I have hit a wall. I have NEVER been good at cooking. I have skated by this long, because my husband is not at all picky. Now that my son is getting older (22 months) he REALLY loves food. He will try anything, which I really love and appreciate. However, I cook the same few things. Those things, I don't cook that well. I really want to cook more things, because even I'm getting bored. I've found I can manage casseroles, but we don't eat out of cans (BPA.) It seems like every casserole recipe I find, has the cream soups in them. I have such a hard time finding recipes I can do. I am always on the look out for a recipe with just a few ingredients.
Do you have any tips, for cooking better? Any SUPER easy favorite recipes that are healthy, and don't have anything from a can?
Thank you, for the suggestions. Unfortunately, our schedule and budget does not allow for classes, at this time. I will look into it, as soon as it does.
One quick note:
I CAN read (and do quite well thank you.) and I CAN follow directions...my recipes never turn out. I follow recipes exactly as they are written, with nothing added, substituted, or any other variations. Some people just aren't good at cooking. I'm OK with that, I just want to feed my family well. It's a little insulting, to insinuate I can't read and follow instructions...or I'm too dense to know that's required, or to even understand it.
My best advice for you is, to don't follow my advice because I am terrible too,lol.
BUT, I many times cook things from the food chanel Foodnetwork.com I look for the ones that have the ones with the most stars, most of my family's favorite dishes are from here...and if anybody tells my hubby about this I will take them down!
Get the Betty Crocker Cookbook "Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today". I LOVE it.. It is simple and YUMMY! They are realistic recipes with everyday household ingredients. You can also go to Betty Crocker website and get recipes off their too.
Martha Stewart has a good website... her "Everyday Food" magazine has great ideas. Easy recipes. Easy.
And her website has other great recipes/meals/planning.
Here is her link:
http://www.marthastewart.com/food
http://www.marthastewart.com/everyday-food
Sweetie, you don't need expensive classes! Like anything else, reading, knitting, etc. you just need to get good enough to learn to LOVE to cook - or at least like it!- and then you will be more experimental.
I would recommend getting a couple of magazine subscriptions- to Cooking Light and the Food Network magazine. They both also have excellent websites with LOTS of recipe ideas at ALL skill levels. Any kind of food, from basic comfort food like homemade mac and cheese to the fanciest dish are there, as well as the basics, like how to really make good pasta, or grill a steak or bake a cake.
I keep a binder with those clear plastic sleeves. When I find a recipe I think I want to try or that my family would like, I cut it out and put it in the binder. I try to plan ahead what I am going to make for the week- it is a lot easier to plan groceries when you know what you're going to be cooking. I was brought up in a 'cooking' family and make most things from scratch- you are totally right and don't have to rely on canned soup things! Cooking Light is very good for fresh healthy EASY dinners that only take 20 or 30 minutes to put together.
Usually we have a couple of standards or favorites (casseroles or things like chicken or fish with rice and a veggie) Wednesday night when my son has aikido class is crock pot night (pot roast or chilli or something like that) and 2 'new' recipes that often become favorites.
The Food Network especially has a good website with great step by step videos to show you exactly HOW to do something a recipe asks you to do. Just watch, then try and do it yourself. You'll be surprised at how easy it is and everytime you make something new, you'll feel more confident.
The other thing I would totally recommend is to use your 'Mama' network- your mom, aunties, girlfriends, neighbors- you name it, I have never met a woman with a great recipe who didn't want to share it and pass it on. Just ask if they can come by to help you make their favorite pie crust or meatloaf or whatever, and I bet they will be happy and proud to share it.
Good luck mama! I wish I lived closer,- I would totally come over and share some recipes with you!But you can do this and I bet you will learn to like it too!
Someone on here (God love them) mentioned a website called e-meals.com. You have to check it out! For cheap money (15 bucks for 3 months) it gives you a printed out menu with ingredients and recipes AND grocery list every week!!! You can choose from different things...like low carb, gluten free or weight watchers. OMG. I signed up immediately! It is awesome.....and yummy!
Hi B.,
Your post made me laugh because my daughter is learning to cook and she is having a tough time! My mom has an old Betty Crocker cookbook that she got when got married and then she gave me one when I got married. There are tons of cookbooks out there, but the classic BC ones are pretty easy and give you step by steps and pictures. I know it sounds ridiculously old school, but it might be helpful, and I don't remember any canned ingredients in mine.
