Help me please!

[wilburwb]

hello, i need suggestions please.  i've been doing paleo since around the end of july but i started my whole 30 on september 16.  this paleo thing is great with one major exception: time spent planning, prepping and cooking.  i feel like i no longer have time for anything else.  the amount of time i spend in the kitchen is becoming rather ridiculous. (and i love to cook!)  i usually make stuff on the weekends to get me through the week but i still need to spend quite a bit of time after work each day also.  and to be quite honest, i kind of resent forfeiting an entire day of my weekend to spend in the kitchen.  everything else about paleo is working so well for me i'm not going to let this issue be my downfall.  i'll continue to do what i have to do but someone must have some tips they can pass along.  anyone?  thanks and sorry to sound so whiny.

 

bill

[ShannonM816]

I'm only on day 12 of my first Whole30, and I definitely haven't figured this out, but I just yesterday found this article, and it's given me a few ideas: http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2010/01/14/paleo-kitchen-the-method-behind-my-madness/ -- maybe you'll find something helpful in it too.

[missmary]

It gets better. Over time you get into a routine that is easier but you have to go through some time, maybe a few months? before it is easy and mindless.

 

One thing that might help is to remember that not every meal has to be a masterpiece. An example: every so often when I'm in the kitchen cooking something else, I throw a sweet potato in the oven, so I had one already roasted in the fridge. I also keep a container of hardboiled eggs on hand always. SO, after my kettlebell class this morning I stirfried some sliced compliant sausage with cubes of sweet potato and pre-washed baby greens (power greens! kale, chard, spinach, etc.) in some coconut oil. When it was finished, I tossed it with a couple quartered hardboiled eggs and sliced cherry tomatoes. It took 5 minutes, tops and tasted great. I liked that dish so much I had it again at lunch. Other times, I might just heat up a few grass-fed beef hotdogs and eat them with raw vegetables and guacamole. Find things that are easy for you and don't worry about repeating them.

 

The other thing I do is cook meat in the slowcooker (usually basalmic beef short ribs from practical paleo or kalua pork from nom nom paleo). I've done both of those so many times I don't need to look up the recipes, it's like 2 minutes to throw it in the crockpot. Once I have a meat ready it makes it easier to just throw a meal together.

 

That said, it's still fun to make elaborate recipes. I just don't put expectations on myself to do that for every single meal

[Tom Denham]

Maybe you need to work on getting really efficient with a handful of meals that you can vary easily.

 

I am the roast guy. I put a frozen roast in the slow cooker at least once per week and let it go 8 hours. I vary the spices a bit, but my usual rub is salt, garlic powder, and ground coriander. Then when it is time to eat something, my signature meal is made in my wok: 1) Melt fat in wok, 2) throw in a big handful of chopped onion, 3) throw in a chopped bell pepper - red, yellow, or orange, 4) season with salt, garlic powder, and paprika, 5) add several big handfuls of fresh greens - Whole Foods sells pre-washed, ready to cook packages of greens, 6) add more spices, 7) splash with balsamic vinegar, 8) add a serving of pulled roast beef, 9) cover and let heat through for at least 5 minutes. Transfer to plate and eat. Preparing this meal takes me about 15 minutes. I make a meal like this once per day most days. I can vary the bell pepper color, add sliced mushrooms, use a different balsamic vinegar, add dried cranberries or macadamia nuts, use different spices, etc., to achieve a different meal within the theme. 

 

I do the same breakfast almost every day, although what I do seems to shift every few months. My current breakfast is 3-4 scrambled eggs with a side of cold sauerkraut. This takes 5-7 minutes to prepare. I use different spices with the eggs, different hot sauces, and different sauerkrauts to achieve variety. 

 

I try to make salmon or tuna salad at least every other day. I can make a bowl full in about 15 minutes and get 1-2 meals out of it. There are dozens of ways to vary this dish - different salmons, tunas, or even crab as the protein, different veggies, spices, etc. 

[GFChris]

Find recipes that make a lot of servings, so you cook once and have multiple meals. I have several baked frittata or breakfast casserole recipes that I rotate through. Chili, meatloaf, stews, meatballs, crock pot chicken are other thoughts. For lunch, I rotate through leftovers, chicken or salmon salad or sardines.

