Cooking rut

I am SO tired of beans and rice. Actually I am tired of all of our staple meals. I am in such a rut between trying to keep groceries affordable and being as nutritious as possible. I don't think I ever want to eat pasta or vegetable soup again. The smells of hoisen sauce and sesame oil are starting to turn my stomach.

Do you ever get to this point? When you're just tired of cooking and nothing appeals to you anymore? What do you do? I look at other recipes but even they don't seem like they would be good or they seem like they would be too expensive or too much work.

[Robin Garr]

Just to clarify, Michelle, are you vegetarian? It sounds so, from the examples you gave.

One thought: Get a great new cookbook and use it for inspiration for new ideas. If I'm guessing right that you want a meatless diet, take a look at Madhur Jaffrey's New World Vegetarian. We got it several years ago and still turn to it for ideas when we start slipping from our plan to go meatless about half the time. Or try a new ethnic direction that you haven't cooked before. Vietnamese or Chinese Buddhist or Japanese ... basically, rather than looking for specific new ideas, be more general and open doors to broad new experiences.

This works for meatful diets as well, of course. But it's also a great way for carnivores who want to reduce the amount of animal flesh in our diets.

Michelle_

I'm with Robin, a new cookbook ( or great website recipes) may be the answer. Let us know if you are a vegetarian, and I'll see if I can offer some suggestions.

Deb

Sounds like my life lately: black beans and rice, spaghetti, stir fry, red beans and rice, vegetable soup, pinto beans and rice, spag, soup, black and red beans and rice, spaghetti and rice, soup and rice, stir rice, soup fry. I get to the point where "what's for supper" is the first thing on my mind in the morning and "what's for supper tomorrow" is my last thought before sleep. I call this state: Total Kitchen Burn Out. What I usually end up doing is Stepping Away From the Stove for a couple of days. I tell my family I Just Can't Do It and point to the sandwich supplies. Let them eat chips. After a couple of days of not having the supper cloud hovering over my head 24/7 I can usually pick up the spoon again (one particularly bad time it took 4 days). The last time I was on strike and my family was running low on peanut butter and english muffins. I stumbled across the Hillbilly Housewife website and also this
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Terrys-Tex ... etail.aspx
different way with pinto beans (calls for chicken broth so not vegetarian, though).

Sounds like my life lately: black beans and rice, spaghetti, stir fry, red beans and rice, vegetable soup, pinto beans and rice, spag, soup, black and red beans and rice, spaghetti and rice, soup and rice, stir rice, soup fry. I get to the point where "what's for supper" is the first thing on my mind in the morning and "what's for supper tomorrow" is my last thought before sleep. I call this state: Total Kitchen Burn Out. What I usually end up doing is Stepping Away From the Stove for a couple of days. I tell my family I Just Can't Do It and point to the sandwich supplies. Let them eat chips. After a couple of days of not having the supper cloud hovering over my head 24/7 I can usually pick up the spoon again (one particularly bad time it took 4 days). The last time I was on strike and my family was running low on peanut butter and english muffins. I stumbled across the Hillbilly Housewife website and also this
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Terrys-Tex ... etail.aspx
different way with pinto beans (calls for chicken broth so not vegetarian, though).

Interesting post. So MIchelle, are you sick of cooking- or sick of eating the same thigs all the time?

Deb

I go through the cooking slump all the time. And I agree that just stepping away from the stove for a day or two is a good thing, if you can do it.

A new cook book might help, but a cheap alternative is The New York Times dining section. For example, although this is about breakfast, Mark Bittman put up a great article a day or so ago about reimagining breakfast, offering some easy and interesting options.

PS. Just in case you're not already leaning heavily on fritattas. I use them to stave off pasta/rice/ bean burnout without going off budget. The men in my family love this one best when I substitute leftover roasted potatoes, cut in about a 1/3" dice for the broccoli. I love it as written. Use at least one fresh herb-in winter I use fresh parsley and dried basil and thyme.


FRITTATA WITH BROCCOLI AND HERBS

8 eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup milk, cream, or half and half.
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, cut in half, sliced thin
1/3 lb broccoli florets, chopped fine
2 tsp minced fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried
2 tsp minced fresh parsley
2 tsp minced fresh basil
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano chees

In a bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and pepper, and set aside.