Also, there is a new product called "Cooking Cream" and it is in the refrigerated section instead of a can. I can't remember the brand, but maybe that would be an alternative to the cream soup in a can.
Good luck and as I tell my DD, at least you're trying! :)
How I fed my family. Quesadillas, tacos, burritos, all vegetarian. Refried beans, cornbread spaghetti and vegetarian sauce. All of these are simple foods for which there are excellent recipes even online.
Get a couple of cast iron pans 10 inch and 12 inch and get busy. You'll be a great cook once you see how easy it all is.
One of my favorite books for cooking is the Enchanted Broccali Forest. I also use the classic Laurel's Kitchen.
My family loves, and easy for me to make, stir fry, pasta, anything on the BBQ, raw veggies, potatoes made anyway, taco night, veggie burger night with sweet potato fries, salads, baked chicken and asparagus, cheese and veggie omelettes, homemade mac & cheese...just to list a few for you.
Tonight I'm making baked chicked rolled in bread crumbs, cut potatoes sauteed with bell peppers and a salad.
Best of luck!
I had the same problem with my husband. I was HORRIBLE! I went to allrecipes.com and they have everything in there, easy or hard. If you have a bread machine, you can make all sorts of breads and doughs, like pizza dough and you guys can make pizza together. It really isn't too unhealthy (minus the flour) and it would be fun to do with your son. Homemade meatballs are really easy and really good. If you don't mind spending some time in the kitchen, there are some awesome recipes for homemade chicken pot pie and lasagne. Keep at it and you will eventually start to enjoy it! =)
Check with your local grocery stores. I know we have one here that offers cooking classes, one of the gals in my office had learned some great recipes and she is completly into the organic foods. Also there are places now you can go and cook up your weeks worth of meals in their kitchen or hire them to do it for you.
wow some people were mean! How silly. I would say try a slow cooker. There are very easy recipes, very healthy, and I think you would be happy with that.
Hi B.! I wouldn't say I'm a terrible cook, but I hate to cook so easy is all I ever want to do when I'm in the kitchen. Planning ahead, having a clean clear workspace with all the necessary "tools" (i.e., cutting board, good sharp knives, proper size pots, pans, mixing bowls, spoons, measuring cups, etc.) having all your ingredients ready and nearby (cleaned and chopped ahead makes things so much easier), and using shortcut products like pre-chopped fresh or frozen veggies and seasoning blends and pre-washed greens, etc., are really the best tips I can share that makes cooking easier in my opinion. Besides that, I think the key to good cooking, besides quality ingredients, is timing, and that is hard to learn if it's not already something you're gifted with. I believe that's why some people think cooking is easy and others, not so much. :-)
As far as recipes go, it's hard for me to list favorites because I only have a few dishes I even cook more than once a month. I figure if I have to cook, I'm going to try something new. The exceptions are spaghetti, which my family won't let me go more than a week and a half without making, and grilled or broiled steak, which we usually have a couple times a month. Otherwise, I rely heavily on both www.recipezaar.com (which is now www.food.com) and www.allrecipes.com and am trying new recipes all the time. If you search for an ingredient you want to use, like chicken, then sort based on rating or popularity, you can usually find some good stuff. I try to read as many of the reviews as I can as they can give you real world insight into what works and what doesn't when cooking that dish. I use a lot of canned stuff, for the ease of it of course, but you can even find recipes for substitutes for the canned stuff. I did a quick search and found this within just a few seconds - http://www.food.com/recipe/healthy-substitute-for-cream-o.... There are 52 reviews too so you can read through and see if this is even something that would work for you. If not, there are literally over 6,000 recipes that come up when you search for "cream of chicken soup". I did a search for that because when I pulled up my list of favorite recipes to see if there were any I could send you, several of them had the canned soup as an ingredient. :-\
So, long story short, not really knowing your taste (do you like sweet, savory, what kind of meats/veggies do you like, etc.), probably better to send you to the source and let you do your own investigating. But, since you did ask specifically for easy recipes, I will include a few here as well:
Pork Chops in Balsamic Vinegar and Shallot Sauce
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 4 pork chops
* salt and pepper
* 4 large shallots, finely chopped (I have substituted a medium red onion with a tsp of minced garlic for the shallots with good results)
* 1/2 cup chicken broth (or 1/2 cup water plus 1/2 chicken bouillon cube)
* 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
* 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1 tablespoon butter
Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 20 mins
Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan large enough to hold the chops in one layer, over medium-high heat.
