I only eat freezer aisle foods

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13

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  • hdjjones
    hdjjones Posts: 130 Member
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    Eggs can be a very simple item to prepare. Scrambled, hard boiled, fried. Eventually move up to omlets. Get yourself a good non-stick pan, not a cheap one. Gradually increase your skills and add items like vegies etc. Cooking can be intimidating, but the rewards are great, much better than frozen micro wave food!
  • beamie2687
    beamie2687 Posts: 95 Member
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    I love this idea. I've always been interested in cooking, but I agree with the other commentators who have said to start slow! Find a recipe you'd like to try (the previous posters have listed numerous options from which to find a recipe) and do it on a night when you have the time to cook it (and the extra servings idea for leftovers is great!). Maybe set up a challenge where you cook a simple recipe each week to start (like another poster said) and pay attention to how things come together - how a sauce sets, which flavors tend to go together, etc. Once you have an idea of combinations you like, you can start broadening your techniques and recipes.

    Like I said, I love cooking, but to this day I crave simple recipes like rice and beans or spaghetti with marinara. Only now, I make my own sauce and I soak my own beans. It took me a while to learn those tricks, but it all came from the same place. Good luck!
    If you're new to cooking then take it slow and start out simple. Cook when you have the time and make enough for leftovers for the next few days. At first cooking can be complicated to pull everything together in the right sequence, but as you gain experience by doing it, it does get easier and you learn a lot of tricks to save steps back and forth.

    One of the issues a lot of people have with cooking is ending up with a sink full of pots, utensils, etc... I try to wash utensils as I use them and reuse pans, bowls, or whatever to keep the mess down to a minimum. If I make something that goes into the oven, everything from the preparation is is clean and put away before the dish is done cooking.

    Good fresh ingredients almost cook themselves if you keep it simple. With farmers markets and overflow from people's gardens (too many tomatoes and squash usually), you can get a lot of really good fresh produce for not much money right up until fall.
  • beamie2687
    beamie2687 Posts: 95 Member
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    Oh! And I forgot to add something!

    I have never really been a fan of freezer foods because they always taste, well, fake and SALTY to me.

    But that being said, I have found that Trader Joe's and other similar establishments have wonderful frozen entrees that are relatively fresh and healthy. If you're going to stick to freezer foods, or wean yourself off an exclusive frozen diet, maybe try a place like TJ's and get some healthier varieties.
  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
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    There are a number of sites that use limited ingredients. There is one on Facebook called Five Ingredients or Less. Every recipe is exactly five ingredients or less. Look into something like that.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    Why don't you start with something simple? Salads.

    Just cut up some vegetables. Throw on some meat... can be canned tuna if you don't know how to cook meat. Maybe some salsa for a garnish.

    One of my favorite ways to use tuna is on a plain bed of lettuce with a dollop of salsa. I thank MFP for this tasty little gem!

    Also, look up some videos on Youtube. Watch the cooking channels. Check out a book from the library.

    There are lots of ways to learn how to cook.
  • amberj32
    amberj32 Posts: 663 Member
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    Make a list of your 10 favorite foods, google healthy recipes for those 10 meals. that should give you a good starting point. I love to cook , add me as a friend and I would be happy to help.

    Ditto!
  • Bella0531
    Bella0531 Posts: 309 Member
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    If you truly are clueless in the kitchen, I recommend a cookbook called "Help! My Apartment Has A Kitchen!" I got it for my brother when he moved out on his own and it's great. It gives you basics like how to cook a baked potato, and even has full recipes too.

    http://www.amazon.com/Help-Apartment-Has-Kitchen-Cookbook/dp/0618711759/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402512216&sr=8-1&keywords=help+my+apartment+has+a+kitchen
  • MystikPixie
    MystikPixie Posts: 342 Member
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    www.allrecipes.com is a pretty useful site for beginners. I try at least one dish a week, usually from that site.
    ^^This one, and for someone who's like me and arent super great at cooking the best recipes are the ones that have the least amount of ingredients. The thing I hate the most about recipes is when it says it's a super easy one but has 20 ingredients you have to gather for it. Then after 4-5 hours of cooking you end up with a big mess and bland food because it was just too complicated. And I also hate cooking, so as few ingredients and cook time as possible is great for me.
  • 053069
    053069 Posts: 52 Member
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    How about some cooking classes to start with? Then after you would build some confidence you start watching youtube, websites....etc...

