ultrabasicfood

[ultrabasicfood]

Great recipe! I have made similar things in college on occasion, although I preferred baking to reduce oil and fattiness (which my stomach can find hard to deal with)

If you don't have hash browns in nearby stores, try looking for "potato pancake", "potato fritter", "Latke" or in German-speaking regions Kartoffelpuffer, Reibekuchen or Rösti!

They are also relatively easy to make from mashed potatoes. Just mix 500 g with 1-2 eggs or some peanut butter and 100 ml liquid of your choice, such as milk, broth, soy milk etc.

Sometimes stores sell mashed potatoes, or batter for potato dumplings/Knödel/Klõße, which also works!

Failing that, and if it is not too much work, you can try boiling potatoes ahead, and mash them yourself, or try to find someone to help you with that.

Alternatively, one of my favorite potato meals is just potatoes boiled in salt water with cottage cheese and sour cream. Simple and delicious. Apples, raw, steamed or baked make a great addition to round it out.

I am here to spread the gospel of

Potato meal

This is a very autistic breakfast of my own invention and it has solved a many problem when it comes to morning meals

My biggest struggles with breakfast are

1. I can't stomach most things early in the morning

2. I hate most classic breakfast foods

3. My low-effort options don't keep me full

4. Stuff I do like, like cinnamon rolls and doughnuts, are all sugar which makes me feel gross

5. I don't have time to make much of anything substantial

If you have any of these same problems, perhaps

potato meal

is worth trying! It is also very customizable so you can switch it up to avoid getting tired of it

Ressippy:

you will need:

air fryer (recommended), microwave, or stovetop and pan

Hash brown patties (they're in the freezer section at most Walmarts, by the tater tots. These packs of like 8 cost around 3.00 in my area)

A soft shredded Cheese like Colby jack

Some kind of sauce/salsa, this is up to you! (I use Taco Bell sauce because I have tons of extra packets but I imagine any taco sauce would be good.)

Any extra seasonings you prefer! (I use Tony's )

Preparation:

Okay now cook those hash browns, preferably in a way that gets them so so crispy! I usually do 2 for more of a snack and 3 for a bigger meal

Now put those in a bowl! And get a fork and break it up into bite sized mushy stuff, but leave enough unbroken that the crispy outside is still adding some crunch

(why didn't we just use shredded hash browns if we are making essentially a shredded hash brown bowl? Because it's way easier to get the patties crispy, and they're more low maintenance to cook!)

Add your cheese, seasoning, and sauce! (I also add the tiniest bit of mayo when I have it, because it adds a little tang and creaminess that balances the potatoes well)

And you're done! It's super fast and easy to eat and full of flavor and I read somewhere that potatoes and dairy provides every necessary vitamin or something. Obviously this isnt the healthiest meal you're ever gonna have but it is gonna be more balanced than a lot of other quick breakfast go-tos!

This has become a safe food for me and it has been really helpful in getting me to eat anything in the morning, so I hope if you have the same kind of struggles this might help!

[ultrabasicfood]

Rice pudding/porridge with applesauce

When to eat it:

Good for breakfast, or alternatively as dessert, especially when it’s cold outside.

What you need:

Rice (short-grain rice works best) or rice flakes

milk (plant-based works, too)

salt

applesauce

optional: butter, sugar, a spice like cinnamon-

____

A cooking pot

A stove

A bowl

A large spoon

Optional: a large wooden spoon

How to make it:

1. Similar to porridge, bring milk to a boil in a pot on the stove. It should fill up the pot to about a third at most. Keep stirring with a spoon while you heat it, or else the milk will burn.

Make sure to also prevent it from boiling over and spilling, by reducing the heat after the milk has started boiling. If the milk is still rising too fast in the pot and about to boil over, briefly remove the pot from the hot stove, reduce the heat further, and return the pot to the heat. As with cooking porridge, a wooden spoon laid on top of the open pot, across it, can help prevent this.

2. When the milk in the pot is boiling, but not in danger of boiling over, add in a large amount of rice or rice flakes and stir with a spoon. The amount should not be more than half of the amount of milk used. Make sure all of the rice is covered in boiling liquid. Add in salt now, too.

3. Keep stirring and boil the rice for about two minutes (if using rice flakes), or at least ten minutes (if using rice grains) until it begins to solidify, or however long the rice/rice flake packaging recommends.

4. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid. Let it stand for about five more minutes, depending on desired consistency. Longer times will make for a more solid rice pudding, shorter time result in a more liquid, fluffier consistency. Putting it in the fridge and eating it later will make it particularly solid.

5. Use a spoon to fill a bowl with the rice pudding. Add applesauce (optionally add butter first) and then add salt, cinnamon or another spice and sugar (in that order) if desired.

Substitutions:

Rice/rice flakes → Millet flakes, instant polenta, semolina or farina (e.g. cream of wheat)

Milk/plant milk → you can also try juice if you want

Applesauce → any jam or sliced fresh fruit, berries or sweet spread works as well

[ultrabasicfood]

Scrambled eggs on toast

When to eat it:

Mainly a breakfast or brunch dish, but can also be used for any other meal, or as travel food.

