Quick and Easy Meals for Those Who Hate to Cook

I was recently speaking with my friend Kathy about one of our favorite topics: food. We discuss this topic thoroughly and often. We both adore eating but have very different outlooks on cooking--she loves it and I hate it. If a food must be peeled, cleaned, chopped, marinated, or heated in any way, I avoid it as much as possible. If I had an unlimited amount of money (and didn't have to watch my weight), I would eat at restaurants for every meal.

Since I have neither an overabundance of cash nor a speedy metabolism, I eat most meals at home. When I can't get anyone to cook for me, sometimes I have to bite the bullet and make something resembling dinner. Over the years I've developed some tried and true meals that I can prepare with a minimum of fuss. I will list some of these meals below, in case any of you feel the same way about cooking.

Before I get to the list, please note that I realize these meals aren't necessarily balanced, complete, or overly nutritious. And to others, they're probably not all that tasty. But I've grown fond of these meals and do actually enjoy them.

1. Black Bean Soup and Rice
   Ingredients
   1 can Goya black bean soup (red label), brown rice, salsa, sour cream (I use fat-free but you can use whatever kind you like), tortilla chips (optional: I only add these when the baked kind are on sale), shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
   Method
   *Make rice according to package directions. This takes longer than you'd think so plan ahead.
   *Open a can of black bean soup and heat in a microwave-safe bowl. If you're really lazy, you don't even need to heat the soup. It will be room temperature, if that's OK with you.
   *Mix together in whatever proportion you like.
   *Add salsa and sour cream and stir.
   *Add shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled tortilla chips on top if desired.
   
   
2. Pita/Tortilla Pizza
   Ingredients
   Pita or tortilla, tomato sauce, shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, any vegetables you have on hand (cut into small pieces)
   Method
   *Cut open pita so you have two round halves and place on cookie sheet (or put a tortilla or two on cookie sheet).
   *Spread tomato sauce on pita or tortilla.
   *Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of sauce.
   *Pile on as many vegetables as you'd like.
   *Bake in regular oven (350 degrees) or toaster oven until cheese is melted and vegetables are cooked through. If you like your pizza extra-crispy, you can place it directly on the oven rack for a few minutes toward the end of the cooking cycle.


3. CPR (cheese/pretzels/raisins)
   Ingredients
   Block of cheddar cheese, Snyder's Bavarian pretzels, raisins
   Method
   *Take a bite containing a small chunk of cheese, a piece of pretzel, and 2 or 3 raisins.
   *Repeat until you're full.
   
   
4. Santa Fe Rice and Beans With Spinach
   Ingredients
   Weight Watchers Santa Fe Rice and Beans frozen dinner, Green Giant spinach pouch, salsa, sour cream (can use light or fat-free), baked tortilla chips (optional)
   Method
   *Cook frozen dinner in microwave according to package directions.
   *Microwave spinach pouch. Drain liquid. Divide into two portions, use only one.
   *Mix heated frozen dinner with spinach.
   *Add salsa and sour cream.
   *If desired, eat with baked tortilla chips.
   
   
5. Gardenburger
   Ingredients
   Gardenburger, 2% cheese slice, relish, ketchup
   Method
   *Microwave Gardenburger (1 minute on each side) and leave on plate.
   *Place slice of cheese on top of burger.
   *Add relish and ketchup.
   *Eat with knife and fork (or put on hamburger bun if you prefer)


6. Egg Sandwich
   Ingredients
   Arnold Sandwich Thin, 1 egg, 1 slice 2% cheese, 2 slices turkey bacon, olive oil
   Method
   *Toast Sandwich Thin.
   *Put a little bit of olive oil in a pan and fry the egg.
   *Lay cheese slice on toasted bread.
   *Microwave bacon slices on paper towels.
   *Assemble sandwich and enjoy.

