#Cooking and #Disabled peeps, I'm looking for dump and cook recipes.

I borked my knees and still have a very difficult and painful time standing/walking, so I need to simplify things. Today, I cooked a veg curry that needed stirring every now and then, and it was just too much for me, I realize, as I sit on the couch with my TENS unit on as I will the pain away.

I have a pressure cooker (with slow cooker function), rice cooker, and an air fryer and use them a lot. I do a lot of roast chicken, which is manageable, as are salads and rice in my rice cooker. It's trying to get variety with cooked veggies that fails.

We tend towards big bold flavours that use a lot of spices and aromats. We love all sorts of cuisines. We love Indian and Indian-subcontinental food in particular, but most recipes are too involved for me to do right now. If you have good, easy hands-off dump recipes, I would appreciate them.

Please boost. We're on a two-person instance, so hashtags don't get me very far.

Thank you so much for helping.

#InternationalCuisine #disabled #HelpMeRhonda #EasyCooking

@Laurie I use the congee function in our rice cooker a lot! I throw in some rice, ginger, garlic, onions, mushrooms, and chicken broth in the pot and come back 1.5 hrs later. Garnish with spring onions, salted egg, whatever else is available. 😊

@agasramirez funnily enough, I haven't lately. I used to do this a lot more, but got out of practice. Thanks for the reminder!

@agasramirez you've reminded me of a lot of possibilities. Thank you so much.

@Laurie Glad to be of help!! 💖

@Laurie Two things come to mind off the top of my head:

1. Roger Ebert's guide to using a rice cooker to make all your meals (he always traveled with one to cook in his hotel rooms): https://www.rogerebert.com/roger-ebert/the-pot-and-how-to-use-it

2. My niece taught me: Dice veggies. Toss with olive oil and spices. Roast/broil/air fry until the edges crisp (about 20 minutes). I use broccoli, carrot, mushroom, bell pepper, fresh garlic and oregano, thyme, basil, garlic powder, etc.

@WearsHats I'm laughing a bit right now.

Roger Ebert's rice cooker bit is something I post about fairly often. I find rice cookers to be incredibly useful, more so than most people realize.

However. I also have goldfish memory, so I forget these tricks I've found useful in the past. It's even worse when my head is pounding, which it has been more so lately.

So thank you for reminding me. :)

About roasted veggies. Right. We don't like most, but we do like some, and again, memory lousy, need reminding, yadayadayada merci.

@Laurie Glad I could give you a laugh, at least. And maybe a helpful reminder. IDK. I don't have many recipes. I'm very much of the school of knowing the basic techniques, seeing what's on hand, and then throwing things together. I'm usually short on spoons, but I can stir a frypan or cookpot. And my stew recipe is, well, see just above. But hopefully you can find some better suggestions from others.

@WearsHats I do that a lot, too, but I also need a fresh perspective sometimes, like when I get in a rut, which I am right now.

@Laurie Looking forward to seeing what you boost. Maybe I'll learn some new things to broaden my repertoire, as well.

@Laurie

Chili is easy to do in a pressure cooker, and if you're not a purist, you can chuck carrots, and onions in with beans, tomato sauce/paste, and (of course) chilis. Meat if you want, although we often don't bother.

If the rice cooker does steaming, that's an easy way to do greens.

You can also just throw all sorts of things in with rice and do the rice cooker setting - veg, spices, herbs. Even meat if it's in small bits. Or sausages.

@Laurie one way I get easy cooked veggies is just dumping them on a sheet pan, putting oil and seasoning on them and then roasting. There are also sheet pan recipes that include the meat (chicken, sausage, shrimp, fishe, etc.), so that’s the whole meal in one or two pans with very little hands on time.

@Laurie Disabled Kitchen & Garden has a lot of stuff that will probably be up your alley, here. https://disabledkitchenandgarden.ca/blog/instant-pot-mexican-ground-beef-casserole-disabled-kitchen-recipe/
Fair warning, this makes a *lot* of food. It feeds the two of us for almost a week.