What you need:

Eggs (2 per person)

bread for toasting (any will work)

vegetable oil for frying

butter

salt

optional: other seasonings, e.g. pepper

optional: tomato, onion, cheese (shredded), or other add-ins

____

A pan

A stove

A bowl

A large spoon,

A knife

A spatula

A plate

A second plate or a cutting board

Optional: egg whisk

How to make it:

1. Cracks eggs, so the yolk and egg white fall into a bowl. Add some salt and other seasonings, if using those. Mix with a spoon (or an egg whisk, if available) until yolk and egg white have been combined.

2. Heat up oil in a pan. Make sure a thin layer of oil covers the entire surface, tilt the pan sideways to make sure the oil is spread everywhere. Do not heat up empty pans.

3. Add the egg mixture to the heated pan and immediately begin to stir with the spatula, and continue stirring until all of it has been cooked and no liquid parts remain. Optional: Add shredded cheese, as much as desired, let melt for half a minute-

Pour contents of pan on a plate.

4. Add slices of bread to the still hot, but now empty pan, and toast the bread for a minute or however long it needs to turn crispy on one side, then flip and repeat. After that, add toasted slices of bread to the plate.

Optional: Rinse tomatoes with water once and cut into slices on the cutting board, sprinkle salt on them. Cut onion into small pieces and fry in more oil until brown.

5. Spread butter on toast, then add spoonfuls of scrambled eggs on top, top with the sliced tomatoes (if using them) and then another buttered slice of toast (the dry side should be on top).

Substitutions:

Eggs → Vegan scrambled eggs are possible with e.g. tofu, but use a different method. See e.g. this recipe on a different blog

Bread → plain buns or rolls, rice or any kind of tortilla

Oil → Butter (butter burns easily, so be careful with the heat)

Butter → You can simply leave it out, replace it with olive oil or any other savory spread of your liking

[ultrabasicfood]

Oatmeal with banana and peanut butter

When to eat it:

Perfect for breakfast, or alternatively eat is as dinner if you already had a big, savory lunch. Can also be an afternoon snack, especially when it’s cold outside.

What you need:

Oatmeal (any kind)

water, milk (plant-based works, too) or juice

bananas

peanut butter

optional: sugar, salt, a spice like cinnamon-

____

A cooking pot

A stove

A bowl

A large spoon

Optional: a knife, a large wooden spoon

How to make it:

1. Bring water, milk or juice to a boil in a pot on the stove. It should fill up the pot to about a third. If using milk or juice, keep stirring with a spoon while you heat it.

After the liquid starts boiling, reduce the heat. Be careful to not let the liquid boil over and spill, if you notice that this is about to happen (or if it already is happening), remove the pot from the hot stove briefly, reduce the heat further, and return the pot to the heat. A wooden spoon laid on top of the open pot, across it, can prevent this.

2. When the liquid in the pot is boiling, but not in danger of boiling over, add in a large amount of oatmeal and stir with a spoon. Make sure all of the oatmeal is covered in boiling liquid. If desired, add in salt now, too.

3. Keep stirring and boil the oatmeal for at least two minutes, until it begins to solidify, or however long the oatmeal packaging recommends (instant oatmeal only requires a few seconds, other types might need 3-5 minutes)

4. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid. Let it stand for 5-10 more minutes, depending on desired consistency. The longer it stands, the more solid the oatmeal will get.

5. Use the spoon to scoop out the oatmeal and add it to a bowl. Take a banana, open it and carefully break off pieces, or cut slices with a knife, letting them fall onto the oatmeal.

6. Add peanut butter. If you use natural peanut butter, stir it first in the jar and then add spoonfuls to the oatmeal. Optionally season with salt, cinnamon and sugar (in that order).

Substitutions:

Oatmeal → Rice flakes, buckwheat flakes, instant polenta, semolina or farina (e.g. cream of wheat)

Liquid → you can also try e.g. peppermint tea, if you want

Banana → Sliced apples, oranges or plums work as well

Peanut butter → any nut or seed butter, or chocolate cream or another sweet spread for a less healthy version,

[ultrabasicfood]

Simple food, cheap and tasty

If you have no energy or motivation to make your own food at home, even though you want to or need to, maybe to live healthier and save money, then this blog is for you.

If you don’t know much about cooking or don’t feel like making something elaborate, but don’t want to subsist entirely on convenience food, then this blog is for you!

If you are put off by how even many of the “basic” or minimalist recipes out there often seem to presuppose expensive equipment, extensive experience and fancy ingredients, then this blog is for you!

___

This blog only has basic and ultrabasic recipes, requiring only few common ingredients (all ingredients used are listed here). Even if you don’t have one, don’t worry – there are substitutions possible for every ingredient and no ingredient (aside from salt) is important for all or even nearly all recipes.

You also need absolutely no tools and appliances beyond the fundamentals – get some pots and pans (or even just one of each), a stove, some cutlery, plates and bowls, maybe an oven and a cutting board, and you’re set for all recipes already! In other words, you probably have everything at home already.

If you don’t believe that can be enough for a lot of different tasty breakfasts, lunches and dinners, try out some of these recipes!

With just a few things available, everyone can make tasty food at home, regardless of their circumstances and personal background.