50% power with a folded paper towel over top. Check and make sure its set up or done, if not, hit it again at 30 second intervals until done. A little salt and pepper before you mix it up and microwave is tasty. This is how we used to make egg muffins...before I started low carb...now sadly...there is no muffin.

You can do more than one in a larger bowl just like you would make scrambled eggs, even with a little cream or milk mixed in. Just nuke it in small doses, pull out and whisk with fork, and re-nuke at short intervals until your preferred doneness. DO NOT skip the oiling of the dish. Trust me...unless you have some newfangled non-stick microwave thingy you are using that doesn't require it.

Again, YouTube can be your friend

I'm new here but I think kitchen talk is where they want general discussion on stuff like this. I'm happy to be corrected...as I said...new here.

I would love to switch with you for a few months. I would shadow your Vietchef every day if I could, learning everything I could soak up, I'm a pretty accomplished home cook, and proper Asian is very hard to get right...and all Asians who are not Americanized yet grow stuff everywhere they can...its in their DNA. The biggest hindrance to your roommate's cooking is probably burner size. The reason none of us can really get the proper Asian/Chinese flavor is we dont have a burner big enough to create enough heat to make the flavor. It's called "breath of the wok"...and its something that can only be achieved with a huge burner and a proper wok, preferably seasoned with thousands of meals. If you ever get a peek in the pro kitchen of an Asian restaurant, you will see the big burner with the wok sitting on a ring over it. Almost no Americans have that at home and thus, can never replicate what that cook is doing

Last edited by Meetow Kim : Tue, Jan-09-18 at 15:09.
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