Im a horrible cook - HELP!

Hi Emmaleigh! I can totally relate! I'm 43 and my only real accomplishment in the kitchen is an omelette. I started the year by setting a goal of making one new thing in the kitchen each week. Mostly I focus on a new ingredient which makes it more interesting for me. I chose chipotles one week and then looked for recipes to use them in. I just typed "chipotle recipe" in google and a thousand sites came up. Since I'm a newbie, I tend to stick with the ones that have fewer ingredients (not as overwhelming) and I make something so that I can take it to work for a few days or freeze a good portion of it. It is all so giddy new to me that I find it fun! Just give it a go and see what you like. As Julia Childs says, BE FEARLESS and above all, HAVE FUN!!

I have found alot of use out of my search bar when I don't know what to do with food, how to cook, chop or tell if it is good. I just type in "how to chop peppers" and there is usually an ehow.com article or video that will give you complete instructions on that type of food. The other day I wanted to cook asparagus for my family for the first time, but I did not know the first thing about it. So I just typed in "how to tell if asparagus is good" and "how to cook asparagus" My 3 year old, 7 year old and husband all loved it.
I also have a good crook pot recipe book called "Fix it and Forget It Cookbook". It has a ton of simple recipes that are simple and a few that are fancy. I use my "Taste of Home" cookbook for fancy stuff and allrecipes.com most of the time. Trial and error is the best way to learn. I sometimes forget which way I liked things best so write down what you get right so you can do it again. Feel free to add me as a friend.

Go to your library and ask if they have any back issues of Taste of Home's "Light & Tasty" magazine. All their recipes include the nutritional information. So before you make the recipe, you'll know the Calories, Carbs, Sodium, etc..... Taste of Home also has a website with tons of recipes & info. Good luck!!

I can cook about anything with a recipe, but being a single guy, it's just a lot of trouble. I don't like to spend time cooking or doing dishes, so I keep it simple.
Crock Pot meals are easy as others have already mentioned.

If you like vegitables, it's pretty easy to steam or microwave fresh vegetabels. For me there is no substitute for FRESH vegitables.

My usual dinner is some variation of this 1 skillet dinner... I use a large non-stick skillet and prepare all of the following in it, I sometimes use a tablespoon of olive oil, but not usually.

You say you don't know how to cook, so I am giving instuctions below as if you do not know anything....

Meat - Boneless / skinless Chicken Breast or Pork Loin chop. (one typical boneless skinliess chicken breast will give about 6 oz of cooked meet - enough for two 3oz servings.) Could also use whole peeted shrimp.
Slice chicken breast of pork loin chop into thin (1/4 or so) slices.
Using FRESH vegitables.... I use some combination of the following: Usually use two or three of the following: (of course you should rinse all vegitables before use)

Brussel sprouts, (cut the hard end off and discart the outer layer of leaves)
broccilli, (cut the crowns off and use them seperatly, also can slice the stem into 1/2 inch or so slice.)
snap beans. (green beans) Cut both ends off, and cut the remiander in halve or not.
Colliflower (cut off and use the crowns, you can probably also slice up the stem, but I don't)
carrots, Cut or slice to desire length.
yellow summer squash, cut into 1/2 in slices then cut in halve.
egg plant. Cut into 1 inch or so cubes.

Usually use the following every time.
de-seeded bell pepper (red or green) Simply cut around the stem and pull it out, cut pepper in halve top to bottom, trim away the white fleshy part. Slice the remaing into 1/2 inch or so wide parts.
mushrooms - whole mushrooms cut in halve or can buy already sliced.
1/2 sweet potato. - wrap whole medium size sweet potato in paper towel - microwave on high 6 minutes, turning over at 3 minutes. Let it set for 3 minutes. 1 sweet potato make 2 servings for me.

Prep whatever vegitables that I choose for the meal. (see notes above for prep)
Heat skillet on medium high. brown chicken or pork for a minute or two on both sides.
Lower temp to midium.
Add a tablespoon or two of cooking wine. Soy sauce will also work, but it's high in sodium.
Throw any dense vegetables into the skillet. (brussel sprouts, carrots, califlower)
Hit start on the microwave to start the sweet potato cooking.
After 3 minutes - turn the sweet potato over.
Throw the rest of the vegitables into skillet, and stir around. If cooking yellow summer squash don't put it in yet.
I usually only season with a little course ground black pepper.
Every minute or two stir the contents of the skillet around.
When the sweet potato is finished at 6 minutes total, add the yellow summer squash to the skillet.
Let the sweet potato set for 3 minutes while the skillet finishes cooking.

I normally allow 4 oz (uncooked) of each vegitable per person.

I sometimes substitute brown rice or a regular bake potato for the sweet potato.
Be warned if you use canned or frozen vegitables it is rather blend tasting. I stop AT the grogery store every couple of days to buy fresh vegitables. A local farmers market would be better, or during season from a home garden.
This takes about 20 minutes total to prep and cook.

Because I eat this most days for dinner, I cut whatever meet / vegitables I buy and store in plastic bags in the refriderater for a couple days. When I get home from work, it is very quick and easy to throw a healthy meal togather in less time then it use to take me to run the fast food resturant.

Yes, allrecipes.com is a great site!! I love it and have found some things that are now my signature dishes. People think I am a great cook because of recipes I found on there! But I have also started to cook more healthy. I just get some veggies, put them on a pan with a little olive oil and garlic salt and bake or broil them. I do the same with chicken and fish (or saute it on the stove with a little olive oil and seasoning- I love Lawrey's seasoning salt) and some rice. Its easy, delicious and healthy! If your mom was a good cook, you have it in you too, you just start doing it and it will build your confidence. Every time you make a meal and someone likes it, you are one step closer to being a great cook. But remember, we all experiment and we all fail from time to time, so if a meal comes out un-edible every now and then, its ok, just don't do the same meal again!!

I love my betty crocker cookbook, because it has illustrated pictures on how to do just about everything, has definitions for all the cooking terms, yields and equivalents, as well as recipes. I don't do the recipes as much since I look most recipes up online, but it's a great reference for all the basic stuff. I didn't really know how to cook much when I moved out of my house either. I remember one Thanksgiving my mom joked that she was exhausted from opening cans all day lol. You can also find you tube videos that show you how to do just about any cooking technique. And don't be afraid to try knew things. You may mess up a few meals, but it's a learning experience and it just takes practice to have it down. Good luck!

Love the Betty Crocker cookbook - you cannot go wrong. I love to cook, but I do refer to that cookbook all the time and out of like 50 cookbooks that I have, that one stays on my counter. Once you make something that tastes fantastic, it might get you more excited about cooking. Good luck!