Depression Meal Cooking Guide

Food for when ur blue 💖

[depressedeats]

This is such a great comfort food! And it costs only 60p per portion! It’s tasty, and customisable, so if you’re not a fan of tuna, you can swap in mince or chicken or veg. To save time I use pasta sauces in this recipe, it takes away the stress of the spice isle and slowly cooking down passata. The best sauce brand IMO is Barilla, they’re really good value for money and taste really good. You can usually pick them up from supermarkets, and they’re often on sale for only £1. I recommend using Rigatoni in this, but penne or fusilli or whatever you have lying around is fine too! This recipe makes about 8 portions, and is great if you’re looking for something to last you the month!

TUNA PASTA BAKE SERVES 6-8

INGREDIENTS 1 tbs Olive Oil 1 tsp minced Garlic 2 400g Jars of Pasta Sauce (Basilico and Arrabiatta) 2 160g tins of Brined Tuna, drained Salt & Pepper for seasoning 400g Pasta 150g Grated Cheese

METHOD 1) Heat oven to 180. Bring water to a boil in a large pot and add in pasta. Boil until it’s just undercooked. 2) In a large frying pan, heat up the olive oil, and add in garlic, sautéing until its just fragrant. Add in pasta sauces and bring to a bubble, before reducing to a simmer and cooking for a couple of minutes. 3) Stir in Tuna, being careful not to break up the chunks too much. Bring back to a gentle simmer and season to taste. 4) Once pasta is done, drain and stir into the sauce. Remove pot from heat and place into a large baking dish. 5) Smother in cheese, and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling.

Serve with a salad or more cheese and enjoy!

To freeze: simply cover the pasta and leave on the side until it’s cooled enough to be placed into the fridge. Refrigerate until chilled, and portion out the bake into plastic pots or freezer bags, and freeze for up to one month. To reheat: defrost in the fridge overnight, and heat in the oven or microwave with some extra sauce or cheese!

[depressedeats]

***FOOD HACK***

NAKD BAR “BROWNIES”

This hack only requires a Nakd Bar and your microwave. Nakd Bars are a secret addiction of mine, they’re so good and you can usually pick up 2 for £1 from any corner supermarket. Microwaving them turns them into gooey, brownie like treats that are a solid 10/10. They’re also healthier, as well as vegan and gluten free!

METHOD 1) Unwrap Nakd Bar and put on plate 2) Microwave for 30 Seconds 3) !!!!!!!!!

And it’s as easy as that! It works best with Cocoa Delight and Cocoa Orange, however Cashew Cookie and Pecan Pie also work well!

[depressedeats]

This is the single easiest dish I know. It takes 5 minutes from pouring the boiling water into your noodle bowl to crawling back in bed to watch it whilst you watch Netflix for 8 hours. It’s incredibly filling, easy and healthy!

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For this dish I like to use a lot of prepackaged ingredients to save me clean-up time. The best place to pick up good instant noodles is Asian supermarkets; they’re cheap and there is such a huge selection to pick from, and they taste 100 times better than any Pot Noodle. My favourite brands are Nongshim and Mama, but there are so many other great brands to pick from. (I personally prefer to use the Mama Pho Bo bowl, it’s £1.40 from Tesco and big enough to fill with all your additions.) For the Gyoza, if you live near a Japanese restaurant and have leftovers, you can use them. I like the frozen Itsu dumplings (Which you can buy from Tesco and Waitrose at £3.50 for 20, however they’re usually on offer for £2.50-£3.) You might be able to find other brands in Asian supermarkets, like Yutaka, however the Itsu dumplings take 3 minutes in the microwave and taste so good. The additions are fully customisable for if you’re vegan, vegetarian or have any allergies. My favourites are peppers, kimchi, spring onions and eggs. They can be prepared in advance and chilled before being popped in with the noodles, leftover Chinese/Korean/Japanese/Thai is great for this!

INSTANT GYOZA NOODLES SERVES 1

INGREDIENTS: 4-6 Gyoza of choice Ramen/Noodle Bowl

Additions: Peppers Red Onions Roast Pork Marinated Tofu Stir fried Beef Fishcakes Bok Choy Spinach Roasted Carrots Kimchi Boiled Egg Spring Onions Stirfried Oriental Veg (Chinese Cabbage, Broccoli, Beansprouts) Sriracha Soy Sauce Chilli Flakes Coriander

INSTRUCTIONS: 1) Prepare Gyoza according to instructions, meanwhile, pour boiling water into your noodle bowl and follow instructions. 2) To prepare Bok Choy/Peppers/Spinach place in the noodle bowl. If your meats are chilled, then place in the bowl as well. Cover and leave to sit for required time. If you’re using the packaged noodles, place in pan and cook according to instructions. 3) Prepare toppings as required if you’re making it now. Onions, cabbage and broccoli shouldn’t take more than five minutes to whizz around a wok with some soy sauce and chilli flakes. A soft boiled egg should only take 5 minutes on its own, but if you’re preparing your noodles via a saucepan, just pop the egg in with the noodles as they’re boiling and they should cook together. 4) Assemble! You can use the noodle bowl for your ingredients, or place into bowl of choice. Mix in your Gyoza and your various toppings. Garnish with cold toppings like spring onions, kimchi and cilantro, and season with any sauces you require. 5) Crawl back into bed and consume.

It’s minimal mess (especially if you’re using prepackaged veg and meats), easy as hell, and if you use rice noodles - low in calories. It’s filling and quick, and easily my #1 go to meal when I’m depressed af.

[depressedeats]

Hello!! Easy, warming recipes for Tuna Pasta Bake, Shakshouka and Gyoza Noodles coming soon!!!