My parents never taught me how to cook and now I'm married with a 1 yr old son. I know I need to start cooking but I'm scared of something catching on fire or me burning the food. What would be something easy for me to cook besides Spaghetti?
I am a Pampered Chef consultant and have lots of ideas. I could come over and teach you some "power cooking". The recipes are about $2 or less per serving and you make a few meals at a time so you can have one for dinner and freeze the others and pull them out later. ____@____.com or ###-###-####
an easy recipe
cook 1 pound of ground beef seasoned with a Teaspoon of cumin
get some soft tortillas
get some refried beans
lettuce tomtomes onions
salsa
and make some soft tacos.
The way I learned how to cook was thinking about what I liked and going to half price books and getting cook books, watching my mom cook and goggling on the net.
i would suggest going to this site and signing up for their free magazine, they have really easy recipes, a lot of them with only 4 or 5 ingredients and simple steps to follow:
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/Pages/home.aspx
they also have a search engine where you enter 3 ingredients that you have on hand and it will come back with recipes you can use those ingredients in! they have tons of ideas on the site for different types of meals (quick & easy, cooking with kids, special occasions, etc.)
one of my favorite things to make is stir fry because it's so versitile, i only use 2 pans, it's pretty quick and inexpensive, and you can cook it so many different ways! you can use chicken, pork, beef, or even fish (salmon stir fry is yummy!). you can use any veges you like (bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, squash, peas, corn, etc.) or get those mixed vege bags from the frozen section at the store. just make some rice on the side and use a big pan to cook the meat first, then the veges. use your imagination for sauces...think lemon juice, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce (or just add sugar to soy sauce to make your own), sweet & sour sauce. i do a lot of experimenting with spices and sauces to make it taste different. just think of how a particular thing tastes then add flavors that you think might go well with that taste. or to make it easier, buy some of those marinades (usually by the BBQ sauces) and just dump the whole bottle in =) here are some quick combinations you can try:
beef with bell peppers, sugar snap peas, and broccoli
chicken wtih carrots, corn, and fresh green beans
salmon with tomatoes, yellow squash and zuchinni
just remember that learning to cook well is a lot about trial and error =) my mom taught me the basics of cooking, but i got tired of cooking the same old things all the time, so i started experimenting. i get ideas from old cookbooks, magazines, online. sometimes i take a recipe and substitute ingredients with ones that i think might taste better. i like to skim through the cookbooks i have and read ingredients to recipes and close my eyes and try to imagine what they would taste like together, and then decide if it's worth trying. as i said before, my mom taught me to cook, and i've been out of my parents' house for 6 years now, and i still burn food sometimes LOL especially with 2 young kids distracting me! try not to stress out over it! hopefully your hubby is like mine and will eat anything, so even if i make something that i think tastes horrible and i'll never make again, he will eat all the leftovers LOL
ok i'll stop rambling now, hope i've helped some, and if you need any more help, feel free to message me!
Hi K.-
I would suggest that you purchase a crockpot and a crockpot cookbook. It is almost impossible to overcook or burn anything that you would prepare in a crockpot. There are a lot of stews, soups, meats, etc that can be prepared in a crockpot very easily.
Good Luck,
K.
First off...do you have a Crock Pot or a George Foreman Grill? If not then get both...get a crock pot recipe booklet and you are set on that.....My families favorite meal on the George Foreman is....chicken breasts or strips...rolled in tony's seasoning, garlic powder and parmesan cheese then cooked till crispy on both sides. Open a can of green beans or corn. And add a side of rice flavored or not or pasta. GREAT MEAL! Even my picky 3 year old loves this. Good luck...I know what you mean...I didn't even know how to turn on the stove when I got married haha.
Most breakfast foods. Pancakes, french toast, bacon and eggs. You might burn the first few pancakes but its easy way to learn by practicing. Keep a little fire extinguisher (sp) and a box of baking soda handy. Cover grease fires with either the lid or pour on the baking soda. You can also call a firestation and ask them some kitchen saftey tips or where to look them up online. You will burn a few things and you will under cook a few but just go for it. Alvacado dips are easy, grilled cheese. George forman grill is a great thing to have. Best of luck. http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/
Watch or record 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray on the Food Network. Her recipes are easy, only take 30 minutes and use foods and spices that you are familiar with (nothing too fancy).
The fact is you are going to burn the food, you are going to overcook the pasta, burn the rolls, dry the chicken etc. I'm sure nothing will catch on fire as long as you are keeping an eye on things, but if you are nervous about that make sure there is a fire extinguisher handy.
So don't be afraid to make mistakes, the worse thing that could happen is you burn everything so you order take out!
Next I would start with simple things. Making pasta is simple and you can buy jar sauce. There are little frozen meatballs in the freezer section, heat up some veggies in the microwave and voila you have dinner!
Anyway it doesn't have to be big and fancy you can start simple and build from there!
I hate to cook, so I love Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals, you can also find a lot of recipes at:
An easy recipe I've discovered is to buy some (about 1 1/2 lbs) frozen tilapia (fish) and get the original chicken shake n bake in the box. Follow the shaking directions but not the baking ones..Put the four pieces of fish in a casserole dish (spray with some butter flavor non-stick spray) and put the oven on 375. Let it preheat. Put the fish in there for 17-20 minutes..Make a nice side like some mashed potatos, green beans, or corn and you have a nice big meal. (I have two kids so it may be too much for your little family. hehe. But at least you'll have left overs!
