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What to Cook When You Can't Cook
- MommaBlogga
- Apr 8, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 8, 2021
I'm a terrible cook. Truly awful. I tend to leave out or add ingredients in at the wrong time, and I am not comfortable with any kitchen utensil. Let's just say I don't know what I'm doing. And it's not for lack of trying.
Are you the same? Could we be kindred souls in this fashion?
Pinterest pulls us in with inviting food pictures and "So SIMPLE!" blog lies. I've tried quite a few with less than stellar results.
Now that we are home quite literally - ALL. THE. TIME. - and we have transitioned our budget for dining out to home meals, I'm finding myself scrolling through my Pinterest food feed even more.
It's clear to me now I never truly intended to make half of these meals.
What a waste. I pinned with ambition and confidence. I ordered take-out with self-awareness and the desire to continue living.
But now I can't do that! This is a true first-world-problem scenario. Have I lost access to food? No. Am I without means to get this food? No. Do I lack a kitchen with proper cookware to prepare food? Again, no.
I've decided cooking is one of those skill sets often mistakenly placed under the 'anyone can do it' category. Similar to having good navigational sense. People tend to assume these are things that just need practice and patience to overcome.
When you are the person that struggles with these for reasons you can't explain, this doesn't seem like truth.
Let's just run through two of the issues I mentioned earlier:
1. Leave out ingredients / Add ingredients at wrong time
Ok, so if I read this about someone else, I would think they weren't so hot at following directions. However, I have never had a superior/boss/teacher tell me this was an issue. In fact, I've been told the opposite multiple times. But put a recipe in front of me and I lose the ability to understand sequencing.
2. Not comfortable with kitchen utensils
This sounds like I need more practice! I've lived on my own since I was 18, I worked in the food industry for a few years, and I make something at least once a day that requires the cookware.
I still look like this:
Now that this is out in the open about me, I'm sure you are wondering about my poor family. What are they eating?
For starters, my husband is a fabulous cook. The man can watch any how-to on YouTube and he is set. Huge praise for this!
I know I am blessed to have a husband who not only can cook, but enjoys cooking. However, I do not want to leave all the meals to him. We are big on sharing chores, and it can be taxing to always be the person doing the feeding just as it can be difficult to always be the person cleaning up the mess afterward. We try our best to alternate.
So, what am I doing on my nights? Perhaps you, too, are in need of some cooking ideas from the perspective of a true non-cook? There are a few items I have found comfort in. The gems I realized don't need a baker's touch to create an actual meal...
They are:
Pizza Rolls
Ramen
Microwaved Hot Dogs
HA! No, seriously. Those are absolutely things I make, but that's not what I was referring to.
The things this non-cook feels confident her whole family will eat AND enjoy are:
Grilling - as long as you have a meat thermometer, this is easier to manage than all the crazy "tsp of this, cup of that" business.
90% of my meals are Grilled Meat + Canned Vegetables + Quick Fix Salad Bag.
Twice-Baked Potato Casserole -- it's just a giant pan of baked potato, and it's the first thing I made decently on my own.
Spaghetti -- ok, everyone saw this coming.
Macaroni & Sausage -- super cheap, super easy, all my kids love it.
Eggs & Ham -- never green! But this combo has a variety of options that delightfully always turn out eatable.
Chicken & Mushroom Stroganoff -- This recipe uses the slow cooker. I'm sure you were expecting to see tons of Instapot and slow cooker ideas, but alas, even that is not something this non-cook has conquered.
Apple Pie Bites - the only dessert I feel confident listing
I avoid the oven. The oven is trouble. I lean toward the grill or a skillet. This way I can watch my food as it progresses. This is also why I tend to avoid the slow cooker and Instapot. Since I lack a true understanding of what is happening in the cooking process, I desperately want to check on the food repeatedly. Thus, grill or skillet.
Several of you chefs out there are seeing my list and already thinking of oh-so-simple recipes you need to share now. Friends, I will not turn down a recipe. And certainly, if you have an easy one, share it in the comments!
HOWEVER. The intent of this article is to encourage those in a similar position as myself. Don't go commenting with your 30-step culinary masterpiece that will make our non-cook brains deflate.
Get outta here with that nonsense.
This "opportunity" to cook more at home will surely broaden my menu a bit. Though for reference, in the 7+ years I have been married, I have added less than 10 consistently good meals to my wheelhouse. Let that sink in.
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