[1Maryann]

I couldn't find a whole day for a cook-up, so I started using my crock pot more.  I often put something like a stew in before bed, then portion it out in the morning and freeze for later.  I also found it was easier to play chef after dinner, when I'm not under the gun to get some food made.  Instead of watching garbage on tv, I'll try a new recipe in the hours between dinner and bedtime.  Sometimes I'll just prep and roast a bunch of veggies, other times I'll do a real meal.

 

If I have a bunch of veggies ready, the protein doesn't seem to take so long.  If the protein is already done, the veggies don't seem to take so long.

[MrsStick]

Make more at a time. I agree with starting with meats and finding a few that you like and can do easily. For me, I may vary the type of spices I do on chicken (or sauces) but my hubby and I do chicken once a week (plus have some for leftover night). When we do chicken, we usually make enough that we can have one or two more times (lunches, etc.). The same thing with veggies. Lunch we have fresh raw veggies and dip, but at dinner we usually do either HUGE salads (occasionally if we're eating home for several nights in a row to make sure it doesn't go bad) or a ton of roasted veggies. This week, the veggies were sweet potatoes, rutabaga, carrots, parsnips, and mushrooms with olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano. 

 

We find that we dislike cooking lots of stuff at once if we make it coincide with having people over. We try to have someone over at least once a week as our excuse to make a lot of food, so it feels like we're entertaining, not making a metric crap ton of food.

[praxisproject]

The fastest breakfast, lunch and dinner I make.

 

Baked egg cups will give you a speedy breakfast, just heat and they're ready.

 

Salmon patties with salmon from a tin are really easy and quick to prepare (keep a few cans ready).

You can make a fast and easy thai curry for dinner with meat strips, curry paste, frozen stirfry veggies (check your labels) and coconut cream.

 

How long are you spending on making a meal? Would any tools speed you up? (V-slicer, food processor)

[wilburwb]

hi all, thanks for the great tips and suggestions.  here's the deal for me: the protein part of a meal is not so much the issue as the veggies. so many veggies!   i did a pot roast in the slow cooker today and i can see the advantage to that!  i will be using that appliance a lot more from now on.  another issue that dawned on me while perusing some of your responses was the fact that i'm on my own.  i have to do the planning, shopping, prep, cooking and clean-up.  if i don't do it, it doesn't get done.  and i can't leave a mess in the kitchen.  that, and the fact that i have this thing about "made from scratch".  i make just about everything from scratch; chicken/pork stock, i grind my own pork for making sausage, i ferment my own sauerkraut and pickles, i clarify my own butter (i don't actually make the butter, although i have in the past:)).  so i guess i'm not doing myself any favors in that regard when it comes to time spent in the kitchen. i think missmary is right though: after doing it for a while i'll get the hang of it and it won't seem so daunting.  thanks again for all the great input!

[ShannonM816]

Oh, a veggie tip I just found out about -- if you like sweet potatoes, wrap a few in foil (individually, not all in one big thing of foil), put them in the crock pot on low before you go to bed (no liquid needed), and in the morning, cooked sweet potatoes! Not as good as roasted in the oven, but fast and easy, and if you do three or four at a time, you can leave them in the fridge until you need them.

 

(And I'm on my own too -- I mostly don't mind the shopping, and since planning for me mostly involves looking at pictures of recipes on Pinterest and deciding what to make, that's not a problem either, but I'm so sick of doing dishes! How can one person use this many dishes? I swear, I load up the dishwasher at least once a day, and on the weekend more, because I'm trying to cook things for the week to get ahead. Heaven forbid I skip a day, it takes at least two to get caught up again!)

[LRM]

When it comes to veggies, I keep my freezer stocked with veggies in the steamer bags.  I get the store brand on sale, and just pop them in the microwave for 5 or so minutes.  Easy peasy.  Also, things like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, roasted beets, can all be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge.  The same with roasted carrots & parsnips, and cauliflower rice.  I'm on my own too, so if I don't do it, it doesn't get done.  I had a hard time in the beginning, but now it's pretty easy. Any time that I am cooking something, I cook  a lot of it.     Hang in there, it will get easier. 