This is dinner tonight here: https://pipingpotcurry.com/chicken-saag-pressure-cooker/ if you sub the chicken for a can of chickpeas (and then skip the blender), this is dump and go.

And this one is not as complex if you don't toast/saute as directed, if you just dump & cook, but still Very Tasty. https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/dal-khichdi-recipe/#Recipe_Card

@Laurie personally, when my back is bad I sit at the stove, dunno how big your kitchen is, but this might be an ok choice:

https://www.amazon.com/Cosco-11120RED1E-Retro-Counter-Chair/dp/B0000B35GY

@Laurie Dal in a slow cooker might be up your alley, and it can phase down to extremely easy.

Most recipes online will have you chop veg, maybe even toast some spices, but you can make something edible and enjoyable with nothing but lentils, water, and a spice pre-mix (I use Patak’s).

Easy steps to add include adding some salt and oil, and adding some shredded or chopped greens (kale will retain texture, spinach will add flavor but wilt to the point of disappearing, etc). And, of course, if you have the energy, you can chop onions and toast sesame seeds and all that.

But you can make a big batch of something savory and nutritious with just the lentils, water, and a spice mix. Eat it for a week if that’s something you can do, or eat it for a day or two and freeze the rest–it keeps reasonably well.

Hope that helps!

@Laurie Besides the sheet pan roasted veggies that were mentioned, you can often add them into a meat you're roasting. For roast chicken, I put a base of Brussels sprouts, a layer of thickly sliced potatoes, and the chicken on top, along with any of the fat I pulled off around it. The sprouts and potatoes roast in the chicken fat/juices at they drip down.

Not cheap, but a Themomix (or similar) is a blender/cooker combo, that can constantly stir sauces as they cook, and makes great risotto.

@aeronaute @Laurie
Also second using a sheet pan to brown meat and vegies before dumping them in the pressure cooker.
Many recipes that require browning meat and cooking onions will produce quite acceptable results in a pressure cooker even if you skip those steps.
Rice or barley risotto or a briyani even a tagine type dish can be constructed in a pressure cooker with minimal fussing around.

@AspiringLuddite lol my chilli always has random veggies in it. I need my veggies!

Rice cooker - the meat pieces don't have to be small. I've cooked whole chicken thighs in it, and they were cooked through at the end. I test with a probe thermometer. I've made more than a few one-pot meals in the rice cooker. :)

@librarychic Thanks for your reply.

I've done that, but not always happy with the results.

Disclaimer: I have a toaster oven-style air fryer that also serves as my oven. I do not have a separate larger oven.

When I roast chicken, I spatchcock so it cooks more evenly. I've tried putting potatoes, carrots, onions on the tray beneath the carrots, but those that are under the chicken aren't cooked through while the ones that aren't are over cooked and burnt in places. I suppose the solution there is to use chicken pieces instead of whole chicken.

I'm open to suggestions. :)

@Laurie It's maybe slightly less flavorful, but if you have access to a microwave you can quick cook a lot of green vegetables (spinach, arugula, etc) and then just briefly toss them with some oil + garlic (+ chili flakes if you like) that you heat together in one of the other devices. I usually top with grated cheese (parmesan or similar). You can also add the greens to things like tomato sauce and dump the whole thing over pasta. Just don't cook them too long in the microwave, only wilt them.

@Laurie

Sounds like you're well on top of it, then;-)

I guess I think of thighs as still relatively small, although bigger than I would have done.

For a while during one move we had nothing but a rice-cooker and a microwave, so I got pretty creative with the rice-cooker.

@Sisuile thank you so much. I have some poking around to do!

@Laurie would you like my #1 disability hack for kitchens, for people with mobility issues?

@Sisuile I've poked around, and he's got some recipes that look lovely. Thank you so much.

