I Can Barely Cook

Options
gdelao1
gdelao1 Posts: 15 Member
in Recipes
Can you guys give me some super easy dinners???
«1

Replies

  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
    edited February 2017
    Options
    Start with basic, easy recipes that don't require too many ingredients or too much prep. Pinterest and foodnetwork.com are good places to start. Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything: The Basics is a great book that many people have success with. If a recipe calls for a technique that you've never heard of, YouTube can be a great resource. Also, some TV chefs are great at breaking down the basics of cooking. Alton Brown comes to mind, as does Jamie Oliver, who has a video series on his website centered around cooking basics.

    For me, the biggest hurdles in learning how to cook were figuring out when something is done cooking and how to properly season various foods with an appropriate amount of salt and pepper. That just comes with practice and time. Also, an instant read thermometer is an invaluable tool for figuring out the doneness of various proteins.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Options
    Protein and veg! Broiled or lightly steamed.
  • vselley57
    vselley57 Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    I cook a box of pasta. Put in a baggy, and keep it in refrigerator, then use it for meals one portion at a time for myself. 1 cup cooked pasta. ---then I add in things I like; cooked mushrooms, sauted squash,
    Roasted Red peppers.... Small chunks of cooked chicken breast. I top with "Good Seasons Italian dressing".--- Its is satisfying and tastey.
  • salemnye
    salemnye Posts: 305 Member
    edited February 2017
    Options
    I like to look on youtube for food ideas! I'm lazy af so I always go for the easy recipes!!!


    I made this onion soup last week. It was pretty tasty :)
  • isabellapanzica9387
    isabellapanzica9387 Posts: 68 Member
    Options
    Search for the videos Tasty makes on youtube they have a ton of quick and simple recipes that look delicious. It has video footage of them making each of the foods so you can just rewatch what they did in the video if you are confused.
  • MagneticGanymede
    MagneticGanymede Posts: 180 Member
    edited February 2017
    Options
    You could search ingredients you have or like. Just type "(Ingredients) recipe" and see what comes up. :) I've found a lot of recipes I enjoy that way.

    Another idea- at grocery store you could get rotisserie chicken, pre-made salad mix and rolls. That's an easy dinner.

  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    Options
    It's okay to take some shortcuts. Frozen vegetables can save you peeling and chopping. Jarred tomato sauces can replace those made from scratch, though fair warning: if you're worried about your sodium intake, that can be an issue.

    Are there any cooking techniques that you're finding difficult or that you're nervous about trying? I've pretty much been cooking since I was tall enough to reach the dials at the back of the stove. Okay, at seven, it was jell-o and soup mixes, but when I went vegetarian at 19, my mother refused to make a separate entree, so I learned fast. I can cook meat, too. I just don't eat it.
  • TheCurseofDolkite
    TheCurseofDolkite Posts: 13 Member
    Options
    Just know it all takes time. I had a mom who cooked everything for us, so I didn't even know how to scramble eggs when I got on my own.

    Trust me - it's cheaper cooking at home. Feel free to add me as I've learned so much over time. And a slow cooker is a great addition to your kitchen. And, finally, go to Salvation Army or similar places for cooking supplies.
  • sbrandt37
    sbrandt37 Posts: 403 Member
    Options
    I have a few suggestions:

    1. Buy a cookbook and cook! I learned a lot of my cooking from cookbooks and experience. There are tons of good ones out there, including ones for beginners.

    2. There are zillions of recipes on the internet. Any time my 12 year old daughter wants to cook, she just Googles until she finds a recipe she likes that uses ingredients we have in the house or makes a shopping list for me. It's not that hard, you just have to get started, and expect to have a few disasters along the way.

    3. Having someone show you some tips and tricks can help you get over the steep part of the learning curve more quickly. If you have a friend that cooks, ask them over to teach you how to cook their favorite dish or two. Once you have a few things down, related foods are much easier to cook.
  • EllaLeahB
    EllaLeahB Posts: 310 Member
    Options
    Is there maybe a cooking class you can take locally? I started cooking really young and cook from the heart. Youtube might have something. If I lived close to you I would be more than happy to show you some stuff.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    Options
    vselley57 wrote: »
    I cook a box of pasta. Put in a baggy, and keep it in refrigerator, then use it for meals one portion at a time for myself. 1 cup cooked pasta. ---then I add in things I like; cooked mushrooms, sauted squash,
    Roasted Red peppers.... Small chunks of cooked chicken breast. I top with "Good Seasons Italian dressing".--- Its is satisfying and tastey.