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Vocabulary

• overabundance: too much of something
• bite the bullet: be brave about dealing with something painful
• tried and true: reliable
• nutritious: healthy, feeds the body with what it needs
• fond: full of affection or love
• optional: not required; can either be done or not, depending on which you prefer
• on sale: reduced in price
• room temperature: not too hot and not too cold; a comfortable feeling for indoors
• on hand: available
• portions: individual parts of something
• assemble: put together

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Vocabulary Practice

1. After trying to get by with a 6-year-old computer, I finally had to ________ and buy a new one.
2. Ikea has nice furniture that doesn't cost a lot of money, but it can be difficult to ________ the pieces at home.
3. If you visit Costco and don't shop wisely, you can wind up with an __________ of food and nowhere to store it.
4. My son's preschool teacher assigns homework to the students, but they don't have to do it. She says it's __________ work.
5. I think cheese tastes best when it's served at ___________, not just out of the refrigerator.
6. Even though it's old and doesn't work well, I'm very ________ of my car and don't want to get rid of it.
7. I'm not picky about cereal; I usually just grab whatever is _______ and eat a quick breakfast before work.
8. You can find nice clothes ________ if you buy things at the end of the season and don't mind searching for bargains.
9. I've bought several different shampoos, but my __________ Pantene is the one I keep coming back to.
10. My salad contained a _________ mix of olives, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries.
11. Keep your _________ small if you want to maintain a healthy weight.

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Grammar Point

Contractions
In the paragraphs above and in my recipes, you will see that I use several contractions. To form a contraction, you add two together, remove some letters, and add an apostrophe to show that letters were removed. For most of the contractions, it's very clear which letters are missing:

I + will = I'll
he + will = he'll
it + is = it's
should + have = should've
I + am = I'm
do + not = don't
does + not = doesn't

However, for some of the contractions it's not as clear:

will + not = won't
she + would = she'd

Why do we use contractions? You'll notice that native speakers of English usually speak very quickly. Using contractions is natural when you want to get your point across more quickly. For example, if you're rushing out the door to catch a train, you would most likely yell to your family, "I'm leaving!" instead of "I am leaving!"

Using contractions is one of the great secrets to sounding like a native speaker of English. Many people who are not native speakers are hesistant to use contractions. To the native English speaker's ear, the absence of contractions sounds "foreign."

People also use contractions to establish a more intimate and casual tone. For example, you may say to a friend, "I'll call you later." But at a job interview, a native English speaker will usually use fewer contractions and say something like, "I will send that resume over to you tomorrow."

You might also decide NOT to use a contraction if you want to emphasize a point. When I want to make sure my small sons understand that I'm serious about a warning, I find myself saying, "Do not run in the street!" instead of the less serious, "Don't stand so close to the TV." In the first example, they absolutely need to listen to me so I speak distinctly and clearly with "Do not." For the second example, it's nowhere near as important so the contraction is OK.

Try using contractions when writing to friends or family. Many people, even native English speakers, don't use contractions when they write friendly emails. The result is often a message that sounds way too stuffy or formal. If you would normally say, "Hi Jane! What's going on?" when you speak to Jane, then write it that way too. Don't write, "Hi Jane! What is going on?" because that sounds unnatural.
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Grammar Practice

Pick the correct contraction to complete the sentence.

1. Freddy ________ know the right answer. (doesn't OR does'nt)
2. Do you think _______ going to win the race? (she's OR shese)
3. ______ it past your bedtime? (Is'nt OR Isn't)
4. I _______ be able to go with you tomorrow. (won't OR willn't)
5. You _______ bite your nails. (should'nt OR shouldn't)

For more contraction practice, try this puzzle: http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/phonics/contractions5-puzzle.pdf

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Proofreaders Needed!

http://www.zazzle.com/i_hate_cooking_apron-154398987726938834
Open this link and look at the picture of the apron.
Can you find the big grammar error?

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Food Movies

Although I truly hate to cook, one thing I do love is movies in which cooking and preparing food is a major theme. Here are some wonderful movies that beautifully show the preparation of food as an art, a passion, and a labor of love:

Chocolat
Babette's Feast
Big Night (watch this video!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxrMEveOkSs&feature=related
Like Water for Chocolate
Eat Drink Man Woman
Tortilla Soup
Tampopo