Don't be scared of it! You will be fine. There are so many easy things out there it is crazy. First you can start with simple meals until you get confident in the kitchen. You can get on line & get great recipes. Just type in recipes or go to allrecipes.com You can cook great meals in a crock pot also. One of my family's favorites is my roast. You can get a crock pot for about $25 at walmart. You put it in the crockpot before you go to bed, on low. add enough water to cover the meat, add a little garlic powder or season salt. When you get up in the morning, or even at lunch time if you want it ready for dinner; add one package of dry onion soup mix, cut your potatoes in wedges, add baby carrots, put the crock on high. It will be ready in by lunch or dinner depending on if you finished it up in the morning or at lunch time. Also meatloaf & mashed potatoes are great. baked chicken with veggies, it is really easy. If you want more help, I would be delighted to help! You can email me anytime for suggestions & instructions. It is a fun learning experience, don't let it intimidate you. Soon you will take pride in what you can do int he kitchen!
Good luck, email me if you need help! ____@____.com
T.
Check out this website: Quick and Easy Recipes - Everyday Cooking - All Recipes. Or go the library. My daughter get those magazines on cooking that is 10 cents and she picks out the recipes she likes and they turn out good.
I understand your frustration. I am a single mom of 8 year old twin boys, and I worked nights for 4 years until last year when I got a daytime job. When I started working days, I was totally lost on what to cook. Before I worked nights, I used to cook all the time. I had to relearn and I was just lost.I am still learning how to cook more and more things. One dish my boys just loved is chicken and rice, but you baked it like a casserole. Get the instant rice, measure in about 2 cups, add a can a cream of chicken, season with salt, pepper and a little garlic, and add some boneless chicken breasts. It will need to cook for about 45-hour. 10-15 minutes before it's done, sprinkle some grated cheese on it. It's easy and it's all in one. Also, on nights I really don't feel like cooking, we'll eat tuna and mac&cheese mixed together like a fast tuna casserole. Lasagna isn't very hard to cook, it just takes time and there are plenty of recipes out there that are very easy for this. I'm trying stew this week. I hear it's very easy to make, but I've never tried making it. Meatloaf is easy too. Ground meat, one egg, half a sleeve of crackers, salt, pepper, garlic, a little onion, and I used cream of chicken soup instead of tomato sauce. I get a lot of compliments on this recipe. Stick it in the oven for about an hour and it's done. I think of things my mom used to cook while I was younger, and I try to do the same thing. If I don't know, then I'll call Mom, Dad and even my Grandmother. If you don't want to call, break out the good ol' recipe books. I have very few of them, but they help as good backup when needed. Good luck! And remember, if it doesn't work out the first time keep trying, you'll perfect the recipes before long. I still make mistakes.
I love to cook and host events so all the get togethers are at our house. Some things I've noticed is that one has to be interested in cooking for things to turn out good and a good cook isn't afraid to try new things. Experiment! Many great recipes were created by mistakes! I also recommend www.allrecipes.com. You can also search on that site by ingredients you have in the fridge.
Think 1 meat, 1 grain (rice, potato, pasta) and 1 or 2 vegetables. Be aware of color when you make your choices, for instance I wouldn't serve plain white chicken, plain white rice and white beans together because there's no color to make it appealing to the eye. Mix yellow and green squash, add carrots to cabbage, serve a meat loaf with red sauce and green beans next to mashed potatoes, etc.
Some spices make most anything good...Tony's Chachere's on Cajun food, Italian Seasoning and Parmesan Cheese on Italian dishes, soy sauce or teriyaki sauce on Asian foods, Mrs. Dash on American type foods (including mashed potatoes), a few dashes of Worcheschire Sauce on burgers, meat loaf, roasts, etc.
If you can cook spaghetti you can cook other pastas and use different sauces and meats with them. If you purchase a cooked chicken you can cut it up and mix it with Alfredo sauce and pour that over pasta. Or you can mix a can of tuna with a can of cream of mushroom soup and pour it over egg noodles (the only thing my sister could cook when she was first married.:-)Some cooked frozen peas would add some color.
Make mashed potatoes and boil hotdogs. Then cut a slit down one side of each dog so that they open up. Squirt mustard on each open dog, then place potatoes along each one, add a half slice of American cheese and microwave to melt the cheese. Of course, you can use canned chili instead of potatoes.
Put a couple of hamburger patties in a pan, add slices of potatoes and onions, season as desired (Mrs. Dash or garlic powder and salt.) After cooking a bit on medium, cover the pan and turn down stove. Turn over the food now and then until cooked.
Brown some Italian sausages in a pan, lower the heat and continue to cook, add some frozen bell peppers and onions and saute' them. Serve with pasta or eat with bread as a sandwhich.
If you can brown ground meat you can make thousands of dishes, like meat sauces for pasta, chili and soups, tacos, tostadas, goulashes, stroganoffs, sloppy joes and so many casseroles.
To ground meat add a can of roast beef that you shred with a fork, then some taco seasoning (or cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and a bit of cayenne). This is your base for tacos, taco salad, tostadas, enchiladas, burritos, etc. If you have store bought tortillas, salsa, guacomole, shredded cheese, and salad you have all you need.
Rice is so versatile you can use it with all Cajun, Mexican and Asian meals. You can make a simple stir fried rice with frozen mixed vegetables, scrambled egg and soy sauce.