    Refrigerated pasta is a Resistant Starch. That means that the calories in the pasta, even if it's been reheated, are not digested by you in your stomach or small intestine. That RS pasta reaches your large intestine and the community of bacteria which live there. Those are able to break down the starch and they eat the calories. I think that's an awesome hack to a weight loss program. The pasta is effectively zero calories.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Options
    1) Pork chop cooked in frying pan, 2) rice or potato, 3) baked or steamed broccoli or other veggie.
    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/roasted-broccoli-with-garlic-recipe
  • sarraheclark
    sarraheclark Posts: 125 Member
    edited February 2017
    Options
    Chili or any type of casserole.

    The best way to get better at it is to TRY :) You will learn alot about what works/doesn't, what you like/don't through trial and error.
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    Options
    JeromeBarry1 wrote: »

    Refrigerated pasta is a Resistant Starch. That means that the calories in the pasta, even if it's been reheated, are not digested by you in your stomach or small intestine. That RS pasta reaches your large intestine and the community of bacteria which live there. Those are able to break down the starch and they eat the calories. I think that's an awesome hack to a weight loss program. The pasta is effectively zero calories.

    What magic is this?? So my leftover rice and pasta don't count as calories?? Da-whaaaaaaa?

    Why have I never heard of this before?? Going to check it out. :smiley: Thanks for bringing it up!!
  • __TMac__
    __TMac__ Posts: 1,665 Member
    edited February 2017
    Options
    You can learn. Just start trying.

    Evidence: Dinners at our house this past week included homemade mac and cheese (made by 20-year-old son), veggie pizza (made by 13-year-old daughter), and beef and bean burritos (made by 11-year-old son).

    Edit: And now my daughter is making pancakes from scratch. You can do it too. :)
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    edited February 2017
    Options
    If you have a crockpot/slow cooker: Soup. (throw in miscellaneous canned & frozen veggies/beans/tomato; dried beans; onion &/or garlic; frozen veggies; sausage or chicken pieces; maybe even some rice - pretty much whatever you want and let cook overnight/workday). Eat with some crackers.
  • Speziface
    Speziface Posts: 1,687 Member
    Options
    Lots of how-to videos on YouTube for just about any food you can imagine.
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
    Options
    JeromeBarry1 wrote: »
    vselley57 wrote: »
    I cook a box of pasta. Put in a baggy, and keep it in refrigerator, then use it for meals one portion at a time for myself. 1 cup cooked pasta. ---then I add in things I like; cooked mushrooms, sauted squash,
    Roasted Red peppers.... Small chunks of cooked chicken breast. I top with "Good Seasons Italian dressing".--- Its is satisfying and tastey.

    Refrigerated pasta is a Resistant Starch. That means that the calories in the pasta, even if it's been reheated, are not digested by you in your stomach or small intestine. That RS pasta reaches your large intestine and the community of bacteria which live there. Those are able to break down the starch and they eat the calories. I think that's an awesome hack to a weight loss program. The pasta is effectively zero calories.

    Say what now?
  • JaneAero
    JaneAero Posts: 94 Member
    Options
    I can recommend the Jamie Oliver cookery book called Ministry of Food, it taught me all the everyday dinners.

    Good housekeeping cookery book or Delia Smith cookery book for a learner cook.

    In the meantime breakfast and lunches are simple if you stick to ceresl or porridge, fruit such as apples and bananas, yogurt, wholemeal toast, canned soups etc.

    Dinners could be simple omelettes, baked potato's, tuna and pasta for example.

    If you have a favourite food or ingredient let us know and we can see if we have a recipe for you.

    Can't go wrong with googling though or YouTube

    Most dinners tend to be roasts, bakes or casseroles, so focus on those techniques

Categories