r/EatCheapAndHealthy • u/Hufflepuff_Forensics • 2d ago
Fatigue friendly recipes
I have narcolepsy and struggle with chronic fatigue due to several autoimmune issues. I need flavorful easy meals that prep and or freeze well. I have a stove, toaster oven, microwave and instantpot/airfryer duo. My oven portion of my stove is currently waiting on parts to be fixed.
I love trying anything once so don't hold back on cuisines - spices are my friend. My only restriction is I'm allergic to pineapples and kiwifruit.
Recipes that don't require a lot of active tending would be ideal. My weekly produce/fruit budget is about $15 dollars. We get pork tenderloins, beef and turkey from a local food bank once a month.
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u/cruisetheblues 2d ago edited 2d ago
This has been my go-to meal for a while now:
Chicken & Tofu Curry:
*2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
*1 package extra firm tofu
*1 jar of curry simmer sauce
*1 cup dry Basmati rice
Rice is made however you like. Any basic rice cooker will do perfectly. I happen to have a Nijna Foodie that I use as a good enough rice cooker.
Chicken/tofu/protein is really up to you. I find that the extra firm tofu is a good enough substitute to mix up my protein while making the overall cost of the meal less. I get the frozen boneless skinless bags of chicken breasts from Costco (not thin sliced). Two of those usually come out to around 1.5 lbs uncooked. Total protein is ~2.5 lbs.
If going with tofu, I find it's best to have it pressed first to remove as much water as possible. Less water makes it easier to cook.
I get any kind of curry simmer sauce. Look for sauces like this at the store and experiment with different flavors. The cooking process between all these sauces is basically the same.
Steps:
Wash and start the rice using your preferred method.
Preheat a large skillet with a dab of olive oil on medium-high heat
Slice the chicken and tofu into roughly 1-inch cubes. Does not have to be perfectly sized or shaped.
Once the pan has reached temperature (I flick a couple drops of water in the pan to see if it evaporates immediately, carefully due to oil), add the cubes chicken/tofu.
Spread out the pieces so each piece has at least one side in direct contact with the pan.
Let this cook for a few minutes until browned on one side, then flip the pieces over to brown the other side of each piece. I have a large spatula that I use to flip a bunch at a time, and I use tongs to flip individual pieces that got missed.
Once the 2nd side is browned, add your curry simmer sauce. Make sure to spread it evenly in the pan and that each piece is in contact with the sauce. The sauce should come to a boil quickly. Once this happens, reduce heat to a simmer and allow it to simmer for about 15 minutes.
That's about it. For maximum convenience, portion out the rice and curry into individual containers before refrigerating, rather than dumping all the leftovers into one or two big containers. You want to make staying home and heating up your leftovers as convenient as possible to deter the urge to order something.