Okay, I could go on and on....but I want to say that if you really have a serious fear and weren't joking perhaps you need inner healing prayer. The devil likes to deter us from living life abundantly. I got a huge and abusive spanking when I was a young girl because I was trying to help my mother in the kitchen. My husband who is a wonderful artist was spanked for drawing on the walls and decided not to draw for many years. We hear lies like "I can never..." "I'm incapable." "It's too scarey" and we believe them but there's some joy and blessings when we venture out and find the truth. You can do it! You will love it! Go for it!
Blessings, N.
There is a good book called something like "Where's Mom When I Need Her?" which I gave to my college student son. It gives simple instructions for lots of stuff. I learned years ago from basic cookbooks. Try wrapping chicken breast in foil with a pat of butter and salt and pepper with some thyme or other spice. Bake it in a 350 oven for an hour. Scrub a baked potato and poke holes in it with a fork and put it on foil in the same oven at the same time. It might take 15 minutes longer. This is easy and has little cleanup. Serve with salad or a steamed green veggie.
When you've got that down, try actual recipes. Have fun and don't be scared. Burnt food is the price we pay for learning.
Hi K. ~ Let me suggest a wonderful cookbook for you. Rachel Ray's "Thirty Minute Meals"! Not only are the meals fast, but they are easy, nutritious, and you can say "I did it myself"!! She has several different books out, but they are all great! Hope this helps; feel free to email me also... I am working on my own cookbook and would email you simple recipes if you like. R.
Go to Campbell's website and sign up for their email. They email you a new recipe everyday!! They are all easy to understand and prepare. They send a good variety of different stuff and gives you several good ideas..
Good Luck girl ~ you can do it! =)
ps - here is the link.
http://www.campbellkitchen.com/registration.aspx?source=mm
There are lots of "easy recipes" on kraftfoods.com.
What I really want to say is that you don't need to be afraid of burning your food. It all comes with practice. You will do great! Good luck!
Maybe a good easy cook book would help and vigilance. When you cook you gotta pay close attention and I'd not turn the heat on the burners up over a medium heat until I got the knack of it all. Good Luck.
If your mother is still around ask her for some pointers. There are lots of beginner cook books available. Most supermarkets carry pre-cooked meat dishes in the deli section. I've tried several and they are good, all you have to do is open a couple of cans of vegetables, or bake a potato and heat and eat. There are lots of boxed dinners available with ideas for different dishes printed on the box. Even salads are premade now. Lots of schools and church ladies groups put together home tested ideas, but my first suggestion is a beginners cook book.
HI K.,,
I could write you a cook book on easy food.1tater tot cassarele layer raw hamburger in a greased pan then add on top a can of chedder cheese soup,then but tatertots on top bake at 375 till its bubbling 45 min to an hour.
2 brocile rice cheese and chicken. ok first cook a cup of rice an small package of broccile,, then spray a cassarole dish add cheese soup or cream of mushroom or feista cheese soup soups same in both recipes then mix together add in cooked chiken ,bake 375 till chicken is done.
3 there is always rice-a roni do as package says theb add cooked hamber meat .if i can be of more help write me
GOOD luck YOU can do it L.
Cooking really is a trial and error thing. Recipes will take you only so far. Buy a cookbook or get some recipes online, and just go for it! Once you're comfortable with the recipes, you'll learn how to kinda "ad lib". Cook with love, and you'll be able to feel your way through it. Your husband is obligated to cook whatever you eat.
Start with simple stuff, like steaming vegetables. (Cook uncovered until it boils and then cover and simmer. You'll get a feel for how long based on how soft you like it.) Season with salt and pepper until you become more familiar with the other stuff and what tastes good with what. Put some butter on it if you like that. Onion and garlic and a little basil are good in pretty much any meat, and it feels like you know what you're doing. When I first started cooking for someone else, I would get nervous. I remember baking chicken that was still raw on the inside. It unnerved me so, that I still boil my chicken before I fry or bake it, just to make sure that the inside is done. What's cool about that is that I always have chicken broth in my freezer (the water that the chicken is boiled in). That's useful in lots of recipes. Try not to be nervous about--just have fun!
(Oh, yeah, and Crock Pots are awesome!)
Hi K.,
Another easy thing to make is baked chicken.All you do is season it w/a seasoning called Season-All.Its a great seasoning you can season alot of diffrent meats.Anyhow buy the chicken you like to eat drumsticks are usally the fastest to cook.Season the inside of the chicken meaning lift the the skin of the chicken and season it w/salt, pepper and that seasoning and bake for 35 min. Thighs take about 40 min on 350degrees.Preheat your oven before you put your chicken in for about 10 min.breast take about 50 min buy some instant potaoes season the water w/salt and butter or make a bake potatoe in the microwave for 7 min.And open a can of vegies.
I cook for a living so if you would like more easy ideas feel free to e-mail me. ____@____.com GOOD-Luck
Try this website out. www.allrecipes.com
As mentioned crock pots are great. Try and error also. I could probably pass you several easy recipes, just send me a personal email if interested.
Try skinless chicken (what ever parts you like; like breast or drumsticks, etc.) in a swallow baking dish, pour cream of mushroom or cream of...(something else) over chicken cook at 350 for one hour. There is your meat. An easy and nice side dish is; a can of french onion soup poured over rice, with about a quarter stick of butter. Cook at 300 for 45 minutes, taste wonderful. Best wishes
I think the easiest way to start is with recipes that only have a few ingredients. There are some 5-ingredient-recipe cookbooks on the market, and you can probably google "5-ingredient recipes". They will be much less daunting, especially if you try recipes that are quick as well.
I took a cooking class as a kid and the first thing they told us was this: in order to cook, if you don't have someone demonstrating something to you, the only thing you need to know is how to read. Pick up a recipe and say, "if I can read this, I can make it!"