    Good luck !!!

    I am glad i see people cooking and making a big deal out of it :flowerforyou:
  • EllieB_5
    EllieB_5 Posts: 247 Member
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    Google "cooking for dummies" or "easy 5 ingredient meals" and experiment.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    I'm lazy. I like making stews. Bang a load of chopped of vegetables into a pot. Throw in some stock powder. Chuck in some chicken breast. Boil for some time (depending on size of meat). Food for days.
  • spiralated
    spiralated Posts: 150 Member
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    www.supercook.com gives you recipes based on what you have in your cabinet/pantry/fridge.
  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
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    Two words. Crock pot.
  • amw1919
    amw1919 Posts: 74 Member
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    www.allrecipes.com is a pretty useful site for beginners. I try at least one dish a week, usually from that site.

    Same here! Also, try searching "5 ingredients & less" recipes. You just have to keep practicing. There is a youtube vid for everything. Example: "What the heck does saute mean?!" Look it up and there are simple tutorials.
  • amw1919
    amw1919 Posts: 74 Member
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    you tube videos. I like to watch them when I need to learn something new. Cooking involves doing it over and over again to get good results. you tube just helps you avoid making basic mistakes so you learn faster thru imitation. I LOVE Food Wishes.com with Chef John because he make popular food dishes with lots of explanation for the every day guy who cooks very little.

    Chef John's mashed potatoes are the BEST!
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,324 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1046449-tyler-s-tator-tot-casserole

    you're welcome.
  • addiec1
    addiec1 Posts: 101 Member
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    http://www.budgetbytes.com/ has lots of good and easy and very budget-friendly recipe ideas.

    Thank you for suggesting this site. I am a decent cook but love cheap meals and these seem cheap but not processed. Great combo
  • Dr__Girlfriend
    Dr__Girlfriend Posts: 100 Member
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    A LOT of recipes online have a million ****ing ingredients. Maybe google some simple recipes, or recipes for poor people like me. You don't want to be buying 30 ingredients just for one meal.

    Start with simple things like pasta + sauce. Bake some chicken in the oven, or grill it on the stove, and add it in. Oatmeal packets, rice, bacon.. Avocados you can eat by themselves, with salt and maybe some hot sauce:)

    Start with very simple recipes.

    I love cooking frozen green beans on the stove for about 10 minutes, adding balsamic and salt. I will eat that with Salmon I have cooked in the oven in a pouch of foil for like 20-30 mins (i use frozen salmon too!) with rosemary, maybe some lemon. Salt & pepper. Easy peasy!:)
  • essjay76
    essjay76 Posts: 465 Member
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    Just buy fresh produce. I can guarantee the amount of money you spend on Packaged/Processed Food will be more than buying fresh Vegetables, Chicken etc etc.

    If you struggle with cooking, then get a WOK.

    Chop stuff up, throw it into a Wok, Add some seasoning - Instant Meal.

    +1 to this and to the others who have said not to over complicate things.


    I know it seems like microwaving is so much easier, but so is rubbing spice on meat, chopping a vegetable, etc. PLUS, there is a big difference in how microwaved food tastes vs. fresh food. You're more likely to fully enjoy and be satisfied from a yummy meal that was made from scratch.

    Hell, even home-made mac and cheese is so easy to make. Boil up some macaroni (a whole pound costs $1!), and make the sauce yourself. Milk, butter, flour, and cheese are all staples you can keep to make many meals out of ($6 for all of it + you'll have enough for the equivalent of a week's worth of Kraft Mac n Cheese boxes and whatever else you want to cook).

    You don't have to become a gourmet chef, but you can still eat cheap and fairly quickly without having to nuke things with a microwave. Try it!

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