2. Season the chops with salt and pepper, and cook them through, approximately 5 minutes per side, or as needed according to the thickness of your chops.
3. Remove from pan and keep warm.
4. Add shallots to the pan and cook them, stirring, one minute.
5. Add chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, and dried thyme.
6. Cook stirring 5 minutes.
7. Remove pan from heat, and add the butter.
8. Stir till the butter has melted and is well incorporated into the sauce.
9. Pour sauce over the chops, and serve.
Direct link with 29 reviews: http://www.food.com/recipe/pork-chops-in-balsamic-vinegar...
Cheesy Chicken Legs
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
* 4 whole chicken legs (drumsticks & thighs)
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 large ziploc bag
* 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs (Panko preferred)
* 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
* 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
* 1/4 teaspoon paprika
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 1 1/4 hr
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. In the Ziploc bag, combine the bread crumbs, parmesan, salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder.
3. Brush each chicken piece with the olive oil, then drop singly, into the crumb mix in the Ziploc bag and shake well to coat.
4. Place each coated chicken piece together on an UNgreased cookie sheet.
5. Bake in the preheated 375°F oven for 1 hour or until the chicken is 170° and the juices run clear.
Direct link with 14 reviews and suggestions on how to vary the recipe for different types of cuisine: http://cheese.food.com/recipe/cheesy-chicken-legs-154452
Chicken Lazone
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
* 1 teaspoon salt (I use about 1/2 this - I think 1 tsp makes it too salty)
* 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
* 2 teaspoons garlic powder
* 4 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts
* 1/4 cup butter, divided
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Directions:
1. Combine the seasonings and coat chicken breasts.
2. In large saute pan melt half of the butter and cook chicken over medium heat for about 7 to 8 minutes, turning once.
3. Pour the cream into the skillet and lower the heat.
4. Simmer for several minutes, stirring until the sauce thickens then add the remaining butter.
5. When butter is melted place chicken breasts on four plates and top with the sauce.
Direct link with 562 reviews: http://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-lazone-65768
Louisiana Shrimp and Sausage Boil
Ingredients
* 3 quarts water
* 1 medium onion, halved or quartered (I use more onion)
* 2 cloves garlic, smashed
* coarse salt to taste (I use about 1/2 tbsp coarse kosher or sea salt, but I also add Old Bay seasoning for spice - about 2-3 tbsp)
* 1 (3 ounce) package dry crab boil
* 1 1/2 pounds medium red potatoes, scrubbed
* 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces (I like kielbasa)
* 4 ears fresh corn, shucked and broken in half (I use 8-12 smaller frozen cobbetts)
* 1 1/2 pounds unpeeled, large fresh shrimp
* 1/2 cup butter, melted
Directions
1. Bring the water to a boil in a very large pot. Add the onion, garlic, salt, old bay (optional) and crab boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes.
2. Add the potatoes (I usually cut the bigger ones in halves or quarters - make them all about the same size as the smallest potato - and pierce all of them several times with a fork to make sure the flavor goes all the way through); cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Add the corn and sausage cook for 10 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the shrimp. Let sit covered for 5 minutes or until shrimp are pink.
5. Drain, and serve with melted butter for dipping. Broth may be reserved and reused for cooking rice or other soups.
Bon Appétit!
Blessings,
N.
OK, anyone who can read can cook. There are some basics - you need a vocabulary - need to know what bake, braise, saute, etc mean. And you need to understand some basic techniques, mixing, pureeing, whisking, etc. You can take a class or even easier get some videos that cover these 'how to' things. After that, you just follow the step by step directions - that is all a recipe is. A list of ingredients, followed by directions. Then buy a copy of The Joy of Cooking - it is a classic and fantastic reference that includes all sorts of substitutions, measurements, etc.
Most people who believe themselves to be 'terrible cooks' are no such thing. They have been using bad recipes (lots of them out there, even in published cook books) or have simply psyched themselves out after a few less than stellar results (which everyone has). This was not meant to be a 'mean' response - just one to say that I truly doubt you are a terrible cook. And that if you want to you absolutely can become a better or even very good one.