@pencilears Thank you for your suggestion. I have a small table with chair in my kitchen so I can sit to chop, mix, and so on. It's great! The problem with it for now is that keeping my knees bent at a 90 degree angle increases the pain level even after as little as five minutes. And I can't stand for longer than about a minute before the pain is unbearable (I was at about 15 seconds, so it is improving :)) Hence the need for true dump and cook recipes.

@Laurie totally reasonable, I like to prop myself up on a tall stool sometimes when I'm cooking on a bad back day, but I assume I have different mobility issues than you do

That said, I tend to go for a pickle plate on days when I'm not gonna get any worthwhile cooking done in the summer, and casseroles in the winter.

@jmelesky Thank you for your suggestions. Dal is on my list. I can simplify that fairly well as you said.

I generally mix my own seasoning mixes, but you're right, I need to look for curry pastes and the like. I have avoided them because I have spice allergies, and so many products don't list individual spices, but I need to take another look and see what I can find.

@aeronaute we've tried roasted Brussels sprouts, and find them too bitter for our tastes when they're slightly charred. Does putting them under the potatoes help,prevent that? It seems to me it would. That might be a better way for us to have Brussels sprouts. That's a good idea. Thanks!

@Steveg58 @aeronaute I often skip the browning meat step for pressure cooking because of the hassle, but that's a good idea, browning it in the oven/air fryer first. That's much less fuss. Thanks!

@SRLevine thanks for your comment. Yup, we have a microwave, and that's a good suggestion for wilting greens. As for pasta sauces and the like, I regularly hide other veggies in them. 🤣 more veggies is better.

@AspiringLuddite we've lived in places with very very small kitchens, so I've learned to be creative, too. 🤣

I haven't always had an oven, so I made cake and casseroles in my rice cooker. Needs must and all that.

@Sisuile of course!

My top tip? Don't become disabled. 🤣 Oops! Too late!

@pencilears I take shortcuts as needed, too. It's that right now, it's every day. We were doing outside food for a while because I couldn't do anything, but it gets tiring and I'd rather have my own food, as would the hubs. And he's a huge help, but he doesn't cook.

Part of the problem is my attitude, though. Before marriage, I'd eat snackie things for meals. But I internally insist on serving him actual meals even though he's clearly stated he doesn't care. Thank you for that reminder.

@Laurie

Stupid knees. I've been having weird spasms in my lower back and hips (hips?? wtf is that? I'm not even forty!)
I like to take some time at the beginning of the week to cook off four or five chicken breasts I've marinated in different ways in the oven, make a bunch of quinoa or other grain, and prep veggies for salad. I can throw them together with virtually no effort. I'll dig up some more specific stuff. I hope it gets better soon. ☺️

@Laurie a tumblr blog full of them https://www.tumblr.com/spooniefoods

@helplessduck I can't do leftovers older than next day - mast cell activation disorder and histamines. Yay. I could freeze them, but my freezer isn't that big.

Sorry to hear about your knees and hips. That sucks. I got rid of (most of) my spasms by taking magnesium malate. Helps with a seized back, also. I still have back pain, but not like I do if I don't take it. I hope you feel better soon.

I can't prep too much at once because sitting at a chair with knees at 90 degrees hurts. I tend to do some chopping, take a break, do some more, take a break, and so on.

@Laurie

Cooked chicken reheated from frozen is... no.
Hmmm. Nope. Can't risk that. And You can't keep the raw chicken in a marinade with any acid in it for very long at all. Hmmm...
What if you did veggie prep, put that in zip-tops with a marinade, but reserved a bit of the marinade to use on the chicken, the day of? You dump the thawed veg on a sheet pan. Moderate oven. When they're twenty minutes from done, drop the chicken?

@Laurie

I don't know what is going on with the spasms. I ramped up my my potassium intake, thinking that may be it. Eating a lot of bananas. (There's a gay joke in there, somewhere. SNORT) I have mag supplements. I didn't think of that. Good lookin' out, thanks!!

@CoolFrog thanks!

@Laurie
Pilaf is your friend. Everything into the pot one after another, rice in, stir, lid on. Sit down and wait. No stirring after lid on. One pot to cook in and to clean. Can be a large pan instead.