[Mavenist]

I know you said you don't really need help with protein but I must say I love pulled pork. I like to make it in the crockpot with really basic seasonings. Then I can have it in lettuce wraps with coleslaw. Then I can fry it in coconut oil in the am with over easy eggs and wilted greens. Then for dinner I can make it into carnitas with spices and eat it with salsa and guacamole. Or I can add it to a stew or a curry. I love protein that I can make into wildly different dishes - it helps make it okay/ yummy for me to eat the same protein for a few days.

I also have a rule that if I use the oven - then I fill the oven to capacity. I'm not just going to bake some chicken - I'm also going to do as many pans of roasted veggies as possible. If I'm making a casserole then I either also do a pan of veggies of I make two casseroles and freeze one etc.

I also love one pan meals. Ground meat if just amazing. I can easily have a meal in 10 minutes with only one pan to wash. Start the meat, add your veggies and cook. Then if desired add a sauce - tomato sauce or coconut milk and curry or broth to make a soup. Top with guacamole or avocado.

[ABS32013]

I know you said you don't really need help with protein but I must say I love pulled pork. I like to make it in the crockpot with really basic seasonings. Then I can have it in lettuce wraps with coleslaw. Then I can fry it in coconut oil in the am with over easy eggs and wilted greens. Then for dinner I can make it into carnitas with spices and eat it with salsa and guacamole. Or I can add it to a stew or a curry. I love protein that I can make into wildly different dishes - it helps make it okay/ yummy for me to eat the same protein for a few days.

 

I so agree!  I came up with a new (for me) use for leftover pulled pork this weekend that was delicious.  I had made a simple butternut squash soup (sauteed the squash and some leeks in bacon fat with s&p, added chicken broth and coconut milk and simmered away until ready to be blended). While I was re-heating my soup, I put some pulled pork in a saute pan to warm and crisp a bit.  When the pork was hot and had some nice crispy bits, I put it into a bowl and then poured the soup over it.  I even used a bit of soup to "deglaze" the pan so I didn't miss out on any of the crispy bits!  So yummy and satisfying!

 

p.s. my go-to recipe for pulled pork is nomnompaleo's Kalua Pig.

[wilburwb]

Oh, a veggie tip I just found out about -- if you like sweet potatoes, wrap a few in foil (individually, not all in one big thing of foil), put them in the crock pot on low before you go to bed (no liquid needed), and in the morning, cooked sweet potatoes! Not as good as roasted in the oven, but fast and easy, and if you do three or four at a time, you can leave them in the fridge until you need them.

 

 

that sure sounds easy!  thanks for that one

[wilburwb]

When it comes to veggies, I keep my freezer stocked with veggies in the steamer bags.  I get the store brand on sale, and just pop them in the microwave for 5 or so minutes.  Easy peasy.  Also, things like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, roasted beets, can all be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge.  The same with roasted carrots & parsnips, and cauliflower rice.  I'm on my own too, so if I don't do it, it doesn't get done.  I had a hard time in the beginning, but now it's pretty easy. Any time that I am cooking something, I cook  a lot of it.     Hang in there, it will get easier. 

when i do my veg, i make what i think will be enough to get through the week but i usually run short by about wednesday  so i obviously need to make a bit of an adjustment there.  haven't done the cauliflower rice yet but did the spaghetti squash for the first time sunday and that was really good tossed in my marinara.  the cauliflower rice looks super easy and i'm guessing i could make up a bunch and freeze???  thanks!

[wilburwb]

I know you said you don't really need help with protein but I must say I love pulled pork. I like to make it in the crockpot with really basic seasonings. Then I can have it in lettuce wraps with coleslaw. Then I can fry it in coconut oil in the am with over easy eggs and wilted greens. Then for dinner I can make it into carnitas with spices and eat it with salsa and guacamole. Or I can add it to a stew or a curry. I love protein that I can make into wildly different dishes - it helps make it okay/ yummy for me to eat the same protein for a few days.

