Make it like Lazy Cook

  The list of supplies and procedures:

Go Canadian — The Lazy Cook way

Purchase Canadian bacon, whole grain waffles, maple syrup (from Canada) and dried fruit. Heat bacon and waffles according to package directions, add maple syrup and dried fruit to taste. Enjoy. Then get your friends who like to cook make you a Canadian fish dinner!

Football (tuna) casserole – The Lazy Cook way

In a microwaveable bowl, stir together 6 ounces of canned tuna, drained; 1 can of cream of mushroom soup (reduced sodium preferred); one small can of mushrooms, drained; one can of french cut green beans, drained. Microwave on high for 3-5 minutes, until thoroughly heated. In the meantime, prepare either brown rice or shell pasta according to package directions. Add pasta/rice to the heated casserole, or serve casserole over the pasta/rice.

Split Pea Soup with Leftover Ham– The Lazy Cook way

In a large soup pot, add a package of green split peas and water, per package directions. Add about 3/4 cup of frozen, chopped onions. Add a few slices of leftover ham. Simmer on low heat until peas are tender. Once soup has cooled, put it all in a blender (yes, ham slices, too), and blend until smooth. Add pepper to taste. Serve and eat.

Ham - The Lazy Cook way

Buy a Kentucky Legend pre-sliced ham. Open the package. Either eat as is, or heat following package directions.

Mexican cusine-The Lazy Cook way

Spread fat free canned refried beans on a corn tortilla, sprinkle with reduced fat shredded cheese (Mexican, cheddar or other favorite) and microwave for about 30 seconds until cheese melts. Top with sliced tomatoes and shredded lettuce.  Add salsa, if desired.  Roll and eat. You can also add beef, chicken or pork prior to heating if you prefer a meatier version.

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes- The Lazy Cook way

Add into a blender in the following order:

1. 1 cup of low fat milk
2. 4 very ripe bananas (they should have brown spots)
3. 1 teaspoon vanilla
4. Blend
5. Two eggs
6. 1 teaspoon baking powder
7. Blend
8. Two cups of oat flour (oatmeal whirled in a blender)
9. Blend

Pour the batter onto a hot griddle pan, preferably with a non-stick surface (if you’re using a pan without a non-stick surface, you’ll need to spray the pan with a cooking oil after each batch). Have fun with the shapes and sizes of the pancakes. Store any extra pancakes in the freezer to pop in the microwave later for a quick breakfast or snack.

Tip: Freeze the pancakes individually on a cookie sheet first, so they won’t stick together.

Tip: For more cholesterol lowering power, substitute either all or half of the oat flour with oat bran. Increase the milk by 1/4 cup. The taste is the same, but the more oat bran you use, the more noticeable the change in texture.

 Candy- The Lazy Cook way

Enough chocolate to melt: It can be dark or milk chocolate, or a combination of each. It could even be white chocolate. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. If you’re adventurous, you can try the microwave, but uneven heating can result in it burning. Choose your favorite dried fruits and nuts, which you dip into the melted chocolate. After dipping, place on waxed paper lined cookie sheets. Put them into the refrigerator or freezer until the chocolate solidifies. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

Salad–The Lazy Cook way

Empty a bag of pre-cut, pre-washed dark leafy greens into a large bowl. Add shredded low-fat cheese (cheddar works well), pine nuts and grape tomatoes. Toss and serve.

Turkey–The Lazy Cook way

Thaw a purchased turkey breast in the refrigerator until it is mostly defrosted. Rinse. Put into a foil lined pan with some water. Enclose turkey breast tightly in the foil. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for two hours or more until tender. Open foil for 30 minutes to brown. Slice and enjoy!

Soup –The Lazy Cook way

Fill a big pot with water. Add chicken breasts, onion (cut in half), washed whole carrots, celery and pepper. Boil for 2 hours or until chicken and vegetables are tender. Remove chicken and cut into small pieces.  Remove vegetables and put into blender with some broth; puree.  Return pureed vegetables and cut chicken to soup. Add frozen chopped spinach, thin sliced cauliflower, other favorite vegetables, and/or pasta or rice.  Return to the stove and simmer until all ingredients are tender. Serve with pepper and a bit of salt, if desired.

Meatloaf–The Lazy Cook way

 Use: 1 pound of fresh extra lean ground beef; 1 package of frozen spinach thawed, or 1 can of spinach, being sure to squeeze and drain all the water; 2 small cans of mushroom pieces; about 1/2 cup of frozen chopped onion; 1 egg; a spoonful of ground flaxseed (optional) and pepper. Put it all right into the loaf pan and mix using your hands.  When mixed, even out the meatloaf in the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. If it hasn’t gotten brown enough by then, keep it in for increments of 10 minutes more till brown but not burned. Serve with store bought pesto sauce.  Leftovers are yummy for lunch or even breakfast.

Oatmeal–The Lazy Cook way

Oatmeal, as much as you think you’ll need, spread evenly over the bottom of a glass or ceramic baking dish. Sprinkle with ground flaxseed. Top with a bag of frozen blueberries Cover with nuts (walnuts, slivered almonds or pecans, whatever you like) add liquid to cover the oats. I use just skim milk since I don’t like it sweet. For more sweetness, the liquid should be at least half apple or white grape juice. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. If it looks too dry, just add some more milk.

 

Appetizers–The Lazy Cook way

Buy hummus and pre-cut vegetables. Open packaging and serve. Put into fancy bowls first, if you are so inclined.

 

Smoothies–The Lazy Cook way

Secret ingredient: Frozen, ripe, peeled bananas.  

Put about 1 cup of skim milk, 1-2 frozen ripe bananas, and 6-8 fresh or frozen strawberries or about ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries in a blender.  Blend at high speed until smooth. Pour and drink.