Look for recipes: pilaf, paella, machboos, chicken bog.

Big favourite of mine is machboos al dajaj (chicken rice). Get everything except rice cooking, give it 30-40 minutes, then get up again and add rice, cook for another 25 minutes. e.g.

https://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/spiced-rice-chicken-dajaj-machbous

@Laurie I've found that nearly any veg thing that would be cooked in a pot on the stovetop can also be cooked in a tray in the oven, without needing so much attention. That includes everything from frozen veg that comes in a bag, to roasting root veg, to cut up veg with spices for a curry or similar. So perhaps what works for you with roast chicken can be built upon for veg.

@Laurie I can recommend cooking using the oven - if you have one?

just mix some vegies with oil and spices and then place in oven for 180 Celcius for about 45 min.

or cover some uncooked pasta with tomato sauce and cheese and let it bake for 45 min.

@Laurie i have microwave cooking stuff f thats a help at all

@Laurie Are you cooking curries in the rice cooker? In my experience that does away with the stirring but not sure what your setup is :)

Also I'm thinking rice cooker quiches. Also börek (especially the cigar-shaped ones) and small veg and meat pies in the air fryer using pre-made leaf pastry.

@Laurie
I don't know if they are available where you are but Tefal do an air fryer with a stirrer paddle which automatically stirs stews and curries. Just put in all the ingredients and return an hour later to a cooked meal!
https://shop.tefal.co.uk/actifry-genius-xl-2in1-yv970840-air-fryer-1-7kg-black

@Laurie These ideas may already be on your radar, but:

there are some good jar sauces for curries and the like - rather than frying things off separately and measuring spices etc.

I have also learned to allow myself convenience when I need it - pre-cut veggies, pre-grated parmesan etc. If you have support (whether professional or friends/family) could they help by dicing and slicing for you (to potentially reduce the waste from packaging)?

Also single-pot pasta recipes. Veggies, pasta, water/stock all in the pot at once. Recipes can be a bit bland, but you can add plenty spices/herbs.

@Laurie do you have a toaster oven? I've had good luck toasting the spices in the toaster oven before dumping them in the pressure cooker. It's not the same as tempering them on the stove, but it's still pretty delicious.

Also roasting garlic in the toaster oven and chucking it in at the end. (No peeling this way, either)

@Laurie @jmelesky if you're in the US, I've had good luck with Pure Indian Foods spices, including spice mixes. (I have an allergic reaction to a common additive in many spices). I also really like that the founders of the company are Indian, so it's not like I'm supporting a company with colonial undertones.

@Laurie @jmelesky just checked your profile and saw you're in Canada, and they do ship to Canada also

@Laurie Casseroles might be good? I don't make many of them so I don't have specific ideas. Happy eating!

@aeronaute @Laurie I love my thermomix, so good for anything that needs a lot stirring. But: 1. not cheap, and 2. heavy.

@Laurie I take broccoli, chop it up (add other veg if wanted: onion, bell pepper, carrot - cut these so they cook in about the same amount of time (smaller pieces for hard veg)). toss with a bit of oil, garlic powder, salt, chili flake. In the air fryer for 20-25 minutes at a high temp - you might need to shake it once 1/2 way through. It can be topped with some tahini or yogurt mixed with herbs or a bit of balsamic vinegar for different flavors.

Might work w/ frozen, precut veg for less time

@Laurie one of my go-tos for when I’m not fooding well is sheet pan recipes. Most involve putting down a protein and a veg, adding oil and spices and then baking in the oven. I like to do chicken thighs and pre-sliced veggies from the store to reduce the meal prep to almost nothing.

@Laurie Madhur Jaffrey's Quick and Easy Indian Cooking is mostly designed for pressure cookers. Also, is it feasible to put a stool in your kitchen so you can sit while watching/stirring?

I'm pretty much carnivore, so meals are a no brainer for! Roasted meat, sardines, seafood, hard cheese, eggs.