It's even easier today with the internet -- if they mention a technique you don't know about (like basting), just google it!
Here is an example of a 5-ingredient cookbook, but I bet you could find a cheaper one at Half-Price Books.
http://www.amazon.com/Essential-3-4-5-Ingredient-Cookbook...
Here is one recipe to get you started (6-ingredients):
Meatball Soup
1 pkg (approx 18 oz) fully cooked frozen meatballs, thawed
2 cans Italian style stewed tomatoes, diced
2 cans beef broth
1 small bag frozen mixed vegetables (or add your own leftovers)
½ tsp oregano
½ cup uncooked rotini pasta
Bring tomatoes, broth, veggies, and oregano to a boil. Add rotini and thawed meatballs. Heat until meatballs are warm and rotini is done.
I have some recipes your little son and hubby might enjoy. Making tacos, you take and brown your hamburger meat, and then drain it then add some ranch style beans and warm back up. Then you serve with soft tortillas or fry some corn ones. You can even make taco enchilladas, by taking the taco mixture and putting in in soft flour tortilla and then rolling in up and putting them in a casserole pan, and then put chili and cheese over the top of them. You could even make bbq smoked sausage, by putting the smoked sausage in a pan and adding some bbq sauce and then a little water, and cook, and then to go with it make mac and cheese, and whatever else you like. My mom even did bbq hamburger patties when I was little. Go to www.allrecipies.com and get some easy recipes to make. I hope I was able to help.
Try this...it is easy and very good.
Brown 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in pan with about 2 tablespoons of oil. When chicken breasts are browned pour 1 can of cream of chicken soup and 1 soup can of water over chicken, stir. Heat soup and pour all in oven proof casserole and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 min. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes. You may use cream of mushroom or cream of onion soup. This also works with pork chops.
Here is an easy one. When I don't feel like fussing with a bunch of dishes but still want a nice meal I make Shrimp Aldredo. It's a fool-proof meal that everyone enjoys and it takes about 15 minutes.
First, start boiling your noodles in a pot. I use egg noodles, but any kind will work. In a skillet (over med heat) melt 2 tbs of butter. As soon as the butter melts pour in a bag of peel and deveined shrimp (tails off). Season with garlic salt. Shrimp cooks fast so stir it for about 3-5 min. Next, pour in store bought Alfredo sause. I use three cheese, but any will work. Heat until it lightly boils. I season mine with creole seasoning. When the shrimp and sause mix is hot remove it from the heat. By now your noodles should be done. Pour off the water. Mix the shrimp Alfredo with the noodles and enjoy!
This goes great with salad and garlic bread. Also, if you want to impress your family you could use those mixed colored noodles and add onion and bell peppers to the butter before you add the shrimp. Or squeeze half a lemon over the shrimp.
I am also married with a small child so I understand what it's like to not have much time. I also have a lot of quick and easy meals if you're interested.
Remember it's okay to burn food. When I do I call it Cajun! LOL!
Here is an easy recipe for Chicken & Rice
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of cream of celery soup
1 stick of butter
1 1/3 cup of long grain rice (I use Adolf's)
Whatever kind of boneless chicken you like.
Pre Heat oven to 350
Take a glass or metal pan 9x11 and put foild in the bottom. This makes clean up easy. Mix together all soups and rice. Lay the mixture in the pan. Rinse off all of the chicken and season with whatever you like. I use Lemmon Pepper. Melt the butter and dip the chicken into the butter and lay on top of the rice. Pour the remaining butter over the top of the chicken. This keeps the chicken from drying out. Cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Warms up great for left overs and freezes great too.
Hope this helps. I also have an easy recipe for Roast, Carrots & Potatoes if you have a crock pot. Super easy. Let me know if you want it.
Here's a good one. Don't cook, bake. Pigs in the blanket are awesome and fun! Just buy a can of cheap biscuits and roll the hot dogs in them and bake according to the biscuit info on the can. Fun and a HOT meal! Don't forge the mustard and ketchup!
Also, use your crockpot! Brown Beans made according to the package with some salt, and garlic powder (just a little) are delicious. They count as cooking. No one said you have to turn on the stove and fry. Look for alternative methods. Cheap Crock pots are only $10 and work just as well as the fancy-dancy ones for $40. Email me if you want more ideas.
Hi K.,
Here is something that is really easy to fix and you will always have leftovers if you like them. It's called "Bow Tie Chicken", you get the bow tie noodles in the section with the spaghetti noodles just one box, then you can get canned chicken (i use Great Value at walmart cheaper and tastes just as good) and then you get alfredo sauce of your choice (i get roasted garlic). So what you do is boil your noodles just like you do spaghetti, when they are done drain them add the can chicken and the sauce and then you just heat for a bit and serve. Oh yeah get 2 jars of Alfredo one doesn't seem to be enough. Add salt and pepper to your taste. And then I serve Garlic toast and you could even do a salad or green beans. It's very simple and I seriously don't think you can burn it. Good luck, let me know how your like it if you try it.
Maybe some Mash potatoes, green bean casserole, rice cookers or steamser from walmart help you just put rice , water and salt, and into the microwave for 18 minutes and walla you have white steamed rice. It is alot more easier now than the old days. There is alot already premade and just need to warm up in the oven. Look for it at Sams, or walmart. Good luck.
