Filling Foods You Can Cook With a Can Opener and Microwave
Zachary Shakked is a 24-year-old iOS app developer who sets his own timeline. “I usually sleep without an alarm, wake up around 9 or 10, eat breakfast (usually oatmeal or eggs and toast at night),” he explained via email. “I usually graze a lot — eat when I’m hungry. I’m just pushing coffee. “
You might think that this flexible schedule would leave time for a lot of cooking, but meal planning can benefit everyone, especially those who work, whose days are less structured . Shakked “explored the idea of creating a cooking app for busy people,” which led him to create a truly impressive 10-course meal plan that can be cooked in less than eight minutes using only a knife, fork, etc. strainer and can opener, then microwave (if at all).
The plan Shakked shared on the r / MealPrepSunday subreddit is great for lazy people or busy people who work from home who like to prepare and forget, but it can also be extremely helpful for college students who sometimes have to rely on the microwave as their only tool. for cooking food. (Food turns out to be pretty cost effective as well.)
“I am very lazy when it comes to cooking and cleaning. I also love efficiency. I’m hungry and want to eat now, ”Shakked told me. “So almost all the meals I eat at home I can cook in less than 15 minutes. The microwave-only aspect was created for a Reddit post. I usually use the stove, but not for anything serious. I don’t have the patience to cook pasta, cook soup or anything other than what I could do in one or two pans. “
Shakked described all the dishes as “very satisfying.” (Except for the tuna salad, which wasn’t as satisfying as the others.) To relieve boredom, he recommends increasing your protein intake: “I think it really depends on how healthy you want to be and how conscious you are. you’re on your budget. For example, if I didn’t care about my health, I could do a lot more with cheese. Sprinkle the chickpeas with fresh Parmesa or make regular potatoes. If your budget is bigger, you can buy fried chicken and do a lot with them. “
If that’s not enough, you can start replacing other components. “My favorite things to tweak are adding different sauces (tahini sauce, harissa, taco sauce, salsa), replacing vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, spinach, kale) and replacing grains (brown rice, quinoa, uncle Ben has a ton of different instant rice), ”he said.
You should check out the entire meal plan on Reddit, but “Greek salad” – Shakked’s favorite – is a good place to start. “That goat feta was just ridiculously good.”
Greek salad (recipe has been slightly edited for clarity)
Ingredients for 2 servings:
- 1/2 packet of arugula, cabbage, or any other salad base
- 10-12 cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 can of chickpeas
- 1 large can of chicken
- 2-3 tablespoons goat feta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Pitted kalamata olives (optional)
Place the arugula in a cooking container, covering the entire bottom. Sprinkle with cherry tomatoes and chickpeas on top. Drain the chicken jar and rinse with warm water for 15-30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and chickpeas on top. Shred some feta cheese with your hands and sprinkle on top, then sprinkle with pitted kalamata olives. In a small container, add 1 part olive oil, 1 part lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Shake or stir for a dressing. Store aside and add before meals.