A terrible cook is someone who cannot read or follow directions, does not understand the directions, makes too many substitutions or short cuts without understanding the recipe or just won't try. A new cook is rarely a terrible cook - because you will be sticking close to the directions. Good luck - it is a valuable skill that you will want to teach your son.
Hi B.,
I dont have any advice because I'm not a cook either. I can't tell you the number of times I have "tried something new" that my poor family as had to taste!
My husband had a favorite chocolate chip cookie bar receipe from a childhood friend and the Mom took the time to gather all the right ingredients and get me a beautiful copy of the receipe book for our wedding. I followed the directions exactly and to this day my beloved talks about the first time I made him brownies! (yep, tasted ok, kinda hard and 100% not chocolate chip cookie bars!)
So, I guess I'm just trying to make you feel better because I too can read and follow directions but it doesn't seem to work out well.
Good Luck on your search!
I love the Pioneerwoman's cooking blog......Her picture tutorials and explicit directions are soooo helpful. Check out her blog and check out the recipes see if any catch your attention.
On another note both Whole Foods and Central Market offer cooking classes. It might be fun to go to one for a GNO or alone even.
Oh, here's the Pioneerwoman's blog :
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/
God luck!
Ok, I don't really have anything new to add- looks like you've gotten some good suggestions so far- I was just so irked by the response below, that I couldn't let it go. I wish people who don't have something nice and helpful to say would just keep their negative thoughts to themselves!
Hi B., you and me should be buddies, I completely understand what you are saying! And I can read and follow directions also! :o) Ok, I'm a big fan of 5 ingredients or less and quick and easy recipes. If you google these words, tons of websites come up. I have a 3 inch 3 ring binder FULL of recipes I have printed off of different websites. I randomly try new ones and mark on them any changes I make or what worked or didn't work. I also have word documents that I have cut and pasted recipes from here and other places that I have gotten good ideas from. Not sure if you eat hamburger or turkey burger but I brown about 5-6 pounds of it at once and put it in about 6-8 zip close quart size baggies and put in the freezer. I take out what I need and use in sauces for pasta, tacos, enchiladas, soups, sandwhiches, etc. Same thing for boneless chicken breasts, put a bunch in the crockpot all day on low with some spices and take out and shred/chop and use for the same things above. Also, I'm in AZ and the summer is HOT! So I don't use the oven at all in the summer and really don't like to use the stove. I have gotten creative with some "cool" dinner items to eat. Salads, sandwhiches, eggs, smoothies for breakfast, etc. Send me your email address and I can email my word docs if you'd like to see them. Not sure how "healthy" they are as I work full time outside the home and time is of the essence for me. Good luck!!!
Why not perfect a few great soups of your own? Potato soup, chicken pastina, beef barley?
We really enjoy the Barefoot Contessa's cookbook "How Easy Is That?" - the recipes are truly easy with just a few ingredients and mostly incorporate fresh veggies, pasta, and the like. She has a cauliflower recipe that is TO DIE FOR! We use broccoli instead, usually, but suffice it to say that between me, my hubby, and our 2 little girls, we can buy 5 pounds of broccoli and eat it ALL when we use her recipe. I never thought I'd say, "You have to eat your rice before you can have more broccoli!" LOL I just googled and found the recipe: http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2008/11/the_best_brocco.html
Also my other recommendation is Martha Stewart's magazine, Everyday Food. She has tons of great recipes every month, and they're really easy to prepare. Usually the recipes are seasonal, so you can find the ingredients fresh at the grocery store or farmer's market.
I have been a new cook. I am now an old(er) cook. I have a good vocabulary. I can read and follow directions. I understand them. I don't make substitutions or short cuts. AND I STILL SUCK AT IT! I have decided that some people just have a flair for cooking. I do laundry really well. And I can fix things because I'm handy. Cooking... not so much.
I feel your pain. Over the years I've found some things I actually can cook well, but it isn't too many things. I make a great Thanksgiving turkey -- actually the whole meal I can do well. I make a good roast. I can grill steak really well. And that's about it.