Here's something easy and tastes great! It's called beef flips. All you do is make hamburger patties ( i usually do egg, a dash or two of whorecestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and some green chilis) mix it all up and then make long oval patties. cook them up in a pan, when done set aside. next i clear the grease out of the pan and get some totillas and butter one side. I lay the buttered side down on the pan and place the patty on it along with cheese, onions, etc. i fold the tortilla like a half moon and brown each side of the tortilla! presto it's done!!! i like to whip up some package brown gravy to dip it in and some others like ranch or salsa. I hope that this helps!
Easiest recipe in the world - order out! I'm kidding. Here is a good recipe and it tastes like the Verde Enchiladas from a restaurant. You need Shredded Chicken (boil it and then shred it up), Monterrey Jack cheese, Sour cream, Corn Tortillas and Pick up a jar of Green Chili Stew from HEB (near cooking station in meat area). I think its $10. This recipe is on the Green Chili Stew jar. You mix the sour cream with some of the Stew and chicken. Heat up your tortillas until they are soft. Fill with the sour cream/chicken/stew mix. roll them all up and cover with the left over stew and the top with cheese. They are delicious! I am a horrible cook and my husband could not get enough of these. I put a can of refried beans with it and a bag of microwave spanish rice. I even took them to an office pot luck and they thought they were homemade! One tip: before you roll the tortillas up, put some of the stew on the bottom of the dish to keep them moist on the bottom.
If you go to HEB regularly, they have that cooking station that is ALWAYS making something and letting you sample. Usually the recipes are on the shelf in front and all the ingredients are there too. Lots of good warm meals that seem like they took a lot of time to cook but didn't!! good luck!
One of my fave recipes is brown rice: Spray baking dish w/Pam, take 1/2 stick of butter (or equivelent if you don't have sticks), melt that in the oven at 350 degrees. Remove dish from oven & sprinkle white chopped onions across the bottom (just enough onion to lightly cover the bottom), add 1 1/2 cups of regular rice (NOT Minute Rice!!) & two cans of Beef Consume (NOT Beef Broth...two entirely different things!). Spread evenly, cover dish w/lid or foil & bake 45 min. to 1 hour til done. It will be done when the liquid is completely absorbed & onions have 'floated' to the top. I also like to add a little garlic clove (sliced) in it too to give it a nice flavor.
Another fave recipe is baked fried chicken. Spray baking dish w/Pam & add cooking oil to pan...just enough to cover bottom plus a little more. After rinsing chicken, place in dish & coat w/the oil. Take Bisquick baking mix & coat both sides of the chicken (you can either roll chicken first in Besquick in a bowl then roll in oil or vice-versa but less waste if you do it in the pan). I usually coat one side & add spices, turn chicken over & do the same to save time & it's easier for me to do it that way. I add my own combo of spices on both sides: Sage, Nature's Seasoning, Parsley flakes, Italian Seasoning & Tyme. Bake un-covered at 350 degress for 30 min.then take out & turn chicken over to bake other side 30 more minutes or til done & juice runs clear from chicken & chicken is not 'pink' inside (total cook time should be about 45 min. to an hour).
Another recipe is baked porkchops: It's faster if you prepare the pan first. Spray baking dish w/Pam. Add one can of Cream of Mushroom Soup. Fill that empty can to the 'rim' (all the way to the top) w/Minute Rice & pour over the Soup then fill same can up to the top ridge (about an inch from the top) w/water & add to the rice/soup & mix well/spread evenly. After rinsing either bone-in or boneless chops & brown in skillet on both sides & place on top of rice mixture in pan, cover w/lid or foil & bake 350 degress for 30 minutes or til done (chops should not be 'pink' inside).
Another fave recipe is Salmon Croquettes. Use canned salmon, drain juice out of it. Place meat in a bowl (I usually use two bowls for this), split meat open & remove backbone. (Please note, sometimes there is no backbone after sifting thru or sometimes I've found up to 3 backbones to remove but be sure to sift carefully w/your fingers...take your time w/this. These need to be removed or you may break a tooth or choke on one). The thin/fine bones are brittle & no need to worry w/those, just the round & hard backbones. (What I do is as I sift thru w/my fingers, I place the sifted meat in another bowl just to make things easier). After all is sifted thru, add one egg, one moistened slice of bread (tear the bread up into small pieces), 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup chopped white onion, salt & pepper. Mix well (should look like tunafish). I then rinse the first bowl out & dry. Then add small amount of cornmeal to the empty bowl (add more if needed). Take a medium size skillet if you have one & add cooking oil, just enough to cover the bottom plus a little more, about 1/2 inch or so up from the bottom (adding too much will make them taste greasy). I usually start heating up the skillet on Medium heat while I'm mixing, that way I don't hafta wait so long for the electric stove burner to heat up. If you have gas stove, you probably don't need to pre-heat. take a small amount (usually palm size) & roll into ball & pat a little flat (not hamburger flat, just enough to make it not a round ball) & coat w/the cormeal then place in heated skillet to fry. I usually keep the skillet on Medium so it will cook evenly & won't cook too fast & leave the middle gooey. After placing several patties in the skillet (I usually leave one space open for easy turning), brown to golden brown (it's ready to turn when it 'slides' on skillet & golden brown). Turn each patty over & cook the other side til golden brown. Each can usually makes 7-9 patties depending on how big you make them. I usually make them not so big because they tend to break apart when you try to turn them over plus they fit better on the spatula/pancake turner. I also place patties on spatula & lower into pan will also reduce splatter & will keep you hands further from the skillet. I started doing this when I kept getting splattered on. If you have more patties than room in your skillet & have to cook separate, I also tend to scrape back the remnants from the skillet away from where I'll place the remaining patties which will also reduce splatter & should keep from burning your patties too. I also usually tilt the skillet to allow the remaining oil to gather around the extra patties to cook them w/o having to add extra oil which may take more time to heat up. It may take a few times to get the right amount. I still don't get the right amount sometimes.
