I Need Help!

nic82 · 10 January 2006 at 1:08PM

I'm about to move in with my other half and need some serious help and advice!!!

Firstly, it will be me doing most of the cooking. We both work fulltime, but I will be home before he is, so it makes sense for me to start the meal beforehand (and leave the washing up and clearing up afterwards to him

).

Even though I was at uni a few years ago, I practically lived on pasta and sweet and sour chicken (not together!). However, although OH doesn't mind pasta, there's no way he would eat it four or five times a week.

Can anyone recommend some delicious, yet quick and easy (and I mean REALLY easy!) meals to cook? I have seen threads on slow cookers and am very tempted to invest in one, although OH isn't that keen on casseroles. However, is there a thread for non-slow cooker recipes? I've tried searching for one, but it keeps bringing up an error.

Also, I'm a bit weird and don't like onions or peppers in food. If I cooked anything like a casserole, I would cut the onions big and then pick them out as I know you need them in there for flavouring.

Another thing is that I've been reading about ways to cut down on weekly shopping etc, but as I've never had to do a weekly shop for two people so any hints and tips for a newbie would be most welcome! (I obviously used to shop for food when I was at uni, but all household type things came out of the house kitty and having one cupboard and one shelf in the fridge at uni isn't quite the same as having lots of cupboard space in your own house to fill with the "basics" such as flour, gravy granuals, bicarb, etc - all things that I never used to have at uni).

comping_cat · 10 January 2006 at 1:12PM

If you look at the MEGA themed index, there are loads of really good recipe ideas there!!! Good luck when you move!!
Catherine x
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=69218

MrsB_2 · 10 January 2006 at 1:16PM

Here you go, have a look on HERE

Good Luck, it'll be fine, and once you get into the swing you'll wonder why you ever worried.

squeaky · 10 January 2006 at 1:19PM

Then there are indeed other non-slow cooker recipes in an index. You need to follow links through to our Old Style Recipe Collection...

You can find them in my signature any time you see it or...

..you can use the Indexed Collections link in the Blue Bar at the top of every page which looks something like this:-

Sarahsaver · 10 January 2006 at 1:20PM

have you tried blending the veg? I made the tastiest sausage casserole using blended tomatoes, onions and carrots as the sauce, and even my fussy daughter ate it.
Why are you doing all the cooking? What did he eat before!?
Getting the basics gradually will make less of a dent in your budget, and cooking double or more of dishes you like and freezing them will create your own store of ready meals. Things which freeze well are bolognese sauce (which then may become chilli or lasagne with a bit of tweaking) roast potatoes, curries, cooked pulses.
If you like takeaways try yuk sung pork, I did it last night.

1 iceberg lettuce
block of thin rice noodles
soy sauce, sesame oil, sherry, salt and pepper
lump of leftover pork or about 200g pork, cooked then minced
a bunch of spring onions.

fry the noodles in very hot oil til crispy, drain on kitchen paper
fry the onions, chopped, and pork, in 1tbs sesame oil
add 1tbs sherry and soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste
cook til warmed through
add the noodles and stir til evenly mixed
serve by spooning into lettuce leaves and eating :)you can add other veg like beansprouts, mushrooms, water chestnuts, all chopped up really small.

MrsB_2 · 10 January 2006 at 1:23PM

Or there's the shopping index HERE

Ronankfan · 10 January 2006 at 1:34PM

Menu planning is a god-send - it really helps to keep the costs down.

HTH

dormy · 10 January 2006 at 1:59PM

Hi

My daughter doesn't like onions either so I just puree them to put in dishes that need them and she doesn't notice

I have a slow cooker and use it regularly not just for casseroles. I cook joints in it and curries. I often put a chicken in whole, then a separate bowl with potatoes in as well. Only need to do veg then when I get home.

Stir fries are also quick and easy and a good way to use leftover meat.

nic82 · 11 January 2006 at 10:56AM

Just want to say thank you to everyone for their quick responses. I didn't get chance to reply yesterday, but everyone has been so helpful and the links you have provided are wonderful.

I'm going to spend the next few lunchtimes at work going through them and making up my own recipe collection containing all the ones that I think OH and I will like (and even add in a few "not sure" ones, as we might surprise ourselves and like them when we think we won't).

xxx

nic82 · 11 January 2006 at 11:27AM

Sarahsaver wrote:

have you tried blending the veg? I made the tastiest sausage casserole using blended tomatoes, onions and carrots as the sauce, and even my fussy daughter ate it.
Why are you doing all the cooking? What did he eat before!?
Getting the basics gradually will make less of a dent in your budget, and cooking double or more of dishes you like and freezing them will create your own store of ready meals. Things which freeze well are bolognese sauce (which then may become chilli or lasagne with a bit of tweaking) roast potatoes, curries, cooked pulses.
If you like takeaways try yuk sung pork, I did it last night.

Hi Sarah,
Thank you for your reply. To answer all your questions....

I haven't tried blending the veg, but that's a brilliant idea and I will definitely try it. It will also be good for OH. Although he eats onions and mushrooms (which I don't), he doesn't like carrots (which I do) :cool:, so blending the whole lot should make us both happy. :j

The only reason I'll be doing the cooking is because I'll get home quite a bit earlier than he will from work. At weekends, he will be taking his turn! Unfortunately, he is moving in with me straight from living with his mum and dad's, so his mum has always done the cooking for him. He *thinks* he can cook, but he thinks getting turkey drummers and oven chips out of the freezer and putting them into the oven and then heating up a tin of beans is cooking.

I want to start with good habits (i.e. cooking as much from scratch as possible) and then - hopefully - they'll be easier to carry on, rather than starting with bad habits (i.e. freezer food every night) and then trying to change at a later date.

That's a really good idea about making double portions and then freezing half for another meal. I used to do this at uni sometimes since I was only cooking for one, but hadn't thought about it for the two of us.

Thank you for the yuk sung pork recipe. I shall definitely try it out.

Also, I saw on another post that you keep chickens. I mentioned it to OH as I think it is a brilliant idea and he looked horrified and asked me what was wrong with buying eggs from the farmshop? At least they're free range I suppose. I'm obviously going to have to work on my persuasion tactics though if I want to win this one!

xxx

nic82 · 11 January 2006 at 11:50AM

dormy wrote:

Hi

My daughter doesn't like onions either so I just puree them to put in dishes that need them and she doesn't notice

Stir fries are also quick and easy and a good way to use leftover meat.

When you puree/blend vegetables, can you still taste them? I don't mind the taste of onions, I just don't like biting into them (I'm a weirdo, I know!) and I know that you need onion in most homecooked things for flavouring.

Do you have any recipes for stirfries? I've seen chinese vegetable mixes in the supermarket (I think they're Findus) but don't know how healthy these are. I know supermarkets also do fresh stirfry mixes containing beansproats, etc, but again, don't know how good these are, or whether I should just make my own. If I make my own, what vegetables are good to put in?

xxxx

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