On Kitchen Hatred

Are you a kitchen hater?

I am.

I hate cooking, which is at least partly how I got to be where I am now.   It's a lot easier and faster to whip up a batch of  #5 combo meal from Burger King than it is to prepare chicken breasts and chop vegetables and then ... GASP! ... cook them over medium heat for an hour.   An hour?  That's like, 60 whole minutes!

Me and Immediate Satisfaction have had a very tight-knit relationship since my childhood.  We're like husband and wife.

Really dysfunctional, overweight husband and wife.

I recently broke up with Immediate Satisfaction.  I may occasionally go back for a meaningless one-night-stand or a nooner here and there, but we will never again be in a long-term relationship.  He's just not good for me.

I know many of you who are starting a weight loss journey -- whether for the first time or the gazillionth time -- struggle with your hatred of cooking.  You want those healthy, Martha Stewart-looking meals with the fat,  juicy, grilled chicken breasts and vegetables and herbs and pretty garnishes on the side, but you're either not good at it or you just don't have the patience for it.

Or both.

I feel your pain.

I've been told by a few that I'm really good at cooking ... when I choose to do it.  I have those few dishes that I do well and I like to stick with those.  But I HATE/DESPISE/LOATHE spending a lot of time in the kitchen.   I want the pretty results without the ugly effort.  

Wow, that sounds painfully familiar, right?

I'm learning that it's possible to make simple, healthy dishes that don't take a lot of time and that can even be done well by the dumbest and most talentless of wanna-be-chefs.   (Thank you, Pinterest.)

Now, when I say "simple" and "don't take a lot of time,"  I'm not pulling your chubby leg.  I mean it.

I like it fast 'n easy, baby.  And yes, we're still talking about food.  Get your mind out of the gutter.

So, one thing I plan to include on this blog is the occasional SIMPLE, QUICK, HEALTHY recipe.

Keep in mind that "healthy" is somewhat relative, depending on the plan you're following.

After trying everything under the sun, I came to the realization that my body has a severe addiction to sugar and bad carbs.  Most of my excess calories were coming from carbs--chocolate, bread (lots of bread), chocolate, crackers, chocolate, chips, chocolate -- you see what I'm saying here.  You can read about my plan over in the sidebar.

Now it's time to share my very first "recipe" post with you.  I put that in quotes because I'm not sure anything I post here qualifies as a recipe.  The ingredients are few and simple.  I. Don't. Do. Complicated.

Baked chicken breast and green beans

p.s.  I'm not good at taking pictures of food. I tend to eat it before I get the chance.  So I steal other people's photos.  This one looks pretty close.  (Remember my first post?  I said "brutal honesty.")

Trust me on this, even if you think you don't like green beans (I never did), you are going to LOVE these.  The flavors of the bacon and onion come together so beautifully that even my seven year old eats these.  If I could marry them, I would.

Ingredients:

-2 slices uncooked bacon, chopped
-1/2 c. diced yellow onion
-1/2 c. water
-Fresh snap green beans, ends removed (how many you buy is up to you--I like to make lots at once for leftovers)
-Boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (again, the quantity is up to you)
-Paprika, salt, pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375
1.  Place chopped bacon and onion in a large saucepan and cook over medium or medium high heat until bacon is sizzling and nearly cooked through
2.  Add water and green beans to bacon/onion mixture and turn heat to low.
3.  Cover and cook until beans are tender.  Depending on how many beans you have, it can take up to 45 minutes or more.  Watch your water level in the pan.  Add more if the bottom of the pan goes dry.
While those are cooking ...
4.  Place chicken breasts in baking dish (I prefer glass) and salt/pepper/paprika both sides to your liking.  Generously always floats my boat.
5.  Bake for about 30 minutes, depending on thickness.  Turn once during baking.  Breasts are done when they're no longer pink inside. (I know, duh).
6.  When green beans are done, generously salt and pepper them and stir them well to get them coated with the seasonings and with the flavor from the bacon and onion.
7.  Put it all on a plate and enjoy.

See how painless that was?  You can add tons of flavor to your cooking without getting complicated.

I have lots of easy little gems like this.  Stay tuned ...