Just remember, when using grease or cooking oil on the stovetop (aka 'frying') use Medium heat which may reduce spatter. Also, turn the heat down when in-between adding ingredients or patties, etc. which should help w/that too. I hope these suggestions help, best of luck & happy cooking!!
Get a book for Crockpots-- One crockpot recipe that's aweseome is to get thick porkchops (I buy 4) add 2 cans cream of mushroom soup and one can of evaporate milk-- set on low for 6- 8 hours... and voila!! It's the most tender pork ever!! Add a side of green beans and french bread. Also Taco Soup is awesome!! Just ground up ground beef (2 lbs), and then there are several cans of soup to buy-- 1 can Rotel, 3 (15oz) cans Diced Tomatoes, 2 (15oz ) cans corn, 2 (15 oz) cans pinto beans, one small can chopped green chiles and then an envelope of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing and an envelope of Taco seasoning.. After the beef is cooked, you pour in all of the cans-- juice and everything to the pot along with your 2 envelopes. Let it simmer for 45 minutes to let the flavors meld. (I can only wait about 30 minutes) After I pour the bowls of soup, we add sour cream, Fritos and cheddar cheese to it... It's yummy and it makes a ton!!. This is the way I make it or you can just google Taco Soup recipe-- and pick out the one you like..
Also, I got started cooking everyday after watching the foodnetwork channel on Saturdays-- because you are able to see the techniques.. I love Rachel Ray (30 minute meals) and Paula Deen (she's southern cooking) --
Good luck!!
This is one of my old basics. White rice, brown 1 cup in a teaspoon of canola oil medium heat, when rice is browned add 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, cover with a lid for 15 to 20 mins on low heat, fluff with fork. Now the chicken, use chicken breast, on a grill pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, take chicken and sprinkle with garlic salt and black pepper, front and back. Place on hot grill pan and it will sear, turn to sear other side. The heat should be on medium. Once seared put a lid (glass lid) on top of chicken, lower heat to medium low, cook until no longer pink in the middle of thickest part of chicken. Serve on top of your rice with a salad on the side. I too also had to learn the hard way. My mom was a great cook and never wanted me in the kitchen. I got married and didn't know how to cook. Have fun learning!
My parents never really 'taught' me to cook either, and I now cook gourmet meals! All you need is the desire. You wont catch it on fire or burn it as long as you are careful, and watch what you are doing. Ok, not entirely true. My daughter will tell you that every year at Thanksgiving I burn the rolls...and its always because I have alot going on and forget to check the rolls! Get yourself a timer (I have two now!) and a good cookbook. If you see a recipe that appeals to you, try it! If your family doesnt like it...find another recipe! You are the only thing standing in your way!
My mother did teach me how to cook but my main problem was cooking a variety of meals. Why don't you watch food network? I have learned and picked up some good hints. Have confidence in yourself and you would do just fine.
Good luck,
Elisa
This may sound silly, but when I'm trying a new recipe, I like it to have a picture. So my advice to you is to go to Half Price Books, look at all the recipe books that say "easy cooking" or something like that, and pick one with lots of pictures. Make sure they have ingredients you've heard of or know you can get,and not too many in each recipe. Make it a fun challenge for yourself and don't be afraid of a fire, etc. Just don't turn your back on a pot and cook things on low. :)
I would second the suggestion for a Betty Crocker cookbook, but I have the "Cooking Basics" cookbook, which I highly recommend if they still make it. The nice thing about it is that it not only contains good relatively simple recipes, but it has PICTURES. It shows you how to chop vegetables, has a glossary of terms, pictures of herbs, pictures of cooking instruments etc. This is very useful when someone says "use x" and you think, "hmm, I don't know what x looks like".
Also, give yourself plenty of time. It took me 3 hours (instead of 30 hour, probably) to make my first "real" meal, but chopping is much harder than it seems from the outside. :)
This recipe comes from a family circle quick and easy recipes cookbook. Its super easy,has a quick cleanup, and you will have most of these ingrediants on hand.
Deviled Chicken Cutlets
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon liquid hot-pepper sauce
1/4 cup dry plain bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Place oven rack in upper third of oven. Heat oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with foil. Lightly coat foil with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken pieces on foil.
2. Stir together mayo, mustard, garlic, sage and hot-pepper sauce in a small bowl until well blended. Mix bread crumbs and salt in another small bowl. Brush mayo mixture evenly over top of chicken breasts. Sprinkle half of crumbs evenly on top of chicken. Turn chicken over; repeat brushing with mayo mixture and sprinkling with remaining crumbs.
3. Bake in heated 450 oven 15 minutes or until crumbs are golden.
The mayo mixture keeps the chicken from drying out and it is so tasty! I serve with canned veggies like sweet potatoes or green beans and I make either Rice-a-roni or macncheese. Good luck and have fun!
Dear Kinberly,
You won't be the first wife/mom to burn a dish and wind up eating scrambled eggs for dinner!!Remember safety when you are cooking is # 1 priority and keep a box of salt handy to sprinkle on heavily if you do have splashed food spark on your stove. I hope you will try this recipe of my grandmother's. It is easy and delicious. Serve it with a side of green beans and bread. Grandma always cooked her green beans with a little salt, pepper and bacon.Get it to a good rolling boil and then turn down a simmer for at least 30 minutes.