(Fill a large glass with wine, pour slowly into cook.)

In an oven-proof, medium size, nonstick frying pan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and broccoli, and sauté until both are cooked through, approx. 10 minutes. Add herbs, and stir to combine. Spread mixture evenly over the bottom of the frying pan, and pour the egg mixture over the top. Turn heat to low, and cover the pan. Cook for approx. 8 minutes, checking every now and then to make sure the eggs are not burning. (While the eggs are cooking, preheat the broiler.) From time to time, lift an edge and let the uncooked egg from the top run underneath. When the eggs are nearly set, remove the cover, turn off the heat. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top, and place under the broiler for 2 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and the edges of the frittata are beginning to brown slightly. Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve hot, room temperature, or cold. Good with a salad and/or just a nice hunk of bread and butter.

I am SO tired of beans and rice. Actually I am tired of all of our staple meals. I am in such a rut between trying to keep groceries affordable and being as nutritious as possible. I don't think I ever want to eat pasta or vegetable soup again. The smells of hoisen sauce and sesame oil are starting to turn my stomach.

Do you ever get to this point? When you're just tired of cooking and nothing appeals to you anymore? What do you do? I look at other recipes but even they don't seem like they would be good or they seem like they would be too expensive or too much work.

Michelle,

Maybe a trip to "Half Price Books" would help break the "rut". They have an extensive vegetarian and ethnic cookbook selection and you can usually find something that won't break the bank.

I think Bethy nailed it. I think it may be cooking burn out rather than food burn out although they are going hand-in-hand at the moment.

And we aren't vegetarian, we're just tightwads. We decided when we got married that we both liked eating at restaurants and we would rather skimp on the grocery budget and eat out more often. Well, now that we only have one income, we're skimping on the eating at restaurants part as well and I am so sick and tired of what I make all the time. Trying to eat healthy and lower fat on a dime really limits your options.

I think I am just being whiny. I just want something different and I think I want someone else to make it too .

I think Bethy nailed it. I think it may be cooking burn out rather than food burn out although they are going hand-in-hand at the moment.

And we aren't vegetarian, we're just tightwads. We decided when we got married that we both liked eating at restaurants and we would rather skimp on the grocery budget and eat out more often. Well, now that we only have one income, we're skimping on the eating at restaurants part as well and I am so sick and tired of what I make all the time. Trying to eat healthy and lower fat on a dime really limits your options.

I think I am just being whiny. I just want something different and I think I want someone else to make it too .

Michelle,

Sounds like you may also be missing the "social" component of going out to eat...

Have you thought of starting a supper group? We are part of a "Gourmet" dinner group and spend a bit on ingredients- but it doesn't have to be that way. Everyone can take turns hosting- you set a budget and alternate who's bringing which course. Do it BYOB and I bet you'd have a blast and still be within budget.

Or...you can get together with a group of Girl Friends every other week- cook several meals together to freeze for your meals the rest of the week. You each bring a recipe and the ingredients for your entree and then all swap. Add wine and the "Big Chill" soundtrack and you've got a fun evening in- and meals for the rest of the week.

Deb

I second the half price book store idea.

I know what you mean -- I have to try to stay out of a rut because I write about food three times a week -- usually based on what I'm cooking which means three new meal ideas *every week.* It is stressful sometimes when I have a blog due and I don't want to have to come up with something new and I'm not feeling creative. I look for ideas sometimes in the Food Blog Search site at http://foodblogsearch.com/. It was easier during my CSA because I had to cook with what I had. Now that I can make whatever is at the store, it's too much to choose from.

I go through this as a professional chef from time to time... I get inspired by reading different culinary magazines, looking at other restaurants menus online and by going to ethnic grocery stores...One of my favorites is the store next to Shalimar on Hurstbourne. It is a lot bigger than it looks on the outside and I think pretty much the entire Indian community of Louisville does their grocery shopping there. It is easy to get in a rut if you don't take the time to look around at what is out there that you can use.