 

i've been doing pork butts on my smoker for many years and i must say, that for me, there isn't really much better in the meat world than a perfectly smoked pork butt.  and you're SO right: it is so versatile.  thanks!

[J&Z'sMom]

This past weekend I made homemade ranch w/ homemade mayo, coconut milk, dill, garlic, etc.  It was fanatastic w/ raw veggies and on salads!  It definitely made it easier to haul out the baby carrots/sugar snap peas and call my veggies done!  It's a fat, so all you need is veggies w/ the dip and protein.  Another favorite is carrot chips dipped in the wholly guacamole single packs!

[WunderHase]

This was my own plan, which I haven't executed yet :-) I'm disorganized like that. I was supposed to chop up and shred veggies once or twice per week and put them in plastic bags and store them in the vegetable compartment in the fridge. That way you'd always have veggies to go with your meal. The same with grilled chicken. Then there are always cans of tuna. The only thing I'm doing poorly with is the added fats, since I've been rather lazy making mayo and plain olive oil is boring, but when I get that part right, everything goes well.

 

Even though I haven't frozen a lot of foods yet myself, that would definitely be another thing to do. Frozen veggies are great.

 

I would be a bit careful about putting frozen foods in the slow cooker though, as the temperature of the food might not raise fast enough. I'm sure people do that all the time and haven't gotten food poisoning, but you know...just be aware :-)

[Bet]

This is a great time of year with all the root veggies and squash available. When I do my cookup on Sunday (while watching football!) I will roast beets or sweet potatoes or a spaghetti squash and then keep the cooked veggies in the fridge so I can just nuke them for a side. Or I use frozen veggies a lot, like spinach and green beans.

[praxisproject]

Don't turn your nose up at good frozen veggies, in the right recipes they are great and can give you a no-veggie-prep meal, super fast. Also handy for those times when fresh veggies have run out or gone a bit too squishy lol

 

I can get a few different "stir fry" veggie mixes which are pure veggies with no nasties. I don't like them much in stir fries, not quite crisp enough, but perfect in a thai curry or asian soup. I throw them straight in the pan, still frozen. Use two bags and you've got enough curry for quite a few meals, with almost zero prep time.

 

If you can, use your no-prep meal nights to do prep for the next day. There's a few dicing/shredding/spiralising machines around that can give you a lot of prepped veggies for not too much work (grated zucchini for hash browns, zoodles, diced zucchini).

 

Some veggies are almost ready to go from the shop too, asparagus, broccolini, snow peas. Review your current approach, see what options take the longest, what's the easiest, think about anything you might not have tried which might be faster/easier.

[Pipi]

Wow so many good ideas! I'm on day 3, I have two pots and the oven going, there is a pile of dishes and the excitement is waning! I don't use microwaves so had avoided frozen veg but love praxis projects idea for Thai curry. I guess it's the whole work smarter not harder approach ay?

My nan was a ministers wife and a lot of their income was donated good - whole geese, veges, half a pig etc - she had this intricate system of bottling, freezing, fermenting going on. I wish I could channel some of her know how about now. Best go stir those pots!

[trezkholl0806]

I get in the kitchen on Sunday and prep.... I use the food processor to slice zucchini/squash, bell peppers, mushrooms, shred rutabaga, etc etc. Then I keep it on hand in the fridge to use for my breakfasts and I also saute some for lunch/dinners... chop broccoli, cauliflower to roast, green beans can be blanched and kept for quick additions to the pan (coconut oil, garlic, beans, salt/pep & crushed red pepper flakes - yum!). Throw sweet potatoes, foiled, in oven @ 400-425 for 40-60 mins. (sometimes after they cool I remove the skin and mash them together, easy to scoop out of the bowl for my serving). I throw 2 packs of chicken breasts in the crockpot with veggies (carrots/onions/bell peppers) and compliant broth, salt, pepper, etc. OR a jar of compliant salsa and you're good to go (this is so easy and versatile.. you could add to your breakfast, make lettuce wraps, etc.! You could make meatballs with ground beef/turkey/chicken and have those ready. Egg muffins (eggs, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc) can be reheated easily. You will get the hang of it I know at first it is overwhelming.