Chicken & Rice
4 boneless chicken breast
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 can cream of mushroom(or chicken) soup
1 pkg. lipton onion soup
1 cup rice and two cups water
Put rice, water, salt, pepper and soup in 13 X 9 baking dish, place washed chicken breast on top, sprinkle with dry lipton onion soup mix, cover and bake at 325 for 1 1/2 hours. Thank you Grandma!!! Someday you will look back and laugh about not being able to cook!! No one becomes a great cook without a lot of mishaps and trying! Good luck and God Bless You.
Hi K.
don;t dispair- cooking can be a lot of fun. I had to learn mostly myself by trial and error- but I was lucky enough to be taught a lot by my mom.
Just go to the mall and get a cook book for 2- something simple by Betty crocker to start- just follow the directions and you will be fine.
Oh yea, learn to use the crockpot- there are simple cook books with crock pot receipes just for crock pots. Also, subscribe to Taste of Home magazine- itis only about $10.00 a year and they have the most amazing helpful hints there-
good Luck
here is my super easy meatloaf:
1 pound hamburger meat
1 cup rice
1/2 bell pepper chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 egg
4 ounces tomato sauce (or half of an 8 oz can)
2 tablespoons of worchestershire sauce
mix all together and fill up muffin cups. Bake at 350 for about 30 min pour remaining tomato sauce ontop bake for another 5 min and serve.
You could also bake in a loaf pan but it seems to take longer to cook that way. This was always easy for the kids to eat too.
cooking is easy, just don't be afraid of it!
K.,
You are too funny! Go to the bookstore, look at the cookbooks and start reading them. When you find one that has recipes in it that sound good to you, buy it and take it home. Better Homes and Gardens is a good choice. If you can read, you can cook. Since you are a stay-at-home mom, you can take all day to make a recipe. I would also recommend pot roast. It's easy. Take any kind of beef roast and put the roast into a big pot on the stove with a little oil (maybe 2 tablespoons) to brown it. It just needs to be a little brown on all sides. Then, put the roast, a can of cream of mushroom soup, half a can of water to rinse out the extra soup, a can of whole tomatoes (crush them with your hands),a package of dry onion soup mix, peeled potatoes and carrots and 1 onion quartered into a large casserole dish or roasting pan that is at least 3 inches deep. Cover it with foil or a lid and cook at 325 degrees for a few hours. Test it about 2 hours into the process by sticking a fork in it. When it's done, it will be very easy to get stick the fork in and pull it out of the entire roast. The soup helps make great gravy and the potatoes will thicken it. If you need help, call me at ###-###-#### and I'll help you over the phone. I'm making the same thing today. If you live in Houston area, Randalls has a 7 bone roast on sale for $1.49 lb, which is a great price! Another easy one is chicken and yellow rice. Put 1 package Vigo yellow rice with the recommended amount of water and 1/2 of the oil into a casserole. Stir it up to mix the spices. Add cut up chicken pieces(with skin). Bake at 400 for 15 minutes and then at 350 for 1 hour. You'll know it's ready when the water dries up a little in the pan. You'll have some crispy rice and some soggy rice. Remove the chicken and stir the rice together. Yummy! Another easy idea with chicken...put garlic powder and lemon pepper on chicken pieces and then pour any oil and vinegar based dressing over the chicken and bake the same way as the chicken and yellow rice. You can do this!
Peace,
C.
I would recommend some of the 4 ingredient cookbooks. There are also quite a few "almost homemade" cookbooks that will start out with a few simple ingredients and simple instructions. There are a few basics you'll need to get down pat and feel comfortable with and these will help you. There are tons of recipes online, but some of them may be complicated. You can always begin with what you like to eat and look for a recipe that you feel comfortable with. Don't be too hard on yourself if you burn something-as with everything else you learn from your mistakes! I think you are making a great first step in a positive direction and are to be commended!
One of my family's favorite meals is ham steak and chicken noodles. In fact we had it for dinner last night. At the grocery store you buy a "Ham Steak". I buy Cook's brand, but your grocery store may not carry that brand. It's just a large piece of ham that is about 10 or 11 inches across one way and maybe 6 inches the other (oblong) and about 1/2" thick. Melt 3/4 to 1 whole stick of margarine in a large skillet on low to medium (3 if you have numbers). When the margarine is melted, sprinkle a handful of brown sugar over the margarine. Stir just a little to mix the margarine and the brown sugar together. Then put the ham steak in on top of the margarine, brown sugar mix. Put a lid on the skillet and cook it for 8 minutes. Turn the ham steak over and cook it on the other side for 8 minutes and then it's done. When the timer goes off for the first side being done, I pour a can of chicken broth into a medium sized sauce pan, put a lid on it and put it on a stove burner and turn it up to high. When the chicken broth comes to a boil, pour in 2 cups wide egg noodles. Cook stirring often until almost all the chicken broth is cooked into the noodles at that point pour 2 tablespoons melted margarine (or just the 2 TBSP stick margarine whole and stir till it's melted) over the noodles and stir till they are all coated. Then sprinkle 1/4 cup parmesan cheese over the noodles and stir until they are all coated and serve with the ham steak. You can also make these noodles as a side dish to anything else you want. Sometimes I make them just to eat by itself. Good finger food for the kiddos learning to feed themselves. I have a bunch of other easy recipes if you would like them. Let me know.
