Realization of the day

[semperfiona]

I ate a lot better when I was working at home twice a week. I have been having a very hard time motivating myself to cook dinner when I don't get home until nearly seven pm. It's so much easier just to grab a burger along the way.

Comments

[neeuqdrazil.livejournal.com]

*nods* I'm finding much the same thing, especially since I'm often *starving* by the time I get home (either from the pool, or therapy, or the gym.) and I don't want to wait for food to be ready. So, I either eat out, or eat junk (as tonight, when I'm having hot dogs with cheese wrapped in pilsbury crescents.)

[semperfiona]

Any ideas on what to do about it? (Other than acquire a curgoth to cook my dinners for me, which is unfortunately not an option ;-) )

[neeuqdrazil.livejournal.com]

If you have a crockpot, or a slow-cooker or something similar, you can start dinner the morning of (do the prep the night before, perhaps, then just throw it in the pot in the morning.) I've never done this myself, but I've heard it works for some people.

Otherwise, and what we've tended to do, is to build up a repetoire of fast n' easy dinners - I'll email you my recipe for oyako donburi, if you'd like - it's really easy - chicken and onion and egg in a chicken-soy sauce broth, served over rice, and the thing that takes the longest to cook is the rice, which really doesn't take that long at all.

I'll do some more thinking about those quick n' easy dinners - recipe sharing is always good. :)

[semperfiona]

Yes, please send it. I do have a crockpot, but I have never used it. I tend to forget it's there. I need to try that.

Oyako Donburi

[neeuqdrazil.livejournal.com]

(I've modified the recipe slightly from the original - I've been making this for 6 or 7 years now.)

Have rice cooking while you're making the sauce, so that it's done about the same time as your sauce.

The sauce:
2.5 cups dashi or chicken stock (I've only used chicken stock, and it works really well. We generally use the campbell's boxed liquid stock.)
6 Tbsp dark soy sauce
3 Tbsp light soy sauce (I usually just use 8.5-9 Tbsp of Kikkoman 'regular' soy sauce.)
3 Tbsp sugar
Combine all ingredients together, and bring to a boil.

Cut 2 chicken breasts into 1cm (1/4 in) pieces (I find it helps if they're slightly frozen - you get a more even chop that way.)

Chop 1 small white onion, cut 1 bunch of green onions into rings.

Add chicken, white onion to simmering sauce. Let simmer until chicken is almost done. Add green onions.

Break 4-5 eggs into a bowl, mix gently - until yolks are broken, but don't beat them. Pour egg into sauce. Once it starts to set, stir once.

Put rice into deep donburi bowls, and ladle sauce with some chicken, some onion, and some egg over the rice.

Ingredient List:
4-5 eggs
white rice
2 chicken breasts
1 white onion
1 bunch green onions
2.5 cups chicken stock or dashi
3 Tbsp light + 6 Tbsp dark soy sauce (9 total)
3 Tbsp sugar