@Laurie @MsHearthWitch
You can so any casserole recipe in a pressure cooker for a fraction of the time.

@Laurie It somewhat reduces the charring to put the sprouts under the potatoes, but I like sprouts charred, so that might not be the best technique for you.

@Laurie
Salsa Chicken (great for taco night)

- 2 lbs ish of boneless skinless chicken
- 2 cups salsa
- salt and pepper (or packet of taco seasoning)
- bouillon cube and some water also possible additions

DIRECTIONS:

Place chicken bits in a slow cooker and cover with salsa and taco seasoning. Toss until the chicken is covered.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 6-8 hours), or until the chicken shreds easily with a fork. Shred the chicken in the slow cooker and toss with the remaining salsa and juices until well-mixed.

@Laurie well, that does complicate things a bit :) I've made air fryer green beans, that were very tasty (while they were warm), so if you don't mind eating dinner in stages, cooking things separately might be an option? (whether I would mind that varies depending on the day) do you mind if I @ you on a few air fryer veggie recipes?

@Laurie it might also help looking for precut and frozen ingredients, for example frozen sliced mushrooms,carrots,onions,and bell peppers.

@Laurie for increasing veggies in meals, our rice cooker has a steaming basket that I use while cooking rice at same time. Also, I dice up veg that can be used raw and use as garnish on everything.

@Laurie
I just noticed the date on this post, hope it's not too late to boost and reply!
If it's not too hot to use the oven, sheet pan roasted veggies are easy and good. I usually just wing it, but this is the kind of thing I mean:
https://minimalistbaker.com/sheet-pan-meal-curried-sweet-potato-chickpeas/
That recipe could be made easier if you buy precut cabbage (or sub frozen cauliflower florets) sub precut butternut squash for the sweet potato, and use ginger and garlic paste in a tube instead of fresh minced.
Serve with cooked rice instead of kale salad.

@Laurie

As someone whose knees are perpetually borked, also: chairs are your friend. I do a LOT of my cooking and prep work seated, and I picked up a rolling stool with adjustable height so I can also do dishes seated.

This is my fave crock pot recipe. You can add heat/peppers or let folks add hot sauce once it’s made. I make this in the crock pot then make rice in the rice cooker to add at the end: https://www.familyfreshmeals.com/2012/02/crockpot-cheesy-chicken-rice.html

@SRLevine @Laurie this has been a huge help for me with curries etc. being able to buy presliced veggies frozen and microwave them is *chefkiss*

@Laurie @RavynWitch This is one of my favorite dump recipes. Original link here: https://cookiesandcups.com/slow-cooker-crack-chicken I believe you can adapt crock pot recipes for instant pot pretty easily? The only thing you really need to stand for is to shred the chicken, and that can be moved to the couch (I often do myself)

@Laurie I'm very limited in how long I can be upright, so I'm a big fan of shelf-stable Indian packet meals or seasoned bean mixes. They tend to take only a minute or two to heat up in the microwave, same as a container of pre-cooked rice. I buy the latter in bulk from Asian grocery stores, as they come in a wide variety of types. I'll occasionally get precooked basmati rice pouches from big box grocery stores, but I'm less keen on them as they seem to be oiled for some reason.

I have a variety of favorite frozen veggie mixes as well, some of which have sauces, most don't. Those that don't, I add peanut butter or soft cheese as appropriate. I occasionally add meat, but mostly that's too much effort.

I'm starting to branch out into dump meals for breakfast that combine veggies, seasoning, and eggs into an egg-bake. I'm also hoping to try various regional stews like nikujaga and kare-kare.

@Laurie maybe this cookbook will help: https://traumbooks.itch.io/the-sad-bastard-cookbook But haven’t tried any recipes from it yet.

@Laurie I have an easy miso recipe: Throw vegetables, tofu and spices that fit your dietary restrictions into boiling water. Let it boil a bit. Then after some time come back, if the vegetables are boiled, turn the heat off, add miso paste, stir until its dissolved. Eat.