|
I want to learn how to cook!
I know this may sound weird but I am 28 years old and I don't know how to cook and I really want to leaden because eating out is getting exspensive and I am tired of eating sandwhiches all the time.
What are some easy recipies that I can start with?
[ ]
Want to answer more questions in the Domesticity category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Cooking?
I learned to cook by watching TV chefs on PBS and the cooking channels. If you can read and follow directions you can cook. The scariest parts of cooking are some of the terms used. Go to the book store or search the net for information on cooking terms. While the terms sound confusing they are really not once you understand their meaning.
Get a cookbook for beginners these cookbooks generally have step by step instructions along with pictures of how to prepare what you are making. One of the easiest meals I know to cook is spaghetti and meat sauce.
The spaghetti is placed in boiling salted water as per package directions. The package doesn't say how much salt so I suggest about a table spoon full. For the meat sauce you by a pound of ground beef an onion and a jar of Spaghetti Sauce.
Take have the onion and dice it, this means to chop it finely. In the gadget food store you can find a food chopper that will do this very well for you. Then in a sauce pan, looks a little like a fry pan but it has sides about 2 to 3 inches high, put a small amount of oil, vegetable or olive oil, I like olive oil and lightly brown the onions for about a minute on medium heat. You smell the onion smell within this time this is when you put the chop meat into the sauce pan to brown. To brown is exactly what it means. The meat is red you want it not to be red on the outside. Stir it around in the pan until all is a brown color or not red.
While you are browning the meat it is time to season it. I use salt, pepper and garlic powder. Seasoning is to taste so I can’t advise you hear other than to say go easy on the salt and pepper as you can add those at the table I you need more. I cook to a low salt diet so for 1 jar of sauce I would suggest 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and up to a full teaspoon of garlic powder depending on how much you like garlic. Stir the spices into the meat.
Once the meat is browned stir in the jar of sauce, cover turn the heat to low or simmer and let it simmer for 45 minutes. Now is the time to put your water on to boil for the pasta and follow package directions. Cook up the pasta about 15 minutes before the sauce is ready.
Even simpler is hamburgers. Same seasonings and I add a packet of dry French onion soup mix for flavor. Mix everything together and form into patties. One pound of ground beef will make four to six patties. Put them in a fry pan and cook them until well done which is 165 degrees on a meat thermometer. A meat thermometer is an essential for anyone who cooks as you do not what to under cook or over cook you meat.
Good luck and if I can cook anyone can. There are meals I make that only I make and my family requests them all the time.
Note: If a recipe doesn't come out right the first time, pour tomato sauce over it and call it Italian. That's what I did and no one complained.
]
I know that lots of people your age do not know how to cook. My middle daughter is one of them. But its less costly and can be much healthier cooking for yourself or even hosting a simple dinner for two or four.
Before you start cooking, you may want to buy some plastic freezer storage containers and when you cook, if just for yourself, make enough for two or three. The extra can go into freezer. Next day you make another meal the same way and 3rd day too. At this point you can go back to reheating extras from the first day. I know a single person who does this.
Something easy is Spaghetti. The trick is knowing how much noodles to cook. There are Spaghetti ladles with holes in the spoon for serving amount and you grab as much as fill that hole, then cook it. Add a little salt and a tsp oil to the pot of water to keep noodles from sticking. Then you use spaghetti sauce ready made in a jar. If you want hamburger in it, try buying a medium sized package of ground hamburger and forming it into single serving pattys to freeze. That way you can take out just the one, let thaw, and cook it in a fry pan with some of the sauce added. You can make variations to the meal by adding mushrooms sliced, and olives sliced and I tend to like a little bit of small chunks of cooked zuchinni in it. Try grated cheese added to the sauce or just sprinkled on top. It doesn't have to be Parmesan but any cheese that you like. Sometimes, I buy the Alredo cheese sauce for spaghetti and recently came up with another topping I liked. Think of the bean dips by the Fritos at grocery. Or refried beans in Mexican cooking. Although I started with dry black beans and boiled them down until they became a sauce, I believe you can do the same using just a can of ready to go beans. Mash them up a bit, add a little water and cook at a medium heat, constantly stirring until it becomes a puree. You could add any spices or seasoning you like. Less is best. You can add more later. Don't worry about making mistakes and it turning out inedible. We all do that while learning or even trying a new recipe.
You can find all sorts of recipes on line. I would do a search for quick and easy recipes. You could also search for simple cookbooks at a bookstore. When I first married, I was given a cookbook for two. So you don't make too much food. Then there was the 'cooking on a budget' or something like that.
Once you get used to cooking, you can start to experiment with combos of foods that sound good together, style of cooking etc. Lots of chefs don't exactly follow a recipe or measure carefully as we do cus they do this so much they already visually know how much is enough. I have already lived on a tight budget, specially when raising my kids so often I had to toss meals together from only what I had at home. I didn't get the processed easy meals at stores as they always had too high a sodium or a type of fat or something else I didn't want. You may need to use some prepackaged foods at first til you gain confidence. I also like making hearty soups. Sometimes I buy chicken or beef stock, add a little water and cut up all my favorite veggies to go into it. Add potato chunks or noodles or rice. Remember that rice and noodles expand so if going into a soup, you don't need much, a half cup uncooked rice for example is more than enough when cooked. If you don't want to cook a chicken to put chicken meat in it, you can go to the stores deli and pick up a package of chicken tighs or breast already cooked and cool in the refrigerated section. Pick chicken off the bones and put into your soup. Save some chicken to have the following day with a baked potato. Wrap in foil and follow a cookbook or online info for what temp and how long, and have it wrapped it foil in oven. When its done, then add butter, a dab of sour cream and a little chopped green onion on top. YOu can use frozen already cut veggies and heat some for one meal in a pot or take one large carrot and cut it up and cook it or broccoli heads cut smaller and cooked. Veggies can be steamed too if you prefer...all easy to do. But to start, the things I know and take for granted may be questions you have no idea how to do, so I still beleive a good cookbook for simple easy, quick meals is going to be your best bet. Good luck hon. Wish it were my daughter wanting to learn to cook.
]
More Questions: |