T Nation

Cooking Without Dirtying the Kitchen?

Supplements and Nutrition
#1

Hello,

I intend to cook to lower the cost for diet and hit my macros easier. However, I cannot cook without “dirtying” the kitchen (i.e., greasing the kitchen, using a pan and stove is probably out of the question). Anyone has any idea how can I go about preparing my meals? I’m open to preparing my meals in bulk at a friend’s house (who lives an hour away) but I would much prefer a meal that has just been cooked. I’m looking primarily at protein as it is the hardest to obtain in my nation’s diet.

Thank you.

#2

Slow cooker and just be a bit more careful/bit less of a doofus.

#3

Barbecue and slow cooker as someone said. I am just curious: how come you can’t cook a shit ton of food at once, and just clean the kitchen once every few days.

Cooking starchy foods like potatoes and rice don’t make much of a mess no matter how you cook them. Same with veggies, unless you use liberal amounts of oil or butter to cook them.

Canned tuna works too.

#4

Um, what? How do you plan on cooking anything if you can’t use a stove? Is there a microwave? Is there any way to boil water?

Like the guys said, invest in a slow-cooker/crock pot if you’re allowed to. It’s basically a big bowl with a lid that you plug into an outlet. And if you have a grill, that’s a one-stop-shop to cook anything. Get some heavy duty aluminum foil and you can cook potatoes or vegetables right on it.

#5

You could always run The Predator Program. No food prep involved whatsoever.

3 Likes
#6

Learn to cook properly and clean up after yourself.

2 Likes
#7

this is a really weird problem to have.

Can’t you just cook like a normal person then do the dishes?

1 Like
#8

Some other options include:

Buying preprepped food (not frozen dinners but from companies that cater to athletes).

Going to a roast chicken joint and buying from the catering menu - buy for 10 - 20 and it’s not too bad

Cook chilli in a stock pot.

Keep rabbits and just walk out each morning and evening - grab a rabbit and eat it whole, alive, outside.

#9

I totally understand what y’all meant by weird. I told my mum I wanted to cook and I bought a pan to begin with, and there was this one night whereby my mum just went berserk on me, yelled at me and prohibited me from cooking (she’s a tad neurotic).

Seems like meal prep at my friend’s house then simply freezing the food is the best option suggested so far? (I appreciate other comments but eating the same shit everyday doesn’t appeal that much to me).

Will you guys suggest an electric oven or microwave for cooking the food? I was thinking that the microwave can be used to cook eggs but I’m not that much of a fan of microwave heated food.

Thanks.

#10

she really won’t let you cook?

I hope you keep the rest of the Bates motel tidy, Norman.

1 Like
#11

Make a fire pit in the living room and start cooking on a grill there. Make sure to use her finest clothes and furniture to fuel the flame. After maybe she’ll realize compared to that, a few dishes isn’t too bad.

#12

I’m a fucking slob in the kitchen… shit gets on the floor, on my clothes, the counters are a mess etc. Haven’t found away around it, short of cleaning up my messes. FWIW, I usually spend 30-45 min cooking, 5 min cleaning–and that’s lunch meal prep for the week.

Evening meal prep… well, I usually cook fish (15 min in the oven) aluminum foil is my friend here (line the plan, toss when done)… nuke some veggies in a covered bowl. Like next to no clean up.

I think (like with all things) practice is key. Use your noodle, you’ll figure out ways to become more efficient, less messy etc.

#13

@paduse Mind sharing what you cook for lunch prep?

The comments here really cracked me up lol.

Anyway, so will y’all suggest I get an electric oven or microwave to heat up the food I’ve cooked over at my friend’s house?

#14

Something I call “meaty goodness”. Usually grassfed beef and veggies.

1-2 bell peppers chopped
1 onion chopped
1/2 bunch celary chopped
–or hit the “easy” button and buy frozen mirepoix
3lbs 85/15 ground grass fed beef (okay to sub 1-2lbs ground turkey depending on fat goals)

Toss veggies and a little garlic in the pan… cook down (3-5 min) on medium high heat.

Reduce heat to medium low, add ground meat.

Sprinkle with cajun season to taste (ala Tony’s). Cook til brown.

Let cool, toss in containers.

I stir in some dry cream of rice on carb/workout days…

#15

Taking your mess to your friend doesn’t seem a wise workaround. Do they not own an oven and/or microwave?

#16

I sure would like to know also because mine looks like the aftermath of a nuclear strike after I cook.

#17

I’ve cooked at my friend’s house several times and he’s fine with it. He has an open kitchen so the mess isn’t that big of a deal. Only thing is that he stays an hour away from me so it’s less convenient plus I would really want to cook as and when as I wish because I do like cooking.

That being said, seems like buying an electric oven is the best option for me now? I can use it for reheating and also baking some protein based meal.

I was considering of buying a microwave with grill but I read about bad stuff on it online regarding how it doesn’t work well either way. Does anyone have experience with microwave with grill here?