I'm afraid to give you any of my recipes that work well for me, because they probably wouldn't for you and then I'd feel bad. lol
One of our family favorites is a recipe I made up based upon a dish called Shrimp Ajillo that I had at a restaurant. Shrimp ajillo is traditionally a tapas (aka little plate or appetizer-y type thing) but I tweaked it into an entree. So it's not "authentic" but it's healthy and easy:
-Get a pack of that yellow rice in the shiny thin bag and cook it accoriding to directions. While the rice is cooking:
-In a separate skillet, pour in a bunch of olive oil, like 2 or 3 tablespoons. Heat it, add two heaping teaspoonfuls of minced garlic. Brown for 1 minute. Add 1/2 pound of uncooked shrimp (tails off, shells off). Cook shrimp in olive oil til they're pink, remove them to a bowl with a slotted spoon so you still have the olive oil in the pan). Don't worry about getting all the garlic out.
-In that same skillet you just took the shrimp out of, put in a bag of frozen pepper and onion mix. If you don't have frozen, use fresh red, green, orange, and/or yellow peppers cut into small pieces. Make sure there's enough olive oil in the pan to saturate the peppers/onions. If not, add more olive oil Cover the pan and let it simmer 'til the veggies are soft, around 10 minutes.
-Add the shrimp back in, and pour in the rice. Turn the stove down to low and let it cook together for 5 minutes or so.
So: it takes 20 minutes or so, has six ingredients, and you get vitamins from the vegetables, protein from the shrimp, and good fats from the olive oil. No cans in sight.
I think a lot of being a good cook is being willing to take risks. Don't be afraid to go in the kitchen and just try something new. What's the worst that could happen?
Also check out chowhound.com for boards on "Home Cooking" that you might find helpful.
Something I found recently at the store is these really cool spice packets. They are made by McCormick. it has all the spices and the directions for a meal. I have made 4 of them and all are really good and really easy. the other thing I do is go to sams club and buy the meals that you just pop in the oven or the microwave. our recent fav is chicken picatta. make it along with either some pasta or garlic mashed potatoes (out of bag when i am in a hurry lol or homemade when i am not) kids love it. it comes in two packages. so if its just me and hubby and son i make one package if all kids i make both. keep making different stuff you don't want him to be that kid who won't eat anything when he gets older lol.
I know where you are coming from! I have about 5 meals that are actually good and another 5 that are ok but I get so bored with those. I think I could be a good cook but Im so lost with cooking. Growing up we ate everything easy or out of a can or fast food. For breakfast it was cereal or pop tarts and occasionally a ding dong or brownie! Seriously! There was a restaurant near our house that my mom called her kitchen, we were and actually still are very close to the owners! So when I got married I pretty much knew how to cook spag, shake n bake chicken and microwave veggies from a can! My cousins wife is a very healthy cook so I have been randomly texting her for how to cook this or that. Im starting with fresh or frozen veggies and how to cook them and add flavor and still be healthy. Hopefully soon I can move to the main courses!! lol For me I have to learn one thing at a time and do it a couple of times. I don't like having to get a recipe out everytime so Id rather learn and memorize it so it will come easy to me. My goal is by the time my kids graduate I want them to want to come back home for momma's home cooked meals!!
Try this website. It has such wonderful ideas and recipes for toddler (and families):
This website will knock your socks off. Try her Simple Asian Noodles (I add zuchinni and squash and carrots to it)...Her Fancy Macaroni is sin in a pot and is to die for. Basically anything on her site is soooooo yummy. Did I mention her chocolate sheet cake?
a roast is quite simple. I usually get a pot roast pork or beef, pork is cheaper. now just get a pack of baby carrots, a bad of red potatoes and a nice sized white onion,and a pack of onion soup mix. oh and an oven bag. i rinse the meat off. then season it on both sides(black pepper, lawery seasoning salt, garlic powder, onion powder and maybe a dash of salt, the salt is up to you) then before you place the meat in the bag put a slight layer of flour on the bottom of the bag (makes gravy) then place the roast in the bag in a casserole dish. dump the carrots on top,slice the onion and throw those on top, cut the potaotes up, maybe in halves or fourths(up to you) then pour a packet of the onion soup(dry) on top of the veggies and meat, bake on about 400 degrees for about an hour and half depending on how big it is, or be safe and get a food thermamoter. and viola! also try all recipes.com. i have found many quick and easy recipes there. good luck!