K., I suggest that you do some things with your crock pot. This will be easy and there's not alot of chance for it to go wrong. There are cook books that have crock pot recipes and short of that you can put just about any meat (pork roast, beef roast, chicken) in the crock pot with a little seasoning (salt and pepper) and allow it to cook for about an hour and then put in vegetables on top (potatoes, carrots, celery, etc.) and have a meal. Hope this helps.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Hamburger Helper. I know it's almost taboo to eat processed or 'boxed' food these days, but seriously it's probably THE EASIEST thing to cook, it taste good, kids love it and its quick. We use ground turkey in ours so it's a little less fattening. Then I add a simple salad or some stemmed veggies along w/ it and make a whole meal. There are tons of varieties and chicken and tuna options. Just be careful and not eat it too often, it gets old quickly! We do eat it at least once a week or so though when I work late and need something quick. Other then that the George Foreman is awesome and I do use my crock pot ALOT!! Go online and you can find endless reciepes. Good luck and take your time and be patient with yourself and tell your husband not to laugh if something doesn't come out right the first time.
God Bless!!
I would suggest that you try easy things like hamburger helper with a vegatable. I would use the frozen ones you just have to add enough water to cover them then set them on a low/medium heat. Most everything comes with a how to label. Just follow the directions and you should do just fine. And if you burn the food, it's okay. It takes a coulpe of boo boo's to get things right. Just make sure that your cooking space is clear and you won't light the place up. Cooking is a lot of trial and error. Good luck, you'll catch on soon enough.
This is something super easy with a few ingredients it is called Oriental Chicken
4-6 boneless chicken breast that you season both sides with steak seasoning, paprika and
garlic powder (just sprinkle enough to cover no measured amounts)
Melt 1 stick of butter or margarine and mix together with a 6oz can of thawed orange juice and a package of dry onion soup mix
Pour mixture over chicken in a dish and put in oven set at 350 degrees for 1 hour covered but uncover last 15 min. to brown top
You can serve over rice or noodles (I use spaghetti noodles) just follow instructions on package.
Good luck with your cooking ventures and don't be afraid to try new things.
These are all great suggestions. Purchase a Betty Crocker Cookbook. I was given my first one when I was 8 years old. It is so easy to follow.
There are also tricks to help you get started. Purchase Jarred Spaghetti Sauce. By pasta and learn to boil the water by using the cookbook and then follow the directions on the pasta package.
Purchase a soup mix and follow the directions. Bear Creek does a great mix.
Purchase a roasted chicken from the Deli section of the store and serve a bag of salad with some frozen veggies (follow the directions) or veggies from the produce section that come bagged with microwave instructions.
Purchase sloppy Joe mix and ground chuck with some hamburger buns. Follow the directions on the can. Serve with Veggie sticks.
Purchase Huge Baked Potatoes and look in the cookbook for instructions on how to bake them in the microwave. Top them with your choice of butter, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, Avocados, lemon, some of the roasted chicken, chunks of ham, bacon bits. Serve this with a salad.
Do you have a friend or neighbor that you can go and watch them prepare a meal? I have helped neighbors learn to cook many times. You can do this. Do not be afraid. If you have a disaster, order a pizza or make sandwiches.. No big deal.
casseroles are the easy one's or soups.
King ranch is good.
corn tortillas torn into bite size pieces and put into casserole dish.
dampen with a small amount of broth or water (small amount)
chicken pieces (boned and in bite size pieces) go on top of corn tortillas
mix right out of the can chicken soup and mushroom soup (do not add water) put that on top of chicken
add onion to taste I use a whole medium onion chopped
next add diced tomato's and diced green chili's it might take (2 cans) let some of the liquid seep to the bottom
next add shredded cheddar cheese to cover the top. To make it pretty add sliced black olives to top if you life them.
Bake at 350' for about 45 min. or til lightly browned on top yummmmmmmm
corn tortillas (torn up) dampen with small amount of water
chicken (1) cooked boned and in small pieces
1 can chicken soup
1 can mushroom soup
diced canned tomato's and green chili's (2)
shredded cheddar cheese to top
Bake 350' for 45 min. or til lightly browned
Good luck easy and fast
Dad's own cookbook, very easy starter cookbook
Put some butter in a pan. Chop up some chicken breasts. Throw them in the pan, medium to high heat. Add salt and pepper (and whatever else sounds good - garlic,onion) and stir gently. It doesn't take long to cook all the way. You can cut one open to check if it is still pink in the middle or not. If the butter starts to brown and clump up then you need to add more butter or water so it doesn't stick too badly or begin to burn. Serve with rice or noodles and a vegetable. I cook my noodles in water and chicken broth for flavor. Vegetable can be steamed by placing them in a collander (metal bowl with holes) and placing the collander over a little boiling water that has salt in it. Put a lid over it and let the steam do the cooking. Or you can also cook them in butter in the pan.
***I also have the book Where's Mom When I Need Her. It's good!
go to Google and there you will find recipes galore, ranging from the simplest of things to cook. Be sure to keep the baby out of the kitchen when cooking, by putting him/her in a playpen or when baby is napping. Best of luck.
Hi K.,
First I just want to say it will take a little time and trial and error but it will come naturally after a while. A really quick and easy recipe I like to do is just make a box of Mac and Cheese and add a little extra butter about 1 tablespoon and brown 1 pound of ground meat in skillet then add to mac and cheese and you have dinner. You should also try www.allrecipes.com. They have really good recipes and they are rated so you can go off of what everybody else thinks about them and you don't have to be the first to judge.Also most of them have pictures so you can see what they look like before you try them. Good Luck.
